JellyPages.com

Friday, December 23, 2016

Tasty Texas Treats


Keli Gwyn, author of “A Love Returned” in the Seven Brides for Seven Texans Romance Collection, here to talk about treats, tasty Texas-style ones.

My mother grew up in Texas. She introduced me to sweet tea at a young age. In fact, I can’t remember life before sweet tea.

For those who might not know what sweet tea is, it’s sweetened iced tea. The trick to making it “just right” is getting enough sugar in it. If you mix in the sugar when the tea is still warm and then cool it down, you can get more sugar absorbed into the mix. Not that I worried overmuch about that. Part of the fun for my younger self was tipping my emptied glass and letting the excess sugar on the bottom slide onto my tongue. It was like drinking liquid candy. Yum!


My maternal grandmother took charge of preparing our family feasts when she moved to town in my teens. One of the meals I most looked forward to was Nanny’s beans and chowchow, which she served on New Year’s Day. I wasn’t a huge fan of the beans themselves, but I loved burying them under a mound of her tangy chowchow, which was a pickled relish she learned to make when she lived in Texas. I never learned exactly what was in Nanny’s chowchow, but it sure tasted good.

Houston Hart, the hero of “A Love Returned,” spent twelve years in California, but he’s back in Texas now. One of the things he’d been looking forward to upon his return was sinking his teeth into one of the tasty tamales made by the Hart’s cook, Perla. Because of her Mexican heritage, she made the best tamales around, at least according to the Hart men.

Houston’s dream is realized when he sits down to a meal of tamales. Here’s the opening paragraph of the story.
Twelve years was a long time to wait for a tamale. Sam Houston Hart forked a bite and savored the spicy taste.
Since the stories in the collection take place in Texas, I thought it would be fun to offer some tasty Texas treats in my giveaway packages this week. I learned about the Texas Millionaries from my mom, who likes them. My research led me to the Longhorns and the pecan pralines.



Seeing the pralines brought back another memory of the pecan pies Nanny made for Thanksgiving each year. I’m not a fan of pecans or pies, but the memory of my Nanny’s pies is special nonetheless.

Today’s the last day to win the tasty trio of Texas-themed treats I’ve been giving away all week, so be sure to enter the giveaway. Here’s how…

Questions for You
Answer at least one to enter the giveaway.

Which Texas-themed treats are your favorites?

How do you like your iced tea, sweetened or not?

Do you like nuts in your candies? If so, which kinds?

The E-x-p-a-n-d-i-n-g Giveaway

Each day this week, I’ve added a new item to the prize package, making it BIGGER and better than the one before.

Yesterday’s prize package included three tasty Texas treats: a Texas Millionaire, a Texas Longhorn and a pecan praline plus all three books in the Lone Star Cowboy League continuity series from the Love Inspired Historical line that Erica, Gabrielle and I write for: Stand-in Rancher Daddy by Renee Ryan, A Family for the Rancher by Louise M. Gouge and A Rancher of Convenience by Regina Scott.

The winner of the day four prize package is Bonnie Roof! Congratulations, Bonnie! I will get your candies and books on their way to you.

Today I’m adding Texas Cinderella, another Love Inspired Historical, this one by Winnie Griggs. That’s a total of SEVEN items, which seems like a fitting number for the final prize package in my Expanding Giveaway, wouldn’t you say?


To enter my final giveaway this week, all you have to do is leave a comment with the answer to one of the questions above by midnight EST. I’ll choose the winner using random.org and will ask Erica to include the name of Friday’s winner in her Saturday post tomorrow.

We’re saving our biggest and best prize for the final post in three weeks, when Erica will announce the winner of our Kindle Fire giveaway. One lucky winner will receive a Kindle Fire loaded with other books written by the authors of the Seven Brides for Seven Texans Romance Collection, including my three Love Inspired Historicals and two by Gabrielle. You can enter the giveaway below, if you haven’t already done so.

34 comments:

  1. The only way to drink tea in Texas is sweet tea. It's the best.
    Deana
    Jhdwayne(at)peoplepc(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  2. My Texas relatives would agree, Deana. =)

    ReplyDelete
  3. The only way I drink tea is sweet! And make a horrible face if they bring me unsweet. Bleh! I love nuts in my desserts! Pecans are my favorite!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nancy, when I was growing up, the thought of unsweetened tea was unthinkable. In recent years I've learned to enjoy the taste of herbal tea--hot and without sugar. It wasn't easy, but I did it. Sadly, I've gotten too attached to sugar this past year. Must. Cut. Back. My jeans are rather snug. :-/

      I'm not a big fan of nuts, but I do like almonds and peanuts.

      Delete
  4. Sweet tea, please!!! Sweetened when it is warm, so the sugar disolves! I am from Michigan, married to a Texan. I love sweets and nuts and enjoy most of them. Regional specialities, ,made with Texas Pecans, Michigan Black Walnuts, and German Hazelnuts! Thsnx for the giveaway!!!! Merry Christmas!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jennifer, when I was young, I would make tea heated by our intense California sun, bring the jar inside while the tea was nice and warm, and add as much sugar as I could get to dissolve. Talk about syrupy sweet. McDonald's sweet tea comes close. I've attempted to cut back on sugar in recent years, although I've not done well on that recently. Deadlines and the munchies seem to go together, and I've caved. :-/

      Those regional specialties you mentioned sound rich and yummy--a nut lover's delight.

      Merry Christmas to you!

      Delete
  5. I have to admit I do not like sweet or non-sweet tea! As for tamales, we have a lady here in town who loves to make them and we love to get them. :) As for nuts, I love nuts and most always like them in chocolate. I just don't like them in brownies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Susan, our daughter doesn't care for tea either. Coffee with goodies in it, yes, but not tea--hot or cold--even with sugar or honey added. I, on the other hand, like tea but have never developed a taste for coffee.

      I don't care for nuts in anything. I met my husband over a plate of delicious chocolate chip cookies he'd made--without nuts. :-)

      Delete
  6. Pecan pralines are a favorite of mine! Almost any treat with nuts is a favorite (and caramel, that is more the deciding factor😉).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Terressa, you must be in your element this time of year with all the nut- and caramel-filled goodies around.

      I've said it before, but I love the spelling of your name. How is it pronounced? With a long E in the middle like the name Theresa, or a short E, giving it a softer sound?

      Delete
  7. I don't think I have had Texas-themed treats. Once on vacation I got prickly pear candy that tasted good--probably from AZ though.
    I likely would not drink tea if I could not have it sweet. I have fond memories of my Aunt's sweet tea with lemon.

    I like most types nuts in my candies except for black walnuts which have an over-powering taste. Pecans and almonds are my favorites along with pistachios.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. B, I've never seen prickly pear candy. Sounds interesting.

      How neat that you have such special memories of your Aunt and her sweet tea with lemon.

      I've tried pistachios. I like them, but only in moderation. Almonds are my favorite nut, with peanuts a close second. I don't really care for nuts with a strong taste. As you said, the nut flavor can be overpowering.

      Delete
  8. LOVE sweet ice tea!!! Not as popular here in CA, but I don't really care. :)

    Also, I have a friend who has made chowchow - a yummy type of relish with green tomatoes. I'll have to see if I can get it for you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Coral, I've had McDonald's sweet tea. It comes the closest to my mom's. Nice and sugary.

      What fun that you have a friend who makes chowchow. I didn't realize it contained green tomatoes. That must be what gives it the distinctive taste. If you could get some for me, I could relive a special memory. Thanks for the offer.

      Delete
  9. I've never had pralines. I do love macadamia chocolates my mil sends from Hawaii! So delicious!!

    The only thing I drink is iced tea from Lipton. Only because my bladder can tolerate it. I drank the iced tea in SC and boy that stuff is pucker sweet!! A funny but true story...I came back to SD for visit in 2013, we went to the state fair, a lady was selling 'Southern Sweet Tea'. She gave me a sample, tried it. I told her, "Lady, this isn't sweet enough to be Southern Sweet Tea! I live in SC now, I know sweet tea when it touches my tongue" She wasn't too happy with me. But I was speaking truth to her! She can sell her Southern Sweet Tea to the Midwest all she wants because most of us don't know how sweet southern tea is! I will never forget it. I don't think she will either.

    I so want to make tamales but I cannot find a decent recipe plus I cannot have it spicy. I am so hungry for them! So until I can make them homemade, I will buy them from a (gasping) can! Uggh

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Regina, I saw stacks and stacks of those macadamia chocolates when I got to visit Hawaii years ago. People were snapping up armfuls of those pretty boxes.

      Your sweet tea story made me smile. Only those of us who've had genuine Southern Sweet Tea know just how sweet it is. :-)

      I've never made tamales, but here in California we have fundraisers where bands or other school organizations sell authentic Mexican tamales. Are they ever good! Yum!

      Delete
  10. I do like sweetened iced tea, and I really only like peanuts and my candies.😀

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jen Anne, having grown up with a mother who made real Southern Sweet Tea, I can't imagine drinking iced tea without sugar. I don't make mine as sweet as I used to, though. My rather snug jeans thank me for that. :-)

      Like you, I'm not a huge fan of nuts. Peanuts are one of two kinds I like.

      Delete
  11. Tamales are my top favorite Mexican foods and when I read this collection, I wished Perla was my cook so I could have them...lol!!

    Those candies pictured here look really good!! I'm not sure what would be considered Texas themed, but I do love pecans!! And I like any nut expect for Walnuts...and not in my cookies or bread! I don't mind them in chocolate confections though.

    I used to LOVE sweet tea, until I cut out artificial sweetener years ago (it's so BAD for you!). Now I've gotten used to unsweet iced tea. Although, if a true Texan would hand me a glass of sweet tea made with real sugar, I wouldn't pass it up...lol!! I never knew the trick on how to dissolve the sugar...I'll have to try that :-) Hot tea I take honey in, or if I don't have any, sugar will do.

    Any nut (except Walnut) is okay in chocolate confections. Just not in my bread or cookies, thank you! Now the one nut from my area (Oregon) that I love is Hazelnuts. I'd have to list my favorite nut as Brazil nuts, and I love to crack them myself :-)

    I see Winnie's book in today's offering...yay!!! I do love her writing and Texas Cinderella looks/sounds good! Thank you for all the fun on the blog this week Keli & for the giveaway chance :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Trixi, wouldn't tamales made by Perla make a wonderful meal? I should have invited her to whip up a big batch of them to serve as virtual fare today. I missed a wonderful opportunity. :-(

      When I told my mom about this post, I made sure to let her know that I included pecans and the pecan pies my Nanny (her mother) made. Nanny's Texas-style Thanksgiving or Christmas feasts weren't complete without those pecan pies.

      I learned the trick of adding the sugar when the tea was warm as a way to make it as sweet as my mom's. Otherwise, I had a hard time getting the copious amounts of sugar to dissolve. They don't call it sweet tea for nothing. :-)

      I remember my mom having a bowl of nuts at the holidays. I enjoyed cracking them for others even though I didn't care for most of them myself, but those Brazil nuts were tough nuts to crack. What's your trick, Trixi?

      I'm glad you're excited about Winnie's books. When I planned the posts and the prize packages, I knew I wanted to use the Lone Star Cowboy League, but I needed one more book to reach the seven items for today. I remembered Texas Cinderella and knew I had found just the book to round out the final package. Winnie generously donated the autographed copy.

      Delete
    2. Yep, my dad got a big bag of mixed nuts around Christmas time and we cracked them ourselves! He had a set of fancy nut cracking utensils complete with an implement to dig out any stuck piece of nut inside the shell. I'm sure there's a name for it but I don't know what it is!

      My trick...not sure I can describe it accurately, but on the Brazil nut, there is what I would call "seams" (again not an official name, but I'm not sure what to call them) and I just slowly but surely work my way with the nutcracker around those and squeeze gently until I see a crack. They are a bit tricky, I agree! But oh so worth it :-) You can buy the unshelled variety, but that takes all the fun out of it for me...lol!! I just have fond memories of growing up cracking those nuts :-)

      Delete
    3. Thanks for sharing your technique, Trixi. I knew there had to be one. I'm not the best nutcracker. I've demolished a number of hazelnuts in my time.

      Delete
  12. I'm a Texas gal, and you are certainly right about the tea we enjoy, Keli. The sweeter the better! In fact, sweet tea is my four-year-old daughter's drink of choice when we go out to eat. :) Thanks so much for sharing another great post and giveaway. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Britney, like your daughter, I developed a fondness (aka addiction) for Texas-style sweet tea at a very young age. I can't remember life without sweet tea. :-)

      Delete
  13. Let me try this again. Previous reply would not post.
    I love a nut! Almost any nut in my candies.
    Those pecan pralines look so yummy.
    My husband used to drink tea so sweet you could stand a spoon in it. Now that he is diabetic he uses so much stevia it is undrinkable to me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Andrea, sorry you had trouble posting. Those cyber imps do come out to play at times, don't they?

      I'm sorry your husband is dealing with diabetes. For a person used to drinking sweet tea, that must be difficult. I'm glad he's found a sugar substitute that works for him.

      Delete
  14. We grew up on sweet tea and still have it every day. I don't eat nuts, because of stomach problems, but my hubby loves them. Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lucy, I used to drink so much sweet tea that I'm sure little else was running through my veins. :-)

      I'm sorry you have stomach issues. It's hard to give up things we like because of health restrictions.

      Merry Christmas to you!

      Delete
  15. Since my family is from the south, we love sweet tea. To us, it's the only way to drink tea!

    I also love pecan pralines. That was one of my dad's favorite treats. Good memories eating one with him! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joy, I'm glad this post with the mention of pecan pralines brought back good memories of your dad. The holidays are hard when a loved one is no longer around. Memories abound. I hope many of yours make you smile.

      Delete
  16. My week of sharing about my story, "A Love Returned," has come to an end. Thanks to all of you who left such wonderful comments.

    It's time to learn who won the day five prize package in my Expanding Giveaway. I popped over to random.org to find out who the winner is. That would be Trixi. Congratulations, Trixi! I have your address, so I'll get your prize package on its way to you pronto.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh MY!!! How wonderful Keli!! I'm shocked really, but inside I'm happy dancing :-) WOW, thank you!!

      Delete
    2. I smiled when I saw that you were the winner, Trixi. I had a hunch you'd be happy about that. Have fun reading and munching. =)

      Delete
  17. I love Pecan Pie. I have been drinking sweet tea all my life and I love nuts in my candies. Thanks for a chance to win. Maxie > mac262 @ me.com <

    ReplyDelete