Texas Worm Ranch’s Heather Rinaldi instructs “Summer Garden Survival” May 25 (10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.)  Keep vegetable gardens producing with summer hearty plants, water-wise techniques and healthy soil.  Learn Heather’s tricks for pest and disease control and maintaining summer plant health.  Plan a Fall Harvest while getting hands on experience in planting and take home sweet potato slips, basil transplants and pumpkin seeds.  Cost is $40 per person and $30 for members of White Rock Local Market.

On June 22 (9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.) Kathy Neumuller from JJ&B Jams and Jellies and Karen Phelps from In a Pickle walk you through the process of canning and pickling summer’s bounty during “You Can Pickle That!”  Demonstrating hot bath canning, brine and spices for quick pickling as well as shelf safe pickling, students will pickle their own vegetables and preserves.  $50 per person and $40 for WRLM members includes a light lunch.

Learn the basics from some of the best brewers in Texas during “In Heaven There is No Beer…” Home Brewing 101 on July 20 (11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.).  Ty Wolosin and Kevin Sykes from Wind Hill Organics demonstrate a partial or mini-mash technique easily done at home.   Workshop includes lunch from Luscher’s Post Oak Red Hots, beer tastings and discussion from Lakewood Brewing Company, take home instructions and basic supplies.  Cost is $75 per person and $50 for WRLM Members.

Reservations are required for all classes.  A package of three classes may be purchased for $150 or $120 for members of WRLM.  For more information and to purchase tickets go to www.dallasuu.org, call 214-797-4989 or sign up at the WRLM information desk on a market day.  First Unitarian Church of Dallas is located at 5700 Preston Road, Dallas 75205.

White Rock Local Market is a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt organization sustained by contributions and memberships.  Individual memberships for 2013, from Seeds ($25) to Beyond Organic ($1,000) and everywhere in between are on-sale now at www.whiterocklocalmarket.com.  Membership benefits vary.

White Rock Local Markets are open from 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 through December 8.  The first and third Saturdays of the month markets will be located at Lakeside Baptist Church, 9051 Garland Road.  Markets on the 2^nd and 4^th Saturdays at the Green Spot are located at 702 North Buckner Boulevard.  For more information, event calendar, vendor listings and memberships go to www.whiterocklocalmarket.com.

We are now offering several high quality products from Bear Creek Smokehouse including bacon and smoked turkeys to brisket and pork tenderloin. Whether you want to prepare a special dinner or give the ultimate gift, you can't go wrong with one of these fine products. For a unique and irresistibly delicious flavor combination, check out Bacon Bark - Chocolate Covered Bacon!

Bear Creek Smokehouse Products - TexasFood.com

Entries will be quirky, entertaining and include Wheelie-ing Elvi, Pickle Queens, and the parade Big Dill, Gary Dalton, president of Best Maid Products, Inc.

The parade will roll through downtown Mansfield at 2:00 p.m., preceded by the Pickle 10K, 5K and 1-mile runs (run registration is at www.active.com), children's activities, vendor booths and food truck court on Main Street.

Once the parade concludes, the street party begins on Smith Street. Pickle eating and pickle juice drinking contests, green beer, and live music will be by The Trinity River Whalers, The Party Crashers and Me & My Monkey. The children's area and food vendors will all be in full swing.

For more information, visit the Best Maid Products, Inc. website at www.bestmaidproducts.com or the parade website at www.pickleparade.org and Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pickleparade

- Make the citizens of Houston (and Texas, and the U.S., etc.) aware of the long history of barbecue here and that the quality of Houston barbecue is comparable to other regional styles of barbecue.

- Recognize the talent, hard work, and dedication of the owners and pitmasters that make Houston barbecue great.

- Make Houstonians true connoisseurs of barbecue by offering samples of great barbecue so they can choose to patronize those barbecue joints committed to only the highest quality of barbecue.
-Celebrate the diversity of Houston barbecue by including the many styles of barbecue found here.

For tickets and more information , visit www.houbbq.com

Before I get started, I'll say right up front, that I don't eat a lot of fast food.  I'll take a good BBQ restaurant any day before I'll look for a fast food joint, however there are a couple exceptions to this.  Chipotle being the primary one.  It's my love of the Chipotle style bowls that got me interested in the Taco Bueno Bowls, and in truth I'm glad it did.  The premise of the Bueno Bowl is that you can choose from a list of ingredients and build your own bowl.  While the concept isn't a new one, it is new to your typical fast food restaurant and the level of customization is a really nice addition.  For myself I went with a salad bowl, with a base made of lettuce.  I opted to skip the beans and rice, instead adding grilled steak, guacamole, sour cream, grilled vegetables, cheese and my favorite... bacon.

Overall, it was pretty good.  The lettuce was nice and fresh and not shredded like I had expected.  The steak was seasoned well and not over cooked,  though not of the highest quality, it still tasted good, and the ability to add bacon was a real winner for me.  Everything tasted pretty good.  I won't say it was on the same quality level as say Chipotle, but then again, this is a very different kind of restaurant.  The one thing that bothered me is that it seemed like everything was an additional cost.  The steak Bueno Bowl itself was a reasonable $6.50, but if you want guacamole, it's .79, and sour cream is .39, and bacon is .99.  I realize that guacamole and bacon are expensive, but I think sour cream should have been free.  Also if I'm paying .79 for some guacamole, I expect a little more than the tablespoon or so I got.

Nitpicking the cost aside, I'm surprised and excited by the addition of the Bueno Bowl to Taco Bueno.  It tasted great, came out fast, and the quality was there to keep me coming back.  What is really great about this is that it allows a level of customization that you usually don't see at these types of restaurants.  As someone who doesn't eat much in the way of carbs, I also found this to be a great addition because I finally had a realistic option and an additional restaurant to add to my choices.  If you find yourself near a Taco Bueno, I definitely recommend giving it a shot, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

About the Author: Rob Sterba (@rsterba)  is originally from New Mexico living in the Fort Worth area. An IT architect by trade, in his free time he's an avid tea drinker and enjoys writing and learning about tea, food, and technology.

HOUSTON – January 21, 2013

“There has been tremendous growth in Houston and we’re excited that Zoës is a part of it,” said Ric Chuon, Regional Operator of Zoës Kitchen in Houston. “We are thrilled to be a part of the community here and to help develop this new shopping area.”

To celebrate its opening in Rice Village, Zoës is giving away 500 meals to its Facebook fans. To top it off, one grand prize winner will win Zoës for a year at the new store! Visit Zoës Kitchen’s Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/ZoesKitchen to enter to win. The contest runs from January 30 through February 14. The Grand Prize winner will be announced on Zoës Facebook page on February 14, 2013.

The new restaurant includes the flavorful favorites that have made Zoës an extension of many home kitchens. The menu will also showcase delicious entrees as well as fresh sides such as no-mayo slaw and potato salads and braised white beans with fresh rosemary, among others.

The Rice Village restaurant offers guests a selection of signature dishes such as chicken kabobs, chicken rollups and hummus and gluten-free options. As always, the focus will be on serving food of exceptional quality and using fresh ingredients prepared daily from original recipes; perfect for busy people who want to eat well with a little help from a friendly, neighborhood kitchen. Fresh is the focus, and unlike most restaurant kitchens, there are no fryers or microwaves at Zoës.

At Zoës, guests can dine in, order online or call ahead for takeout; purchase a variety of fully-prepared Dinners for Four for the hungry family on the go; pick up side dishes by the pint; and take advantage of an extensive catering menu, which includes box lunches, party trays and meals for large groups that can be delivered locally.

Zoës’ location in Rice Village seats approximately 76 guests in the dining room, including an outdoor patio which seats 34. The restaurant opens from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. The new location also plans to offer beer and wine.

 About Zoës Kitchen

Founded in 1995, Zoës Kitchen is a fast-casual restaurant that creates homemade Mediterranean-inspired food designed to help you celebrate life with family and friends through providing authentic, better-for-you recipes that are hand-prepared daily with wholesome, close-to-the-garden ingredients and a side of Southern hospitality. Zoës Kitchen is dedicated to delivering delicious, fresh and convenient in-store and takeout meal solutions that allow families to get out of the kitchen and enjoy more time together. All Zoës Kitchen recipes are made using good, honest ingredients that are chemical-free, as well as fresh, never frozen poultry. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes are also available. Zoës Kitchen has 77 locations in 13 states across the U.S. For more information, please visit www.zoeskitchen.com, www.facebook.com/ZoesKitchen or twitter.com/ZoesKitchen.

This chili mix is a product of Cin Chili & Company out of Houston, TX, and is one of their many products including bbq sauce, hot sauce, and seasonings.

Heat:   I found the heat in this mix lacking.  I won't say I was surprised from this because it doesn't claim to be hot anywhere on the label, but when you dot your "i" with fire, I was hopeful.  I did find a note on in the directions section stating that more cayenne pepper could be added to increase the heat.  Testing this, I found that adding in a good amount of cayenne did get me to a heat level I was looking for without overpowering the flavor.  If you're looking for a hot chili right out of the package, be prepared to add some pepper to it, but for those that want the flavor without the heat, it's excellent in this one.  For the lack of heat, I give this two stars.

Appearance:  As I mentioned previously, the packaging on this chili mix is unique to say the least.  The label is adorned with some sort of an elf with pitchfork in hand and a chili pepper belt around her waist.  What really sets it off though is that she's setting the "i" in Cin on fire with her finger.  I won't say that it's highly polished or overly artistic in any way, but it is visually interesting and would have definitely gotten me to pick up the package in a store. There is also a good bit of information on the packaging about the company and the history, as well as a picture of the founder.  I think that this kind of information is missed by a lot of companies and it's inclusion helps the consumer connect with the product on more than just taste.  I give the packaging four stars for doing a good job of keeping it interesting and including useful information.

Taste:   Taste was a tough one for me with this mix.  Don't get me wrong, it was good, with a nice balance of spices and a well rounded flavor, it just wasn't all that different from other chili's I've had.  I don't know if this is a result of the limited ingredients to pull from when making chili, or just that it wasn't different enough to stand out.  I think that overall this is a very good chili, particularly for people that would prefer something a little less spicy.  I give it three stars for taste because the flavor is good, and I could eat it on a regular basis, but it didn't do anything to blow my taste buds away.

Value:   One package of Cin Chili chili mix makes 2lbs of chili.  When you consider that a single package is only $4.50, its not a bad deal at all.  What really makes it a great value though is that you can buy it in a bulk package as well.  For less than $20 you can buy enough seasoning for 10lbs of chili.  This takes it from a good deal to a great deal in my book, and for that I give it four stars for value.

Overall:  From my first look at Cin Chili's chili mix I was intrigued and eager to try it.  What I found it to be was a good all around chili mix that had a nice balance of flavor for a good price.  If you're looking for a good chili mix that can easily be spiced up if desired this is one I would definitely recommend.  For an even better deal, pickup the bulk package and make this a regular staple, you won't be disappointed.  Overall I think that this is a good chili that won't disappoint and won't break the bank.  For that I give it four stars.

Shop for Cin Chili & Co. products

About the Author: Rob Sterba (@rsterba)  is originally from New Mexico living in the Fort Worth area. An IT architect by trade, in his free time he's an avid tea drinker and enjoys writing and learning about tea, food, and technology.

Pre heat oven @ 250°

Combine the egg white (slightly beaten with fork), the water and sugar.
Add and blend the spices that have been mixed together.
Add the nuts, stir until each nut has been well coated.
Pour on to a well greased cookie sheet. Grease with butter or pan spray.
Bake @ 250 for 1 hour until golden toasted. Stir every 10 minutes, turning nuts so that they do not stay in puddles. This coats the nuts and makes them crisp. After baking, cool in pan or pour onto waxed paper until completey cool.

Our friends at Heaven Made Products shared some turkey cooking tips with us, so we're sharing with you!

With a few simple tips you can make this Thanksgiving Turkey the best Turkey you have ever cooked.

1. Bring your Turkey or any piece of meat for that matter to "Room Temperature" before cooking. This will insure even cooking throughout the Turkey or other Meat.

2.  If you don't have an "Internal Temperature Probe" purchase one. Walmart should even have one of these available or you can try your local sporting goods store. Right before you put your turkey in whatever you are using to cook the turkey (Oven, Smoker, Grill etc.) insert the probe into the thickest part of the turkey breast but do not let the probe touch any bone, try to set the tip in the center of the breast meat. Cook till the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees. Then remove the turkey from the cooker and place a foil tent over it and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. During this time the natural occurring "Carry Over Cooking" process will finish cooking the turkey and bring up the internal temperature to between 160-165 which will be a perfectly cooked, moist and juicy turkey. This process also called resting, not only allows for the cooking to finish, but once the temperature reaches it's peak, the temper then begins to drop and the meat begins to cool down allowing all of the juices around the outside of the meat to begin to flow back into the recesses of the meat. Now when you slice the turkey all of the meat will be moist and juicy, If you slice a very hot piece of meat the juices will immediately run out and the meat becomes dry.

3. Brine or Inject your Turkey to get added moisture and flavor in the turkey all the way to the bone. We have recipes for brining we can email you if you like, just send us an email and we'll shoot it out to you quickly. We also have the very best Injectable Marinades to get some wonderful flavor throughout the whole Turkey and the kicker is our marinades are dry seasonings that you add real butter and water to it or just butter, talk about "Butter Basted" Turkey, you don't get this with any turkey you purchase from the store.

4.  Make sure your Turkey or other piece of meat is fully thawed. About one hour before cooking remove the turkey or meat from the refrigerator and bring your Turkey or any piece of meat for matter to "Room Temperature". This will insure even cooking throughout the Turkey or other Meat.

Michael Pitre - Heaven Made Products

1 pound hot italian sausage links
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
14 oz. can of beef, chicken or vegetable stock
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 package Cin Chili dry seasoning mix
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
16 oz. can red kidney beans (drained)
16 oz. can Bush's Best Original Baked Beans
Shredded cheddar chese (if desired)

Simmer the sausage links and onions for 25 minutes in a pot with 1/4 cup of water. Cut the links into bite size pieces. Save the juice in the pan! Add stock, tomatoes, Cin Chili mix and carrots to the sausages and onions. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Add both types of beans, top with cheddar cheese, and serve immediately since the guests will be hovering, drooling and attempting to distract you for a taste of this wonderful concoction.