Advent Event: 8 Days

We have been on the road for the last couple of days bringing our little one to Texas for the first time - she was very excited when we got out to take a picture in front of the sign just across the border.  As one of my friends likes to call it, we have returned to the "mothership"!  And it feels good, too.

So we always say that we eat our way through Texas when we are here because we just can't get food like that around our house.  So, although it has almost nothing to do with Christmas for anyone else, here is a small list of the food I would like to eat whilst home, in no particular order and with no consideration for caloric intake.  It is my Christmas gift to myself. And if I wrote a letter to Santa, this is what would be on it.

pecan tuile at the Grotto in Highland Village
sausage roll at Donut Palace (I have refined tastes I tell you)
ribs from North Main BBQ in Euless
a cheeseburger from Al's in Arlington
enchiladas from La Calle Doce in Dallas
sunset sauce and lemonade from Mi Cocina
a spicy international from Cero's Heros in Grapevine
biscuits and gravy with sausage from Cracker Barrel
enchiladas from Sylvia's in Houston
chiles rellenos from that place in Plano
brisket from Rudy's
peppermint and cookies and cream ice cream from Braums
Frito chili pie from Stanley's in Wichita Falls
chicken fried steak and fixin's at Babes in Watagua
breakfast tacos at Tito's in San Antonio
kolaches from Busy Bea's bakery
a corn dog from the state fair
pasta at Paesano's on the Riverwalk
fried okra from just about anywhere

Man, if I get what I wish for this year, I am going to have to go on a major diet in January.  One can only hope!!

Don't forget to check out my giveaway and enter to win (you can only win if you enter)!

Advent Event: 11 Days

Tonight we went to the annual holiday party at Fixtures.  My husband is in the construction business for large custom homes.  Fixtures is the place he purchases the appliances and plumbing fixtures for the houses he builds.  So basically the evening is a covet fest of things I would have in that dream house we most likely will build when we win the lottery we don't play.

Since I am a foodie, it is hard not to dream every now and then about the kitchen I would have if money were no object.  Drew does this too because he works around this stuff all the time; so together we have great plans for our dream kitchen.  A little ogling doesn't hurt, right?

To feel like a French gourmand.

Or if we felt like the Jetsons (it's a lift oven!).

In my opinion, the most practical option.

Love the hood!

See that didn't hurt at all.  Oh to dream!

Hankerings

Although I have recently been brimming with thoughts of purging the house of unwanted and unused things, I have also been desiring a good shop-fest.  Since, I would hate myself for buying more stuff just moments after getting rid of so much and we are on a spending hiatus, I thought I would do a little window shopping:

I saw this a while back and am so intrigued.  A Colombian clay cooking pot you can use on the stove and in the oven.   Oh, the braising opportunities...

 

A clear example of the conflict between clean and clutter going on inside my head right now.  Maybe I can find the space on my countertop someday.  Oh, how I want one of these. 

Oh, these are pretty!

These have almost no useful purpose...but aren't they cute?!

 So, a little more practical, but oh, so lovely.