Author Archives: Nancy

COWBOY BEANS

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I found this bolo tie at an estate sale:

I was amused by the gavels hanging off the ends:

I’d bang that

I can’t picture any attorney I know wearing this, although I think it would be pretty gutsy to show up in court sporting it.

Did you know that the bolo tie is the official State Tie of Texas?  Yep, House Concurrent Resolution No. 12 was signed by Governor Perry in 2007, making it official.  The resolution states that the “heritage of the Lone Star State is closely associated with images of cowboys and the western frontier, and these elements inform several of the current Texas symbols, including rodeo, the official state sport, and the longhorn, the state large mammal.”  It goes on to state that the bolo tie is a “singular fashion associated with the American West,” and is “distinguished by its decorative clasp that fastens a length of cord or string; a staple of the western-wear fashions sported by a large number of Texans,” which “conjures up the romance of the pioneer era and speaks to the determination and independence that figure so prominently in Lone Star lore.”  “The selection of a bolo over a standard tie can suggest that the wearer refuses to be bound by convention and relishes the freedom to exhibit a distinctive sense of style even as they maintain a dignified, formal appearance.”  For these reasons, among others, the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas designated the bolo tie as the “official State Tie of Texas.”  Learn something new every day!

Rodeo (the official State Sport of Texas) is winding down here in Houston.  It’s a fun time of year, when everyone who wants to be a cowboy can pretend to be one.  Cowboy hats, bolo ties, bandanas, and cowboy boots can be spotted everywhere.  Rodeo and the “Texas justice” bolo tie are the inspiration for this recipe for Cowboy Beans.  This grub can be served as a main dish (like chili) or a side dish, and is great for potlucks.  If you use a sweet barbecue sauce, feel free to omit the molasses (or not).

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COWBOY BEANS
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Ingredients
  • 4 ounces bacon, diced into ½" pieces
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 3 large cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ cup jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
  • ¼ cup pickled jalapenos, chopped
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 2 teaspoons taco seasoning
  • 2 14-ounce cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 14-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 14-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/1-2 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup barbecue sauce
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce
Instructions
  1. Place bacon in a large pot over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until bacon is crisp, approximately 10 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add garlic, roasted peppers, and jalapenos and cook a few minutes more, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant (be careful not to let it burn). Remove bacon mixture to a separate bowl and set aside.
  2. Add beef and taco seasoning to pot. Cook beef, stirring frequently, and breaking up with a spoon as necessary, until beef is cooked through, approximately 5 minutes. Add bacon mixture back to pot and stir to combine.
  3. Add beans, broth, barbecue sauce, ketchup, vinegar, mustard, molasses, and hot sauce to pot. Stir to combine, and cook covered for 15 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, approximately 15 minutes longer. Serve hot.

Come ‘n get it

Doing it justice

(or as some influencers would say, “what I thrifted and how I styled it”)

PINK PICKLED TURNIPS

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After two freezes (and snow!) this winter, I’m grateful to see the first signs of spring starting to appear.  The very first blooms that “turnip” — even before the trees sport their glossy spring green new leaves — are mostly pink.  If you pay attention, you’ll see these early pink signs of spring everywhere  — azaleas, redbuds, roses, japanese magnolias, lorapetalum.

Azaleas and Japanese magnolias

Lorapetalum and Peggy Martin roses

Redbuds

Soon, Houston will be ablaze in color.  It’s a magnificent show  I look forward to every year. Spring hopes eternal.

To celebrate this pink spring awakening, I made a batch of bright pink pickled turnips — they often “turnip” as a bright pop of color on plates in middle eastern restaurants.  On a recent trip to the farmers market, I came across ginormous turnips that had just fallen off the proverbial turnip truck:

The one I brought home was just shy of two pounds.  For context, here it is next to a quarter:

Whoa

This is what I refer to as the “Ebay cans and coins method of measurement” — you know, for those times when it’s just too much bother to find a ruler.  A few examples:

Coins

Cans

Fun fact — if you leave your turnip sitting around long enough, it will sprout a miniature forest of turnip greens:

I am tickled pink by these neon bright pickled turnips and how easy they are to make.  I would never “turnip” my nose at them.

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PINK PICKLED TURNIPS
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Ingredients
  • 3 cups water
  • ⅓ cup kosher salt
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup distilled white vinegar
  • 2 large turnips, peeled and sliced into ½" thick batons
  • 1 small red beet, peeled and cut into ½" thick batons
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 2 cayenne chilis (optional)
  • Sprig of dill (optional)
Instructions
  1. Heat 2 cups of water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the salt and bay leaf, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool, then add the vinegar and the remaining 1 cup of water.
  2. Place the turnips, beets, and garlic (and cayenne and/or dill, if using) into a large glass jar, then pour the brine, including the bay leaf, over them. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 2-3 days, then refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

The pink show starts immediately

After a few days, the pickled turnips are ready, willing, and pink

Think pink!