A few of my favorite things.....

Two of the things I miss most about Texas (besides the sunshine but that goes without saying, right?) are Rudy's BBQ and Blue Bell Ice Cream so of course we had to have both whenever we visit :)  It has been about three, almost four, years since our last visit so I was feeling kind of impatient to have both :p

I can remember the first time I had Rudy's BBQ--I was visiting Texas for the first time and was in San Antonio.  My friend Sarah brought me to Rudy's and I must admit, I was a bit dubious.  They put your food in one of those big plastic trays soda bottles are carried in on top of butcher paper.  The squares of paper they put in the tray are your plates.  They toss in some slices of bread and you eat at enormous picnic tables.  If it is crowded, you will sit and share a meal with strangers, something I was definitely not used to.  Where I am from, you don't share tables :p  But its nice because people are generally friendly and the food is good.  You lay out your square of butcher paper and give yourself a big ole pile of Rudy's BBQ sauce and you enjoy :) 

S had been there numerous times as a little guy and again when we visited when B was a baby but he did not remember. But he was anticipated deliciousness since we had talked about it and were looking forward to it.  The boys loved the big picnic tables--it was a slow time of day when we were there so we had the whole table to ourselves and they kept sliding back and forth along the benches :p  They are polished and coated so no worries about splinters!  The coating makes them slick so they are good for sliding ;)  Once their Dad brought the food, though, there was no more sliding as they were too busy eating :p  Iz thought this stuff was the best thing ever and I was surprised at just how much she ate.  She outdid herself :)

We wrapped up our leftovers and put them in our little hotel fridge and they froze solid :\  Darn little fridge was on the fritz and froze everything in it.  While disappointing at the time, it actually worked out really well for us--we took it all with us when we flew out and by the time our layover hit, it was thawed and ready to eat and we avoided the expensive airport food for lunch LOL  Rudy's BBQ is just as good cold as it was hot :p

There was an HEB just up the road from our hotel so I also got my very favorite ice cream that night--Blue Bell's Banana Split.  I really wish they would expand and start to be sold up here :p  Best stuff ever.  They have many other awesome flavors but if I could have just one, Banana Split is it :)  When I was pregnant with both B and Iz, my intense craving for some Blue Bell made me seriously consider the $129 price tag to have four half gallons mailed to me.  My budget said no but my cravings said yes.  My budget won and that made me sad :p  But when I visit, I make sure to get my Blue Bell!


I suppose this is where my disclaimer goes where I tell you that none of the companies I mentioned asked me to write this or gave me free stuff or paid me or anything.  They don't even know I exist since I am sure the Rudy's employee who took my order forgot who I was the minute I walked away from her counter ;)  But they really are good and if you find yourself near a Rudy's or a store that sells Blue Bell, try it :p  YUM!