I am a mother of 4 very active children, luckily only one is a picky eater. Cooking is my way of being creative as I am very artistically challenged. I cook to please my family and usually no one else. If my husband and kids love it then its a winner. I love to bake breads and pastries and desserts, cajun and southern foods are my specialties. Recently I began to research old world cooking...different recipes that were used in the pioneer days of America and anything before that time from other countries. I just love to get in the kitchen and create a wonderful meal/experience for my family and friends. Family cooking traditions...nothing healthy. Its all about flavor for my family, in fact I still use lard when making Grandma's biscuits, and a piece of salt pork in dried beans or collard greens. In my opinion my greatest cooking triumph was making tomato gravy and biscuits that my husband said His grandmother would approve. Though creating the perfect gumbo, was a big bonus for me. Homemade spaghetti sauce, though I have now perfected the recipe. I took my husband's step mother's recipe and started experimenting...even the pets wouldnt eat it.