Is the secret in the sauce when it comes to BBQ? Or is it in the entire process… Smoking it vs. grilling it? Marinating vs. rub? When you do get the meat just right, how about a secret sauce recipe (see below)? For the month of March we are giving you the scoop on BBQ perfection from a long-time Houston master of the Que… HarlonsBBQ!  Top ten BBQ secrets, read here!

Jack’s Secret Barbecue Sauce

Full disclosure… we have no clue who Jack is, but man this recipe is tasty!

• 4-8 ounces of your favorite store-bought BBQ sauce (sweet)
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar (white will work also)
• 3 tblsp lemon juice (approx. 1 lemon)
• 1 1/2 tblsp brown sugar
• 1 tblsp Cayenne pepper
• 1 tblsp hot pepper sauce (Tabasco, Frank’s, Trappy’s, Louisiana)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper (fresh ground if you have it)
• Add more or less of your store-bought sauce, to your taste.

You don’t have to cook this one! Just combine the ingredients, put in a jar with a tight lid (for occasional shaking), place in the refrigerator for a couple of days before the feast. Give it a vigorous shake once in a while.

If you are in a hurry, you may simmer the ingredients for about 25 minutes to serve immediately.

Sometimes you want to be healthy, and sometimes you just want to have a burger sandwiched between donuts, right?  We won’t tell!  Below are some delicious recipes no matter your mood!  Try them and let us know which tickled your tastebuds the most!

The Ultimate Breakfast Burger

Cowboy Nachos 

The Donut Burger 

Grilled Farmers’ Winter Salad 

Crispy Artichokes and Roasted Garlic Aioli 

Grilled Asian Salad

BBQ Bloomin’ Onion 

Sausage and Pepperoni Pot Pies

Fire Roasted Apples

BBQed Cookies and Cream Cake (no, this is not a mistake… just go with us!)

Peanut Butter M&M Cheesecake with Brownie Crust 

Easy French Macarons 

Texas Custom Patios

Awarded Best Of Houzz 2019

Awarded by Community of Over 40 Million Monthly Users, Annual BOH Badge Highlights Home Remodeling & Design Professionals with Top Ratings and Most Popular Home Designs

January  2019 – Texas Custom Patios has won “Best Of Design, Customer Service, Design Photography” on Houzz®, the leading platform for home renovation and design. The turnkey custom design project builder was chosen by the more than 40 million monthly unique users that comprise the Houzz community from among more than 2.1 million active home building, remodeling and design industry professionals.  This is the 4th year in a row for Texas Custom Patios to score this coveted title!  

The Best Of Houzz badge is awarded annually, in three categories: Design, Customer Service and Photography. Design awards honor professionals whose work was the most popular among the Houzz community. Customer Service honors are based on several factors, including a pro’s overall rating on Houzz and client reviews submitted in 2018. Architecture and interior design photographers whose images were most popular are recognized with the Photography award.

A “Best Of Houzz 2019” badge will appear on winners’ profiles as a sign of their commitment to excellence. These badges help homeowners identify popular and top-rated home professionals in every metro area on Houzz.

“Best of Houzz is a true badge of honor as it is awarded by our community of homeowners, those who are hiring design, remodeling and other home improvement professionals for their projects,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of Industry Marketing for Houzz. “We are excited to celebrate the 2019 winners chosen by our community as their favorites for home design and customer experience, and to highlight those winners on the Houzz website and app.”

To follow us on Houzz, read our reviews, or check out our award-winning projects, visit here!

About Houzz

Houzz is the leading platform for home remodeling and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish – online or from a mobile device. From decorating a small room to building a custom home and everything in between, Houzz connects millions of homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home improvement professionals across the country and around the world. With the largest residential design database in the world and a vibrant community empowered by technology, Houzz is the easiest way for people to find inspiration, get advice, buy products and hire the professionals they need to help turn their ideas into reality. Headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., Houzz also has international offices in London, Berlin, Sydney, Moscow, Tel Aviv and Tokyo. Houzz is a registered trademark of Houzz Inc. worldwide. For more information, visit houzz.com.

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When it’s cold outside there’s nothing quite like getting cozy by a fire.  The sizzle may be fueled by sticks and flames on a campground or maybe you’re roasting by your outdoor fire pit in your own backyard!  We have some fireside eats and treats sure to heat you up!

Barbecued Popcorn

Crunchy Spiced Chickpeas

Mountain Man Breakfast

Grilled Bacon Potatoes

BBQ Brisket Burnt Ends

Campfire Pepperoni Pizza

Peanut Butter Banana Melties

Cinnamon Apples by the Fire

Campfire Strawberries

S’mores in an Ice Cream Cone 

With about six weeks under your slightly bigger belt of eating, drinking, and being merry… it’s time to buckle down and get healthy, starting next year of course (Wink! Wink!).  So what is it that you’re trying to eliminate?  Sugar, wheat, dairy… all of the above?  Going without these things can have tremendous health benefits and can still be tasty, we promise!

Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls – gluten free

The Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – gluten free

Italian Chicken Sausage and Veggies – yes, most sausage has gluten, but not this one!

White Chocolate Almond Raspberry Cake – gluten free

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies – gluten and dairy free

The Creamiest Vegan Mac and Cheese – dairy free

Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie – dairy free

Molten Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake – Keto (low-carb, no sugar)

Pull-Apart Cinnamon Rolls – no gluten here

Ooey Gooey Butter Cake – Keto

The above suggestions are treats, but if you want to get super serious about your health, get outside on your grill and sizzle up some lean meats and veggies.  Heck you can even grill up some peaches for a sweet surprise.  See?… living outside is better (and better for you)!

Each month we feature one of our most stunning projects, whether it be a covered patio or an outdoor kitchen with a beautiful fire feature, contemporary or traditional … we give you a glimpse of a highlighted completed project!  These projects were built in the greater Houston area and the Dallas/Fort Worth area.  Let’s take a look back at the projects that really stood out for 2018.

Click the link below to discover all details about these projects, including: cost range, size, materials and sketches!

January

February

March

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

September 

October

November

Our Process

At Texas Custom Patios, we really get to know our customers. When you choose to build with us, you get your own project developer who will get to know you, your goals, and your style, and will oversee your entire outdoor living project, from start to finish.

Schedule your free consultation today by calling our office or filling out our contact form. We will send one of our experienced project developers to your home to gather information about your project. If we can provide an outdoor living project that meets your budget, then we will create a proposal for you.

Not sure how to budget for your outdoor living project? Look at our dream patio budgeting guide for some ideas.

What Can I Expect During This Visit?

• You will see photos of similar projects to help us determine your preferences
• We will take measurements and photos of the project area
• We will ask lots of questions about your expectations
• We will talk to you about your project budget

DESIGN, PRICING, & PROPOSAL

After your project developer visits your home, we will provide you with a proposal that includes an exact quote proposal for your project. On average, the proposal will be completed in about a week. This proposal will include a design drawing with specifications and dimensions and rendered views and elevations so you can see what the project will look like after completion.

Your project developer will schedule an in-person meeting with you to go over your proposal and answer any questions. Once we have signed a contract, You can visit our office showroom to view samples and make final selections for your project.

EXACT QUOTE

When we say “exact quote,” we mean it. This quote is not an estimate, and there will be no surprise expenses during the course of your project. If changes or additions are made during the construction process, we will address those changes as they occur.

HOA APPROVAL AND CITY PERMITS

Some areas require a permit or HOA approval for outdoor living projects. The only thing your project developer needs in order to get approval for you is a copy of your lot survey. We will provide all of the additional required information.

If you live in a municipality that requires a building permit, we will handle every submission, inspection, and approval required. Depending on the location, this process can take between four and six weeks.

MATERIALS AND SCHEDULING

Scheduling of your project will depend on several factors — how many jobs we are currently working on, the weather, or if you have a particular deadline for an event at your home.

Materials are ordered in a timely fashion so they will be available when we begin construction on your project. Some materials are readily available while others require a special order. We will get you to make selections on stone and other materials quickly after the signing of a contract in case there are time constraints on having the material ready when needed.

Our crews work on several projects at a time. Many times throughout your project, you will see one crew work, have another trade come in to do their part and then the first crew come back to finish up their part of the project. We try to keep production of your project continuous once we begin working, but there may be times when we have some lag time between trades.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND COMPLETION

Your project will be managed and supervised by your Project Developer — the one that first met with you, created your project specifications, and signed off on your dream outdoor living space. Your Project Developer will communicate the construction schedule to you. They will be available at all times via email or phone before, during and after construction of your project. If you ever have any questions or concerns about your project, they are the one to contact.

Upon completion of your project, your Project Developer will walk through the outdoor living space with you to ensure you are completely satisfied with the completed project. We take pride in our work and want you to be delighted with your new space.

WARRANTY PROTECTION

We provide you with a strong written warranty for both material and workmanship. We stand behind what we build and want you to know we will come and make repairs if necessary.

REFERRALS

We have two goals when we are building outdoor living spaces — one is to satisfy you by exceeding your expectations and building you your dream outdoor living space. The other goal is to have you refer us to your friends and neighbors.

We want you to feel confident enough in us to share your experience with others. We do have a referral program in place and will send you a special thank you if one of your friends or family gives us a chance to build their outdoor living space.

Have a project in mind?

We work throughout the Houston and Dallas – Fort Worth areas.

Get a free quote!

Halloween… the beginning of the end for the diet, Snickers, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Skittles, all of them taunting  you like a bad haunted house.  So what do you do with all that leftover candy you’re hiding from your children?  Eat it? No!  Throw it away… no, that would be a sin!  This is what you do… you turn it into a delectable dessert and give it away!

Kit Kat Stuffed Brownies

Reeses Pie 

Snickers Poke Brownie 

Trash Bark

Candy Corn Blondies 

Candy Bar Pie

Butterfinger Cheesecake

Candy Corn Pretzel Bark

Candy Bar Trifle 

Cinnamon Toffee Cheesecake Dip

Lots of great recipes to try, but how many of you really grab the ingredients and make it happen?   It’s tough we know, but what if you had someone to try it for you!  We have plenty of backyard grilling time on our hands, so we are firing up the grill and taste testing for you each month… here are the recipes that tickled our tastebuds in September!

Cowboy Nachos … will have you sayin’ yee-haw!  

Grilled Green Pepper Omelet  … breakfast is the most important meal, ya know?

Spicy Breakfast Scramble … more breakfast, couldn’t resist! 

Strawberry Banana Crepes …. crepes are important too! 

Mousetrap Grilled Cheese … it’ll get ya! 

Chipotle Veggie Sandwich… this is where the veg out part comes in!  

Blueberry Dumplings … end your weekend on a sweet note! 

Champagne Pears filled with Cheesecake and Champagne Drizzle … Cheers! 

Click on the image below to discover details of this gorgeous featured project in Houston, Texas!