11919 Eastex Fwy
Houston, TX 77039

When we moved from Houston to Oklahoma this was one of the places that I missed going into. This is an authentic Mexican bakery where they claim to make everything from scratch. They say they buy nothing made or use anything frozen. There is something special about picking up a pizza pan with tongs and walking along case after case of pastries to get what you want. Many of the items are only .30 to .70 cents! I usually fill up a tray and cannot carry anymore before I stop myself and go to check out.

In the middle of the store is the refrigerated area with a counter where they will bag up all of your goodies for you. They also get what you want from these cases which are filled with sliced tres leches cakes, puddings and other goodies.

Around the walls and the front window are decorated with cakes. They all have numbers beside them to help you in ordering one for a special occasion. They take special orders on whatever you can think up as well. The specialty here with cake is not over the top fondant but easy whipped icing type of cakes. Piñatas hang from the ceiling making the store very colorful.

Before you check out with all your sweets you should know they have savory items as well. They offer pork or chicken tamales $3.50 for 1/2 dozen or $6.50 for a dozen right by the cashier when you check out. I have tried them both and find them to be authentic and tasty.

After I leave I usually grab something out of the bag to nibble on while driving home. Be careful as most of the items here are not very sweet which can make you eat more than you should. Even though nothing from this bakery is rich or filled with sugar like a normal American bakery they are all still considered pastries loaded with calories. Hope you have fun picking out your pastries!

Spring
103 Midway St
Spring,  TX 77373

When spending a day shopping in Old Town Spring I make this is one of my stops. The menu is only one page long which makes selecting what you want to eat easy. I usually order a burger and fires or onion rings depending on my mood. The fries are hand cut and sometimes limp but they are still fresh potatoes which makes up for that. The burgers are a good size with fresh toppings that slide around as you try to take a bite. If you order the Chicken Fried Chicken you need a big appetite because it is huge, taking up almost the entire plate. The beer bread is yeasty, dense and really good. It is a shame you only get one slice with a dinner entrée. If they brought everyone a loaf they most likely would be more busy. You can however, buy the beer bread mix on your way out the door.

I have never had to wait to be seated or to get service. The food always comes out fast and hot. Their menu is priced a little on the high side which may account for the lack of patrons after the town shops all close. There is little competition during the day for all the shoppers which may be one reason for the prices. The few places to eat make them have captive clients. People need to sit after hours of walking in and out of shops in all kinds of weather. I also think people consider Old Town Spring just for shopping instead of a destination place for food.

As someone who loves nostalgia I don’t just come here for the food. I love history and this building is loaded with it. Wunsche Brothers opened in 1902 as the first building in Spring as a saloon and hotel. It was the last to close during Harris County law of Prohibition. Uncle Charlie Wunsche who lived upstairs until his death in 1935 is said to still haunt the place.

The story of Charlie Wunsche is that he fell in love with a young woman who didn’t love him in return. If you talk to the staff they will all tell you tales of working there including after hours. One staff story is that someone came into the bathroom but there was nobody there. She told me she ran out and does not like to be there alone. Other interesting things I have been told is that the staff gets touched, you can see full bodied apparitions and Uncle Charlie plays around with them. Some believe there is a girl there as well although I cannot find any information to support this.
For more on the history of Old Town Spring read this article
http://www.hauntedchef.com/2011/09/11/old-town-spring/

 

 

Episode 2 http://youtu.be/6CyY1rXUDZ4

Episode 3 http://youtu.be/5KcVR5k4qL0

Episode 4 http://youtu.be/BqS3OwX7-ic

Episode 5 http://youtu.be/nS6sIZVnPRg

To share or not to share that is the question! I really like this recipe and would really like to keep it a secret. On the other hand I am all about sharing all my secrets. haha! Just ask any of my former cake students or friends. So here we go… this is my super duper, top secret, easy peasy pear tart. Now say that 5 times fast! Can’t you tell I have watched way too many cartoons with my kids over the years 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar, divided 1/3 cups each (brown or white)
1 cup flour
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 fresh pears (1-1/4 lb.), peeled, sliced and poached
1/4 cup sliced almonds or walnuts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grease your pie plate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get butter ready

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add flour into bowl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the sugar and mix

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the butter until the dough comes together

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Press in the bottom of pie pan and flute the edges

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next crack an egg into the mixing bowl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beat it with a fork or whisk  and add vanilla

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next into the bowl goes the softened cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mix it up until it is smooth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pour it into the crust

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get every bit in there because it is really good

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poached pears should be ready to cut. Go see my recipe for step by step poaching pears http://www.hauntedchef.com/2011/10/20/poached-pears/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slice up the pears thin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overlap the pears on the tart until the are gone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon and nuts (optional) bake in a preheated 350 oven for 30-35 min

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yummy! All I can say is this is really good!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a refreshing and light way to eat dessert. Enjoy!!!

Do you ever get a craving for chocolate so bad it becomes an emergency? Have you ever gone out in the middle of the night just for chocolate? Try this recipe!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 minute chocolate cake!

4 tablespoons cake flour
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 large egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips
a cap of vanilla

Glaze
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 tablespoon milk warm
a cap of vanilla
2 teaspoons butter * optional to give more flavor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gather your ingredients

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Grab a microwave safe mug

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Measure all dry ingredients to into the mug and stir

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Add the egg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Measure in the milk and oil and mix well

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Add the chocolate chips, vanilla and mix again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put the mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes. The cake can puff above the top of the mug

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Eat it straight out of the mug or plate if desired

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Next gather your ingredients for the glaze

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mix everything together until smooth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Pour it over the top of the cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serve it with whipped Cream

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garnish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The way my son likes to eat his

2111 Norfolk St
Houston, TX 77098

Last weekend we decided to go check out Star Pizza in Montrose. I have been wanting to try it because the ratings have all been really good and I really love pizza. As someone who has eaten food all over the USA I have had the opportunity to try some amazing places including pizza in New York and Chicago.

I really liked that this place is in an old 2 story house that was converted into a business. There is a covered porch along 2 sides of the building with a ramp for handicapped access. Under the awnings are outdoor fans to keep you cool and white christmas lights for evening ambiance. The weather was so nice that we decided to eat in the fresh air outdoors. The hostess told us that the waitress was swamped as we were seated. I knew from reading reviews before going to expect slower service than other pizza places. I was however, pleasantly surprised that the service was better than I expected.

 

To start we ordered the garlic bread with cheese and a side of marinara  which was good. The bread was soft with a nice amount of cheese. We also ordered a half and half on whole wheat, deep dish style pizza. One side was a margarita specialty pizza which had roma tomatoes, garlic, basil, cheese and olive oil. The other side of the pizza was a Ben’s which has ground beef, Italian sausage, pepperoni and ham.

 

Both sides of the pizza turned out to be good. The Ben’s side was the best because it was more flavorful with the fresh marinara being on the top instead of buried under the ingredients. This is the best pizza that I have had in the Houston metro area so far. Sadly, this is not the best I have ever had though. I particularly enjoyed the whole wheat crust and encourage you to try it as a healthier option. You cannot tell it is whole wheat until you get the end of the slice when it really comes through. I am looking forward to the next visit!

 

Three Okla. City paranormal visual analysis inspectors were in town Saturday night. They were here for the night life, and the hereafter life, at the Ranch Room recreation center located in the 100 block of North Main. Ranch Room owner Scotty Hajek said he let them into the building at about 8:30 p.m. and then went to the benefit dance, and they called him at about 1:30 a.m. to say they’d finished. “But they want to come back,” Hajek said.
The three inspectors are members of the Society of the Haunted and have a web site where they discuss and show videos of their paranormal discoveries. “We need to do some further scientific research in Hennessey,” said Kenneth Melton, one of the inspectors, in a phone interview Monday afternoon. “We definitely got some spikes on our meters.” He said in their preliminary visit they first “swept the building” to make sure there wasn’t anyone there who would “mess with us and try to fool us.”

To read more of the article

http://hennesseyclipper.com/ghost-busters-come-to-hennessey-p3451-1.htm

2520 Montrose Blvd
Houston, TX 77006

We had to come check out the famous Niko Niko’s just for dessert. After all Guy Fieri has even been here before. For those of you who do not know Guy is the host of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives ” which is on the food network.  After walking in the door my initial impression was this is a hip place. We did not have to wait long to place our order. Apparently they have many people eat here on a daily basis so they have to be fast.

We ordered baklava which is fillo filled with ground walnuts & cinnamon with honey. It was good as baklava always is. The next thing we ordered was the chocolate koulourakia which are sugar cookies dipped in chocolate & were supposed to be rolled in walnuts but we not. They were exactly like what you would imagine they would taste like but were not very sweet. This would be a perfect ending for someone who just wanted a little something not heavy or sugar laden. The last thing we ordered was the loukoumades which are greek honey balls. I have never had this treat before so I did not expect that they would need to be made only after we ordered them. We sat down to wait on the chef to make them.

Like I said the atmosphere here is upbeat and hip. You feel like you are right next to a college with people pouring in the door the whole time with the line sometimes extending out of the door. I was amazed at how fast the counter people were at getting the new customers ordered and off to their tables. Scanning the restaurant everywhere we looked the food looked good and the patrons seemed happy. The upbeat greek music playing over the speakers was a little loud but fine for they type of place. Proudly displayed on the counter right by the cashier is a greek icon.

Our coaster pager went off letting us know we could pick up our order. Wow were we in for a treat! Imagine eating something like a funnel cake in the shape of a donut hole with powdered sugar over the top. When you pop this hot thing in your mouth unexpectedly it bursts with honey all over the inside of your mouth. YUM! We could not stop eating them. Actually I can see myself sitting there with a cup of coffee and a plate of these little honey balls every morning. We are now looking forward to trying out the savory side of this place! I will be writing another review soon.

 

 

Featured in the book “Ghosts and Legends of Oklahoma” by Mike Ricksecker. He is a friend and the author of Ghosts of Maryland as well.

Here is a description of the book

Explore the paranormal history of Oklahoma through its colorful ghost stories and legends, as well as through the eyes of a renowned paranormal team. Have drinks with outlaw ghosts in an old saloon and tip your hat to the lady spirits upstairs in the bordello. Discover why several professional basketball players fear a hotel in downtown Oklahoma City. Learn about an alternate ending to the life of Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth. Follow the atlas and investigate the famous Stone Lion Inn, the 101 Ranch, Overholser Mansion, and other historic haunted locales throughout the state. This spine-tingling cross-section of Oklahoma’s history includes dozens of tales of Native Americans, the Civil War, famous outlaws, Wild West shows, oil boom towns, railroad legends, deadly tornadoes, and historic Route 66. Haunted Oklahoma awaits you!

Buy an autographed copy from Mike on his personal website

http://www.rrdevelopments.com/mike/

or buy the book on amazon

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0764339435/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=mikericksecke-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0764339435&adid=0GTNNER310JHNXSNTKFQ

We were featured in the Lawton Constitution. I will be posting an article on this investigation later

 

9/17/2011Who you gonna call? Paranormal investigators try to capture spirits at Ramona

ZEKE CAMPFIELD FREDERICK  There’s nothing eerie about the Ramona Theater, but whoever said ghosts had to be spooky anyway? Partly on a hunch and partly for history’s sake, a group of Oklahoma City-based paranormal investigators has targeted the downtown Frederick theater as the site of its next project. Beginning at sunset tonight, members of the Society of the Haunted will use their experience and some expensive, high-tech recording equipment to try to capture any spirits that may or may not exist within the theater’s antique walls. They’re not saying the Ramona is haunted, but members of the Frederick Arts and Humanities Council say the building is definitely a living beast. “You always feel a presence  not scary, not bad, but a presence,” said the council’s president, Dana Greer. “Not this winter but last winter I spent a great deal of time through the winter painting rooms upstairs, painting the downstairs bathrooms. You hear noises, but is it the old building creaking or what?” The Ramona Theater opened as the “Showplace of the Southwest” in 1929, the day before the stock market crash kicked off the Great Depression. For years it was the social centerpiece of town, from its opening night feature  “Gold Diggers on Broadway”  to a series of vaudeville acts during World War II. The theater was closed after “The Sound of Music” premiered in 1965, but the Frederick Arts and Humanities Council has continued to keep it maintained and hosts events there several times throughout the year

To read the rest of the article go to

http://www.swoknews.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=37621&SectionID=11&SubSectionID=99&S=1