May this autumn bring you a harvest of fun times and laughter with family and friends!
Chago’s: Taste Puerto Rican Cuisine in Austin
September 22, 2016 by
Taste Puerto Rican cuisine in Austin at Chago's. Chef Chago creates an authentic take on the cuisine, building a menu that features dishes like fried pork chop with rice and beans, beer braised chicken with sweet plantains, and slow roasted pulled pork with pigeon peas. You can’t leave Chago’s without trying the Mofongo, which is made from mashed fried green plantains and pork crackling. If you come in for lunch, you may also want to try the restaurant’s Cuban sandwich, winner of Austin Chronicle’s 2012 “Critics Cuban Sandwich Smackdown.” (There are gluten free options available, as well.)
Come in for lunch, dinner, or a pina colada. The family-owned and -operated restaurant opens at 11 a.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Visit its website to find out more.
Chago’s
7301 North Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78752
(512) 275-6013
www.chagos.biz
www.yelp.com/biz/chagos-austin
Salata: Making Lunchtime a Little Healthier With Salads and Wraps
September 15, 2016 by
If you’re looking for a place to make your lunchtime meals a bit healthier, Salata is a great option in the North Austin area. This grab-and-go salad bar offers customizable salads, wraps, and made-in-house dressings and sauces that give everything major flavor. All of the veggies and proteins are prepped fresh daily, and everything on the menu is gluten free.
Salata runs like a well-oiled machine, with friendly employees tossing large salad bowls from behind a long, colorful salad bar filled with greens, vegetables, and an assortment of toppings. There are a number of different soups that change from day to day, and the selection of fresh juices complements the eatery's health-conscious menu.
Inside, Salata’s bright green dining room features light wood booths and tables where guests can enjoy both the lunch and the free Wi-Fi. Customers can even order their meals online and pick them up in person for added convenience on a busy work day!
Salata
10515 N. Mopac Expressway
Austin, TX 78759
(512) 487-5497
www.salata.com
www.yelp.com/biz/salata-austin
Delicious Football-Themed Desserts for Game Day
September 15, 2016 by
Whether you’re hosting your own football viewing party or attending a game day potluck at a friend’s house, there are a number of football-themed desserts that your fellow fans will love. Here are three great recipes that will sweeten up the big game.
Pumpkin Football Cakes [bhg.com]
The pumpkin flavor makes these whoopie pie-style cakes perfect for the fall season, and their football shape makes them feel truly festive. This simple recipe even shows you how to make your own buttercream frosting for the football’s stitches.
Pull Apart Touchdown Cupcakes [foodnetwork.com]
Create a miniature replica of the football field using delicious cupcakes with this fun and creative DIY recipe. Bright green icing with white details create the field itself, while cookie sticks, gummy candies, and marshmallows add the teams and the finishing touches.
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Footballs [domesticfits.com]
While you might think of chocolate covered strawberries as an elegant dessert, this cute and quirky recipe brings them down to earth just in time for the big game. By simply melting white chocolate, you can use it to transform the strawberries into realistic footballs that your guests will adore. Because this recipe doesn’t require any baking, this is one that the kids can even help make!
Jack Allen’s Kitchen: Fresh, Local Texan Cuisine
September 9, 2016 by
Refined Southern fare flavors combine with Southwestern spices to create delicious and memorable meals at Jack Allen’s Kitchen. Nearly all of the ingredients here are fresh and locally sourced, making the Texas dining experience even more authentic.
Each meal begins with a plate of pimento cheese and flatbread crackers, and seasonal cocktails are available, along with wines and beer. Brunch comes highly recommended by Yelp reviewers. Try the Baja fish tacos or the green chile pork tacos, both served with corn tortillas, black beans, rice, guacamole and pico de gallo.
Jack’s is open daily. Do make a reservation or arrive early; otherwise, you might need to wait to be seated.
Jack Allen’s Kitchen
7720 Highway 71 West
Austin, TX 78735
512-852-8558
www.jackallenskitchen.com
www.yelp.com/biz/jack-allens-kitchen-round-rock
Don’t Skip the Naan Wraps at Chicken Lollypop in Austin
September 1, 2016 by
Chicken Lollypop combines the cuisines of two cultures to create a flavor-filled dining experience in Austin. This small cafe serves Chinese-Indian fusion fare, boasting a succinct menu of sandwiches, wraps, soups, signature entrees, and fried rice.
The naan wraps are a popular choice here. Chef Imitiaz Shaikh cooks chicken or paneer (Indian cheese) in a Szechuan sauce and wraps it in naan with green chutney and a yogurt sauce. The chef also cooks chicken breast in a house ginger sauce and pairs shrimp with spicy Manchurian sauce. You can add such signature house items as sautéed spinach and herbs and Bombay potatoes with green peas and spices. While the flavor in each dish is great, the price is even better. Menu items are $10.99 and below.
You’ll find Chicken Lollypop inside the East Braker Lane Food Mart. The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Chicken Lollypop
1005 E. Braker Lane
Austin, TX 78753
(512) 909-9826
www.facebook.com/Chicken-Lollypop-619479071400593/
www.yelp.com/biz/chicken-lollypop-austin
Don’t Miss the Sausages at The Salt Lick
August 25, 2016 by
Margaritas, Music, and Meat. That's what you can expect at The Salt Lick on the weekend. Oak trees stretch out over the stone patio, offering some shade from the glaring Texan sun while live musicians play tunes, customers suck down margaritas, and servers bring out plates full of The Salt Lick's signature barbecue fare at each week's Margaritas, Music, and Meat event.
There's really no bad time to visit this beloved Round Rock eatery, though. No matter when you do, you'll be able to indulge in its smoky food, including the wildly popular sausages. More than 200 Yelp reviewers rave about the sausages, which you can get alone on a platter with potato salad, coleslaw, and beans or combined with other barbecue fare such as brisket or pork ribs. You can also order the sausage in sandwich form. But some people wouldn't mind skipping the main course all together for The Salt Lick's classic sides: beans, coleslaw, and potato salad. You can get them by the pint, quart, or even the gallon.
The Salt Lick
3350 Palm Valley Boulevard
Round Rock, TX 78665
(512) 386-1044
www.saltlickbbq.com/pages/Round-Rock.html
www.yelp.com/biz/the-salt-lick-bbq-round-rock
Speed Through Household Chores With These Cleaning Shortcuts
August 18, 2016 by
The faster you get your cleaning done, the more time you’ll have to spend time with friends and family. The trick to quick cleaning is to have a system and to stick to it. Set a time limit for each room and you’ll be finished before you know it. Follow these tips for quick and efficient cleaning!
- Keep up with daily cleaning tasks to help maintain your home's tidiness. By doing simple tasks every day, the cleaning will be much easier and not be so overwhelming.
- Use a tote or bucket to keep all your cleaning supplies in. You can bring this from room to room and you won’t need to waste time searching for the supplies you need.
- Use a vacuum to clean all of your floor surfaces. You should also use an extension cord for the vacuum to allow you to reach multiple areas without taking the time to keep plugging it in.
- On your shower walls and door, use a squeegee after every use. This will prevent soap scum and water spots later on.
- Focus on what you are cleaning and cut out anything that might distract you, e.g., your phone and the TV!
13 Tips to Help You Speed-Clean Your Home [Better Homes and Gardens]
Clean Your House in Less Than an Hour [Woman’s Day]
Speed Cleaning: Tips For Fast & Efficient Housekeeping [The Inspired Room]
Thirsty Planet: Tour an Austin Brewery
August 11, 2016 by
Austin’s Thirsty Planet is an environmentally conscious brewery with a spacious bar area, making it must-see spot for area beer aficionados and eco-friendly residents alike.
Each visit begins with a tour of the impressive brewery, which includes an incredibly detailed description of each step in the green brewing process. Visitors get a glimpse of all of the large tanks and machines used to brew Thirsty Planet’s tasty beers, and after the tour is over you get to taste them as well. Just $7 gets you three drink tickets to drink any of the brewery’s beers in the bar area, and there’s even a spacious outdoor patio to enjoy on cooler Texas days.
To schedule a tour of the Thirsty Planet brewery, visit Thirsty Planet's website.
Thirsty Planet
11160 Circle Drive
Austin, TX 78736
www.thirstyplanet.net
www.yelp.com/biz/thirsty-planet-austin
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