To Begin...

"Miami. We live in Miami."

I think this thought daily. Sometimes it's because I'm angry with the cultural division and the attitudes of the typical South Floridian. Sometimes it's because I'm in awe of the glitz and glamour that IS Miami. There's no doubt about it-Miami is everything that you see on TV. It's seductive, foreign, sexy, diverse, flamboyant, colorful, international, sinful and so dangerous. And for now, it's home-and I'm going to soak up each moment of this experience.

Growing up in Oklahoma was nurturing, safe and a wonderful place to develop a humble heart. When I graduated from the University of Oklahoma, the natural step placed me in Dallas, Texas. My girlfriends were living there, and it seemed like perfect 'next step,' as it held occupational and social opportunities for me that were endless. I was happy, fulfilled and challenged.

I loved living in Dallas. The town is beautiful and exciting, and the people are hospitable and generous. It fit all of the expectations that I had for a perfect town to plant my roots for years to come. By chance, fate and a blind date that was set up by a couple that wanted their best friends to meet-I met my sweet husband and my entire life 'plan' was drastically changed. We met, courted, were engaged and married in one year-from January 2007-January 2008. His job led us to South Florida-a WORLD from what I knew as home.

The cultural transition from Oklahoma/Texas to Miami was staggeringly hard. I was constantly faced with the question, "why do the people here want to be so aggressive and lack so much propriety?" Brian was gone 90% of the time, and the 10% of time that he was at home was usually spent eating and sleeping. So, I decided to make the most of that small time that we had together and delve in to the world of cooking. My goal was to make him the most nutritious, delicious food to help him through the life as a 2nd and 3rd year resident.

Cooking quickly became a creative outlet for me as well. When I missed home, I found myself cooking dishes that I recalled my mother making; using her verbal recipe and my five senses. As a newlywed, I was thrilled to use the new gadgets and All Clad pots that we received as wedding gifts. We lived in a tiny 825 square foot apartment on the 42nd floor that looked across the entire town. You could tell 10 apartments down if the the night's dinner was going to be a FLOP or a success--many of both occurred. I think there were a few times that dinner was coughed down by my Sweet One, but he always declared that it was the BEST eggplant casserole he had EVER HAD!

One of our favorite moments in life is at the end of the day, in the kitchen at my mom and dad's house in Tulsa; hors d'ouevres time with a $10 bottle of wine, an array of stinky, sinfully delicious cheese and various choices of crackers. It is the moment of relaxation, when everyone congregates in the kitchen and talks about things that have happened in the past day, week, 20 years. This is a nightly ritual that we enjoy in Miami now as well. Brian and I seem to frequently incorporate bits of home to our life in Miami, in every aspect.

The intention of this blog is to keep my family and friends stay updated with what's going on in our thoughts, in our home and in our kitchen. If I cook something fabulous and I want the whole world to try it too-I'll blog about it. If a wonderfully exciting moment happens in our lives--I'll blog about it. I want this blog to be an extension of the nightly hors d'ouevres at my parents' house-relaxing and catching up with an old friend-perhaps with a glass of vin rouge et fromage!