Frank Schulte-Ladbeck

The radio is reporting that there will be more freeway closures this weekend, as the web increases in size and scope. All that I see is the different shades of concrete. In parking lots, on the four to five lane highways, to the two to three lane frontage roads, the walls to block off subdivisions from these passageways. I scan the horizon to find concrete buildings, so the term concrete jungle comes to mind.

I have long wanted to be in a city like Melbourne, where gardeners seem to rule. The public access ways are dotted with plants. Would it not be fantastic to be surrounded by flowering shrubs on our journeys, instead of another billboard for a tanning saloon? As I continue along my route, I see that the workers are going to block off another lane. Great, I think. However, this time it is great. They have removed the grass from the verge to replaced with ornamentals. What vision breaks before me when I see a completed stretch; am I deceived? No, city government has stepped up its efforts to make Houston more inviting.

The greening of the city has been going on for awhile, but there appears to be a renewed effort to this end. I know that our mayor has spoken out on becoming more environmentally concerned (yet Texas is the only state in our fair union that has not accepted global warming as a fact). This may not be the motive behind this activity though. The maintenance on these ornamentals will cost less than cutting the grass every so often. I believe that high fuel costs has had an unexpected benefit for this gardener's soul.

The are given over to lawn has slowly been receding around my home. I need the grass for a play area for the children, but fortunately for me, they enjoy the bushes and garden beds too. I am not quite at the point of creating a xeriscape, but my garden is fairly low maintenance. I do not use a gas powered mower in any case. I noticed that my neighbors garden beds are encroaching on their lawns as well.

So I leave you with this thought, save fuel; plant a garden bed.

Your Houston home inspector,

Frank Schulte-Ladbeck

There were shouts of “wow” and “look, papa, look” chiming out again and again. My daughter had discovered a final home: the sarcophagus of Pedi-Osiris. She came back to it several times, and to the curator's chagrin, she wanted to press against the glass of the case to take a closer look. My son headed over to the Impressionists works, specifically a Monet. He stared at the little Japanese bridge striding over those water lilies. I was drawn to some contemporary works. Figures looking like they belonged in a Day of the Dead procession caught my eye, but it was the flowers on stems in space that drew me into their world.

The Museum of Fine Arts Houston is free every first Sunday of the month. Target sponsors the event, as they do in many other cities. It is almost like a big party for kids. There are so many stations were kids can partake of their own art projects, but the performances are range from music to theater. It is a great time to introduce your children to the arts (and arts programs for kids in Houston).

I was most intrigued by a simple set up in front of the doors of one building. The affair was overseen by a local artist, who had rolled out sheets of red paper held down with painters tape. Markers were set on the side. Kids of all ages grabbed a marker to draw their own visions for the world to see. I strolled around the scene, picking out the separate images. I found three main themes: flowers; portraits, and places to live. Here were homes or apartments drawn out by kids and adults. Everyone wants a place to live, which bodes well for my business.

I like driving and walking around the museum district and around the university. Houston does not honor its past often. We are quick to tear down to build-up the new, which makes for an interesting mix of homes and apartments in this part of town. A Modernist design placed next to the latest design of fifties and earlier can be seen. I love modernist elements in a home, but I noticed that most people do not use this style to its most intriguing views. Most settle for a variation of the basic box; however, you can come across some elegant forms here. I also enjoy the smaller older cottages. The graceful arches which adorn the entrance ways, and the sun rooms or porches draw you into the homes. The gardens are filled with inspiration. I hate the idea of an older home being torn down, but it is great to see the love owner's show their homes in this part of the city.

Go to the museum on the first Sunday next month, but then wander through the neighborhood. Be inspired for your own home.

Your Houston home inspector,

Frank Schulte-Ladbeck

My neighbor asks if I am out for a morning walk with my daughter. One look at her face and the tension in my arm as I am being dragged along shows her determination. This is not a morning walk; this is a mission. My one year old has discovered that I have allowed wild raspberries to take root in my front garden bed. I thought that these fruits may encourage the birds to stop by. Now my feathered friends are racing my daughter in trying to discover the next one. She insists that I help her in this quest.

I have been concerned about her eating habits, since she has been spending a lot of time with her aunt and cousins. Cookies, popsicles, chips, and other such lovely stuff has become too much a part of her diet. I do not mind her yanking off every eggplant before its time, although I would like them to grow larger. I explained that they were babies, so now she tells me that she has the babies. Bell peppers are her next favorite target in the garden.

Last night, I found a new snack for her. My kitchen is usually my quiet domain, but events took a strange course. My pre-teen son decides that he wants to help me cook dinner. He has not done this in some time, so I thought something might be up, but no he had a definite idea for a meal. My wife chose this day to final complete her Amish Friendship Bread. My wife cooks one meal a year, but she bakes four times a year. My daughter decided to make play dough from my flour bin. I am to supervise this gathering, offering assistance when needed. Thinking that my wife was not going to make her bread/cake, I had taken two cups of the mixture to make my own little bread.

I had added one cup of water to it, some ground flax seeds, and three more cups of flour. I kneaded in my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook on a low speed for five minutes. I placed this dough in a warmed oven (it was off for some time, but it was still warm from an earlier meal that I was planning for that evening). The risen dough went into a greased and floured bread pan.

My son in the mean time took a can of kidney beans, an 8oz can of V8, a can of tomato paste to be mixed in a casserole. He added crushed garlic. He grabbed three medium sized eggplants from my daughters collection, along with some bell peppers, for a rough chop. He headed out to the garden for spinach, green onions, and beet greens with some herbs. These were sliced in a chiffonade. Everything was mixed with the following spices: paprika, black pepper, cinnamon, and chili powder. He added the remainder (about 1 1/2lbs) of fajita meat that I had. This baked in the oven with my bread at 410F for thirty minutes. He planned to serve this in a pita.

Things went awry in the kitchen as they frequently do. My son went off to complete some homework, while my wife decided that the kitchen was hers, so I was out. I had placed the pita bread in the oven for a quick warm up. I went off to check on the homework progress, forgetting the pitas. Well, they ended up crisp. My son was upset that his masterpiece was not turning out as envisioned. In the meantime, I was letting my bread cool. My daughter was breaking off pieces to eat. She loved it.

I took the crisp pitas, and I smeared some mayonnaise lightly on them. I had added pressed garlic, grated lime skin, and lime juice to the mayonnaise. On top of this, my son piled his concoction to be dubbed a Middle Eastern Pizza. It was a big hit, and we had my wife's Friendship bread for dessert. Even mistakes can turn out well. He told his friends at the bus stop this morning that he had developed his own pizza recipe (no mention of a pita pocket was made).

Your Houston home inspector,

Frank Schulte-Ladbeck

I have needs; you have needs. There are basic needs which we must meet in our lives. We all know the three that are frequently mentioned: shelter, food, and clothing. I found it interesting to note that food shows up in the blogging world at a much higher degree than the other two. Here in the Rain, we are all dealing with shelter, but that is not truly common out there in the cold. I have found some interesting blogs from architects, but real estate does not inspire the average writer in the way that food does. Foodies are a passionate, but there is no term for us who blog about our homes, except maybe “homies”.

We are at a nexus in the lives of everyone out there, but I admit to being a foodie too. I love reading about the discoveries made by these foodies. They deal with meals, places to eat, and places to buy their favorite ingredients. I had the pleasure of inspiring a post by a foodie, when I commented on her blog about one of my favorite places to shop. These blogs will have loyal followers in their communities, and they can introduce you to some great finds. Here are some of my favorite food blogs from Houston:

She Eats- is my favorite of the Houston food blogs. She covers so many topics, but she focuses on the western portions of our sprawling city, which happens to be my home, so our culinary paths cross often. She lists many blogs from other foodies in Houston, as well as some others.

Eat Local or Die- this blog combines another passion of mine with food: anthropology (through food). This chef explores food in Texas. It is a new blog, so I am still exploring the posts here.

Cook's Tour- newspapers have been getting into the blogging game in a big way. They have found that it is a good way to gauge public reaction, as well as some leads. Alison Cook takes us on a tour of eating establishments in Houston; sometimes finding out about a new place before many of us foodies.

Texas Burger Guy- what do you think of when someone says Texas and food. Cattle? Yes, we still have those large ranches here, and some great burgers to boot. This is not quite totally dedicated to burgers, but this author takes a look at good food in many Texas communities.

Food in Houston- this is a really good blog for making finds on the Houston scene. It is probably just behind She Eats when it comes to my favorite food blogs. The two contributors to this blog make a great team in presenting are local food.

Eat Yet- the last one on my list is not the least. I enjoy reading the honest reviews on this site. They focus quite a bit on some trendy spots (there are several contributors to this blog). A good spot for the young at heart.

Well, this is a basic list. There are many more. So homies, what is your favorite food blog describing a local scene?

Your Houston home inspector,

Frank Schulte-Ladbeck

Sometimes you make a connection with somebody, and you may not quite be sure why. Other times you know very well why the connection was made. A helping hand for a person who is new to your community may be all that it takes.

Last year, I was contacted by a Realtor who had just moved to Houston. She was looking for an inspector, and she stumbled upon me. To be honest, I probably was given the job because my price was right, and nothing else. Like many inspectors, I have a little packet, which I give to my clients at the end of an inspection. It is a getting to know your neighborhood type of thing. I list various bits of useful information. Among this material is one simple little web address that made all of the difference in the world. It made my connection to this young woman.

Having come from California, she was not familiar with the greater Houston area. She had settled in the city of Humble (north of Houston), but she was showing a home in Deer Park (southeast of Houston). She was looking for her own connection with her client, and she found it through me: taking her client to a good local restaurant. She accomplished this by going to a website that I always recommend:

This is a site where regular people write reviews of the different locales around our community. Houston is a dining town. We are just behind New York when it comes to the number of times per year we go out to a meal, and in the number of eating establishments. Knowing the experience of others is a great way to sift through these places to find the one where you want to eat.

Anyone can write a review (they even let me write one, so that shows you that anyone is welcomed). There are a few rules. Criticism needs to be constructive. They do not allow rants. They allow for differing opinions, so they do not want you to be disrepectful to other reviewers either.

By the next house that I was inspecting for her, she was a pro. She knew the neighborhood, and she could impress her client by taking them to the best place to eat. I do not know if other cities have such a site (and I never have checked if this site has expanded its coverage), but we in Houston, who are in love with food, have a place to seek out that favorite eatery of a neighborhood, or to discuss our own dining experiences.

My clients, who know of this site, have said that they know that I am a foodie, when they saw that I listed this site. As an inspector who travels all over the greater area here, I need a way to find the best meal out.

Visit B4-U-Eat!

Your Houston home inspector,

Frank Schulte-Ladbeck