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

Click the image below for details on this gorgeous outdoor living space in Houston, Texas!

Click on the image below for details on this beautiful project built in Spring Branch, Texas.

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! 

What does that mean? Well, turnkey design solutions plays a huge part in what we do here at Texas Custom Patios,  we are not architects… we are builders, creators, designers!  We specialize in the art of unifying aesthetics and function to create a beautiful outdoor living area that is not only visually appealing, but also uniquely purposeful.    Our services include: patio covers; outdoor kitchens; screened porches and patios; room additions; pergolas and decks; outdoor fireplaces; and more. View our portfolio.

Every square inch of each project is meticulously  thought out and custom to each home.  There are no two projects alike with every single one appearing to be built when the home was built.  Everything from roofing material to siding and brick, you won’t be able to tell where your house stops and your outdoor living space begins.  Part of the fun is being able to sit down with you and create your dream space.  As you come up with ideas our project managers talk you through the process to tell you what would be best both as a build out and for your budget.

When you schedule a consultation with one of our experienced project developers, you will be walked through our process, we will hear your ideas and discuss options.  From there the developer will leave and develop a proposal that is more than just a ballpark figure of the cost!  At Texas Custom Patios, every estimate includes a detailed drawing with specifications and dimensions, plus rendered views and elevations – so you can see a preview of your completed project.  So like we said before, we create, we design, we build and you enjoy, and all for one cost and one crew.  You will have one person as an advocate for you and your project, making it easy to keep things on track and know what’s going on with your new space from start to finish!

The Texas Association of Builders (TAB) announced and presented the 2018 Star Awards winners on Thursday, Aug. 9 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas. The highly-coveted Star Awards are given annually in conjunction with the Sunbelt Builders Show™ to recognize excellence in all areas of the home building industry. More than 500 entries were submitted for consideration for this year’s awards. Entries were judged by industry experts from across the nation, including Aaron Crowe (Benton, Ark.), Mike Goodrich (Beaverton, Ore.), Gretchen Palmer (Scottsdale, Ariz.) and Bill Sager (Tacoma, Wash.).

In 1992, TAB launched the Star Awards – the only statewide tribute to excellence in the home building industry. The annual competition showcased the outstanding work of builders, remodelers, architects, designers, and sales, marketing, and construction professionals in Texas.

We are proud to announce we are the winners in three categories:

Remodeler – Best Outdoor Living Space – $100K-$150K

Remodeler – Best Outdoor Living Space – Under  $60K

Remodeler – Best Outdoor Living Space –  $70K-$95K

Check out our website for details on all our featured projects, learn more!  

Sometimes when you can’t decide what to have for dinner, you just order it all, right?  That’s how we feel about this month’s featured recipes, so we picked several to share with you!  They are delicious, so we hope you’re hungry!

Brie Stuffed Turkey Burgers

Five Spice Salted and Fried Meaty Spare Ribs (We don’t even know what that means, but we want in!)

Grilled Chicken Quesadilla Sandwich

Potato Bacon and Grilled Cheese Pizza 

Sea Salt and Vinegar Chicken Wings

Strawberry Banana Crepes

And something to wash it down…

Smoked Berry Lemonade

Click the image below to discover details of this gorgeous project in Katy, Texas.

This will be something that will really go the distance… Sweet Tea Caramelized Onions! Enjoy them on top of a steak with blue cheese, on chicken, on salmon, burgers, use inside a toasted sandwich or quesadilla. Simply use them when you just want to make something better!

Sweet Tea Caramelized Onions Serves 1 cup

Cook Time: 35 ­-55 minutes

Ingredients

2 large yellow onions

3/4 tsp. Kosher salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

2 tsp. oil of choice

1⅔ cup sweet tea of choice

⅛ cup granulated sugar

Directions

Cut each onion into 1∕8 inch strips (follow the natural lines of the onion.) In a large bowl, add the cut onions, salt, pepper, and oil. Stir to combine all ingredients evenly.

Heat grill to medium. Lightly coat the cooktop with an oiled paper towel.  Take the bowl of cut onions and empty it onto the grill. Spread the onions evenly on the grill and do not touch them for about 5 minutes.  This will allow the natural sugars from the onion to start to caramelize. Stir the onions around a little to now caramelize the other side of the onions. Let them cook without touching for another 5 minutes. Once the batch of onions has evenly caramelized turn the outer burner off and adjust the inner burner to medium­/low.

In a medium sauté pan add the cooked onions, cup of sweet tea, and granulated sugar. Allow this to cook on the grill for about 25 min. Stir occasionally to assure no sticking. The liquid should be close to gone at this point. The onions are done, however now is the chance to really make those onions pop with flavor; if time permits, add the remaining 2∕3 cup sweet tea and allow that to cook for another 20 min. Place finished onions in a bowl and allow to cool.

Use hot or refrigerate for later use.