Birthday Trip - Day One

Wheeeeeeeeee!  Mister has planned a little birthday trip for us this weekend.  I LOVE exploring new areas of Texas and today we are headed towards Wichita Falls.  Now, I HAVE been there before but it was a straight trip up to go to a shop hop with friends and then a straight trip back.  Thus, no exploring.  We are in the car and I've just been handed a printout listing the spots along the way that he wants to check out.  Let the car roll.

The first stop is the memorial for two patrolmen who were supposedly killed by Bonnie and Clyde.  I am ALWAYS fascinated by the tidbits of history surrounding the area I live in.  This memorial is located in Southlake and you can read more about it HERE.  Mister actually stops in the middle of the road directly in front of the stone.  This is unheard of and I am in shock as we run across the highway to get closer.  Yep, giggles all around.  Great start to the trip.

Blackberries and Roses

A quick trip to the backyard reveals tiny blackberries beginning to form and a sidewalk lined with knockout roses for my walk today.

Exploring Johnson City and a stop at The Ranch.

Our big objective for today is to stop at Calais Winery and pick up our wine club bottles.  There is a caveat though . . . it doesn't open until after noon so we have the morning to kill.  We spent the night in Johnson City so let's explore the area a bit.  As we drive up by President Johnson's boyhood home, we see something called the Settlement Trail and decide to park the car and get out for a stroll to check it out.  Wanna come along?

As we go cross the creek and go through the gates to find the trail, what is the first thing we spot.  Bluebonnets, of course.  Ah, my heart.  I do so love these beautiful flowers.

Blanco, Texas - Home of Real Ale

Mister decided to take a road trip this weekend down towards the Hill Country.  Just say the words "Hill Country" and I am on board.  We make it to Blanco, Texas where Real Ale is brewed and a stop is definitely required.  The last time we had dinner with Brent, we said we needed to make it down there and for some reason it has taken us forever to do it.  But that all changes now.  We are HERE.

Artscape and Dinner with Family

Mister has tickets to Artscape at the Arboretum tonight so we are meeting up with his brother and sister-in-law for a fun family evening.

Artscape is a very small art festival held on the garden grounds.  The cool thing about it is that the vendors are usually different from the regular festivals and thus, much more hands on.  Two booths especially catch my eye enough to watch, watch, watch.  First up:  weaving.  Oh my.  I would love to have this talent in my arsenal.  And the beauty of her work is simply breathtaking.

Artichoke Frittata w/Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Guess who feels like cooking today?  Well, yeah, that would be me.  I know you are asking yourself, "What's up with that?"  It's a great question as even Mister thinks that I have forgotten what a kitchen is for.

I have a friend over today and even started out the day with Cranberry Scones which you can find the recipe for HERE.  I wonder if I'm coming down with something.

So - back to the Artichoke Frittata.  These are just yummy.  To do the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce that goes over it takes a bit of time, but is oh so worth it.   Many of you know that I used to sell Pampered Chef which left me with quite a few interesting cookbooks.  This recipe comes from one called, "Cooking For Two & More."  Mister and I have gone through this book page by page and made the delightful dishes that fall between it's pages.

I took a few pictures today while making this, but not near enough.  You will just have to read and try it out yourself.  Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and then assemble your ingredients.

You will need 1 red bell pepper, 4 eggs, 3 oz. cream cheese (softened), 1 garlic clove (pressed), 1 jar (6 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped, 2 tbsp. snipped fresh basil, 2 tbsp, freshly grated fresh Parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp chopped onion, 1 1/2 tbsp. tomato paste, 1 1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar, olive oil, water, and pepper.

Over to Abilene - Josh Soccer and Jon's Bday Party

It's an Abilene kind of day.  You know the kind --- a 2 1/2 hour drive through Texas to spend some quality time with a daughter and grands.  Yep, one of the best kind of days.  Our first stop upon arrival is soccer games, both being played and refereed by grands.  After finding the fields, we settle in on some bleachers to watch Josh's game and discover a little friend in the grass right by us.

How cute is this?  I know, I know - this post is supposed to be about grands.