Any cooking skills I learned as a child came from my grandma. My mom was never much of a cook (we had a sign hanging in our kitchen that proclaimed "I'd cook if I could find the can opener") After my mom passed away from ovarian cancer in 2003, I took it upon myself to learn how to actually cook. Every Thanksgiving when I was growing up, my grandma and I got together the day before to make stuffing and pie. Towards Christmas, she and I spent a day making cut-out cookies and decorating them. Christmas morning my mom always made baked apple french toast. I've kept all of these traditions, expanded upon them, and added new ones! Cooking entire holiday meals by myself for my family.