JANUARY 2020
HOUSTON’S LE MERIDIEN BLENDS LUXURY WITH SOUTHERN CHARM
MORE THAN THE H-E-B MATRIARCH
CUSTOM HOMES OF TEXAS
EIGHT HEALTHY DALLAS RESTAURANTS
5
22
CONTENTS features
5 | HOUSTON’S LE MERIDIEN ARTFULLY BLENDS EUROPEAN LUXURY WITH SOUTHERN CHARM
28
In a city whose skyline is already peppered with amazing hotels, Le Meridien Houston Downtown stands out with its French flair, unparalleled rooftop views, and Southern Creoleinspired restaurant. Find out what else it has in store for you!
22 | MORE THAN THE H-E-B MATRIARCH: MARY ELIZABETH HOLDSWORTH BUTT The passionate woman behind the H-E-B empire, Mary Elizabeth Holdsworth Butt is known as an icon of charitable giving and humanitarian efforts. While the H. E. Butt Foundation is widely known for its camps and retreats, this matriarch is remembered for her dedication to the health and education of Texas children, families, minorities, and the intellectually challenged.
28 | CUSTOM HOMES OF TEXAS
46
Lisa Wallace Interior Design helped homeowners transform a ranch style house into an elegant, comfortable abode. This custom designed home is filled with textured elements, custom lighting, and clever storage solutions to create a one-of-a-kind home with a distinctly coastal feel.
46 | EIGHT HEALTHY DALLAS RESTAURANTS TO HELP YOU STICK TO YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS Maintaining your New Year’s resolution along with a social life can be challenging. Fortunately, if your resolution is to make healthier choices this year, there are a number of restaurants in Texas, specifically Dallas, that can accommodate even the healthiest of diets.
articles TRAILS & TALES
TEXAS INTERIORS
9 | Harvesting Hope
26 | Design Trends of 2020
12 | Sculpting Texas History: A Look at Historical Art in Texas
35 | Oops, Should that get Cleaned? Part 1
14 | Girls With Pens: Inspiring Creativity and Confidence
40 | Updating Your Home: Do it Yourself or Hire a Professional
38 | Office Desks that Make a Statement
16 | Muenster, TX: The North Texas Hill Country 18 | Texasliving ProTips
TABLESIDE
19 | Sleepless In San Antonio
41 | Building Community: Easy as ABC 44 | Young Entrepreneurs Turn Brewers' Waste into Gold 48 | Caldo de Pollo con Fideo
TEXAS IS FAMOUS FOR
SO MUCH:
The Alamo, NASA, Buddy Holly, and Dallas (the TV show) to list a few. Our great state is still associated with the cowboy, the open range, campfires, the Texas Rangers, and cattle drives. Our state is rich in history and has a unique identity, with a “larger than life” personality. At Texasliving, we take great pride in showcasing the history, culture, and style of Texas. We trust that you’ll find this magazine reflects the unique identity that makes Texas great!
PUBLISHER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Michael Padgett Ashley Sullivan
MANAGING EDITOR Claire Wilson COPY EDITORS Becca Nelson Sankey
Megan McLawhon
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
Amanda Hoevelman
PRODUCTION MANAGERS Cara Dyer
CUSTOM HOME EDITOR
ART DIRECTOR
MARKETING COORDINATOR
WRITERS
Rebecca Neighbors Bobbi Padgett Christina White Austin Contrestano Corinne Caraway
Tania Taylor Griffis
Melissa Guerra
Allison G. Henley
Megan Hopkins
Alisha McDarris
Follow us on social media!
Jamie Leigh Miller
Megan Ann Oswald
Advertising | Business Office
Bobbi Padgett
Lucy Ann Parker
Becca Nelson Sankey
Meddie Stewart
Kimberly A. Suta
Mark Taylor
Claire Wilson
1716 Briarcrest Drive, Suite 750, Bryan, Texas 77802 1.888.887.2450 | info@rgpmarketing.com
© 2019 Texasliving. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of Texasliving.
Houston’s
LE MERIDIEN ARTFULLY BLENDS EUROPEAN LUXURY WITH SOUTHERN CHARM WRITTEN BY: KIMBERLY A. SUTA PHOTOS COURTESY OF: LE MERIDIEN HOUSTON DOWNTOWN
Houston might just be the Texas city that never sleeps and never stops expanding. It is home to so many luxury hotels that it is difficult to keep up, but it is certainly fun trying. Anyone on the search for the latest and greatest Houston hotels should make sure to take a moment to explore the international, upscale brand Le Meridien, focused on design through a decidedly European perspective. Once headquartered in France and the United Kingdom, it is now part of the Marriott family. Le Meridien Houston Downtown manages to seamlessly blend contemporary European luxury with Southern hospitality.
“Our brand’s mission is to unlock the destinations around the world for the curious and creative-minded traveler,” said Robin Moncrieffe, director of sales and marketing. “For us, it’s all about creating an engaging experience for the traveler. We want them to experience things inside and outside the hotel.” Located downtown near Minute Maid Park and the Toyota Center, the hotel was originally an office building built in 1952 and the first international skyscraper in Houston. Called the Melrose Building, it was once home to major oil and gas companies. Now a designated historic landmark, Le Meridien opened its doors in Houston in the fall of 2017. Guest rooms are larger than most traditional hotel rooms. With 23 stories and 255 guest rooms designed with Southern and European touches (including 34 parlor suites with a bathtub and separate shower feature as well as a king bedroom attached), the building has been completely transformed into a destination hotel for leisure and business travel alike.
JANUARY 2020 | 5
Upscale amenities continue to abound with signature soaps and toiletries that are intended to remind you of summer in the French Riviera, and who minds that? Also tech-savvy, the rooms come complete with all your favorite video platforms as well as a keyless entry system that allows you to use your cell phone to enter your room. Brides, in particular, love the Glam Suite. “It’s one of the things that makes us unique,” Moncrieffe said. “It’s just a special suite for our brides with make-up tables and Hollywood mirrors.” The staff and concierge team also do their best to provide exceptional customer service and accommodate guests’ special requests, from birthday cakes to kosher diets. “Our hotel product is comparable to or elevated above anything else the city has to offer, with really warm, comfortable, spacious rooms, and excellent service,” General Manager Jan Vanco said. “It’s an oasis in the middle of downtown.” Its 9,000 square feet of meeting space also makes it a popular choice for special events and weddings. The ballroom is located on the 22nd floor. According to Moncrieffe, its 360-degree views of the city and flexible meeting space set it apart from any other downtown hotel. The mid-century modern style hotel also makes an effort to partner with and represent local culture, which is evident the moment guests walk into the lobby and see an art piece of a red oil derrick. The art does not stop there. “We encourage people to visit an art gallery or take part in the theatre offerings,” Moncrieffe said. One of the perks of staying at the hotel is that guests can use their room key to gain free access into the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
“IT’S AN OASIS IN THE MIDDLE OF DOWNTOWN.”
6 | JANUARY 2020
ZUTRO RESTAURANT & BAR Zutro offers guests and locals a chance to partake in some scrumptious Southern cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Chef Troy Deano is at the helm of a colorful, casual eatery that focuses on utilizing locally sourced ingredients. From small plates (such as crab ravigote and tempura shrimp) to large plates (like aged short rib with house tagliatelle and Grandmaw’s Mole made with duck confit, masa, and Vietnamese cinnamon), the menu is a creative adventure. “I love the idea of the Gulf Coast cuisine, what I identify with here in Houston,” Moncrieffe said. “I love that our chef is from New Orleans and uses local farmers. All of our items are locally sourced. On any given day, he might have a special because rhubarb is in season. You can get fried shrimp anywhere, but you can’t get redfish or duck gumbo anywhere.” Deano began his culinary journey with the rich traditions of southern Louisiana. He went to work with acclaimed French Master Chef Rene Bajeaux, celebrity chef John Besh, as well as James Beard-nominated chef Steven McHugh from Cured in San Antonio. He also served as the chef of 18 STEAK at L'Auberge Casino Hotel in Baton Rouge. Chef Deano’s culinary passion is illustrated through his use of ingredients. He likes to “share a story and bring guests together through their unique experiences.” Inspired by worldly cuisine, his creations are often personal and rooted in a sense of constant evolution.
“Chef Deano has created wonderful Southern Creole cuisine, but it’s modern and more approachable with really good combinations of flavors and textures and utilization of local resources, which is very important in any area," Vanco said. "It's very exciting for me. His training and upbringing in the culinary industry has given him a different outlook. He puts a unique spin on the cuisine.” Guests are encouraged to join in on Sparkling Hour, which takes place every day from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. in the restaurant’s bar. “During that time, we offer sparkling cocktails, such as a Prosecco margarita and a tasting of some of the food, and talk about what the area has to offer," Vanco said. "It's a good opportunity to share." She then recommended the burnt ends and barbequed pork lettuce wraps.
ROOFTOP RESPITE
Z on 23, the rooftop bar, may just be the “top” reason to stay at Le Meridien. It offers an array of nibbles and curated cocktails, not to mention the most spectacular views of Downtown Houston. The hotel staff has been making recent efforts to expand their rooftop entertainment, including a themed brunch on Sunday (a disco brunch, for example), and free yoga. Besides the rooftop bar, Vanco said they also encourage guests and even locals to take advantage of Le Meridien Hub, the hotel's living room in the middle of the lobby, which is a “hyper” comfortable area with warm colors and a relaxed vibe. It is just a great place for friends and family to sit and enjoy a conversation, and of course, a couple of cocktails or excellent Italian coffees. “We use words such as 'inspire, create, discover,'” Vanco said. “It's what we strive to do. We want our guests to have an experience and accomplish whatever they want to accomplish – to explore Houston and unlock the destination.” If you are ready to unlock the destination, now might just be the perfect time to plan a trip to H-town and let Le Meridien be your guide!
"WE USE WORDS SUCH AS 'INSPIRE, CREATE, DISCOVER.' IT'S WHAT WE STRIVE TO DO."
8 | JANUARY 2020
harvesting
HOPE WRITTEN BY: ALLISON G. HENLEY | PHOTOS COURTESY OF: WORLD HUNGER RELIEF, INC.
Did you know that right in the heart of Texas exists a farm whose international influence is making huge strides in halting the devastating ripples of global hunger? World Hunger Relief, Inc., is a Christian organization committed to the alleviation of food insecurity and malnutrition through sustainable agriculture and community development. WHRI manages a 40-acre farm near Waco and carries out its mission in three specific ways. The first way is through an internship program, equipping participants with the knowledge and skills of sustainable farming techniques as well as community development in Christian agricultural work. Second, the farm inspires empathy and compassion for those who live without adequate food, allowing individuals engaging with the farm to truly catch a glimpse of the hardship of hunger. Finally, WHRI focuses on both local and international partnerships, to strengthen understanding and work collaboratively.
JANUARY 2020 | 9
HISTORY Motivated with a compassionate heart for all of God’s creation, World Hunger Relief, Inc., was chartered in 1976 by Bob and Jan Salley. In 1979, the Salleys hired Carl Ryther as WHRI’s director. With extensive experience in agricultural missions, including seventeen years in Bangladesh, Ryther had honed his skills in simple food production systems geared toward addressing the specific food needs of the poor. As the global ministry continued to evolve, WHRI personnel developed programs in countries such as Haiti, Guatemala, Mexico, Kenya, and India. These programs addressed the needs of the specific area and focused their efforts on such things as agroforestry and well-digging for irrigation and sanitary drinking water. These early international relationships were vital to the success of WHRI. Then, in the mid-1990s, WHRI grew to include a grade-A goat dairy, dried flower production, and fresh market vegetables, to form a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. The intern training program was expanding alongside the farm, and in 2003 underwent a major reorganization. In 2013, a change in leadership brought about a stronger focus on local community work. Matt Hess, who had served as education director for six years, took over as the executive director. His deep interest in relationship-building and engaging with the local community has been a great springboard for interns as they learn strategic community development in a way that can be applied anywhere in the world they find themselves.
SUSTAINABILITY WHRI is committed to sustainable practices that nourish people, communities, and the land. As a training center for development, they use agricultural technologies appropriate for use in the developing world. These techniques can be seen in action on the farm in Waco. One technique focusing on the animals at the farm is called “rotational grazing.” This practice allows livestock to move between pastures frequently, which prevents overgrazing and also utilizes the animal manure to provide nutrients for the soil, reducing the need for fertilizer and improving soil health. Intentional planting practices are also a part of the overall sustainability plan for the farm. Such techniques include crop rotation, planting cover crops, adding compost to the soil, and only using organically approved fertilizers and pest control. Additionally, maintaining a consistent composting practice is vital to the sustainability of the farm. This process involves the natural breakdown of organic material, which creates a nutrient-rich material that can be added to the soil before planting or added later as a top-dressing. At WHRI, compost comes from kitchen scraps, sawdust, paper, cardboard, and even their composting toilets. Another piece of the sustainable practices concept at WHRI is honeybees. Bees on the farm assist in pollination and then, in turn, make honey. 10 | JANUARY 2020
Service Learning
E D U C AT IO NA L P R O GR A MS Intern Training Program This program is vital to the education and integration of sustainable practices throughout the globe. Interns live and work on the 40-acre training farm for a ten-month internship, learning ways in which agriculture can be a viable means of selfsufficiency. With over 400 alumni from around the globe, the internship program has equipped agricultural missionaries, leaders of anti-hunger nonprofits, educators, and sustainable farmers who have collectively served in 20 countries and on four continents.
Veggie Prescription Program This program was born out of a partnership with Family Health Clinic of Waco, and essentially encourages participants to engage in healthy nutrition in order to minimize disease. At participating Waco clinics, doctors are able to write “prescriptions” for patients they feel would benefit from the program, who then are able to receive fresh produce from the farm. Participants receive boxes of fresh produce from the farm twice per week, delivered to the clinic. Additionally, WHRI includes recipe cards, written in English and Spanish, with ideas on ways to get the vegetables on the table. WHRI currently provides 130 boxes weekly to four clinics throughout Waco, as well as the Centering Pregnancy Group, where mom and baby both benefit from nutrient-dense vegetables.
Named Living On The Other Side (LOTOS), WHRI offers their service-learning as a “global poverty service-learning program for youth and adults, educating participants and inspiring active responses to issues of global hunger and poverty.” Multiple intersecting issues are addressed during this experience, including poverty, issues affecting women and children, access to clean water, rural living, forced labor, global hunger awareness, and the impact of our lifestyle choices on our global neighbors. Modified to the desires of the group, this experience can be tailored from a two- to three-hour experience up to a week-long camp. During this time, the group will be led through hands-on service, and a number of practical activities that vividly illustrate the realities of food insecurity, sustainability, power and powerlessness, equity, and unequal resource distribution. Participants engage in simulated situations such as staying in a dirt floor shelter and using cold showers powered by water from a rainwater collection system. Participants also engage in farm work, including projects such as feeding animals, refilling water troughs, harvesting vegetables, making new planting beds in the gardens, and more. Thought-provoking questions are also discussed, such as: “There is enough food in the world to feed everyone, so why are people hungry?” These discussions are facilitated by staff and intended to provoke participants to truly consider their personal beliefs and gain an understanding of how lifestyle decisions can have a global impact.
Farm Tours Community farm tours can be arranged upon request. These tours are appropriate for individuals, families, as well as school groups. For younger children, the tour typically covers topics such as the basics of animals, plants, and seeds, to include multiple sensory-integration activities that aid in the discussions, such as smelling herbs, tasting vegetables, and feeling the fur of animals. Older students touch on additional subjects such as the function of farm animals, how weather impacts ecosystems, as well as deeper issues of hunger, such as nutrition and health as they relate to food production and access. WHRI has also developed grade-specific curriculum, available for download on their website, with tours tailored to meet the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) requirements for grades one through six.
Community Involvement Produce from the farm is sold at the local Waco farmer’s market. The farm also hosts you-pick events where the community is invited to the farm to harvest their own crops. Additionally, the farm invites the community to participate in a CSA model program for vegetable distribution. WHRI is always happy to have volunteers, tapping into any skill set that one might bring. According to Garden Manager Gala Gerber, volunteer work can include office work, cleaning, greenhouse work, garden work such as direct seeding, transplanting, pulling weeds, laying mulch, fertilizing, irrigation implementation, harvesting, processing and boxing up of vegetables, lawn maintenance, fencing, painting, animal husbandry, stuffing recipes, and so much more. JANUARY 2020 | 11
1900 STORM MEMORIAL by David Moore PHOTO COURTESY OF: LINDA CORTELYOU
TEXAS’S OLD LADY One of the first official statues for the state of Texas is the Goddess of Liberty that sits atop the Texas Capitol. The statue was designed by the architect of the Capitol, Elijah E. Myers, and was erected in 1888. The original statue, weathered by the harsh Texas elements for over a century, now towers over visitors in the Texas History Museum in Austin. The original iron and zinc goddess was replaced by a younger (and lighter) aluminum lady in 1986.
SCULPTI N G TEXA S HISTO R Y:
A Look at Historical Art in Texas WRITTEN BY: MARK TAYLOR
What makes a sculpture famous? When people think of the word sculpture, famous works come to mind like Michelangelo’s David, Rodin’s The Thinker, Landowski’s Christ The Redeemer, and even the Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt. Closer to home, in the U.S., people tend to think of the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, or the Lincoln Memorial. But what about works that depict Texas history? Texas is adorned with sculptures and monuments that commemorate its most historical events and leaders. Most of the monuments and sculptures in Texas commemorate Texas’s political and military leaders. Some honor everyday people, like the Quittin’ Time sculpture of an oil rigger at the end of the day that was unveiled in 2011 in Downtown Corsicana. The sculpture Early Morning on the Goodnight-Loving Trail by artist Joe Barrington in Graham, Texas depicts life on the famed cattle trail and features a cowboy sitting by a campfire with his bedroll on the ground beside him.
12 | JANUARY 2020
But when it comes to sculptures that depict historic Texas leaders and events, one is hard-pressed to find many that exist before one of Texas’s most famous immigrants arrived on the Texas landscape: Elisabet Ney.
LENDING A GERMAN HAND TO THE TEXAS ART SCENE Ney, a German by birth, emigrated to the U.S. at the age of 39, ultimately purchasing the Liendo Plantation near Hempstead in 1873. She later created a studio in Austin, which is now the Elisabet Ney Museum. The sculptress was a rich source of gossip for Texans, famous for wearing pants regularly in an age when pants were exclusively reserved for men, and for refusing to take her husband, Edmund Montgomery’s, last name. On the strength of her strong personality and equally strong talents, Ney became somewhat of a big fish in a small pond. Her invitation to move to Texas came by way of Texas Governor Oran M. Roberts, and Ney became a leader in the development of the visual arts in Texas. In 1891, when the Board of Lady Managers of the Chicago World’s Fair Association commissioned Ney to create two sculptures for the 1893 World’s Fair, Ney began work on the now-iconic marble statues of Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin. The Sam Houston statue was completed in time for the fair, but the Stephen F. Austin statue was not completed on time. The statues were created by Ney to portray the actual physical sizes of the two Texans, so the Sam Houston statue is 6 feet 2 inches tall, and the Stephen F. Austin statue is 5 feet 7 inches tall. When people complained about the disparity in the statues’ heights, Ney famously began telling people, “Don’t take it up with me — take it up with God!” Each of the statues was created in duplicate. One set was unveiled in the Texas Capitol in 1903 while the other set was placed in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol in 1905.
TEJANO by Armando Hinojosa
A LEGACY OF SCULPTING TEXAS QUITTIN’ TIME sculpture of an oil rigger at the end of the day that was unveiled in 2011 in Downtown Corsicana.
PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE COURTESY OF: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Ney was also commissioned by the state of Texas to create a fitting memorial for the grave of Albert Sidney Johnston. Johnston was renowned in Texas as the only man to serve as a general in the Texas Revolutionary Army, the U.S. Army, and the Confederate States (C.S.) Army. The monument, which depicts Johnston at the time of his death in the Battle of Shiloh, rests atop his grave in the Texas State Cemetery in Austin.
AN ITALIAN RENAISSANCE IN TEXAS SCULPTURE The turn of the century brought a fresh new face to Texas. Italian-born sculptor Pompeo Coppini had left Italy hurriedly after being denounced by his community for pursuing his boss’s daughter. Emigrating to New York, Coppini met and married his wife, a model who came to model for his sculptures. When a potential commission came up to create a sculpture of Confederate President Jefferson Davis for a monument to the Confederacy on the Texas Capitol grounds, Coppini seized the opportunity and headed for the Lone Star State. Almost overnight, Coppini was a phenomenal success. Whereas Elisabet Ney had shocked Texans with her manly attire and avant-garde ideas about women and marriage, Coppini captured their fancy with his fine clothes, immense skill, and classical ideas of art. The talented Italian kept quite busy sculpting, working primarily in bronze. His major works include the Confederate Soldiers Monument, Terry's Texas Rangers Monument, and Hood’s Texas Brigade monument at the Texas Capitol, the Sam Houston Grave monument in Huntsville, the statue of Governor Lawrence Sullivan Ross on the campus of Texas A&M University, the Littlefield Memorial Fountain at the University of Texas, the Texas State Fair Hall of State at Fair Park in Dallas, and the Alamo Cenotaph in San Antonio. Coppini even designed and sculpted the artwork for his tomb at Sunset Memorial Park in San Antonio.
Elisabet Ney and Pompeo Coppini paved the way for sculpting Texas history, advancing the arts in Texas with their massive personalities and copious abilities. Coppini’s apprentice, Waldine Tauch, was commissioned by the Texas Legislature to create The First Shot Fired For Texas Independence monument at Cost, Texas, near Gonzales. Around 1836, in celebration of the centennial anniversary of Texas independence, several monuments and memorials were commissioned, including the majestic San Jacinto Monument near Deer Park. Andrew Jackson Houston, Sam Houston’s last surviving son, was present when the monument was dedicated in 1937. The plethora of monuments and memorials on the grounds of the Texas Capitol itself is impressive, including Heroes of the Alamo dedicated in 1891. The Volunteer Firemen monument by Frank Teich is another well-known fixture on the Capitol lawn, erected in 1896. In more recent history, the Capitol collection has added Tejano by Armando Hinojosa (2012), Vietnam Veterans by Duke Sundt (2014), African American History Memorial by Ed Dwight (2016), and Price of Liberty by Sandra Van Zandt (2018). Some of the most intriguing sculptures are those that depict historical events, some of which are truly Texas-sized. One such installation is Robert Summers’s Branding the Brazos project near the Waco Suspension Bridge, which commemorates the Chisholm Trail, Western Trail, and Shawnee Trail. Another example full of vim and vigor is the Angelina Eberly sculpture by Pat Oliphant (2004), which sits outside the Texas History Museum in Austin. It depicts a legendary scene from the Texas Archives War with Eberly firing a cannon in her nightgown. And who could miss the 67-foot statue of Sam Houston by David Adickes (1994), which towers over I-45 in Huntsville? It is billed as the world’s tallest statue of an American hero. From volunteerism to heroism, from politics to industry, and from historical events that have become larger-than-life legends, Texas enjoys its rich history reflected in an ever-growing collection of sculpture. It is a story told in marble, granite, bronze, and concrete, by artists whose imaginations have been fired by the flames of Texas pride.
JANUARY 2020 | 13
GiWrithls : s Pen INSPIRING CREATIVITY AND CONFIDENCE
WRITTEN BY: ALISHA MCDARRIS PHOTOS COURTESY OF: CAROLYN COHAGAN
It started, as it often does with writers, not with fiction, but with fact. In 2010, Carolyn Cohagan started researching. She was digging for facts that would help her build the basis for the fictional world of her first Time Zero trilogy novel, Time Zero. It would be a dystopian young adult series that revolves around a teenage girl in a future New York taken over by religious fundamentalists. She pored over ancient (and not-so-ancient) rituals and rites, rules of age-old and new-age fundamentalist religions and cults from around the world. She was digging for those guidelines specific to women and girls, those of oppression or exclusion. There were many, and they were heartbreaking.
14 | JANUARY 2020
She finished the first book of the trilogy but could not get the heartbreaking truth behind her fiction out of her head. Even here in the U.S., girls, especially young girls, face more obstacles and scrutiny, with many needing encouragement to guide them into building skills and confidence. Cohagan wanted to teach them, help them build themselves up. She wanted to inspire them to create, to stretch their imaginations, to boost their confidence, and to expand their sense of community by challenging themselves to see things from a new perspective. So she searched. She found organizations in Hollywood that ensure women are represented in television, organizations in Africa that teach young girls journalism and help them publish magazines that celebrate women. She went to Rwanda to teach writing workshops to preteen girls. But these organizations all had champions and invested instructors already; there was no place for her. She knew what she had to do. “I’m going to have to build my dream job myself,” Cohagan remembered thinking. She started by working with Badgerdog, an Austin organization that teaches writing workshops to kids in area schools. She and Badgerdog received a grant to work with the fourth-grade girls at Perez Elementary School, teaching the basics of story-building and plot. But it was her own organization that she wanted, and in 2014, Girls With Pens was born.
The Mission
“To offer creative writing to girls 8 to 14 and to help them find their voices at an age when, due to peer pressure, it’s easy for them to lose their voice or adopt the voice of others,” Cohagan said. She started offering creative writing summer camps, teaching young would-be writers about the process, what makes a compelling story, and characterization. But while working with girls is where the dream started, she did not want to exclude anyone, so Kids With Pens sprouted alongside. She still reserves workshops and camps just for girls, but all students are welcome. During workshops and week-long summer camps, she joins groups of ten students or fewer around one big table and starts the day by digging into her box of mysterious props. From it she might procure a sock puppet in a jar or a leopard print lampshade, anything for which she can create an unusual backstory, from which a wild and unpredictable writing prompt might emerge. Then she beseeches the young wordsmiths to concoct a tale. After they furiously scratch out their stories, Cohagan takes a few minutes to teach about subjects like where to start a story or how to build a fictional world before inviting the students to share the stories they have written. That is when the magic happens: self-consciousness melts away like candle wax, slowly but surely, and kids who did not think they had ideas worth writing about or the nerve to stand and read their work get excited to share what they have created.
“That’s really thrilling to see,” Cohagan said, smiling. It is when all the kids begin to connect, popularity or timidity fading as the magic of the written word levels all playing fields and as friendships blossom over a shared love for the craft. After all, being around other kids who like to read and write is not something most experience on a day-to-day basis. It helps them build confidence, expand their imagination, find their voice, and nurture self-expression, something culture does not always encourage. “While pop culture and peer pressure are telling tweens and teenagers to be like everyone else, Girls With Pens celebrates individual voices and offbeat imaginations,” Cohagan stated on her website. She can see the fruits of her labor after each camp and workshop when parents are invited to attend readings where their young writers stand and read aloud for an audience, something some of them never imagined they could ever do. It all must be working because kids keep coming back. One student has returned for two years, traveling from Dallas to attend a week-long camp. Two girls from San Antonio spent one week commuting to Austin every day just to take part. And Liam Harris, 11, has returned for four sessions: creative writing, comedy writing, novel writing, and graphic novel writing. “And I would go back seven more times,” Liam said. “I like how it encourages me to be more confident in myself.” His mom, Jennifer Harris, can see a difference, too. “I think it’s made him more confident in his writing, but also public speaking,” she said. She chocks it all up to Cohagan and her incredible rapport with the kids. “She does a great job of inspiring the kids to write.” But the aspect of the workshops and camps that may make the kids and their parents stand tallest? Seeing their words in print. At the end of each camp, Cohagan compiles one or two of each students’ favorite pieces into a paperback, which she publishes under Girls With Pens Press, and each family gets a copy to display proudly on the bookshelf or coffee table. “It’s all really confidence building,” Cohagan said. While she may have started with creative writing camps, she now offers so much more: comedy writing and poetry camps, graphic novel and novel writing camps, and she even brought in other local writers for the first time last summer to teach the students more than she ever could on her own. “It’s been very exciting,” Cohagan said. She intends for the organization to continue to grow as more kids find their voice and as she compels young creatives to not only dream of a whole new world but to write one.
JANUARY 2020 | 15
MUENSTER,TX: THE NORTH TEXAS HILL COUNTRY WRITTEN BY: JAMIE LEIGH MILLER
Where to Stay
SCHILLINGHAUS Located in the center of town, Schillinghaus is the perfect place to stay. Whether for a night or six months, owners Elaine and Dale Schilling welcome guests with open arms. The bed and breakfast offers three rooms, with two units located upstairs in the main building and the third detached, casita-style room. The inside units have full kitchens, walk-in closets, a fireplace, a balcony, a living room, and a full-size bathroom. The detached unit offers a walk-in shower, larger television, and kitchen basics. Contemporary finishings and upscale materials like granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and wood floors make each unit feel homey.
PHOTO COURTESY OF: SCHILLINGHAUS
Guests are provided with all the comforts of their own homes, from dishes to snacks. “Here it’s more like being in your home,” Elaine said. “Literally the whole thing is stocked.” The Schillings happily provide whatever guests may ask for. Elaine prides herself on the home-like atmosphere they provide. They encourage guests to relax and make the Schillinghaus a home away from home. “A lot of them will cook,” she said. “They will run to Fischer’s, and we will go in to clean, and they will have cooked! And that’s nice. That’s always a compliment because we know they felt like they were at home.”
What to Do
FISCHER'S MEAT MARKET & GROCERY This must-see meat market is not just for locals. Talk to a Muenster native and they will likely suggest a stop at this authentic German market. Just be sure to bring a cooler. Established in 1927, Fischer’s is a third-generation family-run business that pulls customers from across the state. The market sells a range of meats, from beef and pork to goat and bison. They have an extensive selection of sausages, including their highly sought after smoked German sausage. Meat is not the only reason Fischer’s is a must-see. The market sells imported beers, handmade cheeses, and an array of jams, jellies, pickles, and seasonings. Try something new and exciting like a balsamic blue cheese with walnuts salad dressing, a horseradish barbeque sauce, or watermelon rind pickles. The store also offers an array of mustards, and what sausage is truly complete without the perfect mustard?
FIS CH E R’S IS A TH IRDG E NE R ATIO N FA M ILY-RU N B U S INE S S
PHOTOS COURTESY OF: FISCHER'S MEAT MARKET & GROCERY
16 | JANUARY 2020
Where to Eat
ROHMER’S RESTAURANT & CATERING
LO CA LS W IL L TE LL YO U EV ER Y TH IN G ON TH E ME NU IS W OR TH A TA ST E
The best advice for eating in a small town is to follow the locals, which would lead you to Rohmer’s Restaurant in Muenster. Over 60 years ago, in 1953, Emil Rohmer opened his doors for business. The restaurant is still family-run by grandson Jason Sicking and his parents Troy and Dina, serving up traditional German cuisine alongside classic American and Mexican dishes. Tourists come for the German dishes, many of which come from old family recipes, but locals will tell you everything on the menu is worth a taste. Sicking said the best-sellers are the wiener schnitzel, chicken fried steak, and the Reuben, along with German potato salad. Many of the sausages are locally made and sold at Fischer’s. Guests should not forget the salad bar. Rohmer’s makes their own ranch dressing, and it is rumored to be some of the best. The restaurant is open early for breakfast, and guests of Schillinghaus have a $7 voucher for breakfast at a few local spots, including Rohmer’s.
PHOTO COURTESY OF: ROHMER'S RESTAURANT & CATERING
What to Do
4R WINERY
PHOTO COURTESY OF: 4R WINERY
Up a hill, nestled in the Red River Valley, wine drinkers will find 4R Winery, an 11,000-acre ranch with rolling hills and a breathtaking countryside. The winery offers tastings, tours, a wine club, and a small boutique. The Wind Shed Tasting Room and Deck sit on a hill overlooking the valley. An outdoor patio provides unobstructed views and a relaxing environment to taste wines and enjoy the scenery. Every Saturday, guests can enjoy live music. The venue hosts many events, including Valentine’s Day dinner and a spectacular Independence Day firework show. Owners Nicole and Walt Roper said many guests comment on how the architecture and location are reminiscent of Sonoma, and that is how they are unique. “They can’t believe how special it is and how close it is to Dallas-Fort Worth," Roper said. JANUARY 2020 | 17
TEXASLIVING
PROTIPS Homemade Valentine’s Arrangements from Grocery Store Selection PROTIP ONE
When choosing roses, gently squeeze the head and check the bottom of the stem. A firm bud and crisp looking stem indicate fresh flowers. Wilted, soft petals and a browned or moldy stem indicate old flowers. Look out for unique flowers and greenery such as peonies, ranunculus, dahlias, eucalyptus, lemon leaf, and Italian ruscus. Do not be afraid to ask the store’s florist for help when searching. When you bring home your fresh flowers, be sure to trim the bottom of the stem at an angle. Trim unnecessary leaves, keeping all trimmed ends in water mixed with store-provided flower food. Display your arrangement away from sunlight and warmth for longevity. Bobbi Padgett | OWNER, UNFORGETTABLE FLORAL PHOTO COURTESY OF: BOBBIE PADGETT
Dream On PROTIP TWO
If you feel like your kitchen skills need a boost, dream on! Setting aside five to ten minutes per day to envision your meal plan will help your culinary creativity blossom. Magazines, cooking shows, and social media are great ways to gather kitchen inspiration. However, quietly meditating on better food choices, wine pairings, and even table décor can help you develop your own food style. You do not even have to turn on the stove! Simply set aside a few minutes during your morning commute or gym session to dream of your perfect meal, and ¡voila! Your ability to assemble a meal will improve day by day! Melissa Guerra | FOOD WRITER, @KITCHENWRANGLER PHOTO COURTESY OF: MELISSA GUERRA
18 | JANUARY 2020
SanAntonio SLEEPLESS IN
WRITTEN BY: BECCA NELSON SANKEY
As the seventh-largest city in the United States and the seventh most-popular American travel destination (ranking just behind Chicago and New York City, respectively), San Antonio is a veritable goldmine when it comes to things to do. One of Texas’s oldest cities, it is a hub for museums, historical sites, and cultural events, and is perhaps best known for its Riverwalk, Alamo, SeaWorld, and Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Fortunately for the 30 million-plus tourists who flock to San Antonio each year, a day taking in the sights and sounds does not have to end when the sun goes down; the Alamo City is a mecca for live music, charming dive bars, family-friendly eateries, and indoor entertainment centers open late.
The Pearl District
PHOTO S ON THIS PAGE COURT ESY OF: CHRISS Y WHITE
Anchored by the historic 1883 Pearl Brewhouse, The Pearl District is 22 acres jampacked with retailers, bars, and chef-owned and operated restaurants. Walk through the stunning and historic Hotel Emma (and see for yourself what all the fuss is about at its restaurant, Supper), or search for a unique souvenir at one of a dozen boutiques that offer everything from jewelry to bikes to books; most are open past 5 o’clock. The district also offers First Thursday Night Market, featuring local vendors and artisans, live music, and dining and shopping discounts. Food and drink are, undoubtedly, the Pearl’s heartbeat. Check out the Culinary Institute of America’s newest spot, Savor; have dessert at ethically sourced Lick Honest Ice Creams; and treat yourself to a glass of wine at High Street Wine Co. With nearly two dozen restaurants, bakeries, cafés, and bars, there is something to satiate every culinary desire. For a list of retailers, restaurants, spas, bars, and their hours, visit the Pearl’s website. San Antonio has countless spots open after dark that thrill-seekers of every age can enjoy. Explore this beautiful city’s essence with unforgettable experiences that last well into the night.
In front of the Pearl Brewhouse, extending through Avenue A along Pearl Parkway
JANUARY 2020 | 19
North St. Mary’s (between Mistletoe Avenue and Grayson Street )
St. Mary’s Strip
PHOTO COURTESY OF: WAYNE HOLTZ
Ghost Tours
This rapidly growing entertainment district on St. Mary’s Street, west of Highway 281 and north of I-35, is anchored in food, nightlife , and retail. Shop guitars and collecti bles at Robot Monster on East Woodlawn Avenue, or authentic vint age apparel at Montage on West Grayson Street. Fuel your spending spree at one of nearly a dozen St. Mary’s Strip eateries, including vegan and veg etarian favorite La Botanica, which boasts edible outdoor gardens, a dog -friendly patio, creative cocktails, and Tex-Mex food “without a face .” For those who prefer more traditional fare, look no further than Tycoon Flats or Burger Boy Diner. Craving authentic Greek or Mexican cuisine? Demo’s Greek Food and El Milagrito Café, respecti vely, have you covered. Nightlife scenes are abundant on St. Mary’s Strip, with more than a dozen offerings, the majority of which are open until 2 a.m. Check out hip haunt Hi Tones; the bar has an eclectic live music scene varying from rockabilly to Latin fusion for a vibe that is quintessential San Antonio.
San Antonio is teeming with activity and, some say, not just among the living. Given the city’s 300-year-old-plus history, it is not surprising that many of its tourist attractions center around ghost tours. Nightly Spirits San Antonio, which specializes in tours of the city’s historic watering holes, takes patrons on a one-mile 2.5-hour walk through approximately four bars and pubs, starting at Bar 414 at 205 East Houston Street. “The San Antonio ghost tour stories revolve around gruesome murders, accidental deaths, and spirits that just won’t leave,” according to Nightly Spirits’s website. “We tell all of these stories while visiting some of the most historic and haunted places San Antonio has to offer, which serve beverages of course!” Tours are at 8:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays with private and large group tour availability seven days a week. Guests must be at least 21 years of age; those younger must contact Nightly Spirits’s office prior to the tour for potential accommodations. For more information, visit their website. Every Friday at 6 p.m., paranormal investigator Wolf Holt leads guests on a thorough tour of the historic, world-renowned Victoria’s Black Swan Inn, 1006 Holbrook Road. Before the inn was built in 1867 on the site of the 1842 historic Battle of Salado, it was believed to be the home of ancient Native American encampments. Rumor has it that it was also once the site of a Native American sweat lodge and burial ground. In 1842, General Adrian Woll and Sam Houston’s men killed more than 60 Mexican soldiers there during the Battle of Salado. The Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures television show filmed at the inn in 2013. Bad Wolf Ghost Tour’s tours of the inn are $20 per person and can be purchased online. 20 | JANUARY 2020
PHOTO COURTESY OF: NIGHTLY SPIRITS
The Majestic Theatre 224 E. Houston Street
A downtown entertainment staple for 90 years, the Majestic is San Antonio’s largest and oldest atmospheric theatre. Built in 1929, the theatre was the first in Texas to be air-conditioned; the city’s elite society women wore fur coats to its summer opening. The theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and named a Texas Historic Landmark and National Historic Landmark in the 1990s. Shows scheduled for 2020 include the Disney Broadway musical Aladdin, the twentieth-anniversary tour of Rent, and the San Antonio Symphony’s Back to the Future concert. For patrons who are more interested in the Majestic’s history and unique Spanish revival architecture, the theatre offers a happy hour tour that includes a visit backstage and to the theatre’s bar for a taste of its signature Crown Jewel cocktail. For performance dates, box office hours, and ticket information, visit the Majestic’s website. 943 South Alamo Street
PHOTO COURTE SY OF: CHRISSY WHITE
The Friendly Spot Ice House
nting exploring San Antonio’s hau Should you work up a thirst ues, ven sic mu live darkness, the city’s history under the cover of t Spo ly end Fri e pubs are aplenty. Th beer gardens, ice houses, and y ndl frie ilywith ample space for fam is a laid-back, funky venue oose a , drinking, and gathering. Ch indoor and outdoor dining sh on 300 bottles and cans, or no brew from among 76 taps and nachos. s and fries, wings, tacos, and all-American fare like burger ry night. ndly eats until midnight eve The Friendly Spot boasts frie its website. For more information, visit
PHOTO COURTESY OF: CHRISSY WHITE
JANUARY 2020 | 21
LEGACIES OF TEXAS
MORE THAN THE H-E-B MATRIARCH:
MARY
ELIZABETH HOLDSWORTH
BUTT WRITTEN BY: BECCA NELSON SANKEY
PHOTOS COURTESY OF: H.E. BUTT FOUNDATION
Some people spend a lifetime simply trying to discover their passion. Mary Elizabeth Holdsworth Butt spent a lifetime juggling a plethora of them. Her surname alone is synonymous with charitable giving: She was the matriarch of the Butt empire, which includes H-E-B Grocery, a supermarket chain with more than 350 stores in Texas and Mexico, and the H.E. Butt Foundation, a multi-faceted nonprofit founded for charity, philanthropy, and education purposes, perhaps best known for its Texas Hill Country camps and retreats. But long before the grocery chain had mushroomed with locations across the state and spawned a Community Involvement Program, Butt was an impassioned mover and shaker widely lauded for her humanitarian efforts, particularly in the areas of health and education for Texas’s children, families, minorities, and intellectually challenged. 22 | JANUARY 2020
“The Holdsworths were an odd blend of English and Texan,” said Elizabeth Crook, Mary’s granddaughter, in her article “Aunt Sister,” (published in Texas Monthly in 2004). “They planted English gardens and grew hollyhocks in the dry soil of South Texas and the rocky terrain of the Hill Country, watering them with a teapot; they had tea at four o'clock in the afternoon.” In 1924, Mary married Howard Edward Butt, the owner of a Kerrville grocery store. Crook wrote that her grandfather wrote to Mary before their wedding: "May God grant that our united life may be felt as a great and lasting good in our community. Any other foundation would not support the edifice we dream of building."
Mary Elizabeth Holdsworth was born February 4, 1903, near Loma Vista, Texas, one of Rosa Ross and Thomas Holdsworth’s six surviving children. The Holdsworths were a devout Baptist family with a background in education: Thomas emigrated from England with his widowed father, also named Thomas, who was a schoolmaster. The younger Thomas’s wife, Rosa, was a teacher as well. The Holdsworths’ eldest living child, Rosita, was an educator and principal. And Mary, who graduated from Kerrville’s Tivy High School and attended the University of Texas at Austin, followed the same path, teaching school in Center Point, Texas, near Kerrville, in the 1920s.
Five years after their union, the couple moved to Brownsville, in the Rio Grande Valley, and later relocated again to nearby Harlingen. As Butt’s store burgeoned, so too did his wife’s charitable endeavors. He once said, “I make the money, and Mary spends it [on worthy causes]. And I am glad she does.”
A TIRELESS CHAMPION FOR THE UNDERPRIVILEGED While Butt was building his grocery empire in Harlingen, Mary (known as Mother Two) was a twenty-something mom who busied herself with her own work, making the Butt family dining room the area office for the State Crippled Children’s Program. She also served as chair of the Cameron County Child Welfare Board and expanded local library services. She founded a tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment program, perhaps one of her most ambitious endeavors, and purchased the first equipment to test school children's hearing and vision. She was a fixture at state legislative committees, where she testified about the budget constraints of the agencies for which she served. In 1933, the Butts established their eponymous foundation, one of the state’s oldest philanthropic entities, with a focus on libraries, recreational facilities, and education; Mary served as president. In 1940, the Butts moved to Corpus Christi, where they formed charitable organizations including the YWCA, the Hearth, Nueces County Home for the Aged, the Nueces County Tuberculosis Hospital, and the district American Cancer Society. JANUARY 2020 | 23
A LIFE’S WORK RECOGNIZED
Mary also founded the Mary Bethune Day Nursery for African American children during a time when childcare for blacks was scarce and helped institute a juvenile center that was unattached to the local jails. In 1949, Mary, along with Dr. Robert Sutherland and Margaret Scarbrough, debuted the Conference of Texas Foundations and Trusts, now the Conference of Southwest Foundations, which promoted networking and facilitated better organization of charitable entities. The first conference of its kind in the nation, it was eventually replicated in a number of other states. In the 1950s, Mary helped establish Hilltop, a tuberculosis hospital, and served its board for five years. Together, the Butts conceived the H.E. Butt Foundation Camp. On February 4, 1954, Mary wrote in her diary, “Today we may have seen the place we really want for our Foundation Camp. It is the Wolfe [Ranch] in Real County on the Leakey Highway . . . It is on the Frio River, and is a beautiful place.” The Butts purchased the 1,900-acre ranch with the sole purpose of creating a children’s haven for outdoor education, with camp facilities available for retreat groups who could not afford them. The Butts’s vision continues today, with the H.E. Butt Foundation Outdoor School and H.E. Butt Foundational Camp programs, which host approximately 20,000 campers each year at no charge. The camp is also the home of Laity Lodge, a Christian-based learning center their son, the late Howard E. Butt, Jr., founded in 1961. “Laity,” the Greek word for “of the people” was designed as a peaceful ecumenical retreat for couples, families, men, women, and youth. “Nestled in the canyon’s gentle turn amid heavy oaks and cedar, sits Laity Lodge,” Howard Butt, Jr., said on the H.E. Butt Foundation’s website. “Through an unmarred vista you glimpse its lovely buildings of native stone, rustic wood, and generous glass. The river’s sounds, the birds singing, and a sense of peace begin to envelop you.” 24 | JANUARY 2020
In 1953, Mary received an honorary doctor of law degree from Baylor University and, two years later, an honorary doctorate from Paul Quinn College in Waco. That same year, Texas Governor Allan Shivers appointed her to the governing board of Texas State Hospitals, now known as the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation (MHMR), and in 1981, Governor William P. Clements named her a member emeritus. As the board’s only female member, Mary spent the next two decades visiting every mental health facility in Texas to champion more humane treatment of the mentally ill, calling for simple but meaningful reform: swapping the steel bowls and wooden spoons with which institutions served patients’ food for dishes and silverware afforded every other human being. She journaled every day for 60 years, Crook said, “and wrote stories based on tragedies that she had witnessed in her social work: a girl who longed to drown herself because of painful boils in her ears, a stillborn baby preserved in a jar of formaldehyde so it would not become a duende, a troublesome spirit.” But Mary was not unsung in her heroism. In 1954, she received the Mrs. South Texas Award for her initiatives in public health, education, and social service. For the Butts’ work with libraries, the couple was awarded the Texas Library Association Philanthropic Award of the Year in 1968, and in 1975, in recognition of their humanitarian work locally and statewide, they were honored with the Brotherhood Award from the Corpus Christi Chapter of the National Conference of Christians and Jews. In 1981, the Parent’s Association for the Retarded in Texas awarded Mary the first Yellow Rose Award, and the Texas Senate and House simultaneously adopted resolutions in her honor. Five years later, Mary became the first recipient of the Texas Alliance for the Mentally Ill’s lifetime award for her “leadership in improving human services for the people of Texas." She also received the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges’ Awards Committee’s most prestigious honor for “meritorious service to the children of America.” In 1967, the Butts helped found the Butt-Holdsworth Memorial Library in Kerrville, whose mission to “provide the means by which people of all ages, interests, and circumstances may avail themselves of the recorded wisdom, experiences, and ideas of others,” according to the library’s website, a tangible testament to the Butts’s personal values. The library remains open to this day.
LASTING LEGACY Mary died at her Corpus Christi home on October 6, 1993, at the age of 90, two years after her husband passed. In 1995, the Texas State Senate approved a resolution honoring her life and expressing “appreciation for her many gifts to the citizens of our state.” Howard and Mary instilled their values and dreams in their three children, Howard E. Butt, Jr., Margaret Eleanor Butt Crook, and Charles Clarence Butt. (Mary also gave birth to another daughter, Mary Beth, in 1943, but the infant lived just ten days; Mary was buried beside her at Kerrville’s Glen Rest Cemetery). Charles Butt, who inherited H-E-B in 1971 and serves as the company’s chairman and CEO, founded the Holdsworth Center, named in honor of his mother, in 2017. Like his parents, Charles has donated much of his fortune to educational causes and helped found the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards, the H-E-B Read 3 literacy initiative for young children, and Raise Your Hand Texas, which aids the state’s public schools. The Holdsworth Center, according to its website, “builds on those efforts by strengthening the leaders who serve educators and students.” “We live in a time when support and funding for the nation’s public schools is declining and faith in the system is eroding,” Charles said on the website. “My investment in The Holdsworth Center is a vote of confidence in our public schools. I believe that the future economic outlook for our state and our country depends on our ability to provide a high-quality education to each and every child. “. . . Mary Holdsworth Butt possessed a deep and living faith in God that translated into discovering and meeting the needs of people,” he continued. “As a gentle woman with a compassionate love for humanity, she placed selfless regard for the well-being of others before her own. Her accomplishments characterize the truth that one solitary life can make a difference…” The Holdsworth Center’s board in 2018 broke ground on a $150 million, 44-acre campus in Austin, designed to be a training center for Texas’s school superintendents and principals. The institute is expected to be completed in the summer of 2020.
The Butts’s other children also continued their parents’ legacy of charity. In addition to founding Laity Lodge, Howard E. Butt, Jr., was president of the H.E. Butt Foundation. (He died in 2016 at the age of 89). Margaret Crook was director of Bread for the World, a Christian movement that strives to end hunger worldwide, and her late husband, William H. Crook, was director of the Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) and, later, was the United States Ambassador to Australia. In 2016, the Crooks were awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award for Lifetime Achievement, the nation’s highest achievement for volunteerism. “I have measured myself against . . . the Holdsworths ever since I was old enough to listen to stories about them,” Crook wrote. “They were a branch of the family tree that seemed to cast, instead of shadows, a permanent imprint on the face of the earth.” Her grandmother, Mary Elizabeth, left particularly large shoes to fill – and not just because of her enviable legacy of charitable endeavors. “She could recite more poetry than most of us have ever read,” Crook wrote. “She wore kidskin gloves and large picture hats and wielded her influence in a charming, soft-spoken way. She had a girlish laugh and was never agitated or hurried. “Like her husband, she was shy but inherently powerful. She read voraciously and gave so many books to her grandchildren (always with her own judgment about each one scribbled on the flyleaf) that she would sometimes lose track and give one grandchild several copies of the same book, sometimes on the same Christmas.” Crook has always wanted to be more like her grandmother, she said. “Her goodness and accomplishments continue to impress and intimidate me.” Like all things the Holdsworth-Butt family has had a hand in, it is a legacy likely to endure for generations to come.
IS THERE A TEXAN YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT? Texasliving wants to hear from you!
Please visit www.txliving.com/submit-a-legacy to tell us your idea.
JANUARY 2020 | 25
DESIGN
TRENDS of 2020 WRITTEN BY: TANIA TAYLOR GRIFFIS
Out with the old, in with the new! The New Year is a fantastic time to refocus your goals and realign your vision for the coming year. One easy way to get yourself ready for tackling your resolutions is to prepare your environment and pave the way for fresh beginnings. If you have been staring at the same living room setup for years, now is the time to shake up your style. The world of interior design can be difficult to navigate. It is challenging and even scary to invest money and time into items you are not entirely sure you will love. Thankfully, this year’s trends not only have staying power but also are easy to incorporate. You can keep it subtle or go all-in with these design options. Here are the top interior design trends in 2020 and how you can add them to virtually any space in your home.
TE X TURE Texture is certainly on-trend in 2020 and can be layered into every space imaginable. Walls especially are getting a dose of the texture trend; what was once a flat space is now covered in three-dimensional wall coverings that can be painted in any shade conceivable. Additionally, Venetian plastered walls and textured wallpaper such as linen and grass weave are a modern way to layer in texture into any room. This trend is certainly not limited to walls, however. Everything from lighting fixtures to thick fabric upholstered couches are infused with textures ranging from stark to subtle. Homeowners can dip a toe into this trend by layering low commitment items such as velvet or woven pillows onto their sofa, along with a knitted throw.
N ATUR AL EL EM ENTS “We started incorporating these elements into our design…having chaos in our daily lives, people want to come home to an environment that is calming and warm,” said Lori Caldwell, owner of Caldwell Designs. She called this simply a place where people can “refuel their soul.” Create that peaceful feel by bringing a bit of Mother Nature indoors this season. A collection of houseplants is an easy starting point. Those who are still developing their green thumb will appreciate cacti and succulents, which are easy when it comes to care. Plus, they add a touch of Texan style to any space! Homeowners can also incorporate other natural elements in unexpected ways such as a rattan coffee table or cane chair. Mirrors or picture frames surrounded by natural elements such as driftwood or wood slices are another excellent way to utilize this trend. 26 | JANUARY 2020
PHOTO COURTESY OF: MATTHEW NIEMANN
BRIGHT COLO RS
MI XED ME TA LS
We have had our fill of neutrals, and this year is all about color. “The one trend I am ready to say goodbye to is the color gray,” Caldwell said. “2020 is all about color everywhere that brings joy and happiness in our lives.”
Mixed metals were hot in 2019, and the trend is continuing into 2020. The classic design rule of never mixing metals has essentially been tossed out the window. The new rule? Mix up all the metals and do so liberally.
If you are looking for a color to use as your first venture into bright color, consider trying green. A leafy green can infuse any space with a calming tone, while also incorporating a semblance of nature into the room.
If you already have matching metal finishes throughout your home, you do not need to rip them all out to be on-trend. Mixed metals can easily be layered in through the selective use of accessories like lamps, mirrors, accent pieces, and lighting pendants.
Other shades that are popping onto the scene include violet, buttery yellow, and burnt orange tones that will make any University of Texas graduate feel right at home. Whether you paint a wall or opt to add an appropriately hued throw blanket to your room, these colors will add a soothing vibe.
A good rule of thumb is to keep the polish level of your metals the same. For example, if you have highly polished chrome, opt for a bright gold to mix in rather than oil-rubbed bronze. This combination will keep your look cohesive instead of jarring.
M ORE CURVES AN D F EW ER HAR D EDGES The design world is moving away from the angular look that was once popular in modern design. Instead, designers are gravitating toward softly curved pieces like armchairs with rounded backs and oval dining tables. Curved elements help draw the eye and add visual interest to any space. When used appropriately, these items do not take any more space than their straightedged counterparts, and also add an air of livability and relaxation to your home.
ENVI RO NMENTA LLY FRI ENDLY DESIGN Eco-friendly design is a trend that will only become increasingly popular as climate change continues to take center stage in American culture. Thankfully, today’s environmentally friendly options are just as gorgeous, if not more so, than their traditional counterparts. There was a time when “eco-friendly” equated with “costly.” However, as the demand for these products spread, homeowners can often find items that cost no more than traditional décor materials. Adding this trend into your home can be as largescale as choosing new bamboo or cork flooring to cover your home, or as small as upcycling an old piece of furniture with a new coat of paint. The end goal is the same: a beautiful, sustainable style that is both Earth and people-friendly.
MO DERN TECH NOLO GY Do not confuse sustainable design with a lack of modern comforts. Smart technology hubs can be seamlessly integrated into your design and serve as a great way to manage your home. Whether you opt for modern keyless locks or voice-activated light bulbs, smart home technology has been on the rise for years, and 2020 is no exception. With a few selective design choices, you can easily update your home to be on-trend in 2020. The most important thing is to create a space you and your family will thrive in and love for years to come.
JANUARY 2020 | 27
Bird prints are a repeating theme throughout the home, which adds to the coastal vibe. Wallace opted for layered fabric in warm grays, creams, and soft blue-green shades. The lotus fabric on the head chairs carries through to the living room with pillows made from the same fabric.
DESIGNER: LISA WALLACE | LISA WALLACE INTERIOR DESIGN
WRITTEN BY: TANIA TAYLOR GRIFFIS PHOTOS COURTESY OF: BUTCH IRELAND
This project was one that almost did not happen. The house was built in the ‘90s and had a distinctly Western ranch style. The homeowner was ready to sell and find something that aligned more with her style, but lead designer Lisa Wallace of Lisa Wallace Interior Design had a vision for the home. Luckily, the homeowner was able to catch a glimpse of Wallace’s vision and decided to hand her the design reins. Working in tandem with contractor Robert Favor from Alpha Construction, nearly the entire footprint of the home was reworked to create a space that met the homeowner’s needs. Like most projects, the design evolved throughout the process. “It started out transitional with a Scandinavian feel,” Wallace said. “As the design developed, it took on a Southern coastal vibe as well.” Whatever you call the style, the space is cozy and comfortable and strikes the perfect balance of being both livable and elegant. Wallace opted to add plenty of texture throughout the home for visual interest, and the result is nothing short of stunning. From custom lighting in almost every room to thoughtfully chosen fabrics made to withstand the day-to-day wear of real life, this home practically begs you to pull up a seat and stay awhile — do not mind if we do!
JANUARY 2020 | 29
“I have a philosophy that every room needs something old to give it some soul,” Wallace said. This old Dutch cabinet from the 1800s was just the thing to add some soul to the living room. All it needed was a coat of wax, and it was the perfect place to display the homeowner’s collection of ironstone in the dining room.
Functionality is crucial for all rooms in a home, but perhaps nowhere more so than the kitchen. In this custom space, the counters are made from a beautiful leathered quartzite, which offers both low maintenance and subtle texture.
30 | JANUARY 2020
These custom light fixtures are made from demijohn wine bottles that have the bottom half removed and are then covered in a thin strip of copper.
The floors throughout this space are white oak wood, with a clear sealer on them. Light-colored wood adds to the seashore feel of the space while the clear sealer ensures durability. This kitchen island was custom painted by a local artist who used a Swedish finish.
Your accessories can serve double duty as dÊcor, just like the homeowner’s hat collection. Above, baskets hide the less decorative items such as dog leashes, collars, hats, and gloves.
32 | JANUARY 2020
The custom bed features a headboard fabric that is embroidered for added texture. The side fabric that wraps the mattress is a performance fabric, so if it gets scuffed, it is easy to wipe away.
“I like a fairly large bedside table if I can get away with it,” Wallace said. “That way, there’s good, optimal storage within the drawers.” These large, transitional style bedside tables are modern and simple, but the bowfront makes them a little more feminine and attractive.
Located across from the washer and dryer is a custom soapstone sink where the homeowner bathes her dogs.
This laundry room serves multiple purposes, including as an office area for the homeowner. Wallace selected the shape of the tile on the laundry room floor to echo the hexagon tile in the kitchen next door. The light blue pendant adds an unexpected pop of color and again reiterates the beachy-coastal vibe. “This is one of my favorite homes I’ve ever gotten to do,” Wallace said. “The client has become a great friend, and everything just clicked. It was one of those projects, and it ran so smoothly. We were so happy with how things turned out.”
34 | JANUARY 2020
Oops!
SHOULD THAT GET CLEANED? PART 1
THE MICROWAVE Clean Weekly
WRITTEN BY: MEDDIE STEWART
Most folks associate deep cleaning with the spring season. The new year has come and gone, and that seems like the perfect time to tackle all the projects that have been postponed for a while. Magazine articles, blogs, and talk shows share tips to tackle the big to-do items. Organize this! Deep clean that! Purge, discard, and then fold and stack a certain way to maximize efficiency! The concept of “spring cleaning” is often daunting and dreaded; when a project seems too large to manage, it often feels less stressful to put it off until a later date. However, some of the chores only feel like a big deal; if done routinely, a few minutes here and there can keep things fresh all year long, eliminating the need for a massive springtime undertaking. Remembering to take care of appliances and parts of the home that often do not receive day-to-day attention can make a big difference, resulting in better smelling laundry, fresher foods, fewer symptoms of environmental allergies, and a better overall mood. Very few household sanitization projects should be done annually, so get into the habit of regular maintenance year-round using common household ingredients and simple methods. Say “no” to spring cleaning, and “yes” to regular maintenance! In this first installment of Oops! Should that get Cleaned?, discover how often to clean major appliances and fixtures. Check back in throughout the year for information on other machines and areas in your home that may need deep sanitation.
These days, it is likely the microwave ranks up there with some of your most-used appliances. And of course, everyone is familiar with the splatters that butter and pasta sauce create inside. Never fear, the days of using serious elbow grease and rubber gloves to try to get all the grime and gunk out are over. Once a week, place a microwave-safe bowl in the center of the tray, half-filled with water. Add a tablespoon of white vinegar, then microwave the mixture on high for five minutes. When it is done, open the door, remove the bowl, and use a wet sponge to wipe all the stuck-on messes from the interior. Voila! As for the outside, unplug the appliance, inspect the cord, and then wipe down the exterior using a dishcloth or damp sponge with a tiny bit of dish soap.
Fun Fact!
Next time you want to eat spinach for its healthful folate, consider cooking it in the microwave. There, it retains pretty much all of its folate content, while cooking on the stove results in these leafy greens losing over 75 percent of this vital nutrient.
JANUARY 2020 | 35
Fun Fact!
An architectural detail that has been around for centuries, the actual term “baseboard” was first used in 1598, according to Merriam-Webster. It did not come into popular use until much more recently in the mid-1800s. Other names for baseboard include mopboard, skirting board, and base molding.
THE BASEBOARDS AND VENTS Clean Monthly
Some homeowners wipe down the baseboards anytime they clean the floors. Some consider it a yearly task or only remember to do it when grime and dirt are visible. However, it is a good idea to remove dust and dirt from baseboards (and vents) about once a month. Cleaning them is not quite the chore you may imagine. First, remove surface dust and dirt with a rag or broom. Vacuum up the debris. If the room is carpeted, remember to use a vacuum hose extension tool to really get into the crevice where the carpet meets the wall. Next, give the boards and vents a quick wipe down using a damp rag, sponge, or soft-bristled toothbrush, and a small bucket of warm water with a drop or two of dish soap. A quick baseboard and vent cleaning can make a shockingly huge difference in how pristine your space appears!
36 | JANUARY 2020
Fun Fact!
While rudimentary dish cleaning machine patents were registered in 1850 and 1865, the most popular of the early dishwashers was invented in Illinois by Josephine Cochrane in 1887. A well-to-do socialite, she was tired of her household staff constantly chipping her fine china. It debuted at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago along with the Ferris wheel, the brownie, Juicy Fruit gum, Quaker Oats, and the moving walkway.
THE DISHWASHER Clean Monthly
So how do you clean an appliance used to clean other things? While it may seem counterintuitive to have to clean a dishwasher, this major appliance needs some love too! Plus, the quick check and sterilization mean cleaner dishes and fewer mishaps and breakdowns due to minor issues that could have been caught with a routine inspection. The Bob Vila method for cleaning the dishwasher is simple. Remove the bottom rack and inspect the interior for stuck food, small utensils, straws, or anything that does not belong. Once any obstructions are gone, replace the rack. Fill a dishwasher-safe glass with one cup of white vinegar, then place it in the top rack. After closing the door, run a full cycle on hot. Once that is done, sprinkle the interior with a cup of baking soda. Run a short rinse-cycle on hot. Done! Vila suggests doing this monthly, but every other month is better than nothing. He believes that keeping the interior clean, free of mildew, odors, and debris may add years of life to your dishwasher.
Fun Fact!
Microplastics in common synthetic sponges are not biodegradable and stay in the ocean indefinitely, washing down the drain with every use. If you insist on using a sponge after reading this, consider purchasing biodegradable options or growing your own luffa plant!
THE SPONGE Never Clean
Throw out the sponge, retire the dishcloth, and just use a dish brush. While methods to sterilize your kitchen sponge abound (microwaving, bleaching, boiling, etcetera), the results of a 2017 study in Scientific Reports are likely to turn you into a brush-believer. Scientists analyzed fourteen different used sponges from different households who used (or did not) various methods of cleaning. The results are the stuff of nightmares. Out of the ten bacteria found most often across the group of sponges, half could make people sick. Smelly sponges may contain Moraxella osloensis; while these bacteria rarely cause illness in humans (although it can), the stench is likely to grow even with cleaning, as heat from boiling or microwaving only seemed to create a better breeding ground! These sponges were on par or worse with commonly collected toilet samples, so it is probably best to ditch the dishrag, sack the sponge, and choose a brush that dries easily and gives bacteria less of a chance to multiply!
THE DRYER Clean Monthly
Today’s dryers are often equipped with a moisture sensor, so that they can regulate dry times and ensure the load is complete. Gone are the days of setting the timer over and over again for a particularly bulky load of wet laundry. The downside to the moisture sensor is that products like fabric softeners and dryer sheets lend themselves to creating a baked-on film during the drying cycle. As the film builds up, the moisture sensor loses its ability to gauge dryness. If you have ever experienced a load of clothes you thought got dry, but really were sitting in the machine slightly wet for longer than you would like to confess, you know that keeping that moisture sensor free of film is really for the best. Cleaning it out is easy. The sensor can be found inside the dryer drum. Simply locate it and use a rag (or toothbrush) and rubbing alcohol to remove any film or grime that has accumulated. The best thing you can do for your dryer is to clean out the lint trap after every single use, which will maximize the machine’s efficiency. Monthly, use an attachment on your vacuum or a handheld vacuuming appliance to really get the nooks and crannies free of lint, sand, and any debris left in your pockets!
Fun Fact!
The first electric dryer was publicly released in 1938, and the glass door on the front made its debut just two years later. In America, dryers are the largest consumers of energy in a residential setting behind refrigerators and freezers. Failure to clean (mainly due to the lint produced) is the leading cause of clothes dryer-related fires, according to the Fire Administration.
JANUARY 2020 | 37
OFFICE DESKS STATEMENT T H AT M AK E A
WRITTEN BY: MEGAN ANN OSWALD
Gone are the days of the universal, one-size-fits-all office desks. Varied in style and design, your desk can express just as much personality as your business. Sleek, modern, industrial, retro – no matter what your style is, you can have a custom desk that makes a big statement in your office space and says everything guests need to know about you and your business. These design styles and tips will also give your desk personality and help promote a productive environment.
THE BEST POSITION IN THE ROOM IS TO HAVE YOUR DESK AT THE CENTER WITH EASY ACCESS TO WALK ALL THE WAY AROUND.
38 | JANUARY 2020
Listing out all the responsibilities and projects you do for business will help determine the best design outline for your desk and office space. If you meet with clients or coworkers on a regular basis, utilizing a desk that is large and open at the front and back will enable everyone to pull their chairs up close and see what is in progress. A desk designed with open support space also allows the sightline of the room to flow past the desk to the far end of the room. If your work requires just as much creative space as computer space, an L-shaped or double-sided desk would be the best layout for you to get the most work done. Many people who work as a team find it better to utilize the same desk space, creating an area where they can easily share ideas and visual information without leaving the project on which they are working. One of the best ways to achieve a shared setup is with a custom doublewide desk at the center of the room, forming a miniature version of a traditional conference table. Custom built-in storage or cabinetry will make a shared desk more efficient and will have less tendency to become cluttered. The placement of your desk will also create a powerful visual statement and plays a key role in how well you are able to function in the office. The best position in the room is to have your desk at the center with easy access to walk all the way around. Not only does this help your productivity and desk availability to clients and coworkers, but it also showcases your design style. If the best layout in your space is to place your desk against a wall, position it underneath a window to take advantage of the natural light. However, if there is not a window available, center your desk under a large mirror to create the illusion of more room and add texture to the area above the desk. One trend continuing to make a statement is the simple and clean lines found in the modern industrial design style. The exciting thing about industrial style is the ability to mix and match materials and textures in a fun and unique way. Instead of defaulting to the traditional glass topper for your work surface, choose a brushed stainless-steel top. This metal surface will provide the same smoothness as glass while creating a beautifully reflective office centerpiece. Another way to add a layer of texture and visual interest is to use a poured concrete tabletop. This concrete provides a durable material and also ages to a wonderful product that you cannot help but gather around. Modern industrial style can be as minimal or elaborate as you like. Oversized steel pipe can support something as large as a project table, or furniture as small and simple as a writing desk. The utilitarian materials used in modern industrial designs will continually inspire your best.
The idea of use and reuse can be found in the design concept of reclaimed furniture. Truly one-of-a-kind, you can transform an unused piece of furniture into a custom workspace not available in any of the big-box stores. It could be a discarded library desk or someone’s old canning table, and if you are able to talk with the seller, you might get the history of your new desk and how it got all the weathered scars that make it unique. If you do not feel like you are handy enough to redo a piece of furniture yourself, there are plenty of shops that can help you get the look you want; these places might also already have a selection of finished work from which to choose. Using a reclaimed desk will show the desk’s value and longevity, as well as the importance you place on quality handmade furniture. Mid-century modern is another popular trend. With its simple medium wood tones and geometric outlines, a mid-century desk provides the flexibility for pops of color while creating visual interest. Made of wood or metal, the desk legs are a work of art and a way to showcase the designer’s creativity. Many of the modern pieces of furniture are accented with brushed gold that acts as a neutral. A mid-century modern desk paired with a great chair will become a sculpture in the center of your office and will motivate you to get things done. Salvaged or live-edge wood are materials that can cross into nearly every design style. Some people build their entire office around one unique piece of wood and highlight its shape and textures for their desk and workspace. Finely planed and polished, a slab of salvaged wood with a live edge is the perfect material for a waterfall desk edge. Providing both texture and visual interest, the reclaimed wood brings natural elements into your office space. There are a variety of options from which to choose when putting together a statement piece office desk. Think outside the box on where to purchase a desk, or search for the perfect tabletop material and create a custom design. Put away the generic mass-produced options and find something that truly speaks to your individual personality and working style. JANUARY 2020 | 39
INSTALLING A NEW WATER HEATER GO WITH THE PRO
UPDATING YOUR HOME:
it Yourself DoOR HIRE A PROFESSIONAL
WRITTEN BY: LUCY ANN PARKER AND CLAIRE WILSON
Updating a home, whether it is one you have lived in for years or a new purchase, can be both exciting and daunting at the same time. Many major updates require the help of a professional.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE MANY PROJECTS THAT CAN BE DONE ON YOUR OWN. There are a few qualifying factors for you to consider when determining if you will do the project yourself or call in the professionals: 1. I s the project small enough that you can learn how to do it quickly? If the job requires weeks of research, then it is probably too complex to handle on your own. If you are comfortable tackling the project after watching several YouTube videos, then you are probably safe to do it yourself. 2. C an the project cause major damage to your home? If so, call a professional. 3. D oes the process involve something that could harm you? 4. I f something goes wrong, will it be more costly to fix your mistake? 5. A re you going to hurt your home’s value if the result is not perfect?
40 | JANUARY 2020
At some point, every homeowner is faced with an out-of-date and possibly out-of-service water heater. A crucial tool in every home, nobody wants to deal with a lack of hot water during the coldest months. Cold showers in January? No, thank you! Though it is possible to replace your water heater on your own, it is recommended that you find a trusted local plumber to install your new water heater. Here are several reasons to go with the pro: 1. SEASONED PROFESSIONALS HAVE YEARS OF TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE performing this exact task, as well as general industry knowledge that will help them perform it safely and efficiently. 2. USING A PROFESSIONAL USUALLY ENSURES THAT THERE WILL BE WARRANTIES on the service they perform. Even if the new water heater has a manufacturer's warranty, having a warranty with a local plumbing service can guarantee that a trusted company will fix future issues in a timely manner. 3. PROFESSIONALS ARE FAMILIAR WITH BUILDING AND FIRE CODES and can easily make sure the new water heater is installed according to them. 4. THEY WILL HAUL AWAY THE OLD WATER HEATER FOR YOU. Any similar projects that deal with gas should be done by a professional, such as installing a gas dryer or working on a gas furnace.
INCREASING EFFICIENCY IN THE WINTER MONTHS: DIY There are a multitude of projects that can be completed on your own to help increase your home’s efficiency in the winter months. The primary goal is to keep warm air in and cold air out. All of these projects can be completed with a little online research or the help of your favorite YouTube personality. 1. CAULK WINDOWS/WATERPROOF SEALANT – People often do not realize how much air slips through such small spaces. Ensuring that all seals are caulked and airtight can vastly improve the coziness of your home and the cost of your bill. 2. ADD INSULATION IN THE ATTIC/CRAWLSPACES – Because hot air rises, it makes sense that you lose a lot of warm air through the attic. There are several types of insulation that can help prevent this kind of energy loss and are fairly simple to install. 3. INSTALL A SMART THERMOSTAT – There is no need to call an electrician to install a new thermostat. If opting for a smart thermostat, the savings and increased efficiency will be noticed quickly. These thermostats know when to turn on and off based on the temperature in your home and your daily schedule. They are even equipped with reporting features to show your habits and how to increase your savings.
BUILDING COMMUNITY:
s a y s a E
WRITTEN BY: CORINNE CARAWAY | PHOTOS COURTESY OF: ANITA CARAWAY
TUCKED BEHIND THE PINE CURTAIN, the city of Lufkin is giving people new reasons to come and stay awhile. A cornerstone of community in East Texas for almost 140 years, Lufkin’s long history inspired a group of minds to come together under a vision of restoration. Over the past few years, Lufkin’s downtown has prospered under the introduction of a variety of locally owned businesses, like Standpipe Coffee House, several restaurants, niche boutiques, event venues, renovated loft apartments, and more. However, the most recent opening on the scene is turning the idea of community on its head. Whether it is your lunch break or a night out with friends and family, Angelina Brewing Company, affectionately called ABC, has quickly become the place to be. JANUARY 2020 | 41
GATHER ‘ROUND Under the guidance and direction of owner Mark Hicks and general manager David Fairchild, Angelina Brewing Company has become the new local hotspot that has cultivated a space that makes everyone feel welcome. The building itself has stood the test of time the past 100 years and is located right in the middle of historic downtown. Lufkin started out as a timber town, and to honor the past communities of the city, the walls and bar are made up of 75- to 100-year-old wood, and an authentic 250-pound lumber saw blade that used to be operated in Angelina County sits mounted on the wood-covered walls. Other décor from decades past hang proudly in the brewery, serving as reminders of the regional history on which this business is founded. Since its opening in summer 2019, ABC has redefined success for local businesses in Lufkin, affirming the desire for a place for the community to gather often and gather well. “We thought the concept of Angelina Brewing Company would be attractive to individuals and families of all age groups, but honestly, the initial response from the community has exceeded our expectations,” Hicks said. “This means our success as a business was better than we expected early on. The décor, atmosphere, good food and drink just seem to work for Lufkin.” As the world continues to advance in pace and technology, it has gained an even greater ability to push individuals into isolation, or prevent them from taking necessary time to slow down and be present. With this escalating reality in mind, Angelina Brewing Company opened with a specific vision for what their business could do for Angelina County. The ABC team saw that their idea could be much more than a new place to grab a bite; it had the potential to meet the evident need of preserving the “small town” community feeling that runs deep through the heart of East Texas. Hicks shared part of his vision for ABC and Lufkin as a whole. “ABC is the latest installment in a long-range vision of a revitalized historic downtown in the small town I love,” he said. “We have other ideas that we think Lufkin residents will appreciate, and that will continue the renewal of downtown. Our hope is to continue to increase population density with attractive residential options, while at the same time promoting the Downtown Lufkin arts culture, street life, and walkability. Hopefully, we will soon see even more daily destinations popping up, like other unique retail shops, a neighborhood grocery store, additional small restaurants, and more arts venues.” The heartbeat behind ABC and this long-term vision for Lufkin is creating spaces that invite people to come and connect, deepen relationships, and enjoy each other’s company. Lufkin was founded on tight-knit communities, and it is the sounds of laughter, conversation, and life spilling out from within the brewery walls that invites people to linger a little longer, and experience that kind of community being built once more — one pint at a time.
42 | JANUARY 2020
What'’s Cookin', Good Lookin'’? However, it is by the hands of head brewer Trey Allen and head chef Doug Atkinson that the menus properly reflect the vision and hope that manifested in the development of ABC. Thoughtfulness radiates from the long list of beers that are successfully “putting ‘craft’ back into brewing beer.” ABC has created unique drinks that reflect different aspects of life behind the Pine Curtain. From Lufkin Lights to Moonlight & Magnolias, to Crockett’s Revenge, no part of East Texas has been left out of the constantly developing array of craft beers on tap at ABC. Allen ensured that, whether you come in for a pint or two of your favorite brew, or you want to explore the menu with a four-flavor flight, you will not be disappointed with the quality and care poured into every glass. Sitting at equal importance to the brewery’s drink menu is the irresistible food they cook up in the kitchen. Wanting to complement the atmosphere and brand of ABC, Atkinson set out to show off his Southwestern roots in the menu. Accurately described as “Texas-chic pub grub,” the home-style menu of ABC is guaranteed to pair perfectly with your favorite pint. With everything from fresh pork rinds to redneck poutine to beer-battered fish and chips available, your stomach has no chance of leaving Angelina Brewing Company dissatisfied.
A local ‘secret’ worth sharing is that the water on tap might be one of the best things you have ever tasted. Distilled with the same care as every beer brewed, even the water supply at ABC is worth the trip and a taste.
NEXT UP ON THE MENU Angelina Brewing Company is setting the standard for quality in Lufkin, and with the momentum building and the city in full support, the minds behind ABC are working together to create more spaces for community to gather and flourish. “The downtown wine bar, Restoration, was an early and successful investment in downtown revitalization,” Hicks said. “However, time and experience taught us that we could make it even better. With the addition of an accomplished executive chef joining our growing hospitality division, and the initial success of ABC, we decided it was time for a wine bar makeover.” Although Atkinson is also heading up development of the new menu for Restoration, Hicks promised that “the menu differs entirely from that of ABC and approaches what you can expect on a street corner in Paris — except, of course, the food at Restoration is better!” The wine bar reopening as Restoration Bistro displays the promise of growth for local businesses as the community continues to invest in itself and local pride. Angelina Brewing Company has done more than offer a new place to grab a meal or a drink; it has successfully inspired the rebuilding of community that knows where it comes from, and is excited about where it is going.
JANUARY 2020 | 43
YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS TURN
Brewers' Waste into Gold WRITTEN BY: KIMBERLY A. SUTA PHOTOS COURTESY OF: GRAIN4GRAIN
WITH MICROBREWERIES POPPING UP ALL OVER TEXAS, MANY HAVE PROBABLY WONDERED WHAT HAPPENS TO ALL THAT SPENT GRAIN. FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT TERM, SPENT GRAIN IS WHAT IS LEFT OF THE GRAIN AFTER THE MASH HAS EXTRACTED MOST OF THE SUGARS (CARBS) AND NUTRIENTS, LEAVING PRIMARILY PROTEIN AND FIBER.
44 | JANUARY 2020
Spent grain constitutes as much as 85 percent of a brewery’s total byproduct, most of which ends up in landfills. Some of the more forethinking donate it to farms for composting, a great way to recycle. The amount of spent grain that is being produced right now equates to about six million tons, which can fit into four million dump trucks. Back in 2016, Yoni Medhin was a college student at Colorado School of Minds in Golden, Colorado, which is where he met his now business partner, Matthew Mechtly. They started out as rugby teammates. “Colorado has a huge concentration of microbreweries, and I wanted to learn how to make my own beer,” Medhin said. Through this process, he learned about spent grain. He remembered talking to one brewer in particular who was both composting and throwing away the excess. “I asked him, ‘Isn’t it a waste?’” What Medhin learned is that the spent grain is difficult to use because it has to be dried out within a day, or it rots. “It’s pretty volatile,” he explained. “But once you dry it, you can store it for almost three years. It doesn’t have any carbs, so the bacteria has nothing to eat. It’s almost inert. It has no nutritional value outside of the protein and fiber content.” All of this information had Medhin’s head spinning. At the time, he was taking a class that required his group to come up with a business idea they would present before Denver-based venture capital firms and angel investors. “I brought this idea to the group, so we started by making a granola cereal out of the spent grain to see if people liked it on campus, and they loved it,” he said. “At the time, we only had the concept to take the spent grain and turn it into flour that could then be sold and used for other products.”
After the presentation, one of the angel investors approached Medhin and said he wanted to invest $50,000 into his idea, but Medhin declined. “I already had a job lined up,” he said. “The offer wasn’t as good as what I’d make as an engineer. But that stuck in my head over the next year that this guy really believed in me, and I didn’t even have a completed product yet. It was still just a concept.” His new engineering company sent him to North Dakota. “I hated it,” he said. “So in that dissatisfaction, I recalled that the guy believed in us. It was pretty validating.”
Grain4Grain is Born Just a few years later, and Medhin and Mechtly have proven that this idea definitely has legs. In August of 2019, they won third place and $10,000 in H-E-B’s renowned competition, Quest for Texas Best, for their product line that includes a pancake and waffle mix and low-carb baking flour. Thankfully, Medhin was able to apply his knowledge of engineering and figure out the complex problem of drying spent grain on a mass scale. At one point he bought and altered a used clothes dryer for the task, but discovered that a pharmaceutical dryer altered to their specific needs worked the best.
Next, the engineering company moved Medhin to Houston to work at headquarters, which afforded him freedom to explore, and explore he did. “During the week I would go to lunch at all the breweries and ask them what they did with the spent grain,” Medhin explained. “Most were going to farmers or to landfills, which they had to pay for.”
Medhin, who is a first-generation Ethiopian American, gave credit to his parents for his worth ethic and natural ingenuity. His mom and dad have always been entrepreneurial, working several jobs to build a wonderful life in America. “I call them the ultimate hustlers,” Medhin said proudly. “It’s a bummer when I don’t see people take risks here. My dad [who is also an engineer] didn’t start his career until he was 30, so I have no excuse not to start something. We have so much luck in our favor; what’s the worst that can happen?”
He took home some of the spent grain and decided to address his biggest hurdle: how to dry the grain. At first, he laid it out on oven sheets to dry for seven hours. He was also researching, trying to understand drying technology from a different perspective.
After the big H-E-B win, Medhin and Mechtly’s company, Grain4Grain, launched their products in H-E-B stores all over Texas in October of 2019. The duo is also developing some new products that should be out sometime this spring – muffin cups in peanut butter nut and double chocolate flavors.
Fortunately, he was able to reconnect with Mechtly, who was already living and working in Houston, also as an engineer. Some might say kismet brought these two rugby teammates back together.
By now, some might be curious as to what this wonder product actually tastes like. “It has a rustic, whole wheat flavor to it with a tiny bit of malty flavor,” Medhin said. “The pancakes taste like normal pancakes… really light. The beer flavor happens downstream in the process, so you don’t really get all that beer flavor.”
“He came over to my apartment, and he got really excited about what I was doing because he’s big into nutrition and fitness,” Medhin said. “The spent grain flour is carb-free and has high protein and fiber, so it was a revelation for him because he doesn’t eat bread at all. We worked together to make some banana bread and cookies. I took them to the office the next day, and they devoured it. They just loved it, so I got excited that this may have some legs.”
Making the products even more special than their origin and health benefits are the business model and give-back program the two young men designed, a result of their product’s low cost. “When Matt and I put the numbers together on how much it was going to cost us (essentially we’re getting 40 percent of the mix for free), we realized we can give away a large portion to food banks [for] people in need… the spoils of something that is extremely healthy,” Medhin said. “For low-income people suffering from health problems like diabetes, we’re sitting on a gold mine of low carbs. We can almost become the Tom’s [shoes] of food.” The men’s give-back concept helped shape the name. The company started giving one pound of flour away for every four pounds they made. At the time this article was written, they had fed 2,300 families 2,300 pound of flour, which would otherwise have gone into a landfill. “It gives us a lot of pride that our entire business model is built on the principle of upcycling,” Medhin said. “Every product is making an impact.” Keep an eye out for these two clever philanthropists. Who knows what other ingenious inventions they have up their sleeves!
JANUARY 2020 | 45
The tree has been taken down and the holiday lights are back in the attic; the holidays are officially over. If you are one of the millions of Americans who made a New Year’s resolution, you are probably wondering “what now?” Just how do you transition from a diet laden with holiday favorites back to one that includes healthier options? Fortunately, Texas has a number of restaurants that will help you stick to your resolution while enjoying a delicious meal.
EIGHT HEALTHY
DALLAS RESTAURANTS
New Year’s Resolutions TO HELP YOU STICK TO YOUR
WRITTEN BY: MEGAN HOPKINS
F L O W E R C H I L D
Walk into this colorful restaurant at Inwood Village and you will wonder what is more impressive: the food or the aesthetic. Made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients, Flower Child caters to both vegetarians and vegans, those who observe a paleo diet, and others who are committed to living sugar-, dairy-, or gluten-free! Everything is made from scratch using locally sourced ingredients. For a refreshing and delicious treat, try topping your meal off with a signature lemonade or their trademark kombucha!
PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE COURTESY OF: FLOWER CHILD
46 | JANUARY 2020
T R U E F O O D K I T C H E N At True Food Kitchen, the philosophy is simple: “Food should make you feel better, not worse.” Dr. Andrew Weil, a popular physician and Doctor of Integrative Medicine, founded this dining establishment with a goal to follow the simple principles set forth in his anti-inflammatory diet. The menu has been carefully curated and offers guests plenty of flavor-filled dishes and a number of tasty juices, packed with a hefty dose of those daily recommended nutrients. A must-stop for the health-conscious, True Food Kitchen will continue to surprise and delight time and time again, due to their regularly rotating menu featuring seasonal ingredients, perfectly ripe and always fresh. For those in the area, there are two locations from which to choose: Legacy West in Plano or The Plaza at Preston Center in Dallas. PHOTO COURTESY OF: TRUE FOOD KITCHEN
M A L I B U P O K E Poke may have become trendy in the past few years, but it has long been a healthy food choice. And, if you are looking to find the freshest seafood in town, but do not have the time to sit down at a full-service restaurant, Malibu Poke is the perfect solution. Founded by TJ’s Seafood Market & Grill Owner Jon Alexis and James Beard Award nominee Chef Matt McCallister, Malibu Poke offers bowls that are made using sashimi-grade fish, vegetables, and rice—the perfect way to pack in those Omega 3s. If you are looking for a vegan option, you can also create your poke bowl using tofu instead. Plus, you can feel good about eating at Malibu Poke knowing they support sustainable fishing practices and responsible aquafarming. There are two Dallas locations to try: the first at Oak Lawn and the second at the intersection of McKinney and Olive. PHOTO COURTESY OF: MALIBU POKE
G A T H E R K I T C H E N Was your New Year’s resolution to adopt a vegan diet? Or perhaps you have decided to cut out dairy and refined sugars. Gather Kitchen has you covered. Considered a fast-casual restaurant, Gather Kitchen is perfect for those with a busy lifestyle who are looking for a meal made from fresh ingredients that are sourced locally and seasonally. Gather Kitchen makes it easy to create the perfect meal by offering all-natural meats meant to be paired with one of a number of bases like fresh vegetables and complex carbohydrates. Gather Kitchen is also one of the few restaurants that offer Whole 30-compliant meal choices. You can find Gather Kitchen in Thanksgiving Tower on Elm Street.
PHOTO COURTESY OF: GATHER KITCHEN
JANUARY 2020 | 47
B E L L A G R E E N
The goal behind HG Sply Co. was to create a place that served natural, wholesome foods defined not by trends or by labels, but by truth. You can see from their menu that HG Sply Co. focuses on balance, with a menu that includes everything from Smoky Carrot Hummus and a Veggie Chopped Salad to Chicken Fried Chicken and TX Shrimp & Grits. And, if you are looking for something cold and tasty to drink, you have come to the right place. HG Sply Co. boasts a drink menu that can hardly be rivaled, with alcoholic options and cold-pressed juices that will add that extra bit of nutrition to your meal. There is a location in Fort Worth and Trophy Club in addition to the Greenville Avenue Dallas location.
The bellagreen menu is filled with signature dishes, like the notorious Brick Chicken and Paleo Spaghetti Squash Bolognese, as well as seasonal specials that are created using only ingredients that are currently fresh. Food is prepared once ordered, which means that it is bellagreen’s pleasure to customize a dish to fit specific dietary needs, from Whole 30 to paleo to keto, etcetera. Bellagreen has five locations in Houston in addition to the Dallas units, so for now they are 100 percent Texan inside and out!
M O D E R N M A R K E T E A T E R Y
PHOTO COURTESY OF: UNLEAVENED FRESH KITCHEN
U N L E AV E N E D F R E S H K I T C H E N Whether you are looking for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Unleavened Fresh Kitchen has you covered. Serving a fresh take on the classics, each of the four locations provides the convenience of a fast-food restaurant with food you can feel good about eating. Unleavened Fresh Kitchen’s menu boasts a number of wraps, (which can also be served on a bed of greens), warm bowls, and cold smoothies. This wide variety of healthful options can accommodate even the most ambitious of New Year’s resolutions. 48 | JANUARY 2020
Quick and convenient, the health-minded Modern Market Eatery calls themselves a mashup between the farmer’s market, a chef ’s table, and a fast-food restaurant. The menu at Modern Market Eatery focuses on sustainable, chef-driven food and is chock-full of grains, greens, and one-of-a-kind pizzas. Plus, if you find yourself craving breakfast food any time of the day, Modern Market Eatery has a number of nutritious choices that taste anything but! If you have identified a goal to consume a more nutritious diet, eating out can make or break your plans. Do not allow your resolution to get away from you just because you have plans to meet friends for dinner or you are in a pinch during your lunch break. From seafood to smoothies to refined sugar-free dishes, these restaurants have everything you need to stick to your resolution.
PHOTO COURTESY OF: BELLAGREEN
H G S P L Y C O .
PHOTO COURTESY OF: MODERN MARKET EATERY
PHOTO COURTESY OF: HG SPLY CO.
With green baked right into the name, it comes as no surprise bellagreen’s menu is full of healthy options. But the term “green” goes even further here; their three Dallas locations each received three or more green stars as part of a commitment to reducing their ecological footprint and making their surrounding communities more beautiful. When it comes to the fast-casual restaurant model, it is truly inspiring to see a company so committed to water conservation, alternative power, pollution reduction, and sustainability from the building materials they utilize to ingredients they serve.
CALDO DE POLLO WRITTEN BY & PHOTOS COURTESY OF: MELISSA GUERRA
con Fideo
When the weather is chilly and the wind is howling, soup is always my first thought. Soothing, warm, and filling, chicken soup heals bodies and nurtures families.
Making a huge pot of chicken stock is rarely convenient, especially if you have a small household. Canned soup is often high in sodium, and among other things, it is canned! Fresh is always better, so I developed a shortcut recipe for freshly made chicken soup that does not make gargantuan quantities and require loads of time. Keep in mind, making chicken stock the classic way by boiling chicken bones and vegetable pieces for 4 to 6 hours still renders the best quality chicken stock. But if you are like me, you are busy and looking for shortcuts. A few hours of simmering will give you a good stock along with the ability to control the sodium in your soup.
In this recipe, you will notice that I leave the onion whole while simmering. Again, when I am dashing around the house with chores or writing projects, it is nice to take the shortcut of not chopping the onion. The flavor of the broth is the same, and my hands do not take on any pungent aroma.
If you are unfamiliar with fideo, it is a thin vermicelli-type pasta that is used throughout Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. The traditional technique for preparing fideo is to pan toast it before adding it to any dish. The toasted wheat flavor is unexpectedly delicious. Substitute thin pasta such as spaghetti or linguini if you cannot find fideo. Another tip that I recently discovered is using kitchen snips for the cilantro garnish. Mincing cilantro with a knife always seems to mash the delicate leaves too much. Also, damp herbs can stick to every surface, reducing the amount that actually makes it into a serving bowl. Snipping the washed and dried cilantro sprigs over the warm bowls of soup right before serving is so much easier than chopping. More shortcuts! Soup is definitely a slow-cooking food, but using these tips, you can make a fresh batch in far less time. Enjoy! JANUARY 2020 | 49
CALDO DE POLLO CON FIDEO
Chicken Soup with Fideo YIELDS 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
INGREDIENTS
• 1 pound chicken breast with bones • 2 quarts water • 1 whole onion, peeled (chopping optional)
TOAST THE FIDEO IN A SKILLET BEFORE ADDING IT TO THE BROTH.
• 1 rib celery with leaves, chopped • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped • 2 cloves garlic, peeled • 2 teaspoons salt or to taste (optional) • Freshly ground black pepper to taste • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil • 2 ounces dried fideo or thin pasta • 1 tomato, seeded, peeled, and diced • 1 avocado, peeled and diced • 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place the chicken breasts in a 3-quart stockpot, and fill with water. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, salt, and pepper, and cover.
SIMMER FOR TWO HOURS FOR BEST FLAVOR.
2. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and simmer for at least one hour. For better flavor, simmer for 2 full hours. Add 1 to 2 more cups of water if you feel the stock has reduced too much. 3. Remove the chicken from the pot, reserving the broth. 4. Allow the chicken breasts to cool, and then remove the meat from the bones. Discard the bones and return the chicken meat to the pot. Remove and discard the whole onion if desired. 5. In a separate 9-inch skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Add the uncooked fideo or pasta, and lightly toast the pasta until it is golden brown, about 3 minutes. 6. Toss and stir the pasta so it does not scorch. 7. Remove from the heat and allow to cool briefly. 8. Carefully pour the entire skillet of toasted pasta into the broth and return the broth to the heat. 9. Add the diced tomato. Simmer until the pasta is cooked, about 7 minutes. 10. Serve the soup garnished with diced avocado and chopped cilantro. 50 | JANUARY 2020
USE SCISSORS TO EASILY CREATE A CILANTRO GARNISH.