As mentioned, in the first of the year post – while I’m concentrating on healthier eating & raw…I definitely think we need to give ourselves a break to spoil ourselves here and there. So, last week – I indulged and it was oh so worth it!! I’ve seen Dessert Gallery for years now, but I’ve never stopped by until last Thursday. I didn’t know much about the place, other than it obviously served dessert-ish things. I actually even thought it might be a chain. I visited the Kirby location, just blocks from my work (its nestled into the same area as Kata Robata).

The cafe is decorated upscale ‘cute’ and has quite a bit of seating – lots of 2-seater tables — hint, hint – this place would be GREAT for a date guys! Cake displays are front and center and capture your attention immediately. They all look so sweet and scrumptious – I couldn’t take my eyes off of them.

While their specialty seems to be cakes, they do offer a variety of others, cookies, cupcakes, cake balls and for holidays and special events, they will create unique items, like right now they have macaroons and hand dipped strawberries.

I sampled several different flavors, the Luscious Lemon, Raspberry Rhapsody and Carrot Cake. They were all spectacular, I seriously can’t pick a favorite….maybe leaning slightly towards the carrot. I really liked their unique take on the recipe – no raisins, instead, pineapple!! Oh yea, and the cream cheese icing – yumm! So how did they get it taste so good? Well for one, the owner, Sara Brook is an award winning pastry chef, so there’s the start of it. But from there, they hand make EVERYTHING, even down to the cake batter…which I hear is something most bakeries just get from Pillsbury and ‘dress it up’ a little to call it homemade. They only use the highest quality ingredients, even if it means importing a specialty seedless raspberry jam. Its very apparent that the care and intricacies that go into their food results in truly one of a kind, rich, intense flavors.

Side note, I was totally wrong about the chain store thing. Sara started the Dessert Gallery here in Houston in 1995 and there are now 2 locations (Kirby & Galleria), and all the baking takes place at their central bake shop every day and is then distributed to the stores.

I suggest you make a trip to the Dessert Gallery as soon as you can – and what better excuse then VALENTINES!!! They are open until midnight on the weekends (Friday and Saturday) so it’s a perfect date destination. And if you can’t make up your mind among all of the mouthwatering selections, there is always their famous Old Fashioned Diner Cake. Just like it sounds – old fashioned moist yellow cake topped with rich chocolate buttercream (I took a slice home and it was heavenly).

Enjoy your desserts!!!!!!

Stef

[Editors Note:  Shared from Adam's Blog:  http://www.alwaystexan.com]

Not just a great coffee house, Jitterbug cafe is the best restaurant in Fairfield (Cypress, TX).  Too often this establishment is passed by when local residents ponder where to fetch some nourishment forgetting that it serves much more than coffee.

Walking into Jitterbug, you are quickly greeted by inviting smiles and warm welcomes.  The entire staff has been friendly and accommodating.  When you step up to the counter and look at the menu, you will notice something other than just coffee drinks and wholesale pastries – you see their food menu!  This is where it gets good.

Let me preface this by saying I am an expert in culinary critique.  I wouldn’t use the word “foodie”, because I think that is synominous with “pretentious a**hole” too often.  Also, we all know that deep down, there is not a darn thing special about the chain coffee joint with the Snookie mermaid logo.

So, what does this place have to eat?  Let’s start off with breakfast.  Do you remember those old pot-pies with the crust all the way through the bottom and it was pure deliciousness?  Well, Jitterbug has this narcotic called breakfast pies.  I find myself stopping by too often in the morning just for a little sumfin’ sumfin’ to get me by.  These pies are filled with perfectly cooked egg, sausage, spinach and cheese.  Simply amazing.  I also like to enjoy their breakfast croissant with sausage and havarti cheese.  (I dare you to click on the breakfast pie pic to enlarge)

Moving on to lunch… did I tell you about the addicting breakfast pie?  I thought I had it bad until I tried their chicken salad on a croissant – hands down the best chicken salad I have ever had.  Seriously, Jitterbug needs a sign “Best Chicken Salad in Texas!”  Another awesome sandwich to try there is the Asian Roast Beef, mmm with wasabi-ginger sauce – amazing!  The weekday hours are til 6:30 PM, so I can even get something for dinner when needed.

And if it couldn’t get any better, they have live music many of the Friday nights where they attract excellent local talent such as Randy Frisch.  And on other Fridays, it’s ‘Socrates Cafe’ where they host philosophical discussions.

Ohhhh, gelato!  Forget taking the kids out for ice-cream at the over priced mass produced parlors.  Jitterbug’s homemade gelato is far better.

Swing by for a cup of coffee, play a game, read a book, or take advantage of their free Wifi.  I’m tellin’ ya, this place is quality.  When you add the friendly service, quality of food, and convenience together, it sums up to Jitterbug Cafe.

Whether you live in the community, in the Cypress area, or visiting the Houston Premium Outlets, you have tons of mediocre options.  Don’t forget the little gem Fairfield residents have in their own front yard.

Do yourself a favor and try a sandwich from Jitterbug before you settle on blandness from the popular sub station next store.  Eat well!

-Adam

P.S. Jitterbug, thanks for having the raw cane sugar cubes, it makes a world of difference when sweetening coffee.

http://cafejitterbug.com

I discovered an amazingly delicious and simple dessert go-to item this weekend. BANANAS!!! I never thought 1 fruit could make such a scrumptious and decadent dessert. (well I ate BOTH of these for breakfast…but hey!)

Now, when I say simple, I seriously mean it. These both take under 2 minutes flat – no lie. This is raw food at its absolute best, the naturally sweet sugars are wonderful.

Side note, if you don’t know by now, one of my essential kitchen tools is my fabulous Vitamix. You could probably make both of these with a food processor or a blender, but I did both of these with the Vitamix.

Raw Banana Ice Cream Recipe

Probably the most simple of recipes. You can add raw cacao, berries, dried fruits, really anything that sounds good – this is just the simplest version and a good base for other varieties.

• 2 frozen bananas (if I don’t manage to eat all of the bananas I buy I freeze them. Just be sure to PEEL THEM FIRST, bc it’s really hard to freeze, then try to peel)
• 1/4 c to 1/2 c. water
• 1 tbsp. Agave Nectar
• small handfull raw almonds chopped

This is a really decadent treat that is so nutritious and yummy you won’t believe it doesn’t even call for a pinch of sugar.  A true treat, I promise you will love this. It’s almost as easy as the ice cream, but it’s got one extra step with the crumble – so I can’t say its exactly as easy.

• 2 bananas (set a few slices of a banana aside to chop and use for the topping)
• 1/4 c. soaked cashews (minimum 4 hour soak)
• 1/4 c. water

Add all of the ingredients to the vitamix and blend until smooth and a pudding consistency. The cashews help get a really rich and creamy flavor/texture. It is especially important to soak them in this instance – so they become smooth when blended.

Crumble:

• 1/4 c. almonds (I didn’t have soaked almonds and honestly wouldn’t prefer them here. You need them to stay firm for the base of the crumble.)
• 1 medjool date (take the pit out. you can find these in the bulk section of HEB, Whole Foods, etc)
• drizzle of agave nectar

Add all of the ingredients to a mini food processor or chopper. Process until it gets to a nice crumble.

Add the pudding to a pretty glass, top with crumble and the reserved banana pieces. YUMMM

  

  

We moved into a new home and neighborhood on January 7th. I am sure you can all relate to the craziness of moving and adjusting to a new area. On top of that, Adam was heading out of town for Vancouver on Monday, the 9th. The week was pretty much shot as I was trying to juggle work, taking care of the kids, keep up with the unpacking… I was just really too busy to stop and actually prepare a decent meal. This meant we got to grub on some delicious tacos from Taqueria Ruby (see my post on this fabulous little place here), amazing breakfasts and coffee from Jitterbug (post on this gem is to come), and good ‘ol neighborhood pizza from Gambino’s. Not to mention, Drew called me his ‘Step-mom’ for the first time this week, which made it easier for me to give in to his Chick-fil-a requests again….and again.

So needless to say, there was not much Raw in my diet last week. I do still seem to maintain my big raw salad for lunch everyday. For years now, I’ve packed up the whole vegetable tray (it seems) and chop up a big ‘ol salad in the kitchen at work. So at least I got one good meal in most days.

So it’s been a week in the new place and I’m definitely in a much better routine now and ready to re-focus. I started today off with a huge helping of green juice. Adam concocted an amazingly delicious recipe, see below. It’s always much easier for me to re-set on the weekend when I have no distractions. Ok, next week & beyond I will report back with more success and recipes. And, now thinking about it – the excuse of moving and being too busy shouldn’t really fly. If anything, eating raw is the simplest, most easiest way to grab-and-go…I’ve just got to remember that mind set. You’re never to busy to grab some fresh fruit or throw greens in a bowl and top with olive oil and lemon. It’s about being prepared so you don’t get suckered into food convenience. As I mentioned when I started, it’s a journey and I’m definitely not discouraged – I’m going to keep up and strive to eat as much fresh, nutrient-rich food as I can.

Adam’s Delicious VF-8 Juice

A really yummy green juice – you can hardly taste the greens. The sweetness from the carrot, apple and orange really make this juice pop! Its so delicious. I really recommend this if you have a hard time getting veggies down.

4-5 kale stalks
1/2 cucumber
3 carrot
3 celery
1 orange peeled
1 lemon peeled
1 apple
1 tomato

We have started to buy all organic produce, or as much as we have access to and I definitely recommend it. Better flavor and the price isn’t too much more. Worth the pay off.

Cheers,

Stef

Breakfast: 1 pear, 1/2 apple chopped. Topped with agave, lemon and walnuts

Snack: a few sips of Adam’s delicious green juice…which has me really wanting to jump back into juicing asap.

Lunch: Sea Salad – a la “Mock Tuna Salad, Almost Tuna Salad, Save the Tuna Salad” – whatever you wish

I knew that from enough reading, I would be making a nut pate as the base, this should come out pretty similar in texture to a can of tuna. Here is what I did with ingredients I had on hand:

INGREDIENTS & PREPARATIONS:

Sea Salad Ingredients 1 – 2 servings

• 1 c. soaked seeds – I had 1/2 c sunflower and 1/2 c pumpkin on hand, so I used a combo and it still came out fine. Make sure to soak your nuts/seeds, it not only makes it creamy and easier to use in recipes but it neutralizes the enzyme inhibitors found on nuts/seeds and makes it easier for digestion. To learn more on why you should soak – go here. (I simply put my seeds in a mason jar, cover well with water and let sit on counter. If I am pressed for time 1 – 2 hours is good enough.)
• dash of olive oil
• 1/4 bunch of cilantro chopped – I didn’t have parsley, but you could substitute parsley for cilantro. I prefer cilantro so I went with that.
• 1 – 2  stalks celery chopped
• 2 scallions chopped
• sprinkle of dulse (dry seaweed, found in most natural food stores) – Click here to see the kind I use, I got it from Whole Foods
• salt & pepper to taste

Sea Salad Prep

• Combine all of the copped greens into a bowl
• Add your seeds to a food processor or high speed blender with a dash of olive oil. Blend until you have a nice pate.
• Top your greens with the nut pate
• Sprinkle the dulse – this gives the subtle but oh so nice sea flavor

   

In my last post I mentioned the Raw Alfredo I made to curb my cravings when Adam and the kids were having Chicken Alfredo. Now – here’s the recipe.

Sidenote: I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond to try to find a Spiralizer, but no luck. I am pretty sure I need to order this online. However, if you don’t have one of these nifty tools, a fine Julienne chop will do just fine. The Spiralizer allows you to create ‘noodle’ out of various vegetables.

Ingredients/Directions:

Pasta:

• 1 small – medium zucchini julienned or spiraled

Toppings:

• 1/4 red bell pepper chopped
• 1/2 tomato chopped
• 5 shiktake mushrooms chopped fine, 2 tbsp yellow onion chopped – put these 2 ingredients into a bowl and cover w 1 tbsp Tamari (wheat free soy sauce, can be found at Whole Foods), 1/2 tbsp olive oil and squeeze of lemon. Put in the fridge for 30 mins or longer.

Sauce:

• 2 – 3 spoon fulls of Tahini (sesame paste)
• 2 tbsp red onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp agave
• squeeze of lemon
• 1/2 c. water
• salt to taste

Blend all of these well in a high speed blender – like the Vitamix.

Place the toppings on top of the ‘pasta’, add the sauce and there you are!

Happy New Year everyone!!! If you’ve followed the last few blog posts, you’ll know that for the better part of last year I started researching digestion, nutrition, juicing and raw food. With the new year – I am ready to make a deeper commitment to my health and overall well being. I now feel confident I am fully equipped with the knowledge and tools to eat a high raw diet with enough versatility to keep me interested and full.

Ok – so what’s with the mostly or ‘high’ raw?!

I wold love to commit to a 100% raw diet, but I don’t want to set false expectations. I know that when Adam and the kids make tacos or pizza – I may sometimes have a bite. I also know that there may be days when I feel like being flexible, eating a standard meal, etc. For most people a full raw diet is really hard to strive for – so I want you to know that it doesn’t have to be 100%, just as much as can. My goal is to strive for at least 75% raw or higher. So this means, if I eat 4 times a day and 1 of those times I eat a handful of pretzels – I’m not going to beat myself up. I do know however, that the more and more I eat high raw foods, green juices and nutrient rich foods my body with naturally crave those things and that cravings for meat, fried food and other comfort foods will start to fade.

So far..

For the past 6 mos I’ve had my amazing Vitamix (thanks to my amazing Husband who gave me one for my birthday), that I simply cannot live without. I’ve discovered so many delicious raw soups, salad dressings, sauces, smoothies, puddings and more. Honestly, I think I use it up to 3x a day on the weekends. But for Christmas, I was surprised with another essential tool – a dehydrator. My first batch of ‘crackers’ are out and I can’t wait to try them today with ‘Save the Tuna’ Salad.

Jan 1:

Breakfast: several glasses of lemon water and carrot, apple, celery, cucumber juice

Lunch: Big salad of whatever fresh veggies I had on hand, avocado. Dressing: olive oil & lemon

Snack: few handfuls of popcorn (not raw, see…flexible) =)

Dinner: Adam and the kids were eating Chicken Fettucini Alfredo – (yes I had 1 bite of chicken & a taste of sauce), I made a raw take on this – Zucchini Alfredo. Recipe is here.

Jan 2:

Breakfast: 2 big glasses of water, 1 pear & 1/2 an apple chopped. Topped with agave, lemon and walnuts.

Alright, that’s it so far. This year, look forward to more frequent blog posts (the past few months have been lackluster, I know), info on green juicing, sprouting, window gardening, scrumptious recipes and anything else you want to hear about – let me know!!!

Cheers!

Stef

1. Start by chopping the kale into thin strips

2. Add salt and massage the kale – about 1 minute

you will notice that the kale is starting to wilt a bit and break down.

3. Now add 1 tbsp. nama shoyu (or soy sauce) and drizzle of olive oil. Then massage again.

The kale is really tender and ready to eat!!

4. Add your toppings and enjoy! I added: fresh squeezed lemon juice (1/2), Bell Pepper, Cucumber, Red Onion and Avocado

Stef

From my last post, I mentioned I would be trying to focus my food intake on a high raw diet. I honestly just feel better, in a happier mood, brighter, more alert – all around, GREAT.

So tonight I wanted something really tasty but really fast. We had been doing yard work and chores all day and I was ready to relax. What better than a simple raw gazpacho, but I love flavor, so I would be sure to kick it up a notch! Here’s what I did:

Ingredients (for 1 serving):

1. 2 medium/small tomatoes
2. 3 cloves garlic
3. 1/2 of a hatch chili pepper (you could use a jalapeno too)
4. 1/2 medjool date (or agave nectar or honey- just something to give it a hint of sweet to balance). You can find medjool dates in most bulk food sections in your grocery store.
5. lemon juice from 1 lemon
6. 1/4 c water
7. drizzle of olive oil
8. handful cilantro
9. pinch of salt

Then for the yummy veggies, chop:

1. 1/2 red bell pepper (or bell pepper of your choice)
2. 1/2 avocado
3. 1 stalk celery
4. 1 – 2 tbsp. red onion
5. 1/4 of a cucumber, de-seeded

 

But I’ve been thinking it over and I do want to blog about these things, the new foods I’m eating and preparing, the healthy benefits I’m gaining. Maybe you won’t be interested, but maybe you will and maybe you can try some of these things out. So I wanted to put a post out there to let you all know what I’m thinking and where I’m headed with Hungry in Houston. My new focus, for a while at least, will be raw and vegan foods.

For the past 4 – 5 months I’ve started reading up on digestion (as mentioned in a previous post), which led me to discover raw foods. So what exactly does raw foods entail? Well I’ll definitely get into that in the posts to come, but I’ve found that it is the most fulfilling, fresh and flavorful foods.

In just a few months I have shed ~15 lbs, WITHOUT even trying!! It’s the first diet I’ve lost effortlessly, no counting calories, no crazy artificial sweeteners. Real food and a real lifestyle change. Not only have I dropped weight but I feel more alert, my skin is better, my mind is clear – it’s really amazing.

Quick overview of what I eat on a daily basis to give you a sneak peek:

Breakfast:

as much fruit (any kind) that I want

Lunch:

a big green, TONS of veggie salad

herbs (cilantro, dill), celery, zucchini, tomato, 1/2 avo, sprouts, radish – really just whatever I have on hand

dressing: salt, pepper, oovo and lemon juice – or a homemade one like ranch (recipes to come!)

Dinner:

Savory soup in the VitaMix, like Fire Roasted Tomato, Cream of Zucchini, really just whatever we have

Hungry for dessert?

Banana ice cream!!

Stay tuned for more on what a raw food diet is, amazing recipes, tips and more!!

Stef