Been there, done that, don't remember most of it. I love cooking complex food, like Indian, the mise en place is therapeutic (with aromatherapy thrown in as a bonus). My mother,grandmother and grandfather were fabulous cooks, I still try to live up to them! My mother and grandparents always presented a well balanced, tasty meal, every night, even after working all day...I don't know how they did it. They were natural cooks, ask for a recipe, and it's "a little of this and a little of that". My hubby is a great cook as well, which is why I startesd cooking so late in life. My Thanksgiving turkey made in England in a tiny little flat for my English husband, it was his first Thanksgiving, and my first go at this traditional meal (1981). I have not been able to recreate it since! Beginners luck, or just a precious memory? I know they are there but I choose not to remember them.