I grew up in Virginia and now live in Utah. I love the outdoors, but I miss my family, friends, food and the beach back home :). Cooking is definitely one of my favorite hobbies. I also love being outdoors, music, traveling, trying new restaurants and trendy bars and sharing life with my amazing boyfriend and our dog, Tigger. The best food in the world is Southern food, but that’s because I’m from Virginia and now living in Utah. I miss having mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and green beans in nearly every family meal. Man, I didn’t know what I had! But, now I’m trying to bring that into my Utah life and share with others how wonderful Southerners have it. I also really love Cuban and Puerto Rican dishes. I love the spices and the flavors. In the southern culture, cooking is a way to express love – eating together as a family is a tradition I truly value and want to hold on to in my own family. My momma always told me that a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. So I’m listening! I live with my boyfriend of 2 ½ years and have been trying different dishes, which is fun. There’s no greater satisfaction than trying a new recipe and seeing the look on his face when I’ve hit the jackpot! Cooking in southern culture is about love. My mom is known in our family as an amazing cook (mainly for my dad) but growing up, she was a single-mom so I ate a lot of Ravioli, Hot Pockets and TV dinners. So ANY time I cook something that turns out (especially her specialties), it is a huge success for me :) I've had to call Pizza Hut to the rescue a couple of times :)