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Delicious victory

Austin-area cookie company crowned best in Texas by H-E-B

John Egan
Aug 25, 2022 | 10:23 am
Love & Cookies founder
Ashley Cameron founded Love & Cookies in 2019.
Courtesy of H-E-B

A Lakeway-based maker of frozen gourmet cookie dough has collected some serious dough as the first-place winner in this year’s H‑E‑B Quest for Texas Best competition.

The company, Love & Cookies, received $20,000 as the first-place winner. The annual Quest for Texas Best competition seeks to find the best Texas-made food products, with the big winners being sold at H-E-B grocery stores around the state.

Five winning brands, narrowed down from more than 500 entries, were announced Wednesday, August 24.

Ashley Cameron founded Love & Cookies in 2019 after her 5-year-old son was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, a common heart ailment among children. After returning home from a stay at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, all her son wanted to do was “bake cookies with Mommy.”

After that experience, Cameron kept making cookies, sharing them with friends and family. She subsequently opened a store baking and selling 14 gourmet flavors of cookies. She followed that up by introducing a line of four varieties of frozen gourmet cookie dough.

Reacting to the H-E-B victory, Cameron says part of the winnings will be donated to the Kawasaki Kids Foundation and the rest will be invested in Love & Cookies.

“We can’t wait to share our product with the rest of Texas,” Cameron says.

Claiming the $25,000 grand prize in the H-E-B contest was McAllen-based I Love Chamoy, which makes a sugar-free version of the sweet, tangy, spicy Mexican sauce. Creator Annie Leal "made it her mission to make this traditional staple of Mexican candy more accessible to people with different dietary needs," following her father's diabetes diagnosis, the H-E-B website says.

Grabbing second place and a $15,000 prize was Houston-based Zwita, which produces harissa, a traditional Mediterranean chile sauce that originated in Tunisia. The company’s owners are Karim and Mansour Arem.

“This is a monumental achievement for us because it confirms that there is indeed interest in our Tunisian stories and culture,” the Arem brothers say. “It is also a testament to how multiculturally rich our beautiful state is and how there is not just one meaning to being Texan. We are humbled that H-E-B wholeheartedly supports us in our mission of preserving our Tunisian ancestry by helping us share it with our fellow Texans.”

The Arems say their prize money will be earmarked for marketing and advertising campaigns.

Tying for third place and snagging $10,000 prizes were Dallas-based Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que, which makes a barbecue rub that will be available at H-E-B stores, and Guthrie-based Burnett Ranches, which produces Four Sixes Ranch Chuck Wagon Chili Mix.

Brent and Juan Reaves, the brothers who own Smokey John’s, say the H-E-B recognition means their dad’s dream has been realized. Their father founded the Smokey John’s barbecue joint, originally known as Big John’s, in 1976.

“He always believed that he had a quality product, but he didn’t live to see it validated,” the Reaves brothers say. “H-E-B believing in us today was really them believing in our dad. And today we are so proud that he was validated by a retail giant.”

The brothers say some of the prize money will be shared with the company’s employees, and the remainder will go toward product marketing and expansion of retail sales.

“Each year we are amazed by the submissions,” James Harris, senior director of diversity and inclusion and supplier diversity at San Antonio-based H-E-B, says of Quest for Texas Best. “The creativity, passion, and determination is truly impressive and inspiring.”

Love & Cookies received $20,000 as the first-place winner.

Love & Cookies
Courtesy of H-E-B
Love & Cookies received $20,000 as the first-place winner.
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beer inspires creativity

Austin Clone - New craft beer bar taps into Rice University's Midtown innovation district

Eric Sandler
Nov 13, 2022 | 7:33 pm
Austin Clone - New craft beer bar taps into Rice University's Midtown innovation district
Photo by Taylor Cooper
Second Draught has arrived at the Ion.

Innovative Houstonians will soon have a place to collaborate over a beer or two. Second Draught opens Monday, September 12 inside The Ion, Rice University's new innovation district in Midtown.

Customers will be able to select from 18 beers taps that draw upon Houston's community of 70-plus craft beer breweries such as Saint Arnold, True Anomaly, and Eureka Heights. The counter service bar also offers two wines. Overall, Second Draught will seat 66 people inside and another 20 on its patio.

Owners Sarah Pope and Adam Cryer bring craft beer credibility as the owners of Baileson Brewing Company, a nano-brewery near Rice Village. They recognize the bar will be a place to introduce new breweries to the Ion's community. It will also be a gathering place where a conversation may spark a promising new invention.

“We are overjoyed to open Second Draught to Houston’s innovation ecosystem — as well as to those stopping in to the Ion for innovation-focused and community-centric events," Pope said in a statement. “Second Draught is designed to be a communal destination for anyone and everyone who visits the Ion, whether they are here on a daily basis, are coming for a specific program, or are taking advantage of the Ion’s expansive open working areas.”

“As the Ion has continued to grow its community of tenants, partners, and collaborators, the need has never been greater for a watering hole for this dynamic group of Houston’s current and future leaders,” added Ion executive director Jan Odegard. “Gathering outside of the office and exchanging ideas in a relaxed environment could spark the next innovation that solves a complex problem. Second Draught brings added vibrancy to the building as programming has expanded and the Ion’s ecosystem continues to evolve.”

Second Draught joins Common Bond On-The-Go as the Ion's second food and beverage concept. In the months to come, the facility will welcome Late August, an Afro-Asian restaurant from Top Chef finalist Dawn Burrell and Lucille's chef-owner Chris Williams, and The Lymbar, a bar-forward, small plates concept from chef David Cordua, formerly of Churrascos and Americas. Cajun-inspired restaurant Stuff'd Wings recently opened in the former Shipley Do-Nuts across from the Ion's main building.

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Best Wishes

The holiday shopping genie returns to Austin to fulfill one-stop browsing wishes

Brianna Caleri
Nov 11, 2022 | 1:25 pm
Interior sign of Blue Genie Art Bazaar in Austin
Photo courtesy of Blue Genie Art Bazaar

The floor is packed with nearly 200 vendors at the 2022 bazaar.

Sometimes it feels like the only way all the holiday shopping can get done is if a genie steps in. Austin’s Blue Genie Art Bazaar (BGAB) isn’t far from that fantasy; no one can choose for you, but the curated artisan goods narrow down the possibilities, gathering a mix of people-pleasing and hyper-specific gifts under one roof.

November 18 kicks off the 22nd iteration of the bazaar, with nearly 200 vendors that generally steer clear of holiday clichés, focusing mostly on art, snacks, and home goods. It would be easiest to shop for friends and family who love decorating their homes and kitchens, but shoppers will also find accessories, toys, and sometimes even experiences.

The website divides the vendors into categories that make it easy to plan a trip with shoppers who like a plan, although seeing what stands out in person is at least half the fun. One step further into perfectly streamlined shopping, personal shoppers will make selections for a fee of 10% of the price of the item a home shopper selects (capped at $25).

Three of the four BGAB founders — all artists themselves — sent out some ideas to their nice list contacts:

  • Dana Younger recommends soap by Fleegal Farms, tea towels by Victrola and Kimball Prints, chocolate by Madhu, tea from White Cloud and SESA, and shirts by Supermaggie.
  • Kevin Collins recommends artworks by Dan Grissom and Danika Ostrowski, and accessories by JNA Designs.
  • Chris Coakley recommends art by JCR Work, Eya Claire, and another founder, Rory Skagen.

“As always, this year’s Blue Genie Art Bazaar will be filled with some of the best work of our local artists,” said Younger in a press release. “And, as always, we’ll have a mix of recognized favorites along with exciting new artists and plenty of items to surprise and inspire."

In 2021, Blue Genie’s efforts were acknowledged by Austin Chronicle readers, who voted it to the top of the Austin Gifts/Souvenirs category. In addition to a well-balanced curation, it offers a very shopper-friendly experience with free parking and admission, and a snack bar. Shoppers can feel good about supporting local artisans as well as the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Central and South Texas, which receives a portion of every Monday’s sales.

The 22nd annual Blue Genie Art Bazaar will be held in the Blue Genie Art building at 6100 Airport Boulevard, from 10 am to 10 pm daily until December 24. The last day, Christmas Eve, closes at 6 pm. More information and shopping links are available at bluegenieartbazaar.com.

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historic discovery

NASA confirms stunning discovery of Space Shuttle Challenger artifact

Steven Devadanam
Nov 11, 2022 | 12:34 pm
Space Shuttle Challenger liftoff 1986
Photo courtesy of NASA

Divers off the east coast of Florida discovered the underwater artifact.

A TV documentary crew has just made a startling discovery linked to one of the American space program's greatest tragedies, one that deeply resonated here in Texas. Divers off the east coast of Florida have found an artifact underwater that NASA confirms is debris from the space shuttle Challenger.

While searching for wreckage of a World War II-era aircraft, documentary divers noticed a large object covered partially by sand on the seafloor, one that was clearly crafted by humans. The team contacted NASA after analyzing the proximity to the Florida Space Coast, the item’s modern construction, and presence of 8-inch square tiles, according to the space agency.

Upon viewing the TV crew's footage, NASA leaders confirmed the object is indeed part of the Challenger, which exploded during launch on January 28, 1986, killing all seven crew members on board — all of whom trained in Houston.

A History Channel documentary depicting the discovery of the Challenger artifact is scheduled to air Tuesday, November 22. While the episode will screen as part of a series about the Bermuda Triangle, the artifact was found well northwest of the area popularly known as the Bermuda Triangle, researchers note.

NASA, meanwhile, is currently considering what additional actions it may take regarding the artifact that will properly honor the legacy of Challenger’s fallen astronauts and their families, the agency notes.

The Challenger disaster is now counted as one of American history's "where were you?" moments. The mission, dubbed STS-51L, was commanded by Francis R. “Dick” Scobee and piloted by Michael J. Smith. The other crew members on board were mission specialists Ronald E. McNair; Ellison S. Onizuka, and Judith A. Resnik; payload specialist Gregory B. Jarvis; and teacher S. Christa McAuliffe.

Space Shuttle Challenger crew 1986The Challenger crew poses ahead of the mission in January, 1986.Photo courtesy of NASA

McAuliffe, a charismatic civilian with a bright smile, became an international celebrity, bringing everyman accessibility to the space program. She was beloved by fans young and old, and quickly became the face of the doomed mission.

Celebrating NASA's 25th shuttle mission, the spacecraft waited overnight on Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A sudden coastal cold front brought freezing temperatures, causing ice to form on the shuttle. Launch managers cleared the mission for launch at 11:38 am on January 28, despite concerns raised by some shuttle program employees.

A mere 73 seconds after liftoff, major malfunction caused the explosion that killed the seven crew members, a moment captured on live TV and watched by millions.

Later, a NASA investigation revealed that the unexpectedly cold temperatures affected the integrity of O-ring seals in the solid rocket booster segment joints, sparking the explosion.

Challenger's loss, and later Columbia with its seven astronauts – which broke up on reentry in February 2003 over the western United States – greatly influenced NASA’s culture regarding safety. The agency went on to create an Office of Safety and Mission Assurance, developed new risk assessment procedures, and established an environment in which everyone can raise safety concerns.

NASA also created the Apollo Challenger Columbia Lessons Learned Program to share these lessons within the agency and with other government, public, commercial, and international audiences.

“While it has been nearly 37 years since seven daring and brave explorers lost their lives aboard Challenger, this tragedy will forever be seared in the collective memory of our country,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in a statement. “For millions around the globe, myself included, January 28, 1986, still feels like yesterday. This discovery gives us an opportunity to pause once again, to uplift the legacies of the seven pioneers we lost, and to reflect on how this tragedy changed us. At NASA, the core value of safety is – and must forever remain – our top priority, especially as our missions explore more of the cosmos than ever before.”

By law, all space shuttle artifacts are the property of the U.S. government. Members of the public who believe they have encountered any space shuttle artifacts should contact NASA at ksc-public-inquiries@mail.nasa.gov to arrange for return of the items.

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