I started cooking around 10 years old. Up to that point I was pretty much a spoon licker when cookies were made. Some of my first adventures in cooking were broiled chicken and pumpkin pie, (it seemed a waste to just throw away that Halloween pumkin). I was lucky to grow up in California where fresh produce was abundant. Early on I developed a taste for fresh, light food. After college I lived in Switzerland for a while and broadend my cooking repetoire. Now I have three children at home and cooking is a daily afair. Of course we are like any family and convience can sometimes rule. We do try to always make nutrition rule, too, what's more convient then an apple for a quick snack? Just about anything. I love to bake breads of all shapes and sizes. Preparing new dishes that I have never tried are also one of my favorite things to cook. Making waffles on the weekends. My Dad used to make waffles on weekends. It was always a big affair. Everything would be prepared and taken to the table. At the head of the table my Dad would sit with the waffle iron and make waffles to order. By the end we would be full and there would be a stack of waffles we could put in the freezer to enjoy all week! A Gourmet Thanksgiving for 25 of my family members. A brine soaked turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, gravy, cheesecake, cookies, you name it, including a sugar free desert for my diabetic family members. After a week of prep and a wonderful meal I put my feet up for a well deserved rest. Learning to bake bread was a real challenge. I was so eager for those soft, fluffy, hot loaves with melting butter. But I was given some bricks worthy to build with. But with persistance and patience I triumphed!