May Re-cap

May was pretty busy for me!!!

In May, I was...

...celebrating Brittany's Birthday

...hanging out at Mason Bar with the girls

...celebrating MY birthday

...watching Alkaline Trio at House of Blues with Dave

...attending a Bachelorette party brunch

the Bride was late, but we didn't wait to pop the champagne!

...drinking margaritas at a Quatro Di Mayo party

Dave and I at Chris & Nicki's house

...attending a high school friend's baby shower

part of the group

...having martinis on the patio

...drinking crazy cocktails at brunch

...picnicking at the Arboretum for Mother's Day

...having a crazy hat party with friends

Lindsey's fiance, Preston, has a large hat collection!

...supporting local music at the Wildflower Festival

...warming a friend's new house

...relaxing by the pool

...traveling for work

I walked to Mexico! In heels.
(I was in Eagle Pass for work on a project involving border crossing, so we walked across into Mexico)

...trying new dishes

...trying new BBQ joints

...hanging out at the lake

having dinner with friends

and

...watching Aziz Ansari's stand up

How did May treat you??

Memorial Weekend at Cedar Creek

The sunset from my parent's dock

Per usual, I spent Memorial Day weekend at my parent's house on Cedar Creek Lake! We had great weather, boated, lounged, skied, fished, ate, and relaxed!

Lakehouse regulars, Brittany & Chelsea, spent the day with us on Saturday hanging out on the dock, reading magazines, and soaking up the sun. Saturday night, my brother and I sat onthe dock, talked, amd watched the crazy clouds over the full moon.

It is NOT easy to capture a full moon with an iPhone 5 camera.  Anyone have any tips or insider knowledge?

Dave came out on Monday and spent the day with me and my parents.

We fished...

I skied....


and, I wiped out... a lot...


It was a great weekend! I'm looking forward to a lot more lake time this summer!


How did you spend Memorial weekend?
Do you like to water ski?

Texas Bar-B-Que

Bar-B-Que is big in Texas. It's one of my favorite things to eat and definitely part of my upbringing. For the last five years, Texas Monthly has sent staff all around the State to sample BBQ from every region and nook-and-cranny Texas has to offer. They compile their results and rank them in the Top 50 BBQ Joints in Texas list.

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Last month I tried two new (to me) BBQ joints -- Schoepf's (pronounced Shuff's) in Belton and Stile's Switch in Austin. Schoepf's made the Top 50 in 2008 and Stile's Switch made the list this year!

First Up:

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Last month, Dave and I were making our way back to Dallas in a terrible thunderstorm and decided to make a pit stop at Schoepf's in Belton. Situated a little off the highway, it was the perfect place to weather the storm! Texas Monthly captured our feelings exactly in this 2008 article:

The moment we entered the smoke-filled screened-in patio and beheld the meats-a-plenty (brisket, chicken, pork ribs, pork chops, sausage, sirloin, turkey breast, and venison sausage), we knew we were in business. The pitman was patient as we made our exacting selections, then—plop, joy: the tenderest of briskets, the thickest of pork chops, the happiest of bellies. 

You walk in to the "pit room" and choose your meat right off the smoker! via

Since it was so late (8:00 PM on Friday night), our selection from the pit was limited (which is to be expected). We went with a half rack of pork ribs, potato salad, and pinto beans. The ribs looked exactly like this picture:

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The ribs were so tender and juicy -- they fell right off the bone. No knife necessary! They had the right amount of spicy/smoky flavor and the BBQ sauce was perfect! The sides were really good too. :) Also -- Schoepf's has a huge patio out back with a stage and hosts an outdoor concert series over the summer. There were some great Texas country artists on the line up! Next time you're in Belton, definitely make a stop at Schoepf's!

Next Up: Stile's Switch BBQ & Brew

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Last month while working in Austin, I joined coworkers at lunch at Stile's Switch BBQ -- a 2013 Texas Monthly finalist for the Top 50 BBQ Joints in Texas! Here's what they have to say about themselves:

Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew, set in the historic art deco 1950s Violet Crown Shopping Center on N. Lamar, is designed to host a nostalgic atmosphere that transcends back to the old Austin neighborhood style eatery which combines exceptional Texas BBQ , great atmosphere, and cold Texas craft brews. 

Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew, named after the historic 1800s I. & G. N. railroad stop Stiles Switch, Texas, is also namesake of the owner Shane Stiles. Shane’s inspiration for Stiles Switch BBQ is derived from his admiration of the Texas BBQ Legends he was raised on growing up in Central Texas. Stiles Switch plays tribute to these Texas “greats” by assembling a passionate team with decades of industry experience. Stiles is focused on setting the bar high with his “no corners cut” methods of preparation and selection of quality product.

FUN FACT: The Violet Crown Shopping Center, one of the “oldest” shopping centers in central Austin, was also the film production hub for the late 1990s film “Dazed and Confused” starring Matthew McConaughey. The Stiles Switch BBQ lease space is the famed “Emporium” pool hall filmed in the movie. 

Approaching the counter to place my order. I loved the vintage feel of the restaurant. The staff at Stile's Switch was great - they were patient with me while I panic-ordered at the counter and were genuinely happy and fun.

I went with smoked turkey, potato salad, and corn casserole.

I thought the turkey was great! It was moist with a really nice flavor. I loved the crusted/seasoned edges! Sides were delicious too.

2 pounds of ribs looks like this. (My coworker ordered this.)

I would definitely recommend Stile's Switch and I hope I go there again! They have a great Texas/local/craft beer list and an awesome covered patio - complete with several sets of washer boards!

How many of the Top 50 BBQ Joints have you tried?

Newsworthy

Here's a couple of silly things I've been reading around the Internet lately:


1. A friend posted this article about 35 Texas Secrets to Having the Best Summer Ever -- and it really hit home for me! I wanted to share with everyone because Texas is doing it right. Plus, we definitely know A LOT about summer -- after all, it lasts 10 months a year! I mean, I was laying out at the pool in February (although we did have an unseasonably cool and rainy Spring)! Check out the article to see how we get through the summer!

Can anyone else relate?

2. Have you ever been sucked into watched an infomercial, and then be absolutely convinced that the product is TOTALLY worth 5 installments of $19.99 and will  be changing your life as soon as you can place the order? I definitely have. After reading this article, there are 30 MORE things I didn't know I needed! Check out the article to see all the cool stuff, but here is my favorite:

FLASK SANDAL. 

Mind Blown.

What have you been reading lately?

Dame's Dinner Club - May 29

Brittany, Casi, and I went to the Wednesday night Dame's Dinner Club at The Standard Pour a few weeks ago!

 The menu for the week:

The Standard Pout starts everyone out with Amuse Bouche -- an appetizer cocktail. I really liked the one the served this day (but I don't remember what it was... fail).

Amuse Bouche

 One of the signature cocktails for the night was a French 75, so we helped ourselves!

French 75

My first course: the Pear Salad -- pear, goat cheese, dried cranberries, on spring mix with a pear vinaigrette. I love goat cheese and pear combined, so I really liked this salad. :) 

Entree: Roasted Monk Fish on a squid ink risotto cake with pureed eggplant, mint, and red bell pepper. Oh. My. Gosh. the monk fish was so delicious, but I think the squid ink risotto really stole the show! The fish was tender and roasted to perfection -- even though it was a baby-sized portion. The purees were great and I loved all the flavors together.

Dessert was a strawberry sabayon. I always love strawberries, but this dessert was just "meh" for me. It also did not photograph well.

We drank our French 75s, discussed D Magazine's Top 100 Restaurant list for a few hours before heading home. It was such a fun dinner catching up with friends and trying new foods! 

Hopefully sometime we'll be able to try the Tuesday and Thursday Dame's Dinner Clubs!!

Has anyone else been to The Standard Pour?

Has anyone ever prepared Monk Fish at home? What about cooking with Squid Ink??

By the way:

Monk Fish are really ugly. via

People on Vacation at the Wildflower Festival

Last month, a big group of fans/friends came out to support local art and music at the Wildflower Art & Music Festival in Richardson. Dave's good friends make up People on Vacation, who happened to be opening up one of the stages on the first night of the festival.

After hanging out at the hotel bar for a few hours with everyone, we packed the parking lot for POV!

POV rocking it!

Girlfriend Picture: me, Holly, and Augusta

After the show, Dave and I walked around to check out the local art vendors. We saw most of them at the Deep Ellum Arts Festival, so we just quickly browsed. We tried a gyro and wild boar-on-a-stick from one of the food vendors too! There were 4 or 5 other stages, but we didn't stay to watch any other shows.

The weather was awesome, so all the little kids were playing in the fountains -- next year: bring a swimsuit! The lay out of the art & food vendors was a little disorganized, but we still managed to have fun!

Did anyone else go to the Wildflower Festival??

Mother's Day at the Arboretum

This year, my brother and I took my Mom and our family friend Holly to the Dallas Arboretum to celebrate Mother's Day!

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My Mom loves the Arboretum, Hilly had never been there, and I'm a member - so it made perfect sense. The weather could not have been better - sunny, warm, light breeze - a perfect spring day in Texas. I packed a snack-plate picnic and mimosas for us to enjoy on the concert lawn overlooking the lake.

The concert lawn. via

We also walked around to check out the gardens and new additions the Arboretum, and made time for a photo op.

My brother's friend had his wedding ceremony in this exact spot a few weeks earlier. What a gorgeous setting!

The Color Garden via

The Red Maple Rill via

After we relaxed, ate, and drank at the Arb for a few hours we took the party back to Holly's house where we played with the cats, went through her art collection, and had cocktails on the patio. I think my mom had a great day and we all really enjoyed hanging out at the Arboretum!

In other news, my Junior League placement for 2013-14 will be at the Arboretum! I'm looking forward to getting to know the gardens better and get back to my horticulture roots!



How did you celebrate Mother's Day?
What's your favorite garden at the Arboretum?