Magnolia Market

For Thanksgiving I visited Magnolia Market located in Waco, Tx.  It wasn't exactly Thanksgiving Day, but I took a short rode trip that following Saturday after Thanksgiving. I drove from Houston to Waco, where I passed through College Station, home of Texas A&M, and into Waco home of Baylor. The drive was somewhat scenic, the highway was a little busy with people driving back to college or back home from visiting family and friends for the holidays.

When I arrived at Magnolia Market it was very busy.  Some people were purchasing items to decorate their homes for Christmas some were eating kettle corn, drinking hot chocolate, or coffee.

I then noticed a long line of people going into another building.  I wondered over to it and noticed the sign Silos Baking Co. I thought, perfect for me because I love baking and eating fresh baked pastries. The line moved very fast, before entering the building you were given a small card  to fill out stating what you wanted to order before arriving to the counter.  I choose the Lavender Lemon Cupcake, with a cup of coffee.

Once I reached the counter I purchased my cupcake, but they ran out of coffee, bummer!
The cupcake was moist, but I could taste more of the lemon and not a lot of the lavender.  The frosting was very sweet, but very light from the flavor of the lemon.

Overall, I enjoyed my rode trip to Magnolia Market, I picked up some great items for my kitchen and also enjoyed a great afternoon treat from Silos Bakery.

Costa Rica!!

This past summer my family and I took a trip to Costa Rica.  What a beautiful
country filled with beautiful beaches, mountains, volcanoes, and animals.  The food was indeginous to the country.  There was fresh fruit, fruit juice, and vegetables to eat during every meal.

We flew into the capital where we rented a car and drove up towards the volcanoes.  While driving we stopped at one of the local bakeries that sat on a hill and it was very picturesque.  We tried their local pastry along with ice cream and it was very refreshing.

To fulfill the adventurous side in us.  We went river rafting and zip lining.  This allowed us to see even more beautiful parts of Costa Rica.

Overall this was a fun filled trip, filled with good food, wonderful people, and beautiful scenery.

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Barriba Restaurant San, Antonio, Tx

My family and I had an opportunity to visit Barriba while we were in San Antonio, Tx.
Their food, by far, is NOT Tex-Mex.  Pictured here is one of their appetizers we tried. This is their Queso Deluxe.  It wasn't to spicy, but had just the right amount of spices that gave it a good taste.
There was also a live band playing,  and the decor was very reminiscent of old Mexico.  I enjoyed their Perla's Pan Seared Fish and Rice.  The fish was very tender and very well seasoned with a hint of mild spices.  The rice was very fluffy and buttery.  I also enjoyed their Skinny Dulce Vida Rita.  It 
included Agave Nectar and orange juice rimmed with salt around the glass.  This  gave the Margarita a sweet, but sour taste.  Our waiter was excellent.  Even though it was very crowded our waiter was very attentive and gave attention to details, such as keeping the table clear of any dirty dishes or glass ware.  

If you are looking for authentic Mexican Food along with the feel of Old Mexico, along with a live band Barriba is the place to visit.  

 

The Guenther House

My family and I took a rode trip and came across this Flour Mill that's located in the King Williams Historic District located in San Antonio, Tx.  Next to the flour mill is where a restaurant sits on beautiful grounds that over looks the river where we caught a wonderful breeze while waiting to be seated at our table.  While waiting I decided to treat myself to one of their tasty looking pastries from their pastry counter:

I chose the Peach Strudel, which was hot out of the over and the warm peaches and taste of butter just melted in my mouth.

Once we were seated at our table we were greeted with a very friendly waitress who brought us fresh baked breads and butter to smear on top of it.  I ordered the pancakes that came out hot and fresh and  were soft and fluffy and taste delicious.  I also had a cup of their Hazelnut Coffee and could taste the small notes of Hazelnut in each swallow.  

I really enjoyed my morning on the peaceful grounds of The Guenther House along with learning history and enjoying a tasty breakfast and pastries.  I will definitely visit this piece of history again when I return to San Antonio.

Chocolate Banana Bread

I made this wonderful Chocolate Banana Bread, and my house smells wonderful.  I am going to enjoy a slice of this with butter spread on top of it with a cup of hot coffee tomorrow morning.  Can't wait.

Nostalgia

Nostalgia: Pleasure and sadness that is caused by remembering something from the past 

and wishing that you could experience it again.

I came across this picture and it brought back many memories of my mom and I preparing to make Dirty Rice.  If you're not quite sure on what it is, it is a "food processor".  I was in charge of gathering
ALL the pieces, connecting it to the table then cranking out liver, celery, carrots, and onions.  All these wonderful ingredience were then cooked together and it made the kitchen smell amazing.  Although my mom has passed away, I may have to pull the "food processor,"  along with ALL of its pieces and bring back some wonderful memories.

What's in an Egg??

Just in case you were wondering,

The Role of Egg Whites: Foam! 

When egg whites are used alone, they perform an entirely different role from the yolks, especially when whipped. Whipping and using egg whites in a recipe does not have to be as intimidating as you may think, and we'll be talking much more about this in a few days. For now, just know that whipping egg whites means incorporating millions of little air bubbles within the white. This creates a fairly stable foam that we can use to make everything from a soufflé to meringue. To help stabilize egg whites even further, we can add acidic elements, like cream of tartar and lemon juice.

One of the best ways to use whipped egg whites is as a natural leavening agent in something like a delicate cake or a soufflé. In the heat of the oven, the air trapped in the foam starts to expand, causing the recipe rise without the need for things like yeast or baking soda. In fact, whipped egg whites are how many classic baked goods, like sponge cakes, got their lift in the days before baking soda and baking powder!

Egg whites can also be whipped with sugar to make meringue, which can then be baked into crunchy meringue kisses, made into billowy pavlovas, or dolloped on top of desserts like baked Alaska. Sugar makes whipped egg whites incredibly stable — you can even pipe it using a piping bag into stars, kisses, and toadstools.

While the idea of "light" and "airy" whipped egg whites might make you think that more is better, it is possible to overdo it. Over-whipped whites will become clumpy, grainy, and difficult to fold into your batter. Also, using too many whites in a batter can wind up making the final product dry.

The Role of Whole Eggs: Fat and Foam

When you use whole eggs in a recipe, you get some of the best properties of both the yolk and the white. While whole eggs aren't quite as good as straight yolks at creating an emulsion, they are still excellent binding agents, especially in cakes, cookies, and other baked goods. Eggs also firm up and solidify when heated, giving crucial structural support to delicate desserts and pastries. At the same time, eggs make baked goods more tender, creating light textures, soft breads, and delicate crumbs.

When mixed with sugar (like in a cake or cookie batter), eggs help trap and hold air — not quite as well as whipped egg whites, but enough to give the finished product some lightness and lift. The combination of eggs and sugar also adds a great deal of moisture and flavor to a recipe.

Yolks and whites can also be used separately in the same recipe. This truly is the best of both worlds, with the yolks providing richness to a base or batter while the whipped whites do their job of lightening and leavening. Chiffon cakes and soufflés are good examples of this kind of recipe.

Thanks Kitchn for the interesting article.