Dairy Free Enchilada Recipe

I like enchiladas.  My mom has been using the same, easy enchilada since I can remember.  It is extremely simple.  All I did was change it so it was dairy free.  I love adapting and changing this recipe.  One of my long time favorite Mexican dishes.  You can adapt this recipe in the way that best suits you.

Ingredients:

• 1 Package of Flour tortilla shells
• 1 Bag of Daiya cheddar shreds
• 1 Can of enchilada sauce
• 1 Can of refried beans
• 1 Can of black beans
• 1 Can of chickpeas
• 1 Package of ground chicken (Optional, can leave out if you are vegan)
• 1 cup of rice (optional)

Directions:

• Cook ground chicken over the stove until thoroughly cooked.  Add a tiny bit of enchilada sauce and daiya cheese to cooked chicken while the stove in on.
• Open the enchilada sauce, refried beans, black beans and chickpea cans.
• Use a baking pan (I use the same pan as I use for lasagna)
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  Start by laying a tortilla shell flat, spread refried beans on the shell.  Then sprinkle black beans, chickpeas and chicken around the middle in a line.  Roll the taco up and place into the baking dish.  (I use a tooth pick to keep the enchilada from unrolling.)

• Roll and repeat.  Continue until the baking dish is full.
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  Once the dish is full of rolled tacos with the mixture of beans, chicken and chickpeas pour the enchilada sauce over the rolled tacos.  Cover the tortillas completely, then sprinkle daiya cheese all over the top of the sauce.

• Bake in oven for 10 minutes (I use conventional bake) or until the enchilada sauce starts bubbling.
• After taking them out of the oven, allow them to cool before eating.

Enjoy!  I hope this dairy free enchilada recipe helps you enjoy a classic Mexican dish.  It is very delicious and keeps me happy and full for a few days.  Thank you for reading and following my journey!  Don’t forget to follow me and comment on this post!  Additionally you can follow my Instagram account @smilewithoutcheese  New posts every Monday!

Review of Acai Bowl from Jamba Juice

Ever since I found Berry Divine Acai Bowl, I have been on the hunt for acai near the Chicago suburbs.  Let me tell you, this has not been an easy task!  I received an ad on facebook for Jamba Juice’s acai bowl.  At first, I was hesitant about going to Jamba Juice.  I hadn’t gone to Jamba in a while because I knew majority of their smoothies contain milk or yogurt.  Additionally, I was worried about cross contamination with the smoothie blenders.  I mean I know they wash the blenders after each use but, how well do they really wash them?  After looking at their acai bowl ingredients on Jamba Juice’s website, I saw there was no dairy included in the acai bowl.  I decided to take a chance and try the acai bowl from Jamba Juice.

Screenshot taken from Jamba Juice’s website on my smart phone

I pulled up to Jamba Juice with a great outfit and high hopes.  I ordered the Acai bowl at the counter.  I asked the girl at the counter if there is anyway there would be cross contamination with dairy.  She said no, so I believed her.  I waited a short time for my bowl; I watched as they carefully put together the bowl.  First they blended then they added the finishing touches on the top.

The overall presentation of the acai bowl was good.  It was the pretty purple color with strawberries, bananas, blueberries, granola, coconut pieces and honey.  It was a little small.  After all the pictures, drive home and by the time I got settled (probably a good 30 minutes before I ate it) it was mostly melted.  From what I tasted, I thought the acai bowl was OK.  I wasn’t blown away by it.  I didn’t care for the coconut pieces (I love coconut just not like that in the bowl) and the granola (the granola was average).

I am uncertain with acai when it’s made with a blender.  I feel like it’s not as think from a blender and can get melted quick.  The thing I loved most about my first acai bowl from Berry Divine Acai Bowl was that it was so think like soft serve ice cream.  However, I am determined to try the acai bowl again at the store so I can taste it again with the most freshness, before it can melt.  I am happy however that Jamba Juice jumped on the acai bandwagon and is offering a menu item that is dairy free.

Thank you for reading my reading my review of Jamba Juice’s acai bowl.  The acai bowl is dairy free.  My opinion of the acai bowl is that it tasted OK, I plan to try it again but eat it sooner.  I hope next time will be better since it won’t be as melted.  I love the direction Jamba Juice is going, it is hard to find acai these days.  I look forward to seeing the acai bowl pop up in more places since it’s such a delicious dairy free treat.

Thank you for visiting and reading!  Don’t forget to follow me and comment on this post!  Additionally you can follow my Instagram account @smilewithoutcheese  New posts every Monday!

Review of Veggie Grill- Vegan Restaurant

It has been a long wait to finally make it to this restaurant.  Veggie Grills have been opening around Chicago recently.  I have been dying to try Veggie Grill with one of my friends who is vegetarian.  I initially thought the restaurant was vegetarian but after visiting I learned it’s completely vegan.  I was in disbelief that the restaurant was vegan!!  A whole menu of things I could eat freely with no fear of cross contamination!

Not only is the entire menu is vegan but they are plant based, use alternative meat, good fat choices, can be gluten free friendly and good for the planet.  The inside of the restaurant looks clean and smells great!  When you walk in there’s paper menus to look at.  My friend and I carefully studied the menu for a while before placing our order.  They have a seasonal menu, the summer one is out now.  You order at the counter.  After ordering you get a buzzer that vibrates when your order is ready.

I have been dying to try a beyond burger, plus I have heard nothing but good things about them.  I tried a beyond burger with french fries.  It was completely dairy free and really good.  The burger tasted just like meat, I was amazed.  I am still in awe with how good the burger was.  My friend is a vegetarian, she was shocked at how much the burger resembled a meat burger.  She was worried about getting sick but didn’t because it’s a plant based burger.

I was blown away by my experience and I can’t wait to go back.  It is both dairy free and vegetarian approved!  I look forward to going again during a different season to try something new.  They also had many different dessert bakery items, there was cookies and brownies.  Next time I go I plan to try them!  For more about Veggie Grill, click here.

Thank you for reading and following my journey!  Don’t forget to follow me and comment on this post!  Additionally you can follow my Instagram account @smilewithoutcheese  New posts every Monday!

Review of Yoga Six’s Willis Tower Yoga

I have been practicing yoga for about four and a half years.  It has completely changed my life.  It has positively impacted my life.  Yoga for me started as just a way to get a really good stretch.  Now it’s so much more, it’s a place for me to work on myself, inner peace, set an intention, clear my head mentally, work on my flexibility and strength.  So naturally I jumped at the chance at doing yoga in the Willis Tower.  (Even though heights aren’t my favorite).  In case you didn’t know, the Willis Tower is the tallest building in Chicago, IL, formerly known as the Sears Tower.

I found the Yoga Six’s Willis Tower: Get Elevated event on Facebook.  I signed up on Yoga Six’s website.  It cost $40, it included yoga, mimosas and brunch.  The schedule was:

• 7:30 AM Arrive at Willis Tower
• 7:30- 8 AM Pictures and Private access on Skydeck
• 8- 9 AM Vinyasa Flow (yoga) on the 99th floor
• 9- 10 AM Mimosas and brunch

All that I was required to bring was my yoga mat.  I showed up in my work out attire ready for a great morning of yoga.  It was really unique to be able to be at the Willis Tower before it opened.  I had been there before as a visitor but this time was different.  I was a little nervous, I got to ride up the elevator with a worker for the event.  I decided to ride up the elevator right away instead of loosing my nerve and getting too nervous.  Once I got off the elevator it was really beautiful.  Surprisingly, I was steady and excited because I felt I would be very balanced (I was originally nervous because I was worried I would be motion sick because of the height and unable to balance).  But, this was certainly not the case.  Up at the top you have a complete view of Chicago, it really is beautiful.  You get to see high above the city and see Lake Michigan.  It’s the best view of Chicago.

Next on the agenda was the pictures and private access on the Skydeck.  I have not previously been on the Skydeck, it is relatively newer.  The Skydeck is a glass ledge that allows you to be able to have the sensation that you are next to and standing above Chicago.  It was very cool and terrifying being on the Skydeck.  I refused to look down or do any pose that would have me be upside down.  It’s something that you have to do once.  My friend and I were able to take a lot of good photos on the Skydeck doing various different yoga poses.

Vinyasa flow is a type of yoga that is based on flow.  Meaning, the yoga poses flow together and it follows a particular and repetitive pattern.  This yoga moves faster than typical yoga classes.  I enjoy it because it involves less thinking because there is a pattern of movements you are following.  You follow the instructors instruction and there’s no room for internal thoughts because you just flow.  I enjoyed the vinyasa flow yoga hour.  It was different than any other yoga class I’ve been to before.  One, I had a front row spot in front of the window and a beautiful view of the city.  Two, it was crowded.  I have never seen so many people and mats in a place for yoga.  If I reached both my arms out I would have hit the people next to me.  Three, the music was amazing!  There was a DJ playing music for the class.  Really neat!  Four, there was one instructor verbally instructing everyone but not doing the poses.  There were separate platforms spread out with workers doing the yoga poses so that we could visually see what we were doing.  It was all very cool, I enjoyed it a lot.

The brunch and mimosas portion of the event was the most disappointing.  To start you were only allowed one mimosa per person.  Also none of the brunch items were dairy free.  There were pin wheels and other items with cheese all over them.  So I did not eat the brunch.  I don’t feel like it’s hard to provide fruit like an apple or banana or even some sort of bread or a bagel.  Something that everyone can eat.  If I had known, I would have brought my own food for breakfast.

Overall, I liked the Yoga Six’s Willis Tower: Get Elevated event.  It was a once in a lifetime opportunity.  It was an experience I will never forget.  Now I can say that I did yoga on the 99th floor of the Willis Tower.  The Willis Tower, Skydeck and the vinyasa yoga was all great.  I was only let down by the brunch and mimosas portion, they weren’t dairy free friendly.  I am happy I have this experience but I don’t think I will do this event again.  Perhaps another event through Yoga Six at another amazing location.  The experience was really one of a kind.  If you love yoga and enjoy city views, try this event.

Thank you for visiting and reading!  Don’t forget to follow me and comment on this post!  Additionally you can follow my Instagram account @smilewithoutcheese  New posts every Monday!

 

Review of The Chicago House of Za- Vegan Pizzeria

I have found my ways to get dairy free thin crust or medium crust pizza in the Chicago-land area.  If you know Chicago, you know they are known for their thin crust and stuffed pizza.  Chicago pizza is an important food group; I have been missing stuffed pizza like crazy!  Luckily, instagram introduced me to The Chicago House of Za.  The Chicago House of Za is a completely vegan pizzeria!!

I am excited to share with you The Chicago House of Za.  The restaurant is located in the northern part of Chicago.  They recently opened about nine months ago.  To get to the pizzeria you have to parallel park on the street nearby.  When you walk into the restaurant you can immediately tell they serve vegan food.  There is vegan paraphernalia and signage throughout the place.  They have a ordering counter and places to eat at inside.

They have a completely large, vegan menu.  They have everything from stuffed pizza, thin crust pizza, cal zones and other dishes.  If you have a nut allergy, do not eat here.  Their pizza cheese is cashew cheese.  The stuffed pizza takes 45-60 minutes to be cooked, just like a traditional stuffed pizza.  Be prepared to wait or call ahead to order.

My friend and I ordered the medium size vegan stuffed pizza with vegan pepperoni.  We waited a long 45 minutes for the pizza.  Trust me, it was worth the wait.  The pizza was so warm, steamy, cheesy, and delicious.  Everything I could ever want in a vegan stuffed pizza and more.  I had never had cashew cheese before but, it was surprisingly creamy and good.  I enjoyed the pizza so much, I went home with a full and happy tummy.  I enjoyed the leftovers even more for the next two days after.  The stuffed pizza is dairy free, vegan and vegetarian approved.

I recommend bringing your own silverware if you like to cut up your pizza.  The stuffed pizza is very thick and hard to eat by biting.  At the pizzeria they give you paper plates and plastic silverware.  It is hard to cut the thick pizza with the delicate plastic silverware.  Even though, I didn’t let it stop me from fully devouring the pizza with the greatest satisfaction.  I suggest if you are in Chicago area, stop by The Chicago House of Za for some amazing vegan pizza.  You won’t regret it!  For more information about The Chicago House of Za, click here.

For more of My Favorite Dairy Free Chicago, IL Restaurants, read this blog post.  Thank you for visiting and reading!  Don’t forget to follow me and comment on this post!  Additionally you can follow my Instagram account @smilewithoutcheese  New posts every Monday!

My Favorite Dairy Free Friendly Chicago, IL Restaurants

Many restaurants in Chicago, IL are dairy free or vegan friendly.  Since becoming dairy free, I’ve tried to eat my way happily through Chicago.  Being in the midwest, it is hard to find restaurants that are dairy free or vegan friendly.  I am glad that Chicago has more and more dairy free or vegan restaurants popping up.  I have complied a list of restaurants that I have successfully eaten at, in the Chicago area.  I have shared my experience and what I learned and ordered.

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  Mahalo:  I have eaten at this restaurant before and was dying to go back.  The restaurant is located in Wicker Park.  It is a Hawaiian restaurant with a beachy interior.   I love the decorations (there was a fun swing inside) and the menu options.  Last time, I ate their I had the big island burger plain.  It was very good.  The most recent time, I had a daily daiquiri, coconut shrimp, veggie poke bowl with sticky rice and togarashi fries.  This meal was delicious and filling.  Everything was completely dairy free too.  Definitely worth it if you are in the Wicker Park area.

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  Alice & Friends’ Vegan Kitchen: Alice & Friends’ Vegan Kitchen is a completely vegan restaurant in the northern part of Chicago, IL. I ate the Kung Pao Ding Tofu with brown rice and cheese fries.  They were both really good! I liked the Kung Pao Ding Tofu, it was full of veggies, very tasty. I loved the cheese fries, I haven’t had cheese on fries for so long.  I need more of these vegan cheese fries in my life!  For dessert, I had the Chocolate Chip Cookie Soy Ice Cream, it was great very creamy!  I am very happy with my first dessert out at a restaurant since being dairy free. I am very pleased with my experience at Alice & Friends’ Vegan Kitchen.  The staff was all nice and friendly, the food was good. If you are in the Chicago area and are looking to cut back on dairy, dairy free, vegan or vegetarian I recommend you stop by for a meal.

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  Hampton Social: I have seen photos on Instagram about the Hampton Social in Chicago.  They intrigued me so I decided to check out the restaurant for myself.  The opportunity presented itself one night I was in Chicago.  This Hampton Social in Chicago is located in the River North area.  The Hampton Social is very white, bright and nautical themed place.  They are known for this theme and for having rosé (pink) wine.  To dine here I recommend making reservations.  Luckily when I went I got seated under the Rosé All Day sign.  I ordered the Steak Fites and a Frosé drink.  I was able to get the Steak Fites dairy free.  I really enjoyed the french fries!  The Frosé drink was pink, very sweet and strong.  If you are 21 years old or older I recommend having an alcoholic beverage here.  They are strong and very good.  I enjoyed my experience here and would like to return soon.  If you are in Chicago near River North, I suggest you check it out.  I have tried other dairy free menu items at the Burr Ridge location see my Review of Hampton Social blog post for  more information.

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  Yard House:  I love Yard House.  It is located in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago.  The restaurant is great and extremely allergy friendly.  I noticed that they have dairy free cheese on their menu so I asked them to make me a dairy free cheese pizza with pepperoni and mushrooms.  It was really good.  I recently learned that they cannot guarantee that their fried foods are free of dairy cross contamination because everything shares the same fryer.  They can accommodate people who are dairy free and vegetarian.  They have vegan items on the menu and gardein chicken!  They have many locations across the United States.

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  Veggie Grill: It has been a long wait to finally make it to this restaurant.  It was worth the wait.  I learned the entire menu is vegan!!  I tried a beyond burger with french fries.  It was completely dairy free and really good.  The burger tasted just like meat, I was amazed.  I was blown away by my experience and I can’t wait to go back.  It is both dairy free and vegetarian approved!

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  The Chicago House of Za: Vegan pizza restaurant!  It was amazing.  I ordered the stuffed vegan pizza with pepperoni.  It was outstanding!!  They recently opened, check this place out.  Best vegan pizza in Chicago.  It is both dairy free and vegetarian approved!  Just a heads up they use cashew cheese for their cheese, just in case you have an allergy.

• Eataly:  If you have never experienced Eataly, you need to go!  It’s an Italian grocery store with different counters to order food from.  It’s almost overwhelming with all the different food choices.  I have eaten from the La Pizza & La Pasta restaurant.  I ordered the marinara pizza, it’s completely vegan.  It was pretty tasty!  I recommend eating here.  Preview the menus online before going so you have a better idea of what you can and want to eat.  Click here to see the restaurant menus.  Click here for the counter menus.
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  Chicago Diner:  I was very excited to eat here because I have gotten so many recommendations to the Chicago Diner.  The Chicago Diner is an all vegetarian diner in Chicago.  I was assured that everything was vegan unless I wanted it to contain dairy.  There are 2 locations in Chicago, one on Halsted and one on Milwaukee.  I ordered the chocolate chip cookie dough milkshake, mac and tease and sweet potato fries.  Everything was vegan.  Unfortunately, the food didn’t sit well with me, it upset my stomach and I’m not sure why.  Their milkshakes were as good as everyone said they were.  I would like to return to drink them once more but, I don’t think I’ll be eating anything.

• Pasta Palazzo: I loved eating here.  It’s located in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago.  They have every pasta imaginable!  They even have a healthy pasta section served with no butter or cheese!  It is dairy free friendly restaurant.  I have ordered the healthy chicken before, it was really good!  I recommend eating here!  I can’t wait to go back!
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  Ruth’s Chris Steak House: I have eaten here many times.  I learned that their french fries are fried in the same fryer with calamari that’s soaked in buttermilk in one restaurant location.  That’s how I learned the hard way that I am sensitive to cross contamination, I ended up getting sick after that meal.  Through that experience and after talking with the servers I found out that you can request they use a separate fryer or have them drain the fryer.  Once I uncovered this, I have had very positive experiences eating at this restaurant every time.  When I dine here I order a petite filet mignon without butter and shoestring sides.  I always make sure to sure that I have a dairy allergy each visit.  This is a very upscale and expensive restaurant but if you are looking for a really well prepared steak and a giant pile of french fries, I recommend eating here.

• Butcher & The Burger: I have eaten here twice.  It is located in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago.  I ate a plain burger and french fries.  The burger was very tasty!  I believe my meal was dairy free.  I read online that the french fries can be made vegan if you ask for them.  If you are in the area and looking for a great burger stop here for a bite.
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  Signature Room at the 95th: (Restaurant in the Hancock building on the 95th floor).  It really is a beautiful view of the city.  I ordered a steak and Au Gratin Potatoes both I asked them to make them dairy free.  They were able to accommodate my dairy free preferences.  The restaurant was very fancy and requires reservations.  It was the fanciest restaurant I have ever eaten at (we saved this place for our 2 year anniversary dinner).  It is very pricey but if you are looking for that sort of thing you will find it here.  Also if you are afraid of heights I would recommend just stopping at the bar for a drink.  I felt a little wobbly at the top and had to try to calm myself and try not to be dizzy.  Or get motion sick easily I would suggest taking your trusted motion sickness pill prior to going up.

Thanks for reading my favorite Chicago, IL restaurants lists.  I included the ones I have had luck with while being dairy free.  I hope this list helps you or someone you know eat out in Chicago, IL.  I am happy that there are many dairy free restaurant options.   I keep finding more and more options.  I look forward to the day where more restaurants are dairy free or vegan friendly.  I have high expectations for you Chicago!

Thank you for visiting and reading!  Don’t forget to follow me and comment on this post!  Additionally you can follow my Instagram account @smilewithoutcheese  New posts every Monday!

Vegandale Chicago, IL June 30, 2018

Back story of why I attended

With everything that comes with moving and an unsure moving date, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to attend Vegandale.  But luckily, I was able to go this last Saturday.  After seeing all the delicious vegan foods from the other Vegandale locations on social media, I was dying to go.  About a week before the event I bought the the ticket.  My excitement building each day.  Being that everything at the event is vegan, it is all dairy free too.  Disclaimer, I am not vegan but I am dairy free and I am trying to eat a more plant based diet without meat.  Below I will outline how to prepare for the day, what vendors I ate at and my overall thoughts about the event.

How to prepare for the day

Purposefully I looked at the vendor list before attending, I found them on Instagram and looked at the foods they serve.  I decided to eat at the local Chicago vendors prior to going.  I previously ate at The Chicago House of Za, Veggie Grill and the Brown Cow (blog post reviews soon to follow).  I tried to prioritize my food stops for foods that I wouldn’t normally eat.  So, I targeted vegan ice cream, cheesy and fried foods.  One of the vendors suggested to bring a blanket to sit on while eating, reusable water bottle, sun block, downloaded map and reusable containers for leftover food.  Personally, I would recommend a shaded hat, comfortable walking shoes and a portable chair.  If possible go early to avoid the high temperatures and humidity.  Be prepared to have cash, most vendors are cash only.

Dia De Los Tamales- Chicago, IL

 

Dia De Los Tamales was my first stop of the day.  I love tamales!  I couldn’t resist.  But I haven’t had one since I was dairy free.  I ordered the spicy black bean and corn tamale.  It was so good!!  Hot but not too spicy.  Also they were a very good consistency of black beans and corn.  They don’t however have vegan cheese for their nachos.  But overall really good!!  Yum!!  I am glad that I finally got to eat at Dia De Los Tamales.

Mini Drops- Northridge, California

 

I was beyond excited to try mini drops!  I follow them on Instagram and they look so good.  I haven’t had Dip N’ Dots ice cream in forever.  Mini drops looks just like Dip N’ Dots.  I ordered the Cookies N’ Cream flavor, so good.  I love cookies n’ cream and these were really good!  They were perfect for the hot day.  I got them twice during Vegandale they were so good!

Jamacian Me Krazy INC. –  Chicago, IL

 

I really wanted some vegan nachos. So, I ordered nachos from Jamaican Me Krazy INC.  They were really good!  They had melted daiya cheddar shreds, vegan ground beef (I’m not completely sure what it was made of), and black beans.  Really, really good!!

Daiya Foods

I love Daiya.  I eat their products daily.  Daiya was a sponsor for the festival.  They were sampling their mozzarella cheese in a grilled cheese.  Love them!!  My favorite.  So glad I got to see them at another event!

Photo Opportunities

There were various interactive photo places throughout the park.  There were signs, posters, big letter V’s and the signature vegandale letters.  So many photo opportunities!

Final Thoughts

Most vendors had small menus just for the festival.  Majority of the vendors only accept cash.  There are ATMs inside if you forgot.  Vegandale festival had food, drink and music.  It was a very hot day, so be prepared to bear the heat and enjoy some amazing food.  The people all had a happy, upbeat vibe.  There were so many different places to eat.  I couldn’t get to them all.  They had everything from food, smoothies, ice cream, desserts, apparel, drinks and a DJ.  Overall, it was a great and fun day.  I enjoyed myself and can’t wait to go back again next year.  Going to Vegandale made me realize that I can eat more vegan if I want to.  There are plenty of restaurants and food recipes I can create.  I recommend Vegandale to both vegans and non-vegans.

Thank you for reading and following my journey!  Don’t forget to follow me and comment on this post!  Additionally you can follow my Instagram account @smilewithoutcheese  New posts every Monday!

 

 

 

Dairy Free Guide to a Weekend in Washington, D.C.

In case you couldn’t already tell, I love Washington, D.C. a lot.  I go once or twice a year.  On this particular weekend, my family and I flew out to D.C. for my brother’s college graduation.  My brother graduated from American University.  So this weekend was full of graduation and family fun.  We unfortunately, didn’t get to do much walking out at monuments nothing like my A Week in Washington D.C. blog post.  We did however get to eat some great dairy free food.  Below I break down my weekend itinerary for the trip.

• Day one
  • Fly to D.C., and pick up rented car at the airport.  
  • Check in at hotel American Inn Bethesda, Maryland.  But the room was small but, it served it’s purpose.  We did have parking and breakfast included, which is hard to come by in the D.C. area.  Normally when I go to D.C. we stay in Bethesda, Maryland or Rockville, Maryland.  We rented a car so we were able to get from place to place since we were traveling with a larger group.  

• Day two
  • Breakfast at hotel.  I ate toast with peanut butter, strawberries and blueberries with orange juice.  It was yummy and dairy free.
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    Brunch at Wagshal’s on New Mexico.  I was very excited to eat here because of the bottomless mimosas and the vegan item on the menu.  I saw they had listed a vegan ramen dish.  Regrettably, they were out of the vegan ramen, so I settled on the Wagshal’s breakfast.  The meal come with 2 scrambled eggs, potatoes, English muffin and bacon.  It was really good!  I enjoyed it, it was a great brunch option and dairy free.  The restaurant was conveniently located close to American University so we were able to head over to the graduation ceremony quickly.  

  • Graduation at American University
  • Sight see in Georgetown.  We drove through a little of Georgetown.  
  • Dinner reservations at Paolo’s Ristorante in Georgetown.  I enjoyed this restaurant.  None of us have eaten here before.  I believe the bread was dairy free.  I ordered the vegan spaghetti, it was really good and completely dairy free.  I am happy to have found this restaurant.  I recommend eating here in Georgetown.  
  • Drove in downtown D.C.  Saw some sights like the White House, National Monument and the Capital Building.
  • Late night drinks at Guapo’s Restaurant, we stopped here from some chips and margaritas.  All very good and tasty.

• Day three
  • Lunch at Hot N Juicy Crawfish If you enjoy Cajun or seafood stop here and don’t have any food allergies or preferences.  I learned that nothing in the restaurant is not dairy free friendly or kosher friendly.  They don’t take reservations, you have to go and wait, my family waited close to an hour to sit and eat.  The host was kind enough to allow me to bring in outside food into the restaurant.  I ate at Nado’s Peri-Peri Chicken, it was right by Hot N Juicy Crawfish.  The cashier was very helpful by giving me the allergen menu.  I was able to depict was was dairy free.  I ate a plain chicken breast, a portobello mushroom and french fries.  It was quite good.  I’m glad I was able to eat a dairy free lunch.  
  • Eat at Wow Bao at airport.  I ate the teriyaki chicken bowl with rice.  It was dairy free and ok tasting.  It was the best I could do for dairy free food at the airport.
  • Fly home.  

Another great time in Washington D.C.  We didn’t do too much sightseeing but, I enjoyed spending time with family and seeing my brother for the weekend.  If you are reading this, congratulations and I am so proud of you.  Thank you for all your support with me being dairy free.  Readers, I hope this helps you have a great weekend in Washington D.C.  It is possible to eat dairy free in D.C.

Thank you for visiting and reading!  Don’t forget to follow me and comment on this post!  Additionally you can follow my Instagram account @smilewithoutcheese  New posts every Monday!

 

Special Announcement

We’re moving!!!!!!!!!!!

I have loved living in the Midwest, it was great growing up here.  I have my family close by and my dearest friends here.  I have a full and amazing childhood memories experiencing the Chicago bright summers and brutally cold but fun winters.  But, I have always loved warm weather and the water.  Luckily, I met someone who shares this similar love.  We have been talking about moving some place warmer (we hate the snow) for a long time.

We both worked at our respective jobs for two years.  Finally, we began looking for jobs in warmer states.  After a long, interview process, my boyfriend, Simon has recently accepted a new job in Dallas, Texas.  (I am currently looking for a teaching job in Dallas.)  We recently visited Dallas and loved it.  We are excited for our upcoming move to Texas.

I will continue to post about my experiences living in the Chicago suburbs and begin blogging about my new experiences in Dallas.  I look forward to finding new dairy free finds in the Dallas area.  Thank you to everyone who has supported me in this new chapter of my life.  As much as we will miss all our friends, family and the Chicago-land area, we appreciate the support.

Thank you for reading and following my journey!  Don’t forget to follow me and comment on this post!  Additionally you can follow my Instagram account @smilewithoutcheese  New posts every Monday!

Dairy Free Guide to Eating at Noodles & Company

Since becoming dairy free I have been avoiding eating at Noodles & Company.  Before my lactose intolerance, my go to meal was the Wisconsin mac & cheese (told you I used to be a cheese-a-holic).  So I dreaded going back, since I knew majority of the menu contained dairy.  However I recently saw an ad on social media for Noodle & Company’s zoodles (zucchini noodles), this was enough to get me to come back.

I did my normal pre-dining ritual before going to Noodles & Company.  I read their online allergen menu.  I researched the zoodles and learned they have tofu.  The one thing I needed more information on was their marinara sauce.  On their allergen menu, for their marinara sauce they list that some locations use a different recipe.  So I had to consult the allergen menu at the specific Noodle & Company’s restaurant location.

The cashier was very helpful and careful at the location I went to.  She was able to give me the allergen menu there to allow me to double check everything I had previously researched and look further into the marinara sauce.  Everything checked out so I ordered the spaghetti with marinara, I substituted the noodles for zoodles and I got tofu in it.  The cashier was also able to mark my order as an allergy meal so they were able to clean the pan they were using so there wouldn’t be any cross contamination.  The meal was dairy free and I successfully ate and enjoyed every bite.  It was really good!  The zoodles were long and thick and the tofu was cooked just right!

I am very thankful for the cashier and for everyone at the Noodle & Company location for being so careful.  I was a little hesitant and nervous I would get sick.  But I am very pleased with my experience and I can’t wait to go back again.  My boyfriend loves eating at Noodles & Company so he’s happy we get to add Noodle & Company back onto the dairy free approved restaurants list.  To view Noodle & Company’s allergen menu, click here.  You’ll have to click and download their allergen menu PDF.  For more information about Noodle & Company, click here. 

Thank you for visiting and reading!  Don’t forget to follow me and comment on this post!  Additionally you can follow my Instagram account @smilewithoutcheese  New posts every Monday!