Vegan Friendly Foodie Review- Chuy’s Mexican Food, Houston, TX

We all have a hands down, could eat it every second of every day, never gets old, mouth starts watering at the mere mention of it, stomach growls in excitement

My wonderful husband is no exception. His foodie love affair extends way past the norm when it comes to one food in particular

If he lived alone-

My side of the bed would be replaced with Huevos Rancheros, Negra Modelo, Green Salsa and hundreds of freshly sliced limes.

Can you picture just how glorious that truly is?

When we became Vegan, we figured Mexican Food was the one food that we could still enjoy, with the least amount of fuss. I mean, we could always tell the waitress

“No Cheese, Meat or Sour Cream…”

and still have a huge variety of goodies to choose from. Right?

After some serious research, we quickly found out that there is one particular Non-Vegan ingredient that many Mexican Food eateries LOVE to add to nearly every single item on their menu…

Mexican Food Restaurants use Lard in various aspects of their menu items; from the rice to the various kinds of beans and even the tortillas. Lard is a huge staple of Authentic Mexican Food and many dishes simply wouldn’t taste the same without it.

After all of our research, my husband was completely devastated. It was obvious. He began the grieving process of leaving behind, his favorite foodie love of all time.

My husband has been so supportive and encouraging on our Vegan journey. I just couldn’t let him give up his favorite food. We live in Texas for crying out loud-

Who knows, it just might be. It’s a damn shame.

I began the grueling task of researching Mexican Restaurants that had Vegan food options. I finally found it. There was a Mexican Food Restaurant 5 minutes from our house, that had everything our little Vegan hearts desired.

I couldn’t believe it!

I was so excited to take my husband out to dinner Friday night! The heavenly scent of fresh tortillas engulfed our senses as we walked through the door. It was amazing to see hundreds of fresh tortillas made by hand, piping hot, ready to be served.

When our waitress handed us the menu, I couldn’t help but notice how disappointed my husband looked as he asked

“What can we eat here?”

I smiled and listed some of the goodies I had found online.

• Flour, Corn, Blue Corn, Wheat Tortillas
• Mexican or Green Chile Rice
• Refried or Charro Beans
• Guacamole Tacos
• Bean Taco or Bean Burrito (No Cheese)
• Bean Sopapilla (No Cheese)
• Ranchero or Tomatillo Sauce
• Veggie Enchiladas <~~~~~ YES!!

My husband smiled and his eyes lit up. He could have his enchiladas and his rice and beans too! He ordered a Negra Modelo with sliced lime. I knew that all was right with the world once more.

The Veggie Enchiladas are so good! We can’t wait to try the Guacamole Tacos on our next trip. If you are desperately needing your Mexican Food fix, Vegan style, check to see if there is a Chuy’s Mexican Restaurant near you. No Lard- No Problem!

http://www.chuys.com

“Vegan Friendly” Foodie Review- Zio’s Italian Kitchen, Houston, TX

Dealing with “Vegan-Bashing” has become a minor irritation in my every day life. Most days, I can brush it off without a second thought, but when I’ve already “Had It” with the normal, every day frustrations that come with being Vegan…

You can only eat Subway and Taco Bell so many times, before the desire to throat punch every rude, mean and arrogant Non-Vegan you encounter, becomes entirely too enticing.

That leads me to one of my biggest frustrations…

Why is it so difficult to find Vegan food?

So, after researching my entire lunch break away – I finally found not one, but two Vegan Friendly Restaurant options “fairly” close to me!

If that doesn’t warrant an immediate

celebration, then I’m not sure what the hell does.

I couldn’t stop thinking about enjoying one of my favorite foodie indulgences…

I wanted it ALL- the Fresh Baked Italian Bread, the Savory Oil with the Amazing Herbs, the Fresh Chopped Salad, drenched in a Delicious Italian Dressing….

I finally found it all here…

The food was absolutely Amazing!

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I must admit, finding Vegan food options is a huge feat; even in this incredible Modern World we live in. Thankfully, so many amazing bloggers, writers, travelers and normal, every day Vegan Guru’s spend countless hours compiling lists, making calls, sending emails and doing everything they can to make our life a little easier.

I just want to say

for all you do!

I found an amazing Vegan Restaurant List online that was prepared by Jake D back in 2013. This post is titled “Vegan Eating in Norman” and although we don’t have all of the restaurant options here in Houston, TX.- we did have quite a few!

You can check out Jake D’s amazing list here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/10Ilv4LZcMbfFqXxX-Tp7kcy3jaX0CfcvmCsJmUyD1nc/mobilebasic

To see if there is a Zio’s Italian Kitchen near you:

https://zios.com/

*If you have a Vegan Restaurant List that you swear by- please share it with me in the comments! That is such a valuable resource for Vegans everywhere!**

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Vegan Foodie Review- Green Vegetarian Cuisine

Isn’t it amazing how the best restaurants in town, are always the ones you mistakenly stumble upon, totally by chance?

needs to be at the top of the

“Bad Ass Vegan Places To Stuff Your Face” List…

Last week, Sunday rolled around and our little family, had absolutely nothing to do. That is a rare occurrence in our house, so we decided to take full advantage.

We were long overdue for a

We made the 45 minute drive to Downtown Houston, jamming Sublime ’40 oz to Freedom’ the entire way. We were driving past a tiny shopping center on Richmond Avenue when I saw “Vegetarian” in big bold letters. Now, we all know, there is a BIG difference between Vegan and Vegetarian but with such few Vegan restaurant options available, we figured

 Thank Goddess we did! We were amazed to find out that ALL of the Menu items at Green Vegetarian Cuisine are in fact Vegetarian, but ANY of the Menu items can be made Vegan as well!

There were so many mouth watering dishes to choose from! We decided to order some Smoothies and take our time drooling over the menu. I finally decided on the “Fish” Sandwich, Tom ordered the Jalapeno Burger and Bre chose on the Vegetarian Tostadas. When the waitress brought our food out, I couldn’t help but admire how amazing it all looked!

We were absolutely stuffed! It is such a rare occurrence, to eat so much food that I can barely breathe. But believe me, the amazing food at Green Vegetarian Cuisine will tempt you to lick the damn plate clean. When our waitress came to check on us, she asked if we had room for Vegan Dessert.

I must be hallucinating, from all the delicious food I just devoured, but I could have sworn you said ‘Vegan Dessert.’

The waitress laughed and walked to the front of the restaurant. She brought back a huge tray FULL of Vegan cupcakes and brownies.

I nearly fainted. I am not even kidding.

One of the most difficult things about our transition to Veganism, is that we haven’t had much luck finding good Vegan desserts.

I looked over at my husband, and quickly realized that I wasn’t the only one picking my jaw up off the floor. My husband was in the “Vegan Dessert Zone.” In his trance state, he grabbed one of the “sample cupcakes” right off the tray and started to pop it in his mouth. Thankfully, having been married for 7 years, I am a master at ‘food-to-face’ interception. My ninja reflexes kicked in, I snatched that sample cupcake and plopped it right back on the tray.

My poor husband didn’t even know what hit him. The waitress stood in front of us, gripping the tray with white knuckles, mouth wide in a perfect “O.” She was in shock. Poor thing. I looked up and smiled.

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To see if there is a “Green Vegetarian Cuisine” near you – check them out at

http://www.eatgreen.com

Namaste & Blessed be!

Vegan Foodie Friday – Vegan Fauxjita Taco’s

I must admit, I have an extremely busy life.

Sometimes I am truly amazed, to look back and see just how much I managed to accomplish in a single week.

As a Wife, Mom, Boss, Friend and Blogger; between working Full Time, attending Yoga twice a week, joining every Pagan event available, moving forward on my Spiritual journey and constantly finding new ways to expand my Vegan lifestyle-

I am one

An exhausted one at times, but I do feel extremely proud to end each week with so much accomplished.

Fridays are always a celebration for our little family.

Bre is out of school, Tom and I are off work and we can finally do whatever we want! And believe me, we all take full advantage of our favorite Saturday luxury-

Friday night means, for the first time all week, I can finally take my time with dinner and try out all of the amazing Vegan recipes I simply can’t afford to potentially

Screw up/ Catch on Fire/ Forget About Half Way Through/ Melt to the Stove

during our regular busy routine filled week.

Now, I have to admit, before I became Vegan, I hated cooking. I despised it. I avoided it like the plague. I sucked at it and I just couldn’t find the motivation to get any better.

 After becoming Vegan, I had a moment of clarity. It wasn’t that I hated cooking, I just couldn’t stand cooking and preparing meat.

My hands down favorite thing to hear, between mouthfuls of food is

Starting my Vegan journey , at the beginning of this year, has changed my life in every possible way.

I hope this blog inspires you to make the commitment to live a Kind, Compassionate life. To make the decision to Harm None; to leave the world a little better than you found it. To support a cause greater than yourself- with every breath, every step, through every bite you take.

For my first Vegan Foodie Friday Blog,

I wanted something amazingly delicious and easy to make!

Can I just say…

 

Plus, they are  Oh.So.Easy to make!

We are talking about 15 – 20 minutes before the only sound you hear is

Nomnomnomnomnomnomnomnomnomnom

Let’s get down to business…

You can find this super adorable Recipe Printable for FREE over at Skip to My Lou. She has so many amazing templates! Best of all, you can edit them for any project or recipe!

Ingredients List:

• (1)          10 Count          Mission Tortillas
• (1)           15.4 oz             Amy’s Kitchen Organic Traditional Refried Beans
• (1)            12 oz               Beyond Meat Grilled Chicken Strips
• (1)             8 oz                Daiya Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• (1)            12 oz               Tofutti Dairy-Free Sour Cream
• (2)                                    Organic Tomatoes
• (2)                                    Organic Avocadoes

Get To Work:

1. Dice (2) Organic Tomatoes
2. Slice (2) Organic Avocados
3. Sear Beyond Meat Grilled Chicken Strips in skillet on Medium heat until both sides are golden brown
4. In medium sauce pan, heat Amy’s Kitchen Organic Traditional Re-fried Beans until warm
5. Heat Mission Tortillas in medium skillet, on both sides, until warm
6. To build your Fauxjita Soft Taco –
   1. Add Amy’s Re Fried Beans and Beyond Meat Grilled Chicken Strips to a warm Mission Tortilla
   2. Add all of your delicious toppings! A handful of Daiya Shredded Cheddar Cheese and  a spoonful of Tofutti Sour Cream
   3. Add your Organic Veggies- Chopped tomatoes and sliced Avocados
7. Take a picture of your masterpiece and tag me @veganpaganyogi!

Now, stand back and bask in the deliciousness you just created!

Feel free to use whatever Vegan brand you like, to replace any of these items. I added the brands I used to help make your shopping a hell of a lot easier!

* These brands were checked on the PETA website and on the actual product’s website.*

Winner Winner Tofu Dinner!

A few weeks ago I entered a contest on Facebook; something I very rarely do.

The contest was hosted by Ariel’s Treasure Troves

A Vegan, Organic, Cruelty Free boutique for all things health & beauty.

The contest was simple-
Do you have an idea for a new line of soap? 
The idea chosen will win a free product.

I suggested one of my all time, favorite herbs

Turmeric

And guess who Won?!? ———————->  Me!

My simple idea for Turmeric Soap was turned into a reality by

Ariel’s Treasure Troves!!

I love Turmeric! I take Turmeric in capsule form twice a day; I cook with it and I recommend it to literally everyone I meet. My love affair with Turmeric began a few years ago, in an emergency room at 3AM.

I happened to be sitting in that freezing cold cubicle of a room, with my ass hanging out of one of those ridiculous gowns that only make whatever ailment you arrived with 10x worse.

I was sitting there because in a matter of minutes, my stomach grew and expanded to the point where I appeared to be 6 months pregnant. I had no idea what was wrong with me. I couldn’t lie down without screaming from the excruciating pain.

My husband drove me to the hospital and after what seemed like forever, I was finally able to speak to a Doctor. The emergency room ran all sorts of tests. Blood work, cat-scan, x-rays and finally an ultrasound. I remember lying there, clenching my teeth, tears rolling down my face, as I watched the doctor performing the ultrasound proceed to call four more doctors over to look at the images on the screen. I knew then that something was terribly wrong.

When all of the tests were finished, I was wheeled back to my cubicle to wait for the results. A million thoughts and potential ailments crossed my mind.

What was this? How bad was it? Can they fix it?

The door opened and a very stern looking doctor walked in. He introduced himself and got right down to business.

“Desiree, you have Ovarian Cysts.”
(I already knew that. I’ve had them since I was 12. Most women do.)
“What you are experiencing is caused by your Ovarian Cysts rupturing. Your ovaries are literally covered in cysts. When one ruptures, it is like a chain reaction, that in turn, causes each one to rupture. Your stomach is filled with blood. The size of your stomach right now, should give you an idea of just how many cysts we are talking about. The excess blood will disperse and absorb with a little bit of time. But we need to discuss the options you have for having a hysterectomy.”

Shit. Shit. Shit. 

I have been told multiple times in my life, by various doctors, that I would need a hysterectomy. I have always fought the idea, for a variety of reasons. I cannot have children and since I was told pretty much as early as I can remember, I made my peace with that. Yet, I still fought the idea of a hysterectomy. I didn’t want to be on hormones and medication the rest of my life. I didn’t want to go into early menopause.

The Doctor went on to explain

“In all my years of practice, I have never seen Ovarian cysts rupture like this. I know this is a big decision for you but you cannot continue to put your life at risk. There is no miracle medication I can give you to fix this. You need to see a Doctor, make an appointment and get it done. You are very fortunate that it wasn’t worse than it is now.”

I was devastated. I went home and cried, screamed and became more and more depressed. I quickly realized that I hadn’t truly given up on the idea of one day having children. I felt like having a hysterectomy would vanquish every last ounce of hope I had.

My husband was absolutely terrified after hearing what the Doctor had to say. He tried to convince me to get the hysterectomy. After I explained my position, my husband got on board and completely supported my decision. Little did I know, he was well on his way to finding his own solution.

My husband became obsessed with finding an alternative, holistic remedy to cure my ovarian cysts. He spent day and night endlessly searching for a solution. Finally, he narrowed it down to two potential solutions. One involved a Castor Oil tincture & heat and the other was Turmeric. Turmeric was the easiest route, so we went to our local Health Food store, found Organic Turmeric capsules and I started a regimen of  2 capsules twice a day.

My heart was racing and my nerves were on edge as I entered my follow up Doctors appointment. At this point, I had been taking Turmeric twice a day every day for 6 months. When the doctor preformed the ultrasound, I closed my eyes, held my breath and prayed to the Goddess for good news.

I heard the Doctor say

“I can’t believe this. This doesn’t make sense.”

I looked over to see my Doctor vigorously scanning the computer screen, looking for any sign of my ovarian cysts.
Finally, he turned to me with a look of pure shock and said

“I don’t know how this happened or what you’ve been doing but you do not have a single Ovarian cyst.”

He shook his head and continued to mumble to himself and refresh the computer screen.
I was so relieved, I fought the urge to jump up and do the Moonwalk right there in the office.

I am eternally grateful to my wonderful husband for not only saving my life, but for finding a “Miracle” herb that continues to shock and amazed me with it’s limitless benefits to this day.

Winning the Giveaway was about more than getting a FREE product in the mail. I can’t imagine what my life would have been like if my husband hadn’t found Turmeric. I hope this new product inspires everyone to find out more information and see how Turmeric can help you in your daily life.
I am so excited to try out the new Turmeric Soap from Ariel’s Treasure Troves!

With such amazing products at shockingly affordable prices, it is easy to transition your beauty and health routine to align with your Vegan lifestyle.
I have already purchased the Organic, Cruelty Free, Vegan

Mascara, Liquid Foundation, Face Cream and Deodorant.

I cannot wait to post reviews for each product when they arrive!

Thank you to Ariel’s Treasure Troves for entering my life at just the right time, for just the right reason. Isn’t it funny how life always brings us exactly what we need, sometimes in the strangest of places? I hope I am able to pass on the good vibes. I hope this blog will resonate with you, at the perfect time, just when you need it most.

Namaste & Blessed Be!

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What are some of the Health benefits of Turmeric? Find out here:

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/20-health-benefits-of-turmeric.html

Shop the amazing products Ariel’s Treasure Troves has to offer here:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArielsTreasureTroves?ref=l2-shopheader-name

DISCLAIMER:

**The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. The purpose of this website is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.**

‘Vegan Friendly’ Foodie Review- Dimassi’s Mediterranean Restaurant, Houston TX

First, let me begin by stating – Being Vegan on the North East side of Houston can be a royal

Pain in the Ass…

You know, the amazing Vegan Wonderlands of Joy…

• Trader Joe’s
• Sprouts
• Whole Foods

Just to name a few. It is ridiculous, but there isn’t a single one on the North East side of town.

As if that’s not bad enough…

The majority of all ‘Vegan Friendly’ Restaurants, that Houston has to offer, are also located on the opposite side of town.

Texas is a big State, guys. When someone from Texas gives you directions, be wary of this verbiage~

“Oh! That’s just right around the corner.”

Translation:

It’s not technically a lie…is it?

When I happen to stumble upon a Vegan or ‘Vegan Friendly’ Restaurant anywhere in a (45 mile) radius- I have to share!

No more starving Vegans, Dammit!

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Dimassi’s Mediterranean Buffet – (The Woodlands, TX)

I absolutely LOVE Mediterranean Food. If you haven’t experienced the pure Joy of these amazing flavors, spices and fragrances dancing harmoniously across your tongue- you, my dear friend are officially deprived. We need to fix this… Stat.

From Hummus to Naan and everything that I won’t dare try to spell or pronounce in between- there is something for everyone to enjoy. Especially if you happen to be Vegan.

Since Dimassi’s offer’s their amazing Mediterranean dishes in a perfectly labeled, organized, grab & go style buffet – there is no need to stress about mis-reading a menu, mis-pronouncing a particular dish or ordering something you might not like. Take what you want, leave the rest. Or, if you are like me- get a little bit of everything – you never know unless you try it!

From cold salads to hot vegetable dishes, creamy sauces and spicy meats (for your friends who still can’t bear the thought of living a day without it)- the whole family can meet up here and find something they love!

Since becoming Vegan, I can’t remember the last time I was totally and completely

“Stuffed.”

It is a rare occasion to find myself eating so much food that I am left begging my husband to roll me to the damn car-

“Warning! This Food is So Good, You Won’t Stop Eating it!”

With an entire buffet of full of Vegan goodies, that even your ridiculously picky friend can’t stub their nose at- you just might find yourself paying for an extra “Doggie Bag” full of Naan and Hummus to take home.

“Guilty as Hell…”

Beautiful Pizza Style Oven…

Fresh Naan straight from the Oven…

Fresh Baked Naan…

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Here is a quick Video to show how amazingly fresh and delicious the Naan truly is.

Can’t you see how obsessed I am with Naan? Is there a Naan Anonymous? There should be…

I want to thank the employees at Dimassi’s Mediterranean Buffet in The Woodlands for allowing me to take tons of pictures and video so that I could show you guys how much I love this place!

To find a Dimassi’s Mediterranean Buffet near you, go to their website

www.dimassi.com

Please click the link below to head to our YouTube page to watch the full video.

http://youtu.be/Z9Nla5yVnnY

Namaste & Blessed Be!

~Dex!~

The Woman Behind the Labels

“I would like to welcome everyone out this evening. Thank you all for coming. Let’s just take a moment to go around the room for a quick icebreaker. Please stand up, state your name, tell us where you are from and say a little something about yourself…”

It is this exact moment, when seemingly normal words, perfectly align into what quickly becomes the gut wrenching

“Welcome Speech”

that every impulse in my body screams “Retreat!” Before I know it, I carve a path towards the closest

EXIT

awkwardly debuting my white girl moon walk in slow motion. I want to high-five the genius who created those beautiful neon Exit signs.

Did he feel the same panic ensue at every meeting? Maybe I’m not so weird after all.

Dammit, who am I kidding?

I put my hands behind my back and gently shift my weight towards the obnoxious metal door handle.

“Click”

Shit!

I cringe and hold my breath. Everyone in this god forsaken meeting turns…

and stares…

at me.

“Great! Dex, Thank you for being the first to Volunteer!”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

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Namaste my fellow bloggers and readers, I have always dreaded the

“Icebreaker”

games we all are forced to play at business meetings and large events. The nerve-wracking “

About Me”

section of any social media account usually induces such severe panic that I am left wondering how I’ve managed to speak to anyone at all for the past 30 years. How the hell do you describe yourself to a group of people who know nothing about you, in just a few sentences?

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Thankfully, I have designed an amazing Bio over at about.me that you can find here:

www.about.me/veganpaganyogi

How cool is that? Click on “Backstory” to get more in-depth details about my Vegan, Pagan, Yogi life and path.

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Here are a few things I usually don’t include in my “About Me” section – isn’t that the kind of stuff you really want to know anyway?

•  I have studied Paganism for 3 years but have only actually practiced for a little over a year.

Why?

Honestly, I was terrified I would screw something up. My desire for perfection and mastery often ends with “No Action At All.”

• I am not a Yogi. I am nowhere near even being considered a Yogi.

Let’s just get that out-of-the-way. Ohhhh snap, liar liar pants on fire!

The truth is. I have a bad habit of being flaky, finicky and completely non-committal. Strangely, I’ve been happily married for 7 years!

What a persistent little shit my amazing husband is.

I know quite a bit about a lot of things, but I never actually master anything. This blog and its ominous title is my day of reckoning.

“Think it. See it. Feel it. Believe it. Achieve it.”

How can I write a Vegan Pagan Yogi blog if I am not aspiring to be any of those things?

I can’t.

I want to be real, to be honest, to join others who wake up every morning loving who they are (flaws and quirks included). It is my desire to inspire millions of people around the world who are constantly growing, learning, awakening and moving forward on their own path to enlightenment (Bodhi.)

Will you join me on the Path to Bodhi?