Viewing entries tagged
texas

12 Things of Christmas

1 BRAG-WORTHY OHIO PRODUCT

Ohio+Witte Tavern Vinegar

2 SPLURGE-WORTHY FINDS

agate coasters Gold-rimmed Agate Coasters

knitted hot water bottle Wool Water Bottle Cover

3 READ-WORTHY BLOGS

Screen Shot 2014-11-29 at 9.41.25 PM The Homesteady

art-of-doing-stuff-karen Art of Doing Stuff

About-Allie-Lehman2 Be Up and Doing

4 CHEERS-WORTHY COCKTAILS

Nick Carbone via Time French 75

IMG_7947 White Sangria

19b5efc24284bcb6930a2bac9265eadd Champagne Punch

grapefruit mimosa Grapefruit Sage Mimosa

5 SHOP-WORTHY SMALL BUSINESSES

Screen Shot 2014-11-19 at 11.22.30 PM Brim Papery

carver junk co Carver Junk Company

Desktop12 Crave Studio

knack gvl Knack

poppy soap co Poppy Soap Co.

6 YUM-WORTHY CBUS EATS + DRINKS

bakersfield Bakersfield

curioCurio

dirty franks Dirty Franks

jeni's Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

kittie's Kittie's Cakes

1279_1364669610 Pasquales

7 USE-WORTHY FREE FONTS

enhanced-buzz-wide-420-1391173346-10 enhanced-buzz-wide-9378-1391175214-18 enhanced-buzz-wide-25179-1391174809-23 enhanced-buzz-wide-9386-1391174712-9 enhanced-buzz-wide-6153-1391173432-16 enhanced-buzz-wide-25187-1391172907-9 enhanced-buzz-wide-418-1391168110-7 Get them here

8 GIFT-WORTHY DIYS

board butter Board Butter

lipbalmcontainers DIY Lip Balm

Foot-scrub-feature Peppermint Foot Scrub

hpDSC_0200 Tiny Pots

lemon14.5-768x1024 Lemon Sugar Scrub

Homemade-Christmas-Potpourri-Recipe-Free-Gift-Tag-1024x694 Christmas Potpourri

Bitters-3 DIY Bitters

homemade-headache-pillow-8 Tea Towel Heating Pads

9 SWOON-WORTHY WRAP JOBS

f5c7f45a9e6c1df56f521b5d4a84871dwalkinlove_DIYwrappingpaper-comp-2c33e23f8118af574186cf1a6bc9807bbDIY-Christmas-Gift-Ideas-22Screen Shot 2014-11-21 at 12.07.44 AMfacd78dc159d454f9dae2943896ba3fbdb15bfacb059b9804a75cfe2353ef846a88cbad720bb1bcfc9c3d3bc1a1b8695ec4a930aa8916b1600c7d34e821c5b7df25c8113be1f065c4bf1e29b8efef6d8

 10 PONDER-WORTHY TIDBITS

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11 VISIT-WORTHY DESTINATIONS

8W1McZuTdD73uJ Perini's Ranch | Buffalo Gap, TX

midnight-cowboy-modeling Midnight Cowboy | Austin, TX

Nestled amongst the curiosities and crazy of 6th Street in downtown ATX, you'll find this unsuspecting door. Don't be fooled by the shady exterior. Behind that door you'll discover an oasis in the chaos, and what I would consider one of the best speakeasy bars in the country. Be forewarned, house rules are strictly enforced and reservations are a must. There is a two drink per person minimum and a two-hour maximum. All of which, combined with the building's seedy past and stellar cocktails, makes The Midnight Cowboy an absolute must-visit.

BrokenSpoke Broken Spoke | Austin, TX

If you're looking for live honkey tonk, real Texas musicians and a more local crowd than you'll find on 6th Street, head over The Broken Spoke on Lamar The drinks are cheap, the enchiladas are amazing and the people are fun, friendly and anything but shy. Come prepared to practice your two-step. This place can make a country music lover out of just about anyone.

shirley-s-tippy-canoe Shirley's Tippy Canoe | Troutdale, OR

Once in awhile you stumble across a place that feels so perfectly perfect you'd swear you stepped into a movie set. Shirley's Tippy Canoe is one of those places. We stumbled across this gem along the Columbia River Gorge scenic route, and I couldn't have dreamed up a more picturesque mountain town roadside stop. If quaint charm isn't your thing, then let's talk about the food. Because...this club sandwich. Ask for a seat on the patio (it's amazing!) and enjoy.

indian beach Indian Beach | Ecola State Park, OR

69357_10100410460236492_971269184_n Robledo Family Winery | Sonoma, CA

A few years ago, we took a trip to northern California. By chance, we stumbled across the Robledo Winery -- and decided to check out their October harvest festival. I could write for pages about what a rare and wonderfully special experience it was, but instead I will simply say this: go there. Eat, drink and be merry in the company of people you love. Raise a glass with people you are meeting for the first time. Let the wine and the moment reconnect you to history and the land and the story of all of us. Skip the big name wineries. Head down the rural road to Robledo. You'll be glad you did.

timberline Timberline Lodge | Mt. Hood, OR

cfiles33831 Main Street | Greenville, SC

courtyardsliderlarge Chicago Fine Arts Building

travel.nationalgeographic Louisiana Bayou

piazza del campo siena Piazza del Campo | Siena, Italy

12  STOCKING-WORTHY STUFFERS  (under $20)

Screen Shot 2014-11-12 at 6.28.22 PM Lily Oval Skinny Bangle ($12)

Screen Shot 2014-11-12 at 6.30.12 PM Poe-ka Dot Pouch ($12)

Screen Shot 2014-11-12 at 6.34.25 PM Forged Iron Sheers (Small $10, Large $14)

il_570xN.502196860_a3v8 Screenprinted Tea Towel

il_570xN.477823207_1l8j 14k Gold Hex Studs 

il_570xN.354729303_7aai Custom state stamp 

il_570xN.427539636_6sez Hammered Copper Earrings

il_570xN.229972175 Books Print

il_570xN.602639196_3m4g Pine Root Hair Stick

pBBW1-19329357v275 Fireside Candle (This closely replicates the scent of my much more expensive Henri Bendel Firewood candle)

little-women-01Little Women

il_570xN.664672992_o7x9 Safari Ring Dish

RECIPE: Grandma Maxine's Chocolate Sheet Cake

This is my grandma Maxine. The one on the right, in the pink. Technically she is my "step-grandmother," but nothing about her has ever felt "step" to me. I can say with great certainty that Maxine is one of the best cooks in our family, possibly the country, maybe even the world and/or entire universe. I am biased, of course...but seriously, it's true. Arriving at my grandparents' doorstep, two things were a certainty:  you'd be greeted with a warm welcome and you'd leave with a happy belly. Hash, Homemade chicken and noodles. And my personal favorite, Chocolate Sheet Cake.

I was lounging around in bed this morning listening to NPR (a favorite weekend past-time) and stumbled across this great story from Mo Rocca. Regretful over the passing of his grandmother, Rocca set out across the globe and into the kitchens of the truest culinary masters: grandparents. Along the way he learned as much about life and love as he did about cooking. Click here to listen to the story.

I promise this blog isn't always going to focus on grandparents, but coming off the heels of "Life, Death and a Dinner Table," it felt too timely not to share. Happy listening - and happy weekend!

ps: A little gift from my recipe stash to yours. This is one of those recipes that is deceptively simple. There are no glamorous ingredients. It reads like something off a pilgrim's grocery list. It doesn't even look that special when it's complete. But I can pretty much guarantee as soon as you life the fork to your mouth it will change your life, leaving you with a whole new appreciation for the wonders of baking. All other cakes will become instantly inferior. You may even be tempted to hide it from house guests so you don't have to share. Yes. It is THAT good.

Grandma Maxine's Chocolate Sheet Cake

CAKE INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 Tablespoons cocoa (heaping!)
  • 2 sticks butter
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 2 whole eggs (beaten!)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

FROSTING INGREDIENTS

  • 1-3/4 stick butter
  • 4 Tablespoons cocoa (heaping!)
  • 6 Tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 pound powdered sugar (minus 1/2 cup)

DIRECTIONS In your favorite mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add in cocoa. Stir together. Add boiling water, allowing mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour liquid mixture over flour mixture. Stir lightly to cool.

In a large measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, vanilla, baking soda and beaten eggs. Stir buttermilk mixture into chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, prepare the icing. Melt butter in a saucepan adding cocoa. Stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add milk, vanilla and powdered sugar. Stir. Pour over warm cake. Optional: garnish with pecans.

Slice cake into squares. Pour yourself a glass of milk. Eat and enjoy.