December 2023

2023 was an eventful year for the Museum of the Big Bend, one stand-out event being the completion and grand opening of the Emmett and Miriam McCoy Museum building. Now, looking into the future, the museum prepares for the new year while spotlighting the history of the area.

Editor’s Note: Alpine High School sports, rodeos, BBQ, and the Borderlands Research Institute made headlines this year. Big Bend Regional Medical Center opened a clinic in Presidio, Porter’s grocery store held a grand opening and then sold to Lowe’s later in the year, and two Alpine High School history teachers became masters of espionage. Following are headlines, sports highlights, and local happenings in the Alpine Avalanche from 2023.

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Ingredients: 1 8-ounce package cream cheese (room temperature) 1 lb. package powdered sugar (sifted) 1 stick of oleo or butter 1 tsp. vanilla Directions: Cream oleo or butter and cream cheese until well mixed, add sugar and vanilla, and mix all until there is enough to spread on the cake top and the sides.

Ingredients: 2 lbs, boneless pork loin chops 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning ¼ teaspoon salt Black pepper 2 tablespoons of flour 3 tablespoons of olive oil, divided 8 ounces sliced mushrooms, any kind 1 ½ cups heavy cream or coconut milk for dairy free 5 garlic cloves, minced ½ teaspoon paprika 3 tablespoons fresh thyme Directions: Season pork chops with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper.

Ingredients: Sea salt Lemon pepper ¼ teaspoon ground sage ¼ teaspoon rosemary ¼ teaspoon thyme 1 lb of linguine 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 garlic cloves, minced 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Grated zest of 2 lemons, plus more for garnish Juice of 1 lemon 2 cups heavy cream 2-3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts; diced Directions: Dice the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces, and season with lemon pepper, sage, rosemary, and thyme. In a very hot skillet, add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat until the butter is melted. Add in the chicken, cooking until done, but don’t overcook so that it becomes dry.

Ingredients: 1 stick of oleo or butter ½ cup Crisco 2 cups sugar 5 eggs, separated. 2 cups flour (I recommend cake flour) 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup finely chopped pecans.

HEAD OVER MEALS Bread is one of those staples that will never go out of style, and making your own will always be better for you than buying the pre-packaged varieties at the store. One of the easiest and quickest breads to make is beer bread.

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