Dallas Fun: Ham’s Orchard

As my husband and I set out on a Saturday morning excursion with our son I had a flashback to my own childhood.  I have fond memories of visiting my Me-Ma out in East Texas, eating Dairy Queen dipped cones and swimming in a plastic pool in her back yard.  We didn’t do anything fancy and it’s those simplicities of childhood that I yearn and fight for my son to have.   It is all too often in our fast paced, activity packed and cell phone toting culture that I think people miss out on.

It doesn’t get much simpler than a fresh peach.  Now I’m not talking about the peaches you can go up to the grocery store and purchase along with the rest of your groceries.  No, I’m talking about the kind of fruit worth driving a little out of the way to get.  The kind of peach that makes your mouth water even before you bite it and then once you do bite into it the glorious cool juices just trickle down your chin and stick to your fingers.   Ham’s Orchard in Terrell, Texas has these peaches but more than that they offer simplicity.

From the moment we pulled into the gravel drive at the orchard my heart just smiled to see old folks sitting on benches out front licking peach ice cream cones and talking.  I loved seeing children with big buckets run out to the blackberry patch to pick fresh berries from the vines and families seated in the pavilion eating hamburgers together.  There aren’t any rides, no furry mascot to greet you, no live band.  Besides the amazing variety of peaches and other fruits you will find at Ham’s you can expect to hear the breeze through the trees and the laughter of children, people that say hi to you and ask you where you’re from, gentlemen that tip their hats to ladies and hold the door for you, a place where folks still say thank you and please with a little Texas twang to it.  The little market is stocked full of bags and bags of fresh peaches as well as locally grown vegetables.  They have homemade cobblers, fudges and ice cream, cookies, breads, hot sauce and so much more.

My family and the other families that went with us that morning had so much fun together.  We picked berries, ate lunch together, shopped the store and just enjoyed being with our families.  We didn’t do anything fancy but it was fun and an experience we are ready to repeat.  Peaches are called “The Jewel of Summer” and they have earned that title but so has Ham’s Orchard because they truly are a treasure to be discovered with your family.   I hope you make some time to visit them this summer.

Here is a recipe off the Ham’s Brochure that Team Wakeem actually tried and really liked!

Ham’s Peach Dessert

Melt margarine.  Add margarine to flour and pecans; stir until well blended.  Press flour mixture into the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Let cool; combine milk, lemon juice, cool whip and peaches in a large bowl; stir until well blended. Spread over cooled crust, chill and serve.

*******************************************************************************************

Steph is a small town girl living the big city life with her superhero hubby of nearly 6 years, Scott and their superhero- in-training son, Weston who is 14 months old.   When she isn’t chasing her son away from electrical outlets she loves to throw theme parties, write notes to her friends, read, travel and cook.  She is obsessed with taking pictures but has yet to complete her son’s baby album because she loves hanging out at antique stores and barn sales on weekends.