I'm a 29 year old Northwest girl, currently trapped in Akron Ohio where I am a slave to law school. I'm eagerly anticipating finishing school and moving home to Seattle this December. I have an amazing boyfriend there who loves my cooking and makes me smile every day (even from 2500 miles away!). I love meeting interesting people and enjoying life - looking forward to rejoining my friends and family in Washington, but will miss my lovely Ohio friends too. Cooking & baking are some of my favorite hobbies - especially trying new recipes. Unfortunately, during the past couple of years in school I haven't had a lot of time to cook here and my favorite taste-tester is across the country. Pretty soon I'll return to domestic bliss and lots of new recipes! Wow that's hard to narrow down - I love trying new things or finding a perfect recipe for a classic dish. I love cooking italian and mexican foods - the spicier the better. I also like marinading, grilling, and any recipe that give me leftovers to make new dishes things with - like whole roasted chicken or tri tip roasts. And all desserts - of course! Holiday meals are always classic and memorable with my extended family - the usual pot-luck style where everyone brings their specialty. As far as my own traditions, my boyfriend and I like to have "happy hour" at home after work or on a weekend afternoon with appetizers that we would normally order at a restaurant like dips, quesadillas, nachos, wings, or potstickers. It's great because I get to try new recipes in small doses, use up leftovers, and have some fun quality time! Anytime someone loves a meal I cook, asks for a recipe, or specifically requests a certain dish! I also love that I am getting better and better at just throwing something together and having it turn out great - each new recipe I try helps with that skill! Cheese sauce - I haven't made one from scratch that isn't either too runny or too pasty. I usually stick to plain melted cheese or the stuff in a jar, but am still looking.