{ pizza rolls ... aka, my favorite college food }

Pretty much every college kid in Texas (especially in College Station, TX) has memories of gorging on DoubleDave's Peproni Rolls (yes, that's how it's spelled) at one point or another. They were (and still are) the quintessential college grub, meeting all requirements -- cheap, portable, delicious, and easy to dunk in ranch dressing.
I can't even fathom a guess as to how many late nights spent "studying" were accompanied by cold [usually cheap] beer and a delivery of a dozen Peproni Rolls. And the most prized pages in the little coupon books that the bookstores would stuff in your textbook bags were always the pizza roll coupons from DoubleDave's.

Then I graduated (sniff, sniff) and moved away from my beloved Texas A&M. But fortunately for me, there was a DoubleDave's near our home in the Houston area, providing me with the necessary greasy fix at least once a week when I was pregnant with Aidan (and seriously craving DoubleDave's on a regular basis).



Since moving away from the Lone Star State, it's much more difficult to find some of my favorite meals -- and pizza rolls are no different. I've pretty much had to fend for myself and learn to cook our faves at home.

So here's the copycat version of DoubleDave's Peproni Rolls. Honestly, although smaller in size, they're a pretty dead ringer for the real thing (Ty says this version is actually better). And by using turkey pepperoni, you don't get that traditional DD's orange oil-slick on your plate from the dripping grease. And substituting light ranch for the real thing cuts even more calories and fat from the recipe. I mean, we're not in college anymore, right? ;) 
There are two non-negotiables when it comes to a good pizza roll experience: the first is the cheese -- it has to be provolone. The second is having a bowl of ranch dressing in which to dip the crusty, cheesy goodness.

Beyond that, you can pretty much get as creative as you'd like. Although, my personal preference never strays from the tried and true original of pepperoni and cheese ... nothing fancy on my rolls, please. This is not the time for artichokes or feta. Oh, I also like to put a sprinkling of dried red pepper flakes on my plate for an extra kick -- dip the roll in the ranch and then the pepper flakes. Yummo.

Pizza/Pepperoni Rolls with Ranch Dressing
Ingredients

• 1 bag enriched dinner roll dough (located in the frozen food case)
• provolone cheese slices
• turkey pepperoni
• ranch dressing (for dipping)
• dried red pepper flakes, optional (for dipping)

Process
Remove rolls from the freezer 1-2 hours before baking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with foil.

Using your thumb, press the roll dough into a flat mound, continuing to pull and knead at the circle until it reaches the maximum stretching point, without ripping.

Cover the round dough disc with a slice of provolone (I use a round cookie cutter to get the correct size). Top cheese with 4 slices of turkey pepperoni.

Continue process with the remaining rolls.

Bake rolls 15-20 minutes, or until dough is golden in appearance. Some oozing of cheese will appear -- not a bad thing! It's all part of the experience when you get to peel the crusty warm cheese off the pan and nibble on it before anyone else does!


Serve hot with a side of ranch dressing for dipping sauce.

{ breakfast at home }

I can't even count how many times I've woken up over the past year up in New Hampshire craving breakfast tacos from an authentic Texas taqueria. And trying to replicate them in my own kitchen, while filling a temporary void, just doesn't come close to adequately cutting it.

So my morning taste buds have been in Heaven while I've been home on a 2-week visit, while I get my fill on breakfast tacos (and more breakfast tacos ... and more breakfast tacos ....).

This morning's offering -- bean and cheese on flour tortillas with pico de gallo and sour cream, and beef fajita with onion, cilantro and lime  -- all from Casa de Leon on Long Point in west Houston.

¡Que Delicioso!

{ commencement cookies }

We're home in Texas (yippee!) for my sister's graduation with a doctorate degree from Texas A&M University.

I made cookies for the occasion -- including beer, for those who don't like champagne.

Sugared shortbread with royal icing.

texas tea

A gift from home!

My sister, Christine, recently made a quick trip to San Antonio to visit a dear friend with a new baby (welcome to the world, Baby Ella!).

While she was there, she stopped at one of my favorite stores, Melissa Guerra at the Old Pearl Brewery, and picked me up a Texas trinket -- a bright and fabulous tea towel from Catstudio.

I love it ... so much so that I might try and find a funky vintage frame for it!

It's so great to receive unexpected goodies in a box. :)

for my southern belle

Even though she was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and has yet to visit the Alamo or take a bite of Blue Bell ice cream, my little girl is a southern belle, through and through.

As such, I couldn't pass up on this little wardrobe item in a size '12 months' from Gold Rush Outfitters.

I can't wait to see her wearing it this summer while we're teaching her the words to Texas, Our Texas and smoking a brisket out back.

perfect football food

We received a care package containing some Texas chili mix a few weeks ago from one of my besties back in Houston.

This past weekend was the perfect time and place to mix up a bowl of meaty goodness -- football on TV all weekend (ahhhh, it's the most wonderful time of the year), the Aggie flag flying proudly outside, and temps dropping more and more each week (highs in the 60s, lows at night in the 40s and 50s).

It's chili-time, y'all.

cochinita pibil, tacos al pastor and coffee

I've blogged before about my idea of breakfast in Heaven -- fresh, authentic, Mexican tacos. This morning's take-out choice from Jarro Cafe in Houston was cochinita pibil (traditional slow-roasted Mexican pork marinated in citrus and achiote paste) and tacos al pastor (marinated pork cooked on a rotisserie with fresh pineapple).

But here's my embarrassing secret ... I adore them with a cup of coffee that would make most people roll their eyes and shake a finger at me -- freshly-ground beans (preferably from Ruta Maya Coffee House in Austin), about 1/3 a coffee mug of heavy cream, and several heaping teaspoons of Demerara sugar -- kind of my own personal Texas café au lait. I don't drink it often, but when I do, I savor every sip.

Goodness.

wine, cheese and baseball

It just doesn't get much better.

This Saturday, my hometown Houston Astros are hosting their inaugural Astros Wine and Cheese Night, just prior to the game against the visiting San Diego Padres at (game at 6:05 pm). The festivities will be from 4-6pm in the Union Station Lobby.

Ticket and pregame event includes:
* Two glasses of wine
* Light hors d'oeuvres
* Wine sampling
* Wine classes with Texas' first Master Sommelier Guy Stout
* Wine glass charm
* Silent auction to raise funds for Breast Cancer research

How great is this event?

Proceeds will benefit the Astros in Action foundation with a portion of the proceeds going directly to Breast Cancer research. Go pink for a great cause and enjoy a great event at Minute Maid Park!

an ode to the jalapeño

How I love thee, let me count the ways.

Happy Cinco de Mayo, amigos! ¡Felicidades!

In honor of today's events (aka, just another reason down here in Texas for us to drink margaritas and eat a bowl of chips and queso out on a sunny patio with friends), I thought I'd focus on my favorite pepper (technically, a fruit!) -- the jalapeño pepper.

The thing that's great about the jalapeño is the level of heat -- not too much, not too little -- total Goldilocks.

I honestly can't go more than a few days without eating a jalapeño. Most of the time, the green goddess finds herself on my plate at breakfast time on a taco, or a burger, or sliced and wedged in a bagel with a schmear of cream cheese.

Down here in the Lone Star State, the jalapeño possibilities are endless. You can order a jalapeño margarita (made from the oils/essence of the [boiled] pepper, mixed with a simple syrup and traditional margarita ingredients) -- a perfect blend. And you can't beat jalapeño jelly on cream cheese & crackers -- a perfect and quick appetizer. We grill 'em all the time in the back yard at most festivities, stuffed with cheese, shrimp and bacon. Williams-Sonoma makes the perfect accessory.

So again, Happy Cinco de Mayo, my hot little pepper. Thanks for adding so much spice to my life.

don't mess with the texas economy

Fiscal responsibility is something we take seriously down here in the Lone Star State -- so much so that state law requires a balanced budget.

Mike Shires at the Pepperdine School of Public Policy, who develops the annual "Best Cities for Jobs" survey called this year "an awful year." Chances are good if you're not a government employee, you're hurting.

One other exception might be if you're living in Texas. The economy isn't what it used to be, but Texas has managed to avoid the massive bleeding that many other states have not. Half of the top-10 cities named on the Pepperdine list hail from the Lone Star State.

So without further ado, here's the list of the best cities for jobs:

# 1 - Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
# 2 - San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
# 3 - Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX
# 4 - Northern Virginia, VA
# 5 - Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX
# 6 - Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

# 7 - Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

# 8 - Raleigh-Cary, NC
# 9 - Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE

# 10 - New York City, NY

Tejano with a side of bacon

Such a great morning. We tried a new spot for breakfast and had a blast, as well as an incredible meal. The entire experience was a feast for the senses.

El Hidalguense is one of those "hole in the wall" dives that are a dime a dozen in Houston; however, this one stands out from the crowd by serving up some damn fine Mexican grub.

We picked a booth and settled in. I immediately loved the fact that instead of providing us with a basket of chips, we were instead given fresh taquitos with a bowl of smoky salsa.

The huge glass of orange juice I ordered took a while to arrive (I could've ordered a beer ... that's what everyone else was having with their breakfast!). But all was forgiven after my first sip -- it was freshly-squeezed and amazingly sweet. So, so good.

But the show-stopper was, without a doubt, the absolute best chilaquiles I've ever eaten -- served with a generous portion of fresh avacado, queso fresco, and pico de gallo on top. Seriously divine.

And the tortillas were made to order, piping hot and perfect.

The food was the best part ... but a very close second was the atmosphere. A band of three caballeros (Aidan called them the cowboy singers, as all three were wearing straw hats) struck up authentic Mexican music for us to enjoy while we dined. It felt like memories from the past of early morning, post-hang-over breakfasts, eaten down on the border after a summer night of margaritas and music, back when the border was safe. Great times.

I can't believe I've grown up and have lived less than 5 miles from this diamond in the rough, yet never found my way in before today. Shame on me.

cowboys and cabernet

If you're looking for a beautiful weekend get-away, The Westin La Cantera Resort in San Antonio offers a great escape in the majestic Texas Hill Country.

Something that recently grabbed this wine-lover's attention is the wine tasting opportunity offered at La Cantera, featuring eight Texas vintners. From resort sommelier, Steven Krueger:

The other Texas wine opportunity we offer is the afternoon Texas wine tasting; from 4:00pm to 5:00pm on Wednesday through Saturday everyone is welcome to come to our bar, Steinheimer’s, where I am pouring two ounces of three different Texas wines for a nominal charge of five dollars. We offer three different wines each day, so if a guest came all four days they would taste twelve different Texas wines from seven different wineries! I am really enjoying pouring the Texas wines and I am encouraged by all the very positive compliments the wine receive. If you are in the area, please come by and say “hello.”

The twelve wines in the Texas Wine Tasting are (in no particular order):

1. Super Texan, Sangiovese Blend, Flat Creek Estate, Texas Hill Country, 2008
2. El Guapo, Tempranillo, Alamosa Wine Cellars, Texas Hill Country, 2004
3. Viognier, McPherson Cellars, Texas, 2009
4. Viviano, Sangiovese Blend, Llano Estacado, Newsome Vineyards, Yoakum County, Texas, 2005
5. Provencal, Dry Rose, Grenache, Becker Vineyards, Texas, 2008
6. Viognier, Alamosa Wine Cellars, Texas High Valley Block, Cherokee Creek Vineyard, 2008
7. Cornelious, Tempranillo, Inwood Estates Vineyards, Newsom Vineyards, Yoakum County, 2007
8. Sangiovese, McPherson Cellars, 2008
9. Viognier, Becker Vineyards, 2009
10. Raven, 80% Malbec 20% Petite Verdot, Becker Vineyards, Tallent Vineyard, Mason County, 2007
11. Syrah, Alamosa Wine Cellars, Tio Pancho Ranch, Texas Hill Country
12. Viognier, Brennan Vineyards, Texas, 2008


La Contera Wine List information courtesy of VintageTexas.com.

a lotta limes

Down here in Texas, we're extremely fortunate (and spoiled!) to have access to a myriad of fresh produce at amazing prices.

I stopped by a Mexican Mercado in Houston this morning and chuckled at the price of key limes -- 25 for $1.00. How great is that?

Pie, anyone?

cascarones

A Mexican tradition that, like many others, has been adopted in Texas is the crushing of cascarones, meant to be broken above the head of a friend or loved one, at Easter (...birthdays, Halloween, or Dia de los Muertos -- just about any occasion involving a good party).


Cascarones are eggs filled with confetti or small toys. Having a cascarón broken over your head is said to bring good luck.

Feliz Páscoa ... He is risen indeed!

new james avery spring items

Like most girls who grew up in Texas, I've worn James Avery charm bracelets, dangle rings, and crosses my entire life.

Founded in 1954 and headquartered in Kerrville, Texas (smack dab in the middle of the beautifully rustic Texas Hill Country), James Avery, a family-owned business specializing in classic, often Christian-related jewelry designs, continues to be a cornerstone of Texas [small business] commerce.

It's impossible for me to close my eyes and think of my grandmother without seeing the gold James Avery sand dollar or star charm she always wore around her neck. Those particular pieces are still in our family and worn with love.

I remember my daddy's James Avery arrowhead keychain -- he also owns any version of a horned toad that JA makes. ;) And each graduation or special occasion was always met with a James Avery charm. Oh, and college opened up a whole new repertoire of James Avery options --- that's when I started receiving Aggie-related JA jewelry!

But the James Avery crosses are most legendary. Walking into a store and trying to pick one out is a difficult task. Each is beautiful, has individual meaning, and is delicately perfect. I don't know how many I've owned over the years, but each phase of my life seems to have been marked with a different James Avery cross.

And the dangle rings ... oh the dangle rings! So many significant events from my pre-teen and later, teen years seemed to have been accompanied by a pretty box with ribbon and that famous James Avery sticker -- containing a dangle ring, of course.

As I've grown up, my appreciation for James Avery has changed. I love the timelessness of the designs, as well as the focus on family, tradition and the important things in life. They just keep getting better and better.

Today, James Avery has stores all across Texas, as well as in Oklahoma, Georgia, Colorado, and Louisiana.