Must-Haves for Fun in the Sun

A Taste of the Islands

Posted in: In The Know
Tags: tommy bahama, piña colada cake

While there are just a few ingredients that go into this cake, the recipe and assembly instructions are a bit long.  But don't let that scare you away.  Click here to view the recipe or download a PDF file directly.

Tommy Bahama Piña Colada Cake
Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. Pillsbury® white cake mix
14 1/2 oz. water
2 eggs
2 oz. canola oil
3 1/4 lbs. Piña Colada White Chocolate Mousse
24 oz. Toasted Coconut
24 oz. crushed pineapple tidbits
Myers Dark Rum in a spray bottle

Won't your friends will be impressed when you present this cake at your next get together?

Leapin’ Leap Day

Posted in: Ways To Play
Tags: leap day, crafts, fun facts

Happy leap day! Celebrate 2012’s bonus day by making a Leap Frog Puppet and sharing fun Leap Year facts with your friends and family.

Leap Frog Puppet

What You Need:
• Large paper plate
• Green paint or crayons
• Green construction paper
• Pink or red construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Googly eyes (optional)

Instructions:
1. To make the frog’s body, paint both sides of the paper plate green.
2. Once the plate is dry, fold in half and use scissors to make a 1-inch slit (for the frog’s tongue) in the center of the fold.
3. Cut a strip of pink or red construction paper (about 1 ½ inches wide and 6 inches long) for the tongue. Round-off one end of the strip and leave the other end flat and slip it through the slit. To wag the frog’s tongue, jiggle the straight end.
4. For the eyes, cut out a pair of 1-by-2-inch green rectangles and round the upper edges. Fold each rectangle in half and glue the lower portion to the top of the body. Glue on googly eyes in the center or use a marker to draw your own.
5. Cut frog legs out of green construction paper, making a shorter set for the front and a long, bent pair for the back. Glue the legs to the underside of the body.

Once the glue is dry, your Leap Year Frog is ready to go!

Fun Leap Year Facts

• 2012 is a leap year, meaning there are 366 days instead of the usual 365 days.
• Only years divisible by four have leap days.
• Leap Day occurs on the same day of the week every 28 years. That means it will be 2040 before Leap Day is on a Wednesday again.
• According to the Guinness Book of Records, one family in the UK has three generations born on February 29th. They are Peter Anthony Keogh, Peter Eric Keogh and Bethany Wealth.
• The odds of being born on Leap Day are 1 of 1,461.
 

Catch Spring Break Fever

Posted in: Ways To Play
Tags: spring break, 2012, the woodlands, resort, family vacation

Looking for something to do for Spring Break 2012 that won't break the bank? Let us be your close-to-home solution!

All the fun takes place March 9 – 18, the week when most Texas school districts observe Spring Break.

Our activity team has prepared plenty of games and activities to keep the kids busy including an appearance by Muffie the Clown for face painting and a magical balloon artist.

Don't worry ... the fun is not just for the kids! Parents can also enjoy 36-holes of on-site championship golf, 21 indoor and outdoor tennis courts and access to our Spa & Fitness Center, complete with nature-inspired treatments, whirlpools and a eucalyptus steam room.  Tip: during the month of March, The Spa is offering 10% off Hot Stone Massages.

Rent bicycles and cruise more than 180 miles of scenic trails. Or, hop aboard our complimentary shuttle to The Woodlands Town Center for unique shopping, dining and entertainment.

For more information on the hotel packages we offer, click here to visit us online or call our Reservations Department at 866-361-5674.
 

Free Concert Series Returns

Posted in: Great Gatherings
Tags: live at night, the woodlands waterway

Instead of lounging around your hotel room wondering what to do, come out to Waterway Square for live music at the “Live at Night” concert series. Live at Night returns every Saturday in March from 6 – 8 p.m.

Live at Night’s spring series presents:

March 3 - Dunville (Texas Country)

March 10 - Heated Frenzy (Classic Rock and Blues) - Spring Break!

March 17 - Jazz Avenue (Contemporary Jazz) - Spring Break!

March 24 - RockitBayou (Classic Rock Rhythm and Blues)

March 31 - Soulshine (Cover Band - Rock/Country/Blues)

This FREE concert is open to the public, so bring your children to enjoy Waterway Square’s unique water features and open grassy areas. Chairs, blankets, and coolers are welcome for you and your family to enjoy the concert.

Live at Night is held in Waterway Square off of Lake Robbins Drive and Waterway Avenue.
 

It’s Mardi Gras Time

Posted in: Great Gatherings
Tags: mardi gras, recipes, the woodlands

Tomorrow is “Fat Tuesday,” marking the beginning of Mardi Gras. Grab your krewe and celebrate around The Woodlands or create your own Mardi Gras celebration at home!

The Woodlands Children’s Museum Mardi Gras festivities begin tomorrow at 10 am. Make festive masks and necklaces in Mardi Gras colors and decorate floats for a child size parade to jazz music at 11 am and 4 pm.

Indulge in authentic cajun cuisine at Schilleci’s New Orleans Kitchen on Market Street. Or, whip up a delicious Mardi Gras feast of your own – think po-boys, fried seafood, jambalaya or red beans and rice.

As for dessert, King Cake is a must! This traditional Mardi Gras pastry is brightly decorated with purple (denoting justice), green (faith), and yellow (power) sprinkles and icing.

Make your own King Cake by purchasing pre-made cinnamon rolls with icing and some purple, gold and green food coloring or sprinkles.

Separate the cinnamon rolls and roll them out by hand so they look like a hot dog. Shape the roll into an oval and pinch the ends together and cook as directed.

While your pastry ring is cooking, separate the icing into three bowls and add ½ tablespoon of milk into each to thin the frosting. Stir in a drop of yellow food coloring into one bowl, green into another, and a drop of red and blue (to make purple) into the final bowl.

Once the pastry has cooled, drizzle your colorful frosting over the cake and add sprinkles (if desired) and voila, you have your very own homemade King Cake.

Happy Mardi Gras!
 

Cupcake Wars

Posted in: Ambassadors
Tags: food network, frost bake shoppe, cupcakes, the woodlands

Decorated sugar cookies, brownies and cupcakes, oh my! Frost Bake Shoppe is expanding its tasty operation to a second location at Waterway Square across the street from Hubbell & Hudson.

Owned and operated by local resident Terese Yates, Frost Bake Shoppe’s 15 employees begin baking each day at 4 a.m. The bakery produces about 1,000 cupcakes a day including gluten-free options.

Everyday flavors such as Red Velvet, Chocolate-Vanilla and Confetti are made in small batches using the highest quality ingredients. The shoppe also features a couple of "specialty" flavors each day.

If you stop by today, you’ll find flavors like Black Velvet, Chocolate Covered Banana, Dulce De Leche and Italian Cream.

“We don’t have a ton of leftovers, but they never go to waste,” says Terese. “Leftovers are donated to area churches and nursing homes.”

Her sweet treats gained a following after appearing on the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars.

After a two-month-long interview process, Frost Bake Shoppe was selected to appear on an episode of the popular television show and walked away with third place.

Click here to view her submission video on YouTube.

What a job!