I love living on the island. The beauty of Victoria and Vancouver Island are nothing short of paradise and for as many places as I've travelled, I would never want to live anywhere else. The climate and seasons are so distinct and vivid, and along with a wealth of locally grown and produced food items, it inspires a variety of cooking opportunities. Gourmet soups, pastries, French food, Souffles, desserts, pasta. My love of cooking came from my grandmother. Literally no one else in my family likes to cook, so at a young age, I started to take over that role as the family cook and baker. Now that we all have our own homes and families, I get orders from all of the family members for every get together for various food and dessert items that they feel are "must haves" for that particular occassion. I've been teaching my niece and nephews to cook since they were in diapers and I'm happy to say that they seem to have a love for it and are inspired to carry on the tradition. I'm hoping some of my favourite recipes will be passed on through the generations that follow.