Just about to marry off the last of four kids, my hubby and I enjoy life in a rural setting where we frequently have entire herds of family swarming about! We have four grandsons ranging in age from 5 to 18, and they love coming to Gramma and Gramps' house! I love to entertain and cook big spreads, finding myself coordinating wedding receptions, soup kitchens, church suppers and family holidays. I don't know how to cook for only two, so I make it a point to have people over several times a week! (We eat leftovers in between!) I'm known for my soups, but I love to cook anything and everything. I prefer whole, fresh foods and will go out of my way to avoid anything processed. For me, few things are more satisfying than the oohs and aahs of the people at my dinner table. Living in the Midwest, preparing food is a family affair. I love gathering with family or friends and working together on big dinners. Growing up, my kids could be seen daily gathered around our bug kitchen island, slicing and dicing and mixing with me. We're a family of foodies! I think I'm proudest of a 50th wedding anniversary party I hosted for my parents. I managed to pull together a beautiful buffet of high-end foods and absolutely everything turned out perfectly. Not only was it beautiful to look at, it tasted fabulous. People still talk about it! I've had a lot of "cooking tragedies" probably because I'm game to try anything at least once. My biggest panic in the kitchen was when I spent the entire day on a "from scratch" manicotti only to drop it on the way to the table. Not a happy moment!