I'm another one that does not do well with messy foods. I'm that person with a stack of napkins who is constantly wiping her mouth and hands, as well as whatever has dripped on the table, because I don't like the feeling of food on me or running the risk of putting my elbow in something. So, I'm going to opt for messy processes to prepare food.
The food of my people - DD19 came home from college for several days with her friends. She wanted to share with them "the food of our people." One of the items I decided to make for them is called a lokshen kugel. It's sort of like bread pudding, but it's made with egg noodles instead of bread. I have never made this before in my life because I was never a fan of my family's recipe. Thanks to the internet, I found some swaps to make the custard more to my liking and I took a few pages from bread pudding recipes to bring it closer to that yummy treat. I made such a mess! Seriously...liquid custard mixture having a baking soda volcano moment all over the counter. Still, it turned out great, tasted really good and I had enough leftover to freeze for my parents' upcoming visit. I think I may make a sauce of some sort for it for round 2. The girls also really had fun with the entire experience.
Cakes - The kitchen becomes a disaster area for several days whenever I go into cake mode. Still, if I'm going to those lengths for a cake, it means it's for someone/something special.
Thanksgiving - It's our favorite. The kitchen becomes an absolute mess but so worth it for the holiday experience and the best meal of the year.
trees and nature in general 
