Panther Creek Inspiration Ranch

Panther Creek Inspiration Ranch founder David Darnall grew up on a ranch and Linda’s mom was a trainer and her father was a cattleman. “We both grew up around horses, and after reading Hope Rising, were inspired to put our knowledge and our desire to help children to use.”

Panther Creek Inspiration Ranch offers two different types of therapies for special needs children. Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, or EAP, and Hippotherapy. EAP, which involves a professional therapist, has been shown to be effective in treating a variety of mental health and human development needs, such as behavioral issues, attention deficit disorder, substance abuse, eating disorders, abuse issues, depression, anxiety, anger management, conflict resolution, relationship problems and communications. Children and teens learn about themselves by participating in activities with horses and then discussing feelings, behaviors and patterns. Why horses? For one thing, their size offers a perfect opportunity for some to overcome fear and develop confidence. Accomplishing a task involving the horse, in spite of those fears, creates confidence and provides for wonderful metaphors for dealing with other intimidating and challenging situations.

Hippotherapy is more than horsemanship and riding classes, it is a specialized, unconventional and still somewhat controversial form of physical therapy, in which a horse is used as a treatment tool. The term derives from the Greek “hippos,” which means horse. There are both physical and emotional benefits. Working with a specially trained, licensed physical therapists, and using the “three-dimensional” motion of a walking horse to stimulate the rider and can help enhance balance, posture, mobility, coordination and strength. Often other benefits occur in the process. Mental functioning, mood and self-confidence may improve. We were fortunate to be allowed to observe a hippotherapy session and the progress is amazing. The child we watched had, in just a few months of sessions (typically once a week, for about an hour) gone from only being able to ride upright and unassisted for less than two minutes to more than eight minutes at a time.

Perhaps the best evidence hippotherapy works was reported by Dr. Daniel Bluestone, then a pediatric neurologist at UC San Francisco, who had been following the progress of children receiving the treatment. Comparing MRI scans over time, Bluestone found that the repetitive movement of riding prompts physical changes in the brain. “We think that hippotherapy is effective in helping rework networks within the cerebellum and within the motor system up in the cerebrum,” he said in a Discovery Channel documentary. “The pathways within the brain that facilitate a particular movement become reinforced over time. The more pathways you reinforce, the better the brain compensates and the better motor function can improve.”

Because these therapies are new and unconventional, there are minimal if any reimbursements for these services from health insurance companies. Parents unfortunately must bear the burden of each session. And while that cost is relatively small, one can imagine that any cost on top of the already countless physician visits, tests and therapies – any assistance is appreciated. And because Panther Creek Inspiration Ranch is both aware of these difficulties and knows these therapies work for the kids, they are always willing to talk to parents about the costs and work with them. “It’s about the kids,” said David.

In addition to EAP and hippotherapy, Panther Creek Inspiration Ranch works with troubled kids in other ways. The Conroe Independent School District refers children to the ranch through their staff of crisis counselors. These children work with the horses in a similar fashion to Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. Additionally, the Justice of the Peace also allows certain children to come to the ranch to complete community service assignments. Those assignments, however, are generally hands-on work that needs to be completed around the ranch; moving feed, clearing brush and the like.

“The costs of running the ranch, even if nothing goes wrong [vet expenses, tractor repairs, etc.] are higher than you might think,” Linda said. “It’s true, the fees we collect only cover roughly 25% of all associated costs,” added David. Which is why, between general upkeep and operating costs, any and all volunteers and donations are both needed and appreciated. Panther Creek Inspiration Ranch is a 501(c)3 nonprofit establishment and depends on donations to make ends meet. Currently, there are seven horses at the 20-acre ranch, but at least two more are needed to keep up with the current demand. In other areas, the ranch is in need of barns and stables, a trailer for transporting the horses, a bridge over panther creek (the old one washed out during hurricane Ike), to complete the tack shed, more tack, and on and on… there is always a need.

Panther Creek Inspiration Ranch is located at 25902 Glen Loch Drive, just outside of the Village of Panther Creek. If you’d like to know more about Panther Creek Inspiration Ranch, you can visit their website, or better yet, call them at 713 302-3640 or drop them a line and arrange to come out to the ranch on a Tuesday morning and see for yourself all the goodness they can accomplish. If you’d like to donate to their cause, cash donations can be made through PayPal and any other donations of feed, tack or volunteer work are greatly appreciated; just give them a call and see what you can do to help! And, after the success of the charity event, “Denim & Diamonds” last fall, they plan on hosting “Denim & Diamonds: Two Steppin’ in the Stables” again this September 11 at the Augusta Pines Equestrian Center.

The bride had selected a unique color palette of purple, green and white and we arrived just as they were putting the finishing touches on the most important of all wedding floral arrangements – the bride’s bouquet. “We can make wedding packages as simple or as elaborate as the customer wishes,” Andrea Canales, florist co-owner said. “We have the flexibility to work with any budget.” She went on to explain that bridal packages can be adjusted all manner of ways to work just the way the customer wants. Arrangements can be based on a particular color, or a particular flower or both. “You have to remember that even if you’ve selected the most exotic flower, there are a wealth of other, less expensive flowers and greenery that can fill out the arrangements and keep the budget in perspective.”

But weddings aren’t the only arrangements The Flower Market of The Woodlands handles. They can be called on six days a week for any and all occasions; birthdays, anniversaries, newborns, of course all major holidays and deliveries to hospitals and funeral homes. As a member of the FTD™ network, orders can of course be placed online at their website. But, Daniel was quick to add, coming into the shop allows for a lot more flexibility as far as arrangement size, flower selection, colors, vases and more. And what better way to show your affection than with your own handwritten card to go with your arrangement? “You just can’t get that online.”

The Flower Market of The Woodlands is family owned by people who know the flower business, inside and out. Shop co-owner and Andrea’s husband, Daniel, is a fourth generation florist. His mother, who was visiting from overseas while we were there, was proud to tell us this is what she has done for decades and still has a shop back home, just as her mother, and her grandmother did. With confidence and experience like that, why would you go anywhere else? The Flower Market of The Woodlands is open Monday – Saturday, with delivery available all six days. Same day delivery service is available if orders are placed by 2:00 PM Monday – Friday, and noon on Saturday. Delivery to all zip codes of The Woodlands is available for a nominal fee of $8, Conroe and Spring for $10 and Magnolia for $12. Brides-to-be are welcome to call for an appointment for a consultation on wedding packages, 936-321-5459. Be sure to check out our coupon page for significant savings!

Gluten Free Dining in The Woodlands

For sufferers of Celiac disease (or Coeliac disease – pronounced /ˈsiːli.æk/) and those with wheat allergies, the arrival of a gluten-free restaurant in The Woodlands is fantastic news. Although only a small percentage of the population have these afflictions, a small percentage of a very large number is still just that, a very large number. And when the only currently known “treatment” is to avoid gluten, any help is a cheerfuly welcomed. Gluten is found in an extremely large amount of foods and beverages, because it is contained in wheat (including kamut and spelt), barley, rye, and triticale, as well as the use of gluten as a food additive in the form of a flavoring, stabilizing or thickening agent. And since ordinary wheat flour contains approximately 12% gluten, even a tiny amount of wheat flour can cross-contaminate a gluten-free product. So a gluten-free diet rules out all ordinary breads, pastas, and many convenience foods; and it also excludes gravies, custards, soups and sauces thickened with wheat, rye, barley or other gluten-containing flour(s).

What a gluten-free diet doesn’t exclude is taste and variety; which is what we learned in our evening at The G’s. Just across the patio from Rico’s Hacienda in the Alden Bridge Village Center, The G’s Healthy Gourmet has lots of windows, allowing for tons of natural light and people watching; an especially fun pastime when kids are clambering all over Big Barbara, the 15-foot tall welded steel statue created by Peter Reginato just outside the door. The décor inside the restaurant is unpretentious and tasteful with black linen tablecloths and napkins on the tables. We began with Buffalo Nachos for our appetizer. Not to be confused with “Buffalo Nachos” which would have some sort of hot-sauce-soaked chicken bits, the Buffalo Nachos at The G’s include a generous portion of mildly seasoned ground buffalo meat. This along with black beans, fresh salsa and raw cheese topped a warm pile of crispy corn tortilla chips creates an appetizer that everyone can enjoy.

While we waited for the arrival of our appetizer, we asked another couple of diners how their meal was and if they had any recommendations; they both were happy to state everything was wonderful and highly recommended the Filet Mignon. Never one to pass up a great steak, I heeded their advice and my companion ordered the Buffalo Bolognese. I left how it would be cooked up to the third owner and executive chef (as well as doting father and husband) Nick Darnell. Nick’s creations in the kitchen are well known in Dallas, where he and Tiffiany co-own the popular healthy cuisine restaurant, Kozy Kitchen.

Our entrees arrived in due time, beautifully presented and just like the Buffalo Nachos, in generous portions. The near-perfectly cooked Filet (apologies to the chef, I prefer mine a little less done and probably should have said so) was tender and flavorful. The center-cut, 8 ounce grass-fed filet comes with Chef’s mash – potatoes with their skins, mashed with butter, heavy cream, garlic and a little salt and pepper, along with a blend of organic market veggies; in this case zucchini, yellow squash, red and green peppers, mushrooms, onions and fresh spinach. The Buffalo Bolognese features organic gluten free pasta topped with homemade Buffalo Bolognese – a sauce that has been handcrafted and slow simmered with basil, garlic and some salt & pepper, and then a sprinkling of grated raw Romano cheese that added a nice tang. As neither of us are regularly gluten-free dieters, we were perhaps more surprised than we should have been that the pasta had a distinctively firmer texture to it. Tiffiany later explained that in order to be gluten-free, the pasta is made from rice flour or sometimes quinoa or maize flours. As for the flavor, it reminded us of whole-wheat pasta. We both resisted the urge to finish off our meals as we were excited to try Tiffiany’s gluten-free dessert.

Tiffiany is the director of the bakery and uses her extensive research into the array of alternative grains available in order to create gluten-free desserts that those in need of gluten-free foods and those that just want to see what it’s all about (like us) have some well-deserved difficulty distinguishing a difference from any other desserts. Her selection this evening was a Chocolate Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake, and as with all of her desserts, is a completely original concept in its creation. The cake was tender and moist, with two layers separated by slices of fresh strawberries in a bed of whipped cream and just the right amount of whipped cream frosting. The slice came dusted with powdered sugar and topped with more fresh strawberries. I don’t mind saying we didn’t resist the urge to polish that off.

The G’s Healthy Gourmet is a delightful addition to the ever-growing list of restaurants in the greater Woodlands area. The menu consists of foods that are always gluten free, organic and healthy – or at least usually healthier than other options out there, in the case of their desserts! Minimal preparation methods are used in an effort to maintain as many natural nutrients as possible. The G’s offers a flavorful, colorful, variety-filled menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you’d like to be among the first to give them a try, be sure to cut your servers a little slack as they complete their training in these next couple of weeks and work out any kinks before the grand opening July 8. Hours at The G’s are: Sunday, 9-3; Monday, 8-3; Tuesday – Thursday, 8-10; Friday, 8-11 and Saturday, 9-11. The G’s is located at the Alden Bridge Village Center, 8000 Research Forest Drive; call 281 419-7787 for more information. Their website is currently under construction.

First, a little history lesson: Well-known restaurateur George Pallotta opened Pallotta’s Italian Grill in 1994. Many of the dishes on the menu are lovingly named after his children, as well as some of those long-time weekly diners. Riding the success of the Italian eatery, Mr. Pallotta branched out and opened the Black Walnut Café’s; themselves successful in their own right. Looking to the next big adventure, he sold Black Walnut Café to Hubbell & Hudson and invested with a new partner to create Pallotta’s Mexican Grill in Imperial Oaks in Spring. As for the place that started it all, the transition there was an easy one; about two years ago he sold Pallotta’s Italian Grill to then-manager Phil Nicosia, who has been at the restaurant for eleven years now. Phil, a gregarious Italian man who can routinely be seen throughout the restaurant, is happy to stop by and share a good story or a glass of wine with you, when he’s not overseeing the kitchen or helping the servers or bussers. In a word? He’s hands-on.

We arrived a little after six o’clock on Tuesday and the restaurant was already abuzz with diners. The hostess, who greeted us by opening the door before we even got to it, cheerfully led us through the softly-lit dining room to a table behind a curiously large stock pot. More on that pot later… Our server, Greg, was at our table within a minute of our arrival, took our drink orders and recommended the garlic bread. Hot, crisp-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside complimentary sourdough rolls are always offered, but we opted for the garlic bread. A few minutes later, a generous portion of garlic bread arrived, served with a side of Top Tomato Sauce ribboned with Pavia Sauce. After giving us an appropriate amount of time to decide, we ordered Chicken Parmesan and Pasta fra Diavlo with Chicken; both from the Lighter Fare menu.

Our salads were brought out only minutes later, and yes, a house salad is a house salad just about everywhere you go… unless you go to Pallotta’s. This lighter house salad had the freshest, crispest greens, not a brown spec to be found, and just the right amount of fat free Italian dressing that had that little extra kick to it. It couldn’t have seemed fresher had we gone to market and cut up the veggies ourselves.

While we waited for our meals to arrive, we learned a little more about that giant stock pot. It seems that when George first opened the restaurant, he caught his youngest daughter, Alexa (who’s name is all over the menu) in a picture-perfect moment inside the pot, beautiful little grin and all. The image hung just inside the restaurant entrance until Phil took over. But in a loving tribute to tradition, Phil recreated the moment with his little one, and her image now hangs on the wall… proving that the really do put “a little Italian” into everything!

One of the great things about Pallotta’s Lighter Fare menu is the careful calculation of Weight Watchers™ points that have been helpfully added to the menu. The other great thing about it is of course, that this lighter fare doesn’t come at any sacrifice to the flavor. The Chicken Parmesan has been baked instead of flash-fried, and the serving is one breast portion as opposed to two. Additionally, the dish is served on a bed of whole wheat pasta. There are many things about this that make it a great idea. First, the baked chicken is still hand-breaded in a unique blend of breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning, and by baking the chicken, there’s (we felt) less loss of breading, leaving a better amount actually on the chicken. The dish is of course still served with the signature Top Tomato Sauce as well as melted mozzarella. The accompaniment is a modest portion of beautiful steamed vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and zucchini. As for the single breast vs. two? How are you supposed to leave room for dessert if you eat two?

The Skinny Pasta fra Diavlo was a generous portion of wheat spaghettini blended with a “devilishly” hot, but not overwhelming, Spicy Top Tomato Sauce that featured nice large chunks of fresh tomatoes and just the right amount of crushed red pepper. The chicken was grilled, as in actually grilled and there were lines to prove it, yet tender and juicy and without those annoying random gristly bits one seems to always get in other restaurants. Even with the smaller portion, there was still enough left over to take home. But only because we really did want to save room for dessert.

Yes, of course, getting a dessert was going to destroy all good intentions that come with eating off the Lighter Fare menu. But there’s something you should know about the desserts there at Pallotta’s – they are, absolutely, to die for. In full disclosure, two of the cakes are not made in house, the Triple Layer Carrot Cake and the chocolate cake. Don’t let that stop you from trying them. These two are carefully hand-crafted and delivered from a local bakery, Celebrations & Sweet Creations. And because they meet (or quite possibly exceed) Phil’s exacting standards of excellence, they are quite worthy of their place on the menu. We tried the carrot cake and were blown away at how perfect it was; walnut-ty, just the right amount of cream cheese frosting, and perfectly moist. But if you want to stick with ONLY selections that are made in house, there are a multitude to choose from including Cheesecakes, Crème Brule and Phil’s own creation, the Raspberry Tiramisu; a dessert created for the joyful occasion of Phil’s proposal to his wife. And of course, no one will blame you if you pass on all of these and select Dominic’s Mud.

Dominic’s Mud requires it’s own paragraph (and possibly it’s own write-up!). It is their Pride and Joy. Greg recommended it. Phil sang its praises. And people come from miles around just to skip dinner and go straight to it. This incredible, frozen creation takes a team of cooks three hours to put together the nine-plus ingredients that come from four different suppliers. There’s Butterfinger™ bars, there’s mocha-almond-fudge ice cream, there’s peanut butter, there’s hot fudge, and there is so much absolute chocolate bliss in this thing that you’d best be prepared to fight to the end as to who will get the last bite. Because you have to share it… don’t you? Sure, it’s big enough to share, but, well… let’s just say we warned you.

Frankly, we can’t wait to go back. We were assured that everything on the menu is as good as what we selected, and we don’t doubt it. Be sure to ask about “off-menu” specialty dishes as well. Pallotta’s has a fine selection of wines and a full-service bar. The dishes are moderately priced and generously portioned. Currently, a $5 gift certificate can be found on our Exclusive Offers page, and is valid seven days a week, so what are you waiting for? Pallotta’s Italian Grill is located in the Wood Ridge Plaza, directly across from The Woodlands Mall on the north-bound feeder of I-45. Their hours are Monday – Saturday, 10:57 AM to 10:03 PM, and Sunday, 10:57 AM to 9:03 PM. For more information, call 281 364-9555 or visit the Pallotta’s Italian Restaurant website.