NOVEMBER GIVEAWAY

I'm a little late on posting my November give-a-way, but I wanted it to be something special, and reflect something about Texas for which I am THANKFUL. 

I think the holidays are all about memories, and I am very thankful for the memories I have of growing up in Texas.  Like many people, the Thanksgiving meal defines these memories for me.  My Dad would smoke the turkey until it was the most beautiful copper color, and the low heat would mean that juicy, clear fluids ran as he cut it!   My mother made the most delicious cornbread dressing, with large chunks of celery so I could pick them out (I love celery now, what was I thinking??!)  I was an adult before I ever tasted cranberry sauce, Dad preferring to open a jar of Mayhaw Jelly that he made each year.  A rite of May, we would drive to East Texas for a Saturday spent picking the wild berries in the forest, which are hard to find, and watching out for snakes.  Dad would tell me about his childhood, growing up in those same woods, and picking berries with his mother.  "There use to be alot more of them", he would always say.  The berries are tart when picked, and so I never ate them from the pail, preferring to look for early dewberries that could be picked and immediately eaten.  We would return home and he would spend Sunday afternoon cooking in the kitchen, while my mom and I worked out in our garden.  That little mason jar of jelly, slightly tart (but Dad used alot of sugar in all his jellies), held so much more than just the reddish condiment, it held a lovely part of my childhood.

Brazos River Provision Company

This summer I was given a jar of Mayhaw Jelly from Brazos River Provision Company.  It was amazing, and did it ever bring back the memories.  It had probably been over ten years since I last had some, spread thick on a homemade biscuit, I still remember it!  Brazos River Provision Company is a family owned jelly maker in Richmond, run by Jelly Man Mike.  They also sell Texas Salsas, rubs and some novelty items.  They have an online business as well as a store in Historic Downtown Richmond. 



The Giveaway

Now I know that no matter how much I brag, some of you may not want to try the Mayhaw Jelly, so the giveaway this month is for a $30 gift certificate to Brazos River Provision Company!  It doesn't matter where you live because they have a great online shop! I love their Texas shaped Jalapeno cooker!  It's super easy to enter, just make a comment below on this blog post and wha-la (Texan for voila), you're entered!  The contest will run through November 16th. The winner will be chosen by a random drawing, and announced on November 17th.    Good Luck to Everyone! 

Michelle

P.S.   Blogger can be a bugger to leave comments.  Here's an easy how to without needing to take any computer classes...
1.  Click on "Comments" down below.
2.  Type in your comment, then when it ask for you "Comment as", choose Name/URL. 
3.  Type your name and leave the URL blank - unless you have a URL. 
4.  Click on publish!  Good Job!  Thank YOU!!

October Giveaway!

It's October, and I wanted to do a Trick - Or - Treat Giveaway! 

This welcomed cool air has me thinking about wonderful Fall meals, and some of my favorites come from the Homesick Texan Cookbook by Lisa Fain.  If you haven't read her book or blog, as a New York transplant, she misses her Texan food and makes some of the yummiest recipes, filled with some helpings of Texas stories, too!  I love it so much, I thought I'd share a copy with this month's winner!  BTW, word is that she has a new cookbook in the works!  I can't wait! 

So, here's the deal, just click on  "Join this site" under "Followers" on the right hand side.  That's it!  A random generator from Random.org will choose and a winner will be announced on October 20th.  Then the book will be sent out via Amazon.com, and you should receive it in time to make something YuMMy for Halloween!  Or. at least sit in comfort checking out healthy stuff you could be making while filling yourself with your kid's haul of good candy while they are sleeping - whatever!  (Really, am I the only one that does this?  "Oh look, this Hershey's bar wrapper might be loose!  I better take that, just to be on the safe side...nom nom  nom!)