As I was watching "Oprah" last night, I was struck by a couple on the show who had lost basically all of their material possessions. They had to file bankruptcy and their house was foreclosed on.

When I was a newlywed, I decided to learn how to cook. I bought some shell pasta and all of the ingredients for stuffed shells from my "Joy of Cooking" cookbook that we had received as a wedding gift. "Brand name man" loves Italian, so I thought an easy dish like that would be a great way to begin my foray into culinary excellence.