Carrie’s Place

On another adventure with Dan, we escaped for Valentine’s weekend to the small border town of Del Rio.  We followed Kenny and Lorraine, the ride to Del Rio is one of their favorite rides.

Our first destination and overnight stay was in Leakey, located in Real County.  Our ride took us through Marble Falls, Johnson City, Fredericksburgh, and then deep into the heart of the Texas Hill Country. The views were stunning, and hills provided us with sweeping curves at 90 mph, and hairpin turns shifting down into first gear. The elevations ranged from 1,500 to 2,400 feet with glimpses of deep canyons cut by the Frio and Nueces Rivers.

We stayed the night in the Frio Canyon Lodge, which was built in 1914. We were charmed by its rustic furniture and comfortable settings. Dinner consisted of what equaled to several bottles of wine for me and Lorraine, and a case (or two!) of beer for Dan and Kenny. Oh yeah – there was some food in there somewhere…

Valentine’s morning let us sleep in and allow the temperature warm up to a tolerable chill before we loaded up and headed towards Del Rio.

As we pulled out of Real County, the road tended to smooth out, and we could see evidence of the drier arid region of Texas. More cactus and straighter roads indicated we were reaching the cuff of Texas’s Big Bend Country.

When we reached Del Rio, we made ourselves comfortable in the La Quinta, and had a few drinks before catching a cab to go across the border to Acuna. It was an eerie feeling as we crossed the border, border patrol and local authorities stood guard, fully armed, with rifles in their hands. The cab dropped us off in front of Manuel’s, Lorrain’s favorite Mexican Restaurant. We walked around the corner and checked out the locals, including some shops that were full of trinkets, jewelry, Spanish style clothing, and an assortment of touristy stuff. After some shopping, we walked back to Manuel’s for fajitas, shrimp, and margaritas!!! Now, coming from Houston/Pasadena area, I had considered myself well educated – and well experienced – in the knowledge of having some of the best margaritas in existence. Until now. The margaritas were exquisite! It didn’t take Dan long to inquire about the “grande” margarita. Yeah, it was big.

If you want to see more pics of our trip, check ‘em out on my PhotoBucket Pics: Del Rio and Leakey Pics

Pistachio Cake

I wanted to make something special for Dan’s birthday a couple of weeks in advance, but I couldn’t find the pistachios (small town for ya). While visiting his mom, she brought us two bags of pistachios, said she got them at Walgreens. Well, that was Slidell – but I couldn’t resist trying here in Temple. Sure enough! So, two weeks AFTER his birthday, I made the cake. It came out excellent! I just used too much icing and made it too sweet. Anyway, thought I would share! This is the real thing – not made with pistachio pudding! It didn’t come out very pretty, but the cake was very good (just need to cut back on the icing!)

1 2/3 C all purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¾ C butter (no substitute) softened
2 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1 C buttermilk or sour milk
6 egg whites
1½ C toasted pistachio nuts

Grease and lightly flour three 8 x 1 ½ inch round baking pans. Set aside. Stir together flour, baking powder, and baking soda, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugar, vanilla, and almond extract; beat until fluffy. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, beating on low to medium speed just until combined.

In a food processor (or super blender) chop pistachio nuts until ground – don’t ground too much, or they become pasty.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Gently fold beaten egg whites into batter. Fold in pistachio nuts. Pour into prepared pans.

Bake in a 350 oven for 30-35 minutes or until a wood toothpick inserted near the center of each cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and cool thoroughly on wire racks.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 packages of cream cheese – 3 oz – softened
½ C butter softened
2 tbs vanilla
4 ½ - 4 ¾ C softened powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups powder sugar, beating well. Gradually beat enough of the remaining softened powder sugar to make frosting easy to spread.

Enjoy!!!

Its been an amazing month! Between gearing up for the Spring for Horny Toad and Fort Hood, and getting in a little personal travel, time has flown!

The move to the new Horny Toad is looming ever nearer – they painted the building last week, and it is slowly starting to resemble the artists rendering George has been showing everyone. I have been a busy bee working to get bands signed up, dates reserved, and crawfish ordered!!!

Dan seems to be fitting in with the Horny Toad crowd just fine! His “photography skills” at the HOG Appreciation turned out lots of great pics. He must have made a great impression because everyone seems to be curious about him – gone are the days of people asking “So, Carrie, how are the cats?” LOL! Now it’s “So, Carrie, how is Dan doing? When is he coming back into town?” LOL!!!

After Christmas, we headed out to Houston and to New Orleans…with a few detours.

Our first stop was in Houston to have dinner with Heather and Tori. After lots of laughs and hugs, we headed out to New Orleans to spend a couple of days with Dan’s family. They are as close as family gets, their laughter is contagious, and the warmth from their love is embracing!!!

After another stop back in Houston, and to Boondoggles in Clear Lake for an absolutely filling night of Apple Cider Beer and Seafood Pizza, we crashed for the night and headed out to Austin the next day. This was our third attempt to eat at Magnolia Cafe - the line is typically 1 hr or longer for a wait! If you’ve never had their bbq chicken enchiladas, you have to try ‘em! (Its on my menu for this weekend – I can’t wait to see how they come out!)

….

Dan’s birthday was January 16th – you wouldn’t know he hit 48! He parties like he’s 21 and loves like he’s not a day older than me! Well, I wouldn’t have missed his birthday for anything – I was too excited about giving him his birthday present (tix to see Robin Williams in Austin! Woohoo!).

We celebrated Dan’s and Denise’s birthday starting Friday night at one of Dan’s favorite hangouts, the Landing, with lots of wine and beer. Yeah, Dan and Denise are definitely siblings!!! (They kind of remind me of me and Yllisia back in our younger days…yeah, whose getting older? Definitely not Dan and Denise! What’s up with that Yllisia???) Then we finished it off Saturday night with presents and lots of food (thanks to Liz and her awesome gumbo!!). Oh yeah - and Dan definitely lived up to his reputation as being a WINDOW LICKER when he spent a better half of the night trying to lick Denise’s glasses!!!

This is Dan and his Sister Denise:

Yeah, very appropriate for us, kissing in front of a wall of alcohol!!! LOL!!!

WINDOW LICKER ALERT!!!

We visited the New Orleans Zoo while there - gotta love the wildlife!

Now I’m taking the deep breath before the storm. Lots to look forward to! Life is good!

New Orleans was everything I thought it would be and more! From the rich, spicy food, the bustling city nightlife, to the feel of the ocean in the air, Louisiana was alive and well as we toured her streets! Though evidence remains of Hurricane Katrina’s wrath, the city of New Orleans boasts rebirth and renewed strength.

One tradition seems to have become a meaningful symbol with the citizens of Louisiana. The Fleur de Lis – an emblem traditionally used in Louisiana that represents the French influence and heritage of the state. In the post Katrina era, the Fleur de Lis represents rebirth and rebuilding – the spirit of Louisiana. It can be seen in countless forms of art, home décor, and clothing throughout Louisiana. The French Quarter boasts a multitude of shops that display their proud French heritage and their spirit through the use of the Fleur de Lis.

We also had the opportunity to tour one of the plantations in New Orleans. The Destrehan Plantation was established in 1787 and is the oldest documented plantation in the Mississippi River Valley. The antebellum mansion is surrounded by hundred+ year old live oak trees, with small wood shacks set up to display and recreate the true setting of a plantation of 225 years ago.

Saturday night found us hanging out at Dan’s favorites spots on the water, great drinks, good friends, and rockin’ music!

My wealth of creativity has been dry for quit some time now! Anyway, so thought I would share some pics from the past few weeks:

Me and Kathie at the Duck - can you say CHEESE? Sprung played that night, they rock!

Ha ha, me and Dan – that is supposed to be the Houston skyline behind us. We went to see Jeff Dunham, and had an awesome hotel room facing downtown Houston. We laughed our asses off that night!

The Fish Fry/Car & Bike Show at Fort Hood Harley:

Here is Dan with Bullitt. I think Bullitt really loves him, he follows him around like his little shadow!

Chocolate, ooh the queen of temptation. Chocolate tempts us with its rich, luscious flavor, its thick creamy texture and its power to soothe our minds. It is for some a “gift from Mother Earth”- her creation that has over 1,000 flavor components and 300 chemicals which affect brain chemistry and mood.

With the impending dreaded Chocolate Fest, aka Halloween, quickly approaching, I am going to have to build up my immunities to the craving! (with the exception of the bag of Hershey miniatures I ate today)

So why do so many of us crave chocolate?

Scientists believe it may be the hundreds of chemicals in chocolate, many of which are stimulants. Those include caffeine and theobromine (stimulates the cardiac muscle and the central nervous system), along with henylethylamine, which is related to amphetamines (strong stimulants). These are known to increase neurotransmitter activity in our brains (endorphins are released), helping us to pay attention, stay alert and experience a pleasurable “high.”

Although chocolate is not an aphrodisiac, as the ancient Aztecs believed, chocolate containg phenylethylamine PEA, a natural substance that is reputed to stimulate the same reaction in the body as falling in love. Hence, heartbreak and loneliness are great excuses for chocoloate over indulgence.

How do you like your chocolate? Wrapped in a heart-shaped box with a big bow — or piece by piece savoring every magnificent morsel? According to Astrology.com, here’s the Astrological insight into the way each Sun Sign craves and consumes chocolate.

Aries doesn’t waste any time and eats all of the chocolates in one sitting. (Dad???)

Taurus tends to buy two boxes and leave only the orange and coffee cream ones for you.

Gemini makes their chocolate choice by taking a nibble out of each piece and putting them back in the box. (Mom???)

Cancer stores the chocolates away and can make even the smallest box last for a month.
Leo will insist on having first choice.

Virgo cuts their chocolates up into small, manageable bites with a knife and fork.

Libra chooses two boxes of chocolates, white and dark; one for you, one for them.

Scorpio can’t resist rubbing the chocolates all over their partner and licking it off.

Sagittarius only orders foreign chocolates. (Weeeelll, I was guilty of buying about $40 worth of chocolate during my layover in Holland!)

Capricorn seeks perfection in picking truffles of the best variety. (Not mushrooms, Dan!)

Aquarius skips chocolates altogether - they prefer a box of carob and raisin health bars.

Pisces tends to share them all and forget to leave one for themselves. (Definitely Heather)

It seems like I’ve been busy for the past few weeks, but I can’t say exactly what it is that I have been doing to keep me busy. Perhaps is the turning of the season, with the days getting shorter, I find myself retiring earlier in the evenings.

With the cooler air came the beautiful weather! Saturday found me and Dan two-up on his bike, heading out to Gruene. Partially to continue his quest for FDDs, and my want to …well, not sure what I wanted, but I wanted to get away, so off to Gruene we went! On our way, we stopped at Central Texas H-D to check out the new place. Pretty cool. However, the new Toad is going to blow them away!

Off the beaten path and hidden back behind New Braunfels, we rode into the small town of Gruene. The economic growth there is astounding. Who would have thought that a small lazy historic town would suddenly be overwhelmed with so much new real estate? We found Gruene Harley-Davidson where Dan secured another FDD. Around the corner we found ourselves in the historic downtown Gruene, and ate at the Gristmill. The atmosphere was relaxing and lazy, and after a couple of beers, burgers and fries, we were ready for a nap! I would definitely recommend to anyone to eat at the Gristmill if you find yourself in the New Braunfels area! We mozied on up River Road and into Canyon Lake, from there we found ourselves at the Devil’s Backbone again before heading home.

Here is a picture of us the first time we rode the Devil’s Backbone.

Here are some pics of the Guadalupe River and Canyon Lake. It was a little windy, but the weather was great! Made for some great pics!!!

I really like this pic of Dan.

This morning I woke up around 6, and all I could think about was having to get out and mow the yard, do laundry, washing the bike…the list goes on. So I went back to sleep.

I woke up around 8:30, and again, the daunting tasks of the day made me wish I could slumber all day and ignore the inevitable. But sleep wouldn’t come back to me. What in the world could I do to get out of doing chores??? Oh yea….I forgot. I have a machine sitting in my garage that gives me the escape that I need when life becomes overwhelming. And sitting next to it was another one….so I called the “Demon.” Mom was kind enough to take the phone to him while he was in the bathroom.

An hour later, we were heading up 317, destination: Granbury. The Horny Toad HOG Chapter recently rode out to a restaurant called Groggy Dawg. So, why not check it out ourselves?

After several near death experiences following Dad (can I reiterate, “Demon”~ don’t let the trucker hat and Goldwing fool you) we found ourselves in an interesting restaurant that is docked on Granbury Lake. Littered with tropical motif and pirate paraphernalia, it seemed like the ideal place to be on a lazy Sunday avoiding house chores. However, the food left a little to be desired. I would give it two stars: one for the ranch dressing, the other for the atmosphere.

It was 95 degrees by the time we headed out towards Lake Whitney…the last thing on our minds was fuel. At 140 miles, I had to switch over to reserve…then out of the blue…an oasis…FUEL! The old timey fuel pumps in Lake Village outside of Whitney were a lucky omen…time to go home!

This is me chasing him up 56…

Just in case anyone was wondering why I call him “Demon”:

Going……

Going……

GONE!!!

What do you get when you get together with two Cajuns and a Texan with a zest for cooking?  GREAT FOOD and great hospitality!  The past few days have been filled with brisket, shrimp, white wings, fried fish, and oh yeah - cold beer! (I am sure there was more, but between the food induced high and alcohol induced buzz…well, I was going somewhere with that sentence, but I can’t remember) 

I could really get used to eating like that ~ one of these days, Mike and Maureen are going to walk outside, and I am going to have set up camp in their front yard, with a sign that reads “Will fold laundry for food.”

Dan and the rest of the New Orleans crew left out this morning to return to a storm weathered city. Sounds like it won’t take long for life to return to normal for them ~ with electricity and water being restored quickly throughout Gustav’s path, I am sure they are all heaving a deep sigh of relief to return home unscathed.

I am a little sad at their departure, and my mind lingers on thoughts of deep brown eyes, Cool Water, loud pipes, and pumpkin spice liquor - and lots of laughter and smiles.  Life is good.

Check out my page on Pearl (click on Pearl to the left of this post) ~ she is my current foster kitty. Please help me find her a home!!!