My name is Connie and I am 25 years old. I live in Pasadena, Maryland in a small apartment with my boyfriend. We have been living together since May 2007, and since then, I have become quite the industrious cook! I have unfortunately been unemployed since September, and even into the new year, I am struggling to find a job. This has left me with plenty of time to try new recipes and hone my cooking skills. I really love to cook for my boyfriend, and he always tells me what tastes great and what doesn't! I love making soups and stews. Not only are they usually easy to make, there is also so much room for adjustment in terms of what spices or other ingredients to add. We try to be health-conscious as well, so the soups and stews I make are generally (and very easily) healthy and low-fat, but still flavorful. My absolute favorite soup recipe from Allrecipes.com is "Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup." We have it at least 2x a month! In addition to making soups and stews, I also really enjoy baking because my boyfriend loves cakes, cookies, pies, etc. Again, I always try to find healthy alternatives and ways to make baked goods as healthy as possible. His favorite cookie recipe so far has been the "Apple Hermits." My family is mostly German, so we have a lot of German style foods around the holidays. My grandmother, in particular, prides herself on her sour beef and dumplings. One year when I was a little girl, I remember going into the pot to sample some, and discovering that my grandmother had used a nylon sock as a spice bag! My brother and I asked her if it was used, and she jokingly responded, "Even if it was, it'd add more flavor!" My grandmother also makes amazing spaghetti and meatballs (with lots of yummy spices). She always taught me to approach cooking with a sense of humor, and also to enjoy it and just have fun. My boyfriend and I made "Chicken Tikka Masala" and "Lemon Coconut Cake" from this website for Mother's Day 2007. Our moms and the rest of the family really loved it and were astounded at what a great job we did! I seem to have a lot of trouble with making Indian food, even though it is one of my very, very favorite types of cuisine. Anything I've made aside from Chicken Tikka Masala usually winds up much too overpowering in terms of spiceyness. I'm still working on Indian recipes, but for now will have to continue going to my favorite local restaurant to satisfy my cravings.