When I went to visit my cousin in Houston, I was going with my 2 vegetarian friends, Lacy & Noelle. We decided we would attend Veg Fest Houston on that Saturday.
The trip down there was extremely stressful because of the construction, but we finally arrived. All I kept saying was, “This better be worth the drive!” and it most certainly was! Luckily the drive back was not as frustrating and my cousin handed me a mimosa the second I walked in the door.
The only session we were able to make it to because of our tardiness, was the Fresh Vegan Cuisine Cooking Demonstration. Stephanie Hoban is the founder of Ripe Healthy Seasonal Cuisine and this fall she’s launching a food truck in Houston! I’m excited to visit Houston again and try that out! While we waited for the demonstration to begin, I enjoyed seeing all the different sources of protein because that is always the first question asked when someone finds out you’re a vegetarian or a vegan.
For those who worry about vegetarians getting enough protein, just don’t because we’re fine!
Stephanie chose to make a Tempeh Mushroom Bolognese. The recipe used simple ingredients and had lots of flavor! I wasn’t able to find the exact recipe on her site, but here are some recipes I’m eager to try from Stephanie:
- Banana Nut French Toast
- Tortilla Soup – I loved McAlister’s Chicken Tortilla Soup in my pre-vegetarian days!
- Homestyle Mac & Cheese
- Sweet & Salty Pretzels
After the demonstration, I had a chance to ask her some questions and get a picture. She was super sweet and shared how she became a vegan. She was a pleasure to meet and I look forward to following her blog and visiting her food truck in Houston when I visit!
We then took our time strolling through the booths set up. We met some great people and learned about some new products! I was most excited to see a representative from Arbonne. Y’all know that I’ve been interested in Arbonne for a while now. I still haven’t made the plunge to sell it (a lot of reasons are keeping me from doing so right now) but I got a few more sample products and I enjoyed talking with the ladies at the booth. Amber has her own website where she shares nutrition and fitness advice, Get Plant Fit. Everyone has their journey to becoming a vegetarian or vegan and we also have our own reasoning behind the decision. I enjoyed hearing them share why they do this.
One last thing I’m going to share is Veg Voyages because I think it’s the coolest thing ever! This company sets up vegan voyages in India, Malaysia, Laos, Thailand, and Bali, Indonesia. They cover the majority of your expenses in the price of the package. Based on all the great things Michelle said about Thailand when she went to travel the world, I thought Thailand would be a great place to go! I’ve wanted to travel internationally in some capacity. At one point, I wanted nothing more than to sell my things and travel like Michelle did. I’m a little more stable now, so I’m not exactly jumping off the ends of the Earth anytime soon, but this opportunity sounds amazing. I’m seriously considering the journey! The voyage to Thailand is October 12, 2015-October 25, 2015 and the cost is $2395.00. This includes 13 nights accommodation, 38 meals, and tons of activities such as yoga classes, cooking classes, massages, cultural experiences, over night train journey, entry fee to the Grand Palace, and a domestic flight on Day 14. I assume I’ll have to get there myself, but it sounds like an unbelievable experience! I’m not sure I could get off for 2 weeks straight and I’d have to start saving, but I’m going to consider it! I’ve always wanted to do something like this!
I had such a great time at Veg Fest Houston and I hope to attend another one next year. I’d like to make it to more sessions because there were a lot of them I knew I’d enjoy!
- Have you attended a Veg Fest? Where? What did you take-away?
- Would you want to travel for 2 weeks on a Vegan Voyage experiencing a unique culture?
