Tho I've been playing in the kitchen since I was 7, it wasn't until about 5 or 6 years ago that discovered cooking to be my favorite form of artistic expression. I was a theatre major in school 'back in the day.' I've found that my kitchen with its resulting applause to be the best stage there is! Anything I haven't cooked before. I love a challenge. I am currently on a quest to try "healthy" foods that don't sound appealing and integrate them into my family's menu. We all revere the recipes of my grandmother. She passed before I could remember eating any of her food, but the recipes we all have (mom, aunts, cousins, sisters) are all amazing. I also enjoy introducing "Southern Style" to the Illinois tastebuds of my friends! Anytime my mother in law asks for advice or a recipe! The first time I made brownies, I scrambled the eggs in the just-melted chocolate and sugar mixture. My sister thought I'd used nuts.