I’m 36 years old, and the mother of four great kids. Cooking is kind of a hobby for me and it’s a good thing since it’s something I have to do. My friends and family tell me that I'm a fast cook. I see myself as an organized cook. I love cooking, but I don't like to spend all day doing it. (unless it's a holiday) As a kid I always hated when the main dish was done, but the rice or potatos were just being started. That's always stuck with me so I make sure everything is finished at the same time. My favorite things to cook are meals that make people smile and don't take very long to make, that are healthy, look good and taste great. I have two favorite traditions. The first started when my oldest daughter was about 9 years old. Whenever I make a new dish we haven’t had before we all rate it from 1 – 10 and decide if it’s a keeper or a tosser. We have fun with it. My husband gets a little carried away with the rating system and the kids are always too kind. The second is my Christmas cookie tradition. Every year during the holiday’s I go to town on the baking. I bake for everyone! It wouldn’t feel like Christmas if I didn’t. I love decorating and giving away my cookie baskets, plus I like to make people happy. My cooking triumphs are when someone likes what I’ve cooked enough to ask for the recipe. To me it’s the highest compliment someone can give and it challenges me to find or create another good one. I used to have trouble making Spanish rice. I always say Spanish rice waits for no one. You can’t run and answer the phone in the beginning steps or wait for a commercial to check on it. I burned many pots of rice in my early cooking days, which was really embarrassing in my family! I was getting a reputation for it. I make great spanish rice now.