I grew up in a home where my mother made every meal from scratch and my father held exercise as one of his highest priorities. Needless to say, health has always been an important part of my life. When I was 16, my dad was diagnosed with CML leukemia and undergoing preparation for a bone marrow transplant at University Hospitals in Cleveland. Four months later, I became his neighbor at Rainbow Babies and Children with a blood disorder they could not explain at the time. I was treated with steroid courses, monitored with frequent blood tests, and was told to always be aware of unusual bruising, only take Tylenol for pain, and anything else that might “thin” the blood.

When it comes to tacos, the possibilities are endless. From organic beans and vegetables, to Chicken, Shrimp, and Mahi-Mahi, we are always game for tacos in our house. This is my quick method for crispy sheet pan tacos, made with simple ingredients in stock in almost everyone’s fridge!

Growing up with a big extended family, where the majority lived in the same city, we found a reason to gather and celebrate every holiday. From Memorial Day cookouts with intense water balloon and egg tosses to Christmas Eve parties where Santa magically appeared, to Easters where we searched for the sought after golden egg, each event was hosted with love, leaving detailed memories ingrained in my heart. Those are the memories that formulated my childhood and where I developed a passion for gathering, entertaining and making each guest feel special and loved. In college, I knew little about cooking, but that didn’t deter me from attempting recipes especially when my roommate and I had an ongoing deal…I cooked, she cleaned. Living together for 7 years we hosted our friends for SATC watch parties, Super Bowls, the final episode of Friends…any excuse to gather and entertain.