I never appreciated my mom's cooking until I left for college and almost starved my first semester-they thought I had an eating disorder at Thanksgiving b/c I had lost 12 lbs since September. I was promply removed from the "meal plan" and given an illegal hotpot so I could survive on mac and cheese and Ramen noodle dishes like everyone else. Since then I appreciate and try to learn, and have gotten comfortable enough that I rarely use recipes in the strict sense, but always play around and change up things with flavors I know I like. Whatever I can get anyone else to eat. My friends and family are willing guinea pigs.....and I mean pigs! German background-meat and potatoes! Grilled steak and periogies, kielbasa and cheddar onion mashed potatoes, chicken breast and cauliflower and cheese stuffed baked potato-add any steamed fresh veggie and we have one of these probably once a week. My take on my dad's chili-i can get any of my friends to come over and join us for dinner if thats on the menu. I love one-pot meals too. It was something I did with a porkchop, smeared with mustard and coated in......oatmeal and fried. I had to throw it out, but my die-hard hubby just can't waste food and he somehow choked it down muttering something about how it "wasn't that bad"-yes, honey, it was.