My name is Lisa Smith and I am a mother to two busy boys (ages 5 and 2). My husband and I are in process of adopting a little girl from China; we hope to travel early 2007 to bring her home. I am a "midwest farmer's daughter" who loves living in a small town. But I enjoy watching the food shows on TV that let me try out recipes from all over the world! I have been cooking since I was tall enough to reach the stove. My first passion was desserts and cookies, but over time (and due to necessity) I have grown to love the pursuit of any good recipe - healthy main dishes, tasty salads, vegetables my kids will actually eat. Most importantly - I love to cook things that are quick and easy since I usually have a couple of hungry helpers at my feet! I have also recently been experimenting with Asian cooking, since we will soon be adding a little girl of this heritage to our family! We have a joke in my extended family that it doesn't matter what we eat - just as long as it's every two hours! Any time I bring food to the table that elicits an "Mmmmmm", I feel I've had a cooking triumph! I once tried to toast a whole tray of coconut in the oven...on broil. I started a big fire inside the appliance!