by jphilo | Jan 22, 2016 | Top Ten Tuesday
A few years back I spoke at a conference in Corpus Christi, Texas in January and thus escaped several days worth of Iowa winter. With our state in the deep freeze again, perhaps these 10 observations will warm your chilly heart on this Fantastic Friday.
10. Bilingual signs are no big deal in Texas. In Iowa, some people view them with suspicion.
9. Corpus Christi, population 307,953, is considered a small city in Texas. Des Moines, population 206,599, is Iowa’s largest city and the capitol. We think it’s plenty big.
8. Texas wait staff ask if you want sweet iced tea or plain iced tea. Iowa wait staff ask if you want hot tea or iced tea.
7. Texas restaurants feature iced tea as their go-to drink in January. Iowa restaurants feature coffee. Hot coffee.
6. In Texas, you can order shrimp three days in a row, and it’s no big deal. In Iowa, it’s a big deal.
5. When the Star Spangled Banner accompaniment doesn’t work in Texas, every day folk sing a capella, no holds barred. In Iowa, every day folk refuse to sing anything a capella unless under duress because it’s not polite to show off.
4. Iowans feel guilty about escaping winter to enjoy 70+ degree Texas weather for a few days. Texans think Iowans are crazy to live where the temperature goes below freezing.
3. In much of Texas, home owners consider swimming pools a necessity and furnaces non-essential. In Iowa, furnaces are a necessity and swimming pools are for rich people.
2. In Texas, people will wait in line for a half hour to get ice cream at Baskin Robbins on a January Friday night. In Iowa, people wait in line for a half hour to get hot chocolate on a January Friday night.
1. John Wayne may have been born in Iowa, but Texas owns him.
by jphilo | Jan 29, 2013 | Top Ten Tuesday
What’s the difference between Iowa and Texas? Here are my top ten answers based on a few days in Corpus Christi last week.
10. Bilingual signs are no big deal in Texas. In Iowa, some people view them with suspicion.
9. Corpus Christi, population 307,953, is considered a small city in Texas. Des Moines, population 206,599, is Iowa’s largest city and the capitol. We think it’s plenty big.
8. Texas wait staff ask if you want sweet iced tea or plain iced tea. Iowa wait staff ask if you want hot tea or iced tea.
7. Texas restaurants feature iced tea as their go-to drink in January. Iowa restaurants feature coffee. Hot coffee.
6. In Texas, you can order shrimp three days in a row, and it’s no big deal. In Iowa, it’s a big deal.
5. When the Star Spangled Banner accompaniment doesn’t work in Texas, every day folk sing a capella, no holds barred. In Iowa, every day folk refuse to sing anything a capella unless under duress because it’s not polite to show off.
4. Iowans feel guilty about escaping winter to enjoy 70+ degree Texas weather for a few days. Texans think Iowans are crazy to live where the temperature goes below freezing.
3. In much of Texas, home owners consider swimming pools a necessity and furnaces non-essential. In Iowa, furnaces are a necessity and swimming pools are for rich people.
2. In Texas, people will wait in line for a half hour to get ice cream at Baskin Robbins on a January Friday night. In Iowa, people wait in line for a half hour to get hot chocolate on a January Friday night.
1. John Wayne may have been born in Iowa, but Texas owns him.
by jphilo | Jan 28, 2013 | Out and About
My internal thermostat, which had no trouble adjusting to 70+ degree and sunny weather in Corpus Christi last Wednesday, is still rebelling against the 12° temps that greeted me Saturday upon my return to Iowa. On the other hand, I was able to avoid dairy products, and as a result arrived home with energy and without a raging headache, sinus infection, or any intestinal distress. Here are a few discoveries that made the dairy-free diet an easy pill to swallow:
- The Starbucks at the Dallas/Forth Worth airport carried a Garbanzo Bean/Lime Salad that was delicious. The beans were mixed with finely chopped tomatoes and onions and garnished with sweet red pepper and cilantro. The dressing was lime juice, kosher salt, and something hot that gave it a perfect kick. Yum and double yum!
- Starbucks employees will add soy milk to your coffee. Since they don’t set out soy milk at the condiment bar, you can ask them to steam the soy first. I love that extra perk!
- The mom and pop Mexican place in Corpus Christi where we ate supper one night served a soft drink called rice water. Don’t let the name fool you. This delicious drink (I had just a sip) contains condensed milk.
- Order all the shrimp and vegetable dishes you can in south Texas–and there are lots of them, almost all without cheese or any dairy products.
- Speakers often receive a gift bag which usually contains chocolate. MILK chocolate. I left the candy with a thank you note for the maids at the hotel. If anyone deserves chocolate, a hotel maid does.
- When everybody decides to go to Baskin Robbins for ice cream, go along and order their daiquiri ice. The lime with rum flavoring is good. Really good. Really really good. And it sits very light on the stomach.
So, what dairy-free food finds have you discovered while traveling in Texas or anywhere else? Leave a comment!
