Brie Apple Cranberry Grilled Cheese

 

      Always in the mood for a good grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of soup?   So are we.  This is a new one I found online.  I love the individual flavors of each of the ingredients, so this marriage seemed 'au natural'.  Gooey, messy, and savory this one has it all.  What is it about cranberries that add the perfect flavor of sweet/tart.  I've also seen recipes for this sandwich with pears.  The brand of apple and type of bread you use is an individual preference, but this time in the Texas Hill Country I use what I can find.  Use a good quality whole grain bread as ours ended up a bit soggy.  However, the sweeter the apple the better.  

4 slices of sourdough bread

2 Tbsp. butter

Extra virgin olive oil

8 ounces chilled Brie, sliced thin

1 Honeycrisp apple, cut into thin slices

1/2 cup whole berry

cranberry sauce

      Butter the 4 slices of bread and brush the other side with the olive oil.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Place two slices of bread butter side down in the skillet and assemble as follows:  Brie, thin sliced apple, and cranberry last.  Top with slice of bread.  

      Reduce heat and cook until browned and then flip.  Some folks like to press the sandwich down with a spatula or a weight.  Keep an eye on the melting cheese.  When browned on both sides, remove and cut in half; serve with choice of hot soup.  We LOVE chicken noodle.  Your taste buds will not doze on this one.  

"How thick can you get?"

JK Rowling

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Gypsy Sally's Leakey, TX

 

      Settled into our winter retreat here now and once again we will visit many of the local eateries.  Leakey is a small town of 390 folks but has several very nice eateries.  I have written reviews of 4 other local establishments, but there are several more in the area either new or worth recognizing.  

      This time we visit Gypsy Sally's, newly opened since last winter on the corner of US83 and Ranch Road 337 in 'downtown Leakey'.  Remodeled from the shell of an old gas station into a much more eclectic indoor/outdoor stop they offer a fairly diverse array of meals.  In fact, we watched them build the enormous wood pit this past winter.       www.gypsysallysleakey.com/menu, It has become a favorite for folks passing thru, truckers, and of course locals as well, a mere 3 miles from our place.  A great stop for lunch or dinner.  They also offering a very successful catering operation as well as gift cards. 

      On our visit we chose dinner.  It was a COLD day, so we were glad they had the inside seating and heat.  After chatting with the staff for a few minutes Barb settled on the Hamburger Supercheese while I chose The Double Wide Paradise Sammy.  This was the 'Daily Special' which is a double meat smoked bologna on Texas Toast with Romesco Sauce, Cheese, and Onions.  

      Barb was not overly thrilled with her burger, a bit small and loaded with more sauce than meat & cheese.   I have to admit I felt the same way about my 'special'.  The smoked bologna was delicious but hidden under too many layers of sauce and onions.    Neither of us finished our meal.  Our meal with iced tea and a beer came to $31.  They do have a wonderful selection of Tex/Mex, a superb selection of burgers, French Dip, Salads, and even a 'Grab n Go' cooler with a selection of sandwiches.  They also offer a selection of mixed drinks, wine, and brews.  Admittedly, it was a busy night the meal we attended, but the service was slow.  We were never checked on once we got our food.  They may deserve a 2nd chance.  On a rating scale of 1-5 we awarded Gypsy Salley's.....

"Mexican food is so good, you'd think the real immigration problem would be fat guys like me sneaking across the border into Mexico"  

Jim Gaffigan

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A Tour of Leakey, TX

 

       Leakey, TX sits in the Frio River Canyon about 90 miles west of San Antonio.  It is also about 40 miles north of Uvalde, 60 miles south of Junction, and 90 miles east of Del Rio.  It is a relatively small village of 425 people.  There are several different services here including two gas stations, 2 grocery stores, a Family Dollar store, feed store, auto parts store, post office, 3 RV parks, and about 10 eateries, including 2 local biker meccas west and north of town.  Don't laugh, they have great food.  The Alto Frio Baptist Camp is located just southeast of town.   This SW part of the Texas Hill Country is growing fast.  

       Leakey is in the middle of the tourist rich Frio Canyon waterway.  The Frio River has 3 main spring fed tributaries; the East, West, and Dry Frio Rivers.  The Frio River is a spring fed, clear, cool stream that attracts paddlers, floaters, and swimmers from as far away as Austin and Houston.  There are many rental cabins, two nice inns, and a plethora of Air BnBs and VRBOs.  The local communities of Concan and Rio Frio provide even more locations.

  

     

      Leakey was founded in 1856 by John Leakey, a Baptist pioneer from Tennessee.  Originally the area was founded as a lumber camp due to the vast forests of cedar and cypress trees.  Today, a large cedar mill is located just west of town and there are several smaller timber operations, but this is mostly a tourist, service industry area.  

      Leakey is a small town without much modern architecture, simply a small Texas town.  There are, however, some very nice homes in the hills surrounding the canyon.  These homes also command a pretty nice price and were not within our price range.  Our land and cabins are 3 miles east of town near the Twin Forks area.  Even this area is starting to appreciate each year.  

 

      Leakey is a quiet, sleepy little town except during tourist season.  Additionally, the "Twisted Sisters Motorcycle Run" is one of the ten best biker tours in the nation and every weekend during warm weather brings hundreds to the area.  The Twisted Sisters - Ride Texas   Of course the Annual July Jubilee to celebrate the 4th is the biggest event in town with parades, rodeo, BBQ, etc.  

 

      Another popular event in the area is the Frio River Bat Caves located in nearby Concan.  These caves are home to literally millions of Mexican Free Tail Bats that launch from the caves each evening.  This is the second largest bat population in the world open to the public.  The seasonal tours to visit these caves is very popular.  

      But I digress.  The purpose of this blog chapter is to familiarize you with the town as well as the area.  

Nora's Nursery

Mill Creek Cafe

The Outpost Hardware/Lumber

Gran's Guns/Josh's Frio Outfitters

The Leakey Inn Outdoor Music Venue

Leakey Mercantile/Grocery

Vinny's Italian Restaurant

Leakey Public Library

The Beverage Barn Drive Thru (gotta love Texas)

The Springs on the Frio at Leakey Resort

       Leakey is a fine town with the friendliest people you will find anywhere.  Each year when we begin homestead projects, we always contact our realtor and friend who is always able to provide us with references for any work we might need done.  

      This is a wonderful place to visit during a trip to the Lone Star State.  You are always welcome to stop at the Rotodome Ranch and have a cold beer and some BBQ.  

Wi

"

"Texas is neither southern nor western, Texas is Texas"

Senator William Blakely

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Out Damned Snow

      In the 6 previous days prior to our departure, it snowed twice.  Not deep, but enough to make you a bit anxious.  We're off on our annual winter sojourn away from the snowy white north.  We were actually experiencing 'Indian Summer' (can I say that?) but have had snow already so we scooted out of town in time.  Our itinerary changed this year due to my mom's health concerns, but we plan to be back on track for the Great Southeastern Tour in 2023.  This will not be a long trip, but we'll take a couple of overnight stops for shopping and visiting our son and grandson.  Gas prices are a concern this year.  As of departure we were looking at $5.09/gal average for diesel, but $5.58 here at home.  The lowest prices are usually always after we cross the Missouri River in St. Louis, but this year who knows?  So much for the BS of 'Build Back Better'.   

      Stops we made included Pontiac 4H Campground Pontiac, IL $20, Lambert's RV Park Ozark, MO $33, Lake Thunderbird State Park Little Axe, OK $90/3 nights, and Town and Country RV Park Marlow, OK $60/2 nights.  We did make reservations at both Lambert's and Lake Thunderbird, but the rest are not necessary this time of year.  The final destination is once again our winter place at the Rotodome Ranch in Leakey, TX.  No boondocking this trip.  

      Most of our meals enroute were the OTR packages we prepared at home.  These are leftovers that we sealed and froze for later use.  Easy meals to warm up on the road and still mighty tasty:  Red Beans & Rice, Chicken Pesto Gemelli, Italian Sausage Soup, and BBQ Brisket meat for sandwiches.    

      We did have some maintenance issues to deal with in the weeks before our departure.  We needed to replace and seal the freshwater tank drain valve.  Also, we had to reseal the bedroom slider floor underneath.  Ultra-lite RV models use materials that are much lighter to save weight, but also result in construction repair issues down the line.  Lots of plastic, fiberboard and cheap fiberglass to aluminum frame mounting.  We have been dealing with such issues this past year.       

Replacing the old mounting structure to make a stronger floor

Lots of fabrication, new wood, and sealant work here   

    

      Our RV is 7 years old now with over 90,000 miles on it so here we are.  Given the price of new units, for now with help we are becoming quite the craftsmen at fabrication and on the road repairs.  You have to love Flex Seal.  We carry a supply of the spray, liquid paint, putty, and sealant with us.  The nickname of our RV has gone from 'McMansion' to 'Band Aide Betty'.  Additionally, we had our home septic tanks pumped as they were very close to full, and the grey water septic system flushed as well.

      Although we have made the trip on this road dozens of times over the years there are always several remarkable stops to be made.  Such is the RV Park in Ozark, MO at Lambert's.  It is located next door to Lambert's Cafe, home of the 'Throwed Rolls'.  I won't elaborate except to say that their cuisine is TOP NOTCH.  Nothing fancy, just incredible down-home cooking.  

Lambert's Café RV Park (lambertscafervpark.com)

      They are located in Ozark, MO Sikeston, MO and Foley, AL.  The best part of this stop was they deliver free of charge to the RV Park.  Order, set up, and enjoy a beer with the local news and soon enough it's dinner time.  $32 for an overnight here with full hookups. 

Lambert’s Cafe II | Lambert's Cafe (throwedrolls.com)

Lambert's Meatloaf, Catfish, and all the trimmings

      In Oklahoma we stayed a couple of days at Lake Thunderbird State Park, about 30 miles SE and beautiful.  Reasonably priced at $30 @ night, we always enjoy staying here.  Also, in OKC......we picked up some Meat Church Rubs, KOSMOS Wing seasonings, Blue and Gold Sausage, as well as a large fossil I had cut at a local lapidary shop and picked up Del Rancho Steak Sandwich Supreme on the way back to camp.  I learned a lot about that fossil.  At first, I thought it was an agate, but 'Rock Guy' at the shop showed me that it was a sea algae fossil.  Texas is full of great fossils from the Cretaceous Period.  I look forward to finding more.  If you're in the OKC area and an amateur geologist, I highly recommend this shop.  Good Earth Rocks Gallery - Oklahoma City Crystals, Minerals, Gemstones

Home Away from Home   Lake Thunderbird, OK

The Money

 Cretaceous period algae fossil

Del Rancho Lil' Steak Sandwich Supreme

Ok, now where's the wings? 

      We treated ourselves to NO TURNPIKE from Oklahoma City 80 miles SW to our grandson's place in Marlow, OK.  We arrived to more rain.  While in Marlow we stayed at Town & Country RV Park, small, but nice at $30 @ night.  We needed to do some laundry this stop.  We made a side trip with our grandson up the road to Rush Springs resulting in some of the best BBQ in the state.  Smokin' Joe's Rib Ranch is legit with everything you could ever want or need.  They are also located in Davis, OK.  

Smokin’ Joe`s Rib Ranch Rush Springs 

Brisket, hot links, and okra, oh my! 

Yeah, that'll take about 11 minutes to devour

Grandma Barb & Brock

      The last leg of our journey is a stout 436 miles south through the heart of Texas on county and state roads.  Not a bad drive, Texas roads are good.  1571 miles, highest diesel was $5.79 in Sawyer, MI, whereas the lowest was $4.59 in Bellefontaine Neighbors (St. Louis), resulting in 12.1 mpg.  Arrival in Leakey and the ranch is always good, we were trying to beat the rain coming in next week.  We pray daily and hope for good news about mom.  We keep up with her status each day so far.  All our love.   

"When I started counting my blessings my whole life turned around"

Willie Nelson

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Crawfish Etouffee

 

      We're just a few days short of our departure south for the winter.  Cool, fall weather has been on us for several weeks now with fall's onslaught arrival.  This is my favorite cuisine, as well as dish, that I love to prepare.  I am surprised I haven't posted this recipe until now.  Cajun and Creole come from a culture rich in tradition and history, be it with French or Acadian influence or the contents of their roux.  Crawfish, crawdads, or mudbugs call them what you will.  This is the very definition of southern comfort food.  There are so many different varieties as you travel throughout the south, and some pretty sad ones up north.  

      This is the first Cajun dish I learned to make and the one I took the greatest pains to perfect.  This dish is a thick, savory, creamy bowl of vegetables, crawfish, and some heat.  Admittedly, there are no fresh crawfish here in Michigan, but the packaged tail meat can be found in the larger stores in Traverse City.  This is Enola Prudhomme's recipe.  I learned it years ago and we have always loved it.  It is simple to make and so good.  I'm sure there are hundreds of other delicious variations that are just as tasty.  

            As such the rest of the ingredients and prep is pretty straightforward.  This is a delicious dish and with many southern dishes requires the marriage of cornbread for the perfect meal.  I have always found Jiffy Cornbread mix to be the easiest, tastiest solution.  We do add some sugar.  

      

1 can Cream o’ shroom soup

1 lb crawfish tails (2 pounds if you LOVE 'em)

½ cup butter

1 can ROTEL

3 Tbsp. chopped garlic

½ cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped bell pepper

2 Tbsp. EVOO

Green onions

1 cup cooked rice or orzo

1 cup seafood stock or water

1 Tbsp. Tony Chachere’s

HEAT here is a matter of preference:  red pepper or other to your tastes

 

      Chop celery, green bell, garlic, onion, ROTEL, butter and EVOO into a large, deep baking dish.  I have a deep-dish cast-iron skillet that is perfect for this.  This is commonly referred to as the Holy Trinity in Cajun Cuisine.  Roast uncovered in oven at 375F for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Be careful, this pan will be VERY HOT after it has been in the oven.  

       Take out and add crawfish, water, soup, and rice; stir thoroughly and return to oven and bake for 20 minutes more.  Barb cannot digest rice, so we use orzo and add it at this point to let it cook in and soften.  

        Serve garnished with green onions.  Cornbread is usually the order of the day, but we used fresh baked 'garlic knots' to accompany our meal, not a bad choice.   

      Of course, fresh 'mudbugs' are always best and I'm sure we'll get our share this winter.

"Crawfish have ding dongs and vaginas"  

Phil Robertson

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