I've known how to cook since I was a little girl but it's only become a part of my daily routine in the last few years (ever since I moved away from home!). I have a one year old son so whatever meals I decide to cook I like to be quick, easy and healthy. I'm not a big fan of spice but my husband loves it and I don't experiment too much with ethnic food. When I find recipes on here I usually tweek them to suit my families tastes. If we like them then I experiment with them several times until it's a completely new recipe! I love making a lot of the recipes I find on here. I love trying new things and there are so much to choose from. Chicken is my favoutite thing to cook whether it be in the oven, on the stove, on the barbeque or in the slow cooker! My mom got me off to a good start by teaching me the basics of cooking. I remember my very first time cooking by myself (under adult supervision of course): I made soup and I was 7 years old. My son hit a stage where he wouln't eat alot of the commerical baby food. I experimented with some of my small appliances which I have never really used before and things I could find in the fridge. I tried to make interesting and healthy food that had a bit more flavour and texture than jarred baby food. I've never seen a baby eat so much! I'm starting to think I should go into business! Before when I first stared cooking, I used to follow cooking times exactly. I often ended up with overcooked and dry meat. Now I always judge my cooking times myself by checking on it frequently and cutting into the meat a few times since things like chicken breast come in different sizes. People who write recipes will always have a different preference in terms of doneness. The same goes for spices and salt. I'm not a big fan of it and most people are.