Make big pots of soups, stews and chilis - they stretch a buck, and you can live off them for days!

When men I have dated over the years whined about, 'Oh, you make no time for me' - see ya! I just dumped them. I don't need that pressure in my life.

Good food and a warm kitchen are what makes a house a home. I always tried to make my home like my mother's, because Mom was magnificent at stretching a buck when it came to decorating and food. Like a true Italian, she valued beautification in every area of her life, and I try to do the same.

I make a dog-friendly version of almost everything that we make for dinner.

I tried to bake a cake for my mother's birthday - it took me four hours. It was terrible, and I cried for three days.

You know, food is such - it's a hug for people.