I am a community college instructor and department chair. I have a new little baby who is almost 14 months old. I am married to a lovely man. I adore my mother and my younger sister. Family is very important to me. Eventually, I would like to dedicate my time to working in group homes for the elderly and for disadvantaged youth (ages 5 to 10). I enjoy baking cakes and tarts. Recently, I made a delicious banana pudding with a twist. I enjoy cooking Mexican food--including fresh salsa, guacamole, chicken enchiladas with tomatillos and chiles. I love cooking fresh vegetables. I also do some pan frying--tilapia dusted with flour and lemon zest. My other favorite dishes to cook are jambalaya, great northern white beans and red beans. I enjoy cooking in the kitchen with my sister. For the holidays, I enjoy my mother's collard greens and potatoe salad. She is also great at cooking meats--turkey buts, gizzards and rice, and beef. Back in the day, I did some really good bread puddings, yams, baked beans, gumbos, and jambalayas... The problem is that I do a lot of experimenting and forget to write down the recipes! Once I cooked a turkey that was in my then boyfriend's (now husband) freezer for 2 years. It turned out smelly, beef jerkeyish, and gross. I also wanted to make a coconut cream pie from scratch and my experience with the coconut will be remembered for a long time.