I had been using AR on and off for over 10 years. From Oct. 2007 through Oct.2008, my passion for food and photography took me on a new adventure. I choose every recipe I made from ALLRECIPES for every meal!!! After that, I took a long deserved break to focus on family and finances. I have made great strides in both areas, and am now working to balance it ALL together daily! Meals I love to make include homemade pasta sauce, meatballs, many chicken specialty recipes and chili. Baking is my all time favorite including muffins, sweet breads, and breakfast dishes. I'm thankful for a mom who worked full-time but managed to teach us many holiday traditions. I have a few recipes that are nearly 100 years old that I enjoy making. Our family spend hours baking at Christmas time and giving trays to our neighbors. Birthdays are another favorite time with hand made specialty cakes. Seasonal fruits and veggies are used to make breads, muffins, jams, and freezing items for the winter months. I LOVE our veggie and herb gardens! There is nothing like *fresh picked* to use in recipes (whether summer or winter). I have blueberry bushes, 4 types of tomatoes, butternut, yellow and acorn squash, green peppers and cucumbers. Our PEAR tree of 3 years, has finally produced hundreds of pears! I have had great success in trying new recipes for the first time and taking them to many school functions. Usually I find a great recipe hours before the event (on ALLRECIPES) and decide to try "something new". The recipes always get great reviews and often I am asked for the recipe! I always tell them it was my first time making the recipe that day...and where I got it! NONE in the last 9 months! I've only been cooking family favorites or eating out in lots of our favorite restuarants!