"There's no place like home."

Monday, March 11, 2013

Enjoying your Locale: Spring Break Ideas

Well, we here in Southeast Texas are just starting to enjoy the beginning of Spring Break. Today, in honor of Spring Break I thought I would share my family's day of enjoying local places and inspire you to explore your own area.  Not everyone gets to go out of town, but that doesn't mean you can enjoy what is around you.
A couple of weeks ago on a Saturday, we woke-up early and decided to go out, explore and enjoy what was around us.  A couple of the things we did, we had done before but a  couple were new experiences.  Most of what we did or accomplished that day was not planned and was on a whim.  It was nice and our daughters enjoyed it.
First thing we did (top left corner) was go and get swabbed and registered to be bone marrow donors.  There is a sweet girl three-year old girl in our area, named RORIE who desperately needs a bone marrow donor to help save her life.  When someone doesn't have a family match they need someone to step-up and help them.  If you would like to help Rorie, please click on her name in CAPS above or CLICK HERE to register and have a kit mailed to you (make sure you flag it for RORIE JOSLIN).  It's really easy; just paper work and swabbing the inside of your cheek.
Next (top right corner) we set out to find some lunch.  We remembered our favorite meat market which also has a smokehouse next door had chopped beef sandwiches on sale.  Bay Area Meat Market and Smokehouse is just an awesome local business.  The sandwiches were $1.99 and are HUGE.  We ordered four of them (since our little ones share) and some chips and drinks.  They are very tasty and an awesome value.  We also buy a lot of our meats for grilling, barbecuing and also cooking.  I am a big fan of buying their ground beef.  They usually have a special where they wrap one-pound portions in butcher paper and sell it to you 10 pounds at a time.  I just put it in the freezer and take out a pound or two to defrost as I need it.
Next (middle left), we headed on over to the Clear Lake Shores Farmer's Market.  Sadly, we got there about 10 minutes before they closed so we couldn't enjoy everything, but every vendor we came in contact with was super friendly and had a smile.  Hope to go back soon and check them out with more time.
After that (middle right), we drove down the road to the Kemah Farmer's Market.  My daughters enjoyed looking at all the jewelry and hair bows one vendor had.  Everyone was really friendly and it was a great day to enjoy being outside.  In fact we just went back this last weekend to buy some local raw honey.  So yummy on a peanut butter sandwich!
After enjoying the farmers markets we didn't know what to do next.  My husband hopped on the freeway (45) and just started driving south.  He loves to surprise us like that.  His surprise was the ferry in Galveston (bottom left).  The ferry is free to ride on in your vehicle or as a pedestrian passenger and is something my kids have always enjoyed.  We drove onto the ferry and enjoyed the ride over to Bolivar (bottom right).  The ferry is state run and takes about 15 minutes or so to cross.  Once we crossed we drove around and found a beach access.  It was a little too cold to enjoy the water, but my kids had fun playing with sand and collecting shells. 
When we got home, needless to say, we were exhausted. It really was a fun day.  We only paid for food, but all the sites and fun we had were free.  So, enjoy your Spring Break and go out and enjoy your town!

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Oriental Gourmet Express

Yummy Dumplings
Here's a business that totally embodies what this blog is about.  My family and I were recently on our way to one of our favorite local eateries when we noticed Oriental Gourmet Express.  It sits at the back end of a small shopping center in front of NASA and Space Center.  When we walked in we were immediately welcomed by the owner and his small staff.  They were really friendly and suggested food items to us since we told them it was our first time there.  We ordered some pan fried pork dumplings as an appetizer, my husband ordered some beef pho and I ordered two orders of the Grilled Chicken Vietnamese Vermicelli for myself and my daughters (which I must add they kindly split into four plates for us). 
Beef Pho
We had never had Vietnamese food before and I must say, it was great.  Everything seemed to be made fresh and to order.  I had some questions on how to eat my Vietnamese Vermicelli and the owner was more than happy to give me some tips.
Grilled Chicken Vietnamese Vermicelli (half of the order)
Everything  tasted wonderful and you could taste the freshness.  Prices were great, too.  Nothing was over $8 and they were very generous portions.  If you live in the area and want to try some great food, give them a try.
They don't have a webpage so I am just gonna add their info here:
1354 NASA Parkway Suite D
Nassau Bay, Texas 77058
281-335-4567