currently a grad student in southern california. i most often cook simple meals, but i bake constantly. my vices are butter and sugar. thank god my other hobby is running! :] i am a high school youth leader at a christian church and love it. i spend my free time hiking, at the beach, going to coffee shops, and hanging out with my family and friends. i LOVE baking, mostly because i have a huge sweet tooth. i consider desserts my specialty and i bake when i can. my favorite things to make are pazooki, fruit desserts, and holiday themed treats. (i can't wait till i have kids someday and make them treats for their class! the parents on this site inspire me! :] ) because i'm half middle eastern, half asian, and grew up in california, growing up i ate foods from a mixture of cultures. my favorites include filipino lumpia and ox tail stew, and middle eastern musaka and baklava. (i hope to put up recipes for these soon! they're amazing!!!) after making cream peas (i got the recipe from this website), my friend told me that he wanted to marry me someday. he even said they were better than his mom's!!! when i was 8 my little sister and i made cookies. the end result was horrible and i couldn't figure out why until i realized that my little sister put in 2 cups of baking soda instead of 2 tablespoons!