I am presently a "stay at home mom" and my husband is in Iraq. He loves fresh baked goodies from home, and it is great to include my daughter in the process. I love to cook for anyone who has a big appetite. Cookies, cakes, anything sweet! I love baking, and will try anything at least once. Every Christmas all the women in my family go into the kitchen and it is chaos. No one has the same opinions about anything, but the outcome is always great. I love them all, and they are my favorite tradition. I have baked bread before, but it has never turned out so well as the day I made Amish Bread. It has fantastic form, and it is slightly sweet. There is something wonderful about baking bread, I think. It makes one feel a little more self sufficient. You don't have to depend on the store to make it for you. It tastes so much better, and costs much less. In this day and age who couldn't love that? I tried to make a cheescake, and I followed the directions to the letter... or so I thought. When it was time to take it out of the oven the middle was not even close to being done, and it was like pudding the whole way through. I was so excited about it before that, but it's okay. I'll try again another day. It can only get better.