What has happened to my beloved Food Channel??

I remember the weekends of waking up early in the morning just so we could watch Barefoot Contessa and Giada DeLaurentis on the Food Channel. We would schedule our weekends around what was on. I find that the new shows they have are becoming so annoying and typical. Too many Rachel Ray look alikes who scream at the television to get your attention. If I have to see Sandra Lee one more time I think I may scream. Her creepy backgrounds that match what she is wearing is way too much and honestly really freaks me out. So it brings me to this seasons Next Food Network Star. We weren't really thrilled with any of the finalists but Adam was our favorite. He was perky, fun and had a good show idea. Lisa squinted too much but was kind of likeable. I still would have watched her show maybe a couple times even just to laugh. As nice of a guy Aaron was, I just couldn't see him with a show. Every show, he was nervous and completely bombed the last competition. His food was boring and made a complete fool out of himself in his intro. Who won you ask? Aaron! We were completely shocked. Not that he wasn't a nice guy and wouldn't have done a good job. I just thought the other two were much better cooks and much better on camera. Aaron, poor thing, mumbles when he talks and you can barely understand him. So I just don't understand. Are they looking for a different demographic? I feel like they have every demographic covered. I am just really disappointed. I feel like they are taking away from finding a really good chef who will put on a really good show to someone that cooks mediocre. For a foodie like me it makes me not want to watch anymore. It seems as though the new chefs on there aren't really professional. They are just there for t.v. and what they think will make a good show. How many shows can we have about What is a Peanut? Or the science behind foam. Cool for a second, bored after two. I liked watching it to learn new recipes and watch their technique. The classic Food Network is dying and I don't like what it is reincarnating into.

Honeymoon pics

Honeymoon -- Belize

Boy. What can I say. We had a BLAST in Belize. 8 days of sun, sand, fishing, snorkeling, eating and drinking. We stayed at an incredible resort, Victoria House, located on the island of Ambergris Caye off the coast of Belize between the mainland and the barrier reef. It was amazing. You could see the line of waves in the middle of the ocean from the line of the barrier reef. The food and service was impeccable! We had our own private casita with a four post bed with mosquito netting! It was beautiful. There were two swimming pools, one infinity and one regular. We had wonderful weather almost the entire trip until a day or two before we left. We experienced our first tropical storm, Arthur, which was a definite experience. Arthur didn't take our fun away though, we still snorkeled with nurse sharks and sting rays in the storm. Crazy I know. One of my favorite parts of the trip was going into town and eating the street food. We found a Guatemalan women who had a tiny little post with a fluorescent poster board with a handwritten menu. "Papusas" I saw scribbled across the bright pink sign. We thought -- we have to try those! She was making them right now, carefully making the dough, filling it with cheese, pork and beans and frying it on the huge flat grill she had at her post. They were amazing! Went twice while we were there. The second time we got conch ceviche and papusas. Best on the island! It was different than the ceviche here, she put cucumber, peppers, and other vegetables in with it. I have since tried to duplicate those papusas and they were nothing compared to hers. We will definitely be back to Belize and we recommend all of you go too. You won't regret it -- especially if you go visit the Papusa lady. Be sure to tell the woman hello for us! :)

Wedding

Ever since I was a little girl I have dreamed about what it would be like to walk down the aisle with my Dad to marry the man of my dreams. My dream became a reality on May 24, 2008 at the Waterford Marriott in OKC. It is like no other experience. You are so happy yet it all feels so surreal. I think I was more nervous the day before the wedding than the actual day. Arriving at the rehearsal and seeing all of my family and friends from around the country was overwhelming but wonderful. We had our rehearsal dinner at the Harn Homestead and had a good ole Oklahoma BBQ! It was awesome. Then the day of the wedding my girls and I just hung out and slowly got ready for that evening. Adam spent the day laying in the pool with his buddies.
Then the time came. I put my beloved dress on, turned around and there were my very best friends all there to experience this with me. I lost it. All the emotions hit me at that moment. Then my dad came to get me, tears in our eyes, we started downstairs. The doors are opened by two of my great friends, Jason and Cory, and we walk down the aisle. Everything was perfect. It was more beautiful than I even imagined. There at the end of the aisle was Adam, so handsome and happy, surrounded by our closest family and friends. Thirty minutes later, Adam broke the glass, everyone yelled Mazel Tov and the party began! We drank, ate, laughed and danced until we couldn't dance anymore. I surprised Adam with a Cubs baseball hat groomscake and at 10:30 p.m. we all sang Harry Carey's version of Take Me Out to the Ballgame and the hotel brought out mini Chicago hot dogs and pretzels and beer in Chicago Cubs cups. It was perfect! He was completely shocked! We didn't want the night to end so we went with a bunch of the guests to the hotel bar. Everyone seemed to have so much fun! I was thrilled with how many people were still with us at the end of the night! The next morning we got up super early and started our trek to Belize!

Newbie

Gosh, what has the world come to. Now I have a blog. I never thought this day would come. I used to think they were annoying. Why would people need to write about their day to day lives and expect people to read it. But then my friends started doing it and I was reading theirs all the time so I started thinking it would be a good idea for us too. Since we have family all over, I thought it would be a good way to share with our friends and family what is going on in our world. Berger World as I am calling it :) Plus, it is much easier to make than the website I tried to create for us. I will be posting some of my favorite pics from the wedding and honeymoon and there will be more and more to come!! Let me know what you think!