Lunch Report: Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que

Finally, after being on our list of places to eat for at least several years, we got our butts to New Braunfels and had a delicious sampling of the fine offerings at Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-b-que.  Now I get it.

The folks at Cooper's have quite an operation and they've got some pretty famous fans.  I hear that a fairly recent former president would order up a feast and have it sent to the White House.  But you won't require a presidential decree to get some of your own tasty treats, you just have to get yourself over there and not put it off like we did.

Set back from a huge parking lot, the building has an entrance on one side so you can walk in and start the ordering process, then proceed in a cafeteria line style down to the cashier.  Unlike a lot of BBQ places we visit, the actual cooking seems to be done in a back area thereby leaving the restaurant itself smoke free.  But that doesn't mean you don't see the meat you are about to eat.

As a grill man presides over a huge selection of ribs, brisket, sausage and such, you point to the pieces you want.  I thought that was pretty good.  From there, you move down the line to get your sides and finally pay for your feast. 

The seating area is community style tables and benches.  You find the amount of space you need, elbow yourself in and get to setting up the paper used to toss the meats on.  I really appreciated the multiple drink stations, huge tea dispensers, and cauldrons full of beans for the taking.

We ordered the family pack of brisket and sausage, and since there were five of us, we also got a half chicken and some pork ribs.   Our grill man gave us the choice of marbled or lean brisket and we took the lean.  Great choice.  With or without the dipping sauce, the brisket was perhaps the finest I have ever tasted.  You hear people describe foods as melting in your mouth, and perhaps Cooper's brisket wasn't dissolving on contact, there was no fighting it to chew like I've experienced at some lesser operations.   If you get nothing else, get the brisket.

I usually don't go for sausage at BBQ places, but this stuff was very good.  The pork ribs were also wonderful.  Things are seasoned with the right amount of rub or whatever they use so that the dipping sauces is purely optional.  

I love me some grilled chicken and while this was as good as most, I wouldn't say it was the best.  Not dry, but I think the dipping sauce helped.

On to the sides.  We went with some mac & cheese and some mac & cheese with jalapenos, then tossed in some potato salad and a roasted corn on the cob for good measure.

Especially good was the mac & cheese with jalapenos.  If you have ever been to a place that sells those jalapeno bombers where they fill them with cheese then deep fry it all, that was the taste of this mac & cheese.  Yum!

 Aside from the fact that it looked weird being packed into a little container, the potato salad was excellent.

Eva did not like the roasted corn, mostly because of the excess pepper, but I thought it was just fine.  They also offer regular corn on the cob if you don't care for the roasted, peppery version.

Honestly, the best side of all was free.  In the area where you get your drinks and utensils and dipping sauce, they have these huge pots of beans with jalapenos floating around for good measure.  Absolutely fantastic.

For five of us to eat with some left over, it was $82.00.  If you want to go in on the cheap, I'd say get yourself some brisket, eat the free beans and have a nice iced tea.   I promise, at Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-b-que, you're in for a Tasty Treat!     

Lunch Report: Texas Land and Cattle...

We had the need for a celebratory lunch on Tuesday, what with it being our anniversary and the day our daughter and son-in-law closed on their first home.  So, with me playing hookey from work, we all met up at Texas Land & Cattle over on I-10 at Wurzbach.  Eva reminded me that we had been to this place before, but I didn't really believe her until I recognized the glass enclosed bar.  I suspect they smoke in there.  You can read about our last visit, here.

Anyway, I'll spare you the detailed description of the place, suffice it to say there is the horns end of a cow mounted on the wall, a few cool cow paintings and a bunch of flat screen TV's throughout the place showing ESPN.

We had fantastic service.  Our waiter was a pro and he had just the right amount of personality combined with, the important ability to leave us alone while keeping an eye on the table in case we started to look like we needed him.  I wish more waitstaff could learn that little skill.  I offer all of these accolades only to say that either he got my order wrong or I told him I wanted the wrong thing. 

The problem is too many choices.  Looking at the menu, I asked for the sirloin and shrimp combo.  The real name for that is Smoked Sirloin and Shrimp Combo.  What he wrote down and served was Garlic Steak and Shrimp.  When I got the food, I was pretty sure it wasn't what I was expecting, but you know my rule of never sending anything back to the kitchen, the spitting and all that. 

So this is what I got.  In fairness, this is a good plate for $17.99.  Of course, what I wanted was $19.99, but I digress.  Eva got a similar 6 oz steak.  I would not say that the steak was bad at all, but the word average comes to mind.  The added garlic mixture on top was certainly flavorful.  The shrimp, I opted for grilled versus fried, were great.  The little dipping oil was okay but not necessary.  I don't know if they seasoned the shrimp, but they came out perfectly done without overcooking and I enjoyed them more than the steak.

The baked potato was a total loss in my book.  It looks loaded, but it was missing butter, there was only a hint of sour cream, and I think it may have been undercooked.  One of the things I enjoy about Texas Roadhouse is the way they do up their baked potatoes, you know, with the salted outer skin and all that.  The other saving grace, besides the shrimp and the service, was the salad I didn't take a picture of.  It was excellent.  

Okay, my son-in-law apparently knew the words needed to order what he wanted.  This was the smoked sirloin I thought I was ordering.  And thankfully, he shared a bite topped with the grilled onions.  Delicious.  If I ever go back to TXLC, this is definitely what I will order, perhaps using the traditional, point-at-the-menu method. 

By all reports, the garlic mashed potatoes were a hit with the kids.  And both my son and daughter had similar comments on their steaks - okay but not great.  So the lesson we've learned here is that TXLC should limit the menu to salad, shrimp, garlic mashed potatoes and smoked sirloin with grilled onions.  Oh, and the tasty baked bread they bring you.  And the iced tea.

Living Vicariously Through My DVR...

I have lamented the fact that we are often tied to our DVR, zipping through the TV commercials and skimming through a standard half hour sitcom in about 20 minutes or so.  There are so many shows in the queue that Eva becomes nervous if we inadvertently watch 20 seconds of a commercial, lest that increase the time needed to watch a full show.  As the sun sets later in the evening, we have more time to enjoy the outdoors and do yard work, but of course, this increases the DVR backlog.  Ladies and gentlemen, this is what the youngsters call a 1st world problem.

So instead of whining, I’d like to update you on some of the shows that we do find time to watch.
First off, we are fast approaching season finales of The Americans and The Following.  I may have mentioned before, I am fascinated by The Americans, a Russian spy couple who live next door to an FBI agent who is currently unaware that he is chasing his neighbors.  I don’t know how realistic or accurate the tradecraft shown is or was, given that the show takes place during the 1980’s, but I just like it all.  Eva on the other hand hates both of the spies, not because they are spies but because she dislikes their personalities.  She politely watches me watch the show, and I appreciate that.  If you haven’t seen it, I’m sure they will show the entire season again.  Give it a shot.

Eva does like The Following and even if you have to suspend reality and accept the far reaching network of new disposable characters each week who conveniently show up just in time to wreak havoc on Kevin Bacon’s character, you may enjoy it too.  The show is violent and not nearly as predictable as I expected it to be.  People who seemed to be main characters in the pilot or first or second or third or fourth episode get knocked off just as easily as people who only have a five minute lifespan.  In a way, that pisses me off, but it certainly keeps you guessing.

A new show we started watching on CBS is called Golden Boy.  It is a cop show with sort of a twist.  7 years from now, the Golden Boy will be the Police Commissioner of NYC.  I’m sure Tom Selleck is amused.   So the beginning and end of each show is a flash-forward to the young PC giving advice to someone and the episode is him recounting what happened back in the old days (7 years ago) on what gave him such experience and wisdom.  If that was it, I’d just say I don’t like it.  I’d like to see Tom Selleck on Blue Bloods telling stories about what it was like 20 or 30 years ago when he was a cop (perhaps chasing The Americans in the 1980’s), but to suggest that in 7 years, a cop on the beat makes detective and becomes PC in NYC is just a bit much.  Anyway, there is a character actor who played on Boston Public and a few other shows who makes this one even palatable.  I gave up on the show after about the second or third episode but was lured back after my DVR continued to record it and Eva wanted to see it.  Check it out at your own risk. 

Oh - something that really upsets me about TV these days (besides the volume skyrocketing when a commercial comes on) is the constant use of little chiron logos on the bottom of the screen.  I don't mind so much when there is a weather warning or some breaking news, but when the local station covers the sub-titles in a show, that really pisses me off.  For example, the TV show The Mentalist uses little sub-titles to indicate the location of an investigation, say, "The Smedly Home, San Diego".  But if KENS-TV throws up some little station logo on top of that, you get "Home, San Diego."  I know, 1st world problems again, but you'd think that the guy putting up those advertisements could wait until after the sub-titles go away.

Good news:  Nurse Jackie is back on.  I suspect she’ll be on drugs before long.

More good news:  The Borgias is back in the full swing of things.  I’m frankly sort of freaked out about this incestuous flirtation between brother and sister, but apparently, this was a pretty common thing back in the day, so says my watching of The Gladiator and Joaquin Phoenix’s character.  All that aside, if you had any interest in The Sopranos, you’ll appreciate The Borgias.

We still have not made it past the first episode of season one of Game of Thrones.  If we would quit watching things like Swamp People and Ax Men, we might have some time to get into it.  I also have the first six episodes of Girls sitting in the queue.  I've heard that was good.

We did watch a movie recently called Django Unchained (the D is silent).  That was a good flick, though I must say, I am a Tarentino, DiCaprio, and Foxx fan so I was bound to enjoy it.  Danny Glover Samuel L. Jackson was also outstanding.  Brace yourself for non-stop use of the N-word, and enjoy the show.

 Eva and I are preparing for our anniversary coming up this week.  What do you get the woman who has me?  A projector, of course.  Since we've moved here, Eva has wanted to be able to sit outside and enjoy a movie in the evenings.  I've frankly put it off but finally pulled the trigger on Friday.

Here we are seeing how it would look with a sheet hanging over our shed.  No bueno.  Today I'll be scouring the Internet or local thrift shops for a real screen we can hang.  That is Archer on our shed.

Anyway, tell me what we're missing so we can load up the queue. 
  

UPDATE: A Horse Walks Into a Bar...

So just to wrap up the whole horse situation.  We thought everything was over and a happy ending was had by all when Eva received a call from Jo and Val, the ladies from Wings and Reins horse rescue.

It turns out that the horses owners who live in San Antonio but keep the horses out here near Natalia tracked them down through the Medina Country Sheriff's office, who obviously were familiar with the horses given the number of calls received by concerned neighbors.  You would think that everybody would be happy when the rightful owners are reunited with their stray horses,  but the problem is, these horses did have some medical issues (worms and such) and in one case, something that is either abuse or at minimum, abusive negligence. 

Only one of the horses had a bridal on it, and it was clear once we were up close, that this bridal had been on for so long without any size adjustment that the horses head was growing around it.  When Jo finally got the thing off, you could clearly see the indention in the poor things face.

In addition to being out the expenses and time it took for the WAR team to come and get the horses, they had the concerns that these animals might not receive the care they need in order to get well.

 

As we drove out of our neighborhood, we actually saw where the horses came from (and where they are now).  As the crow flies, they are probably only a mile or so from our place, so it is easy to see how they made their way out here.  What is not easy to see is how they got out given that the property is completely fenced.  Ms. Belinda left a comment on the earlier post about how people often let the horses out to feed on other peoples property and then act like it was an accident.  I doubted that, but now I'm not so sure.

Regardless, I really do hope that these horses get the care they need and that we will continue to see them enjoying life in the pasture as we drive by.

If you would like to learn more about Wings and Reins, I hope you will take a minute to go by their web page and if you are so inclined, offer a donation.

One Cube or Two? None, Thanks...

Some years ago when I was probably in the 1st or 2nd grade, my parents took me with them to a dinner party at someone’s house.  The details have long since escaped me, but the one thing that stood out and remained a fixture in my mind was that this family had a full sized bar set-up, and behind the bar was a refrigerator filled with Cokes* of all varieties.   This wasn't the kitchen fridge, this was a totally dedicated area for drinks.  I always remembered how impressed I was with the idea of having a refrigerator with no food at all, just a bunch of sodas and beer.

I have never been much of a heavy soft drink consumer, but ever since Eva and I could afford a second refrigerator in our garage or laundry room, we have always had it stocked well with bottled water, Fresca, Coke and the like.  Okay, and beer, though that doesn’t seem to stay stocked very long.

Once our kids were older, we also began having decorative candy dishes around the house.  The dishes are decorative, the candy is real.  Generally, I was good for snagging one or maybe two pieces of candy every once in a while, but really, for the most part I could survive off my nightly bowl of ice cream and leave the candy alone.

Then something happened and around this past October, and I started eating more sweets.  My first inkling was to blame it on Halloween.   Eva bought a huge load of candy thinking we might have some trick-or-treaters, but I think instead, I ate most of it.  Then Christmas came.  Eva gave me a candy dish to take to work for my desk so people coming into my office could have a treat, though in truth, it was mostly me eating it.  In retrospect, and I'm not even sure this is it, but it could be that with my father passing, I had these memories that involved him and his sweet tooth.  Who knows?

Over a period of a month or two, I could feel the waistline of my pants getting tighter and tighter.  I’ve always been a chubby kid, but seriously, this was getting out of hand. 

Many people would be shocked to learn that I enjoy listening to a podcast called Here’s the Thing hosted by Alec Baldwin.  Yes, the guy from SNL and the Capital One commercials.  Regardless of what you or I think of his political views, the man is both funny and as I learned, one of the finest interviewers out there.  If he does ever get a shot at hosting one of the late night talk shows, I’d be inclined to DVR it.

Anyway, one day he interviewed Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at UC San Francisco.  You can read the full transcript here.  Dr. Lustig explained his research into the obesity epidemic as well as a lot of the historical aspect of our sugar in our country.  Years ago, I survived life in the military and the need to maintain weight standards by using the Atkins diet as needed to drop quick weight, so I was already somewhat familiar with the evils of sugar-based carbs.  Dr. Atkins actually points to the beginning popularity of Coca-Cola as the beginning of our obesity epidemic.

While I was certainly one to scoff at the New York City mayor attempting to ban large sodas in his city, I have to remind myself of how I was against the San Antonio city council banning smoking in restaurants on principle, but am ultimately glad they did it.  I general, I am opposed to politicians regulating what should be personal decisions, but the real kicker here is,  there is an assumption that governmental agencies like the FDA are in place to make sure what we eat is generally not poisonous.  Mayor Bloomberg wouldn’t have to ban oversized soft drinks if they were safe in the first place, and since they are deemed legal (and foodstampable) by the FDA, you’d think they are.  Of course, everything in moderation.  I'm not here to advocate for Bloomberg or his tiny sized soda law.

I’m not trying to convert anyone here, at all.  Live like you wanna live, I say.  But for me, I made a conscious effort to stop eating sugar about a month ago.  What does that mean?  No more candy, period.  No ice cream, no sodas, no donuts, nothing with visible sugar.  I stopped putting Splenda in my coffee and stopped ordering half-n-half iced tea, opting for unsweetened, all the way.
 
Of course Eva reminded me as I cracked open a beer on a Friday night that beer has sugar in it.  Well, I can’t save the world.  In fact, according to Dr. Lustig, 80 percent of the US food supply has some form of added sugar in it, so I’m pretty much screwed if we play the “gotcha” game with those things I do choose to eat.

Since I retired from the military, there is no need for me to jump on the scale everyday, but I can tell you this; in the month that I have cut out the candy and sugar and such, I’ve dropped about 15 pounds and my pants are fitting a whole lot better.  And frankly, I haven't missed the candy dish or the ice cream.

* To us, saying Coke is the same as saying soft drink or soda.  You might hear someone say, "What kind of Coke do you want?" and the response could be, "Dr. Pepper."    

West, By Goddess, Texas...

That is how Jackiesue, often known as Yellowdog Granny, refers to her beloved small town of West.  If you haven't seen the news, you mustn't have a TV or the Internet.  Last night as we watched something unimportant, I had just left a comment on Jackie's Facebook page regarding a spectacular mustard meatloaf sandwich she had made herself.  Then, another friend from Dallas posted about the explosion in West.

Following several efforts to to reach Jackie via Facebook, Eva gave up and called her, and thankfully  learned she was safe but busy assisting people of her town.  

Now that her Internet is back up and she has had a chance to rest, you really should go read her account of the situation.  You can begin reading here. 

Your donations can go here:
POINT WEST BANK AND TRUST
P.O. BOX #279
WEST, TX 76691

Update: Horsey Cam...

If you missed yesterday's installment, you'll want to check it out here, first.

If you are caught up, I'll keep it short by showing you this nice video of how the folks from Wings and Reins horse rescue came out, set-up a corral and after some sweet talking and alfalfa hay, walked them into the trailer.

 Really, a lot of patience and horse whispering took place.  These people are real pros.

And, you'll need to know that Panda got the treatment today! 

 Not to mention that it got a little sketchy for my son, briefly! Yikes!

All in all, an entertaining and enlightening experience.  I'm pretty sure we don't need a horse of our own, but it was nice to babysit for a day or two.

A Horse Walks Into a Bar...

And that was how my morning started.  No, not at a bar, but as I turned onto the main road heading away from our house, I came upon a passel of horses nibbling weeds on the side of the road.

 I stopped to take a picture with my iPhone to capture the event for Eva (and Facebook), and after a second or two, one of them started to walk up to my truck.  These are not wild horses - and one of them even had a bridal.

These same guys have been around our neighborhood since at least the weekend when some folks down the street woke up to find them in their yard.  We also learned that several people had made calls to complain about the wandering animals.

I know, you have to be asking, how does this translate to me coming home from work to find a bunch of horses grazing in my yard?  

Turns out that when the Medina County Animal Control folks came by, one of the guys asked Eva she could let them stay in the yard until the Horse Rescue could come for them.  She has always wanted a pony, so this is sort of the same, right?

Interesting note:  Dogs love to roll around in horse shit.  Just ask Gracie.  Eva had to hose her down outside, and for the remainder of the visit, all dogs will be on leashes!

Another interesting note:  Cats are not afraid of horses until horses make a move as if to signify that they want to eat said cat. 

So as planned, a nice group of folks from Wings and Reins Horse Rescue in Devine pulled up to our second gate with horse trailers and lots of back-up.  Really nice folks and eager to help get these horses to a better place than our yard or wandering up and down the streets.

At some point, they decided to run the horses toward a trailer.  It didn't go so well for trying to catch the horses, but I loved watching them run.

After a few tries, it was decided that our yard offered too much running area and they would need to return tomorrow with some portable fencing, lure the horses into a corner, then get them in the trailers.  We'll see how that goes.

Bonus:  As the horses were grazing, a wild turkey walked into the back yard.  Eva thinks this is a sign from above, telling her she needs to start an animal farm.  I think it is a sign that we shouldn't what until November to eat turkey.

*The bartender says, "Hey buddy, why the long face?"

Happy Birthday, Bigfoot Wallace...

Back in February of 2010, we took a little drive to the tiny little neighborhood of Bigfoot, TX which is roughly 10 or 12 miles from us in Frio County.  Just a note:  They spell it both Bigfoot and Big Foot, depending on who is doing the sign making.  The exit sign is all one word, Bigfoot, but I saw it both ways throughout the small town.

I posted a story and some pictures on the old blog which you can read when you click here.  The only issue at that time was that, the Bigfoot Museum was not open, so when Eva read a thing in the paper about Bigfoot Wallace's birthday celebration, you just knew we had to go!

There are two main buildings involved in the site, a large two story cabin that is a recreation of an original (note the signage) and then a cabin that is where Mr. Wallace lived.  Both are full of interesting things to look at.  Enjoy the pictures that follow:

These are not Bigfoot's shoes (wink, wink)...

But this is his boot.  In person, it is huge.  I mean, Shaq huge.

In the larger barn like cabin, there are lots of old buggy's washing machines, typewriters, sewing machines and interesting things to look at.

Inside the other cabin, even more odds & ends that help you understand what life was like back in the old days.  The picture at the bottom has old school books and pictures from the school house.  We only spent about 45 minutes looking around, but you could easily spend hours if you wanted to look through everything.

I especially found this old Edison player very cool.   Bigfoot was jammin' to the local hits of the day.

Outside, lots of items that might be found in an old junk yard are stored - old carriages, plows and such. 

And, this huge tire.  I have no idea what it is all about, but it's just there (with my son standing still so the wasps that live inside it won't attack).

The caretakers were offering a birthday lunch including burgers and cake, but instead of eating there, we made a donation to the cause and headed across the street to look at the craft show.

Across the street from the museum is the community center, formerly a school.  I noticed that some of the work done was from the WPA era.  Anyway, there was a really cool tree out front that had cactus growing in it.  Ya don't see that everyday.

Here is Diego trying to fit in with the local kids at the crafts show.

And there was the parade.  Okay, it was a guy on a tractor waving to people.

A few scenic views to show that I am artistic.

On our way back to civilization from Bigfoot, we were headed into Devine and pulled over to take a look at some huge Longhorns enjoying the morning.  These animals are beautiful and enormous in size.