I live in central mass with my husband and son. I never cared about cooking until I got out on my own and did not want to live on fast food and take out. so i began cooking. low and behold i was actually good at it. but besides that i love to read and write. there is not anything that i do not enjoy cooking. my favorite thing to do is create a unique yet delicious meal (from salad, meal, desert)and do it within a tight budget...i look at it like a challenge! i preserve jams, jellies, veggies, sauces, pickles, relishes, applesauce and on and on i could go. how much more traditional could it get. this is what people had to do to eat through the cold months years ago. learning how to become more creative with baking. i once was very scared to steer too far from the recipe before me when baking. the more experienced i have become the more daring i have become and i love it! HA! there have been many! pie crusts still give me issue. however, i would have to say a batch of cookies i once made that tasted literally (not kidding) like dirt. consistancy and all. not sure what happened except i used a sugar substitute. i know i measured it correctly. so no clue what happened.