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!!!

Well, it seems like it sometimes.

See, we’re on vacation. And we’ve made it a rule to not eat out as much as possible on vacation.

We have kids under age 10 and all the “family-oriented” places around here are, well, deep-fried disappointment.

Ugh.

Plus, there are lines and waiting and complaining.

That’s not much of a vacation.

So we opt to cook our favorites at our home away from home.

And these steakburgers? Well, they were heaven.

As soon as we began cooking, the place where we’re staying filled quickly with the amazing aroma of grilled beef and we all could hardly contain our appetites until the sweet relief of a plate on the table.

No lines, no gum-chewing waitress, no bill, no TIPPING.

Just my food exactly the way I like it with incredible smoky bacon and ooey, gooey cheese.

You tell me heaven isn’t like that. I dare ya!

If you had a nice steak dinner on Christmas night, congratulations. You dined like a president!

The Obamas enjoyed a beautiful, juicy steak on Dec. 25th in Hawaii. I can’t think of a more amazing way to spend Christmas.

Read on…

HE may be in exotic Hawaii, but President Barack Obama’s culinary Christmas is decidedly mainstream.

The president will dine on steak, roasted potatoes and green beans, with pie for dessert, according to White House spokesman Bill Burton, who is traveling with the president on his holiday vacation.

Mr Obama arrived on Wednesday for his annual trip to the Aloha State, his birthplace. He is set to stay past New Year’s reading novels, writing his State of the Union speech, and working in some golf with family and friends.

Mr Burton was mum on the president’s Christmas Eve plans.

Now that’s my kind of holiday! I love your taste, Mr. President!

This bodes well for 2011!

Read the story here. And happy new year!

Photo courtesy of Whitehouse.gov.