When I was 11 years old, my family moved to Mobile, Alabama. For the first time, we lived someplace hot enough long enough to own a swimming pool. As we moved in our house in the winter, I was marking down days ’till I could give our new pool a try.

When the pool’s temperature reached 68 degrees, I was sure it was plenty warm. The family breakfast table conversation went something like this:

“Can I go swimming today? The water is 68 degrees,” I asked my parents.

“No! That is too cold,” my mom replied.

“Just let her,” my dad replied, “I doubt she’ll stay in long.”

What a wise man. One dive in, one lap across the pool and I was done.

Fast forward…ahem…a few years to last summer.

I think Austin was perfectly situated over an updraft from Hades during the summer of 2009. Days turned into weeks, weeks grew into months of daily temperatures well over a hundred. Rain was but a distant memory.

So really it was a good summer to check out some of the local cold springfed swimming holes. These small oases of relief are a gentle reminder that God has grace on us all, even loudmouthed Texans.

Barton Springs Pool is most famous on the Austin natural-spring-circuit. From a distance it looks like any other public swimming pool. But up close you notice the difference. While the pool’s edges are professionally molded concrete, the bottom is simply a naturally formed rock-and-moss spring. The water remains a chilly 68 degrees year-round.

By the time August rolled around, we realized we’d yet to visit Barton Springs. But then our plans were waylaid by a reprieve in the weather. Temperatures dropped to the low 90’s.

To most normal people, 90+ degrees may seem like a great day for a swim, but perspective is relative I guess. Armed with the vivid memory of exactly what 68 degree water felt like, I wanted to go on the hottest day possible. So we waited a few more days and finally got our chance.

I think my Facebook post that day says it all:

“Went to Barton Springs for the 1st time today. I watched the people. I decided other than the kid splashing his mom and the teenage couple making out, most people weren’t actually having fun. They were standing around with goosebumps trying to figure out what to do in a 68 degree pool with a moss and rock covered bottom. Did I just speak Austin heresy???”

Yes, my friends, despite 100+ degree weather, 68 degree water was every bit as cold as I remembered.

Useful Information

Address: 2101 Barton Springs Road (located in Zilker Park)

Phone: 974-9331 or 476-9044

Website: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/parks/bartonsprings.htm

You might think I’m just another girl following the crowd. After all, organic eats are all the rage and passionate people everywhere demand support of local farmers.

But no, I have no consistent lofty conviction regarding that kind of green eating.

Rather I seek a simpler sort of green.

Truth be told, I like fried green tomatoes.

Since I’m handier with a frypan than I am with a garden, come summertime, farmers markets are a reliable source for the otherwise elusive green tomatoes.

With visions of tasty summery goodness, I was beyond thrilled to learn a new farmer’s market was opening practically in my own backyard.

F2M Texas, a local nonprofit, organized this new market to open in Cedar Park.

On Saturday my family and I headed north to check it out.

Local bands played lively music creating a fun atmosphere.

Booths sold fresh produce, local honey, eggs, meats, Gulf Coast shrimp, dips and jams.

Hurricane Katrina booted one couple from their New Orleans home. Austin is sweeter since their arrival.  They’re whipping up New Orleans style pralines for the farmer’s market masses.

Need a cute gift? These are pralines boxed with style.

The market was shocked by the turnout, so most booths sold out of their products before we arrived at 10:00 a.m. However, most vendors apologized and promised more was on the way.

From what I understand all the products are local and no re-selling is allowed. It’s literally farm-to-market here with no middle man.

So if you live near Cedar Park and want to eat local, this farmer’s market might be just for you. As we head into tomato season, maybe I’ll see you there!

USEFUL INFORMATION:

Location: North Parking Lot of the 1890 Ranch Shopping Center in Cedar Park at the intersection of Tollway 183 and FM 1431. Located behind the movie theater.

Time: 9:00-1:00 every Saturday

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cedar-Park-TX/Cedar-Park-Farms-to-Market/327245517264?v=wall#!/pages/Cedar-Park-TX/Cedar-Park-Farms-to-Market/327245517264

And today’s post is brought to you by August 2009. Shall we travel in time to the inferno that was last summer in Austin, Texas?

I am kicking myself that I did not post this sooner. Why? Because some of the details have since slipped my mind, and I didn’t have the good sense to write it all down.

Last year I walked in to my local H-E-B market to see a large tank full of creepy crawly crawfish, alive and well. Not sure what on earth about those beady-eyed buggers said “dinner” to me, but for some reason it birthed in me this insatiable desire to try a crawfish boil.

Well, that is one dinner with an expiration date. We waited too long and discovered crawfish in Austin have only a seasonal performance. If you miss the show, you’re out of luck.

So we opted for the next best thing – a Cajun shrimp boil.

A Cajun shrimp boil is one of those casual messy meals best shared with a laughter and friends, so a girl from my Alabama hometown brought a pitcher of sweet tea, a massive platter of cornbread and her teenage kids to share in the fun.

The meal was delightfully simple. Cooking and prep were easy as pie and clean up was a breeze. The only required dish was the huge stockpot for the boil. We covered the table in newspaper and ate right off the table. No serving dishes, plates or utensils required.  When we were finished we threw the paper in the trash and called it a night. Gotta love that right?

Next time you’re looking to host a crowd-pleasin’ affair, why not go Gulf Coast style? Give the shrimp boil a try. It’s a keeper for sure.

CAJUN SHRIMP BOIL

What you’ll need to feed the equivalent of a crowd of three adults and two hungry teenagers:

A plastic tablecloth and newspaper or butcher paper

A huge stock pot

6-8 quarts of water

1-3 smallish new potatoes per guest

3-4 ears of corn

About half of a 14 oz. bag of Zatarain’s Pro Boil Seasoning

(NOTE: The fishmonger at my local H-E-B said, “This brand is my favorite. I used it for my boil this past weekend.” How’s that for a man who knows what he’s talking about?)

5 pounds of shrimp

(NOTE: For simplicity’s sake, I used frozen Gulf Coast shrimp, de-headed and de-veined, shells left on. If you’re closer to ocean water, buy fresh the day of if you can. Some say the whole experience is best if the heads are left on the shrimp. Apparently it adds more flavor and is more authentic. Others argue that a barb on the shrimp’s head makes the potential for pain not worth the flavorful gain. You decide.)

A 5-pound bag of ice

Optional toppings: Cocktail Sauce, Tartar Sauce and my favorites – melted butter and wedges of fresh lemon.

What to do:

Set your table with a plastic tablecloth and cover with newsprint or butcher paper. I would have used butcher paper if I thought about it, since it’s cleaner than newspaper.

Pour the water and the seasoning in the stock pot. Cover with the lid and heat on high until boiling.

If using frozen shrimp, thaw the shrimp. I dumped the shrimp in one side of my pre-cleaned sink filled with cold water to thaw about 30-40 minutes before I planned to boil it.

Since I used headless, de-veined, pre-cleaned shrimp, no extra prep was necessary. If you’re short on time in life like me, this was a great move. Shells on is mandatory if you want any hint of authenticity to this experience. De-veined is optional, but I don’t like the reminder while I’m eating that shrimp are nature’s garbage men. There. I said it.

Scrub the potatoes and peel and scrub the ears of corn. Peel one curl of skin off the potatoes around their center. This will expose the meat of the potato to the yummy seasoning. Cut the ears of corn in half.

Once the water is boiling, add the potatoes. Let them boil for about 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes add the corn. Let it boil about five minutes.

Then add the shrimp. Watch the shrimp. It will only take 5 minutes or less to finish.

Here is a handy trick to know how the shrimp is done. As the shrimp cooks, the tail curls toward the head (or in my case, lack of head). If the curl is enough to make a “U”, the shrimp is still undercooked. If it makes a nice “C”, it is cooked. Don’t let it curl so much to make an “O”. Then it will be a rubbery overcooked mess.

Once the shrimp makes a nice “C”, drain the water from the stockpot and cover the shrimp with ice.

Let it sit in the ice 15-20 minutes to let the seasoning settle in to the shrimp. Scoop out the ice, and dump the contents of the shrimp boil on the middle of the papered table. Gather around and eat your heart out.

Have fun!

Bluebonnets bud. Birds sing. Wise parents accompany their children outdoors for long hours of unrestricted play.

With no more than a quick “see you later” to the house, we make hasty calls to friends with the pressing questions: “What are you doing right now? Meet me at the park?” We’re eager to revel in every moment of unfettered freedom outside.

For we all know the truth – as quickly as spring arrives in Austin, the planet tilts and turns, tipping the sands of time in favor of the searing heat that is  the Texas summer.

Happy First Day of Spring to you all!

This weekend, eager to enjoy the Spring sun and gentle breezes, we took Titus to Champion Park in Cedar Park, Texas. Though somewhat small, this park offers unique discoveries particularly targeting the preschool crowd I’d say.

Concrete casts of dinosaur bones hide beneath the sand in the covered dinosaur dig area.

If shovels won’t do the job, why not bring in the heavy machinery?

Specially designed boulders encourage climbing.

The miles of pathways and bridges that make up Brushy Creek Trail System are but a few steps away.

Other amenities include ample picnic areas and a blue whale-shaped splash fountain to provide cool summer fun.

USEFUL INFORMATION

Admission Fee: Free

Location: 3830 Brushy Creek Road, Cedar Park, Texas

Phone Number: 512-246-2683

Park Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Website: http://www.williamson-county.org/CountyDepartments/ParksandRecreation/ChampionPark/tabid/809/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Williamson County put county dollars to great use by creating a nearly seven-mile trail system along the creek complete with six parks:

• Creekside Park
• Olsen Meadows Park
• Champion Park
• Brushy Creek Lake Park
• Brushy Creek Sports Park
• Twin Lakes Park

I thought it might be a fun little series for my family to visit these six parks and tell you all about them. As we’ve only been to one with our camera so far, this will be a bit of work-in-progress.

Enjoy!

For all you local moms planning a staycation this Spring Break, I hope you’ll find it to be an inspiring and useful resource.

Happy Spring Break!

We recently celebrated the annual anniversary of Kenny’s 29th birthday. Few things say “man-grub” like hot dogs, so I thought lunch at Frank Hot Dogs and Cold Beer in downtown Austin might be a fun excursion.

Well, the food was an adventure…

After all, in what alternate universe would you expect Hill Country gourmet to shack up with Windy City street fare on a single menu? However, Frank makes it work.

Snooty artisan sausages made in-house and 100% Vienna beef hot dogs shipped in from Chicago are paired with creative and traditional toppings to deliver big tastes.

A nice selection of Texas grown-up brews, and my personal favorite – the sweet sudsy local Maine Root Beer- are all on draft to wash down every bite.

And I’m not even gonna talk about the whoopie pie…

Who am I kidding? Of course I’m going to mention the whoopie pie – rounds of chocolate cake sandwiching the richest cream in the world – whoooooopie!

If the food warmed my stomach at Frank Hot Dogs and Cold Beer, the people won my heart.

The owner made time stand still during the busy lunch rush. It’s as though he blacked out the rest of the room and shone the spotlight of his attention on Kenny and me. He easily chatted with us while we waited for a table.

Why? Because he heard we were first-time guests.

A few weeks later we planned to introduce our friends to Frank.

“It’s closed for Sunday dinner!” we realized as we stood disappointed at the door peering in to the dark restaurant.  The two remaining employees saw us, opened the door and invited us in.

“Cathy! Look at all this gorgeous salvaged wood!” Our friend Bill, a fine craftsman, exclaimed about the interior of Frank.

And that was just enough to get the employees talking. They poured a round of Maine Root Beer on the house, hung out with us for about 25 minutes and showed us all the behind-the-scenes care that went into Frank’s interior design and menu. Then they sent us off with a list of their other favorite restaurants in town to try instead.

Wow! We came hungry and left as friends.

So while the humble hot dog may be out-of-this-world at Frank Hot Dogs and Cold Beer, the people are sure to make you feel right at home.

Important Info:

Location: Corner of 4th and Colorado, Austin, TX

Website: http://www.hotdogscoldbeer.com/ The photo above is just a teaser of the many enticing pics on the Frank Hot Dogs and Cold Beer website.

Note: Closed for Sunday dinner. Vegetarian options available.

Actually I think the blogger of this blog, yours truly, lost all heart for blogging for a while.

Maybe it was the economic downturn or the winter blues that kicked it off.

But a sad personal loss followed.

Then a piping hot summer.

Autumn found me starting  a small home piano lesson  studio.

And then this blog’s biggest fan (just look through a few old posts for comments from Nene and you’ll see what I mean) lost her short battle to cancer.

Frankly 2009 shall be known as the year I was at a loss for words.

Recently I realized, although I didn’t tell you about my adventures in 2009, I never stopped having them. Kenny and I hit 3 out of 5 of Texas’ top BBQ spots. My sisters and I celebrated our big birthdays in San Antonio. I downed the finest example of onion rings EVER at the Varsity in Atlanta. We beat the summer heat at some of Texas’ coolest springfed pools. And snow and lightning robbed me of my summit of Pike’s Peak in Colorado Springs.

Though I look the web over, I don’t find many bloggers telling you these important details about the great sights here, there and everywhere. So I’m dusting off the old keyboard and warming up my typing fingers.

Get ready. Dixie Gypsy is waking up.

After some lively banter and a meaningless wager, I found myself owing a friend a Mexican Hot Chocolate. He owed me one too.

In Texas we like everything big. We even like to talk big. So after a few more big ego, loud-mouthed, witty exchanges, our Mexican Hot Chocolate swap escalated to a Food Network Style Throw Down.

We set a date and invited our spouses and a couple of mutual friends to judge.

In the quiet after the adrenaline-induced smacktalk, I realized: “What IS Mexican Hot Chocolate? And why do I think I can beat Jonathan Rosales at a Mexican Hot Chocolate Throw Down?”

While I spent hours on the web learning about Mexican Hot Chocolate, Jonathan and Julee merely had a chat with Jonathan’s grandma. (Oh yes people…I was taking on the Rosales Mexican Hot Chocolate family recipe. Did I mention we have big egos in Texas?)

More smacktalk, a bit of practice and a lot of chocolate later, the results are in from the judges. Looks like the world wide web knows how to make a Mexican Hot Chocolate. AND it looks like Grandma Rosales also knows how to make a Mexican Hot Chocolate.

Ding ding ding. We have a winner!

Me! I’m a winner for a my world wide web recipe. AND I’m a winner because I got to keep all the leftovers from Jonathan’s recipe.

Thanks guys! It was a lot of fun.

Do you want to make Mexican Hot Chocolate too? Here’s how:

GRANDMA ROSALES STYLE (WITH JONATHAN AND JULEE’S ADAPTATIONS)

1 Cup Chocolate Milk

1 Disk Mexican Chocolate

3 Teaspoons Drinking Chocolate Powder (found at specialty food stores)

1 Small Pinch of Chipotle Powder

1 Cinnamon Stick (Optional)

Warm the milk, chipotle powder and cinnamon stick, stirring constantly. Add the chocolates and stir constantly until melted. Bring nearly to a boil. Pour into a mug and froth with a hand frother. Serves 1.

WORLD WIDE WEB STYLE (WITH SARA’S ADAPTATIONS)

2 Cups Whole Milk

1 Disk Mexican Chocolate (I used the Nestle Abuelita brand.)

1 Stick of Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla

1 Egg

Chop the disk of Mexican chocolate. Place in a saucepan with the milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Heat through, whisking constantly, until nearly boiling. Remove from the heat. Crack the egg in a bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Add a spoonful of the hot mixture to the egg whisking together constantly.  Then add the whole egg mixture to the hot chocolate whisking constantly. Return to the heat and cook for 3 more minutes, whisking constantly. Remove the cinnamon stick. Pour the mixture in a blender and carefully blend for about 30 seconds. Pour into mugs and enjoy. Serves 2.