I am married, with two stepchildren. I am the only female in the house, there is a puppy, two boys, and my husband. Looking forward to having a baby girl with my new hubby! I am a "soccer mom" (sans mini van) and stay busy taking my kids to soccer practice, soccer games, etc. I am working to earn my teaching certificate and substitute teach. I love cooking for my family, and do so as many nights as possible! My family and I love to travel, and take at least one or two vacations every year. I love to experiment with new exotic recipes, and love to cook seafood but must stay away from it usually as my youngest one is allergic! He doesn't seem to mind much because when we cook seafood, he gets to eat his favorite dish - cheese pizza! Variety is the key to my culinary ventures. I get up early most Saturday mornings and head to the farmer's market to purchase fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. Using fresh ingredients makes such a wonderful difference in any dish. Fresh ingredients taste better, and buying direct from growers at the market saves us a lot of money! My mom was always experimenting with new foods and ingredients in the kitchen, and I enjoy doing the same. Also, every Halloween my grandpa makes a HUGE batch of chili for all of his 20+ grandchildren and other family members to devour after trick-or-treating. My husband was stationed in New Orleans after 9/11 for a couple years and came back raving about New Orleans BBQ Shrimp. We got the recipe from Pascal Manale's, the creator of this wonderful dish, and made it at home. We think our version tastes even better than the original (we had it while visiting New Orleans this past winter) and now it's our favorite dish to cook. I attempted to make a pineapple flan from scratch.....it didn't turn out so well. Flan is HARD!