I'm a 30-something communications professional who lives with four boys: an engineer husband (Blair), a 10-year-old stepson (Landon), the world's greatest dog (Oliver), and a very furry and very precocious cat (Sam). We live within walking distance of Raleigh's best restaurants, so if I'm going to cook at home it better be good! I love experimenting with different things, but I also love preparing our favorite comfort foods, usually southern American, Italian or Cuban. I love making big breakfasts on weekends, especially when we have overnight guests. I also love to try new dessert recipes, especially cookies and anything with fruit. My husband has Cuban heritage so he grew up on black beans and rice, plantains, and roast pork. I'm a born & raised Southern girl, so I grew up on fried chicken, macaroni & cheese, and deviled eggs. As I got older, I grew to love squash, okra, and collards from my father's garden. A triumph is getting a healthy meal on the table that the whole family will enjoy! When I bought my first house as a single girl in my 20's, the first thing I made in my kitchen was a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Little did I know that the oven was broken, and that the temperature reading was off by a couple hundred degrees! In less than five minutes, my cookies were burnt, the smoke alarms were going off, and the Fire Department was at my front door! The lesson learned was to buy an oven thermometer and use it as a second point of reference. :)