Adventures in West Texas

Less than a year after we started dating, Lane’s parents moved from Tyler (where my parents live) to Alpine. They were sick of the city life and dealing with allergies in the Piney Woods so the just up and moved to far West Texas.

We’ve been to visit them several times, but mostly it was at Thanksgiving or Christmas, so it wasn’t very green out there. In fact, the last time we went out there it was Christmas Eve 2009 and we got stuck in a blizzard. Yes, a blizzard. We were stuck on I-20 for 5 hours in a car with a restless dog and no toilet. So, this time, we decided to fly out there. Well, fly to Midland then drive 2 hours to Alpine.  MUCH EASIER!

This time, the scenery was green and really quite pretty. I’m not a huge fan of dessert scenery but I was impressed by the drive from Midland to Alpine.

When we first arrived, Lane’s mom had her famous brisket waiting for us. We can always guarantee that the food is going to be fabulous when we visit! We ate quickly and then headed up to Ft. Davis at the McDonald Observatory for a “Star Party”. I was at first most excited about Lane’s mom telling me to bring a jacket! A JACKET IN THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST! Woohoo! But, after arriving, I became even more excited about the UNBELIEVEABLE amount of stars that could be seen.  We saw Jupiter on the horizon and were just surrounded by the stars of the Milky Way Galaxy. We were able to look into telescopes at stars that are millions of light years away (Which I still have trouble comprehending a light year.) It was a great night and a good way to start off the mini vacation.

Here’s me and Lane with his Dad inside the observatory.

The next day, we woke up, had breakfast and got ready to go to Balmorhea Springs. It’s a spring feed swimming  hole in the middle of the dessert. Seriously. You are just driving in desolate land and then in a clearing, you see trees and this little oasis! Because it was a Saturday, it was pretty crowded but we set up a little tent and chairs and read our books! We took turns swimming in the SUPER cold water, but it was really neat to swim in crystal clear water and see little fish swimming right alongside you.

On the way, we stopped at a little store to get sunscreen and drinks and I discovered they had Slush Puppies! SP’s were my drink of choice as a child and of course had to get one!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is some of the mountain scenery on the drive to Balmorhea. A lot different than my normal commute in Dallas!

Finally, we made it to Balmorhea and had a great time.  I wish I had better pictures of the area, but I was too excited to swim! Lane’s dad bought us an underwater camera that we need to develop and I’ll post those pictures as well!

That evening we relaxed and ate dinner and watched a movie with Lane’s parents. We were exhausted from a day of driving and swimming, so it was a good end to a good day.

The next morning, we woke up and went to church. It’s definitely a different culture out there. I am used to mega-churches and traffic. There, we made up a fourth of the congregation population, and that was a big crowd for them! Everyone is so friendly and very welcoming. It was just a little strange for me to be able to hear my own voice while singing hymns.

After church, Lane and I decided to just drive around to a few of the little towns around Alpine. We went to Marfa and Ft. Davis. This wasn’t the first time we had been to Marfa, but there had just been an article in Texas Monthly about it and how it was one of the five best road trip destinations in Texas. So, we were excited to see what more Marfa had to offer.

Sadly, it was a complete fail. Marfa might be the most overrated town in Texas. It’s home to a lot of very artsy people. Don’t get me wrong… I appreciate art, but the art in Marfa just isn’t my style. Not to mention, it was a ghost town and everything was closed. Wah wah wah. Oh well. We can say we’ve been there and done that.

The Big Bend area is also known as a good grape producing area. The arid climate is great for vineyards.  There is a winery down the street from our house in Dallas that grows their grapes in Alpine. We also wanted to stop by a tasting room of another on the way to Marfa. Well, sadly it was closed. For good. Another sad disappointment.

We did find that we loved the town of Ft. Davis. We stopped at a little organic grocery store for a treat.

Quite possibly the most yummy snack ever! Blue Sky Root Beer and  chocolate chip cookie! We sat on the little porch and watched as a thunderstorm rolled in (and felt temperatures in the 70’s!)

That evening, the Allens planned to take us to Marathon to have dinner at the famous Gage Hotel. We arrived a little early and went to the Gage Gardens. A wonderful little garden, complete with a vineyard! My favorite part was that the sign said “No Hunting”.

 

In the little vineyard at Gage Gardens:

We had a fabulous dinner at the Gage and were able to celebrate my birthday with family. The hotel is amazing and has a these little villas that are a part of it with a wonderful pool and an area with a fire pit and rocking chairs. I could definitely see the Gage as  fun little getaway for people sick of the city.

     

On our way back to Alpine that night, we were in a lighting storm that just illuminated the sky.  It was really need to see the BLACK night sky lit up by huge lightning bolts.

All in all, we had a great trip. It was great to see Lane’s parents and see West Texas in a different light!

Salmon with Strawberry Salsa

I should really just call my blog the Annie’s Eats copy-cat blog because I really just make her recipes. But. I. Just. Can’t. Stop. They are so stinking good. I haven’t made a single thing of hers that isn’t delicious.

We try to serve  fish once a week and I’m always searching for non-fishy fish recipes. I went to the store intending to buy scallops, but holy cow! Scallops are ‘spensive! Instead, salmon was on sale  so I went with it. I immediately came home and  searched to see what Annie had to offer me. Luckily, I came across this recipe and had all the ingredients on hand. I was a little skeptical, but it ended up being delicious. Strawberries were so fresh right when I made this so it was just delicious.  Enjoy!

Salmon with Strawberry Salsa from Annie’s Eats

Ingredients:
For the salsa:
2 cups fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled and diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered (I used grape tomatoes)
4 scallions, white and green portions, sliced thin
1 tsp. fresh parsley, minced (I used dried because it’s what I had)
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Drizzle of olive oil
Drizzle of honey
Salt and pepper, to taste

4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz. each)
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
To make the salsa, combine the strawberries, tomatoes, scallions, parsley, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl.  Mix well to blend, then cover and refrigerate while you prepare the salmon.

Preheat the broiler.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Place the salmon fillets on the foil.  Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice over each fillet, and season with salt and pepper.  Broil about 6-8 inches away from heat source (in my oven, this is upper middle rack).  Cook about 10-12 minutes, depending on your oven and the size of the fillets, checking for doneness.  Transfer the salmon to serving plates and top with strawberry salsa.  Serve warm.

I’m a burger girl…In a burger world!

(Again, I apologize for the very crappy picture. I’m slowly learning.)

I’m not lying. I love burgers. I crave burgers. Bad news. Burgers aren’t so good for you. So sad. In order to make myself feel a little better about my love for burgers, I decided to start making turkey burgers. We’ve been using ground turkey in place of ground beef, so this was an obvious choice. Turkey burgers are a good option for us when we are craving something “bad”. Now, don’t get me wrong, they still aren’t healthy, but they are pretty tasty and better than the alternative.

I love Kraftrecipes.com. They have lots of simple, quick and yummy recipes that use common ingredients we normally have on hand. This is where I found the turkey burger recipe. However, since we don’t have a gas grill, I use our cast iron skillet and oven and they are delicious!

Turkey Burgers adapted from Kraft Foods

1/4 cup Barbecue Sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s honey BBQ)

2 whole  Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, finely chopped (I omit because I don’t normally have them on hand, but they are a delicious addition if you have them).

1/2 cup Fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 lb.  Ground turkey

1/2 cup Dry bread crumbs

Salt, pepper and garlic powder, to taste

4   whole grain sandwich buns, toasted

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Also heat cast iron skillet over a medium flame until hot. Combine first six ingredients and form into 4 patties. Place patties in skillet and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes. Place in oven and cook on each side for three more minutes each. Serve on toasted buns with condiments of your choice!

German Chocolate Cake

I am surrounded by men who are obsessed with German chocolate cake. My husband, nephew and father are all smitten with it. But, I have a secret. I don’t like German chocolate cake. So, when my nephew and father both requested one for their birthday (they are a day apart), I knew I had to make one…and make it good. Because I don’t eat it, I have to assume that good means it has lots of ingredients and requires lots of time. According to the eaters of the cake today, my assumption was right.

It took about 3 hours to make and I have a mean mess to clean in my kitchen, but it was worth it to see how happy my family were while eating it. It brings me joy to see how baked goods make people happy…I would love to have a bakery one day and experience that joy as my job.

Anyway, I still haven’t mastered getting a four layer cake to be level. Yes, I have a cake leveler, but I haven’t mastered that either. This cake didn’t disappoint in the crooked category. I also was in a hurry to finish decorating it and my frosting tip came out of my plastic bag. Once that happened, there was no turning back. So, while it wasn’t the prettiest cake, it apparently was very delicious.

I would suggest a few changes: I used German chocolate in the cake batter as opposed to the bittersweet/un-sweet that the recipe suggests. I just didn’t feel right making a German chocolate cake without GERMAN chocolate. I forgot to add the vanilla extract  in the batter and also didn’t have any dark rum for the syrup. So, I just used vanilla in the syrup instead. I’m sure the rum would add a great flavor, but I didn’t have any and didn’t want to go buy a bottle for 2 ozs. I also didn’t feel like the recipe made enough filling. It doesn’t need to be doubled, but just needs a little more. I barely had enough for the top layer and I know I didn’t over fill the rest of the layers. EDIT: So as I’m typing this, Lane gave me his honest opinion about the cake. While he said it was delicious, he also said that it wasn’t what he thinks of when he thinks of a GCC. He suggested that instead of icing the sides with the ganache, I should used the filling. He said it needed more of that flavor. So, maybe double the filling recipe and use it to ice the sides. You can still decorate the top with the ganache because it’s delicious!

German Chocolate Cake adapted from David Lebovitz

For the cake:
2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chopped (I used German Chocolate instead.)
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

(I used German Chocolate instead.)
6 tablespoons water
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ¼ cup + ¼ cup sugar
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks
3 ounces butter (6 T), cut into small pieces
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
1 1/3 cups unsweetened coconut, toasted

For the syrup:
1 cup water
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum

For the chocolate icing:
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used a bag of Ghirardelli

2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 ½ (3 T)ounces unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream

1. Butter two 9-inch cake pans, then line the bottoms with rounds of parchment or wax paper. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. Melt both chocolates together with the 6 tablespoons of water. Use either a double-boiler or a microwave. Stir until smooth, then set aside until room temperature.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer (I used my stand mixer), or by hand, beat the butter and 1 ¼ cup of the sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the melted chocolate, then the egg yolks, one at a time.

4. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

5. Mix in half of the dry ingredients into the creamed butter mixture, then the buttermilk and the vanilla extract, then the rest of the dry ingredients.

6. In a separate metal or glass bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft, droopy peaks. Beat in the ¼ cup of sugar until stiff.

7. Fold about one-third of the egg whites into the cake batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites just until there's no trace of egg white visible.

8. Divide the batter into the 2 prepared cake pans, smooth the tops, and bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool cake layers completely.

While the cakes are baking and cooling, make the filling, syrup, and icing.

To make the filling:

1. Mix the cream, sugar, and egg yolks in a medium saucepan. Put the 3 ounces butter, salt, toasted coconut, and pecan pieces in a large bowl.

2. Heat the cream mixture and cook, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom as you stir) until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the spoon (an instant-read thermometer will read 170°.)

3. Pour the hot custard immediately into the pecan-coconut mixture and stir until the butter is melted. Cool completely to room temperature. (It will thicken.)

To make the syrup:

1. In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and water until the sugar has melted. Remove from heat and stir in the dark rum.

To make the icing:

1. Place the 8 ounces of chopped chocolate in a bowl with the corn syrup and 1 ½ ounces of butter.

2. Heat the cream until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let stand one minute, then stir until smooth. Let sit until room temperature.

To assemble the cake:

Remove the cake layers from the pans and cut both cake layers in half horizontally, using a serrated bread knife.
Set the first cake layer on a cake plate. Brush well with syrup. Spread ¾ cup of the coconut filling over the cake layer, making sure to reach to the edges. Set another cake layer on top.

Repeat, using the syrup to brush each cake layer, then spreading ¾ cup of the coconut filling over each layer, including the top.

Ice the sides with the chocolate icing, then pipe a decorative border of chocolate icing around the top, encircling the coconut topping.

Side note: I can’t believe my nephew is 12! I know its cliché to say, but I remember when he was born. I remember his first steps. I remember picking him up from day care. I remember holding him in the hospital when he had RSV. He’s a wonderful boy (he’s not a teenager yet, darn it!) and I am so thankful that God has blessed my life with him.

Seared Scallops with a Pan Glaze

Scallops are one of my favorite seafood dishes. They aren’t fishy at all, but are buttery and smooth and delicious!  They are super easy to cook and are fast for a weeknight dinner. They run about $12 a pound for sea scallops at our local grocery store, so I don’t do them too often, but when I do, go big or go home!

I knew I wanted to serve the scallops with a wedge salad. It’s one of our favorites and is really easy to make (lettuce, blue cheese dressing, blue cheese crumbles, red onion, tomatoes and bacon.) So, I decided to go all out for these scallops…no calories were spared in the making of this dish!  The sweetness of the glaze pairs so well with the scallops. It’s delicious!

Seared Scallops with a Pan Glaze

(Serves 2)

4 strips thick cut bacon

¾ lb Sea Scallops (I just asked for 8 large at the counter)

Sea salt and pepper

¼ c. balsamic vinegar

¼ c. chicken broth

Remove scallops from packaging. Layer on paper towels so that the water is absorbed. Salt and pepper the scallops.

In a large skillet, cook bacon for salad and set aside. When finished, use a paper towel to soak up a little of the grease, but not all. Heat skillet with bacon grease over medium high heat. Once grease is hot, add the scallops, making sure they do not touch one another. Once you set them in the pan, don’t move them. This will ensure they get a good sear. Cook for 3 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side. Meanwhile, turn your oven on warm. Once the scallops are seared on both sides, place on an oven safe plate and put in the oven to keep warm.

Add the vinegar and broth to your skillet. Simmer and let reduce to about ¼ of the original amount. It should form a glaze. Use a whisk to occasionally stir and get all of the goodness from the bottom of the pan. You could add some shallots here if you’d like.

Plate the scallops with the wedge and spoon the glaze over them. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Snickerdoodledoo! Wahooo!

Snickerdoodles are my FAVORITE cookies. They are just so good. They aren’t plain like a sugar cookie, but aren’t too complicated like a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. They are perfect. I don’t normally make cookies, but wanted to send Lane to a party with something that was easy to travel with and we all know how I drive when there are cupcakes in the car…so, snickerdoodles were the answer! I searched for a while trying to find a recipe that didn’t use shortening. It’s just really, really bad for you and I really, really wanted to eat a lot of cookies! So, I came across this recipe from the amazing Annie’s Eats. I haven’t made anything of hers yet that isn’t amazing. (If you have an ice cream maker, you should also try her strawberry ice cream!!)

These cookies are the perfect snickerdoodle (despite what the fuzzy picture shows..) They have a bit of a crunchy exterior and a super soft interior. They are fluffy and buttery and melt in your mouth!

Snickerdoodles

2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 c. sugar, divided
2 large eggs
4-5 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Put butter and 1 1/2 c. sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about three minutes. Mix in eggs.

Reduce speed to low and gradually incorporate flour mixture.

In a small bowl, stir together remaining 1/4 c. sugar and cinnamon to preferred ratio. Shape dough into 1 3/4 in. balls (you should have about 20). Roll in cinnamon sugar and place three inches apart on baking sheets lines with parchment paper.

Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, twelve to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire racks.  ENJOY!!

Nutella Stuffed French Toast

 

Hold on while I lick the plate……

Lane and I had Nutella stuffed french toast on our honeymoon, and ever since I told my mom about it (she loves nutella) she’s wanted to try it. Finally, over July 4th weekend, we did! I just googled a recipe and came across this one. This was so rich and delicious! The perfect bite included french toast smothered in syrup with a slice of strawberry. It’s certainly NOT weight watchers approved, but it sure was tummy approved!  Give it a shot next time you are in a french toast mood…it doesn’t disappoint!

Nutella Stuffed French Toast, adapted from Nook and Pantry

Note: I doubled the recipe to serve 4 of us and had PLENTY batter left over.

1 egg
3/4 C milk (I used whole…when in Rome!)
3 Tbsp AP flour
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted (and more for frying)
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Half loaf of french bread; cut into 3/4 inch slices on the diagonal
Nutella, slathered it on
Powdered sugar, syrup and strawberries for serving

Whisk the egg, milk, melted butter, flour, sugar, salt, and vanilla together until a smooth, thin batter is formed. (Stir occasionally so four doesn’t settle at the bottom)
Spread some Nutella on a slice of bread and then top with a second slice. Continue until all bread is used. (Ours made 6 “sandwiches”. Heat a non stick skillet to medium heat. Add butter right before adding bread. Dip nutella sandwiches in batter and immediately fry. Fry the French toasts until crisp and brown, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on the first side, flip then fry the second side until crisp and brown also, another minute or so. Continue until all pieces are cooked
Serve with powdered sugar, syrup and strawberries.