Texifornia Round-Up - Tuesday 10

I've been stumbling on some great posts and articles for the past few months, and wanted to share them with you!  

Posts to make you laugh...

This month I stumbled on the Texas Cockroach (um...not a real one, thankfully...this is witty Onion style site for Texas!)  Check out this "news" article about a Lewisville ISD Teacher.  I used to sub in LISD, so I'm wondering if I ever met him.  :-)

Cake Wrecks (one of my favorite blogs) has a hilarious post about a Cake Show in Austin with some pictures of some amazing cakes, too.  These were Sunday Sweets...not wrecks (usually this blog makes fun of really bad cakes, but not on Sunday) .  The author's experience in Austin, however... more on the wrecky side.

 
Posts for your mind and spirit...

A friend of mine wrote a wonderful  guest post about community on Texas Schmexas.
And here's a great post I forgot to share with you all from a while back.  What Gives You Hope, by Texas Tanya.

California places  (and some gorgeous pictures too)...

There was  beautiful brief overview of Monteray Bay with pictures over at Petite Hermine.

Live, Love, Give had photos of Anza Borrego Desert Park, only 3 hours drive from Los Angelos...GORGEOUS!  Based on these photos I think Springtime would be the time to visit!

At Better than Ezra there was a neat post about the Chatsworth Nature Preserve in Chatsworth, CA.
And Postmark California Toyota posted about the Grand Prix in Long Beach, which just happened to be across the street from the marina I used to live in.  That was a trip down memory lane.  I remember hating the noise from it, but also having fun playing on the bleachers and bridges they set up for it before it came.


Texas Money saver...

If you live near an HEB, you might get some use out of the HEB deals Frugally Thrify lists every week.

And a Little Something for Texifornians and Gardeners...
Owl Farm, one of my favorite blogs by Texifornians, had a wonderful Earth Day post about gardening, helping the environment, and coming to peace with where she lived now and the longing she still feels for the California Desert.

And hey, did you notice...10 links in all!  Just in time for 10 on Tuesday!

5 Authors that Deserve More Recognition

Well, I found another Top Ten Tuesday I had to give a try...this one focusses just on books.  So, having nothing to do with California or Texas, it's a bit off topic...but fun!  I could only get up to 5, but here goes...

1. Anne Tatlock
   I have read three of Anne Tatlock's books, and plan to read many more.  The first book I read, All the Way Home, made me realize how stereotypical or out of place so many of the characters in Historical Fiction were.  Her characters were not that way...not a historical stereotype or a modern person with modern sentiments trapped in the past...but fleshed out believable characters that helped me understand the mindset of the time without putting it in a box. 
   
   Her books deal with faith, but in a natural, subtle way that doesn't overshadow the story or make you feel preached at like some Christian fiction. I wish more Christians author's would write like that...not in the preachy, gotta get a message in every other line type of way. I think believers and non-believers would both enjoy her stories. (And she has gotten a little recognition...I read that All the Way Home and I'll Watch the Moon both won book of the year for the Midwest Independent Publishers Association. Not surprised, as I've read both of those. I think she deserves more.).
   
   
2. Elizabeth Goodge
   I was introduced to this author by a dear friend. She writes in a beautiful, visual way. Two of the books that I've read, The Dean's Watch, and The Scent of Water, could be described as "a love story, but not a romance," which is a fresh perspective I enjoy (several of the book by Anne Tatlock I read could be described that way, also.)   I'm surprised she's not more well known.
   
   
3. Jill Murphy
   I've been happy to have introduced friends The Large Family series by Jill Murphy's, but I've yet to meet one person who has actually read or heard of any of her books before I clued them in. She brings out some "truths" about parenting in a loving and humorous way. I enjoyed these as much as my children. And the illustrations are just precious!
   
   
4. Joanne Greenburg
   She might be a bit too well known to include here, and I  have to admit I'm including her based on ONE BOOK, as I haven't read her other novels.   But every person I've met who's read her novel, In This Sign, has told me the same thing about it..."It felt like it was written about ME." That's something when you consider that this book is about a deaf couple living through the great depression and WWI.  It's not a common experience, but something about the book transcends the characters and speaks to all of us. It's not a happy, cheerful book...and you may want to throw it across the room sometimes. But that's true of many things that touch so close to reality.  I think this story gets less read outside of the Deaf community and those connected to it...and that's a shame.
   
   
5. Jewel
   Yes, Jewel, the singer. Did you know that she writes poetry (that's in addition to her beautifully poetic song lyrics)?  Ignore Bill Mar on this one. I remember him making fun of one of her poems, criticising her for using the "wrong word"...when he didn't even see that her un-expected word choice was a poetic device. Anyone who's read free verse much would have recognized it, and I wish I could have reached through the TV and smacked him upside the head. Really, her poems are deep and full of meaning and she should get more credit for them then she has.
   

10 on Tuesday - Ideas

I have lots of ideas for 10 on Tuesday posts that would would be wonderful on topic for Texifornia...and I could use your help!  So for this week's I'm going to share 10 of my ideas, and see if you can help me think of things I could use for these.  If anyone comes up with an item for a 10 on Tues list that I use in a future, I'll make sure to attribute you with a link to your blog.

Before I start...you may need to know what a Texifornian is.  A Texifornian is simply anyone who has lived in both California and Texas (even if they don't live in either of those places now).

OK, so my 10 of my ideas for future Texifornian 10 on Tuesdays are... 

1. 10 Books set in Texas or California.
2. 10 Great Movies set in Texas or California.
3. 10  Movies set in Texas or California that make you think the writers never lived there.
4. 10 Things people miss the most when they leave Texas.
5. 10 Things people miss the most when they leave California.
6. 10 Things Texans say when they learn you're from California.
7. 10 Things Californians say when they learn you're from Texas.
8. 10 of best places to go/things to do when you're missing California.
9. 10 of the best places to go/things to do when you're missing Texas.
10. 10 signs you're a Texifornian.

If you can think of any items for any of these, please share it!  You don't have to be a Texifornian to contribute, but please let me know if you are.  

Ten on Tuesday - 10 HEB Store Brand Faves

I love HEB!  Yep, they give my kids balloons, they have two seater shopping carts, helpful employees (at least at my HEB), and great fresh produce.  I also happen to love many of their store brand products...some even more than name brand!  Here are my top ten favorite HEB/Hill Country Fair Store Brand Foods:
 

HEB Fruit Spread (Jam)

Their fruit spreads are delicious, have less sugar than most jams (and only one gram more than Smuckers Low Sugar jam), and even come in a cute jar!

HEB Creamy Tomato Herb Soup

Tastes just like La Madeline Tomato soup, only cheaper!

HEB Bake Shop Bran and Wheat Bread

Where else can you get healthy bran bread?  I've never seen it

anywhere else in a grocery store!

HEB Granola Bars

I personally think both HEB and Walmart store brand granola 

bars taste better then Quaker.  They're moister...Quaker's are more dry.

HEB Fruit/Veggie Drinks

That's not the actual name for it, but they're the type of drink like V8 splash

I think they taste just as good too.

HEB Oatmeal

Just as good as Quaker, and cheaper.

HEB Nacho Cheeze Chips (Dorito Style)

Not sure if that's the name for them, but they are the ones that are like

the original Doritos.  I can't tell the difference!

Bobillas

These sandwhich rolls are made daily and you can get them for 4 for a dollar in the fresh baked bread section.  LOVE IT!

Hill Country Fair Strogonof 

Hill Country Fair may not technically be a store brand, but since it's store brand price and I've only ever seen it at HEB, I'm counting this.  We love Strogonof but have someone in our family with egg allergies.  Hamburger Helper has eggs.  The Hill Country Fair version doesn't...and tastes close enough for us..

HEB Creamy Creations Ice Cream

Oh, this stuff is good.  Super creamy, and no eggs (an essential if you have egg allergies). 

I'd love to here what your favorite store brand products are!  I'm collecting a favorites list for various grocery stores, which you can read and add to here (or leave a comment below with a store brand item you love and I'll add it to the list myself.  Thanks!)