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Exploring the Rio Grande Valley

October 16, 2015 by Jillian Leave a Comment

I recently returned from a 10 day visit to the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas, which is located in the southernmost tip of South Texas. It lies along the northern bank of the Rio Grande river, which separates Mexico from the United States. This area is known as The Valley to locals, and not only does it boast natural beauty and lively culture, but it’s quite historic as well.

Last week I wrote about my experience being Vegan in the Rio Grande Valley, but this week I wanted to share the photos I took of all the cool places there are to visit in the region. I’m only sad I couldn’t stay longer, because there was a lot I didn’t get to see.

McAllen, Texas

This is one of the largest cities in the valley, but as someone that’s lived in huge cities, McAllen is just the right size. It still has a small town feel in certain ways, but lots of modern amenities so it was easy to find everything I needed. There’s lots of local events, which provided me a good chance to immerse myself in the community and interact with the locals.

The Cine El Rey Theatre hosts lots of events, including stand up comedy, open-mic night, wrestling, and musicals. They also offer tons of free movie screenings complete with free popcorn. I decided to join the local French Club for a Sunday matinee of a French thriller and it was pretty awesome. Free popcorn, drinks, donuts, cookies, and there’s couches in the theater if you prefer that to actual chairs 🙂

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Vegan in the Rio Grande Valley

October 8, 2015 by Jillian 8 Comments

This is the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Oddly enough, there are no valleys here. It’s flat, lush land for miles and miles. I’ve spent the past week and a half traversing this southernmost region of Texas and I have to say – I love it. Maybe it’s all the palm trees, tropical flowers, sunshine, and friendly people, but there’s something about this area that captivates me. 🌴🌴 It’s made up mostly of small towns, many dotting the border of Mexico, so as a vegan coming down to visit I had no idea what to expect in terms of veg friendly food. But I was pleasantly surprised.

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Dark Chocolate Dipped Figs

October 1, 2015 by Jillian Leave a Comment

It’s no secret that chocolate is my favorite food. It’s considered a food group, right? 🍫 🍪 Well, it should be. Who do I call about that?

And ever since I rented out a house with a fig tree in the yard a few years ago, I’ve been obsessed with fresh figs. When I combine these two loves together, what do I get?

🎉🎊🏆😂❤️👍🎉

These Dark Chocolate Dipped Figs are so easy to make. They make a great snack or dessert, only contain a handful of ingredients, and they’re vegan! Win/win/win. They’re incredibly sweet and juicy, with chocolately goodness and a hint of saltiness.

Despite being incredibly tasty, fresh figs have numerous health benefits. Here are a few:

good source of potassium, which helps lower blood pressure
full of dietary fiber, which has a positive effect on weight management
source of the trace mineral manganese
fig leaves contain anti-diabetic properties and lower the level of triglycerides, and can possibly inhibit the growth of some cancer cells

Fig season is just about over, so if your local store still has them in stock (or if you’re lucky enough to have access to a fig tree), grab some and make this delicious and healthy treat!

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Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center

September 24, 2015 by Jillian 2 Comments

The saying third time’s a charm was definitely true in my experience with visiting Shangri La. The first time my friend and I visited a couple of years ago, we got inside the gates, we watched the welcome video, we were ready to explore the beautiful gardens that awaited us, and bam! – thunder and torrential downpour. We intended to visit again a year later when I was in town for the weekend. We were ready to spend all day Sunday gallivanting around Shangri La, and due to poor planning on our part, realized too late that they are closed on Sunday 🙁

Fast forward four months and finally the magic happens 🎉🎉 It only took about two years. So worth it, though! Shangri La Botanical Gardens is located in the heart of Orange, Texas, which is really close to the Louisiana state line. You can tour the gardens, visit the gift shop, and grab a snack at the cafe. Here is their info:

Shangri La Botanical Gardens & Nature Center

2111 West Park Avenue

Orange, Texas 77630

I really enjoyed exploring the natural beauty, the creative landscaping, and the wildlife. It’s very peaceful and inspiring. Here are some of my favorite photos from our visit, but I encourage you to visit and see for yourself 🌻

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Delicious One Ingredient Banana Nice Cream

September 17, 2015 by Jillian Leave a Comment

Banana Nice Cream has been a thing for a while, but I’m usually late to the party and this is no exception. I had a bunch of bananas sitting on my counter top that were about to go bad, and I refuse to waste food, so I needed to come up with a unique way to eat them. Then I remembered banana nice cream and decided to give it a try. Fast forward a few hours and bam! Problem solved 🎉🎉

Not only was my nice cream super delicious, but it was scary easy to make and also filled me up and gave me a boost of energy. Bananas are referred to as the perfect food by many nutritionists because of their nutritional properties and they are known to be a great pre or post workout snack too. Yay bananas!

This Delicious One Ingredient Banana Nice Cream really has an ice cream like consistency – smooth and creamy. You don’t need an ice cream maker which is a plus, and you only need one ingredient – you guessed it… 🍌🍌 But you can get creative and include whatever add ins and toppings you like. Just make sure they’ll jive with the banana flavor.

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