After a lengthy hiatus, Houstonist Bartender is back and ready to blow your mind and bring some extra sizzle to your weekends with a whole new batch of drink recipes (get it? drinks? batch? Looks like we found a lame sense of humor during our vacation as well!) This week's recipe is not for the faint of heart. The Flaming Dr Pepper is an intense alcoholic beverage, that when consumed AFTER being set ablaze......

Though the calendar doesn't officially state it, summer time is slowly arriving in Houston. As temperatures climb into the 90-degree range and children across the city are prepping for final exams, only three thing comes to mind. Barbecues, flip-flops, and ice cold beverages. What better way to fight the heat this weekend than with an Absolut Summertime at your local tavern? Absolut Summertime+1.5 oz. Absolut Citron + 0.75 oz. Sweet & Sour mix +......

Christmas is a week away (great googlymoogly - we still have some last minute gifting to get) and if you had planned to have lots of different cookies on hand, or made up to take to your rotten coworkers, and haven't quite managed to bake, a lot. This is a super simple, very fun way to host a gathering, have a good excuse to get your nog on, and have a respectable assortment of goodies.......

So we're all familiar with the Emergency Alert System, right? It's the thing that breaks into television and radio broadcasts to let us know about emergency situations, from explosions or terrorist attacks down to severe weather. Well, the local EAS system is on the blink right now — and, ironically enough, it was taken out by severe weather. The antenna for the radio-based alert system is atop the 31-story Five Greenway Plaza, and it seems......

Tired of ritas? Opt for something a bit different at your next patio happy hour. Order up a michelada. The michelada has been called a bloody mary made with beer in lieu of vodka. We guess that's true, but we've never seen pickled okra floating in a miche before. Recipes vary across the Southwest. Some include soy sauce and Worchestershire, more closely mirroring the bloody mary. Use the offering below as framework for inventing your......

Good morning, Houston. In these days of strange diseases, air and water pollution, global warming and assorted health warnings, we sometimes begin to wonder if anything's safe anymore. And the answer? No, nothing. Example: Today, nearly a million Easy-Bake Ovens are being recalled because one can get one's fingers or hand stuck inside — and slowly nuked. Of course, Houstonist understands the need for safety, but now we're afraid to make dessert tonight. Life......

Good news — you can start your Christmas shopping right now, if you haven't already: The official Luby's cookbook is here. Luby's Recipes & Memories includes recipes for more than 120 of the venerable cafeteria chain's favorite dishes, including macaroni and cheese, baked fish almondine and chocolate icebox pie. If that's not enough, there are also 50 color photos of Luby's dishes as well as a collection of memories from generations of customers. The cookbook......