July 4, 2010

Texans love to celebrate holidays.  Usually, we get a day off from work and maybe a three-day weekend in the bargain. Add fireworks, music and a patriotic theme and you have a party. Below are some 4th of July celebrations around Texas.  Mostly these are the big events.  For a more complete list, check out the Events Page on Texas Highways website.

Willie Nelson 4th of July Picnic

Sunday, July 4, 2010
Doors @ 11am | Show @ Noon
The Backyard at Bee Cave
3472 Bee Cave Parkway (off Highway 620), Austin, Texas

Come celebrate the 4th of July with a true native Texan, Willie Nelson. Willie has been holding these picnics on July 4 since the early197os.  You will love Willie and his special guests at the new Backyard venue.  General admission tickets and information on Backyard website.

Note: The United States Library of Congress has added the album Red Headed Stranger to the National Recording Registry.

Austin Symphony July 4th Concert and Fireworks

Auditorium Shores
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Austin, Texas

Each year, more than 100,000 people gather at Auditorium Shores for the Independence Day celebration, which consists of symphony music and fireworks over Lady Bird Lake. The Austin Symphony will begin performing at 830 pm.  The fireworks begin at 930 pm and finish at 10 pm.  When you hear the beginning of the 1812 Overture, cover your ears!  This last piece of  music is punctuated by 75-millimeter Howitzer cannons, courtesy of Texas National Guard Salute Battery.  This event is free.  More information at Austin Symphony website.

Freedom Over Texas

Eleanor Tinsley Park
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Houston, Texas

Texas singer-songwriter Pat Green will headline the annual event held from4 to 10 pm on Sunday, July 4.  Then the largest land-based fireworks show in the US will rock the sky. Admission to the event is FREE with the donation of one canned item per person to the Houston Food Bank.  Get all the details at the official website.

Celebrate Independence Day in Baytown

Bicentennial Park (Market Street / Lee Drive)
Saturday, July 3 and Sunday, July 4, 2010
Baytown, Texas

Saturday night, there will be a performance by Blue Oyster Cult and Madigan. The annual July 4th Parade down Market Street and Lee Drive includes floats, military vehicles and classic cars. Local school bands and dance and cheer groups will march in red, white and blue! The Parade will kick-off the July 4th Celebration this year beginning at 530 pm. Enjoy music by C.C. Rider Band, Kyle Park and Joe Nichols and fireworks. See the Celebrate Baytown website for more information.  This event is free.

Friday Night Fireworks

Laguna Madre between Palm and Red Snapper Streets
South Padre Island, Texas

The Fireworks Capital of Texas celebrates summer with fireworks every Friday at 915 pm.  The displays can be seen throughout the area.

Dallas, Texas

Evidently, Dallas is having a little budgetary problem, so there will be no fireworks at Fair Park this year.  Do not despair. Many of the surrounding cities are holding their 4th of July celebration,  Find information on these events at the following links:  Grapevine |Farmers Branch | Frisco | Arlington |Fort Worth.

Paseo Del Rio in San Antonio, Texas

Everyone should see the Christmas lights on the San Antonio Riverwalk once in their life.  It is that wonderful.  Take a river taxi and be serenaded by singers and overwhelmed with festivity.  Wonder at the lights reflected in the flowing river.  You can walk if you do not wish to ride the taxi, for the River Walk is free.  Cross bridges across the river, stop at a vantage point from which you can plan your evening.

You should stay in San Antonio for awhile. You are in one of the oldest cities in Texas and there is much history to see that is specifically meaningful at Christmas time. Visit the Mission Trail, pray at the Oblate Missions Lourdes Grotto or  attend services at the San Fernando Cathedral, founded in 1731. On December 26, journey to Mission San José to observe Los Pastores, a folk play depicting the shepherds’ journey to worship the Christ Child and the obstacles the devil puts before them.

May all the peace and blessings of the season be yours.

Please do not forget that Jesus is the Reason for the Season.

We are on our way to Florida–through Lousiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.  We will be staying at Crystal Springs for a month.  We have gone to swim with the manatees.  We will be posting pictures whenever we get a chance at wi-fi.

Texas is blessed with a mild winter.  We have fruits and vegetables available during the entire year. The fruits readily available in winter are oranges, grapefruits and pears.  The winter vegetables are usually root vegetables,  like potatoes, parsnips, beets, onions, carrots, turnips and radishes.

You will want to use the homegrown or local fruits and vegetables in your cooking. because they are  fresh and full of vitamins and antioxidants.

Winter Treats

• Avocados
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Chinese Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Celery Root
• Chicory
• Fennel
• Grapefruit
• Greens
• Wild Mushrooms
• Mandarin Oranges
• Sweet Oranges
• Pears

Below are some recipes that are fairly dietetic.   They use ingredients that are plentiful at this time of year.

Recipes

Cabbage Slaw (Diabetic)

Makes 12 servings.

1 small head cabbage (1 pound), thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons chopped pimiento or red bell pepper

1/2 cup cider vinegar

3 Tbs vegetable oil

2-1/2 teaspoons Equal® for Recipes or 8 packets Equal® sweetener or 1/3 cup Equal® Spoonful™

1 tsp celery seed

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

Combine cabbage, green pepper, onion and pimiento in medium bowl.  Measure remaining ingredients into jar; cover with lid and shake to blend well. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Danish Cucumber Salad (Diabetic)

4 cucumbers, medium sized

2 tsp salt

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup SPLENDA® Granular

2 Tbs fresh dill, chopped

1/4 tsp white pepper

Directions:

Cut cucumbers into paper thin slices. Toss with salt. Marinate with 2 tsp. salt at room temperature 1 hour. Drain liquid from cucumber. Add remaining ingredients. Stir. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours before serving.

Orange-Almond Salad (Diabetic)

3 cups Assorted Greens

2 Navel Oranges, peeled & separated into sections

1/2 cup Celery, thinly sliced

2 Tbs Green Onion, chopped

1/4 cup Cider Vinegar

1/4 cup SPLENDA® Granular

2 tsp Vegetable Oil

1/4 cup Toasted Slivered Almonds

Directions:

Combine greens, orange sections, celery, and green onion in a large bowl. Set aside.

Combine vinegar, SPLENDA® Granular, and vegetable oil in a small mixing bowl. Stir with a whisk until well blended. Drizzle dressing mixture evenly over greens mixture. Toss gently to coat.

To serve place 1 cup salad mixture on a serving plate and garnish by sprinkling 1 Tbsp. almonds over the top of the salad. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Tangy Apple Slaw (Diabetic)

A take-off on the traditional creamy version of coleslaw. Chopped apples add crunch and a hint of sweetness that is also enhanced by Equal.

4 cups green cabbage, shredded

1 cup carrots, shredded

1 cup apple, unpeeled and chopped

1/2 cup red or green bell pepper strips, thinly sliced

2/3 cup light mayonnaise or salad dressing

1/3 cup reduced fat sour cream

3 Tbs Equal Spoonful

1-1/2 Tbs Dijon mustard

1 Tbs lemon juice

1/8 tsp pepper

Directions:

Combine carrots, peppers and apples in large bowl. In a medium-size bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, Equal, mustard, lemon juice and pepper. Spoon this mixture over cabbage mixture; toss to combine. Refrigerate, covered, 1 to 2 hours to allow flavors to blend.

Makes 6 servings.

Shredded Carrot and Raisin Salad (Diabetic)

1 pound carrots peeled and shredded

1 1/2 cups peeled apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1/4 cup dark raisins

1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt or sour cream

1/3 cup skim milk

1 Tbl lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp Equal for Recipes or 5 packets Equal sweetener or 3 1/2 tablespoons Equal Spoonful

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Combine carrots, apples and raisins in large bowl. Combine remaining ingredients; spoon over carrot mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate until chilled. Makes 6 servings.

Tangerine Frisee Salad with Grilled Sweet Potatoes

2 medium sweet potatoes, unpeeled

Water

2-1/2 Tbs vegetable oil

1 Tbs light soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp sugar

4 sprigs fresh parsley

2 heads frisée lettuce, curly endive, romaine lettuce, or a combination

1/2 cup olive or peanut oil

5 Tbs white wine

2 Tbs honey mustard

1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

1 Tbs fresh chopped chervil

1 Tbs toasted poppy seeds

4 tangerines, peeled and sectioned

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Wash sweet potatoes and boil in water until cooked ¾ through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool and slice ¼” thick. Do not peel.

For marinade, combine oil, soy sauce, garlic, sugar, and parsley sprigs in a resealable plastic bag.Add sweet potato slices, turning to coat. Close bag and marinate 6 to 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally to distribute marinade.

Wash greens and separate from core. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.

In large bowl, combine oil, wine, honey mustard, vinegar, chervil, and poppy seeds. Add tangerine slices and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add greens and toss.

Remove sweet potato slices from marinade and place in center of cooking grate.Grill until warm, about 8 minutes, turning once halfway through grilling time. Set aside and keep warm.

Arrange salad on large platter and garnish with grilled sweet potato slices.

Gingered Grapefruit Baskets

Yield: 6 servings

3 Pink grapefruits

Vanilla ice cream or frozen Yogurt

1/3 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar

4-1/2 tsp fresh Ginger, finely chopped peeled

Directions:

Cut grapefruits horizontally in half.  Using grapefruit knife or paring knife, cut all around grapefruit halves and between membranes to release segments.  Place segments in bowl, cut, discarding seeds.

Remove all remaining membranes from grapefruit halves.  Place large scoop of ice cream in each grapefruit half. Cover and place in freezer until ready to use.

Add sugar and ginger to grapefruit in bowl and toss gently.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Spoon some grapefruit mixture over ice cream in each grapefruit basket. Garnish with mint.  Serve, passing remaining grapefruit mixture separately.

Have a wonderful holiday season.

Zilker Tree Lighting Ceremony

December 6, 2009 at 6pm

This year, Austin is going to scale back the normally spectacular Trail of Lights and concentrate more on family activities around the Zilker Tree. There will be two stages, Candy Land and King of Winter Stage (Zilker Hillside Park). Entertainers will take to both stages and provide holiday enjoyment. Dancers, musicians, storytellers, choirs, comedians, theatre troops, and more will fill the air with the festive sounds of Christmas.

Schedule

December 6th, 6pm – Zilker Tree Lighting Ceremony

~~~ Bring a New Unwrapped Toy for ages 12 and over for Blue Santa

December 6th – 31st, Beginning at dusk Zilker Tree Lit Nightly

December 12th, 6:30 pm – Zilker Tree Holiday Festival Fun Run

December 13th-21st, 6:00 pm – 10 pm, Zilker Tree Holiday Festival

Event Nights, featuring:

Going Green

GREEN MISSION

The Trail of Lights strives to provide a fun-filled family environment to celebrate the holidays while minimizing the environmental impact of our community event.

GREEN EFFORTS

Alternative Energy. More than 1 million lights and all vendor booths will be powered by Austin Energy using renewable energy.

Switch to LEDs. Thirty percent of the displays at the Trail of Lights will use LED light bulbs. LED bulbs use 80% to 90% less energy and will dramatically cut the event’s overall energy costs.

Single Stream Recycling. Single Stream Recycling services will be provided on-site. Recycling receptacles will be located next to trash receptacles and monitored by volunteer Environmental Ambassadors wearing brown smocks with glow in the dark recycling emblems.

Printed Materials. The Trail Guide is printed on recycled paper with soy based ink and distributed through the Austin American Statesman.

Green Vendors,. All vendors have agreed to use on-site recycling services to recycle all cardboard and grease waste. Vendors are also required to use products capable of being recycled through the Single Stream Recycling Program and eliminate plastic wrap packaging when selling items to patrons.

Coordinated Transportation Services. CAPMETRO offers round trip transportation from State Parking garages. Parking at the Trail of Lights is available, but discouraged. Generally, there is a 40 minute wait to get in and out of the Park and the parking fee to park on-site is $15 per vehicle as opposed to $3.00 per person for a round trip on the shuttle.

Special Needs Transportation. Electric golf carts will be available to transport all special needs patrons. Also, the kick-off parade will feature Santa’s sleigh drawn by horses.