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.