things to do in and around Frisco, Texas

This is a wagon in the museum.

Recently I visited Frisco with my family.  A forty-minute drive from Dallas, it's a great little day trip for any one in or around the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Frisco is one of the fastest growing towns in Texas and even America, and it's chock full of wonderful activities for families and kids of all ages.

Spot #1:

    First, I'd recommend a trip to old downtown Frisco, filled with unique boutiques and quirky little shops, a vast library, and a beautiful new museum, The Frisco Heritage Center.

The center is large enough to be interesting, but small enough to be covered in an hour/hour and a half, so it's perfect if you want to see other attractions in the area as well. Plus, it's quite a bargain, $4 for anyone over 12, and $2 for anyone younger. One of my family's favorite parts of the museum was the 'rooms'. Several sections of the museum were furnished authentically as a Victorian Parlor, a 1960's living room(complete with a tv showing reruns of The Andy Griffith Show and Dragnet.) Then there was an 80's den complete with an Atari and some ancient Nintendo games that were predecessors to the Wii and the D.S. You could play them, as they were in good condition.(No doubt they were lovingly preserved by some fully grown 40-something video game addict) =)

 There was also an exhibit on World War Two that I thoroughly enjoyed, a replica of a beauty parlor that was probably in use during FDR' s administration, a small media room showing clips of old movies, quilt displays, and a mock garden toddlers could play in. Outdoors there are several old homes, a tiny vintage church, and a school, all of which can be toured, but ONLY on the third Sunday of a month, which kinda stinks if you wanted to see them any other day. All in all, however, the museum offered an interesting view on life in Frisco years ago. The center's website is here, and, if you're planning a trip, remember that it's closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Helpful tip: Adjacent to the center is a restaurant called Babe's Chicken Dinner House, so if you go around lunch or dinner time, you'll have a place to eat, right next door! Their website is here.
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Spot #2:

Shop at IKEA!

Frisco boasts one of the largest Ikea' s, and it is a lot of fun to tour the model rooms, browse the kid's section,try Swedish dishes in the restaurant, and look around the HUGE store, which also features an indoor playground for toddlers. Plus, you can pretend you're a Food Network star in the model kitchens!! :P

Next, add flour, sugar, and the beaten egg, stirring gently...:)

I want our homeschool room to look like this!!

Here's Ikea Frisco's website.
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Spot #3
There's an attractive new bowling alley called The Strikz, which my family loved. (I personally don't enjoy bowling whatsoever, but read on to see what I liked.) The cool thing about this place, however, was that it had a new, (clean!) arcade, laser tag play zone, laser target shooting range ,and a restaurant. So there's something for everyone, even the non-bowlers. :) Here's the website.

Charro beans!!!

You will need:

• 2  cups dry pinto beans or 1 lb dry pinto beans

8 cups water, to quick simmer the beans

6 cups water

6 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 small onion, sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (mild or original)

2 tablespoons chili powder, separated

2 teaspoons cumin, separated

1 lime

salt & pepper 

1 can (8 oz)  tomato sauce 

2 jalapenos, on whole, one seeded and diced.                                     

Directions:

1.  
   Sort your dried beans for stones and rinse.
2.  
   Bring beans and 8 cups water to a boil in a 6-quart or larger stock pot, and boil for two minutes. Cover the pot and then remove from heat and allow to sit undisturbed for 2 hours.
3.  
   After 2 hours, drain and rinse beans. Return to the stock pot with 6 cups water, and bring back to a boil. Once you've got it to a boil, allow it to then simmer covered for about 1 1/2 hours, with the top just slightly tilted to allow a little bit of steam to escape. Don't stir the beans. Resist. You can do it!!
4.  
   After the beans have simmered for almost 1 hour, begin cooking the chopped bacon in a separate saute pan.
5.  
   Before the bacon is fully cooked add the sliced onion and minced garlic.   Allow to fully cook, stirring.
6.  
   Once the bacon is fully cooked through, add the can of diced tomatoes with chili. add Cook for a few minutes to let the flavors settle, and then add 1 tablespoon Chili Powder, and 1 teaspoon Cumin. Cook a few minutes longer to allow the flavors to blend together. Add diced jalapeno. Do not drain! You want the bacon grease flavor in there... sit the whole jalapeno in the mixture to simmer as well IF you want a lil' extra spice.
7.  
   After the beans have simmered for the full 1 1/2 hours, check to make sure they're soft. Once they are soft, add the entire bacon mixture to the pot and stir in thoroughly.
8.  
   Add the remaining 1 tablespoon Chili Powder, 1 teaspoon Cumin, Juice from 1 lime, and Salt and Pepper to taste.
9.  
   Bring the beans back to a boil and allow it to simmer covered, top slightly tilted for at least 30 minutes, or until beans are fully cooked.

muy delicioso spicy Dr.Pepper pulled brisket//

This recipe for spicy pulled brisket is quite possibly the best food ever, paired with homemade tortillas and guacamole. Oh yeah. :)
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You will need:
1 brisket
1 small/ medium onion
2 cans of adobo peppers in chili sauce
2 cans of Dr. Pepper
1/2 cup brown sugar
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1. Place the brisket in a foil-lined 13 x 9 pan.

2.  Slice the onion and place all around the brisket.

3. Add the adobo peppers and the Dr. Pepper.

4. Sprinkle brown sugar on. Once everything's been evenly distributed, pop it in the oven @  300 degrees Fahrenheit.  

5. Cook for 6 hours. You can tell when it's done by the awesome smells and the way the meat falls apart. The same way you check brisket for doneness. 

Yummy. Seriously, try this recipe- you won't regret it.

Awesome Giveaway at Bramblewood Fashion

Hey guys! Just wanted to let you know about the awesome giveaway over @ Bramblewood Fashion Blog . (Love that name! Bramblewood... it just sounds so mysterious and pretty.) They're giving away some really cute jewelry, and I  hope I win those beautiful earrings!!Check it out!
-Laura Ashley

Trixie Belden books!!

It's no secret I love to read. Anyone who has seen this blog knows how much I enjoy finding a good book!  I've been a huge fan of the Trixie Belden books ever since my mom gave me her old copy of The Red Trailer Mystery a few years ago. Now, whenever I go to yard sales or book fairs, I keep an eye out for Trixie books. There are 39 in the series, and 2 quiz books. I had 8. Then, a few days ago, at the library, I saw seven. SEVEN Trixie Beldens that  I did not have. The cool thing about this library is you keep the books. Forever, and for free. I had just scored myself 7 Trixie Belden books. Ah, what bliss followed me home! Then a tragic thought struck me. You, my dear readers, may not know who Trixie is!

Trixie and Jim

 Trixie is a teen living just outside the  town of Sleepyside-on-Hudson, in the Hudson River Valley area of New York. She lives at Crabapple Farm, which had been in her family for either three six generations  with her parents and three brothers, Brian, Mart, and Bobby. In The Secret of the Mansion (Book one) she meets lonely, sheltered rich girl Honey Wheeler whose family has just moved into the Manor House. A runaway boy in desperate need of their help soon arrives, and they have their first case!
Throughout the series, the two girls solve mysteries that baffle the police and, along with their brothers and friends, form a club called the Bob-Whites of the Glen, through which they have fabulous adventures. The books were written between 1948-1984, and some are VERY hard to find. I feel super blessed to have found the original editions. Here is a list of the first 10:
1. The Secret of the Mansion
2. The Red Trailer Mystery
3. The Gatehouse Mystery
4. The Mysterious Visitor
5. The Mystery Off Glen Road
6. The Mystery in Arizona
7. The Mysterious Code
8. The Black Jacket Mystery
9. The Happy Valley Mystery
10. The Marshland Mystery

Any other Trixie Belden fans out there? Comment and let me know!!

(Thank you, pinterest for the photo! :) )