I really enjoy all things food. I love to go to my garden and pick and then create. It's really fun to dress up a plate with herbs or nasturtiums! I love healthy, home-gown foods that aren't laden with chemicals. I'm a naturalist of sorts. Our family loves to forage - mushrooms, edible flowers and plants, herbs, etc. Now with kids, it's a bit harder (and more expensive) to find time to duplicate foods eaten out or paging through cookbooks for supper, but it's a great distant memory/hobby! I really love to cook Mexican and Chinese, and my kids love these. A bit time consuming, but oh so good! I love to bake and have even done a wedding cake which was a huge accomplishment. We seemed to have had red velvet cake at special family occasions growing up, so I like to enjoy that every once in awhile, after I cringe putting in the red food coloring -but it IS tradition! I don't think anyone was a really great cook growing up, but I always had the love of cooking and even took a college class event when I was in high school. I must say that I think I am mostly self-taught and perhaps gifted by God in this area of life. I really enjoy getting the ohs and ahhs when I cater! To do a wedding last year was a great accomplishment and frightening, but it went wonderful! I love taking some things and dressing them up to give a new twist or incorporating a little unusual to expose people and expand their horizons. I was a pre-teen. I wanted to make a pie. My mom recalls that I used water to make the pudding and I didn't have thawed whipped topping so I put it in the microwave. It was a watery chocolate flavored soup! # 2. Cooking for future husband. Wanted to make a turkey casserole. Stuffing crust with fillings inside. Overbaked it - so what to do- try it again next time he comes to show him I can make it good. Bad idea! He HAS to marry someone who can cook well BUT he hates turkey casserole and doesn't tell me until much later in our relationship! Lots of luck - I got to marry him and he's grown to like many types of food - I don't make that anymore though. :>)