175 years ago, a group of delegates at Washington on the Brazos wrote and signed the Texas Declaration of Independence, literally overnight, declaring Texas independent from Mexico and forming our own republic.
If you are not from Texas, you might not understand the certain pride that we have in our state. You might even think we are somewhat. . . dare I say it. . . obnoxious about the way we discuss the great state of Texas.
But let me (a native Texan and Texas History teacher) share a few of my favorite things about Texas, and maybe I can persuade you to at least see our point of view!
From the country farmer to the oil man in Houston, southern gentility is not lost in this state!
The battle of the Alamo will forever be the greatest moment in Texas history! Even though our brave men were massacred, that battle was crucial in our winning the war.
Every spring the ground is painted blue . . . riding horses in the Texas bluebonnets is a yearly must!
Texans believe in states right and small government. Hence the reason why Texas seceded from the Union and fought in the bloodiest war in American history when only 5 percent of the population owned slaves. As I explain it to my students, "Even though many Texans didn't own slaves; they didn't want the government telling them they couldn't own slaves."
John Wayne's "Alamo" and "Lonesome Dove" pretty much sum up Texas perfectly.
Sam Houston was one of the most honorable men in Texas history. He kept Santa Anna alive and helped him get safely back to Mexico because he knew that was what would be best for Texas in the long run. And when Houston was removed from office for not taking the oath to the Confederacy, Lincoln offered to send Union troops to keep him as governor. Houston declined, stating that he could never be responsible for spilling Texans' blood.
From Shiner to Cut and Shoot, each small town has a story and a colorful history.
Texans have their own language. Not quite southern but Texan. . . you might hear any of these on a daily basis in a slow Texas drawl. . . fixin' to, over yonder, and, of course, y'all!
There is nothing like two stepping, to your favorite country song, at an old dance hall.
Characters like Davy Crockett shaped this great state. Davy Crockett joined the Texas rebellion at 50 years old and told his daughter he would rather be in Texas than be elected to a seat in congress for life.
I loved being a cheerleader in high school and those 5-A Friday night football games. "Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word." - John Steinbeck
I am proud to be a Texan because of my relative that fought and died in the Alamo.
From the Galleria in Houston to small town coffee shops, Texas is as diverse as they come!
Nate and I would not want to raise our family anywhere else!
Happy Texas Independence Day!
In celebrating Texas Independence Day, I want to introduce y'all to Taste of Texas. If you are ever in the Houston area, this steakhouse is a MUST. Not only does it have the best pecan pie in the world, Edd and Nina Hindee have collected Texas history artifacts and have them displayed all over the restaurant. Nina Hindee even gives tours of their restaurant (and all of the history) to 4th graders throughout the Houston area! One thing that Taste of Texas is known for besides their incredible steaks, is their incredible customer service. (and the Hindee's have a lab named, GUS!)
If you have ever been to Taste of Texas, you know about their Cinnamon Honey Butter. I promise. . . if you make this Cinnamon Honey Butter at home. . . it taste JUST like it does at the restaurant! :-) OH MY GOSH. . . a little piece of heaven. . .
Cinnamon Honey Butterserves 4-8
Ingredients:
1 cup Butter
1 cup Margarine
1 tbsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 cup Honey
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Combine butter and margarine in a medium bowl and mix on medium speed. Slowly add in other ingredients and whip until everything is evenly distributed. Refrigerate before using.
Taste of Texas
oh friend, delicious!!!!
ReplyDeleteohhh yum!
ReplyDeleteThis looks delicious! Could you use all butter - mo margarine? Or what purpose does the margarine serve?
ReplyDeleteIn this recipe, I don't think it makes a difference. . . the margarine that I used was pretty soft and creamier than the stick of butter which probably made the Cinnamon Honey butter more creamy (without as many butter "lumps" as my recipe for Honey Butter has) so. . . if you only have butter in the fridge, no big deal. . .
ReplyDeleteOther recipes, it does make a difference! :-) (it is all about the oil in the margarine effecting your baking differently than the ingredients in butter) . . . Let me know if you have any other questions. . .
Yum! I've been meaning to make sweet butter for awhile now. I know my boyfriend will LOVE it. Cute blog :) New follower here. Happy Friday
ReplyDelete