So, when will I recognize a lucid dream?[/b]
Lucid dreaming is nothing necessarily more than dreaming and being aware of that fact. Doesn't have to involve any conscious control over the dream, which you may or may not have implied in your post :s
For me, the idea that I'm dreaming sometimes just sponteneously pops up in my mind. I reckon this'll be more likely to happen if you spend time thinking about dreaming.
If I do a reality check I just do it to get the fact that I'm dreaming 100% clear in my mind. But some people do them randomly throughout the day in real life, to build up a habit that eventually occurs in a dream. You might want to try that method.

Personally, I haven't had any success with the WILD method, where you go to sleep straight into a lucid dream without losing consciousness. But give that a try too anyway.

Oh, and welcome.