Hey guys! My name is Maggie and I am from the great state of New Jersey. I came to Brazil in 2006 to help in an English school run by an American missionary. During that time I met my now husband, who is a Brazilian. We later married and moved a few times between the states and Brazil and finally settling here in Brazil. My husband is from the Northeast ( think hot, palm trees & beaches) and we decided to live in the south of the country (German/Italian-like culture, vineyards and four seasons). We have three kids who attend local school and we speak English in the home.

When I was 38 weeks pregnant with our third we bought a home because I couldn’t imagine life with three under five in an apartment. Last year I had the privilege to renovate my kitchen. So what you see now is the result of almost 10 years in undesirable kitchen spaces ( think no windows, tile everywhere, etc.). The fun thing about remodeling in another language is that you learn a whole new set of vocabulary..some words my native Brazilian husband didn’t know!

So I hope you enjoy my kitchen. You can find me here 80% of the day!

Look at the clean counter tops and no dishes in the sink!

One year ago we decided to renovate our kitchen. We are a family of five and needed a more practical open kitchen. In general, Brazilian homes have a large laundry room which is typically located next to or a part of the kitchen. The kitchen is normally closed off and might have a wood stove used to cook, bake and heat the kitchen during the colder winter months. They also often have a brick oven in the wall to barbecue meat. I chose to have neither because neither are practical and require a lot of time and clean up. We moved the laundry room to the garage and enlarged the kitchen. This involved knocking down cement walls, filing in walls, adding windows, doors and all new kitchen cabinets. It took about two months and a lot of dust. We were living in the house during the reno and at one point had to leave because my 18 month developed a rash from dry wall dust.

Needless to say, the small renovation ended big. I am happy with the result because now we have a modern, bright and practical kitchen. It has been a way for me to make something really mine in a world where everything feels borrowed. I know I chose the tiles, cabinets and floors because I liked them. Those who are at home all day know the comfort in making a space feel familiar and yours. I try to keep it clutter free and a space that feels clean. In my plans for the cabinets I made sure there was enough space for my array of appliances that I rarely use. The only ones I use on a regular basis are the electric kettle and the electric pressure cooker, both huge time savers.

Then there’s reality. And yes, I do go to bed with a sink full of dishes.

My adult life has been in Brazil so my cooking is Brazilian. My husband has been gracious through my trial and error of cooking. I don’t find pleasure in cooking and consider it more of a necessity. However, the lack of quick options in Brazil forces us to eat from scratch and therefore healthy. Lunch is the big meal of the day and always has rice and beans, meat/chicken and salad. At least once a week I pick up lunch at a restaurant where you fill up a container from the buffet and weigh it on a scale. Dinner is usually leftovers from lunch or sandwiches.

We have had help in cooking and cleaning in the past. It might sound dreamy to have someone doing those tasks for you, but the reality can be intrusive on your privacy and daily life. Now I have a nice lady who comes once a week to do the heavy cleaning and I handle the rest.

A must have was a large window looking out into the eucalyptus trees. This is because I had spent the last eight years in apartments with views to other buildings and little sunlight. The neighbors have cows that come up to our fence to eat the grass. Our dog gets very excited to bark at them. Sometimes they look like they might charge her through the fence. At least the cows keep her company because my three children certainly don’t give her the attention she deserves. This results in her digging holes out of boredom which makes me feel really guilty. So when I look out the window and see the holes, it’s like her screaming come play with me!

Rice and beans are the staple here. When we were first married and my father-in-law would come visit, he would complain if I didn’t make beans. So I would ask my neighbor to make them for me and bring them over. I would serve him “my” beans and he would be content. Now I can successfully use a pressure cooker and make some beans. Recently bought an electric pressure cooker and definitely changed the game!

My favorite food here - sweet potatoes left in the sun for a few days and then later cooked in a wood oven... they only sell them during winter (June-August).

My only plant I’m able to keep alive!

The biggest complaint I might have here would be the mild climate that creates the perfect environment for mildew and mold. I spend a lot of time on ladders scrubbing ceilings where mildew spreads like wildlife. I have perfect sense of smell for a space starting to be infested with mildew.

Usually kitchens here have a small trashcan that sits by the sink to put organic trash. I never liked this because it smells and can cause ants to come. I thought having a built in trash can would solve the problem because it would be hidden. Now it is usually empty and I have a plastic bag by the sink where I put the organic trash. Trash here is separated by dry and organic. We leave it on the curb during the designated days in our neighborhood. Trash collections is usually on time because I live in a smaller city that is well organized and clean.

My Must Haves for My Expat Kitchen:

When we have trips to the states these items always make the cut. Syrup is reserved for Saturday morning pancakes. Just today I made pancakes and my two year old had opened the lid and poured the rest of the sacred syrup on the plate and table. I thought everyone was going to cry. I thought to myself that if I lived in the US I might have even thrown the bottle away with the little amount that was left. However, here, I scraped it from the plate (and table) and put it in a container for further use.

My Favorite Expat Friendly Recipe:

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