I started cooking before I could count. By six, I was making cookies, cakes, and pies by myself. By thirteen, I took over cooking for my family as my mom went back to work. My highschool friends would joke that I could make them a whole meal in less than twenty minutes including dessert. I continue to experiment with new flavors (especially herbs and spices) and combinations. I truly love to cook. Veggie Stir Fry, Enchiladas, Anything with fresh herbs (I grow my own), Alfredo sauce, Pasta Pesto, grilled chicken breasts or steaks, orange ginger marinated pork chops, Pasta primavera in a white wine butter sauce, homemade pizza with fresh basil, and wilted spinach cooked in chicken drippings after I've sauteed chicken breasts in italian seasonings with light breading. My favorite family tradition is that of starting children cooking in the kitchen YOUNG... and I mean young! I was cooking my family of seven eggs all by myself when I was only four years old. I used to stand on a chair in the kitchen and scramble a huge pot of them for everyone and make toast to go with it. My daughter just turned two and can already make a mean fresh basil pesto. She's started in on soups, too. Today, she decorated Christmas cookies. Cooking should be a part of family life... something we all do together. It should be a time when we can share our experiences with each other and make something wholesome to eat to go along with the memories. Shortly after meeting my husband, I realized he didn't know how to cook but he was eager to learn. This man used to burn Kraft Mac Cheese regularly and almost had his apartment catch on fire after a similar kitchen experience. One evening, a few months into our relationship, I taught him to make a wonderful Chicken Marsala. I walked him through the recipe and he did the rest. It turned out beautifully. He hasn't stopped cooking since. My own sweet sixteen birthday cake. My mom had to work and I was baking my own cake. It was coming along nicely: a strawberry cake with buttercream icing. In walked my 20 year-old brother who decided it was horrific to let his little sister cook her own birthday cake. He begged to take over and I reluctantly let him. I thought, what could go wrong? The batter's nearly finished, and he's cooked in restaurants before and makes a killer steak. Five of my friends were coming over to help me celebrate and I could use the extra time getting ready. Why not? So, I left the kitchen. When I returned two hours later, my cake was frosted and sitting on the table. It looked great... until I saw a model airplane sticking out the side of it! Something went awry when he went to turn the cake out and it fell apart. So, he thought he'd make it better by making it look like a plane crashed into it. Thanks, big brother, I'll never forget that one! :)