I began to cook at home when my mother went to work when I was about 11 years old. I have been cooking professionally for almost 5 years now. My husband and I are both apprenticing to become chefs. I enjoy the craziness of a kitchen. I am also an avid outdoors person. I have a daughter who was born in 2003. I really enjoy making pastrys, desserts. It gives me great enjoyment to take on a changelling recipe. I have a very close family and we like to get together as much as possible. It is hard for me because I work every weekend and major holiday. One of my families cooking traditions is to use a giant meat roster. We sometimes do a pig, or a side of beef and if we're lucky a fawn (venison). My cooking triumphs are being able to create my own recipes and understand how different ingredients come together, but that is part of becoming a chef. I am always asked to make the desserts at family functions. I really don't have any except for the odd over cooked beef roast, (med well instead of rare), or maybe serving 80 people a la carte in an hour where a flat top cooled down way too much on me.