Driskill Selects Official Pie
Recently we told you about the First Annual Driskill Pie Bake-off held at Austin's Driskill Hotel...and now we have the winning recipe! Jaynie Buckingham of Austin won with the original “Betty Lou’s Buttermilk Pie,” a recipe lovingly baked and served by her mother, the late Betty Lou Maxon. The pie is now featured at the Driskill's 1886 Café & Bakery or you can use the recipe below to create your own at home.
Betty Lou’s Buttermilk Pie2008 Driskill Pie Bake-off Winning Recipe
by Jaynie Buckingham, Austin, TX
Pie Filling
1 stick of butter
1 C. sugar
1 T. cornstarch
4 egg yolks
1 C. warm milk
1 unbaked 9” pie crust
1 tsp. nutmeg
With electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and cornstarch. Add egg yolks, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Beat in warm milk. Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for 45 minutes or until the pie is golden brown and firm to the touch. Recipe makes one pie.
The pie is served with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and lemon anglaise.
Pie Crust
2-1/2 C. all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
3 tsp. sugar
¼ C. cold shortening
1 stick butter, cold and cubed
¼ C. chilled water
In food processor, mix together flour, salt and sugar. Add the shortening and butter, bit by bit, until it forms small pea-size balls. Slowly add chilled water until it begins to form a dough. Remove from the processor and work with hands to form a ball. Do not overwork the dough. Shape dough into a disk, cover and chill for 30 minutes. Roll pie crust out onto a floured surface and line 9” pie plate.
Prepare crust in advance and refrigerate until ready to bake.
Photo courtesy Driskill HotelLabels: Austin
posted by Paris & John @ 1:07 PM
Update on Houston Hotels
We've received word from the Houston CVB reporting that most of the more than 500 hotels in greater Houston sustained no damage. A few hotels have experienced minimal water damage. For more updates on Houston, visit
www.VisitHoustonTexas.comHere's a sampling of photos of area hotels; these were shot Monday, Sept. 15:
Hilton Americas-Houston (Downtown)
Hyatt Regency Houston (Downtown)
JW Marriott (Galleria)
Hilton Post Oak (Uptown/Galleria)
Intercontinental (Uptown/Galleria)
Granduca (Uptown Park/Galleria)
Photos courtesy Houston CVB
Labels: Houston, Hurricane Ike
posted by Paris & John @ 12:34 PM
Update on Houston's Sports Facilities, Discovery Green
We've received some additional updates from the Houston CVB regarding the status of locations in Houston after Hurricane Ike:
Reliant Park:Reliant Park sustained some damage isolated to wind only. Representatives are currently accessing the situation. The campus is currently being used as a temporary staging area for relief responders. The projected date for the campus to be clear is October 8. For more information, visit
http://www.reliantpark.comPhoto of Reliant Stadium taken Sept. 15:
Discovery Green: This 12-acre park in downtown Houston is located across the street from the GRB Houston and Hilton Americas-Houston hotel. The park sustained no damage and is open to the public. For information, visit
http://www.discoverygreen.comPhotos of Discovery Green Taken Sept. 15:
Toyota Center:
The home of the NBA Houston Rockets and AHL Houston Aeros sustained no damage and is 100% operational. For more information, visit http://www.houstontoyotacenter.com
Photo of Toyota Center Taken Sept. 15:
Minute Maid Park:
Minute Maid Park, the home of the MLB Houston Astros, was to withstand hurricane-force winds and sustained only minor damage. The facility will open doors for the scheduled homestand from Sept. 23-28, and is fully operational and open for business for all special events currently scheduled. For more information, visit http://houston.astros.mlb.com/hou/ballpark/index.jsp
Photo of Minute Maid Park Taken Sept. 15:
Photos courtesy Houston CVB
Labels: Houston, Hurricane Ike
posted by Paris & John @ 12:34 PM
Update on Houston Attractions After Hurricane Ike
We've received an update about many Houston area attractions and their status after Hurricane Ike:
·
Space Center Houston : Closed until Saturday, Sept. 20
· Houston Museum of Natural Science: Closed Tuesday, Sept. 16; reopening date TBD
· Houston Symphony: Two concerts, Thursday September 18 at 8:00 p.m. at Jones Hall, and Friday September 19 at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion at the Woodlands, have been cancelled. The Saturday evening September 20 at 8:00 p.m. concert at Jones Hall with the orchestra, under the baton of music director Hans Graf and featuring violinist Gil Shaham as soloist, will be moved to Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. in observance of the city-wide curfew. The Sunday afternoon September 21st 2:30 p.m. concert at Jones Hall will proceed as scheduled. Patrons holding tickets to the Thursday evening concert will be contacted by the Symphony Customer Service Center to arrange changing them to either the Saturday or Sunday afternoon performance. In addition, the Symphony announced that it will make available several hundred free tickets for both the Saturday and Sunday afternoon performances. The tickets will only be available on a first come – first served basis at the Jones Hall box office an hour before the 2:30 p.m. performances.
· Houston Ballet: Due to Mayor White’s citywide curfew, Houston Ballet has canceled performances of Classically Modern on Thursday, Sept. 18 and Saturday, Sept. 20. An added performances of Onegin will take place on Sunday, Sept. 21 at 2:00 pm.
· Children’s Museum of Houston: Reopening Wednesday, Sept. 17
· The Galleria: In accordance with the curfew, the Galleria will close at 6pm on Tuesday, Sept. 16.
· Houston Zoo: Reopening Wednesday, Sept. 17Labels: Houston, Hurricane Ike
posted by Paris & John @ 1:31 PM
Update on Houston's Convention Center
We've been following news from Houston and just received this post-Hurricane Ike news about the George R. Brown Convention Center from the Houston CVB along with some photos taken Monday, September 15, 2008:
One of two major convention center facilities in Houston. The GRB Houston ranks among the 10 largest convention centers in the nation.
Current situation: The GRB Houston facility weathered the storm with only superficial damage. No floodwater entered the building. As of 9/15/08 three ground-floor exhibit halls are being used as temporary staging areas. Events scheduled for September 18-22, including Theta Antiques Charity Show and Houston Antique Dealers, have been rescheduled.
More Post-Ike Photos Courtesy Houston CVB:
For more information:• visit
http://www.houstonconventionctr.comLabels: Houston, Hurricane Ike
posted by Paris & John @ 1:19 PM
Update on Houston's Transportation Systems
We've received the following update from the Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau regarding the city's transportation systems following Hurricane Ike:
Houston Airport System – HAS is fully operational as of Monday, September 15, 2008. All domestic airlines flying of Monday, September 15th and all international should be flying by Tuesday, September 15th at both George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU). For more information, visit
www.fly2houston.com.
Greater Houston Transportation Company (Parent company of Yellow Cab) - Yellow Cab, the largest cab company in Houston, is open for business and currently operating 70% or 800 cars, of their fleet. Yellow Cab’s communications department has been fully operational during the entire hurricane via our redundant system in place in Austin.
By the end of this week (9/19/08), Yellow cab expects to be operating at nearly 95%.
Labels: Houston, Hurricane Ike
posted by Paris & John @ 12:40 PM
Ike Cleanup Begins
News about the impact of Hurricane Ike is still coming in but the effects will be felt for a long time in Houston, Galveston, and all along the upper Texas coast. If you have any travel plans to the region in the coming weeks, call first; there will be many closures, reschedulings, and postponements due both to damage and power outages.
So far, we know of two popular sites that were destroyed by the storm. Houston's Brennan's Restaurant was destroyed by fire during the hurricane, and Galveston's historic Balinese Ballroom was wiped out by the storm.
For more on the storm, here's a report from CBS "The Early Show":
Labels: Hurricane Ike
posted by Paris & John @ 10:53 AM
All Eyes on Ike
UPDATED: Everyone in Texas is keeping a close eye on Hurricane Ike, now out in the Gulf and churning its way most probably to the Texas coastline. Right now Galveston and Houston are likely targets but much of the eastern part of the state, even as far north as Dallas, will be impacted by this massive storm.
If you're traveling in Texas this weekend, make sure you have confirmed hotel reservations; hotels hours away from the Gulf are filling up as coastal residents flee the storm.
Labels: Hurricane Ike
posted by Paris & John @ 2:26 PM
Gidding Hosts Texas Word Wrangler Festival
The 3rd Annual Texas Word Wrangler Festival is scheduled for September 12 at the Giddings Public Library and Cultural Center at 276 N. Manse. This free event (scheduled from 9am-5pm) will feature twenty-six authors to read from their books, discuss their creative inspiration, and sign books.
The night before the event, the library will host a "Meet the Authors" fundraiser at the Giddings Public Library.
Events: Events and activities during the two days include:
-- "Meet the Author" Gala Event - Thursday, September 11, 2008 (tickets available at Library)
-- Book signing event with known children and adult authors and poets
-- Walk-in Coffee (Breakfast & Lunch items, free-will donation) sponsored by the Giddings New Horizons Lions Club
-- Door Prizes
-- 26 Authors in one place at one time
-- "Wheel of Fortune" Game
Authors: Texas Authors attending the event include:
- Gina Batie
- Kelly Bennett
- Thomas Blacklock
- Robert Costelloe
- Larry Dowell
- A. F. Ebbers
- Joyce Gustafson
- Lila Guzman
- Martha Hannah
- Jan Siegel Hart
- Mike Kearby
- Sherri Knight
- Debra Frontiera
- Doug Hiser
- Jeanine McGregor
- Pierce Burns
- Kimberly Burgess Taylor
- Bob Lawrence
- Larry Locha
- Joan Neubauer
- Catherine Rice
- Tweed Scott
- Robert Spoede
- Larry Turner
- Kathy Whitehead
- Nelson Zoch
- Mary Sue Zoch
For More Information:• call the Library at 979-542-2716
• call the Gidding Chamber at 979-542-3455
• visit
http://www.giddingstx.comLabels: Festivals, Prairies and Lakes
posted by Paris & John @ 2:31 PM
Fredericksburg
Recently we told you about the First Annual Driskill Pie Bake-off held at Austin's Driskill Hotel...and now we have the winning recipe! Jaynie Buckingham of Austin won with the original “Betty Lou’s Buttermilk Pie,” a recipe lovingly baked and served by her mother, the late Betty Lou Maxon. The pie is now featured at the Driskill's 1886 Café & Bakery or you can use the recipe below to create your own at home. 
