In a separate pan, brown the sausage and ground chuck. Throw in the onions when they are about half brown. Dump in the tomatoes and chilies on top of the meat and onions when they are soft. Add the beans to your Zatarain's mix about 5 minutes before the 25 minute timer goes off. Finally, add it all into the pot, stir and serve.
I spent many months this year writing and for the last couple of months I've slowed down and decided to simply have fun by documenting where I've been with my camera instead. So enjoy!
Black Widow spider found next to a small geocache
A tiny DNA tube used for a micro geocache. I found 86 geocaches this day. Whew!
Mike Sievers and I on a nighttime kayak event on Armand Bayou.
An extra large tree frog I found in the woods.
A geocache I found with my Bride near Channelview, Texas.
My Bride and I geocaching on bikes at Memorial 7 park near Webster.
Kayaking - Geocaching nighttime event on Armand Bayou 12-1-12
Geocaching with HoustonControl, Butch, & Rambetta on a chilly morning on Cedar Bayou, Baytown, Tx.
. Yesterday was a great day to be in Texas. My Bride and I have been itching to make our way over to Hempstead, Texas to get watermelons and visit an orchard or two, but the weather has not been cooperating. The weather report came back a 70% chance of thunderstorms – but scattered, so we gambled and made the drive. It was a good choice.
Hempstead is roughly 75 miles from Baytown and all things considered (like the ongoing Houston roads SNAFU) the drive can be made in about an hour and a half. The terrain rapidly changes from the flats of the Gulf Coast to gently rolling tree covered hills and just beautiful.
Our main target was the Dilorio Farms & Roadside Market and they did not let us down. We purchased about 15 pounds of dried peas and beans of various types for cooking later (Brown Rice, Garbanza, Pinto, Black, Great Nothern, Speckled Butter, Red potatos, and yellow split peas) – and 5 watermelons.
My Bride graciously allowed me to search for six geocaches in the area also and I made quick work of them to keep us from becoming side-tracked from all the other places we wanted to visit and still beat the Houston traffic jam on the way back. I was fortunate enough to get my photo next to the Big Shovel.
We became hungry after looking at all the produce at Dilorio’s so we went searching for a local café, not wanting to eat at a food mill. Heading west on Business 290, we turned left of 13th street and headed towards the Blue Bonnet Herb Farms and to our pleasant surprise, the Garden Café’ and Brazos Bakery! I highly recommend this place.
This small tearoom has amazing and friendly service and delicious healthy food. I ordered jalapeno cheese soup and my Bride, the Garden Café’ Trio (chicken salad, house salad, & fruit). We chased it all with delicious Texas tea. She is determined to make a field trip with her lady friends very soon. We also bought some herbs for our garden at the Blue Bonnet Herb Farm. Great little nursery!
Our next destination was the Texas famous Chappell Hill Sausage Company and it was further west on Hwy 290. This is where their delicious products are made and they have a public butcher shop and restaurant also. We bought two very thick rib-eye steaks, a jalapeno and cornbread stuffed whole chicken (frozen) and a pound of delicious rat-trap cheese, pinto bean seasoning – and 3 homemade oatmeal cookies!
Turning around, we drove east on Hwy 290 looking for the turn-off to E&B Orchards – our next stop, but along the way, I had to have my photo taken next to the Big Chicken, which actually sets alongside the road at a ranch gate. Just think how many starving Ukrainians a chicken this size could feed!
Following the signs, we made the scenic drive to E&B orchards and along the way, I made a turtle rescue. As I was walking back to the car, my Bride witnessed 3 deer run across the road behind me. This is what is so wonderful about field trips and something that can’t be experienced sitting on the couch in front of the television.
Arriving at the orchard, we followed the simple directions and picked blackberries, nectarines and yellow flesh peaches, all of which are sold by the pound. We topped off the trip with a cup of fresh blackberry and peach ice cream, which honestly was a pint-sized and difficult to finish off – but we did. A beautiful day and time well spent and I am including addresses and web site links so you too can make the trip.
DiIorio Farms and Roadside Market
750 Highway 290 East
Hempstead, Tx 77445
979-826-2688 http://www.diioriofarms.com/
I’m making a great big pot of beans because it’s a cold rainy day in Texas and I’m listing the ingredients, but not the quantities, for the most part (I don’t roll like that and can’t follow the rules). Adjust the quantities of each to suit your tastes. No one said it was going to be easy, but you will figure it out.
Beans
3 lbs pinto beans
3 lbs Ground chuck
1 lb bacon
Hatch’s Diced Tomatoes
Slap Ya Mama™ Cajun seasoning
Yellow onion
Purple onion
Green onion
Glory™ seasoned beef cooking base
1 container Pico de gallo pre-mixed (fresh)
1 container 3 chilies mixed (fresh)
3 cans chicken broth
Whole pickled jalapenos
2 heaping tablespoons of minced garlic
Salt
Cornbread
4 boxes Jiffy corn muffin (mix according to directions)
1 can creamed corn
2 extra eggs
1 can sliced-up small pitted black olives
Shredded cheese
Sliced pickled jalapenos
Butter slices on top of finished bread and melt
Sprinkle top with Slap Ya Mama™ Cajun seasoning before cooking
I boil the beans and then pour them into a colander, then reboil in fresh water, but you can soak them over-night if you like. I fry the bacon, and then throw it in the big pot with all the Hatch’s tomatoes and fresh cut pico and chilies. I fry the ground chuck in the bacon grease after pouring off the extra and sprinkle this with Slap Ya Mama™ Cajun seasoning.
When the ground chuck is fairly browned, I add the copious amount of onions to it and soften them up a bit. Did you know that onions are so good for you that you should eat them with every meal? It’s true. Then I add the garlic. Garlic is extra good for your heart too.
The beans steam away and I add the onions and ground chuck to the big pot. When the beans are fairly soft, I crush a lot of them with a potato masher and then pour them into the big pot to begin the process of blending the flavors.
At this time I begin putting my cornbread together and as soon as its in the oven, I make 3 cups of rice to compliment my two delicious foods. 15 minutes after rice boils, I am ready to take my cornbread out and have a mess of beans.
2-lbs pinto beans, 2 yellow onions, 2 cans stewed tomaters, 1 can Rotel, 1 cup jalapeno juice from a large can of pickled jalapenos, 1-lb bacon, 2-lbs cooked brisket and 1-lb hickory smoked link sausage. BB's Beans! Makin' cornbread and rice next and just thought I would take time to share the photo.
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