Choose From More Than 20 Variations of the Baked Potato at Spud Ranch

The menu at Spud Ranch claims to have "a little something for everybody," and a quick glance suggests that this statement isn't too far off the mark. At this fast-casual eatery in New Braunfels, diners can take their pick from more than 20 variations on the basic baked potato — not that there's anything "basic" about these spuds.

Easily able to feed two, piping-hot baked potatoes at Spud Ranch are sliced down the center, then stuffed to the brim with the diner's choice of ingredients beyond your standard sour cream-and-chives. The teriyaki spud, for instance, overflows with teriyaki chicken, bell peppers, sauteed onions, and steamed broccoli. The hot wing spud is another popular choice; it delivers mouthfuls of buffalo-style chicken, cheddar cheese, and blue cheese.

Diners watching their waistlines can opt for the steamed veggie spud or a garden salad, but Spud Ranch is the kind of place where diets are best checked at the door.

Spud Ranch
118 Common St.
New Braunfels, TX 78130
(830) 387-4466
spudranch.com/locations.html
www.yelp.com/biz/spud-ranch-new-braunfels

Happy Memorial Day!

Wishing everyone a happy Memorial Day as we remember the many heroes who have served our country.

Easy Ways to Introduce More Calcium to Your Diet

Dairy products are usually cited as the main food sources of calcium, which can be difficult for those who are lactose intolerant, vegan, or simply dislike dairy. Luckily there are a number of non-dairy sources of calcium that aren’t as well known, and many of them are quite surprising. Here are a few of the best.

  1. Nuts and seeds. Healthy snacks like nuts and seeds don’t just quell your hunger, they also provide you with a beneficial dose of calcium. Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, and chestnuts are some of the most calcium-rich nuts, and they taste great in salads or on their own. Seeds like tahini, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds are also wonderful sources.
  2. Green vegetables. As if you needed another reason to eat your veggies, many greens are very high in calcium. In fact, it’s much easier for your body to digest vegetables like broccoli, kale, and spinach than it is to digest milk.
  3. Tofu. Everyone’s favorite meat substitute isn’t just a great source of protein, it’s also filled with healthful calcium. Many brands of tofu are fortified with a calcium sulfate, which can easily be found on the ingredient list.

18 Surprising Dairy-Free Sources of Calcium [Greatist]
18 Surprising Dairy-Free Sources of Calcium [HuffPost]
Surprising Calcium Sources for Dairy Haters [Reader’s Digest]

The Gourmet Ice Co.: Cool Off With a Hibiscus Mint Shaved Ice

The Gourmet Ice Co. serves classic Italian shaved ice with a bit of a modern, gourmet twist, and it does it all from an adorable little shop in the heart of New Braunfels. The company started from humble beginnings when it operated out of a refurbished vintage Airstream trailer, but its much larger storefront offers more indoor and outdoor seating and even stays open year-round.

The Gourmet Ice Co. is different from traditional shaved ice shops because its owners make a point to use only healthy, all natural ingredients in all of its small-batch mixes, from natural cane sugar to locally-sourced, organic produce and aromatic dried herbs. The unique list of flavors includes staples like blackberry lavender, chocolate sea salt caramel, and hibiscus mint, as well as a variety of seasonal options that change weekly.

The Gourmet Ice Co. is open noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

The Gourmet Ice Co.
1102 N. Walnut Avenue
New Braunfels, TX 78130
www.thegourmeticeco.com
www.yelp.com/biz/the-gourmet-ice-co-new-braunfels

Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother's Day! How are you planning to celebrate mom today?

New Facebook Sweepstakes! Enter to Win an iPad Mini!

To enter the Sweepstakes, visit our Facebook Page and then look for the Sweepstakes tab (image shown below) located on our Facebook Page to enter. Sweepstakes ends June 30th, 2015. We suggest you like our page to keep informed about future sweepstakes and community happenings.

For mobile users, click here to enter.

Cute and Kitschy Uses for Vintage Tea Towels

Vintage tea towels are a common find at antique stores, flea markets, and thrift shops, and they’re typically as affordable as they are adorable. Here are just a few great ideas for how you can breathe new life into kitschy tea towels.

Lavender Pillow [allaboutyou.com]
Add a fresh, fragrant scent to your closet or drawers by creating this DIY lavender pillow. Choose a towel in your favorite pattern or color, then fill it with dried lavender from the local health food store. Best of all, you can even use iron-on adhesives and bypass the sewing machine.

Tea Towel Tote [simplicity.com]
Craft your own vintage-inspired tote bag by sewing together a few vintage tea towels with a sturdy ribbon as the handles. It only takes very basic sewing skills to get this project right, and you can customize it with button embellishments of your choice.

Tea Towel Blinds [houseandgarden.co.uk]
Stitch a few tea towels together in the dimensions of your window to create eclectic, retro tea towel blinds. Attach the top edge around a wooden baton using sturdy Velcro, then add loops of ribbon to keep the whole thing tied up when it’s not in use.

Resident Referral

We LOVE our residents, so we know we will love your friends too! Need some extra cash? Refer them to Firewheel and receive $250!

Mix & Mingle at Firewheel Apartment Homes today 4-6:30 pm. Come out at Join us tonight!

Do you know anyone looking for a place to call home? If so, invite them to join you at your community happy hour Tuesday from 4 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. It is a great way to show them what all the buzz is about. See you there!

Toast a Special Occasion at Gruene River Grill in New Braunfels

Gruene River Grill is equally suited to casual lunches and special-occasion dinners. This is due, in part, to the eatery's location: It's perched right on the edge of the Guadalupe River, promising water views from many positions with the restaurant, particularly the outdoor patio. Inside, Gruene River Grill boasts soaring ceilings, a working fireplace, plus a wealth of exposed brick and wooden beams that impart a gritty-chic vibe to the space.

As for the food, diners can expect a seafood-centric menu that spans fish tacos and pan-seared tilapia to a gorgonzola burger and country fried steak. All of the above can be preceded with an order of shrimp wontons, fried calamari, spinach-artichoke dip, or another selection from the list of appetizers. Note that many returning visitors direct praise toward Gruene River Grill's strawberry shortcake, which makes use of the eatery's made-from-scratch cream cheese pound cake.

Gruene River Grill
1259 Gruene Road
New Braunfels, TX 78130
(830) 624-2300
gruenerivergrill.com
www.yelp.com/biz/gruene-river-grill-new-braunfels

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