Season of Giving Thanks

   

  For many of us, 2020 was a very difficult year.  Which led into 2021, which has gotten better but still has not made a full recovery for many businesses, individuals or families.  With that lack of improvement brings the challenge of being thankful for what one does have.  The  struggle to find the good from within the bad, can be problematic for many.  But I find that using our experience can help teach the future generations to look for the good and turn lemon into lemon aid will only benefit the next generation even more.  Lead by experience and they will learn to emulate that plan in life to choose to be grateful for what they have rather than resent what they don't have.  

    So how do you find ways to give thanks for that which you have?  We are grateful for those guests who have traveled this past year and gotten out to see friends and family or just taken the time to get away and chose to stay with us.  

    We are grateful that our family in Texas has stayed healthy and virus free through this hard time.  We may have been overly caution through the past months but it has allowed us to watch out for and keep safe our most vulnerable family members. 

    We are thankful for being able to see our friends and family over the past few months.  Some longer visits than others but thankful all the same.  

    Our hope is that you are able to be Thankful for the many blessings that you have experienced and share that with those around you.  Our lives are ours to celebrate and we can only make them better by seeing the good around us.

    We hope to see you this holiday season so that we can share our Thanks with you.

October Happenings

     We are closing in on the first day of Fall and that means things are starting to heat up here in Sulphur Springs, Texas.  Our city and county have a lot of great activities for visitors happening in the month of October and into November.  

    There is something for everyone this coming month.  Be sure to check out the list below to see what might peak your interest.  Then book, stay and play while you are in Sulphur Springs.

    September 25: Corvette Club Car Show - Corvette's from all years will be on hand to view and discuss for this annual event.  Stop by Celebration Plaza to see these amazing machines, up close and in person.  Want to show off your Corvette, the entry fee is $20. 

    October 2: NETBIO Ribeye Round up - cook teams will fill up Celebration Plaza in downtown Sulphur Springs to bring you their best version of the Ribeye.  Come eat, drink and have fun with these cooks as each one brings their "A-game" to the grill.  Tickets are $25 per person. Dinner starts at 6pm and the band takes the stage at 8pm. 

    October 9: Main Street Uncorked - Nine different Texas Vineyards will be present for tastings at this fantastic Wine crawl.  Tickets in advance will be $10, and $15 the day of the event.  Each winery will have bottles and full glasses for sale at their booths.  The fun starts at 1pm - 7 pm.  Don't forget that their will be live music throughout the day.  

    

    October 16: Fall festival parade - the annual Fall Festival will be kicked off with a parade through downtown on Saturday, October 16.  You don't want to miss out on all the floats and fun for this event.  

    October 23: Hopkins County Stew Festival - is probably one of the most anticipated events in Hopkins County.  Stew comes come in from all over the county to try their hand at the best stew of the event.  For just $6 you can have access to over 150 stew pots and find your favorite.  You can even purchase a quart size container for $10 to take some home from later.  How many bowls of stew do you think you can eat? 

    October 30: Halloween Fun! -  there will be trick or treat adventures at multiple locations.  As well as Dead Walking on the Square, sponsored by VR Social.  Come enjoy some festive fun in costume.

    November 4-7: The Wall That Heals - will be located on the Sulphur Springs High School track for visitors to come and experience.  This amazing opportunity to behold this replica only has a few more stops this year.  You do not want to miss out on the chance to experience this memorial.  

    November 6: Downtown Business Alliance Classic Car show - come and see all the classic cars from around Texas and surrounding states.  Celebration Plaza will be filled with classics from every manufacture.  This is a great family event, and fun for all ages. 

    

    As you can see there is a lot going on in Sulphur Springs, Texas in the coming weeks.  There is something for everyone.  Be sure to pick your favorites and come join the fun.  We can't wait to see you!

The Wall That Heals

 

    Sulphur Springs is going to be busy over the next eight weeks.  Summer is winding down and fall activities are kicking into high gear.  Along with Friday Night Lights, for those with High school family members, many great events are going to be taking place here in Hopkins County that you won't want to  miss.  

    First up is the Neal McCoy benefit concert for the Wall That Heals.  On Friday, September 10, 2021, he will be hosting a concert at the High School auditorium as a fundraiser for The Wall That Heals.    Be sure to click on the link to purchase your tickets for the concert.  The funds raised will help cover the cost of the location for the display of the wall.  

    The Wall That Heals is a mobile Vietnam Memorial that travels to select cities throughout the year, and Sulphur Springs was selected to host the wall in November.  The entire event is covered by volunteers for the duration of the stay in Sulphur Springs, and our city expects to have thousands of visitors that week as well.  The wall can be viewed each day, 24 hours per day while it is installed.  Sulphur Springs, Texas is the only stop for this event in the surrounding states. 

    In order to make this great event happen the Hopkins County Veterans Memorial group needs to help raise funds to have a successful event.  So come join us for a weekend of music and remembrance.  Then don't forget to check back and visit the Wall while it is here in Sulphur Springs.  

Back to School Travel

 

            If you still have kids of any age at home you are probably not even thinking about travel right now, but now might be the best time to hit the road for a quick trip before school starts.  With less people traveling and many getting ready for school it’s the perfect time to find and take advantage of those deals.  Weekday travel is hot right now, with less people dining out and fewer of those great places to stay being booked up by families. 

               So hit the road and find a new favorite place to visit, to get away just before school starts or even after school starts on the weekend to take a little breather before all the after-school activities start back up. 

               Now is an even better time to travel especially if you no longer have kids at home.  Take advantage of fewer people on the roads and in restaurants or at your favorite spot to get away.  Many towns are still hosting summer festivals or farmers markets, so you will not be left wanting. 

               Hit the road for your next great adventure and discover something new!

Our town of Sulphur Springs, has a few exciting events on the calendar for the remaining weekends in August.  The movie night on the Square has two more showings before the end of the season and the Celebration Market will finish out the month. 

               Never to be left out the Hopkins County civic center is hosting the Hunt County Horseman’s association show and the Beef Masters cattle show.  Check out their calendar here for more great events that you might not want to miss. 

               If you don’t want to mess with the crowds, be sure to check out one of the many lakes in the surrounding area.  Fish, boat, and many more great water activities await your arrival.  Northeast Texas has many adventures waiting for to stop by and explore. 

Basil Vodka Gimlet - herb infused drinks

 

               Our herb infused drink this month is a Basil Vodka Gimlet.  Now I know you might be wondering why we are using vodka in our gimlet, when they are usually made with gin, and why not.  It’s just a twist on the traditional drink and uses a liquor I know we already have in our stash. 

               This is a great summer drink, especially since basil is growing in all it’s glory during the hot summer months.  This cool and refreshing drink is best consumed in a chilled glass, that will help keep your drink cool while sipping it on the back deck. 

               I will say that I did make my simple syrup so that I could add in an additional basil flavor to this drink.  I diced up two kinds of basil, purple and green, and cooked them into my syrup.  I figured this would add to the flavor of the drink.  Boy was I right, I love basil so it’s a stronger flavor in the syrup than just muddling it in the bottom of the shaker. 

               I dropped in five green basil leaves to the bottom of my shaker and muddled them with a bit of fresh lime juice.  Once I felt satisfied with that, I added in the rest of my ingredients.  A bit more lime juice, the simple syrup and vodka. Don’t forget the ice! Cover the shaker and give it good shake to meld all the flavors together.  Strain the liquid into the chilled glass.  Garnish with a fresh basil leaf and enjoy!

               What a great and refreshing option to enjoy during cocktail hour.  So simple and delicious. Click the link on the drink title to watch the video.  Hopefully it's all on there correctly.  I'm not holding out hope I got it correct this week.  

 

 

Basil Vodka Gimlet

 

5 or 6 green basil leaves, one for garnish

 

1 ounce fresh lime juice

 

½ ounce simple syrup

 

3 ½ ounces vodka

 

1.      Place half the lime juice and basil leaves in the bottom of the shaker to muddle.  Mash it all together

2.      Add the simple syrup, vodka and remaining lime juice.  Fill with ice to the top of the liquid.  Shake rapidly until the shaker if freezing your hands.

3.      Strain into chilled martini glass, and garnish with a basil leaf.  You could also garnish with a lime as well. 

 

Enjoy this great summer drink, with friends and yummy snacks.  Don’t forget to be safe and designate a driver.

Norman Rockwell 4th of July Celebration

     When you think of the 4th of July, what comes to mind first?  Fireworks, cook outs and fantastic American fun, celebrating the day that America singed their independence.  The Annual Symphony and Fireworks celebration on the square in Sulphur Springs, is one of those fantastic American adventures that brings people together to celebrate one specific event.  A full orchestra takes the stage to play classical pieces before the fireworks show.

    Never has a more "Norman Rockwell" event taken place in small town America than the Symphony and fireworks.  Just imagine a full orchestra playing beautiful classical music, then a fireworks show right downtown, backdropped by the quintessential county court house.  

    Make your plans today to join us at The Oaks and then the square for a great All-American 4th of July celebration.  

    We hope to see you then.

Allison 

Mojitos - herb infused cocktail series

Some of you might know, who follow us on social media, that we are starting a veggie garden at The Oaks.  We have always grown our own herbs and had one or two veggie plants over the years, but this year we decided to make a change and really focus on trying to provide our own veggies for our guest meals.  We want to create a farm to table aspect of our bed and breakfast business. 

With that in mind, I wanted to start a monthly cocktail recipe made with items you can grow in your back yard.  This month’s recipe is Mojito.  A mojito is great drink to mix as a cocktail or a mocktail.  Make a pitcher for the whole family to enjoy while welcoming in the summer months around the fit pit. 

Our featured herb this month is mint.  There are multiple kinds of mint you can grow in your yard, but beware, mint likes to spread.  So unless you want to have it everywhere contain your mint in a pot.  If you want to have a fragrant ground cover, let it roam all over your garden bed.  It has the ability to keep coming back year after year. 

We planted the traditional mint, that you can pick up at your favorite home store or nursery and set it in a pot by the stairs, leading up to the deck.  I will eventually need to replace my pot, since it broke when switching out plants, but it should work for a while, as the mint establishes itself.  I would wait a few weeks for the roots to set in before using your mint, but as you do begin to use it, taking a few leaves here and there should help to promote growth. 

Mint can be used in a multitude of ways and we are going to start off with this simple, yet delicious method in a Mojito.  We like to use fresh ingredients when we can, so grab those limes and juicer and squeeze that nectar right out.  Since we set our establishment up with a bar we use Collins glasses for our mojitos.  They are tall and slender which gives the drink some extra pizzazz and views of the mint and lime. Of course if you want to make this into a drink for everyone or all ages, just eliminate the rum, and add a little more simple syrup.

 

Mojito

 4-5 mint leaves

2 oz. of White rum

1 oz. simple syrup

½ oz. lime juice, fresh

4 oz. club soda or sparkling water 

 

Squeeze in the fresh lime, about half a lime should do.  Add in the mint leave and muddle, break them up a bit to release their flavor.  Add rum and simple syrup.  Fill with ice cubes and top off with club soda.  Stir the flavors together.  You can garnish your drink with lime wedges or slices, and a sprig of mint at the top.  To make this a mocktail, add in another ounce to ounce and half more of simple syrup and leave out the rum. 

 You can make your own simple syrup if you plan to make pitchers full, of this delicious cocktail or if you plan to make other cocktails with simple syrup.  It is as simple as adding water to sugar and heating until the sugar has dissolved.  This is a one-to-one recipe.  Store in the fridge until ready to use.  

We hope you have enjoyed our first herb infused cocktail.  Until next time, travel safe and drink up.