Trip Photos: Lockhart, Texas

Our friend, Kristi, had a hankering for more BBQ so on her last day, after visiting the missions, we headed up to Lockhart aka "The BBQ Capital of Texas".




We singled in on Smitty's Market.

These endless stacks of wood are used to fuel the BBQ inside.
As soon as I saw this oven, I knew we were in for a treat!

And sure enough, we were not disappointed!! Everything was absolutely DELICIOUS!!!

My mom only ate a little, Kristi ate more, but I ate the most of all. Yum x 1,000!!!
After the big meal we staggered outside and went to investigate this gingerbread like castle. It turned out to be the Caldwell County Courthouse which had so clearly been impeccably restored.






Who could resist not taking a photo of this chopper!

Trip Photos: Our First Texas BBQ

For weeks (okay, days) all our Chicago friend, Kristi, had been talking about was trying out the famous BBQs scattered throughout Texas. We happened upon our first one on the drive from Ft. Worth to Austin.
The "Worst Bar-B-Q" moniker of Rudy's must be some sort of inside joke because their food was superb! Only later did we learn that they were a chain restaurant but my stomach didn't hold that against them!


This cooler was a glorious site on such a hot day.


Dr. Pepper actually originates from Texas though I remember drinking it as a kid. Kristi said that this version available only in the state of origin is made with cane sugar. It went really well with the BBQ'd meat.
Here's my mom and Kristi enjoying a fine albeit simple meal.

These bags were hanging above our heads throughout the restaurant. We inquired and were told that they keep the flies away. We're not sure how but trust that they do.

BBQ Photos

These photos were shot Saturday evening but I've been ridiculously busy lately.

Prawn skewers
Assorted fruit: Rainer Cherries, Kiwi Fruit, Lichees, Red Grapes
Sharon's magnificent trifle
Clara's Margarita Pie (though Sharon's recipe!)

Summer BBQ

I had the great pleasure to host a family & friends at a BBQ, giving me a chance to introduce (or reintroduce) Danny. Ages ranged from 2 to 84 and [I think] great fun was had by all!



If you think I look more than a little exhausted, you'd be correct. You try entertaining wee ones with boundless energy for several hours! Uncle Wobert [sic] was in fine form!
Being the ingenious guy he is, Danny found a highly effective way to create a huge number of water balloons.
They were the absolute hit of the party, especially amongst the younger set!

How To Make The Perfect Sandwich

Besides the amazing view, one of the best things about my friend's apartment is that he has a BBQ on the outside patio. You're probably not aware, but I was the BBQ King of Sudbury, Ontario when I had a house there between 1990 - 1994. So with a BBQ here and not one back in Vancouver, I'm seizing the opportunity to use it as much as possible.

One of my favourite things to BBQ are Argentinian sausages. I often place them into large Cuban-style buns. Here's a brief primer on how to to make the perfect sandwich:

Toast the buns.

Add your favourite vegetable toppings.

And some cheese, if you wish.

They taste much better than they look here!

Oh, don't forget the lettuce!

So where's the finished product, you ask? I was so hungry that I devoured two of these gems before realizing that I had forgotten to take a photo of them!! :-)

Propane Refill

I love BBQ'ing. Love it, love it, love it! Thankfully Chris has a BBQ at his place. Unfortunately it ran out of propane last week. Today I located a place on the Internet that provides propane refills. I drove up there after buying the chair. It was in NorthWest Miami, a place I had never been to. This clearly isn't the wealthiest part of the city and a vivid reminder that not everyone here has the posh lifestyle that television might lead us to believe.

I was helped by a very nice young Latin fellow, who was very intrigued about Vancouver. And the entire refill was just eight dollars!