Showing posts with label houston. Show all posts
Showing posts with label houston. Show all posts
Friday, March 01, 2013
Houston Rodeo - World's Championship Bar-B-Que
Over the weekend we celebrated our one year anniversary of moving to Houston. One year - can you believe it?? To celebrate (ok not really, it was just good timing) we went to the World's Championship Bar-B-Que at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. BBQ cook-off in Houston? SOLD!
Every year the barbecue cook-off kicks off the Houston Rodeo. For three days over 300 teams cook and compete to take home the honor of winning first place. These teams work their butts off smoking, cooking and BBQing for 72 hours. And the result is delicious. You have to have a ticket to eat at the tents, but general admission gets you a plate of BBQ at the food tent. We had tickets to the Dodge City Cookers tent, a team that usually does pretty well every year. This year they came in eighth place in the brisket competition and twenty-third place over all. Out of 300+ teams?! That's pretty dang good!
Brian and I were super excited to take part in an event that is basically the epitome of Texas culture. We put our western shirts and cowboy boots on and we fit right in. (Next year we are totally getting cowboy hats) If you hold a ticket to one of the tents it buys you as much food and drinks as you can handle. Our tent had a live band which gets the crowd into high gear and kept us entertained all night.
And the food? I bet you want to know how the food was? In a word - amazing. I went for the brisket, sausage, meatballs and ribs. No need to muddy the plate with beans or potato salad. Somehow I missed the BBQ sauce which might have made it out of the world, but none the less the food was delicious. And those meatballs? Best thing I ate all night. Want to know what they were made out of?
ARMADILLO!
WTF?!?!
I kind of gagged when I heard that but they were so stinkin' good that I just had to finish them. Definitely one of the most adventurous things I've ever eaten.
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| The masters at work |
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| Watching the judging |
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| I almost forgot to take a picture! L-R: armadillo meatball, ribs, brisket and sausage. |
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| The Dodge City Cookers |
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| Do you think he meant him - or the BBQ? |
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| Gotta love blurry, dark iPhone photos... |
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| Our tent had the NICEST ladies port-a-potties EVER! I was a very happy lady |
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Houston Arboretum
I have lived in a big city for the past eight and a half years of my life. I don't mind the tall buildings, the concrete jungle or the hustle and bustle of every day life. However, my roots are in the country. I grew up in the middle of corn fields and every once in a while - especially now that I am not so young - I long for the quiet peacefulness of rural countryside. What we managed to find was not quite as peaceful as the countryside but offered us a few peaceful moments together as a family, enjoying nature.
A while back we decided to visit the Houston Arboretum. We liked it so much that we decided to go back with Brians parents over Thanksgiving. It's only a few miles from our house but it feels like you way outside of the city (apart from the traffic noise that you can hear from some of the trails. Eh - you win some and you lose some). There are over five miles of free walking trails covering forests, ponds and wetlands. There is a discover center as well for grown ups and little ones alike to learn more about the habitats and wildlife at the Arboretum.
Last year (2011) Houston went through a major drought. We could see a lot of the trees that had died from the drought and notice how the ones that survived were struggling to stay alive. And even though we went at a time of year that is not particularly pretty (I imagine spring, summer and fall are all more aesthetically pleasing times of the year to visit) we still enjoyed walking along the paths and enjoying a little quiet time.
We have been having some chilly weather lately but as soon as it warms up I fully plan on taking Kaitlin here for walks. It is easy enough to put her in the jogging stroller or Ergo carrier and get lost exploring the trains for an hour or so. And soon she will be able to walk the trails with us!
Grounds and Trails are open 7 days/week from 7am-dusk
Monday, April 30, 2012
What I've been up to...and a cookie for you!
When we moved to Houston I was adamant that I wasn't going to let this blog fall by the wayside. I was going to have tons to write about - right?? A new city, new restaurants, a new house to cook in...the opportunities were endless! And then reality set it. As I settled in to my third trimester I saw my energy diminish by the day. Each day brought more boxes that needed to be unpacked, new fires that needed to be put out and another day without anything exciting to write about. If you have been keeping up with the mini traveling cupcake you will know that I am still alive (and still unpacking) and now that I feel like I have my head (slightly) above water I hope to make a more regular appearance here. So thanks for sticking with me all this time. That is, until this baby is born and then I will probably be on another hiatus :) Sorry folks, that's just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.
Speaking of cookies!!!
I made you some!
In one of the (many) boxes that I unpacked over the last month, I was super excited to find my new copy of the Joy the Baker Cookbook. If you don't already read this amazing blog I highly suggest you make it a part of your daily rotation. Since she's the second most popular food blogger out there though there's a good chance you already know who I'm talking about. I first found Joys blog a few years ago and she is a huge inspiration to me. She cooks and bakes just about anything - from bread to cookies to cakes - you name it, she's baked it. She also bakes gluton free and vegan goodies just because she wants to. To me it takes a lot of courage to use a ton of ingredients you aren't used to (almond flour, what? coconut oil, who?) and her creative recipes never cease to inspire me. I am also a huge fan of her podcasts - Joy the Baker Podcast with Tracy of Shutterbean and We're About to be Friends.
But this post is about her cookbook. And these awesome cookies.
When I found her cookbook stashed away in the 495083409 Tupperware bin that I had unpacked that day I was pumped. I called it a day and proceeded to read the entire cookbook in one sitting. I had pre-ordered the book months ago and couldn't wait to dive in. This cookbook has it all. Want some pancakes? Pick your poison. Coffee bacon? Comin' right up. Cakes - cookies - frosting?? Done, done and done. The cookbook gives some of Joys great tips and is written in the same style as her blog - ie friendly, warm and funny. Basically like talking to your BFF while mixing up some amazing treats.
The first recipe I decided to make was these Trail Mix Cookies. These are pretty similar to what some people call Kitchen Sink cookies because they have, well, everything but the kitchen sink in them! M&Ms, peanuts, peanut butter chips, raisins, oats - you name it, it's in there! The recipe made a huge batch, I got three dozen out of mine, so I had plenty to stash in the freezer for when the baby is here and I don't have time to brush my teeth let alone bake cookies. And since these guys are made with whole wheat flour, oats and raisins they are practically health food! Sure to keep us going through those long days and nights.
Since I followed Joy's recipe to the letter (I usually do the first time around) I don't want to publish it here. You're just going to have to go out and buy her book yourself - I promise you won't regret it!
Monday, April 02, 2012
Introducing - Tracy Lynn Photography
As if moving to a new country/state/city, buying a house and having a baby all around the same time isn't crazy enough, I've decided to add one more big item to my "to-do" list (which is another reason why things have been so quiet around here). And that, my friends, is a new business.
After eight years of working in the corporate world I have the amazing opportunity to make my passion my business. I am nervous and scared, excited and thrilled all at the same time. It's going to be a lot of hard work and it's going to take a lot of time - but I am in it for the long haul and truly believe that this is going to be an amazing experience.
I would like to introduce you to -
Tracy Lynn Photography specializes in Childrens and Baby photography in the Houston, TX area. I already have a great portfolio from London and can't wait to expand my client base to Houston.
If you would like to check out my website and get some more information on my packages and rates, you can visit me here:
Or contact me here:
TracyLPhotography@gmail.com
917-420-0990
I am offering a limited number of appointments from now until May 1st and then will resume a full time schedule in September (I'll need a few months off to take care of the little one!) I think the great thing about my packages, and is something different from many photographers, is that I give you the rights to the images. Every session includes a disk of edited images (30-50 images depending on the package you chose) for you to use however you like! Of course - you are welcome to order prints, albums, cards, etc from me but it's nice to have those images at home so you can order more whenever you want!
I am really excited about my new endeavor and can't wait to get the business fully up and running. For those of you that are in New York - feel free to contact me about possible sessions while I am in the area (at least a few times a year). I am happy to take on extra clients in my old home state!
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Settling In
For some strange reason I had the idea in my head that once we moved to Houston our lives would calm down a little. We would suddenly have time to catch up on our sleep and reduce the amount of stress we have been feeling for the last few months.
HA!
HA! Ha! HA!
I think thats a trick my mind played on itself so that it didn't go insane.
So...what have I been up to? Besides test driving nearly every SUV available in the US market (honestly - someone just PICK A CAR FOR ME! I never want to see a car dealership ever again) the majority of my time has been taken up by...
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That's right! We closed on our house earlier this week and couldn't be more excited. And scared. More like, 99% excited 1% scared.
Or maybe 75% excited and 25% scared.
It's definitely at least 60% excited 40% scared.
Its changes, day to day.
Again, for some reason my silly mind thought that once we closed on the house we would be able to relax - that was the stressful part, right??
HA!
Oh silly that brain of mine.
The ink was barely dry on the papers when we started calling roofers and painters and making multiple trips to Home Depot. What's the rush? Ohhh a little thing called a BABY. We need to get as much of the big "fix-it" items completed before it's time for us to move in 100%. With the days flying by faster than I can shake my fist at them that meant that we needed to get to work pronto.
So now my days are spent arranging deliveries, scheduling appointments, picking out paint colors, coordinating our shipments from the UK (I can't wait to get all of our stuff!! I miss my pots and pans - sad, isn't it?) and picking out more paint colors.
One of these days, hopefully very soon, I will be able to go to all of those wonderful farmers markets and explore Houston beyond the Home Depot and all the major car dealerships. Hopefully that time comes before the baby does...
But that could be just another silly trick my brain is playing on me.
Thanks for your patience while I try to get my life in order - I promise to try and update the blog as regularly as I can! Besides...I have spotted a few cupcake bakeries around town and have a feeling I will be taste testing them in the very near future!
Monday, February 27, 2012
We made it!
Howdy!
Sorry, I had to. It's only fitting now that we are living in Texas, right?
The good news is - we made it!! It was a long and stressful process - moving day was less than stellar and the bronchitis that I have been fighting for the last month didn't make it any easier. BUT! We are here now and everything has been going well (in the last 48 hours that is). We are all set up in our temporary housing and are anxiously waiting to close on the house we put an offer on the last time we were in Houston. Only a few more things on our To-Do list (OK that's a lie, there are definitely more than a few) and we will be all settled in!
The first item on our agenda once we got to Houston (and got a good nights sleep)? BREAKFAST! We were in desperate need of a good, solid American style breakfast. I'm talking french toast, waffles, American style breakfast sausage, bottomless filter coffee - the works. We did a quick google search and all reviews pointed us in the direction of The Breakfast Klub in the Fourth Ward. The reviews warned of long lines so we high tailed it there as soon as we were conscious on Sunday morning. We managed to get there right before the rush, and in no time had hot coffee in our hands and these plates of deliciousness in front of us -
We were more than satisfied with our Texas French Toast and Pecan Waffles - it was basically heaven on a plate (or, three plates if you want to get technical). The Breakfast Kulb is also known for their Wings and Waffles and Catfish and Grits breakfast plates - which we will surely be back to sample soon!
By the time we managed to roll our full bellies out of there the line was wrapped around the front of the restaurant! It was well worth the hustle to get down here nice and early.
I'm looking forward to discovering a whole new type of cooking down here in Texas. The first place I am going to start is with the markets. Houston has a wide variety of weekly farmers markets that I am anxious to take part in. I can't wait to see what kind of season goodies they have to offer here - I bet it's a world of difference compared to what is offered at the London farmers markets in February!
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