Category Archives: Family & Friends

World-Famous Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas

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The Collin Street Bakery is located in Corsicana, TX, and is famous for its fruitcake.  The bakery, started in 1896 by a German baker during the oil rush, makes its way to every state in the United States as well as many countries.  As many as 4 million pounds are sold every year.   Wow, that’s a lot of fruitcake!

A FAMILY TRADITION:  When I was growing up, my parents received our first Collin Street Bakery Fruitcake as a Christmas gift. (also known by some Texans as a Corsicana Fruitcake) I thought it was the best fruitcake I had ever eaten!

Just a few years ago, my family drove by Corsicana and visited the bakery.  It was very interesting to learn the history of the bakery and fun to sample different kinds of cakes.  Our son really liked it and asked if we could order one of their fruitcakes for Christmas, and so we did.   Even if someone doesn’t like fruitcake that much, the bakery is fun to visit and sells all kinds of cookies and pastries.

The bakery has opened a second location which is conveniently located on Interstate 45.  I definitely want to visit there the next time we are passing by Corsicana.

Abbott, Willie Nelson & My Mother

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This summer as we were traveling down I-35 towards Austin, TX, I asked my husband to take a short detour to the small community of Abbott, TX, which is just a couple of miles off the interstate.  I had always wanted to see the place where my mother attended high school.  Abbott just happened to be where Willie Nelson also went to high school.  

The original high school was replaced many years ago, but it was neat to see the site where she attended even if it wasn’t the actual building.  We  drove a few more blocks to the main part of the community.  There were a few old stores still there and I realized that my mother probably went to some of the stores when she was a teenager.  And who knows, maybe Willie Nelson did also.

My mother passed away, and so it meant a lot to me to visit where she had been even though the school had changed.  As we passed some old houses on the way back to the interstate, I thought about how some of my mother’s friends may have lived in those houses and she could have visited them.  I could imagine giggling girls talking about the cute boys in their classes , just as I had done, and just as our daughter had done.  Some things never change!  🙂

Small Towns & Courthouse Squares

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We visited my mother-in-law recently and took a day trip to the area where she grew up.  We drove around the town square as she pointed out places she went as a young girl when her family would come to town.  One place that was fascinating to me was a tiny building that was still a beauty shop just like it was 70 years ago when my mother-in-law went there for her first permanent.  She said she was there several hours.  There was a machine with long attachments that connected to each roller on her head or something to that effect.  I can just picture her as a teenager with all these things sticking out of her head.  It’s so neat hearing stories first hand about the past.  It’s like taking a walk back through time and seeing history through the eyes of the person telling the story.  Now as I’m approaching the wonderful experience of being a grandmother soon, I will probably one day help our grandchild, when he’s older, to take a walk back through time and experience history.  How exciting that will be!!  🙂

Sopapilla Cheesecake

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Our daughter gave me this recipe, and I’ve made it several times and have had numerous requests for the recipe. It’s so easy to make. People are surprised when they find out just how easy it is. This is not a “healthy” recipe, but it’s a great time saver when you need a homemade dessert to have for company or to take to a luncheon. I did change a couple of the ingredients to reduced fat.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cans crescent rolls (I use regular for the bottom crust and reduced fat for the top)
  • 2 pkg of 8 oz. cream cheese (I use reduced fat)
  • 1 stick butter ( I’m going to try it with less butter)
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Cinnamon

Unroll one can of crescent rolls and place in the bottom of a 9″x13″ ungreased baking dish. Pinch together the seams to mostly make a solid layer. In a mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese and 1 cup of the sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla. Mixture needs to be well blended. Microwaving it for a few seconds at a time improves being able to pour it in the pan. Pour mixture and spread over crescent roll layer. Unroll other package of crescent roll and lay on top. Don’t worry about pinching the seams together. In a small microwavable dish, melt butter and 1/2 cup sugar. Pour over top and spread. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon. (we use a lot) Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes or until top and sides are golden brown. Let cool about 15 minutes before cutting into squares and removing from pan. I usually cut it into 24 squares. Enjoy!

Canton “First Monday Trade Days” (Flea market)

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If you’ve never been to First Monday Trade Days in Canton, Texas, then be prepared for an all day experience.  Be sure to wear your most comfortable walking shoes.  There is so much to see!  And you won’t want to leave until you’ve seen it all.   Some people even make a two day event out of it.  

Bed and Breakfast accommodations are in the area which are always fun. Two of my best friends from high school and I left kids and husbands at home and celebrated our 50th birthdays one weekend in Canton. We caught up on each other’s lives and had a really great time!  

Here’s a little background on Canton. It’s the county seat and was established in 1850.  There was a bitter fight to move the courthouse to Wills Point in 1877, but Canton eventually won. That’s a good thing because we probably wouldn’t have “First Mondays” if Wills Point had won.   

A famous recipe from Canton’s Dixie Hotel way back in the 1940’s & 1950’s was for “Osgood Pie from Dixie House.” If you make the pie, let me know how you like it.   And…if you decide to visit Canton, remember that First Monday is on the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday preceding the first Monday in each month.