It’s the first day of spring! This day makes me so happy every year.

It signals warmer weather ahead and that makes me utterly giddy.

And in honor of the spring season, just last week, we took a spring break trip with the kids to the Bahamas. They were off school for a week.  We’ve never done such a thing before and we didn’t know what to expect.

We usually travel to such exotic locales as:  Oklahoma City, Houston and Pearl, Mississippi. Don’t get me wrong, we have mad love for all those places – but let’s just say they aren’t featured on the Travel Channel very often.

We had been saving up for quite a while and when the day finally came for us to leave on our big trip, we were anxious, excited and thrilled.

While there, my husband and I decided we couldn’t leave without sampling a Bahamian steak. It had to happen.

What you see above is a Bahamian Kansas City strip steak. Medium.

Exquisite.

THIS made the trip even more memorable. And it proved to us that a quality steak is a quality steak no matter where you go in the world.

It all starts with a great cut of beef. If you don’t have that, it’s over.

Thank goodness this was incredible. They know how to do steak right on the island!

What an amazing way to welcome spring!!!

I love it when this . . .

…and this…

…is the evening’s entertainment.

Seriously, give us a ribeye and a Kansas City strip steak and my hubby and I are occupied for hours.

Preparing a marinade, letting them sit, grilling and anticipating, eating and THEN talking about how good the steaks were.

That takes, what, all day long?

Oh, the joy of eating a beautiful meal! It’s one of life’s best gifts. And when I can enjoy it at home – it’s even better.

Here’s to simple pleasures!

P.S. Do you like the blue lights on the grill? They don’t do anything but they sure are cool at night!

What do the ongoing political debates have to do with steak?

EVERYTHING.

See, in my world, everything has something to do with steak. And, it seems, I am not alone.

Case in point:  This excerpt from a CNN.com article about the recent debate between the Republican candidates…

“This was Rick Santorum’s first debate with front-runner status. That means it was his time to get grilled like a fine Kansas City steak. And I wouldn’t say he came out of it like a filet.”

Gorgeous word imagery. I’m getting hungry just thinking about how Santorum did.

And yes, all things lead back to steak. This was a hilarious analogy. And oh so fitting. But this is not the first time steak has played a part in the political landscape. Far from it.

All steak and no sizzle? Seen that one before. Steak dinners shared by heavy-hitters? Check. Celebratory steak barbecues? Every time.

It just goes to show you, steak is all around us – and you don’t have to look very hard to find it. Especially in the political arena.

And frankly THAT’S the kind of world I want my children to inherit. Let’s just see who plays the steak card best this time around.

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.

Excerpt courtesy of Todd Graham via CNN.com.