We spent part of my youngest son's spring break last week in Austin, Texas. Although my husband has been there several times on business trips, Ben and I had never seen the capitol city. We went during the South By Southwest event, a celebration of media including technology, music and movies. Ben really enjoyed the atmosphere that went with SXSW. He spotted musician, Ziggy Marley, on the street; made a video in the Dell booth (that is now online) and saw several tech start-ups like his own Yummmbox app. Ron Howard's Imagination Photography Project was on display and there was literally music flowing down 6th street! One of our favorite bands was called Tins; we thought they sounded a little like Franz Ferdinand. Ben came home with a shirt, magazines (gaming magazines for his friends) and information related to some his favorite subjects!
On our second day in Austin, Dana surprised Ben with a previously-arranged segway tour that lasted for two hours. The tour guide took them all around Austin to see its historic landmarks. I was offered this tour, as well, but opted for my "girls-only shopping tour"; this included Target and Ross for..... Two Hours!!....with nobody "waiting on me" at the front of the store! I found two summer dresses that I liked. That's quite an accomplishment for me; I don't enjoy the tedious and time-consuming project of trying on new clothes when there are time constraints.
The next day, I had the luxury of Dana and Ben giving me a personal tour, on foot, of all that they had seen and learned about Austin on the previous day. The weather was just a perfect 10 for our trip. The sky was so blue that in many of the pictures that I snapped it looks like a "storybook sky". We roamed around the capitol grounds, buildings, statues and huge old trees (my favorite photo subjects). We covered the Lyndon B. Johnson Museum (which had Dr. Seuss' original sketches and storyboards for The Lorax on display!); the University of Texas Campus; 6th Street; the historic Driscoll Hotel and the Convention Center (SXSW). We ate Texas BBQ, Tex Mex food and Thai street food. It was a fun experience; I recommend putting Austin, Texas on your "bucket list".
I thought I would go with a BBQ theme this week as I return to real life after my Austin trip. Here's a recipe for those of us who like BBQ but are limited on time; get your Crock Pot out!
Texas BBQ-Coke Roast
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 (4 to 5 lb.) boneless chuck roast
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 (12 oz.) can of Coke or 1 (10 oz.) bottle of coke
1 (12 oz.) bottle of chili sauce
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
2 TBSP Louisiana Hot Sauce
3 TBSP cornstarch
1/4 C water
Combine garlic salt and pepper; rub over roast. Brown roast on all sides in hot oil in large skillet. Transfer to 4 qt. slow cooker. Combine Coke and next 3 ingredients; pour over roast. Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours or LOW for 8 to 9 hours. Remove roast, reserving juices. Keep roast warm. In slow cooker, combine cornstarch and water, stirring well. Cook, uncovered on HIGH for 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Serve sauce over roast. Makes 8-12 servings.
Swaps:
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A Southern Fairytale
this sounds amazing! Thanks so much for sharing at Mix it up Monday :)
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