Mineral Wells Pecans

October and November is truly the time for pecan harvesting in the south, and that includes my beloved Texas. There are more memories tied up with my Aunt Irene and Uncle Raymond Stone's pecan trees than I can even bring to mind. Children from every generation played and worked under the beautiful branches of the pecan trees that they cared for over 50 years - from the early 1950s until the mid 2000s - they were a source of income as well as pride and joy!

 

Irene Checking the Pecan Trees

As little kids, we played games under the trees and then helped pick up the pecans when we could. Later it became a serious job. My sister even had to have a fella with whom she was having a first date take her to Irene and Raymond's as soon as they got through eating burgers, probably at the Dairy Queen, because she had to help shell pecans! I wonder who that date was, and IF he ever showed up again? Hmmm?

Every Easter there were colorful bonnets and dresses and dress shirts running around every which way looking for the eggs hidden by the Easter rabbit or the adults after the family got finished with the Easter Sunday meal. The pecan trees held many secret places where you might later find a pink or yellow egg that a grandchild had missed.

Raymond's knowledge of his pecans was enviable. He entered them in shows and competitions held around the county and the Texas Fair. I remember he had a large display of different types of pecans found in Texas and it was very impressive. It always hung in the hallway between the dining room and their bedroom.



Raymond Checking the Pecans Gathered

and Put Into Bed of His Pick-Up

 



He and Irene worked hard seeing that their pecan trees were healthy and produced a good crop each year. Some years were not as good as others, but that is just the way it is, isn't it? It is sad now when we drive by the old homeplace, the trees were taken by fire shortly after they had both died. The Texas heat and summer fires are unrelenting. We are all just glad they were not here to see the devastation. I believe they know and see from where they are, but it would be hard for us to see the hurt in their eyes.

Happy Birthday, Caroline Valentine

Today is my niece's 10th birthday. She was born on Valentine's Day, so it seemed natural that she was named Valentine. She complains however that her special day always falls during the middle of the week; she just needs to get used to celebrating her birthday for several days! She can have a party on the weekend, and cake and ice cream and presents on the 14th, as well.

This picture was taken at Thanksgiving of 2012 in the country around her aunt Sue's in the little community of Lingleville, Erath County, Texas. Her favorite color is pink. She is in the accelerated class of her 5th grade and smart as she can be. She enjoys her brother and sister, their puppy, helping in the kitchen, and making cookies at my house, especially at Christmas.

I used a scrap kit called "Ice Cream and Cake" created by Rainy at Sweetz, and SC_Sketch 321 from Scrapbook Challenges.

Grillin' Granny & One Slice at a Time

Grillin' Granny

and

One Slice at a Time

Sister Ann and Bro-in-Law Gene Cooking
Their Prize Winning Bar-B-Que

at the West Volunteer Fire Department's

15th Bar-B-Que Cook Off in West, Texas.

— with Angie Pruett, Lynn Shivers, Jeff Shivers and Gene Pruett.

 Created with a FREEBIE from Blagovesta Designs

called Flourish Fans.
http://www.facebook.com/DesignsByBlagovesta?ref=ts

Texas Chocolate "Sheath" Cake

First Published Here in 2008

How Hershey's Kisses, Hershey's Cocoa,
and Crisco Make my Cakes Perfect

There are a great number of chocoholics in this world! I guess I have loved chocolate ever since I tasted my first Kiss! Hershey's Kisses turned 100 years old in 2007, having first come on the market in 1907. Wow! They are a favorite of so many, too. But Hershey's chocolate can be found in Kit Kats, Ice Breakers, Almond Joy, Mounds, Twizzlers, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, York Peppermint Patties and more. Whatever your preference, Hershey's chocolate is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.

For Hershey's Kisses birthday, Hershey created "The World's Largest HERSHEY'S KISSES Chocolate" in Hershey, Pennsylvania, The Sweetest Place on Earth. It weighed 30,540 pounds and was wrapped in silver foil with a giant plume. Guinness World Records weighed the giant Kiss at a private birthday party on July 7, 2007 and it was on display at Hershey's Chocolate World through July 12^th of last year.

Hershey's cocoa powder has been a staple in my grandmother's, mother's, and my kitchen since each of us set up housekeeping. Grandma began her marriage in 1919 with a box of the indispensable cocoa powder in her pantry. My stepmother began cooking for her family in 1942 and I began in 1964. I think it's amazing that that little brown box has been with us through all of these years!

According to their website "HERSHEY'S Cocoa debuted in 1894 when Milton Hershey founded Hershey Chocolate Company. The item was initially sold as a beverage mix. In fact, 'Great for Baking' was added to the can as a reminder that Cocoa could be included in baked goods as well. Today most HERSHEY'S Cocoa is used for baking... and it's still great!"

I want to share my recipe for one of the absolutely best chocolate cakes you have ever tasted. My stepmother used to make it for us often, and it is one that at least one of us kids asked for every time we had a special occasion. The cake found its way into the kitchen of my grandmother and aunt Irene often, as well. You can see Grandma Gailey working in her kitchen west of Mineral Wells in the late 1950s.

The cake is laced with the wonderful taste and aroma of cinnamon. Baked in a "sheath" pan - better known as a rectangular 9x13x2-inch baking dish or sheet pan - it is quick to make and very satisfying.

  

Directions and Ingredients

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups plain flour

Place the above ingredients into a large mixing bowl.½ cup Crisco solid vegetable shortening

4 tablespoons Hershey's cocoa powder

1 stick margarine or butter

1 cup water

Bring the above 4 ingredients to a rapid boil in a saucepan. After it comes to a rapid boil, pour it over the sugar and flour mixture. Mix together using an electric mixer.

Add:

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ cup buttermilk

2 eggs

Pour into a prepared oblong baking pan that has been lightly greased with Crisco or butter and lightly floured to prevent sticking. Instead of using Crisco and flour, I sometimes use a no-stick spray such as Pam or Crisco no-stick spray with flour already in it, and then I sprinkle granulated sugar on top of that in the bottom of baking pan.

According to their website, "Crisco® Cooking Spray contains no alcohol and offers 575 servings per can. Also, it combines Crisco 100% Canola Oil with Pillsbury® flour for easier, tastier, and healthier baking."

Bake cake in a 350º oven for 30 minutes, or until it is done. Cake is done when it pulls slightly away from edges of pan and a toothpick placed into center of cake is clean when removed. It can also be tested for doneness when the cake springs back when touched lightly in center.

Icing

4 tablespoons Hershey's cocoa powder

6 tablespoons milk

1 stick butter

1 box confectioner's powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

Chopped pecans or walnuts

Place first 3 ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Then add the confectioner's powdered sugar, vanilla, and nuts.

Ice or frost the cake when both are cool.

I've found all kinds of helpful information at Hershey's. They have videos, baking tips, recipes, gifts, the history of Hershey's, a kids' section and more.

If you love chocolate and cinnamon, you'll love, love, love what we call in our kitchens, this Texas "Sheath" Cake!
Also published by Judy Shubert at Associated Content।

Color in Surfside Beach

Color found in Surfside Beach, Texas

Month of June 2010

Buttery Company in Llano - Food or Hardware?

Llano River Bridge
Texas Hwy. 16 North in heart of city of Llano

Llano is Spanish for "plains," and the double L is pronounced as a Y. However the common pronunciation of Llano by the locals is LAN-OH. The river's north and south forks join near Junction, and from there it flows a hundred miles southeast until draining into the Colorado River.

The City of Llano sits on either side of the Llano River in the heart of Llano County. The area is part of the 1.5 billion-acre Llano Uplift, a geologic phenomenon packed with a variety of mineral deposits that took more than a billion years to form.


Llano County Courthouse

Located in the center of Llano's historic square, the courthouse was built in 1893. It is one of 68 that remain of Texas Courthouses built before 1900. (Historical Marker)



Buttery Company was founded around the year 1900 in Llano, Texas, as "Buttery and Bogusch", a partnership between the original Henry Buttery and Mr. Bogusch. Since then, we have grown to service most of Texas as well as parts of Oklahoma and New Mexico and have diversified into a lumber business, a plumbing supply outlet (Abilene, TX), a power lawn equipment distributor, an electrical supplier, and an extensive farming and ranching supplier in addition to retaining its traditional hardware business.

Initially, Buttery and Bogusch flourished by selling stock on consignment from John Webb & Company, of Austin, Texas. Unfortunately, their practice of granting customers easy credit with long payout terms caused the partnership to run out of both money and goods. After surveying the situation, Mr. Webb declared that what little inventory was left was "not worth hauling back to Austin." Henry's oldest son, Frank, then agreed to accept the partnership's debt and began operations as "J. F. Buttery".


Sources:

Photographs:

Llano River Bridge, Llano, Texas, Texas Hwy. 16 N. Digital Photograph, 2009. Privately held by Judith Richards Shubert, Fort Worth, Texas.

Llano County Courthouse, Llano, Llano County, Texas. Digital Photographs, 2009. Privately held by Judith Richards Shubert, Fort Worth, Texas.

Buttery Company, Llano, Texas, on the Square. Digital Photograph, 2009. Privately held by Judith Richards Shubert, Fort Worth, Texas.

Websites:

Buttery Company - Llano, Texas, http://www.butterycompany.com: accessed October 13, 2009.

City of Llano, s.v. "Historic Landmarks and Tourism" http://www.llanotx.com/tourism.htm:accessed October 13, 2009.

Cactus Grill and the Meridian Chamber of Commerce

Four of the Five Sisters Eating at The Cactus Grill

Fried Fish from The Cactus Grill

I was pleased to receive the following email from Kay Duke of the Meridian Chamber of Commerce a couple of weeks ago. I had contacted the Chamber to tell them about the nice time my sisters and I had eating at the Cactus Grill in downtown Meridian. Ms. Duke so graciously put part of my "critique" in one of their Chamber newsletters.

Here is the link to the Cactus Grill page that I did on the Chamber of Commerce website utilizing your testimonial:Cactus Grill Page.

Thank you again for your email.

Kay Duke
Office Manager
Meridian Chamber of Commerce

Thank you so much, Kay. I hope the Cactus Grill and Meridian have many visitors as a result!

Fun at Fort Worth Cats Baseball Game

Saturday, May 9th, 2009
Fort Worth Cats vs. Wichita Wingnuts
Exhibition Game at LaGrave Field

Dodger
the official Cats' Mascot

Can you find Bob, Peggy, Justin, Caroline, and Mac in the crowd?
I know where they are!

#21 - Kelley Gulledge
Catcher



#13 - Joel Kirsten
Pitcher



#11 - Dustin Cameron
Pitcher
Last played for Pensacola

#44 - Lee Gwaltney
Pitcher

#33 - Jae Jung
Pitcher
Last played for South Korea