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Yuma Medjool Date Festival + Natural Delights Medjool Dates Giveaway (CLOSED)

Hi my loves!

Life is pure craziness right now! I picked up a huge graphic design job for Beckley Boutique and have been working like a madwoman recently. I’ve also been MOH (Maid of Honor) of the century organizing all sorts of fun things for the bride (my sister)! I’ve been so busy that I wasn’t able to work on my new batch of “Eat More Rabbit Food” shirts until last week. Ughhh I feel like such a slacker, but not haha. Yaknowwhatimean? I’m trying my hardest to get them completed this week so I can have them listed in the store and ready to ship before christmas!

Now for a recap of my trip to Yuma, Arizona for the Medjool Date Festival. Be sure to read all the way through for your chance to win some Natural Delights Medjool Dates!

Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-8Last month Natural Delights asked me if I would be a guest judge for the recipe contest at the Annual Yuma Medjool Date Festival! Me, a guest judge? WHATTT?! So cool! I love everyone at Natural Delights and I loveeee dates, so I was really excited to visit Yuma again for the festival. Brett (my lovely bunny model) also came along for the festival!

Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-11The trip started off with necessary bathroom mirror selfies (should I say us-ie?). We’re such girls.

Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-5Then we boarded the plane and prepared for takeoff.

Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-12Unfortunately our plane had different plans as our right engine started smoking! Sooooo we deplaned waited for a new aircraft.

Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-18I don’t know if I have talked about my bad luck with planes before, but I am literally always delayed, cancelled, or end up with a broken plane!

Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-15After our new plane arrived we were off to Yuma, AZ!

Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-4
Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-10First cactus sighting at the airport!

Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-17The next morning, Brett and I woke up to a gorgeous Arizona sunrise and enjoyed coffee and breakfast at our hotel before heading to the festival.

Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-14
Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-2
Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-3We got to meet Miss Medjool! SO FREAKING AWESOME!

Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-7Brett and I had some free time to roam around the festivals so for our first stop, we explored the gallery where they had gorgeous photos of the Medjool date growers from Natural Delights.

Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-1They even had Medjool date art created by local kids! Seriously too cute for words!

Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-9Had to take a photo with the giant fork in downtown Yuma, because Im cool like that.

Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-16Brett and I made our way to the Imperial booth for fresh date shakes. Imperial is part of the Bard Valley Growers Association and also grows for Natural Delights!

Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-19Our shakes were to die for! We downed them within minutes.

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Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-13Standing with the recipe contest sign! Eeeeeeek!

Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-25Then it was time for the main event; the recipe contest. Look at the excitement on my face, it just screams “DATESSSSSS!”

Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-24We got to try so many incredible recipes submitted by local date enthusiasts.

Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-22And the winner wasssssss: the most incredible salty sweet cheese loaf with date and nut coating. The judges and I couldn’t get enough!

Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-23All of the Judges and the winner of the 2013 Recipe Contest!

Yuma-Medjool-Date-Festival-21To end an already amazing day, I did an on camera interview speaking about using dates for natural healthy sweetener in lightened up recipes! Brett and I had so much fun sampling dates from all of the vendors and getting to hangout with the Natural Delights team. It’s always a tasty and fun time visiting Natural Delights!

READ BELOW FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN SOME NATURAL DELIGHTS MEDJOOL DATES.

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In collaboration with Bard Valley Natural Delights Medjool Dates, I am hosting a giveaway!
One lucky RFFMBT winner will receive: Two 1 lb packages of Fresh Medjool Dates!

For your chance to win:
1. Comment on this post telling me your favorite way to eat Medjool dates.

2. Follow Natural Delights on Twitter.
– Leave a separate comment with the url to your tweet!

3. Like Natural Delights on Facebook.
– Leave a separate comment letting me know that you liked them!

This means you can earn up to 3 entries!
Contest ends on Thursday, December 12th at 11:59pm PST.
Winner will be announced on Friday, December 13th.
Must use a valid email address when entering. Open to U.S. residents only.

I have complied a list of some RFFMBT recipes that include Medjool Dates:

Cashew Cookie Larabars
Date & Olive Tapenade
Campfire Kisses
Medjool Date BBQ Sauce
Valentine’s Day Cookie Sandwiches

Chocomole 

Raw Bites
Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies
Chickpea Cookie Dough Dip
Healthy Vegan Banana Bread
Black Bean and Spinach Brownies

Hail To the Kale Salad Dressing

For fun & fresh holiday recipes using Bard Valley Natural Delights™ Medjool Dates, be sure to download their free Holiday eZine!

*This giveaway has ended. A Winner will be announced on Friday, December 13.
** Congratulations to the winner: Victoria F!
winner

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in SF

Hi bunnies!
Oh my gosh I have been so busy busy busy! I have house guests visiting from out of state so I’ve been playing tour guide and hostess with the mostess this week, hence the very delayed post! I haven’t had two seconds to go onto my blog this week, but I am so happy to be back today!

Since I missed my usual Monday post, here is your Motivation Monday quote, a la Thursday!
Motivation Monday (now it’s a Throwback Thursday quote haha): “You are what you eat. So don’t be fast, cheap, easy, or fake!”

My trip to San Francisco for the Produce for Better Health: Consumer Connection Annual Conference was so much fun. By the end of the conference I didn’t want to go home!

I love being surround by others who are passionate about healthy eating and excellent produce! My panel was moderated by Bob Ochsner from DGWB who gave an outstanding presentation about blogger outreach and forming long lasting relationships with bloggers and brands. As Bob said…“Bloggers are the rockstars of the future…” It’s pretty amazing how blogging has evolved from an “online journal” to a full time career and main source of advertising for many brands. It has been such an honor to work with Selena and Bob at DGWB, DOLE Salads, DOLE Bananas, and Bard Valley Natural Delights Dates. I feel like the luckiest little bunny in the world!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San Francisco

I never imagined a conference being so much fun. I got to chat with some excellent produce lovers from marketing and PR professionals, family farmers, dietitians, produce sales representatives, and of course blog idols! The second Selena told me that Kathy Patalsky from Healthy. Happy. Life. was speaking on my same panel, I nearly had a fan girl moment! I have been reading and swooning over Kathy’s mouth watering vegan recipes for over a year now, and meeting her in person was surreal! On my second day at the conference, I walked back to the hotel and saw Kathy relaxing in the lobby with her (you guessed it, soy matcha latte). Of course me and my overly excited self walked right up to her and said “Kathy? I’m Catherine!” and the rest was history. Just kidding, but really. We sat and chatted in the lobby for a couple of hours until we realized what time it was! I was so intimidated meeting one of my favorite bloggers face-to-face (hello, she’s like serious celeb status!), but she is as sweet as a peach, and so much fun to be around. When the conference was over, we spent the entire cab ride to the airport brainstorming T-shirt ideas to promote Kathy’s blog and book 365 Vegan Smoothies that is coming out this June! I’m so excited to help her with her shirts, they’re going to be sooooo cute!

I ended up with way more photos than I originally thought, but here they are!

PREP DAY: TUESDAY BEFORE MY TRIP

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoThe trip started off with some night before travel snack shopping at Mother’s Market. I ended up with a basket of Alive & Radiant Kale Krunch: Tarragon Dijon flavorGo Raw Spirulina Super ChipsJustin’s Almond Butter packets, and a handful of Larabars.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoPrinted a bunch of new business cards. They were a big hit at the conference!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoEnded up making a special RFFMBT shirt to wear for my panel. At midnight… haha Can you say procrastinating to avoid packing?

DAY 1: TRAVEL & MYCOPIA GOURMET MUSHROOM TOUR

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoI was up early on Wednesday morning to fly up to San Francisco. Needless to say after my night of procrastinating, business card making, and shirt creating, I needed a Skinny Vanilla Latte from Starbucks.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoBoarded the plane in style… on the tarmac! Off we went to SF!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoI arrived at the W San Francisco just in time to check into my gorg room and change clothes for the “veggie tour!”

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoMy office away from home for a few days!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoHow beautiful is this view? My room looked right at the Bay Bridge!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoI found Waldo on top of one of the buildings!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoChecked in at registration and met Sharese Alston who coordinated my trip and the event! It was so fun to meet her and finally put a face to the lovely lady behind all of our emails! I wish I got a picture with her, she is the cutest thing and full of energy. Once I checked in, I got my name badge and ran to the bus for our tour.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoI couldn’t have arrived on a more beautiful day. The sun was shining, the sky was bright blue, and the two hour drive to our tour destination was absolutely stunning.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoOur tour destination: Mycopia Gourmet Mushroom farm.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoSo pumped when they brought out these suhhh-weeet hairnets for us to wear. Nothing says sexy like a hairnet.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoSnapshot of all our the tour attendees entering Mycopia in their super chic hairnets.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoBefore each room/area we went to in the farm, we had to dip our shoes in little tubs of a bleach mixture to prevent any spores from being transferred into the farm.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoGetting an intro to the soil and planting process. So not what I was expecting! I thought we would drive up to vineyards of mushrooms outside! Ha! Boy was I wrong!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoJars of soil and growing mushrooms. Totally not how I imagined mushrooms being grown.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoInside the “farm!”

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoFull grown mushrooms.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoI felt like I was in wonderland when I walked into this room!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoI’ve never thought of mushrooms as gorgeous until this day.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoHad to refrain from touching them haha they look so soft and… pretty!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoGetting a demo of how the mushrooms are “picked” from their jars. No cutting needed.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoMushroom packaging room.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoDelicious mushroom snacks for us! The chef sautéed three different types of mushrooms in olive oil with a little bit of salt and pepper and it was absolutely to die for. On a side note, how cute are these mushroom bouquets?! Call me crazy, but I’m tempted to throw a mushroom partayyy and have some adorable mushroom center pieces! They’re too cute! Huge thank you to Mycopia Gourmet Mushrooms for the awesome tour!

DAY 2: EXPLORING SF & DINNER WITH FRIENDS

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoDay two started off with a nice lonnnnggggg walk. I really worked my glutes and calves on all of those hills haha.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoWouldn’t be SF without a cable car photo.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoMy favorite Chinatown. Ever.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoAnother cable car photo.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoVisited my old stomping grounds at FIDM SF (although I did go to the LA campus)!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoAfter several hours of walking up hills I went back to the hotel for some hydration… andddd met the amazing Kathy from Healthy. Happy. Life.!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San Franciscoand dove into my snacks!  Alive & Radiant Kale Krunch: Tarragon Dijon flavor & Go Raw Spirulina Super Chips. Accompanied by some work on my laptop.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoLater Thursday night I met up with two of my friends Michaela and Katherine from home! We enjoyed tons of laughs, a bottle of wine, and amazing Italian food at Ristorante Milano. It was so great catching up with them. Missed these girls so much!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoIt took us about 10 tries to get a photo of all of us in the cab.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoAnd here’s the final product. Look how clear the photo is! Hahaha We tried.

DAY 3: BLOGGER PANEL & DINNER AND FUN WITH KATHY

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoPre-panel selfie! I was really proud of my hair that day haha and my bunny phone case obviously needed to be shown off!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoGolden kale necklace and custom handmade “EAT MORE RABBIT FOOD” shirt!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoBefore the panel, Kathy and I met in the lobby and explored the conference room!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoMy name badge and “SPEAKER” ribbon! Ahhhh!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoKathy’s pre-panel tea. Loved how the leaf on the tea bag peaked out of the mug!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoFeatured speakers for the interactive blogger panel!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoSpeaking with Amy Sherman from Cooking with Amy, Kathy Patalsky of Healthy. Happy. Life., and Jess Goldman Foung from Sodium Girl!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoAfter our panel, Kathy and I hopped in a cab and made our way to Saha for some Arabic fusion! When Kathy visited Veg News, they told her she must try Saha, and now we know why! If you are in San Francisco, you must go! plus It’s very veggie and vegan friendly. It’s safe to say that Kathy and I arrived at Saha with quite an appetite. Our feast (not exaggerating) consisted of: Cauliflower Coconut Lavender Soup, Stuffed Artichoke Hearts, Kale Quinoa Tofu Salad, Vegan Mushroom Ravioli (omg. melt in your mouth. so good that I ate them before I could even take a photo.), Vegan Tagine, Vegan Baklava, and Vegan Knaffe. See, I told you we ordered a feast!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoWe arrived at 5:30 for our 6pm reservation hoping to be seated early… until we found out that Saha opened at 6! Can you tell that we were starving?

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoKathy and I at Saha.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoKale Quinoa Tofu Salad with cooked peaches. The menu had me at kale.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoStuffed artichoke. To die for! It was cooked to perfection and at first bite was reminiscent of a portobello mushroom.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoOh yes, I’d like to order the “Slap Yo Mama.” I couldn’t resist taking a photo.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoVegan Baklava. Holy yum. I’m such a sucker for Baklava. It’s totally my Armenian roots coming out! Love how they were cooked as individual treats!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoVegan Knaffe, an Arabic dessert!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoCompletely stuffed from dinner at Saha, we went back to the W… and got stuck in the revolving door. Yes, you read that right! For the brief time we were stuck, I had visions of SFFD having to come break the glass and rescue us! What was probably seconds felt like hours as the entire lobby of guests were staring! I could not stop laughing, it was so epic! This scene from the movie Anchorman can give you a great idea of what we looked like in that glass revolving door.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoAfter the revolving door incident we decided to go get Soy Matcha Green Tea Lattes and go on a stroll to Union Square.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoI told Kathy that we had to go in the glass elevator a.k.a. Oz at the St. Francis hotel to see the gorgeous city view! …and then we eded up getting stuck in the elevator. There were no buttons inside. total. fail. We had to ride it until someone else got in and pressed “lobby” with their hotel key from the outside! For a hot second, I though’t we were going to be stuck in yet another glass case of emotion.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoWe got back to the W and watched the new lights/light show on the bay bridge. It felt like I was at Disneyland every night watching World of Color!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoIt wouldn’t be the W without super out-there decor! When I got back to my room the first night, I noticed a pink and purple light glowing from above the desk. I laughed hysterically because at the Chobani dinnerAmy Keefe was telling me about the glowing Buddha when se stayed at the W SF! Of course I had to email her a photo of it right away haha. This little guy changed colors all night and I literally couldn’t turn it off! Buddha was glowing in all of his glory until I found out that he had a little door that hid him haha.

DAY 4: HOMEWARD BOUND
PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoSaturday morning, Kathy and I packed our bags and met up in the lobby.

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoSince we both had flights around the same time, we shared a cab to SFO and got to hangout together at the gate before departing. We found an awesome cafe at the airport that was loaded with healthy options – so rare in the airport world. They had a yogurt bar with nonfat, 1%, and 2% Greek strained yogurt, soy yogurt, and your choice of toppings along with a big selection of Kombucha! Multi-Green Kombucha, nonfat Greek yogurt with kiwis and granola for me, and Synergy Kombucha for Kathy! It was an excellent way to end the trip!

PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San FranciscoWhile on my flight, I opened up my book to find a hand written note from Kathy. I totally started tearing up on the plane while reading this. She is so genuine and kind. Still speechless, I’m framing this!

Thank you so much to the Produce for Better Health Foundation for including me in your Consumer Connection Conference and for sponsoring my travel and stay at the W!

P.S. Look what just arrived!!! Can’t even contain my enthusiasm right now! I can’t wait to get them photographed and onto my online store asap!
PBH 2013 Annual Conference in San Francisco

Travel Snacks

I am taking a break from packing… or should I say downsizing my suitcase, because I am going to Japan today!

I love traveling, but sometimes it gets tricky to find healthy foods at airports. I like to prepare little emergency snack kits for my carry on bag just incase I get hungry or healthy choices aren’t available.

If you are traveling somewhere far, it can be nearly impossible to bring fresh food along with you. Meal replacement bars are a great option, but some of them have ingredient lists longer than the dictionary and are filled with artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and some questionable ingredients. I have done my research to find you the healthiest meal bars and snacks that are TSA approved, portable, shelf stable, and yummy! The best part? These snacks have no preservatives, and tiny ingredient lists with the largest list containing only 7 ingredients, all of which we can pronounce and locate in a grocery store!

Meet your new travel buddies:

Ak-Mak Whole Wheat Sesame Crackers: These generously sized whole grain crackers contain only 7 ingredients such as: organically grown whole wheat flour, clover honey, sesame oil, dairy butter, sesame seeds, yeast, and salt. They add up to only 110 calories and 4 grams of fiber per serving of 5 crackers! I love these crackers because they are perfectly crunchy and not to mention Armenian (I’m part Armenian), scoreee!

Larabar: Well, I’m speechless on this one… I don’t know how they do it! Larabars are possibly the greatest meal bars to hit the market. Ever. Larabars are gluten free, dairy free, soy free, non-GMO, vegan, and kosher but do not exclude flavor. Famous for their simple ingredient list, pure delicious taste, and and outstanding nutrition, Larabars are the simple way to eat on the go. My favorite flavor “Cashew Cookie” contains only cashews and dates and actually tastes like a cookie. Amazing! The nutritional stats aren’t too shabby either. Made from whole fruits and nuts in their most natural state, it contains 230 calories, and 3 grams of fiber! They come in a variety of flavors and have been popping up in grocery stores and some Target stores all over.

Blue Diamond Almonds, 100 Calorie Packs: Almonds are great portable snack and an excellent source of  vitamin E, fiber, copper, phosphorous and riboflavin. Sometimes it’s easy to get carried away and suddenly a handful turns into an entire bag, so this mini 100 calorie pack of whole, natural, unsalted almonds takes the guesswork out for you. Talk about good things in small packages!

Justin’s Classic Almond Butter, Single-Serve Packet: These convenient single serve packages contain 2 tablespoons of almond butter at 200 calories per packet. Smear some on crackers for the perfect snack without the jar, measuring spoons, and mess! These handy little packets come in a variety of different nut butters and flavors.

That’s It: I just recently discovered these bars and have become completely obsessed! I like to call them “adult fruit leathers!” The bars consist of two servings of fruit per bar… yup… that’s it… just like the title implies. Crazy right? My Apple & Pear bar contains one whole apple and one whole pear. That’s it (I can’t stop saying that out loud, I’m truly amazed)! No added sugar, preservatives, no nothing. Oh, and don’t forget, they’re also fat free, gluten-free, kosher, and vegan. At only 100 calories and a whopping 3 grams of fiber, That’s It bars are your new bff. These thick, chewy fruit bars are a great option if you don’t feel like lugging an apple around in your purse, or don’t feel like buying one at an airport café for say $5.

Just Tomatoes: Just like the package says, these are just tomatoes! Veggies can be the trickiest food to travel with, but this awesome brand Just Tomatoes, just made getting our veggie servings in so much easier. Just Tomatoes uses a special dehydrating process, which allows nutrients to stay intact and leaves them with the perfect chewy texture. Just Tomatoes makes a variety of different vegetable snacks from peas to corn and are always kosher, GMO free, and never contain additives, preservatives or sweeteners. At 90 calories and 2 grams of fiber per ounce, these make a great snack with whole grain crackers!