I'm a busy mom of 4 teens and as you can imagine, my house is never short of food stuffs. I started cooking at the age of 10. My parents worked odd shifts and as the oldest, it was my duty to get things started until my parents came home. I love it: it's relaxing and a great form of self expression, the greatest expression being love. Oh, the list is endless. On rainy, cold, or dreary days I love to cook chicken pot pie, chicken and dumplins, soups, or chili. Then again, I love to smoke and BBQ when the weather is nice. My kid's favorite dish is Crab Alfredo. Preparing treats for Halloween is something my mother started when I was a kid.When I got off the bus on Halloween, I knew our bar would be a buffet of all sorts of snacks, candy, cupcakes and everything.I've continued this with my own children. I have a specialty cake, punch, breadbowls with dips,ghoulish entress, you name it! My sisters always bring their children to my house for this tradition. I hope the kids pass it along. I'd have to say there were two. The first being the day I mastered my grandmother Jean's dressing (cornbread dressing). The second being the day I made my grandmother Naomi's sweet potato cobbler( still can't get it quite like her's) They were REAL cooks--they never used a recipe in their lives. So when I asked them how much of this and that? It was difficult for them to convey--because they really didn't measure. Instead,I got "schooled"..they each showed me how. I treasure those memories to this day. My first and last attempt at Corned Beef and Cabbage. It was New Year's day and my husband and I had been out at parties all night before and were not feeling all that well the next day but I was bound and determined to cook my Corned Beef. Well let's just say that I was unaware of how pungent corned beef was. We couldn't tolerate the smell of it and he threw the beef, cabbage , and pot outside into the garbage.That was one of the sickest days of my life!