Travel ~ Brenham, Texas and Ant Street Inn

 

    In the heart of Texas lies the City of Brenham, the self-proclaimed home of Texas.  As travel changes this year for many people, driving to and from their destination is going to be a much more popular choice and a drive down to Brenham is a wonderful idea for a getaway.  Home of Blue Bell ice cream, the “baseball” capital, and a wonderful place to start your wildflower journey, Brenham hits the mark for a great travel destination in Texas. 

 

               Right in the heart of downtown Brenham is the best place to stay for your visit at the Ant Street Inn.  The Ant Street Inn occupies a building that was originally built in 1899 as a grocery, feed store and upstairs offices and saloon, 101 West Commerce St, is the address of this amazing historic building.

 

               The inside of Ant Street Inn is wonderfully decorated in period pieces and each room has a theme that matches the name.  For example, I stayed in the New Orleans room, and the décor matched what you would typically think of as a New Orleans style.  Beautiful dark wood with leather, and a queen-sized canopy bed complete with drapes.  You can create your own “cave” like sleeping experience in this room.  Do not forget to say hello to the alligator in the bathroom.  Ironically, I did not notice him until the next day. 

              

               Ant Street Inn boasts an attached restaurant where guests will dine in the morning for breakfast, that is run by a separate company who rents space from Ant Street.  We enjoyed dinner there and could easily see how convenient it is for guests to dine there multiple times, with the ease of just walking downstairs.  One of my favorite parts of the inn is the central area between the rooms.  Little sitting groups, snacks, movies and magazines adorn the space for guests to enjoy with friends or while making new friends. 

 

               Just outside the walls of Ant Street, is downtown Brenham which is a vibrant part of the city.  It is very easy to walk around and explore.  You can do two self-guided tours, one of historical buildings and another of the murals that are painted by local state artists during an art festival.  I love how the community has come together to bring art to the community and beyond. 

 

               Downtown Brenham has something for everyone.  A few places to dine, grab a cup of coffee or even a scoop of ice cream.  I’m pretty sure everyone sells Blue Bell down there.  A cute book store and a few boutiques adore the open spaces.  At least one of the historic buildings is currently still hosting the same business from when it opened, G. Hermann Furniture Store.  This family run business is still housed in the building where it originally started and expanded over time and is still operated by the original family. 

 

               As the county seat of Washington County, downtown Brenham also plays host to the county court house.  Sitting at the center of downtown Brenham, this court house was built in 1939, and is the fourth building to hold the title.  One of the more interesting historical sites is Toubin Park that holds a public cistern and a short history of the founding of the city and county.  For a little more in depth historical tour be sure to stop by the Brenham Heritage Museum. 

               No matter if you are taking a Texas tour or just want to visit somewhere new, Brenham and Ant Street Inn should be on your list.  Explore the natural beauty of the State right now and experience the wildflowers.  Stop in for some Blue Bell ice cream at the creamery or just get away for a visit.  

 

 

Our cocktail this month is a special request for a wedding we are hosting this April.  Our bride wanted to have an Amaretto Sour that is pink.  With a  little research we found a way to turn the drink pink and add a little bit of something extra to enhance the flavor. 

 

The Cranbaretto Sour has been born.  The great thing about this cocktail is that it is actually best to make in a big batch.  This serves our purposes very well, since it will be our signature cocktail on the day of the wedding.  We just need to prep the cranberries beforehand and we are off to the races.  In our single serve option, I think we needed a little more of the cranberry simple syrup.

 

The good news is that when we make this for the event, we will be working in big batches and can make the color as close to pink as possible.  By adding a light dash of edible pink glitter, the bride should be thrilled to have this special drink. 

 

Cranberry Simple Syrup

1 cup fresh cranberry

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

 

Add the cranberry, water and sugar to a pot and bring to a boil.  You want the cranberries to burst to release their flavor and color into the simple syrup.  The longer you cook it the more it will thicken, so do not overcook. 

 

Cranbaretto Sour

Serves 8

2 cups Amaretto

1 cup lemon juice

1 ounces cranberry simple syrup

 

Add all the ingredients into a pitcher and give it a good stir.  Pour over ice and garnish with mint and extra cranberries if you want.  Add more cranberry syrup to adjust to the color you are looking for.

 

We can hardly wait to serve this drink for the wedding.  We know the guests will enjoy each drop.  What a special way to ring in your special day, than with a signature cocktail.  We hope you will give this one a try and let us know what you think.  Please be sure to drink responsibly and have a designated driver. 

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Cupid's Cosmo

 

            Hello February!  Did you feel like January would never end?  I know we did but at long last a new month is here, and we are ready to celebrate and make things happen.  Since this has been dubbed the month of love, we are taking a little twist on a classic drink to add to our herb infused cocktails.  Each month our cocktail creation is pulled from our love of gardening and growing flavors to tease your palate. 

               This month, our featured herb is Mint.  Even though it is winter, and mint usually takes a little break, ours is still hanging on.  If you do not have mint growing, your local grocery store usually will have it on hand.  This month it is both part of our garnish and muddled in the bottom of the shaker cup.  In the past it has been used to make a simple syrup as well.  With so many uses, how could you turn away from such a great herb? 

               Of course, we had to give this drink a cute name in recognition of Valentine’s Day.  Cupid’s Cosmo, is simple and refreshing while welcoming in the traditional flavors of a cosmopolitan. 

 

Cupid’s Cosmo

3-4 min leaves, extra for garnish

2 ounces Vodka

1 ounce triple sec

1 ounce cranberry juice

½ ounce fresh lime juice

Muddle some mint at the bottom of a shaker cup.  Pour over the liquid ingredients, then shake everything together, with ice.  Pour into a fresh glass and enjoy.  Garnish with a sprig of mint and lime wedge.

          

     Nothing too complicated in this one drink.  It’s great to enjoy yourself, with friends or at dinner with someone special.  Join us on Valentine’s Day and order this drink with your dinner.  It will not disappoint.  

               While the history of the Cosmopolitan is up for debate, its popularity was derived from the HBO television show “Sex in the City.”  From Miami to New York to Minneapolis the Cosmo has been made and drank all over the US and abroad, even if no one can claim it for themselves as the creator.  You can enjoy it locally with us or follow our recipe and enjoy it at home. 

               We hope you will give it a try at home or at The Oaks Bed and Breakfast, when you happen to be staying with us.  Until then please be sure to enjoy responsibly and have a designated driver.  Cheers!

Around Town ~ Beauty and Grace

 

Beauty and Grace is located at 224 Connally Street in downtown Sulphur Springs.  They are open seven days a week, Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.  Of course, you can order any time from their website www.beautygracelifestyle.com.   Ana has lived in the Hopkins County area for most of her life and started her retail business in March of 2015, doing trunk shows, Canton and the like.  Her entrepreneurial spirit is what drove her to start her business and have a retail store front.  Her brick and mortar store opened in August of 2016 and has grown from there.

 

               When you enter Beauty and Grace, most likely you will be greeted by Coco.  Coco, is the shop mascot and sometimes guests stop by just to see him.  Coco shares his love of seeing new faces every day and hopes that the experience that you have at Beauty and Grace reflects the love and care that Ana and her team have put in to making it worth the visit.  Beauty and Grace is more than just a clothing store, it’s an experience where you can find the perfect gift, health and wellness items, and carefully curated products that reflect the image she wants to portray for her customers.

 

               Ana has focused on carrying brands that are created from other businesses like hers.  Small mom and pop shops where she can get to know the people behind the brand.  She has learned stories about how those brand have started and she has shared her story with the brands she carries.  When you shop with Ana at Beauty and Grace you are not only supporting her small business but also other small businesses.

 

               Her shop has evolved over the years to include gift items, health and wellness and organic baby items.  One of her favorite items is right at the front of the store, Amber perfumes.  Tiny bottles, in a bowl that have a subtle scent that multiple guests enjoy, and one that Ana can’t live without.  Sweet Grace, Rowe Casa Organics and Amber are some of her top sellers but beyond those brands are many more to explore in house.

 

               One of the newest items to grace the shelves, is the refillery.  Bring in your own vessel and take home, non-toxic perfumes, hand and body soap, laundry concentrate, dish soap and so much more.  Each item is paid by the ounce and a great way to try out a new product without committing to a full bottle. You can reuse any type of vessel you want, such as an old mason jar, bottle or container you have used previously.  The Refillery is a sustainable, clean, and non-toxic option for consumers to change the way they live and experience something new.

 

               One of my favorite sustainable options Ana offers at Beauty and Grace is the 10% off your total on “Tote Bag Tuesday.”  Any guest who brings in their own carry bag, can receive 10% off on their total purchase in store on any item.  I love the encouragement of helping guests to remember to use reusable bags.  She does have bags in store to purchase if you happen to not have one.  I know every store loves for people to carry their bag around town.  Who wouldn’t since it’s a simple and cost-effective form of advertising.  By encouraging reusable bags helps to reduce waste in our environment. 

              

        Her community impact goes much further than that, including giving back to local organizations, and collaborating with other small businesses with pop ups in front of her store.  Her next pop up is Saturday, February 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to celebrate Valentine’s Day.  She will have vendors, a food truck, flowers, permanent jewelry and photo minis for guests to indulge in. Ana is also a board member for the Chamber of Commerce.  She will also be the co-chair of Main Street Uncorked for 2025.  We are looking forward to see the changes she makes to this great event. 

 

               If you haven’t stopped by Beauty and Grace recently, we encourage you to do so and find your next favorite item in shop.  From holistic tinctures, herbal soaps and natural personal care items to clothing, there is something for everyone at Beauty and Grace. 

Your Garden ~ How does your garden grow?

 

No matter if you have a small space or a large space let’s talk about how you can grow a garden to help feed your family, and possibly your neighbors. One of my favorite gardening methods is square foot gardening. Basically, you take a square foot of space in your garden bed and maximize it to produce multiple items, grow more food with less space. Square foot gardening can be paired well with companion planting for the best yields. In case you were wondering, there is a book you can purchase as well as take a course to learn more, check out the following website: https://squarefootgardening.org

What if you live in an apartment or condo with just a balcony. No worries you can grow your favorites in containers. Make your outdoor space look amazing with beautiful containers and fresh produce. The drawback might be that you are limited to what you can grow but again companion planting can help add variety within your small space. You might have to water more as well since raised beds and containers tend to dry out faster.

For larger space you can utilize direct sow or raised beds. We always liked raised beds for their function and ability to reduce the amount of bending over we have to do when working the garden. Either way I think that making sure your paths are well tended helps to keep your weed pulling to a minimum. Rows and rows of beautiful veggies and flowers are the end game no weeds.

Within each type of garden, vertical growing can be utilized. By using cattle panels to create arches for food to grow upwards or to train your tomatoes and peas towards the sun. But did you know there is another type of vertical gardening, tower gardens. These tall towers grow food through a mix of hydroponics and heights. Small cutouts are placed on the side of the large tube where the plants will be placed. Their root system will live in a solution instead of dirt. No weeds should be growing here. Anything you can grow in the ground can grow in these towers. It’s expensive to get started but could be a solution for those who do not have a lot of space or time but still want healthy, homegrown food to eat.

There is so much satisfaction to growing and eating food you put the hard work in to produce. Reward yourself by starting to plan now with your new garden space and start preparing your garden for spring planting.

Hello from The Oaks

 

Welcome to the Oaks Bed and Breakfast in Sulphur Springs, Texas.  We are a family owned and operated slice of comfort in Northeast Texas.  Our family of seven resides at the Bed and Breakfast, and you can often find soccer balls growing in the garden or bicycles laying around, lost without a rider. While our oldest and only girl, Isabelle, is away at college, the four boys are around creating mischief on the property or helping to serve during events.  You can often find us at a sporting event cheering on the boys in their endeavors as High School or club sport athletes.

 

               Both Allison and Ben graduated high school from Sulphur Springs High School and have now come back to help see their community grow and thrive.  While Ben works remotely and travels for his position, Allison holds down the home front, welcoming guests and containing the chaos that is life with four active boys.  We do think it is always nice to run into former classmates who stayed in town or returned just like we did.  We are not sure what the future holds for our children, but we know that Sulphur Springs will always be part of who they are and a welcome stop in their journey through life. 

 

               Ben took a look at 516 Oak Ave, and knew it had amazing potential and wanted to help his sister realize her dreams of having a catering company and possibly a venue to host events.  While she did not capitalize on his idea, we took the plunge and stepped up to help him realize the remodel of this great historic home.  We began our hospitality journey when we purchased the 1937 built home, the last one in the Historic District on Oak Avenue, in the Spring of 2016. Little did we know at the time that we would be moving back to finish the renovations and manage our new enterprise. 

 

               At the time when we moved back our kids were a mix of grade school and preschool age, and at a decent age to make a change and help them navigate a new city and find new friends.  We have been grateful for the move back to Sulphur Springs and feel that our children have done well in school and in the community.  This year our oldest son, Barrett, will graduate and move on to the next chapter in his life.  The remaining boys, Cooper, Decllan and Quintten will be home and keeping us on our toes. 

 

Throughout the remodel process, the younger two boys were active participants in helping to demo, build a deck and learn some general building techniques.  Now if they remember what they learned I would be impressed.  Either way, they took in some life skills that not many people have the opportunity to embrace, at such a young age.  While we worked, members of the community would stop by to see the progress we were making, even when it still looked ugly.  This was a challenge for us, since we wanted people to see the beauty we were creating after completion.  Nine months later, which seemed so much longer, we were finally able to accept our first guests and began hosting events and catering. 

 

               Almost nine years later, we are still hosting events and overnight guests at The Oaks Bed and Breakfast.  Each new guest and returning guests arrive as strangers and leave as friends, which is just how we like it.  We hope that you will stop by for a visit or let us help you host your next event.  Thank you for welcoming us into the community, we hope to stay for a while.

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Rosemary Smoke

 

With cold weather ahead for our Texas winter and this week being especially chilly, with even a bit of snow in the forecast, we have whipped up a tasty smoky drink for our herb infused cocktail of the month.  What makes the smoky flavor come out in this drink, is actually burning a little bit of rosemary into the glass you plan to serve your drink in.  I'm sure the flavor and strength of the smoke will be different based on how green your rosemary is.  Just use caution and be careful not to light your house on fire when preparing this drink.  Use a surface that is non-flammable and maybe some rosemary that is a little on the green side.  

Since ours was fresh cut, our rosemary proved to be a little difficult to light and gather smoke, but we managed to make it happen.  While you are preparing the drink, start off by capturing the smoke in the glass.  Light your rosemary and place on a non-flammable surface and top with serving glass.  This will hold in the smoke while you prepare your drink.  

Now I like a little tarter in my drink, so I used more lemon juice, so based on your flavor preference feel free to increase or decrease to fit your needs.  Our recipe is a starting point for your enjoyment.  We also used Jack Daniels as our whiskey today, but you could use a rye based, which will make for a different flavor in your drink.  

Rosemary Smoke

1 ounce Whiskey

3/4 ounce lemon juice

1/2 ounce rosemary simple syrup

splash of bubbly drink

Burn a little rosemary and cover with your serving glass.  In a shaker cup combine your whiskey, lemon juice and simple syrup.  Shake until the outside starts to condensate.  Flip your smoky cup oven and add in some ice.  Pour your drink over the ice and give it a little splash of a bubbly drink.  Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

The bubbly drink you select can be your own as well.  Sweeter maybe go with a ginger beer.  A little drier club soda or tonic water.  We use some sparkling water, mostly because we always have that on hand. Now personally I do not enjoy the smoky smell of the drink when sipping, but the flavors together make for a delish drink of choice.

As a reminder we make our simple syrup from scratch.  This time be sure to add in a few springs of rosemary while cooking. One to one on the water to sugar and you have a great flavored syrup for your drink.

Mix and match to find your favorite way to serve this simple drink.  Enjoy with friends around the fire pit this winter and let us know how you like it.  As always enjoy your drink responsibly and have a designated driver.  Cheers!