At an early age, I always enjoyed watching and helping my family members cook.  I’m a proud native of Darlington, SC and both of my parents spent time in the kitchen.  My dad would be in the kitchen or outside on a grill and my mom was known for her 5-flavor cake.  She taught me all about the benefits of sifting flour, measuring liquids in the measuring cup at eye level, getting your butter to room temperature before baking and much more.  All of those baking tips came in handy when my mom shared a baking contest opportunity with me that was occurring at our local fair, the Eastern Carolina Fair.  Everything had to be pumpkin related and there were numerous categories.  I decided upon pumpkins muffins.  After trying various recipes, I found one that I liked…baked it up…entered the contest and won second place in the muffin category.  The prize amount was $15 and I was rolling in the dough! Every year thereafter, I entered the contest until I was competing in every category.  I made pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin muffins and pumpkin bars.