My name is Amber

I've been cooking and baking professionally since 1993 when I graduated from Johnson and Wales with degrees in pastry arts and food service management (but if anyone asks, I'm 30).

But to tell you any more about me, I'll have to tell you about all the wonderful family I have, who helped and inspired me all throughout my journeys. I have two adult children who are completely amazing - I really can't say enough about them. My daughter is a gentle soul who works really hard caring for all the animals at HAWS. My son is starting his first carrier job working with computers, but he loves learning new ways to cook, too. They lost their father, Kevin, when they were young, but we've worked hard to recover. We've kept his traditions alive together and started new ones for ourselves, and I think that's why they've grown up to be such friendly, beautiful, and amazing adults.

I also have had the good fortune to have a lot of siblings, each one of which has a story of their own. When I was born, my father, Jim, was in the navy and my mom, Sandra, was a hairdresser. Along with my older brother Scott, we lived in Maryland for 3 months before getting moved to Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. We spent the next 10 years there, during which my mom re-married to a Hawaiian man named Ron. From there, our ohana grew with many new aunts, uncles, my tutu, and my twin sisters whom I adore.

When my dad re-married to a wonderful Southern stepmother, Pam, it grew even more. 2 new brothers, a sister, and a whole lot of Southern traditions were quickly becoming baked into my life.

With the family-tree laid out, I can fully explain where I learned to cook and bake. From my grandmother, Marion, I learned to bake cookies from a We Energies cookbook. My grandfather was an electrician, so we had plenty of these cookbooks. We baked cookies year after year, all the way until she couldn't do it anymore, and I took over. And from my grandmother Joyce, I learned to cook and bake with German style. Every time I make buttercream, I do it the way she taught me.

Everything I do is made with love, heritage, and family traditions. My family, kids, nieces, and nephews are my inspiration for everything.

Thank you,

- Amber