Haunted Forest

World's most haunted forests spook travelers

England’s Wychwood Forest abounds in haunted tales of visitors who feel hands reaching out to touch their shoulders or hear the thunder of invisible horses.

It’s enough to make your spine tingle at the slightest rustle in the leaves. But for every traveler who shies away, there’s another intrigued by that kind of mystery—and the thrill that comes with going deep into the haunted woods. It’s a chance to be an explorer, and any brush with the supernatural makes you feel all the more alive.

Slideshow: See the world's most haunted forests

Read Full Article

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Rodeo Houston

RodeoHouston lineup includes Demi Lovato, Austin Mahone, Jason Aldean

A double dose of Texas-bred teen pop highlights the current round of RodeoHouston performers, which also includes a few familiar hat acts.

Dallas girl Demi Lovato and San Antonio breakout Austin Mahone top the list, taking the rotating Reliant Stadium stage March 3 during what's sure to be a sellout show. Lovato, currently a judge on "The X Factor," performed in 2010 alongside the Jonas Brothers.

Also making the lineup are returning acts Toby Keith (Feb. 25), Jason Aldean (March 11) and Luke Bryan (March 16).

Read Full Article

Rodeo Houston Website

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Development in Midtown on an upswing

After more than a decade, a plan for a six-acre "Superblock" in Midtown is finally taking shape.

A high-end apartment building is slated for one end of the site, and a public park is planned on the other end.

"It's been a long time working on that deal," said Ric Campo, CEO of Camden Property Trust, the Houston-based developer that owns half of the land and will build the apartments there. "It's one of the most significant sites on that part of town."

Read Full Article

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

in the spirit of halloween

Extreme Pumpkins.com - Pumpkin carving at its wildest!

At what point did the carving of pumpkins turn into a "cute" event? When did boys stop carving pumpkins and moms start? Where did we lose touch with one of the years coolest events?

Today we will seize back this ritual. Today is the day we throw away those safe, cute carving tools. Today we will buy a big, ugly, pumpkin so large one man cannot lift or move it. Today. We will carve that sumbitch into something ugly and plop it on the front porch. October 31st we will light it brightly enough to give visiting children suntans.

Pumpkin carving is reborn.


http://www.extremepumpkins.com/



Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Halloween Visits

Ran across this on CNN that listed 6 Halloween Destinations, granted none are in Houston but being its that time of year for scary visits I thought I would share them

6 destinations with a dark side

(CNN) -- The "official" night set aside for ghosts and goblins is nearly here, but if you're bewitched by the macabre and the supernatural, there are plenty of places that provide spooky sensations year-round. You won't need a costume to take in these attractions, but if you're looking for ideas on what to wear on October 31, you might find some inspiration from these historic -- and sometimes horrific -- destinations.

Read Full Article


Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Weather

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Houston Haunted House

Kingwood business grows with screams

The plain white metal building sitting in a field in Kingwood betrays nothing of its frightening interior. Only the sign "Kingwood Asylum" hints at what visitors will experience once they step in the doors.

Surprising customers is part of the plan, owner Shayne Torrans explained.

"They're not expecting to see what they do on the inside," he said. "They're blown away."

The Kingwood Asylum is a 3,000-square-foot haunted house, complemented with an outdoor graveyard. Inside, catacomb-style brick walkways lead through a dilapidated estate to a broken-down hospital and then to a psychiatric ward. Elements from the most common fears - whether its chainsaws or clowns - make cameo appearances.

Read Full Article

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Rob Zombie

Rob Zombie brings 'Twins of Evil Tour' to Houston

Rob Zombie’s recent and upcoming sinister urges include a remix album, a new solo record, a film that looks positively terrifying and an eerie commercial for a laundry detergent. Zombie’s work as a successful filmmaker and fright-metal recording artist didn’t quite eat up all his time, so he’s going back to doing one of the things he does best: putting on a really big show. Befitting its title, the Twins of Evil tour will pair Zombie with another veteran shock-rocker in Marilyn Manson and comes to Houston one night before Halloween. Zombie talked with us about the tour, his schedule and Woolite.

Read Full Article

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Galveston Halloween haunts

Take a tour of Galveston haunts

From the sea to Victorian mansions to cemeteries, Galveston offers spectacularly spooky times each October. Tours arranged by the Galveston Historical Foundation (see www.galvestonhistory.org for tickets) include:

Bishop's Palace - The House at Night Tour: 8 p.m. and midnight today, Saturday and Wednesday. $30; 1402 Broadway

Haunted Harbor Tour: Board the Seagull II for a narrated exploration of spooky corners and tragic sites in and around Galveston's harbor. 5:30 p.m. today, Saturday and Wednesday; Pier 22, at 22nd and Harborside

Haunted Cemetery Tour: 7 and 9 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday; $15; Broadway Cemetery, 40th at Avenue K

Read: Galveston one of the nation's most haunted cities.

Read: The ghosts of Galveston and Granbury

Read Full Article



Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

weather

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Microsoft

Microsoft to show off new Surface tablet, Windows 8 at The Woodlands Mall

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Microsoft’s new lineup of tablets as well as Windows 8 will be demonstrated at The Woodlands Mall starting this Friday.

The products make their debut the same day the company opens its pop-up retail store at the mall.

The Woodlands Mall is the only location in the Greater Houston area to have one of these ‘pop-up’ retail outlets. This new site enables the company to meet the expected demand for the new Microsoft-enabled devices for the holiday buying season, like their new Surface tablet which will be released the same day.

Read Full Article

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Training

Not going to be any post this week due to being in a training class for work, that just means i have to make it up next week

Weather

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Haunted House

Here is a Haunted House i would love to visit, only problem is that its in Niagara Falls but hey its open all year long.....

Nightmares Fear Factory

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Alfred Paredes Pumpkin Designer

Pumpkin designs to drive the neighbors out of their gourds
When sculptor Alfred Paredes looks at a pumpkin, he sees possibilities. He sees the creature begging to be released.

With imagination and the help of tools, Paredes transforms simple pumpkins into 3-D sculptures of terrifying monsters, ghouls and goblins.

Paredes, whose pumpkin portraits have been featured on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show"several times, will demonstrate his talent Saturday at Bridgeland's fourth annual Howl-O-Ween Fest. Given the day's canine theme, Paredes says his carvings will most likely feature dogs and won't be quite as frightening as the usual pumpkins produced by Villafane Studios.

Read Full Article

Photo Gallery


Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Houston 5K events

Mighty Mud Dash
When: Saturday
Where: Sam Houston Race Park, 7575 N. Sam Houston Parkway
Cost: Entry fees start at $49.
Info: mightymuddash.com

Run the Jailbreak
When: Oct. 27
Where: Tony Marron Park, 808 N. York
Cost: Entry fees start at $50. Proceeds benefit the Houston Police Foundation.
Info: runthejailbreak.com
Toro Loco Challenge
When: Oct. 27
Where: 18750 University in Sugar Land
Cost: Entry fees start at $60.
Info: torolocochallenge.com

The Original Mud Run
When: Nov. 10
Where: Sam Houston Race Park, 7575 N. Sam Houston Parkway
Cost: Entry fees start at $50. A portion of the proceeds goes to Salute Inc.
Info: theoriginal
mudrun.com
Dash of the Titans
When: Nov. 17
Where: Rio Bravo Motocross Park, 11610 N. Lake Houston Parkway
Cost: Entry fees start at $35. A portion of the proceeds goes to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Info: dashofthetitans.com

Mud Dogs
When: Nov. 18
Where: Creekside Edge ATV Park, 13580 U.S. 59 in Splendora
Cost: Entry fees start at $75.
Info: muddogsevents.com

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Downtown houston

Downtown at day break

NOH8 photographic silent protest

NOH8 Houston Photogallery


Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Mayor Parker at NOH8

NOH8 campaign stops at Mayor Annise Parker's office

The anticipation of a record turnout prompted the organizers of the NOH8 photo campaign to extend hours from 3-8 p.m. today at the University of Houston's central campus. But they weren't too busy for a stop at City Hall.

Mayor Annise Parker and her staff, including, Deputy Chief of Staff Madeleine Appel and council member Ellen Cohen, posed for photos earlier today at City Hall. Parker tweeted her appreciation for the support soon after the shoot.

Read Full Article
Photo Gallery
Facebook

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Houston hot dogs

Between the buns: Houston hot dogs we relish

Who doesnt like a good hot dog, most of the resturants in the list i have been to but i never noticed on the menu they had hot dogs, so i guess next time i visit one of them i am going to have to give their dogs a try

Read Full Article


Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Weather

 

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

H-E-B Holiday Parade

Earlybird discount tickets available for H-E-B Holiday Parade

HOUSTON -- A city-wide tradition of the holiday season returns to Houston with discounted pricing and VIP seating available now. On Thursday, November 22, 2012, at 9 a.m., the 63rd Annual Holiday Parade presented by H-E-B will take place in downtown Houston with a global theme of “CELEBRATE! Holidays Around the World.”

Over 400,000 visitors and nearly two million TV viewers throughout the region will experience Houston’s annual holiday tradition live in person and within the comfort of their home on Thanksgiving morning.

“The attendance at last year’s parade far exceeded our expectations,” said Holiday Parade Director, Susan Moriarty. “We only expect things to get bigger and better this season, so we’re announcing our early bird tickets a bit sooner than in previous years and expanding our seating areas.”

Read Full Article
Buy Tickets
Houston Festival Website
Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

downtown burger

The Burger Guys readying downtown burger

The flattop grill is virgin steel. Never seared a single piece of meat. But the Burger Guys are more than eager to break in the innocent stove. After all, they’ve been waiting for months to fire up the equipment at the new downtown branch of their popular west side gourmet burger barn.

Some time within the next several weeks the Burger Guys – owner Jake Mazzu and chef Brandon Fisch – will start flipping burgers for their first paying customers at the downtown store. They promise they’ll be the most incredible burgers served not just in downtown, but in Houston. Maybe even the country.

Read Full Article

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Weather

Bayou City Art Festival

Among the highlights of the downtown festival — there’s another each spring at Memorial Park — is Art on Water, which features floating artwork on the reflection pond, and the Art of Wine, a tent that offers wine tastings and cooking demonstrations.

October 13th - 14th

Bayou City Art Festival

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Weather

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

The 30 scariest movies

In celebration of Halloween here is a link to the Photo gallery of the 30 scariest movies, so i hope you enjoy and if you get too scared just remember they are just movies........

The 30 scariest movies

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Weather

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Houston's sweetest stops

Rocket Fizz opened six months later in Rice Village. The franchise candy store specializes in old-fashioned soda pop, retro candy and nostalgia-driven novelties.

The super-size candy store is an explosion of color with bin after bin of pastel-tinted salt water taffy, tin signs and magnets, oversize chocolate bars, gummi worms, Smarties, giant lollipops and replica concert posters.

Rocket Fizz: 2413 Rice Blvd., 713-523-3499

The Chocolate Bar
This shrine to all things chocolate is celebrating it’s 10th anniversary this week. Known for its monster-size slices of cake and candy-studded house-made ice creams, the store also offers almost anything you can imagine dipped in super-rich chocolate. Popcorn, Oreos, raspberries, apple slices, bananas, graham crackers, almonds, raisins, espresso beans, pretzels — all get an artful coating of chocolate.

River Oaks: 1835 West Alabama, 713-520-8599
Rice Village: 2521 University Blvd., 713-520-8888

La King’s Confectionary
Candy is old-school and house-made at this Galveston institution with roots dating to 1927. The setting is as sweet as the menu: a 150-year-old storefront with wooden floors, retro furniture and a 1920s soda fountain.

2323 Strand in Galveston, 713-762-6100

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Sugar Land Town Square

Sugarland is have several events over the next few weekends, so take a look and then give them a visit for food, music and fun.

Sugarland Town Square


Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

PBS' Daytripper to host premiere of Kemah episode

its good to see one of the towns around houston on a tv series:

PBS' Daytripper to host premiere of Kemah episode

Chet Garner, host of PBS' Emmy-award-winning show "The Daytripper," invites the public to see the premiere of the show's Kemah episode before it airs, Saturday, Oct. 12 at Rudy's 21361 Gulf Freeway in Webster.

Read Full Article with Video

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Battleship Texas

'Hard hat' tours will reveal seldom-seen portions of Battleship Texas

Step aboard the USS Texas, and follow the flashlight's beam into history. Down plunging stairways, through silent corridors dark as midnight, past lifeless steam engines and a sepulchral radio room, Paul S. McCann, U.S. Navy, retired, leads the way. This is the old battleship's tour of tours, and what it reveals only a few have seen.

"When the Texas was commissioned," says McCann, "it was the most powerful ship on the face of the planet. It fought for our freedoms. It was slated to be decommissioned three times, and each time it got a new lease on life. It's the last dreadnought-style ship we have, and it should be preserved."

Read Full Article

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Oregon man wins Half Moon Bay pumpkin contest

i know this has nothing to do with things going on in houston but you hvae to admit that a 1700 lbs pumpkin is a impressive site. wonder how many pies this thing will make.

Read Full Article

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Breast Cancel Awareness Month

to help fight brest cancer several pubs and resturants have specials related to help fight Breast Cancer. everything from pink cocktails to deserts. so if your in houston this month take a look at the following article and visit some of the establishments to help fight breast cancer

green turns pink for breast cancer fight

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Jekyll & Hyde

'Jekyll & Hyde' returns to Houston

"This is the moment!" booms the hero of "Jekyll & Hyde," heralding his grand, and ill-fated, experiment in one of the show's popular signature power ballads.

Is this the moment for a revival of composer Frank Wildhorn's musical based on Robert Louis Stevenson's novella about a scientist whose search for the source of good and evil in each individual winds up unleashing the monster in himself?

Jeff Calhoun, director-choreographer of the new tour playing Wednesday through Oct. 21 at Hobby Center, says that it is.

Read Full Article

When: Opens Wednesday; 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays, through Oct. 21
Where: Hobby Center, 800 Bagby
Tickets: $24-$114; 713-558-8887

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Weather

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

largest Fritos Chili Pie

New world record set for largest Fritos Chili Pie

PLANO, Texas -

Sure it can feed 5,000, but a Fritos Chili Pie that was cooked up in Texas this week did more than just kick up some snack cravings. It also managed to set a Guinness World Record weighing in at 1,325 pounds.

According to a news release, the mega-sized pie effort was in celebration of Fritos corn chips' 80th anniversary, which was marked during the opening weekend of the State Fair of Texas in Plano.

Read Full Article

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers

    

Oct 20, 2012 7:30 pm (Saturday)

Toyota Center
1510 Polk Street
Houston, TX 77002

Red Hot Chili Peppers
Due to their contributions in fusing alternative rock with funk since the 1980s, there are not many music fans that do not know the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The band's numerous appearances on MTV and frenzied tour dates over the years having given rock an energy that it hadn't seen in a predominantly pop music scene. With the recent replacement of guitarist John Frusciante with his friend Josh Kinghoffer, fans are eagerly waiting to hear the Red Hot Chili Peppers' new lineup on their upcoming album, I'm with You. The band is excited about the new lineup too, as they've scheduled months worth of 2011 tour dates in South America, Europe, and Asia.

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Two Houston restaurants named to Esquire best list

Underbelly, Hildebrand earn Esquire Best New Restaurants honors

An oft-heard lament on the Houston dining scene is that the city's restaurants don't earn enough respect from the national press. That hasn't been true recently, though — and the latest evidence is that Chris Shepherd's Underbelly has been named as one of Esquire magazine's just-released best new restaurants of the year.

Triniti restaurant's Ryan Hildebrand was also announced as one of Esquire restaurant writer John Mariani's five "chefs to keep your eye on."

Read Full Article

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Weather

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Houston's haunted houses

Houston's haunted houses Photo Gallery

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Buffalo Bayou

Planning group honors Buffalo Bayou as 'great public space'

The American Planning Association on Wednesday named Buffalo Bayou one of the nation's 10 "great public spaces," recognizing decades of efforts to transform the waterway into a vital urban amenity.

The recognition focuses on a nine-mile stretch of the bayou between Shepherd and Turning Basin Overlook Park. It praises the "distinctive design, amenities and public art; high level of public and private support; and ecological restoration and protection efforts."

The APA, the nation's primary professional urban planning organization, annually recognizes great neighborhoods, streets and public spaces in cities around the country. It named Montrose one of the nation's 10 great neighborhoods in 2009.

Read Full Article

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Houston Then and Now

Mckinney and Smith (1940-50)



Current



Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Texas history center downtown

Houston officials and preservationists plan to kick off a campaign Thursday to raise $40 million in donations to build a downtown center to immerse visitors in the history of Southeast Texas.

The agency that runs the city's convention business plans to put up an additional $15 million toward the Center for Texas Cultural Heritage, a 60,000-square-foot building that will give visitors an interactive encounter with the San Jacinto Monument, the tall ship Elissa, Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park, the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, the Bishop's Palace, Spindletop and other landmarks that tell the region's story.

Read Full Article

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Swamp People

Just spoke to my mom and my cousin Troy Landry from swamp people on the histroy channel had a good season. he filled his 500+ tags this year even though there was a hurrican that gave all the trappers a bit of greef. also they are going to have a special episode on October 21 on the history channel.

Swamp People

Chootem - Troy Landry's Website

Event Schedule

October 6th
Mark Dodge
3777 Gerstner Memorial Drive
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Join Troy and Chase Landry to meet, greet and get their autographs from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

October 6th & 7th
Gander Mountain
2100 Village Market Place
Morrisville, North Carolina
Join Jacob Landry to meet, greet and get his autograph. Times TBA.

October 7th
Gander Mountain
304 Seville Street
Florence, Alabama
Join Troy and Chase Landry to meet, greet and get their autographs. Time TBA.

October 13th
New Iberia Gumbo Cookoff
100 West Main Street
New Iberia, Louisiana
Join Troy and Jacob Landry to meet, greet and get their autographs from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

October 20th
Paragon Casino Resort
711 Paragon Place
Marksville, Louisiana
Join Troy, Jacob and Chase Landry to meet, greet and get their autographs. Time TBA.

October 21st
Pierre Part Fire Department Food Fest
Pierre Part, Louisiana
Join Troy Landry to meet, greet and get his autograph in his home town. Time TBA.

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Houston Art Tasting

Oct 9, 2012 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm (Tuesday)

This event repeats yearly until Oct 9, 3000

Pinot's Palette - Galleria
55239 Richmond Ave.
Houston, TX 77056

Join us in celebrating the First Annual Art Tasting Fundraiser benefiting Texas Children's Hospital.

Enjoy wine, food from Freebird's, and door prize tickets with the purchase of an Art Tasting Pass.
Taste various wines from MAX's Wine Dive/The Tasting Room's "The Black Door"
while enjoying several interactive art exhibits all benefiting a great cause!

Houston Art Tasting

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

REO Speedwagon with Night Ranger

REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon - Kevin Cronin (lead vocals, guitar). Bruce Hall (bass), Neal Doughty (keyboards), Dave Amato (lead guitar) and Bryan Hitt (drums) - are ready to roll into 2007 full throttle with their brand new album FIND YOUR OWN WAY HOME, their first studio collection of new material in more than a decade.


Oct 19, 2012 7:30 pm (Friday)

Constellation Field
1 Stadium Drive
Sugar Land, TX 77479

 

Buy Tickets

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Fleming's Steakhouse

To celebrate its decade run in River Oaks, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar is launching a monthlong series of dinners to benefit children’s cancer charities in Houston.

 

 

Each week in October, Fleming’s will choose a charity and donate $10 from each special dinner ordered. The dinners will feature three courses: a choice of fall harvest salad or seasonal soup followed by three entrée choices (shrimp and steak surf ’n’ turf, lamb chop or tuna mignon) served with Parmesan mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach, and berry cobbler for dessert. The dinner is $59.95, not including tax and gratuity.

 

Read Full Article

 

Flemings Steak House

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/

Weather

Visit my Food Blog at http://southerncookingwithtodd.blogspot.com/