I'm 23, living in Vermont with my fiance. I'm the manager of a gourmet chocolate store, and in the past few years I've been learning more and more and food and cooking. When I'm not cooking I like to make jewelry and hope to have my own bead store some day. My fiance and I love anything outdoors including, hiking, fishing, hunting, snowshoeing, kayaking, etc. I love trying out different techniques and experimenting with flavors. My father went to school for culinary arts and was a chef for a while, but my mom has always been a very picky eater and allowed me to be, too, as a child. I've lately learned to love pretty much every kind of food, so I love trying out new things and sharing ideas with my dad. Often on Sundays my dad would slow cook pasta sauce or baked beans and I can remember enjoying the smell all day long. On nights when my dad worked late, my mom would prepare what she called "this and that" dinners for my sister and I. These would usually consist of little finger sandwiches, cut up fruits, mini salads, mac and cheese, and other strange little snack type things all served on a cafeteria style tray. Those were my favorite meals! Just learning how to cook flavorful and healthy meals is quite a triumph for me. My fiance was raised in a family of foodies, so when he gobbles down my creations and goes back for more, I know I've done something right. I tried making a pea soup recently because I remember my mom having it a lot when I was a child. It turned out pretty nasty, though.