Britches & Boots - Go Texan Day 2011

It is Go Texan Day today. A day when school children dress in their finest cowboy/cowgirl duds and giddy on up to school. A day where even the checkout person at Kroger is in boots & jeans...oh and don't forget the hat. We are a proud state (to say the least) My husband teases me about not being born here, but that I got here as fast as I could! I always remind him that I have given birth to three Texans...that should count for something, right?! Go Texan Day is so much more than pulling your boots out of the closet and gearing up for Rodeo. It is a day to remember the rich history of the state we call home.

Chris sent me the following poem a few weeks ago.I loved it and wanted to share it on the blog, but decided to save it for Go Texan Day. I loved what he wrote about our children. Chris is a native Texan...born in Corpus and raised in Houston. He spent his summers frolicking in Wimberley... riding horses, swimming in Blue Hole, eating greasy burgers at The Burger Barn. Crude oil runs through his veins...He is Texas and now enjoys sharing the Texas from his childhood with our children. Our kiddos are the ones frolicking on our property in Wimberley...all three have splashed and laughed in Blue Hole under the towering Cypress trees. They love eating at Burger Barn..where the motto is "Today's Special - Take it or leave it". Chris has high hopes that at least one of our kiddos will make the oil business theirs...and I musn't forget UT Football (Hook 'Em Horns). Chris and I both went to UT and we are truly a burnt orange family. We are Texas. All of us are Texas...Aggies, Longhorns, Horn Frogs and Red Raiders...truly does not matter what flag flies in front of your house... we are all steeped in Texas history and traditions.

I hope you enjoy reading this poem as much as I did!

Thought of our kids when I read this poem. They're Texans, by God. That means something. I would've included one more that went something like.... When threatened, we respond with "Come and take it".



I am Texas.

I am humble beginnings and spectacular finishes.

I am the resting place of countless heroes and the birthplace of innumerable dreams.

I am the echo of long-ago words still ringing in the room where they were spoken.

I am a silent field hallowed by valiant blood.

I am the marker on an empty stretch of highway that lets you know that destiny visited here.

I am the scene of the crime, and the seat where it was brought to justice.

I am the fertile soil from which legends grow.

I am the understanding of what made us what we are, and the hope of what we can become.

I am a reminder to our generation that we stand on the shoulders of giants.

I am a stake driven in the ground that says, “Here we choose to remember and we will never forget.”

I am Texas.

Harrison's Favorite Pumpkin Muffins with Maple Butter

My entire family loves, loves, loves these muffins...but my son Harrison adores them!!! Talking true muffin love here :) You can use regular flour, all wheat flour or a combination of both. I prefer using half white flour with half white wheat flour. The key to these tasty treats is using FRESH ground nutmeg...the pre-ground stuff is just plain nasty! You can buy a nutmeg grater at Williams Sonoma, Sur la Table...TRUST ME...it is worth the trip to purchase one. A jar of whole nutmeg lasts forever and again is oh so worth the extra cost.

You can eat these as is, or spread with a bit of maple butter or turn em into cupcakes with a smear of vanilla cinnamon buttercream (already on the blog with my Monkey cupcakes.

Pumpkin Muffins


1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 generous cup organic pumpkin puree
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice

Preheat oven to 350.

Sift together flour, salt baking powder and sugar in a medium bowl. In stand mixer combine remaining ingredients and mix on low until just blended. Add dry ingredients and blend on medium speed just until dry and wet are combined. Scrape down bowl with spatula.

Line 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners and fill each 3/4 full with batter. Bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool at least 5 minutes before serving.

To make cupcakes - let muffins cool completely and frost...enjoy!

Maple Butter

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
pinch kosher salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a small bowl, mash softened butter with fork. Add syrup, salt and cinnamon. Whisk with fork to thorougly blend. Serve immediately or store in fridge until ready to use.

Chicken and Dumplings...Talk About Comfort Food

This is pure comfort food! The dumplings are more like fluffy biscuts than the chewy doughballs from our childhoods. I rarely find a recipe that I don't tweak and play with, but this one needs no modification from the original one I found in Fine Cooking Magazine...Enjoy!

For The Gravy

8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
7 cups chicken stock (homemade or store bought is fine)
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups diced carrots
2 cups diced celery

5 cups cooked chicken (I use a rotisserie chicken)


For The Dumplings

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 scant tsp. kosher salt
1 tbs. finely chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
3 tbs. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2/3 cup whole milk



In a large (8- to 10-quart), heavy-bottomed saucepan or soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and mix well to make a roux. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is pale yellow and resembles fine, wet sand, about 3 minutes.

Whisk the stock into the roux a little at a time, allowing the roux to absorb the liquid before adding more (this will help avoid lumps). Add the salt, pepper, carrots, and celery. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, then lower the heat and gently simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally and skim off any "scum" that rises to the surface.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and parsley together in a large bowl, then cut in the butter using a pastry blender, two knives, or a whisk until it's in small pieces. (Alternatively, you can use a food processor: Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times to combine. Add the parsley and pulse once or twice to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is in small pieces.)

Add the milk and stir or pulse to moisten the flour mixture. (Do not overmix or you will develop the gluten in the flour and the dumplings will be chewy.) Gather the dough into a ball.

Using a large spoon or your hands, scoop out 1/4-cup chunks of dough, lightly roll them between your palms to round them out, then drop into the simmering gravy (it's OK if they sink down), spacing them apart. Cover the pot and simmer until the dumplings are done (a knife inserted in the center should come out clean), about 20 minutes.

To serve

Gently stir the cooked chicken into the pot with the dumplings, return the liquid to a simmer, cover, and cook for 5 more minutes to heat the chicken through. Using a serving spoon or tongs, divide the chicken and dumplings among soup bowls. Ladle the gravy over the dumplings and chicken and serve.

Chicken Stroganoff with Egg Noodles

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts - sliced into thin strips
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken stock
1 cup sour cream
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 package egg noodles, cooked according to package directions


In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil.

Add chicken and saute for about 5 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove chicken and reserve. Add mushrooms, onions, garlic powder and paprika to skillet and saute 2-3 minutes until onion has softened.

Return chicken to pan and stir in chicken broth. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and liquid has reduced by half.

Remove from heat and add sour cream, stirring to combine well.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over egg noodles

Ladybug's Brownie Bites

Emily and I came across this recipe earlier this week...what else are a mommy and sick little ladybug to do all day...She asked if we could make them today since her fever finally dropped to 100.8 (a major milestone for us)!

Nutella Brownies

1 cup Nutella
2 eggs
10 tbsp flour


Preheat oven to 350. Line a mini muffin pan with mini liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together Nutella and eggs. Whisk untill smooth. Add flour and stir to combine untill smooth and glossy. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.

Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on baking rack.

***You can dust these with powdered sugar once cooled or before popping in oven sprinkle with mini chocolate chips.

Slow Cooked Beef Carnitas

For Carnitas

2 lbs. lean beef stew meat, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 cup mild salsa*
1-2 tbsp chopped chipotle peppers in adobe sauce**
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 cup beef stock

For Serving

flour tortillas
sour cream
grated cheese
guacamole


Combine all ingriendents in crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Taste and correct seasoning with salt & pepper. Using the back of a fork, "shred" the meat a bit. Stir carnitas and serve.

To Serve - top tortillas with some of the carnitas and add your fave toppings (sour cream, cheese, guac, chopped onions, additional salsa...whatever makes you happy).

*Use your favorite mild salsa.
** Depending on your family's tastebuds.

Jenn's Slow Cooked Pulled Pork

Super Easy and Super tasty! Serve on whole wheat hamburger buns...the whole family will rave about this one.

3 lbs pork tenderloin - cubed
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
6 oz can tomato paste
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover, cook on high for 4 hours.
Shred meat with a fork and mix into sauce.

Sugary Sweet Body Scrub...Made by YOU!

Whip up some of this scrumptious body scrub as a Valentine's Day treat for yourself! You can use your fave essential oil here. I love lavender, tangerine, ylang-ylang, the list goes on and on...get creative! This scrub also makes a fun girlfriend gift. You can buy jars at Hobby Lobby, Micheal's or The Container Store. Print cute labels add some pretty riboon and you have the perfect gift for your gal pals!

1 cup Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp Vitamin E*
2 tsp Vanilla (or your favorite essential oil)
1 tbsp honey



In a mixing bowl, combine oil, vitamin E, honey and vanilla or essential oil. Add the brown sugar and mix well.

Scoop sugar scrub into plastic resealable container.

* You can cut open Vitamin E liquid gel caps or buy small bottle from Whole Foods.

Frozen Pipes, High Fevers and God!

I know what you’re thinking….Rox has finally gone off the deep end! What in the world do frozen pipes, high fevers and God have to do with each other?!

This past weekend I was supposed to be in Wimberley hanging out with girlfriends for a much needed girls only get away. Margaritas, shopping, dinner out and lots of girl talk were on the menu. All of us were looking forward to our “mommy timeout”.

Here is where things get interesting…

My oldest child, Harrison came home last Monday with what in the end, turned out to be flu. No problem….I reassured myself, he will be fine by the weekend. I busied myself with final trip preparations as well as keeping Harrison’s fever at bay. Did you know a twelve year old boy can eat his own weight in strawberry jello? Poor guy…that was the only thing his tummy could handle!

Fast forward to Tuesday morning… I am enjoying my coffee and watching CNN. The cute weather guy comes on and proceeds to talk about an arctic blast heading my way….hard freeze warnings…snow flurries…icy road conditions…”uh, seriously?” I ask him. That night at the dinner table, my sweet hubby says he really needs to head to Wimberley to prep for the nasty weather. Unfortunately, a board meeting at work Wednesday morning will keep him from getting to Wimberley until Thursday. Chris does the next best thing…his brother Cary (who is in Austin) will check on and secure the house…whew! Take that 16 degree freezing temperatures! I watched the weather the rest of the day with great apprehension…PLEASE do not ruin my weekend.

Wednesday morning only confirmed the inevitable…the “storm of the century” was barreling towards us and it was looking bad for the home team. I was still keeping my fingers crossed about my girls’ trip…what’s a little snow and cold weather…I mean, really?! We would just stay indoors and drink spiked hot cocoa :)

Chris skipped out of the office at lunchtime on Thursday and headed to Wimberley to assess the damages from the frigid temp the night before. As soon as I heard his voice on the phone, I knew it wasn’t good. Our well pump was frozen solid. He had to turn off the main valve to the house and pray the pipes wouldn’t break over the next few days. He told me I should “pull the plug” on my trip since we wouldn’t know if pipes were ruined until they thawed…which could be as late as Sunday. So…I sent out the e-mail canceling the trip. I felt so terrible about doing this, but all the ladies involved totally understood and we started looking at new dates for out get away…all was good.

Thursday was cold and blustery…the snow was heading our way…the kiddos were thrilled at the thought of snow day! Sweet Emily came home from school complaining of a tummy ache…within thirty minutes of coming home, the vomiting began and so did the high fever..102.4! My little pumpkin had wound up with big brother’s flu bug :(! At dinner, Chris says to me, “Em getting sick is God’s reason for keeping you from your girls’ trip.” I had to agree. There is no way I would leave one of my babies home sick with daddy just so I could party…not my style. As I found out later that weekend...Emily coming down with the flu was only part of God’s plan.

Here is the other piece of God’s plan … Chris went to Wimberley on Saturday to see if things had thawed out yet. While he was there he ran into our neighbor Jeff. Jeff had a “crew” cleaning up trash on his property…”is a pretty hard-luck, sad story” he proceeds to tell Chris. The “crew” is a man named John and his two children (ages 16 and 7). John is a carpenter/handyman by trade who has been hit hard by the recession. His wife recently left him and the children…taking the family car with her. After hearing this Chris went over to John and asked if he had time to remove some piles of debris from our property.

Long story short, John spent Saturday afternoon at our place. Chris was able to put much needed cash in this sweet man’s pocket. When Chris was telling me this story, I thought about how selfish I had been over my girls trip…I was furious with Mother Nature over ruining my weekend. I was angry that I didn’t get to spend the afternoon shopping at the outlet mall…pissed that dinner at Blair House was no more... and it was at that moment I “got it”. It was God’s plan to keep me away from Wimberley last weekend. If I had been there, Chris and Jeff wouldn’t have chatted…Chris’s heart wouldn’t have been touched by John’s story and hired him. My husband would not have had the opportunity to help this family in need if my girls trip had gone off as planned. Our family is so beyond blessed and Chris was so excited to get to help John and his family. In fact, Chris took John’s number in order to keep in contact with him.

Last week was full of frozen pipes, high fevers and chaos…all of which was part of God’s plan…and I (He) wouldn’t have it any other way!

Chicken Gumbo

This is such a yummy gumbo and makes a TON of soup!!! This recipe is great to make and freeze half for another day or share with a friend (remember meal swap).

3 Tbs. plus 3/4 cup vegetable oil
2-1/2 lb. skinless chicken thighs, preferably bone-in
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup flour
1 medium bunch celery, thinly sliced
4 large onions, diced
4 green or red bell peppers, diced
2 Tbs. minced garlic
1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne (per your family's taste)
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 tsp. dried basil
3/4 tsp. dried thyme
4 bay leaves
8 cups chicken stock (homemade or storebought is fine)
1-1/2 lb. andouille sausage or other spicy smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 Tbs. filé powder
Cooked white rice
Chopped scallions for garnish
Tabasco or other Louisiana-style hot sauce



In a large stockpot, heat 3 Tbs. of the oil over high heat until almost smoking. While the oil is heating, season the chicken generously with salt and pepper, dust it with 1/4 cup of the flour, and shake off the excess. Sear the chicken in the hot oil until golden brown, turning once to brown both sides, 4 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Let the oil reheat for a minute and then reduce the heat to medium high and add the celery, onions, and peppers and cook until soft, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring to prevent scorching. Remove the vegetables and any liquid from the pan and set aside. Add 3/4 cup oil to the pot and let it heat up for a minute over medium heat. Slowly add the remaining flour to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is the color of chocolate, 10 to 20 minutes. Stir carefully, being sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the pot to prevent scorching. Pay attention not to burn the roux; if you do burn it, you’ll have to start over.

When the roux has reached a good mahogany brown, return the cooked vegetables to the pot, along with the garlic, cayenne, oregano, basil, thyme, and bay leaves. Stir to scrape the bottom of the pot and cook until well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Slowly add the stock while stirring until well blended. Add the chicken and the sausage. Bring to a simmer and skim off excess fat. Simmer uncovered, skimming any foam or fat that rises to the surface, until the chicken meat is so tender that it falls easily from the bones, about 2 hours (begin checking earlier). Remove the bones from the pot and discard.

Return the soup to a boil and stir in the filé powder, stirring vigorously to avoid clumping, until the filé powder is dissolved. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as necessary. Serve the gumbo in bowls over the cooked white rice with chopped scallions and hot sauce to taste.

Happy Yummy Mac & Cheese

What do you get when you combine the tasty goodness of a baked potato with creamy macaroni and cheese....Happy, yummy tummies!!!

1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for salting the pasta water
1 lb.fusilli (corkscrew) pasta
3/4 lb. bacon, diced
3 cups heavy cream
2 cups firmly packed shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (about 1/2 lb.)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup sour cream, for garnish*
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions, (white and green parts), for garnish*


Bring a stockpot of water to a boil. Salt it generously. Stir in the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain, but don’t rinse. and return to stockpot.

Meanwhile, place a large pan over high heat for several minutes. When hot, add the bacon and sauté until browned and crispy (lower the heat to medium-high if necessary to prevent scorching), about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and, using a slotted spoon or spatula, remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels.

Pour off the fat from the pan and return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the heavy cream and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat to medium and continue to simmer until the cream is reduced slightly, about 3 minutes.

Add the Cheddar cheese and bacon. Stir well and cook over medium-high heat, stirring now and then, until the cheese has melted and the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Stir the sauce into the cooked and drained pasta in the pot. Place over medium heat and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken the sauce and allow the pasta to absorb the flavors, stirring now and then.
Garnish with scallions and sour cream.

* Not into sour cream or scallions...skip them!