Civic Center Eats

For a couple of years now, I've wanted to go to Civic Center Eats.  It's been my greatest desire to eat from a food truck and since my husband does not share this need, I had to find someone to do it with me.

My original plan was to go over the summer with my kids.  That just never happened.

Then...the season was drawing to a close and I knew I had to make this a reality so I asked Denise from Eat, Play, Love if she would meet me for a play date.  I knew that if I asked someone to do it with me, I'd actually go through with it.

She said yes and we had a great time!  There is so much to choose from but we went with The Denver Biscuit Truck and we were not disappointed!

I had real southern Sweet Tea for the first time and it was so good!  I need to learn to make this myself.  Have you ever had this before?  I posted the picture on Instagram and discovered that most everyone has tried it at least once and that I'd been deprived my whole life!

My biscuit was to die for!  It's called The Franklin and contained Fried Chicken, Bacon, Cheese and Gravy.  HEAVEN! Their menu looks amazing and I can't wait to try something else.
 
The good news is that you don't have to chase down the truck to get some good southern food.  They have an actual restaurant and you can visit it any time you want.

Denver Biscuit Co.
3237 E Colfax
Denver, CO
Website 
Facebook
@DenverBiscuitCo

 

I think the next truck I want to try is the Tots Truck!  It looked like someone my kids might like too!

Join me next season at Civic Center Eats, almost every Tuesday and Thursday from June until September.

What is a Legume?

I like the word legume.  I like saying it and writing and mostly.....I like eating them!

If you are wondering what a legume is, I have an answer for you.  Here is a list:

• Baby Lima Bean
• Black Bean
• Black-eyed Peas
• Boston Bean
• Boston Navy Bean
• Cannellini Bean
• Chickpeas
• Chili Bean
• Fava Bean
• Great Northern Bean
• Green Beans
• Kidney Beans
• Lentils
• Lima Bean
• Mung Bean
• Navy Bean
• Pea Bean
• Peanuts
• Pinto Bean
• Red Bean
• Red Kidney Bean
• Snow Peas
• Southern Peas
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Soybean
• Wax Bean
• White Kidney Bean

Happy Coffee

My kids have been in school for several weeks now so you'd think I would be busy knocking things off from my Foodie Bucket List.

The PTA has prevented me from doing much of that but I'm about to correct that real quick.

Two weeks ago, has it really been two weeks ago?  I made plans to visit the Civic Center Eats Food Truck Extravaganza with my friend Denise from Eat, Play, Love.  But first I had to so to the Girl Scout Store and buy my daughter her first Daisy uniform.

I had a little time, so I checked with Yelp and asked it where the closest coffee shop was located.

It told me to go to Happy Coffee.

So I did.

 

Super cute little place with a pastry case that looked amazing.  I think I spied some homemade Pop Tarts!  I ordered a cappuccino and it was delightful!  Yummy coffee means a happy Mama!

 Happy Coffee

1 South Broadway

Denver, CO

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Chocolate Cream Cheese Pie

When I was growing up my Dad got his pilot's license and many of his practice flights took him to the Cheyenne Airport. There was a little restaurant a few blocks away called The Owl Inn that had the most amazing Chocolate Cream Cheese Pie.

The last time I had a slice was in 1994.   I really, really miss that pie!

I decided that I'm accomplished enough in the kitchen now to figure out how to make it....or at least come close.  I came extremely close!  One bite and I was 14 years old again!

I am not good at pie crust...it's a skill I need to work on so I just use Pillsbury unbaked pie crust and bake it myself. Easy Peasy!

Chocolate Cream Cheese Pie

inspired by The Owl Inn

• Pie Crust, purchased or homemade 

• 2 8oz blocks of Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 container Cool Whip, thawed
• 1 tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract

• 1 1/2 cups Chocolate Pudding, purchased or homemade
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

• 2 cups Heavy Cream
• 1 -2 tablespoons Sugar
• 1-2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

Bake the crust in a 9 inch pie pan according to package directions.  Cool.

Layer 1:
Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a stand mixer with the flat beater.  Once it's incorporated, add the cool whip and vanilla extract.  Put cream cheese mixture into cooled pie crust.  Chill for one hour.

Layer 2:
Apply the chocolate pudding to your cream cheese layer and then add a layer of chocolate chips.

Layer 3:
Make Whipped Cream.  Put cold heavy cream  in mixing bowl.  Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract per cup of cream, and 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar  Adjust to taste. With an electric hand mixer or a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat cream.  Start slowly -- if you set it on high at first, you'll have cream all over the place. Set the mixer so it goes as fast as possible without splashing.

As the cream thickens, turn the speed up. As it gets foamier, start checking for a soft peak, which is what you want. The peak should bend over at the top when you remove the whisk.

Add the whipped cream to the top of your pie.  Chill for another hour before serving. Enjoy!

Summer Salads

I'm reading The Omni Diet and it made me realize that part of my problem with trying to lose weight is that I'm not eating enough vegetables.  The book recommends 30% protein and 70% veggies.  I've got some adjustments to make!

Yesterday, iKeith smoked and grilled ribs.  He smokes them first for about 6 hours on a low heat and then finishes them on the grill.  They are amazing!

I decided that we needed TWO veggie dishes and that I needed to use some of my fresh herbs that I planted recently.  A little goggling revealed that Mint and Zucchini go really well together.

Zucchini and Mint Salad

3 medium Zucchini, sliced thinly
10 Mint leaves, chiffonade
1.5 tablespoons Olive Oil
Zest from Lemon
Juice from 1/2 a Lemon
Salt

Thinly slice the Zucchini using a knife or a mandolin.  Roll the mint leaves into a cylinder and slice thinly into little strips. Put the Zucchini and Mint into a bowl and add the olive oil, mix.  Zest a lemon into the bowl, then cut it in half and squeeze the juice from one half into the bowl.  Salt to taste.

Tomato and Basil Salad

1 Container of Cherry Tomatoes, halved
10-15 Basil Leaves, chiffonade
1.5 tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt

Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and put them in a serving bowl.  Roll the basil leaves cylinder and slice thinly into little strips.  Add the basil to the bowl and add the olive oil and salt to taste. Serve to your hungry family.  Kids love this one!

CSA Basket Week One

One of the parents at my school owns a few business that deal in organic vegetables and fruit.  She even owns a Hydrophonic Farm that I'm hoping to tour with the kids in a few weeks.  She graciously started a CSA at my school for the summer and I'm so excited about it.

It's a pilot program at the moment with just families from our Kindergarten class but if it works out, we'll open it up to the whole school!

I've always wanted to participate in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) so I'm really excited about it.  I can't wait to see what kinds of things we get and what I can do with them.

Here is our first basket!

This week's basket contains: Dozen Eggs, Curly Kale, Mixed Salad Greens, Bibb lettuce,  Gala Apples, Mini Seedless Watermelon, Limes, Rainbow Carrots, Red Onion, French Fingerling Potatoes, and Celery.

I don't think I've ever purchased Curly Kale before.  Does anyone know what the difference is?

What I Ate in San Francisco

I don't mind spending money on food if the food is good!  But I don't like spending too much money on food for my kids because they eat like little birds and they are hungry again an hour later.  On our trip to San Francisco I found many places that were a good value.  The key here is to do your research.  Many restaurants post their menus online and Yelp was super helpful also.

Sunday  

Fishermen's Grotto on Fisherman's Wharf, built in 1935 was the first sit down restaurant on the wharf and is a great place to sit on the patio, people watch and eat a big bowl of chowder in a bread bowl. Kids meals here are under $10 and large and filling.

Monday 

One of my favorite food days!  When searching Yelp for good restaurants to try I stumbled upon Darren's.  It was a block from my hotel and served breakfast and lunch.  It's a Vietnamese place so they have all of your Asian favorites and breakfast food too.  Kids had pancakes and I had a bowl of Pho!  It was amazing!

This was also the day I visited Trader Joe's and bought breakfast and snacks for our hotel room.  At lunch time the kids and I were shopping on Pier 39 and they just wanted a snack.  We sat on the patio at the California Wines Bar.  I enjoyed a Pinot Noir flight and we shared a fruit and cheese plate with a bottomless basket of sourdough bread. 

Tuesday

We were on the run all day!  Our lunch meal was at the Academy Cafe at the California Academy of Science.  This meal was not affordable but it was fun!  They offer a multicultural menu with  highlights including spring rolls, paninis, tacos and fresh pastries.  Grab a tray and go from station to station until you find something that strikes your fancy.  I had Mac and Cheese and began my obsession with Chinese Pork Buns.

For dinner we ate at a Tian Sing near Union Square.  It wasn't crowded and was very good.  I tried a new dish that I would never have ordered....Tripe!  Surprisingly good!  The prices are good and the choices are great!

Wednesday

The kids and I were at The Exploratorium and even though they have a restaurant, I really wanted to visit The Ferry Building again.  We walked (forever according my children) and watched lots of people jogging which just made me hungrier!  Unfortunately, we arrived right as all of the people in the financial district were there to eat lunch so the lines were long. We found a hidden corner with a coffee shop where I let the kids eat apple turnovers and cookies for lunch. I had a Carnitas Empanada and I loved it!

Walking back through we found Boccalone Salumeria and bought a salami cone so that kids could have some protein.  I had some special salami sliced for iKeith because I know how much he loves meat!

Then I spotted the Blue Bottle Coffee Co and I wanted to try it so I got a cup of joe and a cup of milk and then the kids and I bought a couple Macarons at Miette.

I scoured the menus for the restaurants at Pier 39 and the best value for kids and adults is the Pier Market. Make sure you print out their coupons before you leave and you can get several kids meals free during your stay.

Thursday

You can not go to California and not eat at In-N-Out.  My kids loved it!  I'm going to call this THE best value on the wharf because they don't seem to be hiking up the prices because of their location.  I'm looking at you Denny's and your $12 Grand Slam.

After taking a boat tour of the bay, we made our way to Ghiradelli Square.  After a little light shopping, we were on our way back to the hotel when I found the most adorable cafe.  I needed some caffeine so we stopped in for a snack and I did something I've never done before.  I ordered a Cappuccino!

The Black Point Cafe made me fall in love with Cappuccino! I loved it so much that I made iKeith come back with me the next day to have one.  He loved it too.  According to yelp, they are known for their Lavendar Lattes, I'll have to try one when I go back.

Keith and I like trying different cuisine so I searched Yelp again and came up with Stroganoff.  A cute little Russian restaurant across the street from our hotel! We enjoyed a appetizer of Beef Tongue with mushroom sauce and I loved the Beef Stroganoff.  Keith liked the Russian Beer and we had a fun dessert.

Last but not least.  We found a great ice cream place called Normans.  It's in the Cannery and only takes cash.  iKeith had Rocky Road and we learned that good Rocky Road is made with walnuts and that is how it used to be made many years ago.

I hope you enjoyed my foodie tour of San Francisco! Coming up next....Food of Ventura Beach!

How I Saved $200 on Food on Vacation

When we traveled to San Francisco recently, our hotel (who shall remain nameless) did not have a refrigerator in the room.  I believe this is an attempt to extract every last penny from your bank account so that you are forced to eat breakfast out for every single meal which can run you $45 a day, even at Denny's.  Yes.  You heard me correctly, $12.99 for a Grand Slam.

I found a way to beat the system and give those folks at the Inn the middle finger.

First, I always travel with gallon zip lock bags because my daughter gets motion sick and you never know when she's going to hurl.  Plus, they are great for keeping wet swim suits separated from other items in your suit case.

Next, I found a Trader Joe's within walking distance and purchased cereal, milk, peanut butter, bread, brie, crackers, chips and a bunch of other things like wine.  They also had an awesome soft sided cooler for $6.99 that was perfect for what I was about to do!

This also came in handy to transport all of the kids souvenirs home on the airplane.

I put all of the perishable items in the cooler and filled zip lock bags with ice.  Each day, I'd replace the ice and our milk and cheese stayed perfectly cool!

 

We had breakfast each morning and snacks for our entire stay! 

Thanks Trader Joe's for saving the day!

Come back tomorrow to see where we ate in San Francisco! 

Disclaimer: I was not paid to write about Trader Joe's.  I'm just smarter than the average mom and know how to save money.

Ink! Coffee

I love this place!  From the funny signs on the coffee beans to the fantastic iced coffee...it's my kind of place! 

618 16th Street on the 16th Street Mall
Denver, CO
@inkcoffee

Food Trucks

My son made this picture of a food truck a few months ago when we were at a restaurant. I can't wait to take him to a real food truck this summer. So that means it's time to make a list of places we want to visit.

First on my list is Pink Tank.  I'm after some Chicken and Waffles after I having them at  Elitch Garden's VIP event a few weeks ago!  I'll list the rest in bullet points because that's how I do things.

• Pink Tank
• Manna From Heaven Gourmet Food Truck
• Baba's Falafel
• Baba & Pop's Kitchen
• Denver Caveman
• Basic Kneads Pizza
• Biscuit Bus
• Capt'n Crabby
• Denver Pie Truck
• Panna Cotta Peddler
• PInche Tacos
• Sully's Slice Truck
• Uber Sausage

Do you have a food truck recommendation for me?

The New Twinkie

I was on my way to my first PTA board meeting yesterday and I wanted a fountain Pepsi with those little bitty ice cubes.  My favorite convenience store is on the way to my co-president's house so I swung in for a drink.

I was checking out when I saw something familiar!  My heart began to race!  Could it be?  A Twinkie replacement?  From Little Debbie?

I grabbed a package and ran to my car.  Well....I paid for them first.  Don't want to see my name in the paper.  PTA President steals Twinkie like dessert from convenience store! I ripped the package open as pulled out of the parking lot and started to take small bites.  I have a bad habit of sneaking treats in the car.

Yes, fluffy cake....creamy center.  Euphoria when it touches your tongue.  Lump in your stomach when you finish.  YES!!  This tastes just like the Twinkie of my childhood! 

When you're ready come and get it!  Cloud Cakes for the win!

Disclosure:  I was not paid or compensated for this article about Twinkies.  Little Debbie is not sending me a box of sweet sponge cake and they don't even know who I am.  Also, my husband doesn't know I eat in the car.  Shhhhh.....

Hold My Coffee

Some days...I need the Trenta size coffee from Starbucks.  They really should rename them Mommy Sized. 

We were walking around Best Buy the other day so that we could get a TIVO.  We're getting rid of cable and we can't just get an antenna, we have to have ELECTRONICS.

Anyway, I asked Alex to hold my coffee for a minute and you'd have thought I'd asked him to hold a snake!

You can just see the terror on his face! 

CHOBANI Flip Yogurt

A few weeks ago, I was at Target buying my husband some yogurt (and $100 worth of other stuff I didn't know I needed) when I came across some new to me yogurts from CHOBANI.  According to their website blog, these came out in September 2012.  My husband likes the other yogurt with the side car that I won't name today but it rhymes with Gage, I think.  Actually I have no idea how to pronounced that yogurt.

I like making my husband try new things and then fill out a survey for me.  The one I made for the different flavors of this yogurt went something like this.

On a Scale from 1-5 (5 being best) please rate the product:

Taste           1     2       3       4        5 
Texture       1     2       3       4        5
Sweetness   1     2       3      4         5

Do you like this yogurt better than your regular yogurt?   YES    NO
How likely are you to eat this yogurt again?  VERY LIKELY    NOT LIKELY
Do you want to go on a date with me?   YES     NO

There was only one problem with this plan.  The guy doesn't own a pen.  He has iPhones and iPads and takes notes with those things.  He is completely paper-less. He ended up texting the results to me and I filled out the forms.  This may be a problem in his future employment as a Rookie Foodie Taste Tester.

I also checked each yogurt in my favorite app.  Fooducate!

The Almond Coco Loco was a favorite.  It is very sweet and the little dark chocolate chunks are a surprise.  Keith decided he'd be very likely to eat this again and would like to go on a date with me.

 

The Honey Bee Nana is not as sweet but he wasn't a huge fan of the banana stuff.  Keith said he'd still eat it again so it must not have been that bad! 

When I brought this one home, I bought two.  I love key lime anything and I wanted to try this one also.  We both really liked it, (i loved it) and could see eating it in place of dessert.  I often eat it for breakfast, because doesn't LOVE having dessert for breakfast! 

 Look at this!  Peachy Pistachio with dark chocolate chunks is a A- on Fooducate!  I like this one but I wish that the pistachios were chopped.  Keith likes this one too.

I recently found a Blueberry one that I forgot to take a picture of, but that's okay because Keith didn't really like it.  

Fooducate gives it an A rating and Keith did like the chia and hemp seeds but didn't like the yogurt.

Have you tried CHOBANI Flips yet? 

Disclaimer:  I was not paid to taste and or report on this product.  I bought all of the yogurt myself and all opinions are mine and the Rookie Foodie Taste Testers.

Cravings

We found ourselves a wee bit early for Mary Poppins last night so we skipped on down a block from the Buell and had a little dessert at Crave Dessert Bar and Lounge.

We were thrilled to walk in and find a friendly and familiar face!  It was our favorite waiter ever!  Jim from The Big Easy (sadly, The Big Easy went out of business shortly after our visit) that was so great with out kids. 

The kids each picked a French Macaroon, their first time ever trying them and even though Alex's cookie perfectly matched his outfit, he scarfed it down and declared that it was terrible.  Well...at least he ate the whole thing!  Mallory loved it and asked for another.

I'm now on a mission to find a French Macaroon that Alex will like!

Keith and I decided to share a dessert because we'd been eating like little piggies all weekend!

We selected the Mile High Layer Cake and it was the most delicious thing I've been in a long time.  Keith was wishing he had ordered his own but I explained to him that sharing is more fun.

Espresso Flourless Cake with Caramel Mousse and Brueed Banana, Caramel Sauce, Frangelico Chantilly and Baileys Ice Cream.

Crave is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.  They also serve Sunday Brunch!  

Crave Dessert Bar and Lounge

891 14th Street

Denver, CO 80202
Twitter: @cravebardenver

Mon-Thur 6:30am-11pm

Friday  6:30am-12am

Saturday 8:30am-12am

Sunday 8:30am-10pm

Got Wood?

Do you have a family member that is very interested in the environment and hugs trees? Does your best friend live in Boulder? In a tree house? I have the perfect gift card for your friend.

This gift card from STARBUCKS is make out of wood.  I think you can plant it in your yard when you're done with it so it can return to nature.  I think I'd call that the gift that keeps on giving!

Disclosure:  I was not compensated for this post about green leafy STARBUCKS gift cards.  I just like to share exciting developments with my granola liberal environmentally aware readers.

Mexican Meatball Soup

Once and a while, I watch the Today Show in the morning.  It feels like an indulgence to have the TV on while I should be doing things like cleaning or exercising.  I don't know if they do a cooking segment every day but I sometimes get lucky and see something really great being made.

Back in February, Marcela Valladolid was on the show and she made a meatball soup called Beef albondigas.  It looked like something my husband would love so I wrote the recipe down.  I looked at it several times over the next few weeks and decided a few things were missing.

So...here is Marcela's recipe but with my own touch to it.

Mexican Meatball Soup
adapted from Marcela Valladolid's recipe

1/2 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup white onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped
1 cup celery, finely chopped
14 oz can crushed tomato
6 cups of chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cumin
1-2 serrano chile
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup cilantro, chopped

In a large mixing bowl, mix the ground beef and pork, cilantro, egg, salt and pepper by hand until everything is mixed together.  Using a spoon, measure 1 tablespoon of meat mixture.  Roll into meatballs and set on a plate.

In a large pot, heat vegetable oil on medium heat.  Add onion and tomato past.  Add carrots and celery.  Saute until soft and 3 minutes.  Add chicken brother and crushed tomatoes.  Bring to a boil, add meatballs, bay leaf, peppers and corn.  Simmer for 30 minutes or more.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with warmed tortillas.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Buick Discovery Tour Swag Bag

Congrats to Macey, swag bag winner extraordinaire! 

Keith and I had an amazing time at The Buick Discovery Tour on Sunday.  We test drove cars and had a culinary experience like no other!  To read all about it, click here to visit The Young and The Relentless.

Keith is giving one of my lucky readers his swag from the event.  Here is what you get!

• An autographed copy of How to Roast a Lamb by Michael Psilakis.
• May 2013 copy of Food & Wine Magazine
• 3.5 oz bar of dark chocolate with a touch of sea salt.
• All of the recipe cards from The Buick Discovery Tour.

Don't forget to follow my blog so that you don't miss the recipes when I make them....and to find out if you're a winner!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

illy latte macchiato

I love coffee.

I like it hot, I like it cold.  I like it black, I like it sweet.

I mostly like it dark and loaded with cream!

I also like coffee on the go.  Especially when I'm on a road trip and I'm in Kansas and I don't know when I'll see a Starbucks again.

illy issimo latte macchiato is coming on my next road trip with me. This would also be perfect to stash in your purse when you're chaperoning a Kindergarten Field Trip and you need a shot of caffeine!

It's smooth and delicious and only 110 calories.  It's also all natural with 100% percent Arabica coffee; sweetened with beet sugar and has zero preservatives! 

If you try this lovely beverage and decide that you love it and can't live without it, you can buy it on Amazon.  What can't you buy on Amazon these days?




Disclaimer: I have not been compensated for writing about my love of illy coffee.  I love coffee and I don't care who knows it.

Gluten-Free Tea Party

My dear friend and PTA Co-Chair is having a baby boy in a couple weeks.  She didn't want a baby shower so instead my friend Heather and I decided to have a small gathering of our friends and drink some tea.  There were also Mimosas because it was the weekend and weekends are made for champs and orange juice.

Jennifer's 6 year old daughter was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in January and she was going to be attending the party with her her mother so I wanted to make sure we had things that she could eat.

I made egg salad and cucumber sandwiches.  I'm about to reveal the two secret ingredients to my world famous egg salad.  Are you ready?  After chopping up the eggs...add a small squirt of Dijon mustard and a sprinkle of sugar.  I made the cucumber sandwiches with whipped cream cheese and very thinly sliced cucumbers.   I love the UDI White Bread and it worked out great!

My friend Heather hosted the party with me and she took my Gluten-Free Theme and ran with it! She made cupcakes, they are from a mix but she added lemon extract and they were delicious! Her chocolate chip cookies were the best I've ever had!  She also found a great assortment of GF chips and other snacks for the kids.

A fruit and veggie tray provided by our friend Debbie and the party was complete!

The china we used for the party was purchased on Ebay when I was pregnant with my son.  I wanted a Tea Party Shower so badly but my gay brother in law ended up hosting my shower because I didn't have any friends and it didn't work out.  This china will always remind me of my first pregnancy and I love using it.  Perhaps I should use it more often....like on a random Tuesday.

Shipley's Do-nuts

Have you heard about Shipley's Do-Nuts?  If you live in the south you probably have.  Apparently, they have been around for 76 years.

When I travel I really like to eat things that are local and that I can not get in my home state.  Like I told you before, my folks have lived in Texas for 16 years and somehow I hadn't heard of Shipley's before.  I think my family was holding out on me. 

My sister ran to the closest Shipley's with my daughter on a beautiful (but cold) Sunday morning and my daughter was enthralled!  She thought that the store was pretty and that the selection was vast.

The person that helped them, handed her a bag of donut holes for free.  She was very excited to open the bag when she arrived back at her Grandparents house because the girl has never seen a do-nut hole before!

I've eaten a lot of do-nuts in my day.  They are one of my favorite treats and many of my childhood memories revolve around these wonderful dough pastries.  Shipley's Do-Nuts are the closest to the do-nuts of my childhood that I have ever come across. 

I was so happy that my kids were able to experience them and now we have a do-nut memory from Grandma and Grandpa's house. 

Do you have a favorite donut shop from your state? 

If you would like to try Shipley's you can find their locations on their website.  They are also on facebook and twitter.

Disclaimer: I was not paid to write about Shipley's Do-Nuts, but if given the chance I would blog for donuts.

Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que

My Mom and Dad moved to Dallas from Colorado in 1997.  I've visited them several times over the last 16 years but we've never been to Ft. Worth.  You might find this hard to believe but I used to be a red-neck.

When my parents moved, I was living on a 660 acre ranch in a little community on the Pawnee Grasslands.  I had cows, dogs, cats and a huge garden.  I drove a truck and hauled water into my house from the stock tanks when my well caved in.

In other words, this isn't my first rodeo!

I knew my kids would enjoy the real cowboy experience and I was right!  Within 20 minutes of hitting main street, my kids had a stick horse, a cowboy hat and a couple of us had sat on a cow.

We knew for sure that to top off our real cowboy experience, we wanted some good bar-b-que! There were many place to choose from but we went the place with PIT in it's name.

We were not disappointed!  Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-b-Que was exactly what we wanted and I was thrilled that we'd picked this place without even doing any research.  I went by the seat of my pants which is totally unlike me.  I'm a planner.

We walked in the door to find the pit and a list of meat that was available for purchase by the pound.  Keith and I both really like ribs so I got the pork and he got the beef.  The kids meal came with a choice of brisket or sausage.  Both of my kids loved their choices and wanted more!

Once your meat is selected you walk into the dinning room but first you get to pick a couple sides to go with your meal.  All meals come with beans and bread but you can buy some other goodies like potato salad, corn, pickles and mac and cheese with jalapenos and bacon.  For dessert there is a selection of cobblers.  We got the peach and it was wonderful!

To wash it all down you can choose a soft drink or pop, depending on where you're from or a ice cold beer.

Can I interest you in a Hot Jalapeno Pepper?