I'm a retired, Missouri school teacher and love to cook almost as much as I love to eat. I live in Knob Noster, MO, a very small town E. of Kansas City. My husband, daughter and her family, my father and neice all live with me, so I have lots of people to cook for. I love animals and have 5 dogs and 4 cats. Used to have 8 horses, but they have all passed away now. I have 3 beautiful grandaughters and a lovely home on 20 acres in the country. Well, I enjoy making desserts more than anything, but also love to cook Italian food. It makes the house smell so wonderful. My Aunt Dixie taught me to make pies when I was little and I think I really do a great job making all kinds. I don't very often use a receipe for the pies, I just seem to know how to put inthe right seasonings in the right amount. My family had some great cooks, but they always made simple comfort foods and pretty basic meat and potatoes meals. We always ate Sunday dinner together and had a rump roast, with mashed potatoes and gravy, cold slaw, mac -n-cheese (not from a box), corn, rolls and several choices of homemade pie. It was a good time in my life Almost everything I make tastes good, but never looks too pretty. I'm always in a hurry to try things and never wait for them to cool properly. Consequently, my icing is always running and the cakes sliding...!