March Happenings

    March is just a few days away and things are starting to heat up in town.  There is something for everyone going on this coming month.  Here are a few that we found, that you might be interested in checking out.

As always Canton First Monday Trade Days will be the first Monday of March running from Thursday, March 3 - 5.  Be sure to stop by if you are looking for that hard to find item on your list or just want to help support some local businesses.  There is always something there for everyone.  

    The Hopkins County Civic Center has a full weekend calendar of  Horseshows and Longhorn Shows for everyone to attend.  Along with the High School rodeo finals towards the end of the month.  Be sure to stop by and support all those young athletes as the show off their skills.  

    The fun doesn't stop there, when the Circus comes to town.  The George Carden Circus will be here for two night on March 15-16 for everyone to see.  Come on down to the Civic Center to see the show.  This show will be a delight for everyone in your family, so grab your tickets today and pull up a seat.

    Saturday, March 19 is the Annual North East Texas Beer Run at Backstory Brewery.  This event will be a fundraiser for the Sam Kopal Foundation.  You won't want to miss this chance to get out and stretch your legs while helping to raise money for a good cause.   You can get tickets to enter at by clicking this link.  

    The following Saturday, March 26 Backstory Brewery is hosting a corn hole tournament for the Sulphur Springs Adult Leadership class.  This tournament will be a fundraiser to help make repairs and Kids Kingdom.  Come out and support, Lights, Stain, Action! This will be a fun day for the whole family.  Grab your cornhole team and sign up soon, before all the spots are filled.  

Let's Eat ~ La Victoria

    

     A wonderful, somewhat hidden, gem in Sulphur Springs is La Victoria.  A little Mexican food market that also happens to have a restaurant inside that serves food during the hours of operation.  Not only can you get authentic Mexican food to eat in house, you can do a little bit of grocery shopping as well.  La Victoria can be found at 1135 S. Broadway St, in Sulphur Springs.  

   

     They offer a good variety of choices for dining in or taking out.  Tortas, quesadillas, tacos and burritos.  Plus they have a daily special for each week day, we happened to go on Thursday (Jueves) and the special was Pozole.  One of our favorites but we all ordered something different.  I really want to go back and eat again on Friday for their special. 

   

     Breakfast tacos can be had, with just eggs or chorizo and eggs.  You can select your meat for your tacos, quesadillas and tortas.  The flavor is genuinely delicious and it makes you want to go back for more.  Not only do they make their dishes from scratch, they fry fresh chips and make homemade tortillas that you can purchase and take home with you.

    

    One of my favorite reasons to visit La Victoria is to enjoy a pastry.  Made fresh on the premises, the variety and scale of pastries can make any carb lover fall head over heals.  

   

     After you have finished eating be sure to check out the rest of the store to find fruits and vegetables that can not be found at your local grocer.  They even have a meat counter where you can get fresh cuts of meat to try your own hand at authentic fair at home.  

    

    Today we enjoyed breakfast tacos, veggie tacos, and beef quesadillas.  All made fresh for us while we waited.  This place was hopping for lunch, so be sure to go early and grab your food to go or stay to dine in. 

Travel East Texas ~ Winnsboro, TX

   

  Just a short distance away from Sulphur Springs, lies the small community of Winnsboro, TX.  Right on Highway 11 heading East, you cannot help but to stop off for the afternoon for a little shopping and dining in the town of Winnsboro.  Be sure to plan your visit.  While some shops and restaurants are open early in the week many are not, so look up those hours of operation before you venture out, you don't want to miss your new favorite East Texas spot.

    Originally a crossroads between places, Winnsboro has not changed too much over time.  As many small towns, it did move towards the railroad when it came through and changed the name in honor of some of the first settlers in the area.  

        Today Winnsboro boasts a farmers market, with covered spaces that people can browse goods from April until October.  With online ordering during the winter months.  Be sure to check out the webpage for more information on the farm to table offerings and how to purchase.  The Farmers market is located directly behind the train depot, where you can also find the public restrooms, during the day.

    

    The main street district or The Bowery is a great place to get started on your day trip adventure.  Arts, shopping and dining can all be found downtown, with other great stops located just a bit away from the city center.  A great feature located in The Bowery is the pedestrian only area.  Benches and planters can be found all over in this car free area. 

    Even more shopping fun can be had from April to October along Highway 11 Historic Treasure Trials.  On the second weekend of the month you can find vendors over an 80 mile stretch of road.  One of our favorite stops is Danna’s and the Buffalo girls right outside of town.  If you need a break from all that shopping and want to have a little bit of a spa day be sure to check out Copperleaf Day Spa, appointments are needed but could be well worth the planning in your schedule.  

   

     If a day of relaxation and shopping are not  your cup of tea be sure to check out the Center for the Arts.  They have many classes scheduled for the evening that could be a great date night option or girls night out adventure.  Along with classes they offer performances and hosts a variety of events.

    

    All that shopping, creating and walking around can make a person hungry.  Be sure to stop in to one of the favorite dining spots in Winnsboro.  Grab a bottle of wine and a selection from the deli at Sinclair Market, and sit out on their patio to enjoy your find.  Or stop by Liefie Li Vine, for some South African food.  The Barrel House is a great stop as well, for a one of the best hamburgers in the town.  If you just want to explore some craft beer be sure to check out Cypress Creek Southern Ales to see what is on tap.

    

    One of the highlights of visiting Winnsboro is Autumn Trails events during the month of October.  A month long celebration with fun for everyone.  Car shows, pageants, parades, trail rides and so much more.  You could not ask for a better way to celebrate an East Texas event than during the month of October and the Autumn Trails.  Pick your favorite weekend and head on over to see what might be happening.  

    Drop on over during your stay and explore a little bit of what East Texas has to offer in Winnsboro. 
 

Oregano Infused Paloma ~ herb infused cocktail

    

 

    We are excited about this months cocktail that we have made up for you.  We wanted to have something that would reflect the season of love in a color, and this pink cocktail hit the spot.  Our Oregano infused Paloma is just what the season ordered.  

    We are going to give you two recipes for this post, one for the cocktail and one for the simple syrup.  You can make your simple syrup in advance and with any type of herb you want to feature for additional cocktails or food recipes.  But first a little history over the origins of the Paloma.

    The Paloma was really first found to be paired with Squirt, grapefruit soda, served to guests when entertaining at home.  The simplicity of a little flavored soda and tequila gained popularity as new brands of grapefruit drinks were developed by other manufactures.  To an extent it became the "rum and coke" of the Mexican household.  Squirt found it's place in the fridge like an extra condiment to be used when guests came to call.  We have chosen to "color" our drink with grapefruit juice instead of soda to achieve the pink in honor of Valentine's Day. 

    Oregano is part of the mint family, and was originally grown in Greece. Then traveled North to Rome and on to the East where people in Asia used it for medicinal means.  In some areas it can be grown as a perennial for warmer climates.  While in Northern areas, it might only be grown annual because of the cold weather.  "It was first used by the Greeks.  They believed that this herb was created by the Goddess Aphrodite.  She wanted it to be a symbol of joy gowning in her garden." (myspicer.com/history-of-oregano)

    The Simple Syrup is just that a very simple even ratio mix of water and sugar to create a syrup to sweeten tea or cocktails.  Add in your favorite flavor to make it your own.

Simple Syrup

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

2 springs of oregano 

1 sprigs of oregano diced - to release the oils and flavors

Cook on the stove top until the sugar is dissolved fully.  Let cool and add to your drink of choice.

    Now lets get to the good stuff.  We first salted the rim of our glass. We used the remainder of the grapefruit to "wet" the rim so the salt would stick.  After measuring out all the liquid we mixed everything together in a shaker 3/4's full of ice.  Shake it up and pour into your glass.  Top off the drink with a splash of club soda.  Garnish the glass with a slice of grapefruit and a sprig of oregano.

    You can make your drink a mocktail by eliminating the tequila with all club soda. Or go about it in a more traditional route and use Squirt for the additional bubbles.  I would watch the sugar level on this adaptation if you still plan to use the simple syrup.  Sweeten to your desired taste. This would make for a refreshing summer drink as well as a pink holiday drink in winter. 

Oregano Infused Paloma

2 oz. Tequila Blanco

4 oz. Grapefruit juice

1 oz. Oregano simple syrup

Club Soda

Add everything but the club soda to your shaker and shake to combine.  Pour into your cup and top off with a splash of club soda.  Enjoy with chips and guacamole. 

Give us a shout when you try this drink for yourselves.  Mix it up and share your images on social media, be sure to tag us while enjoying your mixer.  Until then Cheers from the Oaks bed and breakfast.

Terrarium Class ~ The Plant Niche

     If you are looking for a great Girls Night Out event or a fun and unique Date Night, look no further than The Plant Niche for one of their hands on classes.  You can schedule a private class for  your group or join in on one of her pre set classes and savor the fun.  

    Not only is Erika very helpful and hands on, she is knowledgeable about her products and services that she has to offer.  Part of her business is coming to your home or office, placing plants and maintaining them on a schedule that fits your plants life style.  I know I can get discouraged when I purchase a plant and it does not do well.  Erika helps to make your plant investment grow.  

    
                                                    

    In one type of class Erika teaches you how to create your terrarium and allow for the best environment possible for your plants to thrive.  She provides the container, tools, soil, rocks and plants for your experience.  As she said you are creating an "artistic botanical garden, and you are the artist." 

    

In our class we had the choice to create a foliage garden or a succulent garden.  Usually she has each class select one or the other, so plan your class well.  The foliage garden we built came with rock for the bottom, soil, three plants and moss for the top to help retain moisture for a happy plant home.  To keep your plants happy Erika suggested misting the plants every so often and that the mist is like, "lotion on the foliage."  If one of the plants starts to look a little weepy, add a little bit of water just to that plant.  There is no need to add water to the whole of the terrarium. 

    For the succulent gardens, the glass bowls began with rock, soil, three plants and then they layered with rock and sand.  We had adorable little tools to help move our sand and rocks around so as not to damage the plants after placement.  The tools helped to bring sand and rock into artistic shapes and make a lovely home environment for the succulents.  Erika suggested keeping the succulent terrariums in a location that had good indirect light and some humidity so the plants could pull the water from the air.  I think a bathroom with some lovely light would work wonders for this tiny garden.

   

 No matter if you are looking for a great night out or if you want to liven and freshen your home or office with plants, look no further than The Plant Niche.  Erika will help you to select the best plants for your environment and maintain them for your ease.