The Homestead Woodtrace Winter issue

With a respect to our past and a vision for

ackyard Oasis Inc. is Your Custom

ackyard Oasis Inc. is Your Custom Luxury Pool Builder serving the greater NW Houston and surrounding areas.

ackyard Oasis Inc. is Your Custom Luxury Pool Builder serving the greater NW Houston and surrounding areas.

Over 30 years of design and construction of custom luxury pools and spas, lazy rivers, structures and outdoor living areas as well as complete pool renovations.

greater NW Houston and surrounding areas. Over 30 years of design and construction of structures and outdoor living areas as well as your personal style and desires, Turning Your

Over 30 years of design and construction of custom luxury pools and spas, lazy rivers, structures and outdoor living areas as well as

Refashioned accents to the building and modern touches allow an inviting space that adds character and comfort for years to come. Whether it’s a lady’s lunch, or a date night to remember, join us for bites and sips in an International comfort food style format. Wines, spirits, and mixology play a large part in our dynamic of keeping your taste buds awoken. Venture from the ordinary and try some extraordinary riffs off classic drinks. Old fashions, aged whiskies, and lovely hand-picked wines or a local craft IPA are all options to start your happy hour.

www.backyard-oasis.com Road 7737

www.backyard-oasis.com 16340 FM 2920 Road Tomball, TX 7737

We pride ourselves in designing and constructing dream backyards that reflect your personal style and desires, Turning Your Vision into Reality. Call us Today! 281-357-8161

We pride ourselves in designing and constructing dream backyards that reflect your personal style and desires, Turning Your 281-357-8161

Holiday Goodness Santa Says, “Food and Fun Make Christmas Special”

Here

BB’s Tex-Orleans

All you have to do is set the table! If you’ve never tried a Cajun Fried Turkey from BB’s Tex-Orleans, you are missing out! These delicious birds have been gracing the tables of many a family gathering,or any good ol’ holiday get together for years now! Injected with a TON of Cajun spices, these turkeys for the perfect flavor that everyone is sure to love this holiday season. Don’t stop at the turkey, add Creamed Spinach Madeline, Collard Greens, Chalmette Macaroni, and Sweet Potatoes with Coffee Pecan Cream! 21441 Tomball Parkway, Tomball, TX 77070, 281-335-6007

To Go Barn

Holiday sparkle begins here with margaritas and daiquiri, both frozen and on the rocks to. Sold from our specialty barn, which was built in 1875, we offer a variety of holiday foods, convenience store products and drinks for the whole family. Come start your holiday season with us.

35421 St Hwy 249 Pinehurst, TX 77362 www.togobarn.com, 713-856-5928

Half Baked Cookies

Sure we will leave cookies for Santa, but we need some down home cookies for all our family and friends and there is no better place to find them than Half Baked Cookies. 12 days of Christmas – cheesecake, elf, molasses, are just a few of the holiday favorites. Delivered to your home or pick up at their store. 28155 Tomball Pkwy, Suite 6, Tomball, TX 77375, 346-666-0134

Killdeer’s Texas BBQ

Killdeer’s was born from a passion for quality homemade food and a love for authentic Texas Barbecue. Located in Tomball, we deliver the exceptional quality of true Texas barbecue in a fun, casual, welcoming outdoor environment. Whether you’re craving smoked ribs, brisket, pulled pork or our homemade smoked mac & cheese, Killdeer’s will become your go-to location for take-out or in person barbecue!

19227 FM 2920, Tomball, TX 77377 www.killdeersbbq.com

Smallcakes Cupcakery & Creamery

9166 FM 2920 #325, Spring, TX 77379 www.smallcakestomball.com

Texas Caviar For New Year’s Luck!

War it was quite common for Union troops to burn Confederate crops, but Union soldiers viewed the blackeyed pea as livestock feed and not edible – so legend has it – they spared the “cow pea.”

Southerners were so overjoyed to find the pea still in the field and hard pressed by the perils of war, they turned to the pea as a primary staple of sustenance. The tradition states that those who eat black-eyed peas, an inexpensive and modest food, show their humility and thus bring good fortune to themselves for the entire year. h

YOU’VE HEARD OF THEM.

Chances are good you have settled down to more than one special meal where this unique vegetable was the center of attention, in spite of being surrounded by such grand dishes as honey-grazed ham, candied yams and an arrray of succulent desserts. You eat them for the taste – of course – but you mostly eat them for good luck to make sure your New Year is going to be a profitable and sustaining one.

If you’re not from Texas, or from somewhere in the southern United States, then perhaps you don’t observe the annual eating ritual on New Year’s Day when the blackeyed pea takes center stage on dining tables across the state. Most of us wouldn’t consider starting the New Year without them so rooted has the tradition become in our regional culture.

The nature and history of this humble pea is significantly important to Texas. In fact, it’s rumored you can lose your Texas citizenship for not participating in the annual New Year ritual. It is the unwritten obligation of every Texan to eat black-eyed peas on the first day of every year!

Okay, perhaps that statement is a little extreme, but Texans have long embraced the unusual tradition and continues to do so in our modern times. Why?

Apparently, during the Civil

Tomball German Festival and Christmas Market is here!

Come and enjoy the family-friendly ambience – Gemütlichkeit – of this unique music/street festival with three stages of live music and an open-air market along with antique shops in the old town area. On Friday, December 9th from 6:00 until 10:00 p.m., shop street vendors and enjoy various performanc es. Saturday, December 10th from 10:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m., begins with the parade at 11:00 a.m., followed by our famous “tapping of the keg” and Willkommen ceremony for German exchange students and their Tomball host families, and official opening ceremonies for the festival. Join us again on Sunday, December 11th from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. for more festivities!

An estimated 163 unique and interesting street vendors will line Market and S. Walnut Streets, selling German Heritage items, arts and crafts, and much more.

Visit the “Weihnachtshaus” inside the Community Center at 221 Market Street at the corner of Cherry Street which will be filled with German clothes and souvenirs for sell.

REMINDER:

Don’t forget to catch a ride on the FREE SHUTTLE! provided Saturday 10:00 a.m.-10:30 p.m. & Sunday 10:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

Come out and enjoy the fun!

Take Your Christmas Celebrations Outdoors

It would be a Christmas unlike any other, and here are some ideas for making it happen.

What if you took a completely different approach to your Christmas celebrations and dinner this year? Rather than worring about a lot of fancy décor and a huge complicated menu, you moved everything outdoors to your back yard and made your patio and outdoor kitchen and fireplace the major scene for all the holiday fun. It could be an unforgettable experience for everyone involved –the kind of Christmas adventure to be remembered for years to come. And it’s fun, different from the usual drill of cooking and cleaning up at home.

Here are some tips to make your outdoor Christmas the best for this holiday season:

Ensure you can build a good fire. Your outdoor firplace or pit will not only provide warmth, but it also creates a wonderful atmos-phere and a focal point for the group.

Bring warm blankets and rugs for the ground or benches where you plan to sit.

Warmth is crucial in order to enjoy an outdoor meal.

Help set the mood by decorating. Fill paper bags with sand, insert candles, and set around the outside of your space. Also string up some white lights in nearby trees.

Make the meal simple. Use your outdoor kitchen to smoke your turkey or ham and include simple side dishes of grilled potatoes, corn, squash and a salad to complete your feast.

Use your china and silver cutlery. Don’t ruin the atmosphere with single-use disposables, please! Make taking in the dirty dishes a group task, and it becomes just passing inconvenience.

Make sure you’ve got hot bever-ages to pass around. Now is not the time for chilled cocktails, but rather hot mulled wine and steaming spiced cider. h