Houston Re-visited

No matter what others may say, Houston has become a mighty romantic place to hang out, if you like art and ethnic food.
Check in and stay for a long romantic weekend at the Hotel ZaZa, smack dab in the center of the Museum District and only a few blocks from all things medical in Houston. Newly renovated, I recommend shopping online for one of the ZaZa’s spacious suites overlooking their sparkling Mediterranean-inspired swimming pool. Check for deals on any ZaSpa packages.
Besides the obvious, like Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts directly across the street from the ZaZa, this international city also has an often-overlooked sampling of art created and collected with a spiritual perspective.
For instance, there’s the Byzantine Fresco Chapel, which was created to rescue a set of stolen and ransomed frescoes. By 1992, the city of Houston and the Menil Foundation had teamed up to become the stewards of the frescoes, which forever belong to the Church of Cyprus. The church is reclaiming them, so they will be going home soon.
Don’t miss the Rothko Chapel, an internationally known draw, with its focus on human rights. If you are traveling with traditionalists, prepare them for the minimalist flavor of the chapel, so they can experience quiet with a meditative heart.
“It has become a pilgrimage for thousands of visitors who are drawn by its importance both as an artistic masterpiece and as a gathering place for people of all religious beliefs,” according to Rothko literature.
I recommend a visit to the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, only a few blocks from Hotel ZaZa and the Rothko Chapel. If you are there on a Sunday, visitors are welcome to join worship. On other days of the week, priests are gracious and hospitable about informing respectful visitors about the significance of icons in Greek Orthodox tradition.
If you are a bibliophile, stop by the book store while you are at the church for a thorough selection of all things related to icons and icon painting, along with great choices in Greek heritage and the history of Greek immigration to America.
As long as Greek is on the art tour, why not take in cultural cuisine, too?
Choosing one or two items off the extensive menu at Byzantio Café and Bar is impossible. So, meet friends and order a huge spread to try it all.
Every bite is delicious, from the lamb souvlaki to the hummus to the gyros, and especially the tzatziki sauce.
With neighbors and regulars laughing and greeting each other across the restaurant, Byzantio feels like a great big Greek American family reunion.
And since you are having an art holiday, don’t miss the photography on the walls. Personal and expressive, we especially enjoyed the depictions of the local belly dancers who perform at the restaurant every Thursday night.
Belly dancing; a perfect excuse to start a romantic weekend in Houston early.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.

Meals on Wheels: Recipe for Service

Fruit salads are one of my favorite treats next to turkey or ham around the holidays.

Another treat is eating at Meals on Wheels.

I bet you didn’t know that Meals on Wheels occasionally hosts club luncheon meetings for organizations interested in knowing more about their efforts.

“Meals on Wheels Ministry, Inc. serves a daily meal to nearly 3,500 frail, homebound senior citizens and disabled persons every weekday in East Texas.

These meals are prepared fresh at the central kitchen located at 3001 Robertson Road, Tyler, TX, “ according to www.mealsonwheelseasttexas.org. “The meals are then home-delivered by compassionate volunteers to eligible persons who cannot provide meals for themselves. Often this is the only meal they will have that day.”

When Mike Powell and his staff served up this fabulous Waldorf salad along with lunch for a recent meeting of the Bethesda Alliance luncheon, I asked for the recipe to share with readers. It’s the best Waldorf I ever put in my mouth.

Monarch Mayonnaise’s Waldorf Salad

2/3 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3 Tbsp. sour cream

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. sugar

4 Granny Smith apples, cut into ½ inch cubes

1 1/3 cup thinly sliced celery

1 1/3 cup red grapes, halved

¼ cup candied pecans, for garnish

Mix all ingredients, except the pecans, together in a mixing bowl, until uniform. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Serve on a bed of fresh bib lettuce. Sprinkle the candied pecans on top for garnish.

While I was munching on lunch, I learned another interesting fact about Meals on Wheals. Did you know that you don’t have to be impoverished to enjoy having a meal delivered to your home? If you have a loved one who could benefit from the service and can afford to pay for the meals, Meals on Wheals will deliver your lunch at a prorated fee.

They even have grateful customers and families who subsidize other, less fortunate customers’ lunches with a regular donation.

Making Meals on Wheels a perfect example of the motto: “Serve people and success will follow.”

In Bullard, the plan is to collaborate with the Bullard library to put in a kitchen that can act as a southern staging point for Meals on Wheels delivery.

If you ask me, this is one more reason to support efforts to build the new library building in Bullard.

To volunteer for Meals on Wheels or for more information, contact Executive Director Mike Powell at 903.593.7385 or go to their website at www.mealsonwheelseasttexas.org.

Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.

Highway 155 Dives

Okay, folks, the lake is calling East Texans.

Yep, the sun is shining and it’s time to drive the byways, take in the wild flower covered rolling hills, and head to the country. If you are going my way, down Highway 155 towards Lake Palestine, here are the places we love to eat.

Starting at Loop 323 and heading for Frankston:

Scooter Pete’s. Browse past all the motorcycle paraphernalia and belly up at owners Denise “Nisee” and Pete Mauk’s Iron Horse Grill for a fabulous breakfast served ‘til 11pm or order the Andre Burger, a cheeseburger topped with a fried egg, all day long, Mondays through Saturdays. You can order it with a side of some of the best hash browns in East Texas. 903.581.0810

Noonday Store. What would we do without our regular fix of their addictive chicken sandwich smothered in grilled green peppers and onions, their Angus beef hamburgers, or one of their daily plate lunch specials? I get cravings for the cobblers. Order ahead and take homemade yeast rolls for parties. 903.534.9498.

Purple Pig. My favorite thing on the menu is the tender slices of slow-grilled turkey breast, but I bet you’ll also love the barbeque beef, pulled pork, or the random nights when owner Shane Swan boils up crawfish. 903.825.6800.

Star Bar-B-Q. Just past the last bridge, as we say in these parts, don’t blink or you’ll miss Lane Mills’ barbeque joint where ribs etcetera share the grill with pulled pork. They just added a new deck, but check out the recliners inside, too. Cigars are welcome and draft beer is served. 903.876.2209

Lake Palestine Marina. Most romantic destination in our area if your idea of a romantic meal out is a steamy cup of coffee accompanied with a perfect omelet, bacon, and hash browns soaked in ketchup. All with a view of the lake. Larry and his wife have years of experience in the resort business and it shows in their hospitality. 903.825.3600.

Maxwell’s Drug Store. Old folks like me remember when the best place to get a chicken salad sandwich was at the soda shop at any small town pharmacy. The problem is, most modern pharmacies no longer have food counters. Unless you are in Frankston, of course. The Soda Shoppe, at he back of Maxwell’s, features daily lunch specials like homemade chicken enchiladas or baked pork chops, but who can resist their chicken salad? 903.876.2323.

If your idea of a dive is icky, dirty, or out of the way, these spots are not for you. Or if you are looking for honky tonks.

I’m defining “dive” here as unexpected, fun, family-friendly, AND definitely clean; or I’d never talk my husband into stopping.

Our family hopes you support these 155 Dives. See ya there!

Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.

Girl Scout Cookies

My New Year’s diet always has an expiration date. It ends March 1.

That’s inevitably when I run into the first Girl Scout Troup selling boxes of temptation outside the grocery store.

You know what I’m talking about. Those adorable girls in their matching costumes, giggling and chatting behind folding tables, working hard to earn money for a good cause; they make succumbing to temptation feel downright righteous.

All of which would NOT be such a high-caloric problem if only I was willing to share.

Let’s face it; those cookies are so addictive that you cannot possibly open a box without eating each and every crumb.

It requires a strategy to get even one cookie once your family discovers that you have purchased a box.

Fortunately, a long and delicious life has taught me a thing or two about getting my fair share of the Girl Scout Cookies.

First, buy at least ten boxes every time you run into the girls. It’s for a good cause.

Second, when you get home wrap all the Thin Mints in brown paper bags and hide them in the back of the freezer.

Next, throw the family off the scent by putting all the Dosidos in plain sight in the front of the freezer.

Finally, put several boxes of Trefoils out on the counter as if you are an unselfish mom who intended to share.

And, just in case your family is onto your tricks, eat a whole box of Thin Mints in the parking lot before you leave the grocery store.

Favorite uses of Girl Scout Cookies:

-Sneaking two boxes into the movie theater on date night (not that I’ve ever done that.)

-Bringing them to school functions with the comment, “You know I don’t cook, but…” Believe me, no one cares that you don’t do homemade.

-Using them as a bribe for just about anything you want your family to do, as in “There could be a box of Girl Scout Cookies in it for you if you help me with my technology.”

I was disappointed to learn that the young man who mows our grass only takes Girl Scout Cookies as a tip, not full payment.

Back in January, I made a near fatal mistake of running into some early sellers in a different part of the state. Did you know that Girl Scout Cookies are released at different times in different parts of Texas? Who knew?

Personally, I think there should be a warning label on each box: “Could be dangerous for your diet if you are traveling.”

The moral of this story is simple: Don’t leave East Texas between Jan 1 and March 1. Stay where it’s safe.

Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.

Less Fat, More life

DIET is a four-letter word.

Imagine the frustration that word is stirring up in the heart of a teenager who was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure; a problem that temporarily bumped him out of the sports he loves and landed him in the hospital. Bummer.

Life is not fair.

His mom happens to have a friend who is a self-trained expert on how to fail at every diet. That would be me. I have a wealth of unwanted experience about trimming the fat and upping the nutritional value of my calories.

In honor of my friend’s son, here are the things that turn out to be kinda easy:

-Google all the fast food restaurants and pick out one item you like on each menu that is less than 300 calories, maybe a little more for guys. That way you’ll have a “safe” choice when you are hanging out with your friends. You’ll be surprised; who knew a small cup of slaw could pack a whopping 600 calories.

-Pick out a sugarless jam or jelly to eat on your toast instead of butter. This can cure a sweet tooth.

-Spread a teaspoon of peanut butter or Neufchatel on a whole-wheat cracker or flat pretzels if you find yourself craving fat. Or choose avocado because it will give you a dose of potassium and you can add onions and tomatoes and have guacamole.

-Teenagers always love Rotel dip, but add a can of vegetarian refried beans and at least get a little real food in there with the Velveeta.

-Keep boiled eggs in the fridge. Cut them in half and throw away half the yoke.

-My friend who is a personal trainer tells me that people who are successful at losing weight keep diaries of what they eat each day. I can’t seem to be that organized more than one week at a time, so I just do it every other week. To me, overeating is a lot like when folks quit smoking for a week, that’s still a week less lung pollution or a week of eating for good health. It can’t hurt.

-Find some easy, crock pot recipes, like lo-cal lo-fat soups, so when you walk in your door tired and hungry the smell that greets you will be temptingly healthy.

-Invest in a sturdy, non-stick skillet.

-Experiment to find the changes your family might not notice, like tossing a few tablespoons of bran or oatmeal into your regular baking recipes. Or replacing some of the butter with small amounts of olive oil.

No, there’s nothing earth shaking on this list; just a few easy changes that your family might be willing to swallow, like drinking more water and less soda pop.

Who knows? A few less calories today might mean a longer, healthier life for the whole family.

Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.

Cheap and Easy Gal’s Night Out

Personally, hard economic times require more laughter.
Any excuse for a party, right?
Lately, my idea of a relaxing night out is meeting girlfriends for sushi. Unfortunately, sushi drives up a restaurant bill faster than double martinis.
Casual get-togethers at home means cheaper fun, but no sushi, right?
So, imagine my delight when I found a do-it-yourself sushi kit at the grocery store. A plan began to form in the recesses of my mind.
Thus, the Cheap and Easy Gal’s Night Out was born.
If you want to have your own Cheap and Easy Gal’s Night Out, all you need is the following:
-Invitations. Okay, if they are your real friends, who needs invitations? On the other hand, text media is the only way to do justice to the idea “Cheap and Easy Gal’s Night Out.” If you’d like a copy of my invitation, I’ll be happy to email it to you.
-Guest List. Keep it to a few close friends. Then, add a couple of new people to the group. New friends add dimension to our gatherings, and our hearts.
-Menu. Sushi kits sell for less than $3 per person. Add a cucumber, an avocado, a bag of carrots, a bag of frozen shrimp, Diet coke, and fortune cookies to the cart. Pocky, a Chinese sweet treat that is dipped in chocolate, is also a good choice.
-Alcohol. Llano wine is cheap and it’s Texas; two qualities that tend to endear me to any person or product.
-Party Favors. In keeping with the cheap theme, I bought fashion magazines for each guest with a subtitle, “Mega Savings Inside!” Perfection, rolled up and tied with a bow.
-Hostess Gift. Well, as long as we’re being casual, I figure why not stay with the easy theme and tell everyone to bring cash.
“No hostess gifts. Bring $5 and we’ll pick a charity.”
Now, I don’t know about you, but I laugh just imagining how local charities will react when they start receiving small donations marked “Cheap and Easy Gals.” Anonymously, of course.
Why not take a Friday night to sit around and laugh with friends for a few hours? Figure out together how to make do-it-yourself sushi and get it to your mouth with chop-sticks.
I don’t care what the economy does; money can’t buy fun or friendships like that.
Simplicity seems to be the definition of fun at my house, and probably yours, too.
I bet your friends won’t complain about being described as cheap and easy.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http:/checklistcharlie.blogspot.com or cathykrafve@gmail.com.

Entertaining Kids is Highly Overrated: Nine Tips to Delete “Bored” From Your Summer

“Mom, I’m bored.”
Yes, summer is when all children everywhere try to shift the burden of entertaining themselves to mom.
Entertaining children is highly overrated, in my experienced opinion.
Never one to take on additional responsibilities regarding my children because they were already so much work, I always balked.
“Okay, get out a pen and a piece of paper,” I responded each year sometime during the first week of June.
Kids are way too smart to fall for any tricky business that involves pen and paper after school is out, so already I had them on the run.
With groaning and complaining, they proceeded to list their goals for the summer. Then, we posted them on the fridge, in case boredom struck again. I saved the lists; they are pretty cute.
If you are lucky enough to still have bored young ones in your home, here’s a list to arm you for the summer ritual:
-Walk the dog. Wash the dog. Teach the dog tricks.
-Create a sweet treat. Clean up the mess. Deliver it to a neighbor.
-Interview an elderly person about history.
-Plan an easy craft. Invite a younger child over to play.
-Plan a meal for the family. Make the grocery list. Guess at the cost of items on the list. Take it to the grocery store and shop with a separate cart for the items. Give the cashier the money and compare it to the estimate. Prepare the meal for the family.
-Make a special table decoration and set the table. Eat by candlelight.
-Make paper dolls using cookie cutters for patterns.
-Write a screenplay and act it out with siblings, neighbors, or cousins. Video tape it.
-Choose an amazing book and take turns reading it out loud together. Then, rent the movie version.
-Play an old-fashioned board game, like Candy Land or Sequence. Make caramel corn in the microwave. (For the recipe, go to my blogsite.)
I know times have changed with so many moms working. Children spend summer almost as busy as they are the rest of the year.
But don’t forget to schedule in a little down time. Being bored is good for kids. It gives them a chance to think about and make their own plans for a few hours.
Boredom can be a good thing, especially if it produces a disciplined mind.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http:/checklistcharlie.blogspot.com or cathykrafve@gmail.com.

Microwave Caramel Corn

2 2.9 oz. bags of microwave popcorn

Caramel sauce:
1 stick butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
½ cup white corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoons baking soda

Begin by using your butter to lightly grease a cookie sheet.
Then, nuke your popcorn. Empty the bags into a big bowl and separate away all the unpopped kernels.
Next, make your caramel sauce in a big microwave dish. I use a 2 quart measuring cup. Melt the butter first. Then add all the other ingredients, except the baking soda. Nuke for 1 minute. Stir. Repeat two more times or until the sugar feels less grainy. Then add the baking soda and nuke 1 more minute.
Pour the sauce over the popcorn and stir. Spread it out on the cookie sheet to cool.
My friend gave me this recipe years ago and it is a family tradition on game nights.

Instant Soup Ratings: For Chilly Days, Part 1

Nothing chases away a chill this time of year like a steamy bowl of soup.
I think cooking will probably be part of my life again when I get the hang of this balancing act called working mom. But for now, well, I am discovering that cooking is no longer an option.
So, I put my crock pots into the work force, too.
Yes, I am the proud owner of not one, not two, but a grand total of four, count ‘em, four crock pots. No one is paying me to say it, but I love crock pots. They appeal to the part of my soul that longs for efficiency and control.
The following instant soups are NOT designed for crock pots, but being desperate for supper-time relief, I tried them in the crock pot anyway. 10 spoons means I got a kitchen-pass that’s as simple as filling the crock pot with water and opening an envelope.
-3 spoons. Wyler’s Mrs. Grass Hearty Soup Mix, Homestyle Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice. I put in 8 cups of water and tossed in the mix, stirred it around and left it all day. It was too thick at supper time, so I added another 2 cups of water and threw in some sautéed chicken breast, diced. My husband and I could eat it, but my son switched to instant mac and cheese instead. Sad, but true, mac qualifies as a food group at our house.
-8 spoons, at least. Williams Country Store Home Style Soup Mix, Tortilla Soup. It was so good that you could buy two bags, set out garnishes like grated cheese and fresh cilantro and serve it when friends come over to watch a basketball game. It is necessary to add chicken or beef to the pot, especially for company.
-9 spoons, our family’s favorite so far. Bear Creek Country Kitchens Minestrone Soup Mix. I took out the bowtie pasta before I put the rest of the mix in the pot. I added raw carrots, celery, and mushrooms, and two 4 oz. raw chuck steaks. Twenty minutes before supper time, I cut the cooked steak into chunks and added the bowties. The soup was so good even my son had nice things to say, right before he boiled the macaroni.
-9 spoons. Alessi Traditional Zuppa Toscana Tuscan Whitebean Soup. I started with the 4 ½ cups water, added the mix and 4 cups of chopped raw carrots. By evening, I had a scrumptious, tasty soup, perfect for family, maybe even for company. It didn’t need any additions; not even the carrots, but they were good, especially if you like something chunky in your smooth, thick, well-seasoned base.
Hopefully, this list will save you a little time at the grocery store and in the kitchen, buying more time for what we all love: to savor the flavor of family.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http:/checklistcharlie.blogspot.com or cathykrafve@gmail.com

Instant Soup Ratings: For Rainy Days, Part 2

Crock pots are my friends.
They fill up my house with the warm aroma of good smells of food that is significantly, nay, magically, not burnt.
Not all of the following soups are designed for crock pots, but being fearless about ruined suppers, I tried them in the crock pot anyway.
One spoon means I wasted my money, but the raccoons were happy, since I tend to dump my mistakes in the woods behind the house. 10 spoons means I could pass the soup off to friends as homemade. That is, unless they get suspicious because supper isn’t burnt.
-3 spoons. Wyler’s Mrs. Grass Hearty Mix Homestyle Beef Stew. This package actually had crock pot directions; but, it’s only fair to mention that I started it in the morning and returned to it 10 hours later, instead of 3 or 4 hours as instructed. Even with the meat I added, this could have been canned soup.
-5 spoons. Cugino’s Baked Burgandy French Onion Soup. Just what you would expect, but not spectacular. The directions also say to top their soup with your croutons and cheese. Of course, everybody knows that the best thing about onion soup is the bread and cheese on top.
-7 spoons. Williams Country Style Soup Mix Louisiana Style Gumbo. Okay, I’m a connoisseur of gumbo and this is good. There is rice in the bag, and while it was pretty thick by dinner, the rice was still recognizable. I topped mine with Tabasco, of course, and it would have been even better with a handful of shrimp thrown in. After I panned another Williams Soup, I wanted to give the brand another chance and I’m glad I did.
-9 spoons. Bean Cuisine Thick as Fog Split Pea Soup. The adults loved this one, but my son switched to pasta. I added turkey sausage. It was great, and would have been even better with a spoonful of sour cream or yogurt on top.
-10 spoons. Turtle Island Just for Joy Southwestern Roasted Corn Chowder. I added a can of corm and 8 oz. of cooked, diced chicken breast. We loved it, even my son.
The good news about the instant soups on this list is that, while my son opted for mac and cheese sometimes, my husband and I were able to enjoy all of them, thus encouraging moderation among the raccoons of our neighborhood which tend to be too fat and sassy anyway.
Just for good measure I included my favorite homemade soup recipe on my blog. While it is not as easy as dinner from an envelope, Veloute Soup is simple, low-fat, delicious, and the creation of a talented fellow East Texan.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http:/checklistcharlie.blogspot.com or cathykrafve@gmail.com.

Veloute Soup

My friend, Margarite Strout, whose kitchen always blends the aromas of her family background including French, Swiss, North and South American (Uraguay), is genetically and culturally predisposed to be one of the best cooks I know. Veloute is French for velvety.

Veloute Soupe

3 quarts water
4 chicken thighs, with bones and skin
½ tsp garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1 tsp crushed oregano
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 large carrots, peeled and quartered
Salt and pepper to taste
½ tsp. cumin

In a large pot, boil the chicken thighs for about 45 minutes with the spices until the chicken is falling apart. Scoop out the chicken and set it aside. Add the veggies and boil until tender. While they cook, separate the chicken meat from the bones and skin. Dice the meat and throw away the rest.
With a hand-held blender, puree the veggies in the pot until it looks velvety. Add the diced chicken meat back in. Salt and pepper to taste. Add cumin.

Served in mugs by a roaring fire, this is a nutritious, wintery treat for a cold day. For fancy occasions, Margarite swirls in a spoonful of cream and garnishes with oregano or parsley. Either way, it is sure to make your kitchen smell like hers; a cross-cultural experience.