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I love baking of all kinds and always have! Over the past two years I have even learned the fine art of baking gluten free, and love to see the joy on my fiancees face when he realizes he can now enjoy things he though he'd never be able to have. I am also very passionate about my work. For most of my professional life, I have worked with immigrants and their families. I have defended parents in immigration court and prepared asylum seekers for their preliminary interviews on the U.S-Mexico border. When I'm not working or baking, I love cooking, biking, and hiking. 

Who or what inspired your love of baking?

My mom. Every holiday season we made cookies from scratch, and to this day, she still makes all of our homemade birthday cakes. Many of my favorite recipes are her recipes, and she tought me how good baking can be if you just take the time to use real ingredients. 

What is the first thing you ever baked?

When I was 9 or 10, I tried to make sugar cookies with M&Ms at my Nonna's house. I brought all of the ingredients over from my mom's house to show my Nonna that I knew how to bake. It was my first time baking without my mom, and I was so nervous, I couldn't tell when the cookies were done. I kept turning off the oven and pulling them out too early. They were raw and terrible! My Nonna let me do it by myself—until I started crying because I couldn't get them right. Then she sat me down and said, "Do you know how many chocolate cakes I threw away until I learned to bake them? Too many." I don't remember how those cookies turned out, but I'll always remember my Nonna encouraging me and telling me to give it another shot. 

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