I grew up in the Florida Keys and went to UCF for college. I am now back home working in the Biology Department of the National Key Deer Wildlife Refuge. I live with my fiance and we both have a love of animals. We have a dog, two cats, 4 leopard geckos, an albino Argentine horned frog, and a saltwater aquarium full of critters we've caught ourselves! I don't bake often, but when I do I try to go all out! I love making my mother-in-law's canoe cookies, my peanut butter cup cheesecake, and key lime pie. My homemade bean and corn salsa is a staple in our house, along with my feta, spinach, tomato quiche! I would like to cut down on the meat I eat, so I am looking for vegetarian recipes that I can add meat to for my fiance. I was not brought up cooking. My mom was/is a single career mom and I never learned how much fun food can be! When I left for college, all I knew how to make was spaghetti, pancakes, and tacos. The lack of variety bored me to the point of looking up new recipes, and now, I love to make up my own! I think I've gotten to be pretty good considering that it's all been trial and error, and I hope to get better and better at it! Everyone loves my garlic mashed potatoes! My fiance loves the chicken stuffed with jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese wrapped in bacon (found it on this site!) and people still talk about when I made my own variation of Mickeys Cheesecake (on this website) In third grade we had a cultural food day. I decided to make cookies from my great grandmas German cook book. I had no help, and I used salt instead of sugar, and baking powder instead of soda! They were burned and utterly disgusting! Now-a-days, I have a little trouble cooking meat right, but the more I do it, the better I get!