Howdy Y'all!

I just got back from a visit to Texas, and you know what they say, everything is bigger in Texas! I mostly visited Houston but I also took a road trip to San Antonio. Texans know how to eat and I made sure to try as many local places as I could. Giddy up for a Texas sized blog and learn why Texas is the #1 state for obesity in America!

#1 reason kids will love the food in Texas...

Texans think vegetables are beans, potatoes and bread!

One of my all time favorite places in Houston is Dylan's Candy Bar. It is the best candy store in the world! Dylan's has Texas sized candy like huge jawbreakers and 5 lb. gummy bears. There is even an ice cream store inside with flavors like pancakes and syrup. For some weird reason they won't let you take pictures in the store but I managed to take just one. Or two:) You know how I love Icee's, look what I saw...

I tried Icee squeeze candy and it tasted just like an Icee! How do they do that?

Look what they have in Houston!!! For those of you who watch Cupcake Wars, this is owned by the judge Candace Nelson. I made my Uncle pull over for these delicious treats! There was a line going out the door and when I got my cupcake I could see why. I tried a Black and White cupcake which is chocolate cake with cream cheese icing and it was moist and flavorful. Now I know for a fact that Candace Nelson knows what she is talking about.

Another one of my favorites in Texas is Luby's.  Lubys is a yummy cafeteria (yes, like in school) where elderly people without a lot of money can get great food. I want to get the word out there that Luby's should be for everybody! This is legit Texas comfort food! They even have that hospital blue jello. To get the true Texas experience, I ordered fried chicken, mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese and it was delish. They have a lot of choices like pie, pudding, and anything you can think of that is cooked in oil or butter. Or lard. I just learned what that is and you don't want to know.

 Blue Bell Ice Cream can only be found in the south. It is creamier than normal ice cream and they have flavors that I don't see a lot like fresh peaches and homemade vanilla. You can find this served all over Texas and it is really good.

Now this just screams Texas - Fried Pickles!!! They sound disgusting, but they are actually REALLY good! The moisture inside of the crispy breading is to die for, but if you eat too many you will probably get sick. You can get them in a bar that I wasn't allowed into called the Porch Swing Bar. While I was waiting for the pickles, my Uncle and I played a friendly game of put the metal disk into the hole. Let's just say he owed me $10.00.

El Tiempo can claim "The Best Fajitas Ever!" (claimed by ME). Queso cheese dip is huge in Texas and you can find it everywhere. It is a creamy american cheese dip that is the perfect partner for one of El Tiempo's freshly made chips. I swear on my dead fish that I could eat a whole bowl of that heavenly dip. They also have the best fajitas ever. Fajitas in Texas are a state obsession and I know why. They are amazing! I think they do something to the meat (hopefully not cook it in lard) because it is really juicy and tender. It is served on a platter heated by a flame. This platter has shrimp wrapped in bacon, shrimp, chicken and steak. And a bowl of melted butter to dip the meat in. Tex-Mex is my absolute favorite and there is no place better to get it than actually in Texas. At El Tiempo.

Texas BBQ. My Texas sized blog just isn't big enough to cover the topic. There is a big difference between plain bbq and Texas bbq. Texas bbq is meat that is smoked with a dry rub but doesn't have sauce. Goode Co. is definitely the best place to find Texas bbq!  The meat is smoky, juicy and flavorful. It even tastes like it might be healthy. You can get bbq sauce on the side if you are like me and like to have it on the meat anyways. We tried brisket and turkey and they were both amazing.

Another place to stop in Houston is The Breakfast Klub, and don't be mistaken by the movie. This restaurant specializes in one thing, chicken and waffles! It sounds odd, but this might be the best combo on earth. Their fluffy belgian waffles really compliment the chicken. This chicken is not any normal chicken, it is the most juicy fried chicken I have ever had. They put just the right combination of spices into the breading and it makes it mouth watering. I have heard that this is Beyonce's favorite place to eat in Houston and I can see why!

Have you ever heard of kolaches? I hadn't either, but kolaches are either a sausage or type of meat or cheese inside of a sweet bun, sort of like pigs in a blanket. They are from Europe and are mostly Czech, but for some reason you can find them all over Texas. Texans go crazy for these and I would certainly swoon for another one. We tried a couple of different places and I think Christy's has the best dough.

We took a road trip to San Antonio, and on the way stopped at an EPIC convience store off of the freeway called Buc-ee's.

Buc-ee's is like 7-11 on steroids. It might be the best convenient store in the world. They house make their snacks like different jerkies and "beaver nuggets" which are the most sugary Sugar Pops you can imagine. Look...

Buc-Ee's must be like a state monument because there was a line of cars to get in. There were even school buses of kids going there on a field trip! I would like to go here for a field trip. Kids can learn about really important things like what it tastes like if you mix grape soda with orange soda. Buc-ee's also sells toys like slingshots. My mom bought one for my sister and already regrets it.

I love Texas. I love visiting family, places like the Alamo (or as I call it, "El Lamo"), and I love how people there talk. Most of all I love the food in Texas and you will too. After a week of eating "vegetables" and fried food it is time for me to eat something healthy. For the first time today I finally tried my mom's kale chips. After a week of Texas food, I actually "liked" them y'all! I am off to eat something healthy, and I don't mean a slice of bread. In lard.