Connie's Frozen Custard

Crazy About Connie's

Article Written by:  Ericka Williams

My new favorite place for frozen confections, forget fast food drive throughs, forget trendy yogurt spots, Connie’s Frozen Custard has won my heart. Connie’s is unique because of the special way they cultivate their frosty treats. Their custard is made hourly, and they use only the freshest ingredients. There are plenty of options which vary from hand dipped shakes, floats, cones, sundaes, and the most delicious concrete you have ever tasted. Connie’s tops their concretes with fresh fruit, and if you have more of a sweet tooth, oreo, butterfinger, cookie dough, M&M's, brownie bites, cheesecake bites, snickers, or peanut butter cups can be added to your custard. The options are endless.

Established in 2000, Connie’s is family owned and has become a community favorite. Located on Jones Road, in the Willowbrook area, Connie’s Frozen Custard has sponsored several local schools, youth sports teams, and charities. They are very involved in the community and once you visit the establishment, it’s clear that you’re in a family environment. It is the perfect place to enjoy a hot summer day. Choose your frozen dessert in either vanilla or chocolate, watch it come to life, and devour it on one of their many benches while you enjoy the summer weather!



What makes Connie’s Frozen Custard is so marvelous is their attention to detail. The custard is made from a 59 year old recipe which only includes natural ingredients, and is gluten free. Anybody who knows me, knows that I love Rocky Road. Any time I hit a new ice cream spot Rocky Road is the definite choice, so when visiting Connie’s I already knew what I’d be trying. The Choco-Rocko was amazing! It was smooth, decadent, everything you want in your ice cream. What I loved most about the Choco-Rocko was the marshmallow, which was melted and coated the inside of my cup. At that moment, I knew Connie’s is a special kind of establishment that takes pride in their delicious creations. I can honestly say it is the thickest, creamiest ice cream I have ever had!

Connie's Frozen Custard
12545 Jones Road
Houston, TX 77070
Phone: 281-469-3444 Fax: 281-469-7790
Email: Contact@conniesfrozencustard.com

http://www.conniesfrozencustard.com

Introducing our new intern: Ericka Williams

Taste Magazines would like to welcome Ericka Williams, our new intern.

Her is a short bio from her:

My friends would say I'm eccentric, Afrocentric, and a hypochondriac. I'd have to agree. I'm a college senior from Fort Worth, Texas with a love for everything poetic. I've held a lot of titles during these past three years of higher learning(cheerleader, party animal, mentor), but the most recent one has me o-so-delighted...writer. As an English/Art student at Prairie View A&M University, I don't have much time to myself. But when I do, I'm gushing over hair, fashion, music, and of course painting. Whether I'll be an English teacher or graphic designer is still up to the cosmos, but I'm more than excited for the journey ahead!
Twitter:@ericcadoesit
Pinterest:pinterest.com/erickaishername

Look for her first article on Connie's Frozen Custard soon.

Barker Street Gourmet Dog Bakery & Boutique

Barker Street Gourmet Dog Bakery & Boutique

Article Written by: Elizabeth Gallaway

The delicious smells in the kitchen of Barker Street Bakery could make a human’s mouth water, but these treats are just for the pooches.

Barker Street Bakery, located in The Woodlands, offers homemade dog treats, cakes and various pet supplies. The business is over five years old, but Aaron and Tanya Ogden took it over as the new co-owners last fall.

A bakery and boutique rolled into one, Barker Street mixes up and bakes their hand-decorated dog treats daily with a multitude of flavors. A display case full of fresh-baked goodies welcomes customers as they enter the store. New treats are also offered each month that correspond to the seasons or holidays. The dog treats are made with all-natural, human-grade ingredients with no preservatives or sugars.

“Customers like the fact that everything’s made here on-site. It’s a little bit more comforting knowing what’s going into their treats,” says Aaron Ogden. “We try to have a wide variety of not only treats, but also toys and accessories and dog clothes. We have things you don’t find at a big box company.”

Barker Street is also known for its doggy birthday cakes. When asked about a memorable cake, Aaron Ogden mentions a cake he did for a woman who does hydrotherapy with her dogs. The staff recreated a picture of her in the pool with her dogs in cake form. “It was kind of cool to be able to capture that moment for her,” says Ogden.

To the right of the bakery display case is the store boutique. From designer dog collars to tiny treats by the pound, there is something unique to be found in Barker Street. Customer service is of the utmost importance to Barker Street, and if clients can’t find what they’re looking for on the shelf, the Ogdens will try to locate and special-order the product.

The Ogdens have also been very active within the rescue community and founded Guardian Pit Bull Rescue in 2009.

http://www.guardianpitbullrescue.com/

“We started it after years of helping out and saw a need for a breed we love,” says Aaron Ogden. “No one was out there being their voice. We wanted to do something about that so we started the rescue and stayed active in the community.”

Barker Street also offers monthly events called Yappy Hour to benefit other local rescue groups. Yappy Hour was established to feature a different rescue each month and gives the rescues a time and place to organize a fundraiser. Treats, refreshments and raffle prizes are given out, and during this time 10 percent of the sales at Barker Street go towards the featured rescue.

As customers leave the bakery, they are encouraged to return with a photo of their dog to contribute to the Barker Street Family wall. The wall is a fun way to embrace the sense of community and form a family with customers. Customers are also encouraged to bring their dogs with them when they visit the bakery.

Above all, the Ogdens love the bond between people and their pets the most. “I love being able to interact with people and celebrate the relationship they have with their dog and to add something to that" says Aaron Ogden.

442 Sawdust Road, The Woodlands, TX 77380

Phone: (281) 465-1703

http://www.barkerstreetbakery.com/

Open Monday – Friday   10 AM – 7 PM

Sunday   12 PM – 5 PM

Burger news from around the web!

8 'Better Burger' Chains Poised to Conquer America

Check out the article at: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/8--better-burger--chains-poised-to-conquer-america.html


Best Burgers in The US

Check out the article at:  http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/best-burgers-us-174600192.html


Top Burger Joints in The Woodlands per Urbanspoon:

http://www.urbanspoon.com/nf/8/749/708/Houston/The-Woodlands/Burger-Joints


Burger Reviews by The Woodlands Eats
http://thewoodlandseats.com/category/hamburgers/



Just some un burger reading!!! 

Support the Montogomery County Animal Shelter - We do!!

Did someone say Hot Dawgs and Cool Cats?!? Yes we are holding our 3rd annual Hot Dawg and Cool Cat event next weekend at the shelter!!!! Come out July 28th and 29th for some fun in the sun and hopefully give one of our animals the forever home they deserve!! 1/2 price Dog and Cat/kitten adoptions!! Moon walk, Face Painting, Balloons, and MANY MANY amazing raffle items!!! Raffle tickets are just 5 each or free with a similar value food donation for the shelter! It is going to be a great day don't miss out!! Sat-Sun 11am to 4pm both days!

Purchase raffle tickets online here! http://www.mcaspets.org/hotdawgscoolcats.html

The address for the event is:  8535 State Hwy 242, Conroe, TX

JerryBuilt Burgers

Jerry Built Homegrown Burger: Quite the opposite

Article Written By Our New Intern:  Alexis Worth

Everyday I drive down West Holcombe, but didn’t realize the hideous neon cow, until today. Yup, Washington Mutual Bank was taken over by this beefy, bad boy burger joint: Jerrybuilt Homegrown Burgers.

Co- owner and founder S. Jerry Glauser, combines great humor and wit when inventing the name JerryBuilt. The term is notoriously refereed to as something thrown together or poorly planned out. Ironic, because these burgers are anything but jerry built.

Glauser’s philosophy is to “ do the opposite of whatever a typical fast-food restaurant does.” First being, when you walk in you don’t see a row of registers; instead customers can watch their food being prepared. Talk about full disclosure! A concept nowadays that everyone is concerned with how their meal is made. Why wouldn’t they want to show off their“bovinely raised and chuck” ground twice a day, produce that’s organic or homegrown, (they are trying to stick to Texas grown farms but the drought has been harsh.) French or sweet potatoes fries cut and fried on site daily, Bermuda onions for your buns, Gingerbull cookies from Three Brothers Bakery, and don’t forget the Blue Bell ice-cream. Defiantly, an alternative way of burger going. 

Berry, a girl that took my order told me that the Gingerbull cookies are made from scratch daily and sold in packages of three. A portion of the proceeds made from the cookies are donated to local charities. I bought a package right away even before I ordered a burger.

Today was “Monday Madness” at Jerry Built and after ordering a cheeseburger with Ernie sauce and crinkle-cut fries; the cashier explained how to play Monday Madness. Both the cashier and the customer roll a die and if the customer has the larger number then your meal is free. I was a little short, but all the more reason to go back.

I was surprised when taking a bite of the cheeseburger how juicy and fresh it tasted without the fatty sickening feeling fast food restaurants usually stir up in my tummy. I felt very satisfied especially with the Ernie sauce to dip it in. While enjoying one of THE best burgersin Houston, the ambiance was modern yet warm with a combination of an IKEA furnished kitchen and Central Market cleanliness. I admire this new generation of burger dinning and respect Glauser’s philosophy, and support to the local community. The antonym of Jerry Built, a damn good burger!

Their website is http://www.jerrybuiltburgers.com

On Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/JerryBuiltBurgers

Find JerryBuilt at their two locations:

3501W. Holcombe Blvd.
Houston, Texas 77025
713-664-2874
Sunday - Thursday 11:00AM – 10:00PM
Friday - Saturday 11:00AM – 11:00PM

The Woodlands
1335 Lake Woodlands Dr.
The Woodlands, Texas 77380
281-367-2874
Sunday - Thursday 11:00AM – 9:00PM
Friday - Saturday 11:00AM – 10:00PM

Introducing our new intern: Alexis Worth

Introducing our new intern Alexis Worth

Here is a little bio from her: 

Honestly, I hate cooking.  However, I don’t mind watching others slave over hot a stove for hours. Caramelize, degrease, slice, marinate, peel, soak, puree, simmer: my head hurts, but my stomach is growling for food! Born and raised in the heart of Houston, I am studying Journalism at the University of Mississippi, and have a passion for all the exotic cuisines Houston offers locally. I feel it is my job to inform Houstonians and explore all tastes.  When I’m not chowing down on crawfish, Baba ghanoush and squirrel stew; I appreciate the smell of fresh rain, sepia colored   photographs, neat handwriting, classic cars and oldies music. Honestly, now I’m starving.

Look for an article later today from her on Jerrybuilt Burgers. 

lizziebees - Very cool accessories for your pets!

lizziebees has the coolest stuff for your dogs and cats. Owner, Lianne Nichols, lives in Austin, TX and creates the neatest stuff for pets. She opened her boutique in 2010. I had a chance to ask her a few questions about her unique business.  

Me: Tell me a little bit about you and how your business got started.

lizziebees: I laugh a little when people ask me how lizziebees got started. I’ve always found it easy to disappear into a project so when I found myself bored and unemployed, creating something new seemed the natural course of action. I thought it would be a great way to shake myself out of that funk. I have make jewelry, knitted household items, done paper crafts, and so much more over the years that I was ready to try something new with sewing. Luckily, I am always surrounded by animals so making something for them seemed a good fit.

 

Me: Where are you located and how does a person shop from you?

lizziebees: While lizziebees has an online shop that people can always purchase from (lizziebeesthings.etsy.com), most of our weekends are spent at craft shows and pet related events. Nothing beats going home covered in pet hair with a cell phone full of happy customer photos! If you are located in or around the Austin area you can also find our products at a few brick and mortar shops.


-Parts and Labour 1117 South Congress Austin, TX



-Atown 5502 Burnet Road Austin, TX



-Austin Pets Alive 3108 Windsor Road Austin, TX

Me: What makes your products different from what someone can buy at the local pet store?

lizziebees: When choosing the materials for a lizziebees product, I try to consider 3 things, comfort, strength, and durability. Obviously you want your items to be visually appealing, but it needs to be so much more! A collar doesn’t just hang around your pet’s neck, it also holds all their personal information if they get lost and/or needs to be strong enough to keep them close while out and about. Our collars and leashes are made with cotton/cotton blend fabrics so they are soft and comfortable, but they also have an interior strip to ensure strength.

 

Me: How does lizziebees give back to the community?

lizziebees: lizziebees loves to partner with the community!! You might find us donating products to the animals still in the shelters or foster care system, or helping raise money for necessities. We have done trunk shows with local rescue groups where half of all the sales are donated that day or an online version where the proceeds from specific items go to a group in need. Whenever possible, lizziebees is willing to help animals in need.

Me: Give us some final thoughts about your business.

lizziebees: I adore my accidental business. Who would have thought that an at home craft project to make me smile could have turned into a full time business! Plus, I would have never found our newest fur-baby, Pickles the dog. He is a wonderful addition, and a fabulous spokes dog and model. His sister, Squirrel the cat, is less than amused with my business. She avoids modeling my products and prefers to hide under the bookshelf while the rest of us work.

Here is how to find out more and order cool stuff for your pet!!!


http://www.lizziebeesthings.etsy.com

http://www.facebook.com/lizziebees

http://www.twitter.com/lizziebees

Hors d'oeuvres to die for! And you can order them!

One thing I can say is working for a specialty food company opened my eyes to the many possibilities in the food world.  If you have a fun party or even to think ahead for the holidays http://kabobs.com is one of the greatest places to order hors d'oeuvres from.

They specialize in top of the line.  These are served in high end restaurants, hotels and country clubs all over.  Kabobs is located in Morrow, GA but they ship all over the country. 

The story of Kabobs is somewhat of a fairy tale but with a lot more hard work and sweat than most fairy tales! Terry Hunt the founder of Kabobs was working in the produce department of a local Atlanta grocery store chain when he decided he wanted to open his own business... a restaurant.
1980 - Terry Hunt opened his first restaurant, Sticks, in a mall South of Atlanta. Four years later he changed the name to Kabobs and the concept took off! He was serving skewered meat and vegetable brochettes and consumers couldn't get enough.

TODAY - Kabobs has grown into a 65,000 square foot plant consisting of USDA inspected and refrigerated production space, highly organized and efficiently rotated inventory freezers and refrigerated docks to ensure quality. By far our most beneficial asset is a production, sales, and management staff with our original philosophy in mind: "First Lets Be Best....Then We'll Be First."

Ok - onto pictures to tempt you.  Ordering is just a click away.

Mini Beef Wellington (K725)

  A savory piece of beef tenderloin accented with mushroom duxelle wrapped in a French-style puff pastry. (1.1 oz. each)   This is one of their best sellers.

Butter Pecan Shrimp (K8008)

A large 31/35 ct shrimp is butterflied and dipped in a mild butter pecan batter and rolled in an aromatic mixture of pecans, coconut and breadcrumbs. Each shrimp is then hand-threaded on a 6" wooden skewer. (1.0 oz. each)

Portobello Puff (K7252)

Grilled Portobello mushrooms with fresh Roma tomatoes, roasted red pepper, Monterey Jack and goat cheese in a light flaky pastry. (1.6 oz. each)

Brie En Croute with Raspberry (K7135)

Brie cheese blended with chopped almonds and raspberry preserves wrapped in a flaky puff pastry. (1.1 oz. each)

Assorted Petit Fours (K071)

Chocolate Tartlets, Choux Praline, Pistachio Squares, Tangerine Tartlets, Chocolate Eclairs, Coffee Eclairs, Raspberry Tartlets, Opera Squares, Lemon Tartlets. (Approximately .58 oz each)

Vietnamese Springroll (K8632)

Fresh spring vegetables, black mushrooms, chicken and glass noodles combined with Oriental sesoning in a crisp springroll. (1.15 oz. each)

They have so many to choose from.  It is hard to make a decision.

Wish I had some right now.

Foodies! Some great places to order specialty food items!

I know there are some things we all want sometimes but can't find.  Thought I would give you some great websites to order specialty food from.

The first is Hafner USA.  Their website is:  http://www.hafner.com
Hafner USA is located in Stone Mountain, GA.  They offer any kind of sweet or savory pastry shell you can think of.  They also have waffle shells, profitteroles, chocolate dough, and so much more. 

Galaxy Desserts:    http://galaxydesserts.gourmetfoodmall.com/ViewAllProducts.php
Galaxy Desserts are unique wonderful desserts.  They specialize in mini desserts and mini mousses.

Savannah Bee Company:   http://www.savannahbee.com
Located in Savannah, Ga, Savannah Bee Company offers some of the finiest honey and products made from honey bees in the country.  In you are a wine and cheese lover order some of their honeycombs to taste along side.  They are unbelivable!

and last but not least the BEST roasted tomatoes I have ever tasted from Divina:
http://www.homechefmarketplace.com/savory/vegetables/roasted-red-tomatoes-packed-in-canola-with-herbs.html

I will be adding more awesome products in different posts.