vegan Archives - Page 19 of 29 - Compassionate Women

Sweet Potato Fries with Magic Sauce

October 22, 2015 by Jillian Leave a Comment

For the past several weeks I’ve basically been living off sweet potato fries and banana nice cream and I’m totally okay with that. Bananas and sweet potatoes are two of the most nutritious foods known to man 🍌 🍠 (and the fact that there’s even a sweet potato emoji pretty much sums it up, right?) and they’re dang delicious.

What’s even more applause worthy is that these sweet potato fries are filling enough to be an entire meal 👏 I make them for lunch or dinner and they are totally satisfying. I mean, crunchy and savory wedges with a hint of garlic and cumin, dipped in creamy, tangy magic sauce? 😍 Heart exploding.

I hope I never ever get tired of these fries because they should really be named Awesome Amazing Dynamite Sweet Potato Fries with Magically Powered Magic Sauce 💥 💥 💥 but that was too long for this blog post…

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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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Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

September 10, 2015 by Jillian Leave a Comment

This may be the most beautiful recipe I’ve shot yet! And it’s not because of my mad photography skills – all the credit goes to the food and it’s natural beauty💄💅 Not to mention, this chia seed pudding allows me to consume chocolate in breakfast form. Now I just gotta work on lunch and dinner.

I’ve made this recipe a handful of times since photographing it and I love it because it’s so simple to make. Simple is good since I’m one of those people that wakes up and refuses to talk or make contact with anyone until I’ve had coffee and breakfast + a substantial amount of time to process the fact that it’s morning and I’m awake. So basically, I’m delightful. 👿

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