True Texas

About Me

Note: Picture of me in the beautiful Texas Bluebonnets.

I'm a candle maker by profession and my husband and I own a Sign Shop. Before that I worked at the local newspaper for 7 years, the last two years as Managing Editor. A change in ownership resulted in my layoff, that's when I went to work full time at our business. There's less stress for sure since I'm my own boss. I also make candles, have since 2002. I sell on EBAY and ETSY and also wholesale my western candles to stores all over Texas. Plus I have a couple of craft booths where I sell candles and gift items. It's not that profitable, ask our tax man, but it's fun. I'm hooked on candles, there's very seldom a day go by I'm not pouring candles.

I'm interested in politics and love to talk about current events. I serve on the Planning and Zoning board in my hometown.

I'm a native Texan and love it, wouldn't live anywhere else. In fact I'm a 6th generation Texan on one line, my great great grandfather settled in my hometown 1874, on my grandmothers line they came in 1869 to the Alvarado are. Love doing genealogy, so does DH. I love Texas and all things Texas, that's why I created a special line of candles just to celebrate my Texas roots, True Texas Scents, check them out sometime. Texas people are pretty bragadious if you haven't figured that out yet, but it's all just a matter of pride.

I try to cook enough to last us most of the week. I've collected cookbooks and recipes from newspapers and magazines for 40 plus years. I really like cookbooks that feature Texas Cookin' or good Southern style cooking.

When our two boys were at home I had to cook things that would fill up two growing boys and one hungry man. I learned real quick to make things that went a long way and would stretch the budget. They all had their favorites, spaghetti, chili and even homemade beanie winnies, nothing fancy, just down home cookin'. Today it's just the two of us and I find it hard to scale my cooking down. That's not so bad since we have plenty of leftovers and both of us don't mind eating them.

Since I really discovered all the wonderful thing Zaar had to offer we've had something new to eat every week. It's really made me have a whole new appreciation for cooking again. It's also been a good excuse for me to get those old cookbooks out and explore them again.

We live in an old historic home that was built in 1898. We love it. We've restored almost the whole house and without a doubt my very favorite room would have to be my large and colorful kitchen. It is done in apples with bright red kitchen counters. I have a collection of red-handled eggbeaters that I hang over my kitchen sink. It's fun cooking in my kitchen. You can only imagine how many wonderful meals have been prepared in that kitchen over the past 110 years.

See photos of my kitchen and the grand kids enjoying our large and roomy kitchen and just eating. :) If there's one thing we know how to do it's eat. (I even added one of my son when he was about 7 years old, enjoying my Christmas candy)



I love exploring the Zaar website and look forward to seeing what is new each day. I try to always make a recipe as it is written, at least the first time I make it, that way I can rate it on it's own merit. After that I will sometimes make changes. Fresh herbs are impossible to come by at my local grocery store, so I'm forced to sub. dried ones.

"In the childhood memories of every good cook, there's a large kitchen, a warm stove, a simmering pot and a mom."
Barbara Costikyan













I Good Search for my favorite charity Santa's Helpers in Alvarado. And some of my other causes are below: