Cooking became my favorite pasttime when I started dating my fiance in 2005, because (as most men do!) he loves good food. It has become something I look forward to every week - trying new recipes and of course making the old favorites. I love making fun appetizers - stuffed mushrooms, coconut shrimp, and double tomato bruschetta (that's the latest new one!) I also love stir-frys...anything with soy sauce, ginger and garlic is guaranteed to be a hit. Casseroles, pasta, you name it, I'll try to make it! My mom's chicken & broccoli casserole and steak marinade. My sister in law also passed on the most amazing chocolate chip cookie recipe I've ever come across. Either the first time I made steak for my (now) fiance, or the first time I made apple pie for my friends (Grandma Ople's Apple Pie on this website.) One evening, I made corn casserole with pork chops and scalloped potatoes. Every single dish came out wrong - the corn casserole wasn't cooked through, the pork chops were too tough and the scalloped potatoes weren't tender. It all went in the trash and I didn't cook again for several weeks! I've learned that not every meal will be a perfect one, and that's perfectly ok. Live and learn! =)