A Day Trip to San Antonio, TX

San Antonio is a Texas city rich in history. Even myself having grown up in the northern Midwest always knew to Remember the Alamo.  But since those days, the continuous growth of population has changed the city dramatically. What used to be known only a century ago as a small town has now become a city has house over one million residents.

While remembering the past and embracing the future, the city of San Antonio has a lot to offer from heritage and museums to dining and cuisine. And thus begins our San Antonio foodie tour at The Guenther House. Located in the old home of the Pioneer Mills family, this museum and restaurant serves up some delicious brunches right next door to the still operating, still family owned flour mill, and is open for tours.

The Guenther House

205 East Guenther Street

San Antonio, Texas 78204

www.guentherhouse.com

Next up on the list of a mix of old and new is The Granary. Serving up the Texan's dream of beer and bbq, The Granary is located in a converted house of the old Pearl Brewery Complex.  What was once the home of the original Texas Pearl beer now houses businesses, shops, restaurants, and a farmer's market. After feasting on some delicious brisket, sausage, ribs, or whatever 'cue might do it for you, stroll around and marvel at what used to be and what has become.

The Granary

602 Avenue A

San Antonio, Texas 78215

www.thegranarysa.com

Water has always been an alluring majestic to migrators both north and south, and San Antonio holds the same. One of the most popular attractions in San Antonio, which brought about the many settlers and today brings many tourists, is the San Antonio River Walk. Walk up and down the river, or take a ride on one of the many boat tours, but don't forget to pop into many of the delicious eateries along the way serving up food and spirits galore, one of my favorite being Casa Rio. For classic Tex-Mex and a great ambiance, there is no better place to go.

Casa Rio

430 East Commerce Street

San Antonio, Texas 78205

www.casa-rio.com

Further inland is a restaurant that has been in operation since the 1930s, La Fonda on Main. Serving up Tex-Mex and more authentic interior Mexican cuisine, La Fonda never ceases to disappoint me, especially given the different various specials of the day, whether it be food, drink, or dessert.

La Fonda on Main

2415 North Main Avenue

San Antonio, Texas 78212

http://www.lafondaonmain.com

Last but not least, on the northern edge of the city is a breakfast one mustn't go without. Whether it be an in-house original omelet, a can't-ever-go-wrong hash, waffles, French toast, or the namesake pancake, it's all served up warm and toasty at Magnolia Pancake Haus. Sure, they serve up lunch items too, but I'm a breakfast all day any day kind of gal...

Magnolia Pancake Haus

606 Embassy Oaks

San Antonio, Texas 78216

http://www.magnoliapancakehaus.com

A Day Trip to Fredericksburg, TX

For many years one of the main attractions bringing visitors to the Hill Country town of Fredericksburg was a stroll along Main Street to pop in and out of the fabulous antique, artisan, and other specialty shops, and that is still the case to this day, 170 years after it was originally founded. What's more, many of the old, historic buildings have been preserved, so while the interiors may have changed over the years, the facades still maintain the original buildings and store-fronts. It's a timeless small-town Texas.

And speaking of time, celebrating over 40 years of family business is the wonderful cafe and gift shop known as The Peach Tree. It's a great stop for lunch, and to do a little shopping.

The Peach Tree

210 South Adams Street

Fredericksburg, Texas 78624

www.peach-tree.com

One of my favorite times to visit Fredericksburg is during Christmastime when the Market Square on Main Street is overtaken by a 30-foot Christmas tree, 26-foot German Christmas pyramid, skating rink, and chop chop train. It's a tribute to the town's founding German heritage and a wondrous joy to marvel for all ages.

Despite becoming increasingly popular for it's new association as Texas wine country, Fredericksburg was initially founded by Germans, which meant for many years the drink of choice was beer. And that still remains true to this day with beer gardens a'plenty! The Auslander and Der Lindenbaum have fun, traditional decor, or there's Fredericksburg Brewing Company for a more modern atmosphere. Get a Corned Beef Reuben and a beer (or two or three...) at any of these fine establishments.

Fredericksburg Brewing Company

245 East Main Street

Fredericksburg, Texas 78624

www.yourbrewery.com

The Auslander Biergarten

323 East Main Street

Fredericksburg, Texas 78624

www.theauslander.com

Der Lindenbaum

312 East Main Street

Fredericksburg, Texas 78624

www.derlindenbaum.com

Lastly, it may not be Fredericksburg proper, but 10 miles down the road is the music loving spot  of Luckenbach, made famous by Waylon Jennings. There isn't much to this quiet little community, just the remains of a retired post office and a general store turned gift shop, but there is a Feed Lot and saloon, so pop on over and grab a beer, just for fun.

Image courtesy of Luckenbach, Texas Inc

Luckenbach Feed Lot

412 Luckenbach Town Loop

Fredericksburg, Texas 78624

www.luckenbachtexas.com/feed-lot

A Day Trip to Bastrop, TX

The sun truly shines over the old city of Bastrop, Texas (figuratively, and literally as pictured here at the Courthouse). This small country town makes you feel like you can step back in time with it's old-school southern architecture, each one well preserved and unique in its own. For Austinites, it's the perfectly close and quiet day trip escape.

Take a short walk or drive through the streets - Pecan Street, Walnut Street, and even Austin Street, just to name a few... The quaint Victorian houses are a perfect match for the lovely, historic southern town.

While quite small, with Main Street consisting of only two blocks, this tiny town still has a lot to offer, especially when it comes to cuisine. Here are a few of my favorites:

Maxine's on Maine

Starting with breakfast and lunch, I like to stop by Maxine's on Main Street, for both the food and the drink served up in classic Mason jars, some of the biggest you've ever seen. The breakfast menu is filled with many options, all delicious, and well portioned like the pancake that doesn't even fit on the plate. Good luck resisting the urge to finish your meal with a slice of pie, or a whole pie to go!

905 Main Street

Bastrop, TX 78602

www.maxinescafe.com

Paw Paw's Catfish House

Another fun and popular lunch fare is at Paw Paw's. It's hard to go wrong with the fried catfish platter or the Po Boy. After all, Catfish is very southern comfort food. Don't forget to order up the house specialty of hushpuppies, yum! But heads up - they are closed on Mondays.

1014 Main Street

Bastrop, TX 78602

www.pawpawscatfishhouse.com

Gracie Miller's

Soon to celebrate it's 10 year anniversary, Gracie's is a great stop for a southern home cooked dinner. Best known for its chicken fried steak, it's casual and kid-friendly.

706 Pine Street
Bastrop, TX 78602
www.thegracemiller.wix.com/the-grace-miller#!__page-1

Baxter's on Main

For fine dining and a classic Texas abode, Baxter's on Main is the perfect spot. The starters are all terrific with a Texas Shrimp Diablo, Thai Tuna Stack, or Jumbo Lump Crab Cake. I'm also always a sucker for a good French Onion soup and Caesar Salad. Main Entree selections allow for many options to please all palates.

919 Main Street
Bastrop, TX 78602
www.baxtersonmain.com

Piney Creek Chop House
 Just off Main, Piney Creek is a new restaurant in old digs. With a classic steakhouse menu, it's a bit more upscale if you're looking for a fancier finish to the day. Go for a pre or post dinner drink next door at the Colorado River Winery, housed in another oldy but goody - they kept the original gin and oysters sign.

703 Chestnut Street
Bastrop, TX 78602
www.pineycreekbastrop.com

Simply Sweet

 Last but not least, save room for desert at Simply Sweet. The interior goods are just as sweet as the adorable exterior. And who can resist a place that serves Amy's ice cream!

 1010 Main Street
Bastrop, TX 78602
www.simplysweetbastrop.com

Happy Paczki Day!

It's Fat Tuesday and in Michigan, most likely due to it's large Polish population, it is traditional to bring out the paczkis (pronounced "punch-keys")!

Pickapeppa Pecans

It's Super Bowl Sunday again and that means it's time to get to snacking. There's always our favorite chip and dips and of course, wings, upon wings, upon more wings, but this year we were looking for something new and different to add to the menu and "spice things up" (slight pun intended). Thankfully, Garden & Gun's newest addition to their book series, The Southerner's Cookbook, had just the right fix: Pickapeppa Pecans.

While Pickapeppa Sauce actually originates from Jamaica, it is quite the staple amongst Southerners, or at least amongst my married Texas family. It's the perfect stand-by in case of any unexpected visitors, just pull out a chunk of cream cheese, slather it with the Pickapeppa sauce, and serve with crackers. Southerners will swoon.

Southerners are also notorious for their love of the pecan. So what could be more fitting for this crowd than matching the beloved Pickapeppa sauce with pecans - matrimony made in heaven. And better yet, the recipe is so simple, but it will result in impressively raised eyebrows.

Ingredients:

4 cups of Pecans
1 5-ounce bottle of Pickapeppa Sauce
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of water
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Paprika

Directions:

Maxine's on Main in Bastrop, TX

Lately we've been finding ourselves taking advantage of the lovely Texas weekend weather and doing some day tripping. After a successful visit to San Antonio a few weekends ago, we headed next for Bastrop and found ourselves having lunch at Maxine's on Main Street.

First off to drink, Maxine's is well-known for their wonderful homemade lemonade, served up perfectly in Mason jars, and a healthy serving size I might add. Blend in with the locals as a true southerner ordering some tea with that lemonade - call it half and half, or an Arnold Palmer, whatever you may, it's delicious either way!

For starters there's a wide range of all things fried. Some of my favorites are the perfectly battered onion rings, fried pickles, fried green tomatoes, and fresh fried okra. Oh, just go all in and get the fried veggie basket.

Lunch has an array of salads and sandwiches to choose from, one of my favorites being the Monte Cristo. It's a bit decadent with turkey, ham, and cheese lightly battered and slightly fried on the griddle, but it is well worth it. And the raspberry sauce on the side really satisfies that sweet tooth. Or save those appetizer fried green tomatoes for their Fried Green BLT!

The burgers are also quite nice, so I'm told... char-grilled on the outside with plenty of flavor on the inside.

But hold on, don't forget to save room for dessert! There are homemade cakes and pies galore... Starting with chocolate cake, to carrot cake, italian cream cake, to every kind of cheesecake. There are traditional pies, chess pies, fruit pies, and all sorts of cream pies. They'll greet you on your way in, and tease you on your way out.

The Guenther House in San Antonio

A recent trip to San Antonio found us having brunch at The Guenther House.

Carl Hilmar "C.H." Guenther migrated to America in 1848 and soon found himself in the great state of Texas. Shortly thereafter he built a flour mill in the town of Fredericksburg, but in 1858 drought depleted the grain crop and water was scarce to drive the wheel, so he moved his business to the city of San Antonio right along the San Antonio River with hopes of an abundance of water.

The mill, renamed Pioneer Flour Mills, stills stands today right along the River Walk and continues to run as a family owned and operated mill.

In 1860 Guenther built his family a home right next to the mill, where he and his wife raised their seven children. Known today as The Guenther House, the family's preserved historic home serves as a restaurant, museum, store, and banquet site.

Open for breakfast and lunch 7 days a week, The Guenther House is a great place to meet, mix, and mingle with family or friends.

All made in-house from scratch, starting off is a welcoming basket of warm bread and freshly baked mini muffins that are fluffy and delicious.

For breakfast, the waffles made with sweet cream are some of the best I have ever tasted, and although served with a side of syrup, I didn't even need a single drop - it was that good. The biscuits and gravy are also a must.

Lunch options are all house specialties like the champagne enchiladas, the Pioneer taco salad, and the chicken salad plate.

* Images courtesy of the Guenther House *

Welcome to the start of another King Cake Season!

Today is the Epiphany, which marks the start of the wonderful tradition known as king cake season.

The Epiphany, sometimes referred to as Twelfth Night/Day or Three Kings Day, is when the wise men came to visit baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Hence Kings... King Cake!

From the period between the Epiphany to Mardi Gras is considered to be king cake season - a time to indulge in as many cakes as you can. Thank you French settlers in New Orleans for bringing us this delicious tradition.

The cake follows suite in which the receiver of the slice of cake containing the trinket is crowned king. Being crowned king for the day brings about both privilege and obligation, like buying the next cake.

So bake one on your own (I'm still working on perfecting my own recipe), or buy one from the many different places that partake in the king cake season.

In Austin, Central Market carries a delicious French pastry-type cake with a delightful almond filling. It comes and goes quickly, so get it while you can, and enjoy every last bite, for it only comes but once a year!

Most of the cakes these days are not cooked with the crowning surprise trinket inside the cake anymore. If you're not sure if there is a trinket inside the cake or not, better to be safe than sorry and pop in an extra. After all, two kings are better than none.

So here's what you do... Take the trinket in your right hand and the cake in your left (or vice versa, whichever you prefer). Close your eyes, spin the cake around, place the trinket in the cake from the bottom up, then give it another gentle spin, and open your eyes. Now you get to participate in the fun too!

Downton Abbey Series Finale

Tonight marks the beginning of the end, it's the last season of PBS's Downton Abbey.

It'll be a bittersweet time, from start to finish.

Cheers!

In December drinking Horchata

In December we always find ourselves singing the Vampire Weekend song that first inspired me to become familiar with Horchata. My first Horchata recipe was a variation of an almond rice milk, but this year I found another similar recipe to try and I am always for trying new things, especially when it comes to cooking in the kitchen, so I gave it a go and voila!

Better yet, this recipe just uses rice milk, which makes it 1) super easy, 2) nut-free friendly for those with sensitivities, and 3) less costly as almonds can sometimes come at a premium.

Ingredients:

3 cups of water

2 cups of white rice

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

4 cups of milk

1 1/4 cups of granulated sugar

Land's End Wine Tote

Wine and Tote

Land's End now carries single totes and tartan canvas. Check out the new collection!

Courtesy of Land's End

Grandma's Rocky Road

Grandma Slone was notorious for her Rocky Road. For as long as I can remember, every year at Christmas time we were always provided with a fresh batch to take home and enjoy. And boy did we! It was always such a delicious, special treat.

Now that Grandma has passed on that legacy, I realize that not only is it a special treat for the recipient, but it's also a special treat for the giver since it is so easy! You start with only 3 ingredients to make a smooth, delicate fudge and then add whatever you please (or whatever may be in your pantry). Grandma always added marshmallows, I know that for sure...

Ingredients:
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup of butter
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, peanuts, your choice!)
1 cup chopped pretzels
1 cup mini marshmallows

Directions:
Place the chocolate chips, milk, and butter in a large microwavable bowl. Cook for 3-5 minutes until melted, stopping to stir every minute.

Fold in the nuts, pretzels, and marshmallows until well blended.

Pour the mixture into a greased glass baking dish and refrigerate until firmly solid. Let come to room temperature before slicing into squares.