Fall Vegetable Gardening in Texas Fall Vegetable ... - CoServ.com

COSERV ELECTRIC EDITIONLARRY MCMURTRY’S ARCHER CITY BOOKSTOREAUGUST 2009THE FORGOTTEN PANDEMICDIG IN!Fall VegetableGardening in Texas

Financing available to qualified customers through Kubota Credit Corporation, U.S.A. For product and dealer information,call 1-888-4-KUBOTA, ext. 128 or go to www.kubota.com.Optional equipment may be shown.©Kubota Tractor Corporation, 2009

August 2009V O L U M E 6 6 N U M B E R 2F E A T U R E S8Dig InFALL VEGETABLE GARDENINGIN TEXASPhotos by Will van Overbeekand Ann RichburgOur staff ’s modest labors on avariety of fall gardens have givenus a profound appreciation forgenuine farmers. From the guerrillagarden to the whiskey barrelgarden, we had good luck and bad.8F A V O R I T E SFootnotes by Shannon Oelrich The Forgotten Pandemic 25Recipe Roundup Stretching Your Food Budget 26Focus on Texas Sisters 35Around Texas Local Events Listings 36Hit the Road by Barbie Perkins-Cooper Beaumont 3814A Bookish ParadiseBy Jeff TietzThere’s no telling what you’ll findwhen browsing the four buildingsthat make up writer LarryMcMurtry’s antiquarian bookstorein Archer City.25263814TEXAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Ray Beavers, Chair, Cleburne; Darren Schauer,Vice Chair, Gonzales; Kendall Montgomery, Secretary-Treasurer, Olney; James Calhoun, Franklin; Steve Louder, Hereford;Gary Nietsche, La Grange; Larry Warren, San AugustinePRESIDENT/CEO: Mike Williams, AustinTexas Co-op Power is published by yourelectric cooperative to enhance the qualityof life of its member-customers in aneducational and entertaining format.STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Bill Harbin, Chair, Floydada; Robert A. Loth III, Vice Chair,Fredericksburg; Roy Griffin, Edna; Bryan Lightfoot, Bartlett; Melody Pinnell, Crockett; Anne Vaden, Corinth; William “Buff”Whitten, EldoradoCOMMUNICATIONS STAFF: Martin Bevins, Sales Director; Carol Moczygemba, Executive Editor; Kaye Northcott, Editor;Suzi Sands, Art Director; Karen Nejtek, Production Manager; Ashley Clary, Field Editor; Andy Doughty, Production Designer;Sandra Forston, Communications Assistant; Kevin Hargis, Food Editor; Camille Wheeler, Staff Writer; Monica Vasquez, InternC O V E R P H O T Oby Will van OverbeekAugust 2009 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 3

ANDY AND SALLY WASOWSKIH A P P E N I N G SAt the AUSTIN BATFEST, the celebrities don’t come out until it’s almost dark. Whenthe fifth annual event gets under way during the heat of the day on August 22, its stars—more than a million of them—will be sound asleep or resting, snuggled wing to wing inthe cool, concrete crevices under the Ann Richards Congress Avenue Bridge.But at sunset, with thousands of human onlookers angling for the best view, theworld’s largest urban colony of Mexican free-tailed bats will pour out from under thebridge, skimming through the summer sky like a massive cloud of black smoke.Late summer is the best time to see the night flights of Austin’s bats because theyoung, called juveniles when they start to fly, are now old enough to join the adults asthey venture out in search of insects for supper.And the Batfest, slated to run from 1 p.m. to midnight on the bridge just south of theCapitol, is quintessential Austin with live music from 18 bands and food, arts and craftsand other offerings from 150 vendors.For more information, call (512) 441-9015 or go to www.roadwayevents.com. For moreinformation about Austin’s bats, visit the Bat Conservation International website,www.batcon.org, or call the Austin bat hotline at (512) 416-5700, category 3636.THE MULTIPURPOSE YUCCA“Along with lechuguilla, prickly pear,and sotol, yucca was one of the mostuseful plants to early humans in ourstate. Literally every part of the plantyields something of value, whether afoodstuff, fiber, soap, tanning agent,medicine, building material, or fuel.Amid hundreds of representations ofanimals and humans, yucca is one ofthe few wild plants depicted in prehistoricpetroglyphs.”WHO KNEW?A storm that generates windsexceeding 57 mph is called aderecho (pronounced day-REYcho),a Spanish word thatmeans straight. Unlike therotating winds of a tornado—which is thought to be derivedfrom the Spanish word tornar,which means “to turn”—thesustained, straight-line winds ofa derecho do not revolve orspin. But these storms can bejust as dangerous as tornadoes.Most common in warm seasons,derechos are created bybands of showers or thunderstormscalled bow echoes,meaning they are curved, orcrescent-shaped. Together,these storms generate damaging,straight-line winds thatoften occur near the center ofa bow echo.CO-OP PEOPLEEASING UP ON WILDFLOWERSCATHEY MILLER, a member of Mid-South Synergy, loves sunflowers andwanted to decorate the roadway infront of her house with them. Butshe didn’t realize she was using the—Matt Warnock Turner, Remarkable Plants ofTexas: Uncommon Accounts of Our CommonNatives, University of Texas Press, 2009utility’s easement as a flower bed.She wrote Texas Co-op Power tothank the thoughtful co-op workerswho came to trim trees and heededher pleas to spare her newly plantedflowers. “They could have savedthemselves a lot ofextra work,” shewrote. “Instead, theycarefully trimmedthe trees, makingsure to not tramplethe (sunflower)seedlings.” Thisphoto of Miller andher handiwork inMontgomery testifiesto her greenthumb and Mid-South Synergy’slight tread.Texas Co-op Power (USPS 540-560) is publishedmonthly by Texas Electric Cooperatives(TEC). Periodical Postage Paid at Austin, TXand at additional offices. TEC is the statewideassociation representing 74 electric cooperatives.Texas Co-op Power’s website is www.texascooppower.com. Call (512) 454-0311 ore-mail knorthcott@texas-ec.org.Subscription price is $3.84 per year for individualmembers of subscribing cooperatives. If youare not a member of a subscribing cooperative,you can purchase an annual subscription at thenonmember rate of $7.50. Individual copies andback issues are available for $3 each.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to TexasCo-op Power (USPS 540-560), 1122 Colorado,24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. Please encloselabel from this copy of Texas Co-op Powershowing old address and key numbers.ADVERTISING: Advertisers interested in buyingdisplay ad space in Texas Co-op Power and/orin our 30 sister publications in other states,contact Martin Bevins at (512) 486-6249.Advertisements in Texas Co-op Power are paidsolicitations. The publisher neither endorsesnor guarantees in any manner any product orcompany included in this publication. Productsatisfaction and delivery responsibility lie solelywith the advertiser. Direct questions or commentsabout advertising to MartinBevins, Sales Director.© Copyright 2009 Texas Electric Cooperatives,Inc. Reproduction of this issue or any portion ofit is expressly prohibited without written permission.Willie Wiredhand © Copyright 2009National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.ILLUSTRATIONS BY CARL WIENSAugust 2009 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 5

POWER CONNECTIONSCarbon CaptureThe realities of carbon capture and storageElectric cooperatives not onlylead the utility industry in implementingenergy-efficiency programsand supplying power fromrenewable energy, they also are on thecutting edge when it comes to testingand deploying carbon capture and storagetechnology (CCS).This technology involves isolatingcarbon dioxide—a gas blamed for contributingto climate change—fromcoal- and gas-fueled power-plant emissions.The collected gas is then compressed,pumped down into spent oiland natural gas wells, saline reservoirsor inaccessible coal seams and, in theory,entombed forever.As we strive to meet increasingdemands for safe, reliable and affordableelectricity in an environmentallyresponsible fashion, CCS stands,according to a Massachusetts Instituteof Technology report, “as the criticalenabling technology to reduce carbondioxide emissions significantly.”A 2007 study released by the ElectricPower Research Institute (EPRI), anonprofit, utility-sponsored organizationwhose members include electricPipeline carrying CO 2 tounderground formationsBy Jennifer Taylor and Megan McKoyco-ops, finds that CCS technology is themost significant among seven principalareas where U.S. electric utilities canhelp cut carbon dioxide emissions.If electric utilities are to implementCCS on a commercial scale by 2020—the cornerstone of EPRI’s frameworkfor keeping the lights on and ratesaffordable as the nation tackles climatechange—in-depth research and demonstrationprojects are needed.The 2009 American Recovery andReinvestment Act, known as the stimulusbill, provides $3.4 billion for CCSprograms. These funds will supportfossil-energy research and development,carbon capture and energy-efficiencyimprovement projects.Basin Electric Power Cooperativesecured a $300 million federal loan inearly 2009 from the U.S. Departmentof Agriculture for a CCS demonstrationproject at its 900-megawatt (MW)coal-fired Antelope Valley Station. TheBismarck, North Dakota-based generationand transmission (G&T) co-opsupplies wholesale power to 126 memberco-ops in nine states.Approximately 1 million tons of carbondioxide will be captured annuallyfrom the 120-MW project, making thisdemonstration, expected to go onlinein 2012, one of the largest in the world.But a CCS venture of this scale facessignificant technical and economicchallenges: Transferring this technologyto a large-scale, existing coal-firedpower plant has never been done.“We’ve been pushing the technologyenvelope for years, while keeping aneye on consumer electric costs. Butthese efforts take time and a hugefinancial commitment,” said BasinElectric Power Cooperative CEO andGeneral Manager Ron Harper. “Ourdemonstration project has the potentialto create a viable path for coal inour nation’s energy future. The conundrumfor us lies in paying for the technologyand research necessary to dothis work, while keeping electricityaffordable for our member-owners.”The Great Plains Synfuels Plant, anatural gas plant owned and operatedby Basin Electric Power, started deliveringcaptured carbon dioxide in 2000to a Canadian oil producer. The plantstarts the process with coal, which isturned into a synthetic natural gas.Every day, the Synfuels plant sends8,700 tons of captured, compressedcarbon dioxide via a 205-mile-longunderground pipeline to depleted oilfields in Weyburn, Saskatchewan,where the gas helps bring more oil tothe surface.Great River Energy—a MapleGrove, Minnesota-based G&T co-op—is one of five electric utilities takingpart in a 2009 EPRI study to evaluatethe impact of retrofitting existing coalfiredpower plants with CCS technology.“We want to learn how we cancapture carbon dioxide from our existingcoal plants and thus continue tohave a fleet of power plants that is productive,cost-effective and fulfills ourduty to be good environmental stewards,”says Rick Lancaster, Great RiverEnergy’s vice president of generation.Here in Texas, the Legislaturerecently approved tax breaks for “cleancoal”plants to capture and store carbondioxide.Jennifer Taylor and Megan McKoywrite about consumer and cooperativeaffairs for the National Rural ElectricCooperative Association.ILLUSTRATION BY CARL WIENS

BuiltTo Last#3551/#142-0704 Brenham, TX#3553/#142-0569Washington, TX“We made a decision thatwe were going to be herefor years to come and wewanted a building that wasgoing to be here with us.So we tell people, ‘If that’swhat you want, you shouldcall [the Morton] folks’.”Larry T.–Alvin, TXTexas Locations:Amarillo • Houston • McKinneySan Antonio • WacoFor the Location Nearest You:800-447-7436, ask for ext. 1mortonbuildings.com/Texas.aspx#26629Reference Code 537Morton Buildings is a registered trademark of Morton Buildings, Inc.All rights reserved. The statements and opinions about productsexpressed here are those of specific customers and should not beconstrued to represent all buildings or products sold, manufactured,distributed, or constructed by Morton Buildings.August 2009 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 7

DIG IN!Fall Vegetable Gardening in TexasAmericans around the country—rural, suburban and urban—are responding to our country’s economic and environmental challenges by lookingfor solutions in their own backyards, or front yards. More and more grassy lawns are being replaced by vegetable gardens. More communitiesare establishing farmers markets. Locally grown is becoming the gold standard for produce.We took this to heart at Texas Co-op Power and persuaded several staff members, whether experienced or not, to plant fall gardens and letus know what happened. We do confess that one staff member let his neighbor do the dirty work, but she’s a co-op member so that’s OK.Our modest labors have helped us develop a profound appreciation of the many genuine farmers who receive this magazine. So bear with usas we tell you what happened when veggies went into the flower bed, and front yards sprouted entirely too much broccoli.Art Director Suzi Sands helps Kevin Hargis tend his raised vegetable garden,which is bordered with landscape timbers and concrete blocks.WILL VAN OVERBEEKFrom a Humble Home, a Verdant FeastOur vegetable gardens—both are the raised-bed variety—arehardly works of art. One is rimmed by old cinderblocks left behind by our home’s previous owners. The otherone my wife, Lisa, and I built using rot-proof landscape bordersmade from recycled automobiles with a few old cedarporch posts filling in the gaps.We had to build the raised beds and haul in our own gardensoil because where we live, a few miles southwest ofAustin, we have only a few inches of topsoil. Underneath is arocky underbelly of limestone.We surrounded our gardens with old pieces of cardboardtopped by spoiled hay. It keeps the weeds down and gives usnice footing around the beds. A plastic deer fence has keptthe hungry white-tails from feasting on our plants.What the garden lacks in aesthetics, it more than makes upfor in production. In the summers, we enjoy bushels of tomatoes,baskets of squash, spicy radishes, okra and peppers.A couple of years ago, we tried our first fall garden, pullingup the spent summer plants and adding tomatoes, a lettucepatch, a bed of spinach and root vegetables like green onions,carrots and even a few potatoes.After nursing them through a warm September andOctober, the plants, the ones that survived, were stable. A fewcrops were wildly successful. We had spinach coming out ofour ears and enough lettuce to enjoy a salad nearly every day.Last year, a particularly hot and dry summer and ourdecision not to run up our water bill left us with a disappointingsummer harvest. By the time the last few sad littletomato plants were toast, our fall garden planning was in fullswing. The spinach and lettuce made return appearancesand were joined by parsnips, broccoli, cauliflower, Swisschard and Napa cabbage.The vegetables were surprisingly hearty. When the forecastwas for 33 or 34 degrees, Lisa and I found ourselves outin the evening gloom armed with a ragtag collection of oldblankets and poly sheeting, propping the materials above theplants to form an insulating pocket of air.Again, the greens seemed to be the biggest successes. The

spinach thrived and the cabbage grew into huge, oval heads,which were sweet and tasty both stewed and in slaw. Thebroccoli never formed those great big heads like you’d see inthe grocery store, but it was the sweetest I’d ever tasted. Thechard made it through the winter and thrived even when hotweather returned.Now that we know what works, we’ll plant more thisyear—plus give one or two more things an audition.Putting in a fall garden for the first time can be intimidating,but once you see the products of your labor, you’ll be hooked.Kevin Hargis, Food EditorFront-Yard BountyAs a child, I always loved going to my grandmother’shouse in the summer. She had vegetables growing everywhere—theside yard, the backyard and yes—the covetedFRONT YARD. Ripe, red tomatoes, velvety okra, shiny, greencucumbers, black beauty eggplants and tepees of green beanswere all part of her “Secret Garden” home. So, this past winter,inspired by my grandmother and the trend away fromwater-guzzling lawns, I thought to myself, why not?If we could transform our carpet of grass into a beautiful,lush oasis of veggies, maybe some of our neighbors withlarge, manicured yards would do the same. So off we went.First, we fenced the front yard to keep out deer. Then myhusband got busy making garden boxes for my raised beds.Our soil in Northwest Austin is so rocky, raised beds were ouronly option. I pored through my garden books to see whatwould grow successfully in the Texas winter. My children andI were impatient to get our garden up and growing, so we“cheated” a little and bypassed seeds for seedlings. We plantedAnn Richburg’s aesthetically pleasing garden, filled with veggies andflowers, is in her front yard for all her neighbors to enjoy.WILL VAN OVERBEEKANN RICHBURGDaughter Emma Richburg holds a bouquet of Carnival Blend carrots.cabbages, Packman broccoli, cilantro, parsley, spinach, carrots—ofthe Carrot Carnival Blend variety—leeks, radishes,asparagus and a variety of lettuces.I never covered a thing even during our crazy two-dayfreezes followed by 80-degree weather. Bugs were nonexistent,and watering was minimal. We watched our gardengrow more bountiful by the day. The neighbors complimentedus as the plants grew bigger and produced a bumpercrop. I was harvesting so much that my family and pet bunnyhave never eaten so well. The front-yard garden was a hit!After it was all said and done, I let many things flower andgo to seed just for the fun of it and to feed the honeybees. Wecan hardly wait to start planning for our next year’s harvest!Ann RichburgThe Whiskey Barrel GardenI didn’t kill my garden. Well, not all of it, anyway.Granted, there wasn’t much garden to kill, considering Iplanted—foolishly crammed in is more like it—three pepperplants and a tomato plant in a half whiskey barrel.My thumb is about as green as a ripe, red tomato, but Ifigured I could handle such a tiny container garden. Besides,as a co-worker says, the way to grow a green thumb is to keepit on the water hose.So, on September 8, 2008, two days after buying my barreland all-purpose potting mix with fertilizer, I plantedhabanero, jalapeño, African red bullet and tomato plants,deciding I wasn’t qualified to start with seeds. With such aneasy beginning, what could possibly go wrong? Add water,sunshine and a little TLC, and soon I’d be eating the fruits ofmy labor, including the hotter-than-habanero African redbullet peppers. My mouth watered.August 2009 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 9

My tomatoes survived several freezes in December when Idraped blankets over the taller wooden stakes, creating awarm cocoon underneath. But on December 22, when thetemperature dipped to 28 degrees and I forgot to cover them,the tomatoes were gone.I mourned their loss. But a seed has been planted: Even Ican grow a fall garden.Camille Wheeler, Staff WriterVisions of fiery salsa dance in Camille Wheeler’s head as she harvestssome of her homegrown peppers and tomatoes.Plus, I was ahead of the game; upon planting, thehabanero plant was already bearing a couple of peppers.And so began my fall gardening adventure. I watered(almost every day), talked to the plants, gently touched themand oohed and aahed when the slightest growth occurred. Ipatted myself on the back for putting the barrel on the eastside of my covered back deck, where the plants would get lotsof morning sun and not so much of the burning afternoonrays. I loved looking out my back door at my budding littlegarden just 5 feet away.And miraculously, my two Labrador retrievers—one hasbeen known to rip siding off the back of the house—left myeasy-to-get-to garden alone.I tracked growth on my calendar: On September 21, I hadfour jalapeños, eight habaneros and several blooms on thepatio tomato plant. And my September 25 garden diary read:“Gasp! I have a tomato!”By October 27, I had 15 green tomatoes, some the size ofa small fist, slowly turning red. But I had a problem: Myseemingly steroid-fueled tomato plant was overtaking thebarrel and suffocating the African red bullet planted tooclose to its fruit-laden limbs.Soon, some of the tomato plant’s thick, sprawlingbranches were hanging over the edge of the barrel and startingto break under their own weight. I had to do something—andfast. So I drove wooden stakes into the dirt andlashed the limbs to the stakes with strips of cloth.Catastrophe avoided. On November 13, I counted a whopping33 tomatoes and started picking the juicy red beauties,slicing them for sandwiches or sharing them with co-workers.I also enjoyed setting my mouth on fire with the jalapeñosand habaneros—the African red bullet plant never recoveredfrom its trauma—but it’s the tomato plant that did my soulgood. The tomatoes smelled like the summers of my youth,when we planted gardens in a cotton field.And even though a whiskey barrel can’t compare inbeauty with a wide-open farm field, it was good to dig my fingersin the dirt and be reminded that food doesn’t grow ingrocery stores.WILL VAN OVERBEEKWILL VAN OVERBEEKGuerrilla GardenLots of people in Texas have room to roam. So do theirvegetable gardens. I drive out in the country and see the perfectlyweeded long rows of beans, lettuces and squashmarching into the distance. The caged tomatoes stand atattention. This army of veggies would pass muster with theharshest drill sergeant.Someday I may get to be that drill sergeant, keepingthings in lock-step order.But in the meantime, I have a guerrilla vegetable garden.Or at least it is slightly subversive, sneaking in amid suburbanxeriscape flowers and shrubs and crawling up fences andtrellises. Guerrilla vegetables cleverly disguise themselves asornamentals.If you’re like me and want to enjoy fresh vegetables butdo not have the time or energy or space for a full-on vegetablegarden, the solution may be adding a few guerrillaveggies and herbs to your current landscape. Here are severalsimple suggestions:Grow vegetables as ornamentals. Scarlet runner beansand hyacinth beans are grown for flowers as well as beans.Chard has gorgeous, brightly colored stalks. Show off thepole beans on a beautiful trellis.Grow attention-getters. Brussels sprouts have tall stalksThat’s a mighty large cucumber nestled next to a Pride of Barbados plantin what we call the ‘guerrilla’ garden.10 TEXAS CO-OP POWER August 2009

with miniature cabbages stuck on the sides. Once kids seethese they might actually want to eat them. Chinese longbeans are tasty and fun to grow. Chunky cabbages and cauliflowersare superb accent plants.Grow vegetables you can’t find in the store. And harvestthem young. Talk to friends and neighbors to find out whatgrows in your area. Find out about heirloom varieties. Growvegetables developed for taste, not transportation.Go easy on yourself and plant a salad right outside yourdoor. Microgreen seeds germinate quickly, almost likesprouts. A single packet of seeds can produce several teenytinyharvests. With a little care, lettuce, spinach, collards,mustard and cabbages can be pot-grown and harvested a fewleaves at a time all winter long.Key tactics for guerrilla gardening should include taste, asin tasteful design and tasty on the tongue. First and foremost,grow what you want to eat. Mingle the garden plantsin with your ornamentals. Just remember where they are.Tiny markers can help here.Don’t line up your vegetables as in a traditional vegetablegarden. Grow them more like flowers in informal clusters.Pollination is often better in clumps than in the long rows.Think about leaf textures, shapes and colors when planting.Treat the vegetables as you would flowers when planting.A delicate red-leafed mustard would look stunningagainst the pale, solid cabbage.Go ahead. Be subversive and plant a vegetable or two ormore in the front yard.By the way, this guerrilla tactic can work in the spring garden,too. Asparagus becomes a beautiful, feathery borderplant once the harvest is over.Suzi Sands, Art DirectorThe Never-Ending GardenWhen we started our fall garden, I never expected tostill be harvesting cabbage, broccoli and cilantro in March.Despite the extreme drought we continue to experience herein Central Texas, we enjoyed a wonderful yield—thanks inpart to cooler temperatures.I finally was able to use an idea I had years ago of turningan old, metal mattress frame into a bean trellis. We movedthe rusty 1930s relic from the side of the house and proppedit up against the fence. Voilà, an instant trellis.Since we had an established plot, getting started was easy.The hardest part was having to wait to buy plants and seedswhen we wanted the instant gratification of growing greenery.But soil prep is critical for a healthy and bountiful yield,so that’s where we began.Then we visited our local nursery and picked up threevarieties of tomatoes and some rosemary, sage, thyme, dilland jalapeño pepper plants. We also selected seeds: greenbeans, cabbage, cilantro and broccoli. Dealing with the fallheat in Central Texas can be tricky, so we used our pop-upawning to shade the tender vegetation from the late summersun for the first couple of weeks.The beans started growing just like in “Jack and theBeanstalk.” Watching the difference a day made was fascinating:The little beans would grow an inch a day until ready topick. Picking was also fun and challenging. Trying to spotWILL VAN OVERBEEKAn antique bed frame makes a dandy trellis for Sandra and Mark Forston’sunending bean crop.green beans in a sea of green is hard, but the reward of a bowlof fresh-picked beans for dinner was well worth the effort.During the weeks to follow, we continued to pick beansand watch our tomatoes set buds. Seeing the yellow flowersblossom made me think of the fresh tomato dishes soon to beenjoyed with the family. The broccoli, cabbage and cilantrocontinued to grow and required thinning.Here, however, is a precautionary note: Beware of rats!Their love of the tender seedlings was intensified by thedrought, and they went after the premature cabbage andbroccoli. We got out the traps and eliminated eight of thefurry munchers in a six-week period. And in an effort to notto give in to the vermin, we planted more seeds.The dill, rosemary, cilantro, thyme and sage stood us ingood stead for a variety of favorite fall dishes. There was sagefor Thanksgiving dressing, rosemary for roasted chicken anddill for jazzing up relish plates and pickled items. Best of all,we had jalapeños, cilantro and tomatoes ripening during thesame week in mid-December. You know what that meant?Fresh pico de gallo. Just add a little lime juice, and you’re inbusiness. It was a taste of summer, even with Old ManWinter starting to nip at our heels.Gardening in the fall made us spend more time outdoorsenjoying our beautiful backyard and garden—we were drawnoutside even when the weather started to become chilly.For me, having a fall garden is a no-brainer. Got to go: Weare having a stir-fry tonight featuring the last of the broccoliand cabbage—and the wok is hot. It’s mid-April, no less.Sandra Forston, Communications AssistantAugust 2009 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 11

August 2009Back-to-schooltime is peanutbutter time!-- - - continuedon next pageTexas peanut farmers promotehealthy lifestyles at triathlon- - - -“Peanut butter isalways a part of mytraining. It gives methe energy I need toperform my best.”- Mike Greer, age 70Ironman competitor--- - -

August 2009Campaign educatesurban media aboutagriculture Recipeswww.TexasPeanutBoard.comBack to school, continued from previous page Peanut Butter QuesadillasIngredients: DirectionsGo to www.texaspeanutboard.com for nutritional information for this recipeChairman Vice ChairSecretary/Treasurer Executive Director Communications Director

A B O O K I S H P A R A D I S EBY JEFF TIETZReaders from around the world flock toArcher City and Larry McMurtry’s immense,eclectic bookstore.In the center of Archer City, population1,800, stand four plain, onestorybrick buildings that hold roughly200,000 antiquarian books. Together,the buildings compose Booked Up, abookstore owned by novelist LarryMcMurtry, who was raised on a cattleranch near Archer City, the seat ofArcher County.McMurtry’s books, residing in theirbuildings indecorously, in library-stylestacks, draw serious readers and bookdealers from many parts of the world—such as California, New York, Irelandand Australia—to the tiny town ofArcher City, which lies on the RollingRed Plains northwest of Dallas. Thefour Booked Up buildings, which eitherface the county courthouse or sit withina block of it on the town square, giveArcher City’s downtown area a distinctpersonality.Archer City’s economy is lean,depending on oil, natural gas and cattle,and the town is showing some signsof struggle, like the recent closures of aSonic Drive-In and a Chevrolet dealership.But bookstore customers boostbusiness here. For a few days or a week,they stay at the Spur Hotel or theLonesome Dove Inn, which rely ontheir patronage, and they nudge upprofit margins at Allsup’s ConvenienceStore, Oodles Supermart and theWildcat Cafe.Booked Up’s manager, 31-year-oldKhristal Collins, who has worked heresince she was a teenager, seems to haveinternalized some of the store’s suffusingstillness. When I visited recently,she was patient and gracious and helpful,but said no more than she had to,and after showing me into the mainroom of the first building, she leftsoundlessly, before I realized she’dgone.Tall bookcases of simple whitewood, stabilized by two-by-fours nailedto their tops, extended in vertical,monotonous rows in both directions.Colored construction-paper signs,hanging by hairy twine, listed subjectcategories in diverse, upbeat fonts:Nature, Trees, Animals, The Sea ...Texas, Wildflowers, Cacti, Fungi.Tame caprice governs the Booked Upcollection. The first thing you see when14 TEXAS CO-OP POWER August 2009

KENT BARKERyou walk into the second building is afact sheet pinned to a bookshelf:Q: How are the books arranged?A: Erratically/Impressionistically/Whimsically/Open to InterpretationQ: Do you have a list of these books?A: No.In building No. 1, I found a chairand sat. On the shelves all around andon a display table and cart I saw: BeeFlies of the World: The Genera of theFamily Bombyliidae (1973); In Searchof Ali Mahmoud: An American Womanin Egypt (1973); The Charles (1941),from a series of books called Rivers ofAmerica; Hit to Kill: The New Battleover Shielding America from MissileAttack (2001); and A Social History ofthe American Alligator (1991).I walked out of building No. 1 andonto Center Street, which is wide andwindblown. Although there has beenone recent business closure downtown—theSonic, near the courthouse—otherstructures, such as theFirst Baptist Church and 129-year-oldFirst United Methodist church, areperfectly maintained.The bookstore’s second building, justacross Center Street from building No. 1,has thousands of fiction and poetry andart books, but its core, the big frontroom, features rare and unusual books.Here, you can study Rasputin, Nero,Nehru and Kublai Khan. I saw that inthe darkly cathartic year of 1968, aPurdue University professor namedPeter Georgeoff had published a workcalled The Social Education of BulgarianYouth. In the introduction, he writes thatBulgaria is part of “the Shatter Belt, anarrow strip of land between the USSRand Western Europe occupied by weak,disorganized nations.”I left building No. 2 to eat somepizza at the Lucky Dollar conveniencestore and gas station. While I ate, Iread The Archer County News. “Havinghog problems?” a prominent ad in theclassifieds section asked. “We will trapyour property or keep them run offwith dogs,” it promised. The front-pageheadline read: “Scotland-WindthorstVFW and Ladies Auxiliary announceVoice of Democracy essay winners.”Buildings Nos. 3 and 4, right on thecourthouse square, house a hugeAugust 2009 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 15

amount of 19th-century magazines andbooks. In 1858, I learned, Harper’sMagazine commissioned a traveloguecalled “Winter in the South” that itillustrated with engravings of a steamboatloading cotton bales, NativeAmericans carving canoes and the sunsetting over Spanish-mossy LakePontchartrain. Memoirs of M. deBlowitz caught my eye. It has a fineleatherfront cover, color-embossedwith the de Blowitz crest: crown, lion,eagle. It was strange to read deBlowitz’s first sentence: “My origin,infancy, and youth have been narratedso often that no one will, I hope, findfault with me if ... I myself give anaccount of them.” The next paragraphbegins, “On December 28th, 1825, atthe Chateau of Blowsky, in the region ofPilsna, in Bohemia, there was born achild with a big head and a feeble body.”Next door to building No. 3 is theabandoned Berry Building, whoseawning still reads “coffee communityculture conversation.” On its picturewindows, students from Archer CityHigh School had painted “WILD-CATS.” On the other side of buildingNo. 3 are Archer Flowers Gifts &Jewelry, American National Bank, anAllstate insurance office and a StateFarm Insurance office, its picture windowsloganeered “Fire Up To Win,”ringed with Wildcat paw prints. TheBooked Up buildings, moored to theearth by the cubic bulk of McMurtry’seclectic repertoire, have a diminishingeffect on the surrounding structures.Building No. 4 is broad, highceilingedand heavily informational. Inall the Booked Up buildings, but especiallyin No. 4, the scantily labeledshelves are so long and high, the booksso tightly compressed, the dates andstyles and colors and sizes so diverse,the multiple copies so few, that to takea book from a shelf and skim it for amoment is to lose all sense of its place.I often had to stand in front of a bookcasefor a long minute, retracing thetrack my eyes had first traveled.The last place I stopped before leavingtown was the Allsup’s, just downthe street from building No. 1. I waschatting with the cashier when thestore manager, Donna Marney, camein. I asked her about Booked Up. “It’samazing where people come from to goto these stores,” she said. “New York—way out of state. I’m thinking, ‘My God!Talk about avid readers!’”It turned out that Marney’s son-inlawis Larry McMurtry’s nephew. Likeeveryone else I talked to, she had goodthings to say about McMurtry, includingthat he still acts like he’s from ArcherCity. As popular as McMurtry’s bookstoreis with people from other places,Marney said she couldn’t think of manylocals other than McMurtry’s familywho visit Booked Up. “I’m not a reader,”she said, “and I don’t have the time.”Out in the car, on my way out oftown, I thought about time. When youlook into a Booked Up window, from thesidewalk or from a car, you see a dullyforbidding block of volumes, McMurtry’ssensational, mercurially amassedcollection: no sheen, no evident order.Without the luxury of time, whatcan you do with that?Jeff Tietz has written for Harper’sMagazine, Rolling Stone and The NewYorker. He lives in Austin.Mortgage Payment ProtectionWorried about losing your job? Relax. This free benefit will payyour mortgage for up to six months, up to $1,800 per month. Addoptions likeno money down and 100% financing, , and you’repractically home free! *Since 1958, United-Bilt Homes has helped more than 30,000 familiesbuild the home of their dreams.Webuild every home from scratch, using the finestmaterials and craftsmanship. Let United-Bilt Homes help you planall the details tocreate your perfect custom-built t home.AustinBeaumontClevelandelandCorpus ChristiDallasFort WorthHoustonRosenbergSan AntonioShermanTerrellTexarkanaTyler* With approved credit for qualified land owners800.756.2506ubh.comWe’ve gotyou covered.ed.SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Order a giftsubscription online atwww.texascooppower.comand share Texas Co-op Powerwith a far-away friendor family member.16 TEXAS CO-OP POWER August 2009

WHY NUTRISYSTEM?GOOD QUESTION.afterbeforeLose weight with recipes created withgood carbs and high fiber to help youfeel fuller longer!Choose from up to 170 menu items—including restaurant-quality,fresh-frozen cuisine!ENTERTAINERMARIE OSMONDLOST502 years in a rowForbes.com hasfound Nutrisystem tobe the lowest pricedpopular weight lossprogram.**lbs.*• A variety of programs to meet your needs• NO counting calories, carbs, or points• FREE online membership including weightloss tips and tools, menu planning, andlive chat sessions with registered dietitians• Round-the-clock access to weight losscoaches absolutely FREE• FREE delivery † straight to your doorfrom our kitchens to yoursAll for as low as $3 a meal †MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!Try our food! If you don’t like it, call within 7 days ofreceipt of your first order and return the remaining threeweeks of food for a FULL REFUND of the purchaseprice, less shipping. Call or see website for details.Enjoy 3 FREE Weeks of MealsThat’s 21 Breakfasts, 21 Lunches, 21 Dinners and 21 Desserts FREE †Call 1-877-901-DIET (3438)or click nutrisystem.com/tex209MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!Try our food! If you don’t like it, call within 7 days of receipt of yourfirst order and return the three weeks of food for a FULL REFUNDof the purchase price, less shipping. Call or see website for details.†Offer good on new Core 28-Day Auto-Delivery order only. Offer not valid on Flex and Select programs. Offer expires September 30, 2009. Free shipping toContinental U.S. only. Free shipping does not apply to Select program. One additional free week of food will be included with your first three deliveries. WithAuto-Delivery, you are automatically charged and shipped your 28-Day program once every 4 weeks unless you cancel. You can cancel at any time by calling1-800-321-THIN®; however for this offer you must stay on Auto-Delivery for at least three consecutive 28-Day program deliveries to receive all three freeweeks. Other restrictions apply. Call or see website for details. Cannot be combined with any prior or current discount or offer. Limit one offer per customer.©2009 Nutrisystem, Inc. All rights reserved.*Results not typical.On Nutrisystem you add in fresh grocery items.**Forbes.com, 01/02/08 and 12/23/08.GOOD ANSWER.1-877-901-DIETGOOD CALL.

membernewsCEO MessageCOSERV’S FINANCIAL HEALTH –PUTTING MEMBERS FIRSTYou belong to an electriccooperative that is, unlike for-its members at cost, rather thanreliable, our local customer servicesome of the most stable in Northon the left, CoServ’s rates havecan see from the chart on the right,Allocation notices are sentby September 15 each year. Keepan eye out for your brochure andstatement in the mail next month.member receives either a checkCoServ Electric www.coserv.com Built to Serve. Energizing Life. SMCost per 1,000 kWh1601208040JanuaryFebruaryMarchApril2009 CoServ Electric RatesMayMichael A. Dreyspring,President/CEOCoServ’s membership base haveall members of our cooperative to$0.0300$0.0250$0.0200$0.0150$0.0100$0.0050...continued on page 232006 2007 2008Operating Expenses per kWh18 TEXAS CO-OP POWER COSERV ELECTRIC AUGUST 2009

TIME FOR A DAY TRIP?Keep these nearby attractions in mindIt’s August, and that can only meanone thing: Summer will pack itsbags and be on its way, and childrenwill be headed back to the classroom.If there are no end-of-summertravel plans in your future, but youstill want to get in one last adventurethat will be fun for the entire family,there are plenty of places to go withoutleaving Frisco’s city limits.Going to the arcade is a lot differentthan it used to be—in a good way.MAIN EVENT on the northwest cornerof Main Street and the Tollway is a65,000-square-foot facility thatboasts more than just Pac-Man andCentipede. The offerings includemore than 100 video and redemptiongames, two-story laser tag, a twostorygravity ropes course, 28 lanes ofbowling, glow-in-the-dark miniaturegolf, shuffleboard and 12 regulationpool tables. When the playing is done,there’s a café to help you refuel.If the size of Main Event seems abit too much, try the DAVE & BUSTER’Snear Stonebriar Centre on PrestonRoad that features a state-of-the-artvideo arcade, a lively atmosphere andan impressive menu.If your children are a bit tooyoung for that scene, there’s GATTI-TOWN at Pres ton Ridge. The all-youcan-eatbuffet includes pizza, pasta,desserts and a 50-item salad bar.And, there are 230 arcade games andamusement rides, a 12-horse carouseland big-screen TVs.Also on Preston Road is the WIG-GLY PLAY CENTER, which offers arcadegames and a wonderful multilevelindoor adventure playground with athree-lane slide and a jumping castle.The playcenter provides great indoorfun for children up to 10 years of agewhile you relax in the dining area.If you’d rather have the kids dosomething more physical, the FRISCOATHLETIC CENTER WATER PARK will beopen until Labor Day weekend. Familiescan enjoy two water slides, a 600-foot-long lazy river, a lagoon pool anda large, interactive play structuredesigned for young children. Anotherwater area indoors comes completewith snacks, refreshments and astate-of-the-art fitness center.For your little climbers, go toCANYONS OF FRISCO, a climbing facilitygreat for all ages and abilities. Featuring10,000 square feet of climbingarea with walls standing nearly 30feet tall, this facility on TechnologyDrive includes more than 30 climbingstations with four auto-belay areas,top roping, lead climbing, boulderingand rappelling.To do something that’s truly “cool,”take the family to THE ICE AT STONE-BRIAR CENTRE, where everyone canenjoy public ice skating or even take ahockey- or figure-skating lesson.For an exercise in brainwaves, goto the FRISCO HERITAGE MUSEUM onPage Street. This interactive museumfeatures hands-on exhibits that helpvisitors understand how the early citizensof Frisco lived, worked andplayed. A living village has been createdwith replicas of some of Frisco’searliest structures, such as theLebanon Baptist Church, a one-roomschoolhouse, a log cabin, the Smith-Muse House and the Frisco TrainDepot.So now, there’s no excuse. As summerwinds down, take an afternoonand go to any one of these familyfriendlyvenues that are practicallyin your backyard.CoServ Electric www.coserv.com Built to Serve. Energizing Life. SM20 TEXAS CO-OP POWER COSERV ELECTRIC AUGUST 2009

Cool off with asummer necessityThe dog days of summer are hittingTexas with full force. On hotdays, a bowl of Texas chili or athick, heavy steak just doesn’t soundas good as it does in the coolermonths. So last month, at the Red,White and BOOM! Cele bration, thecity of McKinney held a “cool” contest:the 14th Annual Killis MeltonIce Cream Crank-Off. As legendgoes, the people of McKinney onceheld a chili cook-off—during July.Resident Killis Melton thought anice cream crank-off would be bettersuited for Texas during the summer,and the rest is history.If you missed the 2009 celebration,and are craving some frozen confections,check out these recipes wefound at www.ice-cream-recipes.com.HOMEMADE MINT CHOCOLATECHIP ICE CREAM1/2 pint milk3 ounces caster sugar1/2 pint double or heavy whipping cream1 teaspoon peppermint essence2 or 3 drops green food coloring5 ounces plain chocolate, gratedCombine milk and sugar in asaucepan and cook on low heat, dissolvingthe sugar. Set the milk mixtureaside to cool; when cooled, stir in thecream, peppermint essence and foodcoloring.Transfer the mixture to an icecream makerand freeze followingthemanufacturer’sinstructions.As ice creambegins tothicken, addgrated chocolate.Continuethe freezingprocess until icecream is ready.If mint isn’t your thing, try thissuper-sweet recipe.HOMEMADE BUTTER PECANICE CREAM1/2 pint single/light cream2 ounces brown sugar1 tablespoon butter1/2 pint double or heavy cream1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, or to taste1/4 cup pecans, choppedMix the single cream, sugar andbutter in a saucepan and cook overlow heat. Stir until the mixture startsto bubble around the edges. Removefrom heat and allow to cool.When cool, transfer to ice creammaker and stir in the double creamand vanilla extract. Freeze accordingto the manufacturer’s instructions,adding pecans just as ice cream beginsto thicken. Continue the freezing procesuntil ice cream is ready.OUT ANDABOUTRUN THE LEWISVILLE LAKE TOLLBRIDGE: Prior to the opening of thenew bridge to vehicular traffic, the Cityof Lake Dallas, along with other organizations,will host a 5K run Aug. 1.(940) 497-2226, ext. 132.LONE STAR WEEK: Aug. 3–5 at the OldSettler’s Recreation Center in McKinney.(972) 542-5014.FREE STARRISE: Aug. 7 in Denton; enjoya performance by Music Theatre ofDenton. (940) 349-8733.LIVE RAPTOR PRESENTATION AT THEHEARD MUSEUM: This fun event Aug. 7at the Heard Natural Science Museumand Wildlife Sanctuary in McKinneywill give you a rare opportunity tosee raptors up close and personal.(972) 562-5566.WILD WACKY WAITERS: VolunteerMcKinney Center will again hostthis fundraising event Aug. 14.(972) 542-0679.FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT: Aug. 14 at NorthLakes Recreation Center in Denton.(940) 349-8287.LIONS CLUB BALLOON FESTIVAL: Aug.14–16 in Highland Village. This annualfestival includes live entertainment,arts and crafts exhibits, food vendorsand a children’s area. (972) 317-9073or visit www.hvballoonfest.org.TWOGETHER IN TEXAS: Aug. 15 inDenton; a program that offers a $60discount on marriage license fees tocouples who complete eight hours ofpremarital education. (940) 382-5112,ext. 252.OPEN MIC POETRY READING: Aug. 18 atRecycled Books in Denton. E-mailbasementpoetry@yahoo.com.LITTLE ELM SENIORS LUNCHEON:Aug. 25 in Little Elm. (469) 362-0182.CoServ Electric www.coserv.com Built to Serve. Energizing Life. SMAUGUST 2009 COSERV ELECTRIC TEXAS CO-OP POWER 21

CoServ golf tournamentraises $26,000 for charities First place - Miller & Haney, L.L.P.Pictured above: Kevin Haney, Donnie Clary,Eddie Clark and Brent Parkerback to our communities, visitMEMBERSHIPHAS ITSPRIVILEGES$150.00$135.00$120.00$105.00“THANK YOU” toCoServ CharitableFoundation Supporters$90.00We truly appreciate yoursupport, CoServ’s most recentAs member-owners, youown this cooperative and that’swhy CoServ Electric puts yourinterests first, unlike for-profitutility companies whose firstpriority are stockholders and/For the past four years, CoServElectric’s rates averaged thelowest among many other retailelectric providers in our servicearea (see chart).Along with ensuring that yougrant of $10,000 will be a bigThank you for standing by CCAand the work that we do in thisor investors. In every businessdecision, we ask ourselves, “Howdoes this benefit the member?”We take our job seriouslyenjoy low rates, CoServ alsoprovides you with the resourcesto identify energy wasters andimplement ways to conservehave been hard hit by softdonations and an increasedbecause we are held accountable and lower your bill. Energyto you. Every day, CoServ conservation is the key tocontinues to earn your trust keeping a handle on your usage. Sincerely,through delivering rates as Learn how to save energy at Lara J. Fronczekclose to cost as possible while coserv.com>Electric>Resources> Development Analystproviding you reliable service. Conservation.Christian Community Action22 TEXAS CO-OP POWER COSERV ELECTRIC AUGUST 2009CoServ vs the Competition41 Month Avg. Cost per 1,000 kWhCoServOncor Electric (TXU Energy)Green Mountain EnergyFirst Choice PowerReliant EnergyDirect EnergyAmbit EnergyCirro CorpGexa EnergyDenton Municpal

...continued from page 18the net-present value of capitalaccount becomes part of an estate,of more members sooner thanCoServ’s Membership Growth# of members140,000120,000100,00080,00060,00040,00020,0001962196619701974197819811983198519871989199119931995199719992002200420062008pEnergyConservationSetting your thermostatto 78 degrees or higherwill conserve energy andlower your costs in thesummer. Investing in aprogrammable thermostatto automatically raise orlower the temperature whileyou’re away or sleeping willalso save energy.communications@coserv.comCoServ Vision StatementTo be trusted to safely and consistentlyexceed members’ and customers’expectations for reliability, service,value and community support.Contact Informationcoserv.comcontact@coserv.com(940) 321-7800(800) 274-4014Open Monday Through Friday8 a.m. to 5 p.m.Telephones answered 24 hours a dayBoard of DirectorsLeon PelzelChairmanPilot Point, District 2Clyde GeerVice ChairmanMcKinney,District 3Anne VadenCopper Canyon,Secretary/TreasurerDistrict 5Vaughn AndrusKrum, District 1Jerry CobbFrisco, District 4Mark GloverFlower Mound,District 6Curtis TallyJustin, District 7CoServ Electric www.coserv.com Built to Serve. Energizing Life. SMAUGUST 2009 COSERV ELECTRIC TEXAS CO-OP POWER 23

FOOTNOTES IN TEXAS HISTORYBY SHANNON OELRICHThe Forgotten PandemicIn October 1918, El Pasoans couldn’t congregate in publicplaces, go to school, church or the theater. They were evenrequired to wear face masks in public. Even with such precautions,by the end of the year, 600 citizens were dead. Wasit the bubonic plague, scarlet fever, an early strain of Ebola?It was none of those infamous killers—it was the flu.The 1918 influenza, also called the Spanish flu, killed atleast 50 million people around the globe. That’s a conservativeestimate; experts such as Alfred W. Crosby, professoremeritus of American studies, history and geography at theUniversity of Texas, say the number may be more like 100million. The deadliest virus ever known took El Paso, a WestTexas town of 75,000, by storm.El Paso had some factors that made it especially susceptible:a large population with a dense urban core; overcrowdedMexican-American neighborhoods that did not have hospitalsor other health services; and Fort Bliss, which housedsoldiers in close quarters, many of whom had recentlyreturned from Europe where the flu had already taken holdas fighting raged in the battles of World War I.El Paso historian Fred M. Morales wrote about the city’soldest neighborhood, Chihuahuita. He said that ambulanceshad to come to the area four to five times a day to transportthe ill and dying to makeshift hospitals.On November 9, the ban on public gatherings was lifted;two days later, more than 8,000 people came out for theArmistice Day parade. The virus had run its course, and theGreat War was over.Commemorating the end of a war is always bittersweet,even for the victorious, tempered by respect for those whodied in service. In 1918, an aching irony marred the celebrationsas many young men returned from war only to bestricken with the flu. It killed swiftly, in a matter of days, andproved most deadly for those aged 20 to 40. In fact, thisstrain of influenza killed more Americans in one year thanhad died in battle during the war.Crosby published harrowing accounts of the illness in his1976 book, Epidemic and Peace, 1918.But until the mid-1970s, this killer was largely unknownby those born after 1918. Families, for the most part, didn’tpass down stories about it. Historians didn’t tell its tale. Yetit was the single biggest worldwide pandemic ever.Why was the story of this frightening illness so slow toemerge from the shadows of history? For those who livedthrough 1918, the war and the flu are inextricable from eachother. Both brought death to the young and healthy. Perhapsthose who lived through this terrible time didn’t tell its talesbecause they wanted to forget.For some time, Crosby’s book was the only one writtenspecifically about the epidemic. Largely ignored in its firstCORBISInfluenza ward at Walter Reed Hospital, Washington, D.C., November 1918edition, the book was revised for a 1989 edition, titledAmerica’s Forgotten Pandemic: The Influenza of 1918, asviruses such as HIV/AIDS, SARS (severe acute respiratorysyndrome or “bird flu”) and Ebola began to appear in headlines.Other researchers thought that the tragedy of 1918might give us knowledge to stave off a future epidemic, andpublic health officials began planning for one. We can onlyhope that swine flu will not reach epic proportions.In 1918, families were overwhelmed, sometimes losingseveral members within days. Judy Shubert, a Texan whowrites family history pieces, knew the flu had affected herfamily but didn’t know how until she found some old letters.Her Great-Aunt Lucy died of the flu while traveling. Lucy’sparents, living in Millsap, received this devastating letterfrom a family friend she was visiting:“Dear friend it is with a sad, sad heart, one that is broken—brokento tell you that we laid your darling at rest withour darling boys all in one lot and at the same time, Jan. Sat.4 at 3 o’clock. Lucy died Dec. 30 and my little darling babywent home Dec. 31, and my two boys went New Year’s day. Oyou can’t know how hard it was to give up three at once anda true friend, too. All that loving hands could do was done.They all looked like they was asleep and so they were in thearms of our savior. We can’t understand why the Lord doesthese things but he will make all clear some day.”The double blow of “the war to end all wars” and history’sdeadliest illness left a wake of devastated families across theglobe—families who, for the most part, didn’t pass down thestories of their tragedy. It didn’t matter how death came; itsfinality silenced a generation.Shannon Oelrich, former Texas Co-op Power food editor, is afreelance writer who lives in Pflugerville.August 2009 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 25

RECIPE ROUNDUPHave a Plan Before YouGo to the StoreBY KEVIN HARGIS Stretching your food budget takes time, planning andwork, but if your goal is saving money, the effort will be well spent. Even if youare not concerned about saving a bunch, you can shave a buck or five off yourgrocery bill by following a few simple tips.Advice abounds on the subject of supermarket savings, including a library fullof books containing tips, recipes and advice.Buying the cheapest ingredients just because they are cheap might not alwaysserve you or your family in the best way. The biggest factor to consider in puttingyour food money to work in the most efficient way is nutrition per dollar.Think fresh fruits and vegetables in season. Think foodstuffs you can buy inlarge quantities—volume results in more savings per serving—and store withoutspoilage. Think loss leaders, those advertised items that grocery stores discountheavily to get you in the door—but stick only to those things on sale.Consider banding together with friends and neighbors and join a warehouseclub or food cooperative. That way, you can buy in bulk and split up the food.One of the most recent in a large crop of meal savings books comes from authorJennifer Maughan, a mother of three whose book 100 Meals for $5 or Less (GibbsSmith, 2009) shares her strategies for shopping, cooking and efficient use of everymorsel of food.The first move you should make in your grocery-store battle plan, she advises,is to think. Before you go to the store, plan a week’s worth of meals. Then make alist of everything you will need. You can plan meals at that time based on the bestsale prices.If you get a newspaper, the grocery store circulars inside are a valuable sourceof intelligence. In addition, Sunday papers can pay for themselves in coupon savingsalone. But you have to be careful with coupons. What might look like a greatdeal on paper doesn’t always translate into real savings at the dinner table.Many coupons are for prepackaged foods. Although these can seem cheap, rememberthat premade foods include the price of the labor and energy it took to make them.Plus, many prepared foods are loaded with sodium, fat and calories. That can negateyour savings at the store with money spent later at the doctor’s office.Maughan’s book advocates doingeven more homework, which could be apain at first, but practices such as keepinga price list will net you the best savingswhenever you go grocery shopping.She advises keeping track of what thedifferent stores in your area charge fordifferent grocery items, because sometimesstores run “sales” that seem good,but are not really values if you crunchthe numbers.Take a spiral notebook and pen alongwhenever you go shopping. Put columnheadings for date, store, item, price,unit price and sale price. The date isimportant, because it will help you keeptrack of price cycles at different stores.You should be specific about brandnames, sizes and price per ounce.Whenever a store has a sale on an item,write that down. That way, if its saleimproves later in the year, you’ll knowthat it’s really a great bargain.Maughan also provides strategiesfor preparing food, storing leftoversand using them in creative ways andnot allowing food to go to waste.One intriguing dish from the book isa cool delight that can be made mostcheaply in the late summer when melonsabound.MELON BOATSIn late summer, when the stores andfarmers markets are overflowing withmelons, try different combinations ofmelon, fruit and gelatin.1 large melon (such as cantaloupe orhoneydew)2 (3-ounce) packages flavored gelatin1 cup boiling water1/2 cup applesauce1 cup sliced fresh fruitCut melon in half lengthwise and scoopout seeds. Cut a thin slice off the bottomof the melon so the half will sit firm andlevel. In a bowl, dissolve gelatin in boilingwater, then stir in applesauce andfresh fruit. Pour gelatin mixture into thescooped-out center of the melon halves.Cover melons with plastic wrap andrefrigerate overnight. Just before serving,slice each melon half into three wedges.Serving size: 1 wedge. Per serving: 217 calories, 3.6 gprotein, 0.3 g fat, 53.8 g carbohydrates, 171 mgsodium, trace mg cholesterol26 TEXAS CO-OP POWER August 2009PHOTO BY RICK PATRICK

HOME COOKING1 st August 2009 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 27MOLLIE HEJL Pedernales Electric CooperativePrize-winning recipe: Tasty Tuna Tacos (Tacos Viernes)Texas cooks are pretty talented at stretching their food budgets with creative andyummy recipes. Contest entries made good use of common pantry staples and leftovers,and many included a Mexican flair. On paper, the winning recipe raised afew eyebrows among the judges, but the crunchy and unique Tasty Tuna Tacosreigned supreme in the voting.You might remember our winner, Mollie Hejl, from her creative and tasty TexasToday Cake published in the January 2009 issue. Mollie has certainly proved herrecipe-writing prowess with this simple and inexpensive main dish.TASTY TUNA TACOS1 box taco shells, 12 count2 cans (6 ounces each) chunk lighttuna in water1/4 cup finely chopped green onions1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper1/4 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper1 bunch fresh cilantro (rinsed, dried,stems removed)1/2 cup finely grated carrots2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (half of 1large lime)2 cups thick and chunky mild salsa8 ounces grated Monterey or pepperjack cheese1 can (4 ounces) sliced ripe olivesPreheat oven (or toaster oven) to 350degrees. Line baking sheet with foiland arrange taco shells in single layer.Warm for 5 to 7 minutes.For filling, drain and chop tuna andplace in medium-sized bowl. Addonions, peppers, cilantro and carrot.Add lime juice to tuna mixture.Thoroughly mix all ingredients usinglarge mixing spoon.Remove taco shells from oven andadd a quarter to a third of a cup of fillingmixture to each taco shell. Follow with 2tablespoons salsa and 2 tablespoonsgrated cheese. Garnish with 10 to 12black olive slices. Serve immediately.Serving size: 1 taco. Per serving: 256 calories, 14.5 gprotein, 12.2 g fat, 20.5 g carbohydrates, 2.3 g fiber,562 mg sodium, 28 mg cholesterolSPICY MEXICAN CASSEROLE1 1 /2 pounds ground meat1 onion, chopped1 bell pepper, chopped1 1 /2 teaspoons seasoning salt1 tablespoon dried minced garlic2 tablespoons chili powder1/4 to 1 /2 teaspoon cayenne pepper1/2 teaspoon black pepper1 can (10 ounces) cream of mushroomsoup1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes andgreen chilies1/2 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce2 cups cooked rice1 1 /2 cups grated Mexican blend cheesePreheat oven to 400 degrees.Brown ground meat with onion andbell pepper. When done, add remainingingredients except grated cheeseand gently combine. Place in buttered13x9-inch casserole dish and top withcheese. Bake until hot and bubbly.We always eat this with tortilla chipswhile we watch a Cowboys game on television.It is a meal in itself. I came upwith this recipe when my kids hadfriends over and I needed to feed acrowd.Serving size: 1/12 of casserole. Per serving: 239 calories,15.6 g protein, 12.1 g fat, 12.4 g carbohydrates, 1.3g fiber, 635 mg sodium, 53 mg cholesterolDEBBIE GREENComanche Electric CooperativeMEATY MEXICAN PIZZA4 8-inch flour tortillas, any flavor3 to 4 tablespoons picante sauce1/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheeseFajita meat, taco meat, chicken orpork (whatever you have left over)Thinly sliced onions and jalapeñosPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover acookie sheet with foil and spray withnonstick spray. Place the tortillas onthe foil and add a layer of picantesauce, cheese, meat, onions and jalapeñosto each tortilla. Bake 15 to 20MORE STRATEGIES FORWINNING THE BUDGET BATTLE:Play Freeze Tag: Your freezer is oneof your most important appliances in thebattle against waste. If fruits or veggiesappear on their way out, chop them up,put them in the freezer and use for cookinglater. Squeeze the juice from citrusfruits, or purée berries and freeze themin ice trays. Before squeezing, be sure tosave the zest in a bag in the freezer forlater use.Think Locally: If your town has afarmers market, visit it. In many ruralneighborhoods, you can also find smallscalefarmers who keep bees, grow extrafruits and vegetables for sale or keepchickens. Local honey has allergy-fightingbenefits, and locally grown produceand eggs will often be fresher andcheaper than the ones you’ll find in thegrocery store. You’ll also be decreasingyour carbon footprint by not buying produceshipped in from far-away farms.Grow Your Own: If you have thespace, plant a vegetable garden. A packetof seeds often costs less than buyingeven just 1 pound of fresh veggies. Youmight have to invest in water, soil or fertilizer,but a carefully planned and tendedgarden can more than pay for itself inone growing season. Even apartmentdwellers who have a balcony can growpeppers, tomatoes or herbs in pots andsave.Let It Rot: If you have the space,start a compost pile and squeeze everybit of value out of your food. The mostsuccessful piles have a mixture of leaves,grass clippings and kitchen scraps. Butyou can add anything organic—fireplaceashes, yard trimmings and even old meat(although many people avoid thisbecause of the smell and problems withscavenging animals). Keep a coveredbucket on your kitchen counter and savefruit rinds and vegetable peels, platescrapings, eggshells, coffee grounds andother organic material and add to thepile. Cut the pieces small and keep thepile stirred up and moist, and before youknow it, you’ll have made your own richdirt to add to your garden beds.—Kevin Hargis

minutes until heated through andcheese is melted.You can add any vegetables yourfamily likes. I sometimes make thesewith mushrooms, peppers and sausage.Serving size: 1 pizza. Per serving: 193 calories, 7 g protein,6.5 g fat, 25.2 g carbohydrates, 2.1 g fiber, 521mg sodium, 12 mg cholesterol (Nutrition values willvary with kind and quantity of meat used.)GAIL VOGELSan Bernard Electric CooperativeBACON AND EGGS SPAGHETTI(AKA SPAGHETTI CARBONARA)1 pound spaghetti2 tablespoons olive oil, divided8 slices bacon, diced and chopped1 onion, chopped1 clove garlic, minced1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)4 eggs, beaten1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheesePinch saltBlack pepper, to tasteCook spaghetti according to packagedirections until al dente. Drain.Toss spaghetti with 1 tablespoonolive oil and set aside.In large skillet, cook bacon untilcrisp. Remove and drain on paper towels.Don’t clean skillet. Discard all but 2tablespoons of bacon grease. Addremaining olive oil. Add onion andcook until tender; add garlic and cook 1minute more. Deglaze pan with wine (ifdesired) by adding wine to onion andgarlic mixture and cooking for 1 additionalminute. Pan may also bedeglazed with water. Return bacon andspaghetti to pan. Toss to coat. (If itseems dry or sticky, add a little moreolive oil.) Add beaten eggs and cookHOLIDAY RECIPE CONTESTuntil set, tossing constantly. AddParmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Tossto combine.Serve with chopped parsley and extraParmesan cheese sprinkled on top.Serving size: 1/6 of dish. Per serving: 474 calories, 21 gprotein, 13.7 g fat, 60 g carbohydrates, 2.9 g fiber, 467mg sodium, 157 mg cholesterolKELLI FESTCentral Texas Electric CooperativePast recipes are available in the RecipesArchive at www.texascooppower.com.Attention, cooks: The 2009 Holiday Recipe Contest deadline is fast approaching. This year’scontest, sponsored by the Texas Peanut Producers Board, is for recipes featuring peanutsor a peanut product such as peanut butter. You must be a member of a Texas electriccooperative to be eligible. See the official rules at www.texascooppower.com.Send recipes to Texas Co-op Power Holiday Recipe Contest, 1122 Colorado, 24th Floor, Austin, TX78701. You may also fax them to (512) 763-3408 or e-mail them to recipes@texas-ec.org (you mustinclude “Holiday Recipe Contest” in the subject line and the recipe must be in the body of the e-mail,no attachments). Please include your name, address and phone number, as well as the name of yourelectric co-op. The grand-prize winner will receive $3,000. Four runners-up will receive $500 each.Entry deadline is September 11.5th Annual Holiday Recipe Contest$5,000 in Total Prizes!GRAND-PRIZE WINNER TAKES HOME $3,000.FOUR RUNNERS-UP WILL EACH WIN $500.ENTRYDEADLINESEPTEMBER 11SPONSORED BYAttention, cooks: We’d like to share your best original holidayrecipes with 2.8 million Texas Co-op Power readers and giveyou a chance to win cash prizes and the acclaim of yourfriends and family. All recipes must include peanuts or apeanut product. Deadline for receipt of entries is September 11, 2009.Winners will be featured in our December 2009 issue.Each entry MUST include your name, address and phone number, plus the name of your Texas electriccooperative, or it will be disqualified. Send entries to: Texas Co-op Power/Holiday Recipe Contest,1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. You can fax recipes to (512) 763-3408 or e-mail them torecipes@texas-ec.org. E-mails must include “Holiday Recipe Contest” in the subject line and contain onlyone recipe (no attachments). Up to three entries are allowed per person/co-op member. Each should besubmitted on a separate piece of paper if mailed or faxed. For official rules, visit www.texascooppower.com.28 TEXAS CO-OP POWER August 2009

Six Decadesof Texas’FavoriteFoods, Fads& FactsRecover & Recoup.High quality orthopedic and cardiac treatments with savingsfor Medicare beneficiaries at Baptist Health System Eligible for Shared Saving Payment* Baptist Health System is the only Not Eligible for Shared Saving Payment * Medicare determines whether your hospital staywill be included in the incentive program.Full Color, Hardbound,More Than 600 RecipesFrom 60 Years ofTexas Co-op PowerThese payments may be taxable and you will beresponsible for paying any federal, state or othertaxes owed on these shared saving payments.Discover authentic recipes true toeach decade from the readers andarchives of Texas Co-op Power.Remember what life waslike “back when” with anintroduction to each decade.Learn about great, and not-sogreat,moments in food historywith our culinary timelines.Get yours today atwww.texascooppower.comFor more information, call (210) 297-7005August 2009 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 29

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FOCUS ON TEXASSISTERS“She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities.She is your witness, who sees you at your worst andbest, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, yourmidnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling,even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney,your personal press agent, even your shrink. Some days, she’sthe reason you wish you were an only child.”— BARBARA ALPERT, authorThank you for sending us more than 200 wonderfulpictures depicting love, life and happiness. We hopeyou enjoy these as much as we did.—ASHLEY CLARY1 Three-year-old Audrey, left, and 5-year-old Kara Curtis, didn’t mindone bit sharing this frozen rainbow treat from the ice cream truck.Thank you to their mom and CoServ Electric member Nicole Curtis forsending this picture and reminding us of childhood’s simple pleasures.7 Kelly, left, and Rebecca Keith,daughters of CoServ Electricmembers Dean and Kathy Keith,said they really enjoyed feeling thegrapes squish between their toesduring a visit to Becker Vineyardsin the Hill Country.Upcoming in Focus on TexasISSUE SUBJECT DEADLINEOct Cowgirls Aug 10Nov Daredevils Sep 10Dec Roughin’ It Oct 10Jan Snow Daze Nov 10Feb Firsts Dec 10Mar Backyard Gardens Jan 10COWGIRLS is the topic for our OCTOBER 2009 issue.Send your photo—along with your name, address, daytimephone, co-op affiliation and a brief description—toCowgirls, Focus on Texas, 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor,Austin, TX 78701, before August 10. A stamped, selfaddressedenvelope must be included if you want yourentry returned (approximately six weeks). Please do notsubmit irreplaceable photographs—send a copy or duplicate.We regret that Texas Co-op Power cannot be responsiblefor photos that are lost in the mail or not received bythe deadline. Please note that we cannot provide individualcritiques of submitted photos. If you use a digital camera,e-mail your highest-resolution images tofocus@texas-ec.org, or submit them on our website atwww.texascooppower.com.1 Sisters Betty Zorn, left, andthe late Estelle Thibodeaux hadsome fun dressing up for the holidays.“This was taken Christmas2001,” said Zorn, a member ofSan Bernard Electric Cooperative.“What a great sister Estelle was. Imiss her very much.”3 San Bernard ElectricCooperative member LyndellAschenbeck, right, supplied thisphoto of herself and her sistersKay Sander, left, and BarbaraLeonard taken on a family vacationin Freeport. “My daughtertook the photo as we were enjoyingthe sun and sand,” she said.3 “Mackenzie and Hailey veryrarely fight, but trying to takepictures with the new kittyshowed a different side of bothgirls,” South Plains ElectricCooperative member PaigeBowman says of her 5-year-oldand 23-month-old daughters.“They both wanted to be the oneto hold the kitty, and little sis wasnot about to back down.”August 2009 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 35

AROUNDTEXASAROUNDTEXASAUGUST7BIRTHRIGHTBluegrassFestival01WILLOW CITYOpen House &Homecoming,(830) 685-3385,www.historicschools.org02 FRELSBURGSts. Peter & PaulCatholic Church Festival,(979) 732-34300607SAN MARCOS [6, 13]Summer in the Park,(512) 393-8400,www.toursanmarcos.comBIRTHRIGHT [7–8]2009 CLC BluegrassFestival, 1-800-245-2149,www.cooperlakecenter.com08 COMMERCECotton Belt RailroadSymposium, (903) 886-8066, www.cottonbeltroute.com01ATHENSLone Star Cutting HorseShow, (903) 677-6354CEDAR PARKBreastfeeding AwarenessCelebration, (512) 260-4241LINCOLNVolunteer Fire DepartmentFried Chicken Dinner &Auction, (979) 716-3207SALADOLegends, (254) 947-920504MOUNTAIN HOME [2–9]Hill Country Cowboy CampMeeting, 1-800-603-0157,www.hillcountrycowboycampmeet.squarespace.comNEW BRAUNFELS[4, 11, 18] Two Ton Tuesdays,(830) 606-1281TYLER [4, 11, 18, 25]Texas Rose Barrel Racing,(903) 882-8696,www.texasrosehorsepark.com06 CONROEFirst Thursday FREEConcert, (936) 522-3014,www.cityofconroe.org08BLANCO [7–9]Riverside Market Days,(830) 385-6100,www.riversidemarketdays.comCHAPPELL HILLLavender Fest,(979) 251-8114,www.chappellhilllavender.com14HIGHLAND VILLAGE[14–16] Lions Club BalloonFestival & Fair,(972) 539-0332,www.hvballoonfest.com15 ANDICEArts & Crafts Show,(254) 793-2565PALESTINEPure Country,(903) 724-2556© 2009 Gorilla Glue CompanyFOR THE TOUGHEST JOBS ON PLANET EARTH. ®1-800-966-3458 gorillatough.com Made in U.S.A.36 TEXAS CO-OP POWER August 2009

AROUNDTEXASAROUNDTEXAS20 FREDERICKSBURG[20–23] Gillespie CountyFair, (830) 997-2359,www.gillespiefair.com22 RIVIERATrade Days,(361) 592-930122TYLERTYLERNTHJC Wagon WheelSchoolingShow29MONTAGUEWildfire BBQCook-Off22 TIOGAWestern Trade Days,(940) 390-7886HALLETTSVILLE[22–23] Gulf CoastMounted Shooters,(713) 557-1515TYLER [22–23]NTHJC Wagon WheelSchooling Show, (903)882-8696, www.texasrosehorsepark.com23 CASTROVILLESt. Louis Day Celebration,(830) 931-2826,www.stlouisday.com23 LUCKENBACHPickin’ for the Record,1-888-311-8990,www.luckenbachtexas.com27 COLDSPRINGTrade Day,(936) 653-2009STONEWALL President’sBirthday Commemoration,(830) 644-225229 MONTAGUEWildfire BBQ Cook-Off,(940) 894-2831SEPTEMBERWEST [4–6]04 Westfest, (254) 826-5058,www.westfest.com05 MASONCounty Apple Festival,(325) 347-575805 PLAINSYoakum CountyWatermelon Round-Up,(806) 456-3566Everything’s bigger in Texas,including this list of events.To see them all, please go towww.texascooppower.com.Event information can bemailed to Around Texas, 1122Colorado St., 24th Floor,Austin, TX 78701, faxed to(512) 763-3407, e-mailed toaroundtx@texas-ec.org, orsubmitted on our website atwww.texascooppower.com.Please submit events forOctober by August 10.WANTED:Demo HomesitesFor 2009 SeasonDisplay The KAYAK Maintenance-Free Pool And $AVE $$!Call to Qualify for this Limited Time OpportunityAn investment that pays your familydividends for a lifetime!PRE-APPROVEDFINANCINGAVAILABLEWECONSIDERANYTHINGON TRADE!www.swimtexas.comStaycation at Home in 2009!www.swimtexas.com1-800-SWIMTEXAS(1-800-794-6839)A family owned and operated Texas Company since 1986.VISITUS ON THEWEB!August 2009 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 37

HIT THE ROADBeaumont likes to describe itself as“Texas with a little something extra.”West of the Louisiana border,Beaumont has absorbed zydeco music,with its unique washboard and accordionflourishes, and Cajun food. Butjust off Interstate 10, there’s no shortageof barbecue or countrymusic—or its stars, such assingers Tracy Byrd and MarkChesnutt, who live here.The city also claims countrysinger George Jones, who wasborn in 1931 in nearby Saratoga.As a kid, Jones sang for tips onthe streets of Beaumont.Before you tour the city,start your morning off right atone of RAO’S BAKERY’S threeBeaumont locations whereyou are certain to meetlocals—and maybe some morecelebrities, such as formerDallas Cowboys wide receiverDuriel Harris who likes todrop in—enjoying a great cupof coffee, fellowship and freshdesserts. Established in 1941,this popular bakery, whichalso has stores in Spring andNederland, takes pride in itscakes, especially the round, colorfulking cakes associated with the celebrationof Fat Tuesday prior to Lent. Cakesare baked on-site and shipped internationally.My favorite delicacy here is theRed Velvet Crumb Cake. Rao’s Bakeryalso keeps youngsters in mind and inthe summer offers a Kids Bake Camp.This is the perfect opportunity for childrento step into the kitchen to bakecookies or decorate a cake.Downtown Beaumont features somegreat museums, including the FIREMUSEUM OF TEXAS, where you can seewhat museum officials claim is theworld’s tallest working fire hydrantpainted with Dalmatian spots. The 24-foot-tall hydrant leads to the museum’sentrance. The museum, which has anamazing collection of fire engines andequipment dating to 1856, is housedin the 1927 two-story Central FireeStation and shares space with theBeaumont Fire and Rescue Servicesadministrative offices. The building is aBEAUMONTHere in Southeast Texas, Cajun meetscountry, and celebrities abound.BY BARBIE PERKINS-COOPERTexas Historic Landmark.The ART MUSEUM OF SOUTHEAST TEXASfeatures an exhibit made by the VoodooMan of Beaumont. Felix “Fox” Harriscreated totem-pole artwork, collectingand sculpting junk with a ball-peenhammer, butter knife and other commonutensils to create a spooky forest inhis front yard. The museum rescuedand preserved a portion of his artworksin its permanent collection.While strolling the renovated downtowndistrict, take time to visit theJEFFERSON THEATRE, listed in theNational Register of Historic Places.The theater opened in 1927 and fordecades served as a stunning showplacefor entertainment in the community.The building’s Old Spanisharchitecture, complemented by sculpturesand rich fabrics, creates a romanticsetting. One of the theater’s biggestattractions was, and is, a RobertMorton pipe organ—the “WONDERORGAN.” Complete with 778 pipes, theorgan was built on a platform risingfrom the orchestra pit to stage level.Operating primarily as a movie theater,the Jefferson Theatre closed in 1972.But today, after reopening as a fullyrestored theater in 2003, it serves as acultural and performing arts center, providingopportunities for artiststo perform on a preserved andprofessional stage. And the richsounds of the pipe organ stillmesmerize audiences.Of course, any fan ofBeaumont knows that theSpindletop oil field was discoveredin a salt dome formationsouth of town, ushering ina new energy era in January1901. The SPINDLETOP-GLADYSCITY BOOMTOWN MUSEUM, atU.S. Highway 69 andUniversity Drive on the campusof Lamar University, andthe downtown TEXAS ENERGYMUSEUM, which is 7 miles fromthe Spindletop oil field, educatevisitors about the amazingworld of petroleum, energyand science.If you’re hungry after allthat learning, try the barbecuedcrabs at SARTIN’S WEST. Or checkout FAT MAC’S SMOKEHOUSE, whichserves up slow-cooked, award-winningbarbecue that melts in your mouth.Rao’s Bakery, 1-800-831-3098, www.raosbakery.comFire Museum of Texas, (409) 880-3927,www.firemuseumoftexas.orgArt Museum of Southeast Texas, (409) 832-3432, www.amset.orgJefferson Theatre, 1-800-782-3081, www.beaumont-tx-complex.com/jeffersontheatre.htmlSpindletop–Gladys City Boomtown Museum,(409) 835-0823, www.spindletop.orgTexas Energy Museum, (409) 833-5100,www.texasenergymuseum.orgSartin’s West, (409) 861-3474Fat Mac’s Smokehouse, (409) 892-8600,www.dangbbq.comBeaumont Convention and Visitors Bureau,1-800-392-4401, www.beaumontcvb.comBarbie Perkins-Cooper is a freelancewriter who lives in Charleston, SouthCarolina.38 TEXAS CO-OP POWER August 2009 MAP ILLUSTRATION BY GIL ADAMS

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