As the youngest of seven children growing up in Beaverton, Oregon, I was introduced to cooking at a very young age. Now in my late 40's, I have found that cooking- along with travel- are my life's passions. If I could incorporate the two for a living, I would do so in a heartbeat (I'm open to ideas and suggestions)! I am also a huge music and movie buff, and enjoy walking, biking and working out. Holiday cooking is fun for me, regardless of the holiday. It could be Christmas or the 4th of July; I like to try new recipes and create new traditions, as well as find ways to improve my families tried-and-true recipes. My husband and I love 'Roast Beast' on Christmas. Mastering the art of the Thanksgiving turkey in high school. My mother taught me very well! So much so that before my husband and I were married, my mother-in-law asked me to make the turkey for our first Thanksgiving dinner together as an extended family. I had to determine how long to cook it at my house in Portland before taking it out, securing it in foil and driving it to her house 45 miles away in Albany,Oregon and not have it be over cooked. It turned out so moist that we did it that way for several years running. Weird method, but it worked! You know, the first year I cooked one for just the two of us-I overcooked it! Completely destroying a nice prime rib on the grill by not watching it. Always watch the grill! And of course, the zillion batches of burnt-to-a-crisp cookies I got distracted from watching when I was a kid.