Bryan & College Station, Texas

We have a prayer meeting at our house on Monday nights where around 5 families get together, each bringing some dish or side or dessert. We eat, then hang out, then pray and sing songs. It’s a perfect way to start the week. We all look forward to getting together.

Well, this last week, we were blessed to have our desert supplied by Delicious Moments, and Husband and Wife team who caters small parties in the College Station and Bryan area.

They brought us a whole bunch of really yummy mini cheesecakes. They were so good. Everyone commented on them and wanted to know where they came from. I was happy to tell them that Zack and Lauren from Delicious Moments brought them over.

Being the first time we used a catering service, I was not sure what to expect, but let me assure you, Delicious Moments has set the bar pretty high, at least in our eyes.

They emailed me in the morning asking me what time would be good for them to drop off the food, then in the afternoon (way before people started to arrive), I got a call from them telling me they were on their way.

They brought the cheesecakes in cute little pink boxes, and they looked just perfect. They brought us original and peanut butter cheesecakes. Wow, they were good. In fact, there were way more than we needed, and were looking forward to having some the next day, but at the end of the night, while my wife and I were cleaning up after everyone left, we looked in the boxes and they were all gone. Bummer. They were obviously very good, maybe even the best in town!

We were all very impressed with these guys, and will definitely be the first company we call.

They also offer a personal chef service and in home cooking classes.

They even offer to go to the grocery store for you. Here a quote from the Delicious Moments website:

How many people hate grocery shopping? Either it takes too long, you have little kids who seem to always throw a tantrum once you get to the store or who just want to load the cart up on candy and cookies, you’re too busy to find time to grocery shop, you hate waiting in long lines, crowded aisles, finding a close parking spot, etc. Well, if you just want someone to do your grocery shopping for you, call us up and let us know! We would be happy to be of assistance! Just send us your list and we’ll do the grocery shopping for you! Simple as that.

Call these guys soon, even if your event is later this year. Visit their website for more catering, personal chef and cooking class information.

jorge

I met some friends way out in the middle of nowhere (actually about an hour North of Bryan - Hwy 6 to Hearne, then Hwy 79 through Franklin), and there, was a little store, right on the corner, called New Baden General Store. We went inside, through the “country store” area, and to my surprise, there were tables, the smell of grilling burgers, and the place was packed with people.

They had daily specials, but my friends said I needed to get the burger.

Here’s what the Historic New Baden Website has to say about the place:

Opened in 1884 and operating out of this building since 1906, the New Baden General Store Store is still operating in 2003 as a grocery store (selling locally grown fresh produce), meat market, deli counter, hamburger and short-order grill (with several tables for seating), feed store, hardware store, & gas station. Operated for years as “Mrs. E. Schultz & Son”, the store was run by the Schultz family for many, many years. The original building is a one-story structure with rolled tin canopy and brick parapet.

What a cool place. Finding the bathroom was interesting. Go back into the warehouse and look around, you’ll find it. Well, I actually kinda got lost back there. Turns out it was more obvious than I thought. I get distracted easily.

The burger was fantastic. As you’d expect, greasy and yummy. Service was super friendly. Just a bunch of country folk having a relaxed lunch.

The whole place was cool. We looked around in the store and if you haven’t been in a general store, it’s basically just a really, really small grocery store. Postcards, some local handicrafts, bread, peanut butter and the like.

This place reminded me of a similar place in Percilla, Texas (in East Texas) where I ate lunch with my pastor friend. He made sure to sit so he could see the door, and he knew just about everyone who walked in the door. Most of them came and sat down at the table with us. How friendly.

This is the same feeling I got at the New Baden General Store. Just friendly.

We’re planning on going to the New Baden Jamboree this month (every 1st Saturday of the month at the New Baden Community Center), and I believe the General Store supplies the burgers. I’ll let you know in another post.

Enjoy

jorge

Being brought up in a Latin household, I got used to eating a certain way. Then when I married my wife, new foods were added to my preferences, but over the years, she too has been won over to the Latin way of eating…well, some of it.

So, if you are like my family and need a place to find not just jalapeños and Mole, the H-E-B on Villa Maria is the place to go.

There are three H-E-B’s in town. One is usually inundated with college students (on Texas and Holleman), one is on Texas and Villa Maria, and the other is a smaller “Pantry” version over on Hwy 21.

The College H-E-B (Texas and Holleman) has a great Healthy section where you can find herbs, vitamins and natural stuff and a bulk section, the other two stores do not have these sections of the store. In fact, other than the Brazos Natural Foods store (on Texas and Rosemary), there aren’t many other places to go to get herbs and healthy stuff. (Although the Koger on Boonville and Hwy 6 has a good Healthy section).

Anyway, back to the Latin food.

The H-E-B on Villa Maria has one of the largest Goya Product section I’ve seen. From Beans (both the blue and the red can) to Guava Paste and Mariquitas, Malta to Mojo Criollo and Sazon.

They’ve also got a fairly large Frozen Goya Section too, with Tostones, Platano Dulce, various fruit pulp, Discos to make Empanadas, and even pre-made Cheese and Meat Empanadas.

The sections are always stocked. Which is interesting because I don’t know anyone who eats Pasta de Guajaba, or drinks Malta. I guess there’s enough of a demand for these things to keep them on the shelf. Even when I lived in San Antonio (where there is a very large Puertorican and Cuban population) I had trouble finding these items at the regular grocery stores. I would have to go specifically to one of the various Latin Grocery stores in town.

You’d think there’d be a Cuban restaurant in town with all this selection, but no, there’s not. I’ll be the first to take my family if one opens up.

The Super Wal-Mart, Kroger, and Albertsons also have Goya products, but the H-E-B on Villa Maria is the largest section, with more varieties.

So, if you are in the mood for something different, I suggest trying “Malta Goya”. It’s a Malt Beverage…non alcoholic which you’ll find usually in a six-pack on the bottom shelf. Most people I know say it stinks and taste like it smells. I love it.

Something else to try is Plantain chips. There are a few brands that make them (Goya, Chiefles, Mariquitas), so check it out.

One of my favorites is “Pasta de Gauyaba” with a salty, bland white cheese (see the picture below). You can go to the Mexican cheese section and look for a panela or a cotija with around 130 sodium. Slice the cheese and the Guava Paste in little strips and eat them together. It’s a dessert.

You can also take the guava paste and place them inside Puff Pastry Sheets (Look for them in the freezers close to the frozen fruit and the cool whip), bake using the directions on the Puff Pastry Sheet box and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Yum.

I actually found a Guava Jelly at the Kroger on Boonville that is not sweetened with sugar (or artificial sweetener), but fruit juice. It is wonderful.

I’m hungry.

Jorge

We’ve only been to the Farm Patch once, but we really liked it. It was a really nice produce market with just about any fruit or vegetable you’d need.

It reminded me of markets in Puerto Rico and Mexico, although, quite a bit cleaner.

Be sure to check out the far corner of the store where they have their “Dollar Bins” where you can find anything from potatoes to grapes to canteloupes. Maybe they’re not as pretty as the items out front, but a buck for a basket of grapes is great.

Aside from fresh produce, they have herbs, plants, cheese, meat, local honey and local pecans (when they’re in season). I saw quite a bit of organic produce, although I can’t afford to buy organic all the time.

I read somewhere that when you’re shopping, that if you stay on the outside walls of the store, you’ll be OK (the inside aisles are the ones with the boxes, cans and bags of over-processed foods). Farm patch is like the outside walls of the store, without the inside aisles.

The Farm Patch is across from Chicken Oil Company on College Avenue.

Jorge