I married my high-school sweetie 27 years ago, and we have 3 of the best kids on the planet (partisan much am I, ya think? lol) ~ a daughter (who got married last summer, and who is pictured on the left beside me in my profile photo), and two sons (who live together in a house that our oldest son bought last spring). We are a close family and enjoy gathering for dinner throughout the week (when schedules permit), and on Sunday (football-watching marathon days during the season, GO STEELERS!, lol). We love Roo, our bulmastiff and Tunney, our boxer. They are beyond adored and so are convinced that they are human. My cooking heritage is Italian and Croatian ~ Italian on my side, Croatian on my husband's side ~ and I do like preparing ethnic dishes. I adore handed-down recipes, vintage recipes, recipes shared from friends and friends-of-friends. I like to bake quick breads and cakes because they just always smell SO delicious! (And 9 times out of 10 taste that way too.) I collect cookbooks, vintage and current, and I also collect vintage kitchen utensils which I do use. (My stand mixer is a circa-1930's Hamilton-Beach with its original jadite mixing bowls, and I am lucky enough to have and lovingly use a thick old worn wooden spoon that my grandmother first used.) I don't cook "fancy" because none of my crew eats fancy, lol. But I love to try new recipes, love to cook for family and friends, love to eat, and love being a part of MixingBowl.