Our Round Top Escape

Food Stop Lockhart:
According to my husband, any Texas road trip isn't complete without a stop at some hole-in-the-wall BBQ joint. Therefore we hit Smitty's BBQ in Lockhart, Texas. You walk into Smitty's and order your meat right there at the pit. The heat from the exposed fire warming my legs on the already 103 degree day. They serve your meat on butcher paper with a couple of knives and good old white bread (absent are any forks). You then head inside to order you sides . I was skeptical at first. " I don't get a plate. I have to eat with my fingers! Where is the sauce?" I thought for sure I couldn't eat without sauce but I was wrong, plain wrong. I scarfed it down. The sweet pickles were home-style thick-cut and tasted exactly like the ones my mother canned each summer. Cold sweet tea served in one-size only massive cups- we both got refills. The ribs were by far my favorite, but the sausage and brisket were by no means disappointing.

Also worth mentioning is Lockhart's picturesque downtown. It is a traditional downtown square with various storefronts its gorgeous courthouse taking the center spot. It was straight out of To Kill a Mockingbird and I fully expected to see an incarnation of Atticus Finch leaving that courthouse and if I had looked hard enough would have surely found Boo Radley's house and maybe even a Scout and Jem.

Even though Lockhart added about an hour to our drive to our destination of Round Top and forced us to deal with Austin traffic it was well worth it!

Final Destination- Round Top:

Each spring and fall Round Top holds a massive antique fair spreading over 15 miles. Round Top, which has a population of like 81 (the sign said 77 but I am giving it a little room for growth :) apparently gets 20.000 visitors. Kevin and I both talked about how we would like to go to a spring or fall show but decided it might be nice to get a feel for the area by going during a less busy time and therefore decided to plan our weekend getaway during the summer when they have a much smaller antique weekend.

I found the town and the area absolutely charming and refreshing. Not just refreshing because we got relax, sleep-in, nap ( I took a two hour nap!!) and leisurely eat dinner, but refreshing regarding basic humanity! We rented an adorable refurbished farmhouse which was furnished straight out of Country Living. The proprieter, Beverly, had emailed telling us the key would be in the lock and it was! Dangling in the lock for all the world to see.

Further adding to this belief was Royer's Cafe. Royer's is a busy and popular cafe which only seats 38 people and so frequently there is a wait. Well on the porch is a cooler of cold soda and beer which operates on the honor system. Drink as many as you want while waiting and when you get your table give the waitress your bottle caps or soda tabs so she knows how many you drank. At the gas station the sign said "Customers, let us see your face so we can turn on the pump for you." Apparently all it takes is an honest face to get gas. Everybody waved to you as you drove on the roads. For a over-citified girl like me it was wonderful!

Overall the trip was wonderful. We looked at the stars. I read my book. Had some good eats. We searched for vintage treasures and came home with some fun finds. The place had no TV reception (we did watch a DVD), no cell phone signal (had to go into town), no internet connection. We were unplugged and we loved it!

Babyfood

Aidan has been eating solids for about two months and has proved to have a voracious appetite! Owen, my four-year-old is a picky eater. His repertoire of food choices is very narrow: PB&J, ham and cheese, applesauce, and the occasional hotdog and chicken nugget. We are constantly battling dinner time because frequently Owen does not want to eat what I have cooked for dinner. My goal with Aidan is to try to incorporate some of the flavors from the family dinner and thus have been experimenting with making my own baby food.

My first attempt involved zuchinni and summer squash. I was making a favorite of Kevin's and mine, Grilled Vegetable Tostadas. This recipe includes grilling zuchinni and summer squash, so I took a portion of both, steamed them in the microwave and pureed them with a hand blender. I then blended them with a little of left over sweet potato. Aidan eagerly ate the concoction while Owen complained and nibbled on a tortilla! Now I guess I shouldn't get too excited, Aidan is only seven months old but with motherhood, it is the little victories that sometime make a stressful day a little brighter.

Another issue I have been facing as I take on the challenge of making my own baby food is equipment. I had been eyeing a remarkable gadget called the Baby Beaba. This is European creation that steams and puree's in the same bowl. This concept has me mesmerized and if it hadn't been for the steep price tag I would have purchased immediately, but the $150 price tag kept me at bay. So instead I took stock of what I had at home. I have frequently steamed vegetables, especially the long-baking squash, in the microwave and found it very convenient, time-saving and not detrimental to the taste. So knowing this and then discovering while cleaning out my cupboards my hand blender which I picked up years ago at a garage sale I was able to solve my problem without any extra expense! I can steam in the glass bowl and puree in that same bowl!

In all my experience preparing my own baby food has been very rewarding. While I will still continue to use some commercial baby food occasionally but at the same time blending in flavors from the dinner table I hope to create a less fussy and sensitive eater.