I live in Seattle, and I can't imagine living outside of the Pacific Northwest. For fun, we love to visit the desert and wineries of Eastern Washington, the coastal beaches and outlet malls of Oregon, or sail up to Victoria. For day trips, we take the bus to downtown Seattle, so we can enjoy a few local microbrews with Happy Hour appetizers, or with our meal. Especially during football season: GO SEAHAWKS! And of course, GO MARINERS. I love to make soups, & freeze some for later. We bought a new grill last month so I've made some chicken, wonderful lamb, and grilled whole local corn, but I'm still learning. Sandwiches that use brined, grilled meats, fresh bread, fresh lettuce, and doctored-up mayonnaise (pesto, curried, garlic & chipotle with lime) are wonderful. And don't forget rolls spread with bleu cheese dressing, topped with grilled chix in Frank's Hot Sauce!I also have a few salads, in particular a cafeteria crispy chicken salad with toasted nuts, tomatoes, and corn, that I can't seem to find the recipe for, so I'm working on coming up with a recipe. My Mom overcooked every piece of meat she ever met, but she was a whiz with carbohydrates. She taught me to make pie crusts, breads, cookies, and mashed potatoes, but to this day, I cannot duplicate her potato salad, despite her tutelage. But the first time I tasted a date's med-rare steak, I realized why people liked red meat! The meat was pink, not gray and chewy! If she saw blood on my plate, she'd freak, so we only ate fish or white meat with her. I memorized an easy brine that I use at least weekly for chicken or pork. I've made a superb Lemon Curd Swirl Cheesecake, only I made it from three different recipes and I can't find my notes! But I think I can replicate it. I'm also really good at potluck dishes. My husband says my garlic mashed potatoes with truffle oil are also a definite triumph. I cultivate an herb garden on my deck, I only wish basil would like our climate as much as my rosemary plants do. I had major choux pastry and homemade hollandaise failures in a senior cooking class in college. Another was making a chewy chicken fajita meal on the first date that I cooked for my husband, but he forgave me. Also suddenly remembering some meat in the back of the fridge, taking a whiff, and having to toss it (there's a reason why my friend uses chicken as crab bait in her pots).