Category: Elgin, Texas

Friday Favorites: Perfect stuffing, Local Holiday Shopping & Granny Chic

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I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful, and you were able to spend time with the ones you love… family, friends or new friends. I’d be remiss to not acknowledge that quite a few friends and loved ones are suffering great losses and illness this week…my heart goes out to them. Losing a family member or beloved pet is never easy, but the loss feels extra heavy around the holidays.

Most Requested Recipe


It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without one of my most often requested sides, Poblano Corn Custard. This recipe is from my days cooking with Lily & Co. here in Austin. It was one of our best sellers, and is always a crowd pleaser. I made notes in the recipe where I make a couple modifications. There are not many, as the recipe is close to perfection. You can buy the cookbook Lilly for Company: Austin Casual Menus for Palm & Plate locally at Anderson’s Coffee or on Amazon. I might also mention that Anderson’s is my favorite coffee in Austin. Family owned, wonderful staff, and amazing selection of coffees, teas, cups, teapots, preserves, candies… great place for gifts.

Dottie Angel

Yesterday morning I woke up around 8, Steve was already on his bike, in the woods. I was able to enjoy my morning coffee and knit away on a gift while listening to Woolful’s podcast Episode 42: Tif Fussell – Aunties, holistic healing, following fiber, and Dottie Angel. Tif Fussell is my spirit animal. I’ve always been so in love with her aesthetic and writing. I was sad when she decided to quit blogging a couple years ago, but have enjoyed following her work via Instagram. She spoke about living in a home with a soul and how that fueled her creativity. That absolutely resonated with me.

Hand-dyed yarn. I’m especially loving Fiber Obsession’s “Endear”, a Suri alpaca/merino blend that is like knitting with butter. Fiber Obsessions is a line of hand-dyed yarns by Susan Fricks, owner of Yarnorama in Paige, Texas. I’d show you the WIP, but it’s a gift for someone.

Sufjan Stevens | Carrie & Lowell. Love this. Listen here.

Small Business Saturday is tomorrow. I do not get excited about shopping Black Friday. But I can get behind this. Of course Small Business Saturday is yet another corporate marketing device… but at least you’re helping out your locally owned business owners.

Some of my favorite local shops:

Austin
Anderson’s Coffee

Elgin
The Owl Wine Bar & Home Goods
G&M Drygoods
Elgin Local Goods Market & Cafe
The Tattered Shutter
Ramona’s Rendezvous
The Lion’s Club Thrift

Paige
Yarnorama!

Taylor
The Nest Box
Cherry Tree Creative

Cheeky, Handsome & Useful

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Looking for a great hostess gift for the countless holiday parties between today and the New Year? I have just the right gift for you.

Going to a Holiday potluck gathering? Bring a pie to share and the gift of a pie server for your host.

home-slice

Potluck Hand-Stamped Tableware “Texas Proud Home Slice” Pie server. Currently available at The Owl Wine Bar & Home Goods Store in Elgin, Texas

Whether you’re planning to wrap up a jar of your very own, or pick up a jar of Texas  made jams and jelly… this little spreader makes a sweet statement as a gift topper. Buy locally made jellies at Elgin Local Goods and G&M Drygoods. Watch this space for more holiday gift giving ideas

this-is-my-jam-elg

Potluck Hand-Stamped Tableware “This is My Jam” Spreader. Currently available at The Owl Wine Bar & Home Goods Store in Elgin, Texas

 

Lettuce Dazzle

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Lettuce

I'll be the first to admit that I am not a good public speaker… which I know is not a usual quality in an elected official. I am, however, a pretty good photographer and good with visuals. That was my plan of attack when was asked to speak and participate in a panel at The Farm and Food Leadership Conference yesterday. I was going to dazzle them with pretty pictures while I stumbled through my talk. The topic was Local Initiatives and Challenges: Urban Farm Regulation, Building Community, and Reaching out to Schools. One panelist could not make it due to illness and the other two were present and very good speakers. They were also where they were supposed to be on time. I was in the other conference room speaking with one of our Elgin farmers when the moderator began introductions. Whoops.
So I hustle across the hall for the walk of shame up to the front to take my seat. Along the way I hand my jump drive with my dazzling slideshow to the guy at the laptop near the LCD projector only to find out he's just a guy sitting near the laptop near the LCD projector… there is noone running the laptop. He kindly says he'll pop it in for me. Nice guy, I think he may work at Johnson's Backyard Garden. It was just a handful of photos to play as a slideshow, no order, no text…what could go wrong, right? 
Well none of the other panelists brought visuals so my first image popped up right away. Lettuce. It just kinda hung there. Staring. Every once in a while the screen would time out and go blue, and the nice young man would lean over and the lettuce would pop up again. I was sure he was just waiting for me to start before he started to play the slideshow. Nope, he wasn't able to get it to run at all. He was very sweet, and since it was clearly not his job to figure it out, I just spoke… well until I was cut off. And every few minutes the kind young man would lean over, push a button and the lettuce would reappear.