The Texas Connection Vol. 19

June 02, 2021 Hanna Carroll

Howdy & Happy Wednesday Y'all!

As always, welcome back to the Texas Connection. Grab your coffee and read this week's interesting finds from your Pals at Texas Humor.

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Howdy, friends! Here's your news updates for this week:

In Your Neck of the Woods:

Louisiana Gators are swapping the swamps for the Texas Beaches this summer
Texans can buy Beer or Wine starting at 10AM on Sundays, starting September 1

Weird Finds:

This man returns his Bob Dylan Album to a library 48... YEARS late.
Big Cheese No More: this UK drug dealer got caught by a grocery store cheese pic... of his hand...
This man found a 2.2 carat diamond at a State Park in Arkansas and plans to use it to propose

The Furry Friend Weeklies:

Walter the friendly Grouse becomes this man's backyard companion.
Have you caught a Golden Large Mouth Bass? This is a one-in-a-million genetic anomaly.
The last wild Macaw is lonely and looking for love in Rio

Until next week... stay newsy my friends.

o me, the start of summer signified a day out on the water. The sun is shining as the music is blasting, people either being pulled behind a boat, or just lying around trying to get that first good tan of the summer. So let’s just say summer has OFFICIALLY started in my book, because I spent my Sunday out on Canyon Lake.

For anyone who has had the pleasure of traveling out to this lake, you may understand when I say this is my FAVORITE lake in all of Texas… (out of all the ones I’ve been to). With a limestone base, you’ll find waters that would almost make you believe you’re on some tropical beach somewhere, which is a plus in my book – because as much as I love most lakes, I am not one to enjoy stepping into super murky waters.

Now, whether you’re the friend with a boat, the friend of the friend with a boat, or maybe you’re just out enjoying the beach... you’ll find lots of ways to enjoy the waters of Canyon lake. If you’re going out for a boat day, i’d only suggest you arrive as early as possible – not only to extend your day – but to ensure that there’s room for you to launch your boat and still find a good parking space. This is a hot spot for boaters, and most ramps can get very busy, very early. And I’m sure I don’t have to tell y’all how to have a great day, but just in case, here's my tips to having the best possible time no matter what lake you find yourself on...

Sid’s Lake Tips

Build yourself the ultimate boat playlist!
Pack plenty of refreshing snacks – and maybe plan ahead and eat lakefront with a view (Baja Icehouse & Grill if you’re visiting Canyon Lake)
Grab your favorite drinks (I prefer to stock up on a good Shiner Blonde), and keep em cold all day long in a Brümate
STAY HYDRATED (this’ll save ya later)
Bring a hat and/ or sunnies to keep that Texas sun out of your eyes. BONUS if they’re 1836% Texan.
SUNSCREEN
Don’t forget the water toys
If you’re like me you’ll want to spend your time wake-surfin’ those waves
Or... maybe you just want a good float to hang out on, in your local party cove.
Plenty of towels, not to stay dry, but to sit on because I guarantee those leather seats will be burning like the surface of the sun in a matter of no time.
Last but not least, your favorite people! And who knows maybe this next trip will bring stories that y’all’ll remember for years to come!

Don’t have easy access to a boat? There are 3 parks with access to a beach where you can still enjoy those hot Texas days!. Find more info on visiting the parks HERE!

Happy boatin’ and beachin’! And don't forget to grab all your summer essentials HERE.

Howdy y’all!

This week we are visiting Lin Asian Bar + Dim Sum in Austin, TX. This restaurant is a farm to table restaurant that specializes in Chinese cuisine with an emphasis on dim sum, also known as dumplings. Before we get to talking about their food, I should let y’all know that if you want to eat here you should make a reservation in advance. Because they are a farm to table restaurant, they are a small restaurant with limited seating. With that being said though, they do offer takeout and curbside delivery, but it is completely worth it to dine in for the full experience.

Let’s start out with the appetizers. My waiter recommended the shrimp and mushroom bao, and it did not disappoint. In fact, it exceeded all expectations I had for it. The “mushroom” part of the bao is actually the bao (a Chinese steamed bread roll ) itself. You fill the bao with the shrimp filling that was a cacophony of flavors. It consisted of plump shrimp, diced apples, and a savory sauce to coat. Paired with the fluffy bao, it was definitely a favorite of the night. Lin is also well known for their soup dumplings, so I got an order of those too. The broth inside of the dumpling was amazingly rich without being overbearing and it complimented the meat inside well. The waiter instructed me to add ginger and their special vinegar to the soup as well, and it really took the flavor over the edge! I highly recommend both of these appetizers if you plan on visiting.

After the appetizer, I decided to get two entrees. The entrees are served family style, but they are meant to feed about two people comfortably. I ordered the Dan Dan noodles, which is a savory noodle dish mixed in a soy sauce based sauce that features peanuts or peanut butter. It had an umami flavor that worked well with the peanut flavors. If you have a nut allergy I would definitely stay away from that, and try the general tso's chicken.

That was the other entree I got, and I should warn you that it did not come with any rice. I’m not sure if that is because we didn’t ask for any or because we already got the noodles, but either way it was delicious on it’s own. The general tso’s chicken had a slight sweetness to it from the pineapple added to the sauce. It was crispy yet doused in it’s delicious sweet and savory sauce. I would definitely get that again on my next trip.

Last but not least, I ordered something that I had seen all across the internet for WEEKS, but I could never find in stores. I was so excited to try this, and I was not ready for what we were in for y’all. For dessert, I ordered their chocolate raspberry bulldog mousse. Some of y’all already know what I’m talking about, but for those who are not familiar, it is a plate of chocolate mousse that is shaped and cooled into the shape of a bulldog. Like the pet. The domesticated animal. No one expected it to look so realistic, but what really took us by surprise was when we cut into it, it revealed a raspberry sorbet filling! To say it was morbid would be a little Textra, but I’ll let y’all decide for yourself.

Overall, Lin was a success and I have been thinking about going back ever since I tried it for the first time. If you are in the Austin area and you need somewhere new and modern to dine, Line will satisfy your taste buds. Until next week,

I hope you eat something delicious!