When I was little, we used to go see my great-grandmother every weekend. She lived in a neighboring town about 35 miles away, which was on the other side of the earth as far as my parents were concerned. Anyway, we always stopped at this little diner sometime during the trip. It isn’t there anymore but I do like to find out of the way diners like this and let other people know that sometimes the best meals can be found where you least expect it.
One example is the Redwater Diner in Redwater, Texas. Now, there isn’t much to be found in Redwater. There is a nice school, a few small stores, and a popular gymastics arena. In fact, taking my daughter to gymnastics was the reason for my very first stop at the Diner.
We decided last night to go back and see if we could get a decent meal.
There weren’t a lot of people dining in, but the drive through was busy the whole time we were there.
My daughter and husband are both chicken fried steak fanatics.
She always gets fried okra.
In an effort to be healthy, he a salad as a side.
I got the chef salad and it was more than I could eat. In fact, they both tried to finish it out.
Everyone was happy with their meal and the best part? They are the most reasonably priced place around. My chef salad was $4.50. Yes. It was. All together, with drinks and everything, our bill was $20. Anyone who knows me knows that I am all about getting the most for my money. I certainly think we did tonight.
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They began with a new theme this year. “Let It Snow” was everwhere and the tree was kid and dog friendly, no hooks of any kind.
The ladies work and work to get everything ready. Everyone brings something and it all fits together to make a perfect meal.
Di, checking the status of the pots and pans.
Joyce doing the same. Both will probably kill me for posting these pictures. I didn’t warn them and snapped away as they slaved over a hot stove. Can I remind you that neither complain or get snippy? It is like a Norman Rockwell Christmas to me. We fight when we drive thru Taco Bell, let alone cook!
We tag along with my sweet little mother in law. She had all of her boys together this weekend, a gift for her that she doesn’t get very often.
I made the crockpot dressing.
My husband cooked a pot of beans.
Little Boo made a cake for Santa. We cut it short and used a mix. I had planned to make mother’s recipe from scratch but since I have had the plague, we went the easy route. Santa likes it just as well.
She adds her own special touches.
The main thing I can say about our Christmas Eve?
This morning was an early venture into packages, gifts, and coffee. We had planned to be up at 6:00, mainly just because I like to go by a schedule. I overslept a few minutes but it was all good. I had breakfast already ready to go in the oven. Our favorite casserole is so easy.
We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas today. Enjoy your family, your gifts, and some good food. We have big plans for the upcoming year and hope that some of you are involved!
These ladies put lots of love into everything they do. Everything looks as good as it tastes. These women are inspiring to me in every area, not just cooking.
As we sat around the table and ate, we again discussed recipes. My Texas Caviar dish had led to a revelation of an old time recipe of fried black eyed pea patties. Some had heard of this, but most had not and listened to the story behind the recipe. To be honest, I”m not anxious to make it. It is another of those things that sprang from hard times and having to make leftovers seem appealing. That, and I’m just not that into black eyed peas.
