Oxheart: Try a Foodie Twist on Texan Cuisine

Oxheart may consider itself a Texan restaurant, but it’s a world away from the local barbecue spot. Upscale and stylish yet still comfortable and welcoming, this often-buzzed-about eatery serves some of the most creative takes on Texas cuisine in all of Houston.

The menu is split into two distinct six-course menus: the vegetarian Garden Menu and the omnivorous Tasting Menu. The dishes always change to accommodate which ingredients are currently in season, but past menu items include a stew of preserved alliums and Indica rice, lightly smoked wild boar with pork Thailande, and Japanese roots and a sofrito of dried shellfish. Drink pairings can be added to either of the menus for an additional cost, and each libation is carefully chosen to perfectly complement the rest of your dining experience.

Reservations are recommended at Oxheart, and they can be made via the restaurant’s convenient website.

Oxheart
1302 Nance St
Houston, TX 77002
(832) 830-8592
www.oxhearthouston.com

Have a Penchant for Color? Here’s What Your Home’s Decor Says About You!

Whether you love the chic, soothing touch of relaxing neutral shades or you're partial to bright, bold pops of color, your home’s color scheme says a lot about your personality. Use this guide to find out exactly what your color choices mean for your lifestyle.

  • Orange. If you notice a lot of bright bursts of orange throughout your living space, it means that you’re confident and expressive. Orange expands your mindset and fosters creativity.
  • Pink. Pink is the color of romance and sensitivity, which makes it a perfect choice for a bedroom or a warm, cozy living room.
  • Blue. If you’re partial to blue, it likely means that you’re organized and driven. This color helps to limit clutter and encourages deep thinking.
  • Green. The color green is often related to money, but it is also the color most commonly found in nature. People who are partial to green are likely in tune with life’s riches, both physical and emotional.
  • Red. Red is one of the most stimulating colors, and it is often attributed to people who are self-confident and fearless.
  • Yellow. Those who prefer yellow in the home are deeply intelligent and conversational. This color helps to enhance positive thinking.
  • White. Often associated with freshness and simplicity, white is perfect for those who view their home as a respite from the outside world.

How to Fix Your House with Color [House Beautiful]
Color Meanings [Interior Designpedia]
Room Color and How it Affects Your Mood [Freshome]

Treat Yourself to Cute Confections at Fluff Bake Bar

Fluff Bake Bar is a cute, local bakery that creates some of the most in-demand sweets in Houston, offering a creative take on classic desserts like cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, and the namesake fluffernutters. Order a custom cake for a birthday or wedding from this stylish sweet shop and you’ll find a very large assortment of icing styles, cake flavors, and artistic designs to go on top. For a smaller, individual-sized cake, the shop’s cupcakes come in unique flavors like black velvet, Veruca Salt, and PB&J, and they’re even available by the dozen if you want to share with friends.

Fluff Bake Bar’s delicious delicacies are available at many popular coffee shops and cafes around town, but if you want the full experience, stop in to see the sights (and smells) at the stylish, welcoming bakery.

Fluff Bake Bar is open Tuesdays through Thursdays 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m. to midnight, and Sundays 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Fluff Bake Bar
314 Gray Street
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 522-1900
www.fluffbakebar.com

New Facebook Sweepstakes! Enter to Win an iPad Mini!

To enter the Sweepstakes, visit our Facebook Page and then look for the Sweepstakes tab (image shown below) located on our Facebook Page to enter. Sweepstakes ends October 31, 2015. We suggest you like our page to keep informed about future sweepstakes and community happenings.

For mobile users, click here to enter.

Happy Labor Day!

Wishing everyone a happy and relaxing Labor Day!

Doshi House Cafe: More Than Your Typical Coffee House

Doshi House Cafe serves an array of coffee, teas, and vegetarian bites. Regulars at this Houston coffee shop know that it uses only locally roasted Greenway beans and makes its own flavoring syrups in house. Stop by for a quick cup of joe to go, or sit down to savor a foamy cappuccino or cup of hot green tea.

Regulars praise the strong, globally inspired food menu, too, and recommend you pick up some lunch at Doshi House Cafe next time you've got a few minutes to spare. Try the curried vegetable panini, served with muenster on thick-sliced bread, or enjoy a fragrant bowl of coconut Thai soup that comes swimming with rice and greens. The Creole red beans and rice is a house favorite, with its hearty base and spicy broth spooned over the top. Everything at Doshi House is 100 percent vegetarian, too, so you can feel good about getting your RDA of veggies.

Doshi House Cafe
3419 Dowling Street
Houston, TX 77004
(713) 528-0060
www.doshihouse.com
www.yelp.com/biz/doshi-house-caf%C3%A9-houston-2

The Breakfast Klub: Houston’s Most Cinematic Breakfast

The Breakfast Klub is not only one of the most popular breakfast spots in Houston, it’s also one of the most buzzed-about breakfast eateries in the nation. Wooden tables and modern artwork fill the spacious, light-filled dining area, and it’s always filled with a diverse mix of customers, from lawyers to hip college students. Although you’re almost guaranteed to wait in line, regular diners insist The Breakfast Klub is worth it for both the delicious morning fare and the homegrown, nationally known experience.

The Katfish & Grits and Wings & Waffle are two of the most popular breakfast dishes (and yes, you’ll notice the “K” theme throughout the entire menu). Bottomless koffee and kafe au laits perfectly accompany any breakfast dish, and the eatery also serves specialty espresso beverages. Contrary to its quirky name, The Breakfast Klub also serves a full lunch menu of sandwiches, salads, and other midday favorites.

The Breakfast Klub
3711 Travis at Alabama
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 528-8561
www.thebreakfastklub.com
www.yelp.com/biz/the-breakfast-klub-houston-2

Three High-Potassium Foods Beyond the Banana

Potassium has many important health benefits beyond preventing muscle cramps after a workout. This essential mineral helps prevent hypertension and fatigue, and it also regulates your heart rate. Here are three foods that are high in potassium for you to add to your diet:

  1. White beans. Cook up one cup of these beans to get 29 percent of your daily value of potassium. Add them to your soups or make hummus for a healthful boost.
  2. Avocado. Here’s a good excuse to go in for seconds on the guacamole: 1/2 cup of pureed avocado contains 16 percent of your daily value of potassium.
  3. Mushrooms. Add them to stir-fry or saute them alone; mushrooms pack in the potassium in small doses. One cup of sliced white mushrooms gives you 12 percent of your daily value.

Top 10 Foods Highest in Potassium [Healthaliciousness]
15 Foods That Are High In Potassium [Health.com]
Food with More Potassium than a Banana [Huffington Post]
Potassium and Your CKD Diet [National Kidney Foundation]

Come for a Workout, Stay for the Amenities at FIT

FIT members aren't scrambling to get in and out of the gym. Unlike the crowded, uncomfortable atmosphere you'll find at most cookie-cutter gyms, FIT cultivates an ambiance that makes guests want to stay a while.

Perhaps it's the free Wi-Fi offered in a comfortable lounge. Or maybe members stick around for the steam rooms and saunas where they can unwind after a workout. Of course, it could also be the FIT cafe, where desktop computers are open for checking e-mail, low-fat meals and smoothies are served, and fitness apparel and supplements are sold.

No matter the reason, exercisers often seem to stick around around working out on FIT's state-of-the art cardio and strength equipment. That is, if they decide not to attend one of the popular Group X fitness classes. From Pilates and "Hard CORE" classes to cycling and INSANITY sessions, the group workouts get attendees sweating alongside friends.

FIT
1532 W. Gray Street
Houston, TX 77019
(713) 782-9348
www.fithouston.com
www.yelp.com/biz/fit-athletic-club-houston

Irma’s: Enjoy Mexican Cuisine Morning, Noon and Night

If you’re looking for a family-owned eatery serving authentic Mexican cuisine, you’ll find it at Irma’s. If you come for lunch or dinner, Irma’s offers housemade guacamole and crispy chips to start the meal, and the popular strawberry lemonade is truly a can’t-miss menu item. Entrees like shrimp and spinach enchiladas and tender carne asada will leave you feeling full, while the sweet sopapillas make the perfect dessert to finish off your meal. For early risers, Irma’s even offers a traditional Mexican breakfast that consists of huevos rancheros and other favorites.

This local favorite is furnished with casual wooden tables and colorful Mexican decorations throughout, and it even has a full bar with flatscreen televisions for anyone who wants to stop by to watch the big game. There is also a plant-filled outdoor patio, perfect for warm evenings.

Irma’s
22 N Chenevert St
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 222-0767
www.irmashouston.com

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