I am a high school computer teacher, mother of three and grandmother of three. I love music, reading, and cooking for friends and family. Once at a Pampered Chef party, the consultant asked everyone to introduce themselves and describe their cooking styles in no more than three words. My response? "Mad Scientist" :-D Many is the time I've started cooking a meal with nothing more than one or two main ingredients and no set plan; just adding this and that till I ended up with a meal! Knock on wood...I've never had a bad experience with this. I love taking a recipe and playing around with it until it is uniquely my own. Cooking Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners with my mom and my sister for our huge family...nine of us originally...over 40 of us now with inlaws, outlaws, kids, grandkids, and always a friend or twelve to round out the celebration. We never fail to end up with food on every available horizontal surface and there's always plenty for even the pickiest eater to choose from. Every meal prepared for family and/or close friends that ends with everyone smiling and full is a triumph for me. Cooking is often a learning experience :-) but NEVER a tragedy.