One warm, sunny Christmas Eve, Michael and I were at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort east of Austin, our home away from home for the holidays. The resort is a lovely escape in itself, but when I discovered the restaurant would prepare a picnic lunch for us, I couldn’t resist making the short trek to the Lost Pines State Park in Bastrop.
I must have been subconsciously planning this picnic, because tucked away in the trunk of our car was a basket waiting for an alfresco feast to happen. There were also napkins and plates, and even a loaf of cranberry Christmas bread that I added just in case we didn’t feel like walking to the restaurant for breakfast. So, I made the call, ordered the food, and we were off for a non-typical Christmas Eve lunch for two.
Opened in 1937 and located 32 miles southeast of Austin, Lost Pines State Park was created when the state acquired land from both the city of Bastrop and private owners during the final years of the Great Depression. Today, the park comprises 6,600 acres, plus an additional 1,017 acres in the Buscher section.
We drove through Lost Pines decades ago, and it looked like a wonderful spot for a family vacation. Along with outdoor recreation provided by Mother Nature, the park is home to portions of the El Camino Real de Los Tejas National Historic Trail. There are campgrounds, lakes, and trails, as well as cabins, just in case you are a tenderfoot like me. The cabins range from a simple one-bedroom stone cabin to a four-bedroom cabin. They look like they grew here; they are part of the landscape that is Texas, and I love the whole package, state, park, cabins, and pines. You will too.
In the summer of 2011, disaster struck. We were in the middle of a year-long drought, and fires were ravaging the state. The Lost Pines State Park was one of the victims of twelve months without rain, and fires raged without mercy, affecting 96 percent of the park. When the rains came four years later, they hit as a flood on Memorial Day, triggering a disastrous dam failure. That same year, this park was the victim of another fire.
Lost Pines State Park has risen from the ashes with new trees, new plants, and new life. It made my heart happy as we explored the area and saw how determined the pines were to live, and grow, and survive. As we drove, we noticed we had the park almost to ourselves, except for Santa taking a nap in a pickup truck and a few families who rented cabins for the holidays. We picnicked under a sky full of hope and joy that day. It was the only gift we needed.
A Picnic in the Pines: Buffalo Fried Cauliflower, Grilled Chicken and Avocado Sandwich,
Crispy Potato Chips, Drunken Raisin-Cranberry Bread
Ordering a prepared picnic is not something I normally do, but the restaurant informed me that anything on the menu was available. Unfortunately, in between pick-up and consumption, the cauliflower lost its crispness. It was a puzzle to Michael why I ordered the cauliflower at all, so I explained I wanted to know how it tasted. I guess I still don’t know the answer to that question, but the sandwich was good and the potato chips crunchy.
I have been baking cranberry bread during the holidays ever since I read Cranberry Thanksgiving to my tiny children too many decades ago to count. Recently, I discovered a new way to prep the ingredients, and now I’m sold. The cranberry bread I make these days is quick and delicious. If kept tightly covered, it only gets better each day.
Drunken Raisin-Cranberry Bread
• 1½ C raisins
• ½ C Grand Marnier
• 1 egg
• Zest from orange
• ¾ C fresh orange juice
• 2 C flour
• 1 C sugar
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 4 Tbs cold butter, cubed
• 1½ C fresh cranberries
Special Equipment
• Non-stick 8½ x 4½ loaf pan
• Pam® spray
NOTE: use room temperature eggs, always loosen flour with a wire whisk before measuring.
Place raisins in a microwave-proof bowl. Pour Grand Marnier over raisins, mashing raisins down to submerge, microwave on high for 90 seconds. Remove from microwave and let stand for at least 1 hour or until most of the liqueur has been absorbed.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a loaf pan with Pam®. Set aside. In a small bowl whisk the egg until well combined. Whisk in orange peel, and orange juice. Set aside.
Place flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined. Scatter butter over the flour mixture, and pulse until the butter is cut into the flour and the mixture resembles a coarse meal with no visible lumps. Place the mixture in a large bowl. Add the egg and orange juice mixture to the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until the batter is evenly moist. Fold in the cranberries and raisin mixture. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove the bread and cool on a wire rack.
A lifetime food enthusiast and cook, Charlotte Caldwell loves to entertain and enjoy fine food in the beauty of the outdoors. She has catered everything from weddings to charity events and, of course, picnics for family, friends and organizations who can’t get enough of her recipes. She is the author of “Charlotte’s Texas Hill Country Picnics,” from which these columns appear. To learn more, contact [email protected] with the subject line “COOKBOOK.”
