Spicy with cayenne, these crispy cheese crackers boast only five ingredients. And they freeze well to pull out for quick wine accompaniment.
Another Tyler Junior League cookbook recipe, this traditional southern fare is worth revitalizing when you have left over cheese that needs to be used. Or simply snag a 3 cup bag of shredded cheese.
I used a Mexican blend cheese, but you can get creative with cheese you have on hand. The intensity of heat can be adjusted as well by adding or subtracting cayenne. I have also thrown in red chili flakes in addition to the cayenne.
Don’t get caught up on the perfectness of each straw, you can buy that in a box at the store – celebrate your homemade spirit!
They are pretty, They are chocolaty bites of goodness.
Silicone molds are a game changer for pretty individual cakes. Spray the mold with an oil, fill, and pop in the oven for a quick, attractive presentation. Once they cool from the oven, you can push the cakes out from the bottom. This chocolate cake recipe requires no icing.
We are talking about the Texas Rose Festival this month and this recipe comes from an old Tyler Junior League cookbook. Sometimes the tried and true recipes combined with a new twist (silicone molds) do the trick!
I spent a lovely afternoon with Tyler native daughter, Anna Katheryn Schultz. A 5th generation Texan, her great-grandfather in the 1920’s was one of the founding members of the Rose industry in Tyler. The sandy, acidic soil on their land was perfect for roses and he began shipping roses world-wide in the 1930’s.
Inspired by both her parents and particularly her grandmother who was a quintessential southern cook, Anna Katheryn founded Tuesday Takeout. Cars line up for her delectable dishes designed to be a taste of home, without the work. She conceived the idea that enjoying a quality meal at home should be open to the busiest of folks.
Anna says, “Everything I do is from scratch and it’s something I would serve at home if you were my guest.”
We prepared Roasted Poblano Corn Pudding – a staple on her Fall menu. Perfect as a side dish anytime, and particularly enjoyable for Texas holiday, it is a comforting conglomeration of flavors. And did I mention your kitchen will smell wonderful?
Cream together butter, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, chile powder, and salt.
separate the eggs, placing the yolks and white in separate bowls. Beat the egg whites until stiff and set aside.
Whip egg yolks and add to creamed mixture. Add milk and flour alternately. With the mixer set on low speed, blend well. Place in large bowl and add chile and corn mixture.
Fold in beaten egg whites by hand.
Pour into prepared ramekins. Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes. Until wooden skewer comes out clean. Let cool before cutting around the edges with a sharp knife to help turn out of pan. Or serve in the ramekin.
Colorful, easy, and with only three ingredients – this salad will stand the test of a shower, luncheon, or dinner party. And its just an easy recipe for your home meals.
When my Mom was running the wedding shower/bridesmaid luncheon circuit with her friends, this salad was a mainstay. It adds vibrant color to the serving table and your plates. You wouldn’t think of grapes and cabbage going together, but the poppyseed dressing is the tie that binds.
So, next time you need to bring a salad to an event or gathering – you might choose this one. Your friends will think you worked much harder than you actually did!
Here’s a hint – if you use a clear bowl, the colors will show through in technicolor!
Add Roasted Corn Salad as a side dish to anything – chicken, fish, or beef. It’s also great for a quick lunch with a slice of luncheon meat.
You may hesitate starting up the grill, but here’s a hint – roast a dozen or so ears of corn, cut it off the Cobb and freeze extra for future use. You can also throw your protein on the grill for a complete meal.
I can hear the 1960’s movie theme song setting the background for this iconic western. Sam McCord along with George and Billy Pratt hear the call to adventure and cross the Yukon river in 1892 in search of gold below a mountain southeast of Nome.
In true romantic western fashion, George falls in love with a girl named Jenny and declares he would trade all the gold for a ring to place on sweet little Jenny’s hand and build for her a honeymoon cabin below that same mountain.
What does this have to do with Texas?
A newly married 5th generation Texan along with her Texan husband, Sommer (Seidel) and Brent Adcox heard the call to Homer, Alaska 12 years ago. Brent, an Orthopedic Surgeon was recruited after medical school to practice in this beautiful town located on the Kenai Peninsula.
Sommer says of her time in Alaska as a Texan, “As a fifth generation Texas who is living in Alaska, our Texas heritage remains important to our family. In an effort to keep our heritage alive, we often use food as a connection to our roots. Brent takes every opportunity to smoke a brisket while I put on a pot of beans to share with our local friends. He enjoys teaching many of our Alaskan friends how to properly smoke a good brisket (which he makes with seasoning we import from Cooper’s BBQ). I often invite others over for enchiladas or a good German Schnitzel and hot potato salad. We still enjoy food that has been provided by the land and we spend time as a family in the process of making sausage, chorizo and memories. While we may live 4,000 miles from home, our hearts remain in Texas”
Known as the Halibut fishing capital of the world, Homer carries the motto “Where the land ends and the sea begins”.
Making a conscious decision to fully enjoy all the experiences Alaska has to offer, the Adcox family bought a fishing boat and learned the secrets of halibut fishing in Kachemak Bay.
My husband and I had the absolute pleasure of joining “Captain Sommer” on her boat for a day of Halibut fishing on the Kachemak Bay. We cruised the bay searching for the perfect fishing spot. Majestic glaciers framed our view while we watched otters swim and play on their backs.
I’d have to say that although I’m not really a fisherman, reeling in one of these large flat fish is a highlight of my life. Sommer skillfully pulled the halibut into the boat, talking to it the whole time like a mom soothing her child.
Back at the Adcox kitchen, Sommer and Brent donned Oktoberfest aprons representative of their home towns – New Braunfels and Fredericksburg. We prepared halibut with the simple, yummy recipe Sommer and Brent have found to be tested and true. You can also apply this recipe to Texas gulf or river fish. After all, a Texas fish fry has been at the center of many a family and friend gathering.
So, here’s the secret straight from a transplanted Texan:
Fresh halibut, diced into approximately 3 - 4 inch pieces
1packageMcCormick's Fish Beer Batter
Garlic salt to taste
Peanut oil
Cocktail Sauce
1/2cupketchup
1 tspfresh squeezed lemon juice
1tspWorcestershire sauce
1tspgrated horseradish (add more for zing)
Instructions
Mix a packet of dry batter with enough water until slightly thinner than pancake batter.
Dust Fish liberally with garlic salt before placing in the batter. Add fish to batter and coat.
Place small batches in a pan of oil heated to 350 degrees and cook until light golden brown. Lean to the side of undercooking halibut as it will continue to cook after removing from oil. Over-cooking will lead to dryness. Keep an eye on the temp of oil while adding fish – if drops below 350 degrees, fish could end up soggy.
Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels. Serve immediately with Cocktail sauce.
10 cups fresh sliced peaches or 1- 5 lb bag frozen sliced peaches
1tbspbalsamic vinegar
2tsplemon juice
2tbspvanilla
1tspalmond flavoring
1puffed pastry sheet, rolled out to pan size on parchment paper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place puffed pastry on parchment paper and roll out to slightly larger than size of pan. (11’ x 15” for 10 servings)
Add all dry ingredients together, mix thoroughly and add to peaches
Add vinegar, lemon juice, vanilla and almond flavorings to peaches. Mix thoroughly.
Pour into pan, spreading evenly
Top with puffed pastry sheet.
Brush egg white evenly across pastry and sprinkle on 1 - 2 TBSP sugar.
Bake for 30 minutes or until crust is brown.
Notes
Toprepare early:3 -4 hours before baking, prepare peach mixture and place in fridge.I keep my puffed pastry in the freezer, so remove and let defrost.Roll out pastry right before ready to bake. You can easily half this recipe, but I like to have plenty remaining for leftovers:)You can also use 2 pans if you don’t have a large enough glass pan.
Whether you are headed on a day trip or for a few days – its nice to have a snack that’s healthy, satisfying, and just plain yummy.
I give you “Travelin’ Ranger Cookies”! My mom always made these for our family trips, I made them for my family and now I pass this tradition on to you.
Chock full of oatmeal, crispy rice cereal and coconut, they will fill that hunger pain between meals. You can make them ahead of your trip, freeze in an air-tight container, ready to pull out when you hit the road.
So, pick out one of our fabulous Texas State Parks, load up the fam, and pack these cookies – you’ll be glad you did! Click below for video:
1cupbutter (or 1/2 cup butter + 1/2 cup shortening)
1cupsugar
1cuppacked brown sugar
2largeeggs (room temp)
1tbspvanilla extract
1tspalmond flavoring
2cupsunbleached flour
1tspbaking soda
1/2 tspbaking powder
1/2tspsalt
2cupsquick cooking oats
2cupscrisp rice cereal
1cupunsweetened coconut
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
n a mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugars until light and fluffy - 5 - 7 minutes.
Beat in eggs, vanilla, and almond flavoring
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
Stir in oats, rice cereal, and coconut.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto parchment paper or ungreased baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, 7-9 minutes. Remove to a wire rack for cooling.
Notes
These freeze great. Put them in an air-tight container for a road trip snack.
From renowned and seasoned, I visited an “up and comer” hard working, young woman pitmaster in Caldwell, Texas. Shelly Spivey, blonde, blue-eyed, and “5 foot nothing”, is the owner and pitmaster of Daisy Dukes BBQ.
“Here at Daisy Dukes, we still use stick fired BBQ pits. Pulling off plump juicy sausage, Shelly says “its a smoky, hot job, but nothing that us women pitmasters can’t handle”. “The restaurant business is a hard business, but the BBQ restaurant business is even harder”. Many of our customers come in and are looking for the man who is doing the cooking and when they point to me, they say, “What? That is not what we expected!”
She likes to wrap her briskets in foil instead of paper, being careful to capture all the brisket juices. They are our best friend here.”
Shelly comes by this naturally. Her grandmother owned a restaurant in Caldwell called “Boss Hogs” for 20 years where she worked. So, she says “its in our family.”
She shared that her favorite thing to cook is ribs. “To me cooking ribs is a technique. There’s a fine line to how long to smoke, when you pull it to season it and wrap it, how much longer you cook to keep it plump and juicy keeping the meat staying on the bone.”
What is the spice that makes your BBQ best – “We keep it simple with salt, pepper, and garlic. That’s it”
So, now you know.
Like most things in life, the secret is mastering the basics. Thank you to the strong Texas women who came before us and all the Father’s who let us in the pit.
The grand finale to a night of GerTexican fusion includes decadent chocolate cake, whipped cream, and tequila infused cherries. Yum! What at evening at Krause’s Cafe with Alex Meixner and Chef Boomer Acuna.
combine the water, butter, and cocoa in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour over the flour mixture
in a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla together. Add to the batter and blend thoroughly by hand. Don't use an electric mixer
pour into the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean
Cherries Directions
drain cherries reserving the water
place water and sugar in a sauce pan and reduce until syrup and cool
place tequila, cherries, and syrup into jar and place in refrigerator for at least 2 days before using
Whipped Cream Directions
Place all ingredients in a cold bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form
Assemble
Once cooled, cut the cake in half
brush or drizzle each half with the tequila cherry syrup
place cherries on one half and top with whipped cream then top with the other half of the cake
I spent a lovely afternoon with Tyler native daughter, Anna Katheryn Schultz. A 5th generation Texan, her great-grandfather in the 1920’s was one of the founding members of the 
