Elizabeth Manaster has been a resident of Northbrook for eighteen years and is an avid gardener and author of a cookbook, From A to Zucchini.  She grew up in Zanesville, Ohio, and graduated with an English Major from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.  She has written for various publications, including The Ring magazine in New York and several trade publications at Lake Publishing in Libertyville.  A mother of three, she has also worked as a substitute teacher and teacher's aide in District 28.  Manaster is currently vice president of The Northbrook Community Club, a member of Temple Jeremiah in Northfield and a volunteer for the nonprofit organization Nuture.