Harli Lanae Lambright and George Christopher Stefek have announced their engagement and upcoming nuptials.

The bride-to-be is the daughter of Thomas Kelly (deceased) and Riki Lambright of Hutto, TX, sister of Laini and Joseph Lambright and granddaughter of Thomas Edward (deceased) and Sherry Lambright of Port O’ Connor, TX. She currently attends Texas State University and will graduate with an EC-6 ESL BA degree in May of 2015. She is currently employed by Pflugerville ISD.

The groom-to-be is the son of George D. and Dorothy Stefek of Granger, TX. He is the brother of Christopher Stefek and Evelyn Steglich. He currently works on his family’s farm and co-owns and operates Stefek Brother’s Farms LLC in Granger, TX.

The couple plans to exchange vows on June 7, 2014 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Thorndale TX. They will reside thereafter in Granger, TX.

Greetings, fellow culinary enthusiasts!  A little bit about myself…I teach high school students how to cook.  Since there is only a few weeks left of school, I decided to let them decide what we would prepare.  The suggestions were presented, votes were cast and I agreed to a Cinco de Mayo theme.  We would make guacamole, chicken tacos, lime aid and tres leche cake.   The kids were excited and I was determined to make it happen.

My first obstacle was that I had never made tres leche cake and in fact I wasn’t sure what it entailed.  According to all on line recipes, tres leche cake is an overnight endeavor.  Therein lies my second obstacle…my class is only 50 minutes long.  So with the help of my nonstick mini cupcake pan and my husband who is willing to taste anything that doesn’t include green vegetables, I wrote the following recipe.

Tres Leche Cake

Prepare Jiffy yellow cake mix according to box directions.  It should make about 20 mini cupcakes with a 12 minute cooking time.  While cupcakes are cooking make the topping with 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 2 tablespoons of sugar by beating with an electric mixer.

Place cupcakes in the freezer to cool.  During cooling, prepare the glaze by mixing ½ cup sweetened condensed milk to ½ cup half and half.  Remove the mini cupcakes from the pan and place in a shallow dish like a pie plate.  Poke holes in the cupcakes with a toothpick or skewer and pour the glaze over the top.  Place them back in the freezer for about ten minutes.  After cooling, top with whipped topping and serve.

For added nutritional value, garnish with blueberries or sliced strawberries which are antioxidants that can boost your immune system.  Approximate preparation time is 30 minutes and serves 4 to 6 people.  Some cooks might find this recipe crazy, but I can tell you from experience that kids love it and if it gets them to eat more fruit….more power to it!

First Place winner Kary Xu and her teacher Sherron McGrew from HJM Elementary.

Calhoun County Student competes for national, international recognition of work.

Kary Xu, a student at HJM School in Port Lavaca, was the first-place winner in the statewide competition for an entry in the 2014 International Aviation Art Contest. Xu, age 9, competed in the 6- to 9-year-old category.

All winners received a certificate and were recognized for artistic talent during the 32nd Annual Texas Aviation Conference held in Dallas. They also won a chance to compete nationally and internationally with their works of art. In addition, each winning entry will appear in the annual TxDOT art calendar which Calhoun Air Center will distribute to CCISD schools in late September.

This year’s theme was “Flying Saves Lives.” Entries were judged in one of three age groups, 6-9 years old, 10-13 years old, and 14-18 years old. This year, 1,076 students and 57 schools participated in the art contest statewide.

Schools from Calhoun County submit entries each year to a local contest which Calhoun Air Center at Calhoun County Airport hosts. Students from Calhoun submitted over 275 entries this year to the state-level contest.

“We are proud to have a student from our county win at the state-level contest each year,” said airport manager, Dianna Stanger. “This marks five years, it’s great to see how excited the students get when they see their artwork printed in the annual calendar which TxDOT produces.”

The art contest is designed to motivate and encourage young people of Federation Aeronautique Internationale-member nations to become more familiar with and participate in aeronautics, engineering and science. For more info visit: www.calhounaircenter.com.

Sunrise Easter Morning -Photo by Kelly Gee

Easter is a special celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, and in Port O Connor, the 19 year old tradition of singing and praying as the sun rises over front beach the is a unique way to share that time with friends and family.

The counting stopped at 550 guests, and more were still arriving. Some came by car or golf cart, some walking or bike riding, bringing grandparents and  babies, toddlers and teens, even the family dog. Kids were wrapped in blankets and sweaters, others were dressed for fishing or fun, and several little ones wore their Easter finery; but all joined to share in the early morning message of Easter hope.

First Baptist Church Choir brought special music, Michelle Flosenzier sang a beautiful solo, Pastor Donnie Martin welcomed the crowd, and Erny McDonough brought an inspiring message. Afterwards, Cathy’s Restaurant provided Cathy’s own delicious homemade cinnamon rolls and Fisherman’s Chapel offered coffee and juice while guests visited and shared in the pristine majesty of the sun rising over the bay and another Sunday morning where many gladly proclaimed He Lives!, and I can Live also because of Jesus’ empty tomb on Easter morning. It is an unrivaled and wonderful POC tradition.