Chef Mackenzie knows life is full of twists and unexpected turns. She never imagined being a chef let alone loving a life in East Texas. She came to Texas to pursue a masters in counseling and found a home instead. 

Born and raised in South Central Pennsylvania, Mackenzie went to school to be a therapist. She worked with kids in crisis. Practicing yoga since 16, allowed her to use yoga to help her clients. She considered training to be a yoga teacher, but then was accepted into UT Tyler. 

Cooking became a part of Mackenzie's life through necessity. Working an opposite schedule from her Army spouse, she experimented with large meal prepping and slow cooking. In need of a challenge, she continued to explore world cuisine to augment her skills and repertoire. Her favorite cookbooks highlight Mediterranean, French and Asian cooking. Julia Child's cookbooks were a gift for Christmas and a "Julie and Julia" year of cooking followed, where she learned new cooking skills, as well as an appreciation for doing things the hard way. Leaving academic pursuits to be a stay at home mom, allowed cooking to take center stage. 

Without the rigors of academia, Mackenzie focused on growing her skill set. She challenged herself to create a homestead to fuel her kitchen. Many ingredients she uses come from her garden, chickens, goats, rabbits and most recently bees. From harvesting vegetables and meat to processing fresh goat milk into cheese and yogurt, life is hectic but unbelievably rewarding. 

Mackenzie is grateful for the opportunity to bring home cooking to Retreat in the Pines guests - such an exciting honor and new chapter to her twisty and tasty life.

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