I've lived in Nebraska all my life - work a more-than-full-time job, which doesn't play well with home cooking on the weeknights, so I usually get my 'fix' over the weekend. Some people like to garden as a stress relief - I prefer to chop veggies or experiment in the kitchen. The more I experiment, the more I want to experiment - time is usually a factor though. Hmmm . . . comfort foods (breads, baking, casseroles, soups & stews), but love to branch out into things I haven't done. Some people migrate towards novels (and I do too on occasion), but my first pref for a book would be a new cookbook. The kitchen department is probably my favorite in almost every store. Love the FoodNetwork for new twists on things. Alton Brown methods work for me, and I love Cooks Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen are alot of my 'go-tos' I love their whole theory! We are way into family occasions -- we celebrate everyone's birthday with dinners, Christmas, extended family Christmas etc. For birthdays, the birthday person gets to pick their own personal menu whether anyone else likes it or not (it's not their birthday). Christmas and Thanksgiving are always everyone with food assignments so it doesn't fall on any one person. Extended Christmas (with aunts, uncles, cousins) are always a 'graze fest' with appetizers from all particpants, and we drink and graze our way to the holidays. Usually if someone in my immediate family needs a pie or pastry, they look at me for some reason. My father passed away a few months ago, and this month with be the first time in about 30 years I haven't made him a birthday pie . Everything I don't scortch, burn, drop on the floor, or miss ingredients I consider a triumph! My best ones are the experiments that come out as keepers! My sister once asked for a double chocolate 'anything' for her birthday dessert. I decided I'd try my hand at a filled cake roll. Turns out I'm a bit cake roll challenged. Cracked and caved during the roll/unroll/reroll process. Tasted fabulous, and while I tried to disguise it well with molten fudge topping, it pretty much looked like a pickup had backed over it. Live and learn. On a secondary note, are you aware that you can actually set wontons aflame in your microwave when you are trying to reheat them? Another learning . . . pperkins@tconl.com