Anyone who knows Rose Stephens knows about her pasta salad. But no one, not even her children, can reproduce it exactly.

"I've given out the recipe before, and my children lovingly accuse me of leaving out a key ingredient, but honestly, I haven't," she says.

The recipe is a favorite for many reasons. "First, it is economical, and who isn't watching a budget these days? Second, there's really nothing 'bad' in it. And third, it's easy to prepare. The ingredients are already in the pantry," Stephens says.

It's also an ideal dish for outside gatherings and can be served cold or room temperature.

Stephens learned early on that a little organization, simple ingredients and planning helped her put good meals on the table. "I had a lot of background in nutrition through my education at Fontbonne University in nutrition and dietetics. So I learned how to put meals together that were economical and nutritious," Stephens says.

She worked full time when her children were young, cooking on weekends and freezing foods such as spaghetti sauce and meatloaf during the week.

She's still a planner. She hosts a women-only Super Bowl party for her friends each year and prepares much of the food.

She gets lots of help preparing for the party from her son David, who lives with her. "I make him leave for the game, since it's women only, but he knows that he'll have good leftovers.

"Half the joy of cooking is sharing it with someone," she says. "My joy comes from gardening and cooking. You don't need to have a large house. Everyone is going to be on top of each other; that's the fun of it."