As a mother of 4, I'm glad my mom taught me how to cook from an early age. Since she was a military brat and travelled extensively, she had the wonderful benefit of learning to cook and developing a taste for exotic cuisine. It was always interesting having friends over when I was a kid (in the days when fried pork chops, mashed potatoes, and green beans were the American staple). We were eating yakisoba, jambalaya, fried tacos, etc. Every night was different! Appetizers I ground up popcorn in my coffee mill to make corn bread when I was a newlywed!