I am Haley, I live in Des Moines, IA, and I am Chef. I graduated from Iowa Culinary Institute in 2021. Before I began my culinary journey, I worked in the tech industry for twelve years. I always felt like I was working towards someone else's dream. So, I left it all and decided to pursue my passion: food. I love to read about food, talk about food, cook, and bake.

As I neared 40, I realized it was vital to have a career I loved. I wanted goals and to follow my passion. So I decided that I wanted to build a career around food. It is what I love to do in my free time, whether reading recipes, cooking for friends and family, planning meals, grocery shopping, or eating at restaurants.

Once I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in food, my choice was natural. I knew I would attend Iowa Culinary Institute. Growing up and living in Des Moines, I had heard a lot about the school. I knew its excellent reputation. I reached out to the ICI at a point of desperation at my job. I was feeling completely bored and burned out. When I heard back from the school, it felt like a life raft. I was excited to learn more about the program and how I might fit in at DMACC. I took a tour and found out the details about the program. I knew it was the right decision for me the moment I left that day. I was relieved and surprised when my family supported my choice.

During Covid-19, I started making meals for my friends and family. Since we couldn't eat together, it was nice to cook for the people I love from afar. And from there, Valentine Kitchen was born. Slowly but surely, I have created a little food business doing what I love most: cooking for people I love. I can't wait to cook for you.