Cousin Lunch Date in Bastrop,TX

I am very fortunate that two of my maternal cousins (and good friends), Esther and Sarah, live in Giddings where they work at Camp Tejas, which is just about an hour and fifteen minutes east of Austin.  Occasionally they journey over to the state capitol for a dose of city life, to explore with their camp "families" and/or to get their Target fix.  I've been able to meet up with them a handful of times for a meal (food is key in any Kitchen gathering), ice cream and a much-too-quick catch-up visit.  Even if our time together is short, we still manage to have a blast!

Today was one of those days where I got to see one of them, and it was wonderful.  Sarah and I met halfway, in Bastrop, for lunch at Maxine's Cafe downtown.  I had never been to downtown Bastrop before, and it wasn't the most amazing place I've ever been to, but there was something very quaint and comforting about it.  Something beautiful that somehow gets lost when you live near a big city.  Maxine's was great!  I ordered the fried green tomato BLT with onion rings, and Sarah got the monte cristo sandwich with sweet potato fries, and of course, in pure Kitchen fashion, we had to share a piece of coconut cream pie.  And let me tell you, my friends, that was THE best coconut cream pie I've ever had, and I don't regret one bite!  Rich, creamy goodness.  Mmm mmm mmm.  Okay, enough dwelling on the pie.  Seriously though, if you ever randomly find yourself hungry in Bastrop, you know where to go.  So after lunch, we wandered around the town square and down to the river and the Kansas City Bridge, happily chatting whilst dying from unbearable Texas heat.  After a quick jaunt to Ross, we parted ways with promises to meet up again soon.  Here are some pictures from our afternoon:

xoxo