True Women and Pecans in Seguin, Texas

If you are a fan of True Women, Janice Woods Windle’s 1994 bestselling novel about Texas women, war and adventure, then you know about Seguin, Texas.
If, however, you are not familiar with Seguin, you should definitely plan a visit. Located about 50 miles from Austin and 35 miles from San Antonio, it’s an easy day [...]

Hollywood Stars and Smithville, Texas

What do Hollywood stars Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick, Jr., Sean Penn, Ryan Reynolds, Brad Pitt and Jon Gries have in common? They’ve all filmed movies in Smithville, Texas—a small town of roughly 4,000 residents, located 29 miles southeast of Austin.
Smithville has plenty of sights for movie buffs. And with shopping, parks, and dining—it’s a great [...]

Good Food and Atmosphere at Hill’s Cafe in Austin

There’s a reason why Hill’s Cafe has been a south Austin institution since 1947 — and that reason is good food and a fun and friendly atmosphere.

Comfort Food at its Best – Dot’s Place in Pflugerville

Dot’s Place serves up heaps of comfort in Pflugerville.

Romantic Evening at Casa Colombia in Austin

Casa Colombia was a wonderful choice this year for Valentine’s Day.

It’s Italian – Fresh, Friendly and Flavorful

One of the things I love about living in Austin is the abundance of really great family-owned neighborhood restaurants. Located in Wells Branch in the same spot as the original Gumbo’s, It’s Italian is one of those neighborhood jewels. The owners and their staff are friendly and a lot of care goes into creating each menu item. The food is not only delicious, the presentation of each dish is gorgeous.

County Line BBQ by Car or by Boat

No 4th of July is complete without barbecue. It was too hot to cook out this year, so the entire family went to County Line. Set in an old lake lodge on Bull Creek, you can get there by car or by boat.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom at Chuy’s

You gotta love a place that serves Chicka Chicka Boom Boom enchiladas! Chuy’s is Austin Tex-Mex to the max. I’ve eaten at four of the five Austin locations and have never been disappointed.

Mediterranean House Buffet – Pfantastic Pfood in Pflugerville

The menu says, “Fresh food made from scratch daily.” It should say, “Incredibly delicious fresh food made from scratch daily.” I truly love discovering family-owned restaurants where a lot of care and pride goes into the food and dining experience. This is one of those wonderful restaurants.

Sabine Pass, Texas – Hurricanes Rita and Ike

The residents of Sabine Pass, Texas are all too familiar with hurricanes. After residents there spent years recovering from Hurricane Rita’s devastation, another hurricane, Ike, sent in another wave of destruction on Saturday, 13 September 2008.

El Pollo Rico – I LOVE this chicken!

Delicious chicken from a drive-thru take-out? You bet! Austin’s El Pollo Rico is not your typical fast food. Perfectly seasoned charbroiled chicken is wrapped with a grilled onion to go in butcher paper. The Pollo Entero Combo — an entire chicken, rice, beans, a lime, eight corn tortillas and two kinds of incredible salsa — is only $11.99.

Beauty, Peace and Enlightenment at Shangri La Gardens in Orange, Texas (Part 3)

Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center boasts more than 300 plant species. Walkways flow through beautifully manicured multi-color flower beds.

Beauty, Peace and Enlightenment at Shangri La Gardens in Orange, Texas (Part 1)

Inspired by the 1933 book Lost Horizon, Texas timber baron and philanthropist Lutcher Stark had a vision of creating his own Shangri La — a place of beauty, peace and enlightenment — in his hometown of Orange, Texas.

Celebrating Chinese New Year at TC Noodle House

The hubster and I celebrated Chinese New Year in 2009 at the Chinatown Center on Lamar Blvd. in Austin. Choosing a place to eat was no easy task because of the delicious aromas coming from every restaurant. We decided to try TC Noodle House and it was an excellent choice.

Easy Corn Casserole Recipe

I found this recipe in the Austin American Statesman in 1994. It has become a part of our annual Thanksgiving meal. Make it part of yours.

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