I live on my own so one of my challenges in cooking is to find good meals for one (or ones that I don't get tired of quickly). My mother and I both love cookbooks and trying out new recipes, but sometimes the best times are being unorthodox about holidays and going really simple. One Thanksgiving we decided on homemade soup and sandwiches for dinner. It was lovely to spend the time in the kitchen over soup to enjoy a great, simple meal together. I love to cook meat for people because I don't eat it. I worked in restaurants for many years though, so it's always a bit of a triumph when a meat lover is surprised by my ability to make something bloody they would enjoy. The worst was for a boyfriend's birthday. I am a vegetarian but tried to make beef stroganoff for him since he loved it - "Brick Stroganoff" was more like it. I thought I would at least do well with the birthday cake. I made a white cake with white frosting topped with strawberries, but neglected to chill any of it on the hot summer day it was. All of the strawberries slid off and it was a watery mess.