These Flavorful Fruit Salads Are Anything But Boring

It’s always a disappointment when you order fruit salad at a restaurant and you’re met with a few soggy grapes, frozen strawberries and a couple of pieces of cantaloupe. If you’re tired of boring fruit salads and want to create some creative versions of your own, you’ve come to the right place. These three flavorful fruit salads are both healthy and festive!

Lavender-Scented Summer Fruit Salad
The only thing that says summer more than plump, juicy fruits is the smell of fresh lavender. This salad incorporates both of those deliciously fragrant aspects, combining juicy peaches, nectarines, plums, and berries with a variety of sweet and savory herbs and spices.

Avocado Fruit Salad
Avocado is a very versatile food, and it easily adapts to whichever dish you put it in. In this unique fruit salad, avocado adds a creamy texture to a medley of orange and grapefruit slices, tropical fruits, and even a garnish of crunchy pistachio and cool, flavorful mint leaves.

Watermelon Basket
If you have a summer gathering coming up and you want to provide a truly creative dish, this Watermelon Basket is the perfect choice. It involves carving a whole watermelon into the shape of basket (handle and all) and filling it with fresh, juicy fruits for your guests to serve to themselves.

Happy Father’s Day!

Today we want to take time to wish all the Dads out there a very happy day! We hope all the Fathers near and far have a great day relaxing with loved ones!

Texas Rowing Center: Work Out on Lady Bird Lake

When it comes to full-body workouts, fitness experts seem to agree on one thing: rowing lands high on the list. It offers an aerobic workout without the wear and tear of an activity like running, which makes it appropriate for even the beginner athlete.

Texas Rowing Center in Austin has taken full advantage of the sunny Texas weather since 1987 by offering a spot to go rowing any day, from 6 a.m. until dusk. On-staff instructors can help newbies learn the basics of rowing over the course of six lessons. Students range in age from teenagers to senior citizens.

If you already know how to row, you can simply rent a kayak, canoe, or stand-up paddleboard and take it out onto the placid waters of Austin's Lady Bird Lake. The lake sits right next to the Hike and Bike trail, so go for a walk or a jog after working out your upper body.

Texas Rowing Center
1541 W. Cesar Chavez
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 467-7799
www.texasrowingcenter.com

www.yelp.com/biz/texas-rowing-center-austin

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Henri’s: An Austin Cafe

With a variety of cheese and charcuterie in a modern-rustic setting, Henri's will make you smile without having to hear, "Say cheese!" Choose from one of Henri's featured cheese pairings, or create your own cheeseboard. You don't need to be a connoisseur to have an enjoyable time here; the knowledgeable staff will happily guide you toward the right cheese selection for your palate.

Although most customers come for an evening snack (many stop by while waiting for a table at the nearby Barley Swine), lunch is a great time to stop in. The cafe menu expands to offer sandwiches and salads. Regulars recommend the Parrano, a grilled cheese sandwich with caramelized onions and roasted tomato, which is especially good when paired with a bowl of tomato bisque.

Henri's
2026 S. Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 442-3373
http://www.henrischeese.com
http://www.yelp.com/biz/henris-austin

Happy Memorial Day!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday as we remember all those heroes who have served our nation.

More Than 100 Beers Have a Home at Little Woodrow’s

Lots of bars offer a place to drink beer and watch the game, but few are as chilled-out and welcoming as Little Woodrow’s in Austin. Just like its siblings across the Austin area, the Bee Cave location has plenty of TVs — and plenty of beer. In fact, there are more than 100 brews on the menu here, and the staff are the nicest, most unpretentious beer geeks you’ve ever met! Don’t know your IPA from your Hefeweizen? No problem. They’ll hook you up and then come back to talk about the Longhorns.

Relax on the huge patio, listen to some live music, and try your luck at Trivia Night. Little Woodrow’s is the definition of a college town destination.

Check the website for hours, events, and specials.

Little Woodrow’s
12801 Shops Parkway
Bee Cave, TX 78783
(512) 263-8374
littlewoodrows.com/aus_bee_cave
www.yelp.com/biz/little-woodrows-bee-cave

Improve Your Reasoning by Solving These Logic Puzzles

Frequent logical thinking helps to sharpen your mind and enables you to think faster during stressful situations. Thinking logically benefits your brain in a variety of different ways, and it even helps you to retain your awareness as you age. If you want to exercise your mind in a fun way, these online logic puzzles are a great place to start.

Puzzle Baron’s Logic Puzzles
Full of grid-based logic puzzles in a variety of skill levels, the Logic Puzzles page from Puzzle Baron is ideal for anyone who wants to sharpen his or her analytical thinking using numerical data. Each puzzle offers a number of categories, with an equal number of options within that category. Using a series of clues, you must figure out which options are linked together. If you want to solve puzzles while on the go, Puzzle Baron even offers mobile apps for iPad, Kindle, Google Play, and Nook.

Brain Bashers
The logic puzzles on the Brain Bashers site are more situational, mainly featuring descriptions of an event and a series of clues related to that event. Based on the information given, you must solve the question posed in the situation. While these logic puzzles don’t involve math equations or long strings of information, their simple nature often makes them more challenging.

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Happy Mother’s Day!

Wishing all the moms out there a wonderful day!

Two Saints Baking Company Is an Oasis of Espresso and Fresh Baked Goods

You dream of places like Two Saints Baking Company. In the morning, the coffee is rich, hot, and comes quick. Need a special pick-me-up? There’s a full espresso bar with blended drinks, as well as breakfast sandwiches. At lunch there are big salads, freshly prepared soups, and sandwiches with house-roasted meats. And all day there are cookies, cakes, pies, and other sweets to make you smile and ruin your diet.

Everything is made on-site, and locals are almost unanimous in their praise, calling service and execution first-rate. It’s a bit pricey — cookies can be as much as $1.75 each — but this speaks to Two Saints’ being a small family business, and regulars say it’s more than worth it.

Check the bakery's site for hours, menus, events, and catering information.

Two Saints Baking Company
13011 Shops Parkway #600
Bee Cave, TX 78738
(512) 263-1166
http://www.twosaintsbakingcompany.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/two-saints-baking-co-and-cafe-bee-cave

Taste Tradition at Bee Cave’s Schmidt Family Barbecue

Schmidt Family Barbecue is built on 75 years of tasty family tradition. The menu consists of straightforward Texas-style barbecue favorites like beef brisket, boneless prime rib, pulled pork, beef ribs, and spare ribs. In addition to the staples, they offer alternative selections like smoked turkey breast and fresh-made jalapeño cheese sausage. Round out your meal with a side of baked beans, potato salad, crisp coleslaw, or mac-n-cheese. If you’re in the mood for a little heat, try their spicy version of mac-n-cheese with ham and jalapeños.

Just a short trip from Sendera Barton Creek Schmidt Family Barbecue is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. They also offer catering options for events both big and small. You can even take a style cue from Schmidt Family Barbecue and purchase a hat or a T-shirt.

Schmidt Family Barbecue
12532 FM 2244
Bee Cave, TX 78738
(512) 263-4060
http://schmidtfamilybarbecue.com/index.html
http://www.yelp.com/biz/schmidt-family-bbq-bee-cave

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