I don't really consider myself a great cook. But what I think I bring to the kitchen that makes my cooking different and interesting to my friends and family is a lifetime of living overseas. My interest in food and how other cultures prepare meals has given me a wonderful kitchen palette. I'm sure I don't always use the right techniques, but the end result is always a dish everyone enjoys. Down-home, family-style, comfort foods in the winter; and light, refreshing and crisp foods in the summer. Everything has to have loads of vegetables; and I try to make everything as low-fat as possible. But I love to make flavorful satisfying foods you'd never guess where great for your health. Sunday brunch- when Daddy decides to cook. Look out! My sister and I love watching the playful banter between my mom and dad. Christmas cookie-making time- just Mom, my sister and me making loads of pretty cookies to share with the neighborhood. It's all about TLC to give away. Dying Easter eggs in the spring- man we used to make a mess! But my favorite cooking tradition is actually the eating- as a family around the table chatting about the day, or listening to my parents complain about our crazy dinner music selection- or us about theirs! Pulling off a 5-course dinner for my parents and eight of their closest friends for a dinner party. I earned my parent's total respect for my cooking that night. Ohhhh, there's been a few. But the funniest one... accidentally using self-rising flour to bake a cake, and--not knowing why it kept exploding in the oven-- repeating the mistake three more times before figuring it out.