Free Events Thursday

Sizzling Summer Dance

Jun 6, 2014 at 8:30 p.m.

Miller Outdoor Theatre

Kick off your summer with MET Dance at the annual Sizzling Summer Dance Concert! Get a sneak peek of a World Premiere by New York based choreographer Joe Celej and 2014 Emerging choreographer Steven Vaughn. The evening will also include some of the Met’s most celebrated works. A diverse and versatile program bursting with dance, music and spirit, catch MET in their final performance of the season in a show perfect for all ages.

Price: FREE!!! As always, open seating on the hill. This is a ticketed event for the covered seating area.

25th Annual Accordion Kings & Queens

Jun 7, 2014 at 6 p.m.

Miller Outdoor Theatre

Come out for an evening of dancing and roots music and help Texas Folklife celebrate the Accordion Kings & Queens Festival 25th anniversary! It will be a star-studded affair, featuring Mark Halata & Texavia and C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band. Plus, there will be a tribute to Conjunto and Tejano music pioneers with Avizo and many more.

Price: FREE!!! This is a ticketed event for the covered seating area. As always, open seating on the hill.

Favorites and Firsts – Hear and Now!

June 07, 2014

The Church of St. John the Divine

2450 River Oaks Boulevard, Houston, TX 77019

We all have our favorites, but we also enjoy the excitement of something new. Well, in this case there is no need to choose. Both favorites and firsts will be found in this Special Bonus Concert as Houston Chamber sings audience requests and the world premiere of a brilliant new work by McKnight award-winning composer Jocelyn Hagen that the Chamber Choir commissioned just for this occasion. Past commissions by David Ashley White, Christopher Theofanidis, and Dominick DiOrio add to the mix of this spectacular concert.

Price: $25; Student tickets available for $10 with valid student ID.

Following General Sam Houston, 1793-1863 by Bernhardt Wall

June 06, 2014 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

1100 Bagby Street, Houston, TX 77002

Artist and historian, Bernhardt Wall was a producer of fine press books who treated a vast array of subjects, including Texas and the Southwest. Today, Wall’s books are highly collectible and may be found in private collections, libraries and universities around the world. The etchings for this pictorial biography of Sam Houston were made while Wall was in La Porte, Texas in 1935, close to the battlefield of San Jacinto. At the time, Wall had the assistance of Houston’s one surviving son, Andrew Jackson Houston. One of the over seventy etchings in the book features Sam entering the 1850 Nichols-Rice-Cherry House, now located at The Heritage Society in Sam Houston Park. The exhibit will also feature some personal objects from the Houston family from the Permanent Collection of The Heritage Society. The etchings in this exhibition are on loan from The Printing Museum.

Price: FREE!!!

First Saturday Arts Market

(Recurring monthly on the 1st Saturday) from 6:00 am -10:00 pm June, July, August

548 W. 19th Street, Houston, TX 77008

First Saturday Arts Market is a monthly outdoor fine arts event featuring the works of dozens of visual artists. Located in the Historic Houston Heights by Gen’s Antiques at 548 W. 19th St. at Lawrence St., the market showcases paintings, sculpture, photography, jewelry and handcrafted items. Bring the entire family and come enjoy the great outdoors, live music and delicious fare from some of the area’s best gourmet food trucks.

Price: FREE!!!

First Saturday Art Crawl

(Recurring monthly on the 1st Saturday)

Houston Socialites Club from 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm

On the first Saturday each month, join HSC for a fun, social art crawl around Houston, followed by dinner/drinks. Each month will feature a different art cluster/neighborhood, and includes these old favorites: Gallery Row, Montrose, Rice, Upper Kirby, Heights, to name a few.

This event is free. Houston Socialites Club (HSC) is a members-based social and events club for singles and couples over 30. Members enjoy a variety of social events each month, from art events to group dinners, recreational sports to game night potlucks, wine tasting to unique events, all designed to bring people together for friendship, fun while discovering Houston.

Price: FREE!!!

Garden Architecture Exhibition

Recurring daily

Architecture Center Houston (ArCH)

315 Capitol St., Houston, TX 77002

Garden Architecture will feature images and stories about many of Houston’s historic gardens, a juried presentation of recent significant garden design in both the public and private realm and a showcase of “vignette gardens” installed inside Architecture Center Houston. The exhibit is created for both architecture and landscape architecture design professionals, gardening enthusiasts, and will appeal to anyone interested in the history and growth of Houston as seen through the lens of our local gardens.

Price: FREE!!!

Posters of Gorbachev Era: The Sunset of Soviet Power

Recurring daily

Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Russian Cultural Center “Our Texas”

Every Soviet poster no matter the date of creation bears a stamp of expressiveness and graphical quality. The attention to details is awesome. The scope of techniques is endless. And what’s important, every Soviet poster has a historical reference essential for understanding the layers of meanings it carries through time. We present the collection of the posters that have been published in 1987-1990 years. It was very dramatic period in Russian history: Perestroika and the sunset of Soviet power took place then, leading to the new Russian Federation.

Price: FREE!!!

Free Events Thursday

by Lydia Free Events Thursday

Latin Beats

Friday, May 30th Downtown Aquarium from 7 pm – 10 pm and Saturday, May 31st, City Center from 7 pm-10 pm

Enjoy a live band (last Friday each month) plus free salsa dance lessons from professional dancers.

Price: FREE!!!

Dance Under the Stars

Friday, May 30th Sugar Land Town Square from 7:30 pm – 9 pm

Grab your dancing shoes and enjoy outdoor dance lessons with Fred Astaire instructors. This month’s dancing features Splash Band, a Motown and Oldies band.

Price: FREE!!!

Breakfast Yoga Club Houston

Sunday, June 1st at Asia Society Texas Center from 9 am – 11 am.

Soothing music and breakfast accompany the yoga.

Price: FREE!!! (with reservations)

Sandcastle Competition

Saturday, May 31, Galveston from 10am- 4:30 pm.

Galveston East Beach, 1923 Boddeker

The 28th year of this friendly competition pitting business teams against each other. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) annual Sandcastle Competition in Galveston is like nothing you’ve seen!

Price: FREE!!! (Parking is $10)

Learn Improv

Friday, May 30th at 7:30 pm.

Station Theater

1230 Houston Ave

Take a free Improv class, thanks to Station Theater’s Intro to Improv. All Intro students are invited to stay to watch Supernova Armando show for free ($6 value), a fast-paced comedy show with a guest monologist.

Price: FREE!!!

Walk the Streets

Sunday, June 1st, Studemont to Milam (Market Square Park) from 11 am – 3 pm.

Closed to vehicles, folks can walk, bike, dance and socialize their way down the road. Market Square Park will have several businesses onsite: Houston B-cycle, Bayou City Outdoors, Bike Barn, Buffalo Bayou Partnership and the Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt food truck!

Price: FREE!!!

Free Events Thursday

by Lydia Free Events Thursday

Facing Mars

May 24, 2014 – September 01, 2014

1601 NASA Parkway, Houston, TX 77058

The challenges of a human mission to Mars are as big as any humans have faced. We know that we can get there, but will we be able to survive? How will we solve the many challenges? What will happen when we push our bodies and minds far beyond any place we have been before?

This summer, visitors will be asked these simple questions at Space Center Houston’s new exhibit “Facing Mars.” Focusing on the real-life obstacles of sending humans to Mars, this groundbreaking exhibition, developed and designed by the Ontario Science Centre, shows visitors how the challenges of a Mars mission aren’t limited to technology or money. It asks questions associated with traveling to Mars for which there currently are no known answers. It also engages participants in the physical, psychological and scientific challenges that come with interplanetary travel.

Price: $17.95 (Save $5 per ticket by buying online)!

Break Out Arts

May 26, 2014 from 2pm – 6pm

2521 Holman, Houston, TX 77004

Break Out Arts is a multi dimensional creative event featuring talented music artists, a fashion showcase and visual arts gallery. The show will take place at Our House: The Store Project on Memorial day, Monday May 26th 2014 from 2-6pm. Break Out Arts is an effort to expose and connect the community to the arts in all its forms. In addition to the live music and dance performances, runway showcase and curated art exhibit – the event offers a free music workshop for children, diet consultations with free food samples by Rawbiquitos and functions as a platform for community interaction featuring a variety of vendors with unique products.

Price: FREE!!!

Carnival Houston

May 24, 2014 from Noon – 9:00pm

1500 McKinney Street, Houston, TX 77479

Celebrating carnival from the caribbean, Brazil and New Orleans Mardi Gras. It is an exciting an explosion of music, cuisine, revelry, costume parade and performances. The Premier Annual Carnival Houston show will showcase carnival costumes and performances such as Samba, Merengue, and costume masqueraders, Dance Performances, Calypso, Soca, Salsa, and Samba.

Price: $10

Centennial Exhibition at the Julia Ideson Library

May 24, 2014 from 10:00am-6:00pm

500 McKinney Avenue, Houston, TX 77002

Hermann Park Conservancy is partnering with the Julia Ideson Library downtown to present an exhibition honoring Hermann Park’s centennial year. Having re-opened in 2011 after a $32 million renovation, the historic library is the perfect place to display objects from the Park’s history, including original planning documents, maps, renderings, and historical photos. Objects in the exhibition have been sourced from the archives of Hermann Park Conservancy, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, and the City of Houston Archives in the Texas Room of the Julia Ideson Library. The exhibition will be on view in the Tudor Gallery through July 26.

Price: FREE!!!

Discover Houston Tours: Rice Village Chocolate Safari

May 24, 2014 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

2365A Rice Boulevard, Houston, TX 77007

Walk along Rice Boulevard on Saturdays, visiting yummy and unique chocolate shops and restaurants on the way. Meet new friends and learn about the history of chocolate.

Price: $30.00

Garden Architecture Exhibition

May 22, 2014 – July 18, 2014 (Recurring daily)

315 Capitol St., Houston, TX 77002

Price: FREE!!!

In Juliet’s Garden AND Ophelia’s Rope & Friends

May 22, 2014 – May 30, 2014 (Recurring daily) at 8pm

Studio 101 (Houston Heights)

Act 1: In Juliet’s Garden (40 minutes) By: Judy Elliot McDonald Juliet Capulet invites four other heroines of Shakespeare’s classics (Katharina, Portia, Ophelia and Desdemona) to lunch in her favorite garden in Verona to discuss issues they all have with their plots. All the ladies have suggestions how these issues might be remedied. Shakespeare has also been invited, but instead sends an envoy, his literary agent and Editor Jacqueline de Boys, who attempts to save the day! Act 2: Ophelia’s Rope & Friends Improv Show (40 minutes) Houston Improv troupes will use audience suggestions to create spontaneous–and often hilarious–once in a lifetime stories!

Price: $15.00

Russian Spring Bazaar

February 03, 2014 – May 30, 2014 (Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00p.m., Saturday: 11:00a.m. – 3:00p.m.)

Russian Cultural Center “Our Texas”

2337 Bissonnet, Houston TX 77005

Discover unique ethnic souvenirs and gifts that are hard to find anywhere else. – Wooden figures of Father Frost; – Beautiful icons; – Lovely lacquer jewelry boxes; – Famous blue-and –white china – Gzhel; – Golden wooden tableware “Khokhloma”; – Famous Russian Matreshkas or nesting dolls.

Price: FREE!!!

Tuesday Tunes: The Groovy 1960’s

by Lydia Tuesday Tunes

The sixties were the age of youth. The movement away from the conservative fifties continued and eventually resulted in revolutionary ways in the cultural fabric of American life. No longer content to be images of the generation ahead of them, young people wanted change. Even dancing changed. Dancing was no longer about keeping the basic steps, instead it was all about how the music moved you. Your own personal dance style. The Watusi, The Twist, The Swim and a slew of others dominated the night clubs and beach parties throughout the decade. Here are just a few dances that made entertainment history.

The Nitty Gritty

Dee Dee Sharp – Mashed Potato Time

The Swim

Free Events Thursday: Mother’s Day

by Lydia Free Events Thursday

Soto: The Houston Penetrable

May 8, 2014 – Sep 1, 2014

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Jesús Rafael Soto’s signature Penetrables series is one of the great marvels of contemporary art. The Houston Penetrable—the Venezuelan artist’s final, and most ambitious work—is the only one Soto (1923–2005) designed as permanent or semipermanent, and one of the few he created as an indoor piece.

A vast, floating sea of plastic strands suspended from the ceiling, the Houston Penetrable is completed only by the viewer’s participation. Intended to be touched, handled, and waded through, the strands compose a floating yellow orb on a transparent background. The 24,000 PVC (polyvinyl chloride) tubes, individually hand-painted and tied, hang two stories high from the ceiling to the floor in the Museum’s Cullinan Hall.

Price: $15 (Free for members)

Canvas, Cocktails & Conversation; May Edition

May 10, 2014 from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

Bisong Art Gallery 1305 Sterrett St. Houston, TX 77002

Bisong Art Gallery presents the May edition of Canvas, Cocktails & Conversation Saturday, May 10 Bisong Art Gallery is unique in that the warehouse district area is a historical arts community. 20 years ago, what was once all industrial buildings, has now been transformed into art studios, upscale living, and restaurants. On the second Saturday of each month, the gallery is transformed into an art class, but no worries if you aren’t the next Picasso. Enjoy your complimentary drink, get relaxed and let your creativity flow with a few of your closest friends so you can create your own take-home masterpiece. Create your own version of Paul Signac’s The Pink Cloud. A local artist will help you recreate this masterpiece; no experience required. Many of the events are free and open to the public.

Art supplies, canvas, aprons, complimentary mimosas and appetizers will be provided. Specials will be available for premium drinks. Seating is limited.

Price: $30

Domaine Sainte Rose Wine Dinner!

May 02, 2014 – May 28, 2014 (Recurring daily) at 7pm

Artisans Restaurant

3201 Louisiana Street, Houston, TX 77006

Come enjoy some creative dishes paired with wonderful wines from Domaine Sainte Rose! Seating is limited so please call 713.529.9111 today to make your reservation!

Price: FREE!!!

Celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

May 10, 2014 from 11:00am – 5:00pm

Asia Society Texas Center

1370 Southmore Boulevard, Houston, TX 77004

First observed by the United States Congress in the late 1970s and finally signed into law in 1992, May is recognized as a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. The month was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese in 1843 and the completion of the transcontinental railroad, worked on by numerous Chinese immigrants, in 1869.

Join us at Asia Society Texas Center for our eleventh Family Day, which will mark Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Activities, interactive experiences, and performances will present a snapshot of Asian culture and the Asian American diaspora. Stay tuned for updates in the coming weeks!

Price: Free for Members, $5 Nonmembers

Heartbreak House

May 08, 2014 – June 01, 2014

Main Street Theater
2540 Times Blvd, Houston, TX 77005

September, 1914. The topsy-turvy household of Captain Shotover and his daughter Hesione Hushabye entertains weekend guests: Ellie Dunn, her father, and her fiancé. Unfortunately, Ellie’s fiancé is a scoundrel, her father is a bumbling prig, and she’s actually in love with Hesione’s husband Hector. This bold mix of farce and tragedy lampoons British society as it blithely ignores the catastrophe looming on the horizon that will become the War to End All Wars.

Price: $20-$32

Mother’s Day Brunch at L’Olivier

May 11, 2014 from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm

240 Westheimer Rd., Houston, TX 77006

Sunday, May 11th from 10:30 to 2:30 3 Course Menu $45 Per Person Price Does Not Include Beverages, Tax or Gratuity 1st Course Housemade Pate chicken liver a touch of brandy Shrimp Cocktail spicy horseradish sauce Housemade Smoked Salmon Goat Cheese Salad mixed greens & cherry tomatoes dressed in maple vinaigrette Butternut Squash Panzotti sage truffle sauce 2nd Course Grilled Prime Beef Medallion with mashed potatoes Grilled Lamb Chop with ratatouille Crab Cake Benedict with poached egg & paprika hollandaise Seared Shrimp with black rice Dessert Creme Brulee Chocolate Mousse Marquise Chocolate Roquefort Terrine.

Price: FREE!!! (Until the bill comes…yay)!

Museum District Walking Tour

Houston Architecture Tours from 10 am – 12 noon

Meet at the Miro sculpture inside the MFAH Sculpture Garden, 5101 Montrose Blvd, 77006.

Street and lot parking available.

The Houston Museum District is one of the few areas in the country with such a dense population of museums, public art, contemporary architecture, and landscape design. On this 2-hour walking tour you will experience the quintessential Modernism of Mies van der Rohe, the structuralist view point of Gunnar Birkert, and the simplicity and craft of Isamu Noguchi. Come explore these and other world class examples of design with ArCH tour guides and trace the chronology of significant cultural shifts from the early twentieth century through today.

Price: $10

Peaches and Cream for Mom

May 10, 2014

Kiehl’s since 1851

4076 Westheimer Rd., Houston, TX 77027

Give Mom the gift of Peaches and Cream! Let her be pampered with a relaxing Kiehl’s mini facial while sipping on a Peach smoothie or herbal tea! Space is limited, so call for your mom’s reservation now!

Price: FREE!!!

United Nations Association International Choir Concert

May 10, 2014 from 5p.m. and 8p.m.

Heinen Theatre
3517 Austin Street, Houston, TX 77004

United Nations Association International Choir is a multicultural group of singers who inspire, educate and bring joy to audiences through world music by performing international choral works in their unique styles and languages. The choir celebrates cultural diversity as part of the greater Houston community through its collaborative environment of camaraderie, learning, and growth.

Price: $25

Tuesday Tunes: 1940’s!

by Lydia Tuesday Tunes

1940’s!

The 1940’s were dominated by World War II and pulled the US out of the Great Depression. Women were needed in factories, agencies, companies and even baseball teams and the military to replace men who had gone off to war. Food, metals and various materials were rationed to help the Allies win against the Axis Powers that threatened the world. However, swingin’ new music from Glenn Miller, The Andrew Sisters, Artie Shaw, Count Basie and many others provided fast and up-beat songs for the latest dance crazes of the decade.

Glen Miller …. In The Mood (A tribute to the 1940’s)!

Andrews Sisters and Swing Dancing

The Jitterbug

Free Events Thursday!

by Lydia Free Events Thursday

14th Annual Houston Dragon Boat Festival

May 03, 2014 from 8:30am-4:30pm

Allen’s Landing

1001 Commerce Street, Houston, TX 77002

Performances include lion dancing, martial arts, Hawaiian style dancing, belly dancing, and many more activities bringing awareness of Asian and Asian-American culture. The entire family can enjoy the culture and traditions of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans and experience the culture and traditions through a sample of Asian cuisine, colorful arts and crafts and other activities during the festival.

Once again the MD Anderson Super Heroes youth team is competing. This will be the second time the team, which consists of leukemia and cancer teenagers, parents, doctors, nurses and other “sidekicks,” is paddling in our event. Also this year’s festival will feature Blind Fury, a team whose members are from the Lighthouse of Houston. The Lighthouse of Houston is a private, nonprofit education and service center dedicated to assisting blind and visually impaired people to live independently.

Price: FREE!!!

African Art from the Cameroon & Nigeria with Paintings by Lucinda Cobley and Beatriz Olivetti

May 01, 2014 – June 14, 2014 (Every Thursday, Friday, Saturday) from Noon to 6 pm

Gallery Jatad

1517 Blodgett Street, Houston, TX 77004

Gallery Jatad is exhibiting two new exhibits. “African Art from the Cameroon & Nigeria with Paintings by Lucinda Cobley and Beatriz Olivetti” and “three dudes from Corpus”. The exhibit focuses on traditional African art from the Cameroon and Nigeria border region. This is an opportunity to acquire antique objects originally used for ritual purposes from an area of Africa that remained relatively untouched by Western contact well into the 20th century. Smaller objects include whistles carved with a sculptural purity anticipating Modern Art with some covered with multi-colored beads, and skin cover sculptures of heads worn as head crests to honor ancestors. A variety of masks, figures, dolls and textiles are offered, including objects from the Bamileke, Banso, Vere, Mumuye, Mambila, Ibibio, Ibo, Keaka and Ekoi. Contemporary works by Lucinda Cobley and Beatriz Olivetti are featured on the walls of the main gallery. Both artists titillate the eye with color. The north gallery features works by Ricardo Ruiz, Oscar Guerra and Jimmy Pena.

Price: FREE!!!

Bulgari: 130 Years of Masterpieces

May 02, 2014 – October 05, 2014

Houston Museum of Natural Science

Bulgari: 130 Years of Masterpieces will be an exhibition of approximately 150 sizable pieces
of jewelry from Bulgari?s Heritage Collection, including masterpieces from the historical archives of the company headquarters in Rome or on loan from private collections. This exclusive retrospective marks the first time the storied jeweler has showcased pieces representing every period since its Roman beginnings in 1884, making Bulgari: 130 Years of Masterpieces a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Included in the Houston exhibition are pieces from the collection of Dame Elizabeth Taylor, who became almost as famous for her love of Bulgari jewels as for her on-screen triumphs. Other pieces in the exhibition belonged to or were worn by iconic women past and present, including Sophia Loren, Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, Isabella Rossellini, Gina Lollobrigida, Anna Magnani, Juliette Binoche, Milla Jovovich, Jennifer Aniston, Claudia Schiffer, Elizabeth Hurley, Rachel Weisz, Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore.

Price: $25

Drinko de Mayo

May 03, 2014 from 7 pm – 2 am

Howl at the Moon

Enjoy our drink specials and of course, our dueling pianos will be rocking the party all night long! DRINKO DE MAYO SPECIALS: $4 Dos Equis $22 86oz Mega Margaritas $5 Jose Cuervo Shots WIN A CINCO DE MAYO HAPPY HOUR PARTY Follow the link to win a free Cinco de Mayo happy hour party for you and up to 100 friends for even more Cinco de Mayo drink specials!

Price: $10

First Saturday Arts Market

May 03, 2014 – May 02, 2015 (Recurring monthly on the 1st Saturday)

Times: 11-6 Sept – May and 6-10 June, July, August

548 W. 19th Street, Houston, TX 77008

Price: FREE!!!

Houston Food Truck Fest

May 03, 2014 from 12pm – 5pm

6400 Richmond Ave, Houston, TX 77057

Stereo Live will host the 3rd Houston Food Truck Fest on Saturday May 3rd from 12pm–5pm. The event will feature 21 of Houston’s finest Gourmet Food Trucks. Live music, DJ, karaoke stage and a multitude of attractions will keep Fest goers entertained. Family friendly movies will also be shown indoors on our massive 210 sq ft screen.

Price: $12

Eat Well Wednesday: Salsa!

by Lydia Eat Well Wednesday Uncategorized

Tomato season is upon us!

Did you know that tomatoes contain 2 grams of fiber each, loads of Vitamin C helping you stay healthy, and beta-carotene to help make your skin glow?

I will take any chance I can to get some of those benefits into my body and if that means eating salsa, well that is fine with me.

Salsa is by far our all time favorite dip! We consume large quantities of salsa in our house, for the perfect topping to our eggs, to a great dip for our chips. We LOVE salsa!! After sharing with you our Coconut Granola Clusters as an easy and yummy way to save money on your grocery bill, I was inspired to share with you our family favorite, HOMEMADE SALSA.

This recipe makes about 8 cups of salsa and for about $4.00. That is a steal, considering that a 2 cup jar of salsa at the store will cost anywhere form $3-$4!! Talk about cost savings.

Not only is this recipe budget friendly, it is very, very tasty and so fresh. You can whip up a batch in about 1 minute and immediately serve it to your friends and family or store it it jars in the fridge for the perfect dip to your chip or topping for your morning eggs.

Gather up these ingredients:

(2) 28 oz Cans of Whole Tomatoes
(1) Bunch of Cilantro
(1) Bunch of Green Onions
(2) Tablespoons of Jalapeno’s (Jar)
(3) Tablespoons of Cumin
(2) Tablespoons of Sugar
(1) Tablespoon of Salt
(1) Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
Juice of (1) Lemon
Juice of (1) Lime

Here is what you do:

Cut off root ends of green onions and chop onion into 3 inch pieces.
Add green onion, cilantro, jalapeno’s and tomatoes into blender and process until well blended.
Add the seasonings and juice the lemon and lime. Blend for a few more seconds.

And that’s it! Time to break out the chips and enjoy your fantastic dip.

I know that your friends and family are going to love this salsa.

So, what is your favorite dip? Salsa or queso? Leave a comment below and let me know.

————————————————-

Jill Wentworth is leading us Wednesday by Wednesday into making better food choices and being more healthful. Tune in every Wednesday to get some great recipes and advice from someone who really knows health. In an effort to fuel her passion to serve as well has enhance the lives of others through their nutritional choices, she started Eat Well SA(San Antonio). Her vision is to educate you on how to incorporate a healthy array of foods into your life. Eat Well is not a diet, nor does it embrace any one specific dietary agenda. She also offers customized programs that are educational and teach you the tools you need to maintain healthy, well balanced eating for your busy lives.

Dinner / Dance 19. Meet Gretchen!

by Lydia Interviews

Hi Framers,

This next performance, Dinner / Dance 19 is taking a turn from our usual abstraction. Because the event is a multi-course dinner, and we are navigating subject matter from planting to eating, I realized a huge part of dining is the drama and dialogue we have on a daily basis while eating a meal. We’ve been working with some funny, and hopefully identifiable characters in rehearsal. And now it’s time to begin introducing you to them.

Allow us to introduce:

Gretchen Charise Kittridge

(aka Ashley Horn)

Gretchen started at Search Optimizer out of college. She accepted lower pay than she wanted because she was promised that she would move up quickly in the company, she was one of the first employees of the start-up. But has only had one promotion in 11 years. Comes early, stays late. Gretchen is only child of overachievers– Mother is a school superintendent and Father is an pediatric heart surgeon. She graduated with honors in 3 years with a degree in Marketing. Always planned on going back to law school, but can’t seem to find time. She’s not particularly liked at work, she’s a little bitter and hated by one of her colleagues. All she wants is fairness and the success she deserves. That’s not too much to ask, right?

Where would you find her when she’s not at work? Reading a book with a glass of wine. Maybe adopting another cat.

Free Events Thursday

by Lydia Free Events Thursday

BESO Latin Saturdays at Synn Ultra Lounge

April 05, 2014 – July 12, 2014 (Every Saturday) from 10:00pm – 2:00am

3302 Mercer St., Houston, TX 77027

Join us this Saturday Night at Synn Ultra lounge for BESO. Houston’s upscale latin party. With its welcoming ambiance, Moving Music, & Plenty of Eye candy BESO Saturdays at Synn Ultra Lounge display elegance, class, and style amongst all the rest.

Price: FREE!!!

3rd Annual Houston Improv Festival

April 24, 2014 – April 27, 2014 (Recurring daily): Thursday – 8pm; Friday & Saturday – 8pm & 10pm

Midtown Art Center

3414 LaBranch, Houston, TX 77004

The 3rd Annual Houston Improv Festival descends upon Houston April 24-27 at Midtown Art Center. HIF 2014 welcomes fifteen improvised acts from around the country.

Price: $15

Save the date! San Jacinto Day Festival 2014

Saturday, April 26th

Booming cannons, cracking musket fire, thundering hooves and desperate battle cries resound across the San Jacinto Battleground as hundreds of history reenactors recreate the events leading up to Texas winning its independence at the decisive Battle of San Jacinto.

Price: FREE!!!

30th Annual Wine & Roses Festival

April 26, 2014 at 2-8pm

Messina Hof Winery and Resort

4545 Old Reliance Rd., Bryan, TX 77808

We invite Houston to our 30th Annual Wine & Roses Festival at Messina Hof?, Saturday April 26th in Bryan, TX! Wine tasting, grape stomp, art classes, live music and so much more!

Price: FREE!!!

4th Annual Gumbo Cook-Off and Fun Day

April 26, 2014 from 10 am – 6 pm

Clear Lake, Landolt Pavilion

5100 E Nasa Pkwy, Seabrook, TX 77586

4th Annual Gumbo Cook-off & Family fun day featuring Gumbo Cook-off Competition, People Choice Award, Gumbo Tasting, Celebrity Judges, Vendors, Booths, Silent Auction, Dunking Tank – See whose getting dunked! Come hungry for Gumbo, Crawfish Plates, Sausage-on-a-Stick and more. Live Entertainment featuring The Station Break Band. Proceeds benefit Rotarians of Seabrook Charities.

Price: $10 and includes Gumbo Tasting (It includes food, people)!

Artist Talk: Trenton Doyle Hancock

April 27, 2014 at 2:00 pm

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

5216 Montrose Boulevard, Houston, TX 77006

Join artist Trenton Doyle Hancock and Senior Curator Valerie Cassel Oliver for an artist talk in conjunction with Trenton Doyle Hancock’s exhibition “Skin and Bones, 20 Years of Drawing.”

Price: FREE!!!

2013-2014 ROCO Chamber Series: French Salon

April 27, 2014 at 4:00 PM

Gremillion & Co. Fine Art Annex

2504 Nottingham Street, Houston, TX 77005

Finishing out the Chamber Series is a French Salon concert that includes music by Poulenc and more feature Alecia Lawyer on Oboe and Kristin Wolfe Jensen on Bassoon.

Price: $25