Kickin' Central Texas Slaw

Not only is this version of Central Texas Slaw pretty, but it also comes with quite a kick!  The June issue of Southern Living has a fun regional guide for some great slaw's, with the recipe's, so Riff and I decided we're going to give them a go.  (You can find our thoughts on the South Carolina Slaw in the post below.)

The spicy kick of jalapeno earned a bottoms up from Riff and the addition of the cilantro to this slaw is what did it for me.  It was the absolute perfect compliment to our chicken and ribs.  We completely enjoyed the South Carolina Slaw but the Central Texas version is the blue ribbon winner so far.  Try it for yourself!

Central Texas Slaw

Whisk together 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 Tbsp. sugar, 3 to 4 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, 1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt -(I used aged balsamic sea salt), 1/2 tsp. ground coriander,  1/4 tsp. ground cumin, 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper, and 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper -(I used smoked black pepper)- in a large bowl.

Add 2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage;  2 cups thinly sliced white cabbage; 1/2 cup shredded carrot;  1 medium jalapeno pepper (with seeds), thinly sliced; 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced; 1/2 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced.   

Toss to coat. 

Chill 1 hour before serving, tossing occasionally.  

Stir in 1/2 cup (or more!) chopped fresh cilantro just before serving. 

Makes about 4 cups. 

So good but beware - if there is any leftovers, boy does the heat kick up that second day.  Holy fright!

South Carolina Slaw...With a View

Summer time is here, which means deck time and barbecue!  Last weekend was Riff and I's anniversary and we decided that instead of going somewhere and getting each other gifts, we were going to get something for one of our house projects.  

We were hanging out on the deck Saturday morning, having coffee and talking about what a beautiful morning it was.  For a few years now we've been talking about building a bar on to the deck railing and getting a couple of tall bistro chairs, so as we sat there, staring at the railing in our short chairs and sipping our cups of joe, we decided today was the day to do the deed. 

A quick trip to Home Depot for the boards and a stop at Ross for a great score of the bistro chairs and we were all set!

After all that, it's time for a wonderful dinner.  In the latest issue of Southern Living, there is a region-by-region guide, (and recipe's!) for some great slaw's.  Riff and I were looking at them and decided we're going to try them all.  We decided to start with the first one - South Carolina Slaw. 

 We picked up a nice tri-tip and some corn to go with and I put that yummy slaw together.  It was a beautiful thing! Quite delicious, if I do say so myself.

Try some for yourself~

South Carolina Slaw

Place 1/2 head of thinly sliced cabbage (about 1 lb.) and 1 cup of grated carrot in a bowl.  Whisk together 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons dry mustard, 1 teaspoon celery seeds, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, (I used balsamic sea salt instead), and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, (I used smoked black pepper instead), in a saucepan until sugar dissolves;  bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Pour over cabbage and carrots;  toss to coat.

The recipe says serve immediately, but I made mine a couple hours ahead of time and let it chill and get happy.  Yum!

Check back soon for some Central Texas Slaw - spicing it up next time!

Turn the Page...Tuesday

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

by Kim Edwards

This one kept me turning the pages late into the night! Not only was the story intriguing, it was written beautifully as well. One cold winter night, snow falling heavily, Dr. David Henry's wife, Norah, goes into labor. He calls his partner and their nurse and asks them to meet him at the clinic before they head in to the hospital. The roads are slick and when David and Norah arrive at the clinic, he finds that his partner, Dr. Bentley, has slid into a ditch and won't be able to make it. Norah's labor has progressed and there is no time to get to the hospital so David and his nurse Caroline Gill deliver the baby. A healthy boy is born, then much to David's surprise another baby is on the way. When a tiny twin girl with Down Syndrome is born into the world, David is shocked. The year is 1964 and not much is known about Down Syndrome except that the life span of these babies is short. Thinking back to the grief of losing his own sister as a young girl, David makes a split decision and hands the little girl to Caroline, asking her to take the baby to an institution. When Norah awakes, she is told that their baby girl has died. In the days to follow, Norah's grief for the lost baby is immense and, without consulting David, she plans a memorial service and Caroline has disappeared with the baby. David is already regretting his impulse and wants to tell Norah the truth but feels that events are spiraling out of control and that it is too late to reveal his dark secret. As the years go on, the ripples this family secret create effect every aspect of their lives.

All of these characters were very likeable and I had empathy for each and every one of them. David was not at all an evil man, but had given in to his own grief over the loss of his sister and wanted to spare his wife the terrible pain he thought a Down Syndrome baby would cause his family. A split second decision haunted his entire life. Norah greatly grieved the loss of the tiny daughter she never even got to see. Caroline could not leave that sweet baby girl in that terrible place, so disappeared into another city to raise her as her own. So easy to see how a terrible moment like this could result in all the struggles and grief in all of their lives.   I recommend this read.

I really enjoyed the movie as well.  Done quite well and follows the book nicely with a few variations from the novel.

Pop on over to Adrienne's Turn the Page Tuesday to see what others have read this month!

Road Trip Hilarity

And here are a few of the reasons why we love road trips~


(photo by Wendi Dunlap on Flickr)
Testicle Festival!  Have yourself a ball! 
Rocky Mountain Oyster Festival in Montana.  

On a little hike to Oucel Falls, Ryan had his two dogs with us.  The Turd Burglar came up the trail and handed us his card.  I'm still snorting water out of my nose because of this one.  Really?  A Turd Burglar??  Hysterical!