I came to Fairbanks in 1969 and have lived here ever since. There's not much to do in the winter when the temp's 40 below, so we cook, eat and gain weight! I love to bake cakes, pies, and cookies. I make a melt in your mouth pot roast, and chicken fried steak is my specialty. Holiday dinners are also a favorite. What's easier than putting a turkey in the oven. It cooks itself! I love trying new recipes. When I was 18, I invited my mom and dad over to my apartment for dinner. It was the first dinner I made all by myself. The menu was baked pork chops and apples, herbed wild rice and corn on the cob. The rice and corn were great, but I forgot to cover the pork chops while they baked and they came out tough as shoe leather! I was upset, but my parents ate them anyway and told me how good they were. Aren't parents GREAT?