Impress Her By Cooking

It’s National Hot Tea Month

Posted in: In The Know
Tags: dr. oz, black tea, anti-aging

With each new month comes a new list of zany observances. Did you know January is National Polka Music Month, National Mail Order Gardening Month and California Dried Plum Digestive Month? Zany indeed.

An observance we can get behind is National Hot Tea month.

There are five common types of teas: black, green, white, yellow, oolong and pu-erh fermented tea.

Hot tea is a good source of antioxidants. According to Dr. Oz’s anti-aging checklist, we should drink four cups of green or white tea daily.

Black tea is the most popular. If you are from the South, you have probably enjoyed this tea over ice during the summer. Black tea is fully fermented, so it has approximately 20% of the caffeine in a cup of coffee. Black teas help maintain cholesterol levels that are already within the normal range as well as helping to maintain cardiovascular function and a healthy circulatory system.

Here’s an interesting bit of information you can use to impress your friends and colleagues.  According to The Tea Association of the USA, all tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, a warm-weather evergreen. Herbal teas do not come from Camellia sinensis, but are an infusion of leaves, roots, bark, seeds or flowers of other plants.

Rooibos (an herbal tea) is made from a South African red bush. Naturally caffeine free, Rooibos teas help promote digestion, support your immune system, and promote healthy skin, teeth and bones.

So put on some polka music and cozy up with a cup of hot tea. It is January after all.
 

Insider Tip: Grogan’s Mill Village Center

Posted in: Ways To Play
Tags: grogan's mill village, the woodlands, insider tips

Here’s a great insider tip for first-time visitors to our resort. Tucked away behind the resort is the Grogan’s Mill Village Center, the original village of The Woodlands. Here you’ll find a Randall’s grocery store for those forgotten convenience items plus quick-casual restaurants such as Fuddrucker’s, Beck’s Prime and Brother’s Pizza.

If you are of legal drinking age and looking to add to your wine collection, stop by The Beverage Shoppe with more than 800 different labels of wine and spirits.

For our youngest resort guests, Wonderwild is a fabulous place to escape those rainy afternoons. This indoor playscape features soft sculptures for climbing, fun slides, an inflatable obstacle course and other creative equipment designed to stimulate and challenge.

Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon are a real treat at Grogan’s Mill. A year-round farmers market sets up shop in the parking lot with vendors selling fresh, seasonal produce, local honey, home-made breads and baked goods, soaps, Texas grassfed beef, Indian cuisine and so much more. Click here to find out more about the Grogan’s Mill Farmer’s Market.

Just put on your walking shoes and ask our Concierge, or any resort staffer which path leads to the Grogan’s Mill Village Center … It’s just a shaded walk away!
 

Ring in 2012 in The Woodlands

Posted in: Great Gatherings
Tags: new years eve, the woodlands, family events, dining

The Woodlands offers a great selection of New Year’s Eve events to ring in 2012! From family activities to adult-only celebrations, here are some of the best...

New Year’s Eve for Children and Families

The Woodlands Children’s Museum High Noon Countdown
Ring in the New Year with hats, horns and a bubble wrap stomp at The Woodlands Children's Museum's High Noon Countdown New Year celebration from 10 am to noon on Saturday, December 31. Cost is free with $5 museum admission and benefits The Woodlands Children's Museum.

The Woodlands Ice Rink
Skate into the New Year at The Woodlands Ice Rink, open New Years Eve from Noon – 1 am and New Years Day from 11 am – 9 pm. Admission is $6 for children, $10.50 for adults and includes skate rental.

Wonderwild Indoor Party Playground
Celebrate with free balloons, balloon art, crafts and fun in Wonderwild’s giant indoor playground Friday, December 30 from 10 am – 12 pm and 4 pm – 6 pm. $10 for walkers, $8 for pre-walkers; members, adults and siblings 9 months and under are free. For more information, call 281-419-1044.

New Year’s Eve for Grown-ups

Crush Lounge
Ring in the New Year at Crush with live jazz in the Lounge from 9 pm – 1 am, a DJ on the rooftop from 8 pm – 2am, a midnight champagne toast, and a never-ending munchies menu culminating in a breakfast buffet. $72 per person for cover and food, gratuity included. For reservations call 281-362-7874

Jasper’s
Indulge in Jasper’s four-course New Year’s menu, featuring Champagne Wood Fired Oysters, Mushroom Falk Salt Grilled Tenderloin Filet and Pan Seared Alaskan Halibut. Seatings are available from 5 pm – 6pm for $55 per person, or 6:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. for $85 per person. View the complete menu here. Call 281-298-6600 for reservations.

Amerigo’s Grille
Enjoy a four-course meal featuring Amerigo’s most popular dishes, dance to live music by the Gentle Lamb Experience! and adorn yourself with festive hats and party favors as you await the champagne toast at midnight. View the complete New Years Eve menu here. $75 per person for upstairs seating, $95 per person for downstairs seating. Call for reservations: 281-362-0808

Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille
The chefs at Perry’s Steakhouse & Grill have prepared an elegant three-course New Years menu featuring Lobster Bisque, Pecan-Crusted Red Snapper and Filet Mignon. End the evening with a midnight champagne toast in the lounge. $54.95 per person before 5:30 pm, $74.95 per person beginning at 6 pm. View the complete New Years Eve menu here. Reservation can be made online at PerrysSteakhouse.com

1252 Tapas Bar
Have dinner and drinks or party all night long at 1252 Tapas to ring in the New Year. Table reservations are available at 6 pm or 9 pm with the purchase of a bottle of sparkling wine. Nosh on a la cart tapas and cocktails until 10 pm when the DJ gets the party started with music until 2 am. For reservations call 281-419-1260.

Luca & Leonardo
Celebrate the New Year at Luca & Leonardo with a fabulous four-course menu including roasted veal chop, baked sea bass and braised short rib, live entertainment and a midnight balloon drop. Seatings are available at 5 pm ($55/person), 7 pm ($70/person), and 10 pm ($85/guest). View the complete New Year’s menu here. For reservations call 832-510-2110.
 

Happy New Year!!

Re-Gift Without Fear

Posted in: In The Know
Tags: re-gift, christmas

Are you still looking at that hideous decorative plate Aunt Edna gave you for Christmas and wondering how you can get away with re-gifting it to your sister-in-law? Here are a few questions to ask yourself before re-gifting from the experts at Regiftable.com:

Is the gift re-giftable? Never re-gift handmade or one-of-a-kind items. Signed books and monogrammed items are off-limits. Do you have to be told not to re-gift free promotional items? Some gifts that are good candidates for re-gifting include good (unopened!) bottles of wine, new household items and inexpensive jewelry.

How is the condition? Only new, unopened gifts in good condition should be considered for re-gifting. Never give partially used gift cards. Don’t give items that you have owned for a long time. A general rule of thumb: if you have to dust it off, it is not re-giftable.

Is this going to work? Successful re-gifters use common sense. If you are going to re-gift, be sure you know who gave you the item, so you don’t return something to the original giver. Only re-gift items to people who are not likely to see the original giver.

Do you have good intentions? Don’t just give a gift to give a gift. Be sure that the recipient will appreciate the item. Remember, if you feel that an item is undesirable, the recipient probably will too. If you are re-gifting simply because you ran out of time, gift cards are simple to obtain and always well received.

How does it look? When it comes to gift-giving, go for show! While gift bags in good condition can be reused, wrapping paper is a one-time thing. Always spring for a new card or gift tag.

Can you handle it? If you don’t plan to announce the gift as a re-gift, ask yourself if you can keep the secret. Never feel guilty about re-gifting once you’ve done it.

Have you considered your options? An unwanted gift could be a welcome donation to a charitable organization. It is also an option to suck it up and keep an unwanted gift. After all, it was a gift.

Have you ever been the victim of a re-gifter who didn't get it right?  Was there a faint stain of lipstick on the set of wine glasses you received?  Or, a couple of dried rice kernels in the rice cooker?  We'd love to hear your funniest and most awkward re-gifting stories.
 

Reindeer Munchies

Posted in: Great Gatherings
Tags: christmas, snacks, cookies, reindeer

Looking for a sweet snack to leave out for Santa and his reindeer this Christmas Eve? In place of the usual cookies and carrots, try this Reindeer Munchie recipe straight from Mrs. Claus’s kitchen - we hear it’s a North Pole favorite!

This sweet snack is easy for kids to make (with a little help from Mom or Dad).  Let's just hope Rudolph shares with the others.

Ingredients
5 cups sweetened corn & oat honeycomb-shaped cereal
2 cups thin pretzel sticks, broken in half
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 (11.5 ounce) package (1 1/2 cups) milk chocolate chips
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup red and green candy-coated milk chocolate pieces
2 (1 gallon size each) resealable plastic food bags
Ice cream cones, if desired

Directions
1. Combine cereal and pretzels in large bowl; set aside.

2. Place butter, peanut butter and chocolate chips in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100% power) for 45 seconds; stir. Continue microwaving until butter and chocolate are melted (15 to 45 seconds). Stir until smooth.

3.Immediately pour chocolate mixture over cereal in bowl; stir until well coated. Spread mixture evenly into single layer on two waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes to set.

4. Break into bite-sized pieces; place half of mixture in each plastic food bag. Pour 1/2 cup powdered sugar into each bag; seal bags. Shake bags until mixture is well coated. Place 1/2 cup chocolate pieces in each bag; seal bags. Carefully shake to distribute chocolate pieces.

5. To serve, spoon mixture into ice cream cones, if desired. Store mixture in resealable plastic food bags or container with tight-fitting lid in refrigerator up to 4 weeks.

Cooks Tip: Add more powdered sugar after storage, if needed.

Cooks Tip: For longer storage, freeze in container with tight-fitting lid or resealable plastic freezer bags up to 2 months.

Merry Christmas!
 

Friend or Foe?

Posted in: In The Know
Tags: the elf on the shelf, christmas, traditions

The Elf on the Shelf. You either love him or loathe him. Some say he’s cute. Some say he’s creepy. If you are unfamiliar with The Elf on the Shelf, he’s a clever tool used by parents to keep their kids in line during the Christmas season. Here’s the back-story directly from the EOTS website.

The Elf on the Shelf – A Christmas Tradition is the very special tool that helps Santa know who to put on the Naughty and Nice list. Excellent listeners and even better observers, these scout elves are the eyes and ears of Santa Claus. Although they cannot be touched, or else they may lose their magic, the elf will always listen and relay messages back to Santa.

As one parent puts it, that little elf is nothing but a jailhouse snitch.

Many parents name their Elf and enjoy staging him in funny vignettes around the house. Others forget about the Elf altogether and have to answer to inquisitive children … “Why is he in the same spot?”

So parents, what side of the debate are you on? If you have an Elf scout of your own, we’d love to see where you’ve found him hiding around your home. Feel free to share your EOTS photos on our Facebook page.