San Antonio...take two...

Tunes for the road, fired up and pounding.   Hitting the road on a Friday night heading to San Antonio.  This weekend is more about care taking and being there, but  adventures happen regardless.

Headed to the San Antonio Botanical Gardens on Monday, President's Day.  Absolutely gorgeous weather, although the day started out cloudy.  Parking the car, the very first think I spotted was a bluebonnet.  The first one this season!

 Did you know that a great way to plant bluebonnets is to make a slurry, creating mudballs with the seeds inside, let them dry and then fling them around the yard?  That way the birds don't eat the seeds.

 Entering the gardens, my eyes were dancing with all the colors.  Made me want to play in the dirt and dig.  Pictures of the beautiful flowers....

San Antonio, here I come!

So, I suppose that "seeing" someone in a different city is a valid reason for visiting that city often and exploring?  It was confirmed in visiting with Stacy that when you live in a city, the last thing you do is explore it.  So, I'd say that he and I have some fun times ahead exploring SA.

Sunday, February 3, 2013 found me making the 101 mile, house to house trip for the first time.  Much of my time was NOT exploring, but enjoying the company, often in the beautiful sun by the pool.  I mean, c'mon check this out.  Morning one, out by the pool, catch my breakfast dishes near me.  How can you not enjoy?

We went over to Brackenridge Park and wandered.  I discovered that Tuesday admission at the Witte Museum is free from 3 - 8 pm.  Note made to self to go back and explore.  Also, the San Antonio Zoo is right there....and the park itself has wonderful walking trails.  I tended to want to take the lesser known paths through the woods and was able to, a couple times.  Thank goodness my companion has a better sense of direction than I do.

OK these moss balls intrigued me, made me think of Tribbles from Star Trek.   I know they aren't the easiest to see, I should have picked one up  and taken the pic against a better backdrop, but I loved them.  My imagination began to soar.  Look up with me and see how they look in the trees.  Silly, I know, but I felt like a kid exploring the wonders of the world with a spring in my step.  I wanted to hold hands and skip through the woods, but I restrained myself.  Too new of a relationship to jeopardize it by letting all my inner kid out yet.....gotta save some surprises.

We did come back to Brackenridge with lunch the next day and walked more and I plan to be back to hit the museum and zoo and the park yet again. Oh!  Almost forgot my best San Antonio find (well, other than him), something I've missed from my California days.  TRADER JOE'S!!!  I was so excited to find out they had opened in November of 2012 and that I could hit the Quarry and get my TJ fix.  You can bet I will be back each visit.

OK, humor me with this part, this is pure self indulgence.  So, this guy....yea.  Makes my heart skip.  One of the days it was warm enough (80) to sit by the pool in our swim suits and we had actually planned to swim.  The day got past us and we didn't.  But I did sneak a few pics.  Oh....and check out those banana trees and the awesome trim job....I did the trimming/clean up job when I was there.  Was good to be useful.  Yea and that last pic to the right there does make me melt.  Kinda like that guy.  Putting a keeper stickie note on him. 

Cedar Park Farmers Market

My latest obsession, local farmer's markets, the farm-to-table or farm-to-fork (F2F), organic, good for you, clean food movement.  Support local businesses, families and take care of yourself.  A number of years ago I attended the new farmer's market held behind the 1890 Center (new at the time) and it wasn't very impressive.  Well, apparently they moved it and over time it grew and WOW!

So, ladies and gentlemen, BEHOLD!  I present, the Cedar Park Farmer's Market to you.  Someone on my FaceBook friends list had "liked" them so I looked at their link, proceeded to press like and wow, follow those posts they put out.  Here's their FaceBook page which is always up to date.

So.....Saturday, February 2, 2013 I ventured out, to Lakeline Mall behind the Sears/Dillard's stores.  Definitely won't miss the sea of white pop up tents, when I saw them my heart skipped.  The Market is open EVERY SINGLE SATURDAY ALL YEAR LONG....rain or shine, from 9 am - 1 pm.  I arrived shortly after 9 am (having had to stop for Starbucks coffee in my reusable $1.00 cup and lid).

Beautiful sunny day, check.  Coffee, check.  String bags, check.  Moola, check.  I could feel the adrenaline start as I got out of my car and headed toward the vendors, my plan was to walk the entire Market then go back and purchase.

Aunt Nita

Close to the parking I ran across amazing breakfast tacos courtesy of Aunt Nita.  I had the potato, black bean and cheese.  YUM!!!  Don't forget to add salsa, located at the back of her booth (peek over her left shoulder there).  The green is HOT....I go for the red.  Okay, coffee in hand and a breakfast taco, I'm ready for serious shopping now.

Kate Payne

Heading on I did fairly well looking only on my first round, until I met Kate Payne.   The center aisle of the market features the CPFM booth, meaning THIS is where the awesome demo's are, which feature lots of cool things from the market.  What drew me over was this neat looking book called The Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking.  (Admission here, very private admission....my major in college very technically speaking, was Home Economics.  That is what is on my diploma.  Of course, there is a specialty involved and if you ask me what my major was I'll tell you "human nutrition and food service management" because that sounds so much better.  Until I met Kate, I hadn't figured out how to toss out "home ec" as a cool major, specially after being labelled Becky Homecky for so many years of my life.  Whew made it through that confession.)  So, this very HIP, COOL, Kate with her sunglasses charmed me.  She was making yogurt and talking gardening, herbs, making your own cheese, all these cool things I love to do that were back to basics.  As I thumbed through her book, I fell in love, knowing I was going to be stalking her.  Wait, following or liking via FB or webpages sounds better!  Fell prey to my first purchases, two copies of her book, one for me, one for the library.  Signed up to follow her.  Yea, proud to say I'm a fellow Hipster...check it out.

Onward.  Before finishing my first round, lavender clouded my senses. HUGE fan of this wonderful stress relieving, relaxing smell.  Walked away from the Lavende Farms booth with:  Lavender/apricot/peach tea, Lavender rub for salmon and other yums.  Lotion.  PHENOMENAL!!!!

Directly from lavender heaven I fell upon the hemp booth, touting the rejuvenation properties of raw hemp.  Tried the "butter" in the tubs and ended up buying the one for use on very dry skin and face as well as a lemon grass one.  Oh and grapefruit lip balm as well as tea tree soap.  Pure heaven.  Anything with smells and softening properties is always a winner with me.

Moving on....again.  I'm here for the food, right?  Well.....let me tell you that I found incredible things, wonderful tastes and I'll highlight them in detail in future blogs.  BUT.....carrots.  Flavor galore and in colors???

Grandma's Humus from organic garbanzos...made with fresh lemon juice and garlic.  I could have stood here all day eating this.  I will purchase it from the market, but did find out that HEB carries it as well.  I think this is about my favorite humus ever.  Addicting.

See those golden turnips?  Those are a result of a call to Stacy, who juices them into a daily drink.  But fresh from the ground?  MMmmmm.  I also picked up broccoli, cauliflower, baby bella mushrooms, miniature tomatoes in reds, oranges, yellows and purples as well as lettuces.  Oh, and sprouts.  From a place called Nerd Farms.  How can you not love that?  Add that they are also in Leander as I am.....no brainer. 

And they all added up to be???  That salad on the left ended up being dinner for a couple nights and lunch one day.  The flavor?  Incredible!  I can't emphasize enough, support your local farmers.  It's so much better for you and it helps sustain them and their families.  Give me a call if you want company at the Market.  If I'm in town, I'll join you!