Hi, I love to cook and started cooking when I was 12 years old. I learned by watching my Mother and self teaching. I collect cookbooks but my collection is pretty much decorative since discovering Allrecipes! My husband and I love to garden and have a 1 acre veggie garden through which we grow produce for community food programs/families in need. I love to can and preserve our harvest. My specialty is baking and impromptu meals. Cookies, comfort food, veggie dishes, pies, canning/preserving. I'll try any recipe once. Making a huge spread for Thanksgiving, Turkey of course with traditional trimmins. And an even bigger one for Christmas with traditional and "new" recipes. I try to make at least 3 new cookies for Christmas that I have never made before. My strawberry jam, apple butter and orange marmalade ALL took 1st place at this years county fair. Orange marmalade also took Best of Fair! Dropping an entire frosted cake! And..have a "beer can" chicken on the grill fly like a rocket across the backyard! The combination of alcohol, heat and opening a grill lid suddenly can cause danger, beware! My dog thought it was a very cool sight though.