I'm a born and bred Southerner now living in the Midwest. I learned to cook by watching and helping my grandmother and great-grandmother, both of whom were wonderful Southern cooks who cooked by "feel" rather than by measuring, so that's how I cook now, too. Recipes are guides to use as a starting point for me most of the time. I especially love to bake...that's my stress reliever. I love to create and to cook for other people. My dream is to one day own a bakery/cafe. Baked goods (especially yeast breads), soups, pizza, roasted and grilled veggies... Christmas candy making with my mom. She lives across the country now, so we haven't been able to do that since I moved..better on the waistlines! Planning an outdoor party for 20 people where the main course and the main side dish were to be grilled. It was POURING when the time came. I moved everything inside and prepared the food on stovetop and oven, and it turned out beautifully anyway. Making biscuits at my mom's house one time and accidentally using plain flour instead of self-rising. Needless to say, I had to make another batch of biscuits when I realized what I had done! Otherwise, I've been pretty lucky!