My favorite thing: cooking. I have been the primary cook at home for 30 years but only in the past few years have I had time for anything more than what we can get on the table in 20 minutes after soccer practice.

Every once in while I get a new cookbook like "Voila! Effortless French Cookbook," "German Meals at Oma's", and "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking" and then work my way through the recipes that look interesting. I have found a lot of recipes that take hours of preparation and cooking, but I have also found many that I love that I can get together in 20 minutes.

Spending some time learning how to cook is very relaxing, but it also is quite cost effective because now we very rarely go out to dinner. The best part is that the whole family actually looks forward to trying new meals together, so Friday nights have become what they should be: long hours gathered around the table talking and laughing, eating well and drinking wine by candle light.

I cherish every Friday night that the kids are home from university and appreciate even more the quiet nights that I share with my wife.