February Calendar

Try the Lobster Pasta at Sweetwater Seafood

Only the freshest catches make the cut in the kitchen at Sweetwater Seafood. The Sugar Land eatery has a reputation for dishing out seafood that's just been netted—its blog even occasionally post photos of fresh seafood as it enteres the kitchen.

For a smorgasbord of the fresh fish, order the boiled seafood platter. It boasts a feast of crawfish, shrimp, blue crab, cluster snow crab, and king crab leg, plus sausage, corn, and potatoes. The steamed seafood platter promises a similar medley of fresh fare, including Gulf shrimp, snow crab, and lobster tail. You can't go wrong with either of the combos, but regulars highly recommend the lobster pasta. It features an entire lobster served over pasta with crawfish tails, shrimp, and crab meat, all doused with a blend of Creole white sauce and Sweetwater Sauce.

Sweetwater Seafood
16525 Lexington Boulevard
Sugar Land, TX 77479
(832) 999-4339
www.sweetwaterseafoodsugarlandtx.com
www.yelp.com/biz/sweetwater-seafood-sugar-land

Damage-Free Ways to Display Wall Decor at Marquis at Katy

When you live in a rental, you want to leave behind as little damage as possible to keep the unit in top shape (and insure that ever-important security deposit). In many cases, that means finding new and creative ways to hang posters, paintings, and other wall decor without taking a hammer to the walls. Here are just a few ideas for creating damage-free wall displays.

  • Use Command strips. These handy tools from the trusted 3M brand are lifesavers for many renters. Simply stick the sturdy adhesive back to your frame, stick the other side to the wall and attach the two with the equally strong Velcro strips. When it comes time to move out, they simply peel off the wall without leaving any residue behind.
  • Try monkey hooks. Monkey hooks are complicated looking metal hooks that are actually quite simple. The slim, curved devices have long ends that push into the wall and create a hole not much larger than a pinpoint, and then they push back out of the wall to create a loop that can hold frames weighing up to 50 pounds.
  • Stick on poster putty. For lightweight wall hangings without frames, tried-and-true poster putty is always a safe bet. Simply tack on small dots of this unobtrusive putty to hang posters without nails or tacks showing through—or damaging your walls.

How to hang a picture without hammer and nails [SheKnows]
Hang Pictures on a Wall [Lowe’s]
How to Hang Pictures Without Destroying Your Walls [Lifehacker]
How To: Hang a Frame Without Leaving a Mark [Apartment Therapy]

Imperial Farmers Market: Brisket Sandwiches, Locally Brewed Beer and Much More

Buying local food not only ensures that you're getting the freshest stuff possible, straight from the field, but also decreases your carbon footprint since the grub doesn't need to be transported across the country (or the world). At Imperial Farmers Market in Sugar Land, locals have access to this fresh food from area vendors.

The market unfolds, rain or shine, every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., so stock up on produce and snacks for the week. Pick up some fresh, plump berries or golden honey from Big Creek Farms, or creamy goat's milk and cheese from Proverbs Farm and Dairy. You can also buy prepared food to nibble on while you shop, such as the tacos by Berry Hill Cantina or a brisket sandwich from Imperial BBQ. Raw juice, locally crafted wine and beer, and wheatgrass shots are among the other items on sale at Imperial Farmers Market in Sugar Land.

Imperial Farmers Market
198 Kempner Street
Sugar Land, TX 77498
(281) 494-0200
www.imperialsugarland.com/farmersmarket
www.yelp.com/biz/imperial-farmers-market-sugar-land

Nirvana Indian Restaurant: Hearty Northern Indian Cuisine

Nirvana Indian Restaurant specializes in cuisine from Northern India, meaning it's dishes are hearty, creamy, and rich. Regulars recommend visiting Nirvana on an empty stomach so you can enjoy as much of it as possible.

The palak paneer, which is curried spinach with homemade cheese eaten over rice, is outstanding, according to frequent guests. The chicken tikka masala is another popular dish. Regulars enjoy the soft, pillowy naan, particularly the garlic naan.

If you want to try a variety of dishes, you can opt for the buffet, which is offered for both lunch and dinner. It includes more than a dozen warm selections, a salad bar, and a dessert bar. Guests who eat from the buffet say that their service is still top-notch, with servers refilling water and ensuring diners are happy.

Visit Nirvana's website to learn more about this Indian restaurant in Houston.

Nirvana Indian Restaurant
14543 Memorial Drive
Houston, TX 77079
www.nirvanahouston.com
www.yelp.com/biz/nirvana-houston

Z&T Chinese Cafe: Savor Authentic Chinese Fare

Fiery General Tso's chicken. Tender eggplant tossed with chicken and shrimp. Hunan beef infused with heat. These are just three of the signature dishes at Z&T Chinese Cafe, a recently unveiled restaurant in Katy known for its fresh Asian food, efficient service, and simple, clean design.

The menu is divided into chicken, beef, shrimp, and veggie dishes, plus a few other categories, so pick your meal based on your chosen protein. Savor tender chicken in dishes like the sweet-and-our chicken, the chicken with broccoli, or the cashew nut chicken. When it comes to red meat, there's beef with garlic sauce, pepper steak with onion, and jalapeno beef. You can also indulge in some shrimp with lobster sauce or crispy shrimp with walnut. Almost all of the dishes come with a side of rice, making each meal hearty enough to fill you up at dinner.

Z&T Chinese Cafe
3030 Falcon Landing Boulevard
Katy, TX 77494
(281) 394-4511
www.yelp.com/biz/z-and-t-chinese-cafe-katy

Healthy Ways to Indulge a Chocolate Craving

Many people have a sweet tooth that creates a craving for chocolate, but while the occasional indulgence is okay, eating too much chocolate could be the end to your healthy diet. Here are a few healthy ways to eat chocolate that will keep you right on track when a craving strikes.

Chocolate Tart with Hazelnut Shortbread Crust [Eating Well]
Make this seemingly decadent dessert the next time you have friends over for dinner, and no one will even know that it’s actually healthy. With just over 250 calories per serving and six grams of protein, you’ll get the taste of chocolate without feeling weighed down.

Black Bean Brownies [Chocolate Covered Katie]
While the addition of black beans to brownies may seem strange at first, you won’t even be able to taste the protein-packed beans when they’re masked by the rich, dense chocolate flavor. These brownies are also flourless, which is great for low-carb diets.

Healthy Homemade Chocolate [Wellness Mama]
Instead of grabbing a fat- and sugar-packed candy bar from the checkout counter at the grocery store, make your own healthier version at home. This recipe includes only four ingredients, and because they’re all natural, you won’t have to worry about ingesting any chemicals and unnatural ingredients.

Little V Vietnamese Bistro: Start with the Spring Rolls

Jumbo lump crab meat, rice noodles, peanut-roasted shallots, mango, and lettuce mingle inside of crispy rolls of rice paper, all drizzled with fish sauce. These are the Little V spring rolls, a steadfast favorite at the Little V Vietnamese Bistro. You can also choose your own meat and order the classic spring rolls, which come ith pork, chicken, shrimp, or tofu. Or you can skip appetizers all together and get to the main event: dinner.

The shaking beef wok is a house specialty, an entree of beef tenderloin over steamed jasmine rice. For something with more heat, try the spicy lemongrass tofu, chicken, or beef over rice. There's also the decadent roasted duck with a side of fresh fruit and rice. Vermicelli bowls, curry, and, of course, noodle soups round out the menu at Little V Vietnamese Bistro in Katy.

Little V Vietnamese Bistro
4031 FM 1463
Katy, TX 77494
(281) 394-9888
www.littlevbistro.com
www.yelp.com/biz/little-v-vietnamese-bistro-katy

Don’t Miss the Beef Fajitas at Jimmy Changas

Jimmy Changas may be known for its Tex-Mex first and foremost, but local parents and grandparents appreciate it for another reason: Jimmy's Jungle. The covered, tropical playground features tons of bamboo and ample playthings (slide included) to keep your little ones entertained while the adults finish up dinner.

And finishing dinner may take a while, because you're going to want to savor every bite of your meal. That's especially true if you order the popular Rio Grande, a plate of beef fajitas tossed with grilled onions, plus a cheese enchilada, a beef taco with freshly whipped guac, and queso for dressing any of the above. You can also dig into a set of fish tacos stuffed with grilled tilapia and mango relish, the signature nine-layer Mexican lasagna with beef and chili, or the avocado stuffed with meat and cheese.

Jimmy Changas
300 Westgreen Boulevard
Katy, TX 77450
(832) 321-5927
freshmexfun.com
www.yelp.com/biz/jimmy-changas-katy

Happy Winter!

As sweater weather approaches we hope you all stay warm and cozy this season! What are some of your favorite winter activities?

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