Breakfast

Breakfast

Single Serving Vegan Mini Donuts

Happy NATIONAL DONUT DAY!!!

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Sorry for the lack of posts recently. The past couple of weeks have been busier than the holiday season for me! A few weeks ago I started a new job at Vans doing their social media! It has been the most fun job and I LOVE my social media team. They are a group of some of the most hard working, dedicated, and creative individuals and it’s so fun to get to work alongside them. It’s really amazing that this blog has opened up so many opportunities for me, and one being my new job in social media. Right now I’m trying to balance my new job and creating new content for my blog, and I think I’m figuring this out haha. Thanks for being patient with me and continuing to pop in and read! Your support means the world to me!

Sooooo, today is National Donut Day and of course I had to make a single serving of donuts for my little bunnies! These donuts are vegan and made from whole wheat flour and have a maple almond icing which is naturally colored with beet juice (trust me you cannot taste it!). A little bit of beet juice goes a long way (just like food coloring) so you don’t need too much.
As I was making the batter for my mini donuts, I realized that I didn’t have a donut pan to bake them in. I would usually go to the store and buy something like this, but I was like wait a second… If I don’t have a donut baking pan, then not a lot of people do haha! So instead of buying one, I made my own! I took a mini cupcake/muffin tin and rolled up aluminum foil and placed it in the center of each muffin tin so that the donuts would bake with a hole! Call it ghetto or call me a genius… up to you!!!

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Vegan Mini Donuts
Serves 1

1/4 tsp ground flaxseed + 1/2 tsp water
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
heaping 1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch cinnamon
pinch salt
1/8 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk

Maple Almond Icing
1 Tbsp almond butter
1/2 Tbsp maple syrup
splash of unsweetened almond milk
(optional) 1/4-1/2 tsp beet juice for color

Vegan Sprinkles

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine ground flaxseed and water in a small dish and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients (whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt).
4. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients (apple cider vinegar, vanilla, almond milk) and the flaxseed mixture.
5. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until evenly combined.
6. Pour the donut batter into a mini donut pan generously sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. If you don’t have a donut pan, you can use a mini muffin tin and place rolled up aluminum foil in the center. Generously coat the muffin tin and aluminum foil centers with nonstick cooking spray (do not skip this step).
7. Place the donut batter in a Ziploc bag and cut the tip (like a pastry bag) to evenly distribute the batter into the muffin tins around the aluminum foil centers.
8. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes.
9. Remove donut from the oven and let cool.
10. While the donuts are cooling, mix the icing ingredients. Mix almond butter and maple syrup together and add a splash of almond milk until desired consistency is reached. For pink icing, add 1/4 tsp of beet juice (natural food coloring).
11. Remove donuts from muffin tin and push the aluminum foil centers through each donut until donut hole is exposed.
12. Drizzle each donut with icing and add sprinkles.

Silk Banana Berry Breakfast Quinoa + Giveaway

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I’m sooooo excited for this collaboration! I get really pumped when a brand contacts me, but when it’s a brand that I already love, I get really really REALLY excited! Silk makes my absolute favorite Almondmilk, and all I want to do is talk about how creamy and tasty it is, but I’m trying my best to refrain becauseeeeee today it’s all about Silk Soymilk!

You guys know that I am allllll about the plant based protein on my blog and milk totally counts towards that! Silk Soymilk has 8 grams of plant-powered protein per serving. It also has no cholesterol, no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners, no high-fructose corn syrup, is low in saturated fat, free of gluten, and is verified by the Non-GMO Project.

You’ve probably heard this all of your life, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” But let’s get cereal (haha) breakfast provides you with the energy and nutrients that you need to get through the day and influences how we perform physically and mentally. Plus, studies show that breakfast is important in maintaining a healthy body weight.

If you’re planning on going for a run or working out later don’t skip out on breakfast, and definitely don’t skip your protein! You don’t have to eat a jar of protein powder for breakfast, but by eating a balanced breakfast with a serving of protein, you will feel satisfied and energized to conquer the day and your workout!

Today’s recipe is a Banana Berry Breakfast Quinoa made with Silk Vanilla Soymilk. It’s similar to oatmeal, but made with quinoa which is a complete protein! Most people don’t think of quinoa as a breakfast food, but it can be a great addition to some recipes and adds an extra punch of protein and nutty flavor to your basic breakfast!

I usually make this breakfast quinoa with tropical types of fruits or apple and cinnamon since I have a severe allergy to most berries, but I know seeing the same tropical fruits on my blog over and over again can get kind of boring so I wanted to do a fun banana berry combo for my bunnies! Matt was my taste tester on this one, and he said it was “REALLY GOOD!”

Silk-Banana-Berry-Breakfast-Quinoa-2Interested in trying Silk Soymilk? Signup on the Silk website to receive a 75¢ off coupon!

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Silk Banana Berry Breakfast Quinoa
Serves 1

1/2 cup Silk Vanilla Soymilk
1/4 cup quinoa
1/2 cup blueberries and blackberries
1/2 banana, sliced

1. Combine quinoa, Silk Vanilla Soymilk, and berries in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to a very low simmer and cover for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until all liquid has absorbed.
3. Transfer the quinoa mixture to a bowl and add a splash of Silk Vanilla Soymilk until desired texture/creaminess is desired.
4. Top with sliced banana and a small handful of berries. Enjoy warm.

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GIVEWAY
Now it’s your chance to win a Silk Soymilk prize package!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Must use a valid email address to enter. Must be a US resident to enter. Giveaway ends on Sunday, March 24th at 11:59 PM (PDT). 1 winner will be randomly selected and announced on Monday, March 25th. Health & Happinessxo-Catherine This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

Almond Joy Overnight Oats

Almond-Joy-Overnight-Oats-6My favorite thing about overnight oats is that they’re so simple to make, and easy to grab and go in the morning. There is no cooking when it comes to “ONOs,” or “OIAJ” (oats in a jar) just combine everything, mix it up, and let it soak overnight while you get your beauty sleep! Then come morning time, you can quickly grab your jar of fully prepped oats amid the morning madness and eat them on your way to work or while getting ready. There is no excuse for skipping breakfast when it’s already prepared for you! I loveeee eating them cold, right out of the fridge.

My newest “Almond Joy” creation is gluten-free and vegan! Dig in, there’s tons of healthy ingredients in that jar!

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Almond Joy Overnight Oats
Serves 1

½ cup gluten free whole rolled oats
¾ unsweetened almond milk (I like So Delicious Almond Plus with 5x Protein!)
1 Tbsp maple syrup
½ Tbsp ground flaxseed
2 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
½ Tbsp mini vegan chocolate chips

1. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar.
2. Stir until well combined.
3. Refrigerate overnight, and enjoy cold.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown:
Produce: none
Whole Grain: rolled oats
Protein: almond milk with protein
Plant Based Fat: shredded coconut, flaxseed, chocolate chips

Rabbit Food Meal Tip: Complete this meal with one cup of fruit (mmmmm raspberries!!!) or a whole piece of fruit (apple, orange, etc.) as your produce serving!

Single Serving Chocolate Chip Muffin

Thank you so so so much for your amazing comments on yesterday’s post. I read each and every one of them and I am so thankful for all of my supportive readers. Sometimes it’s hard to put things out there on the internet and admit, “yes I am having a tough time and I’m not exactly where I want to be,” but you guys have proved to me that so many of my fears and so much of my anxiety is just in my head. I love that complete strangers can completely make my day and also bring me to happy tears by their words. Seriously, some of my readers are the most beautiful writers. You guys are tugging at my heart strings! I love you al! It’s really cool to hear that some of you don’t even read my blog for the weight loss aspect but you actually read it because of my DIY projects and other posts! I mean, I had no idea! Like I said, I get so into my own head of what I assume people read and follow my blog for, and I’m so happy that you are all here with me to continue my journey of making rabbit food, attempting to workout, making pretty DIY things, and being a normal human being who sometimes hates working out!

I got totally sidetracked last night with the Bachelor finale (ugh I don’t want to give away spoilers but I was bummed with the outcome!), so tonight I will finally be replying to all if your blog comments from yesterday’s post!

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Today’s recipe is a super cute “Lightened-Up” Chocolate Chip Muffin for One! This is a traditional bakery sized muffin (no mini muffin here!), filled with flavor but light on the ingredients! No crazy additives, no refined sugar (except for those itty bitty chocolate chips), no butter, and no refines white flour! May I say… NAILED IT!

If you aren’t a fan of chocolate chips, I think this would be so om nom nom with 1 ½ Tablespoons of blueberries instead! I would’ve made that in a heart beat but I’m deathly allergic to blueberries which would mean that Matt or my sister would get to be the taste tester for this recipe… and honestly I just wasn’t willing to forfeit my job as Chief Tasting Officer for this particular recipe, so chocolate chips it was!

This recipe can be made completely vegan by using Enjoy Life Vegan Chocolate Chips or blueberries!

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The texture of this solo muffin is dense like most vegan baked goods, which makes it the perfect pairing for a glass of milk, coffee or tea!

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Single Serving Chocolate Chip Muffin
Makes 1 muffin

3 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
1 tsp (dry) stevia (I used 1 packet of Truvia)
1 Tbsp mini chocolate chips (or vegan chocolate chips)
1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 Tbsp almond milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tray with 1 liner. Set aside.
2. Mix dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, salt, dry stevia, and chocolate chips together in a small bowl. Mix everything together until just combined. DO NOT overmix.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together wet ingredients – melted coconut oil, almond milk, and vanilla.
4. Mix dry and wet ingredients together.
5. Pour batter into prepared muffin liner.
6. Bake for 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Enjoy!

Since I had a blogging breakthrough this week, I also decided that I am going to change up how I do the “directions” of my recipes! From now on, you will see RFFMBT recipes listed in numbered steps as shown above! Much easier to follow : )

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown:
Produce: none
Whole Grain: whole wheat flour
Protein: none
Plant Based Fat: coconut oil and chocolate chips

Rabbit Food Meal Tip: Complete this meal with one cup of milk of your choice of yogurt (protein) and a side of 1 cup of fresh fruit (produce)!

Rosemary Coconut Stove Top Sweet Potatoes

My schedule has been insane recently. I feel like this is the first time in a while that I’ve actually slept in my own bed for more than 3 nights in a row! I feel so lucky that I get to travel for my job, and that my job allows me to travel for leisure as well. Last week I made a very last minute unexpected trip to Chicago to see Matt, and the week before that I was in Seattle with my momma!

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So I originally posted about this recipe back in August when I was in New York – I know, it took me long enough, right? While I was in NY, my friend Dominique and her roommate Kat made me these Sweet Potatoes for dinner and I was obsessed! This was the first time I had seen someone cook sweet potatoes over the stove, and it changed my life! Cooking sweet potatoes over the stove is so easy and pretty much fool proof!

Rosemary-Coconut-Stove-Top-Sweet-Potatoes-1 Rosemary-Coconut-Stove-Top-Sweet-Potatoes-2 Rosemary-Coconut-Stove-Top-Sweet-Potatoes-3 Rosemary-Coconut-Stove-Top-Sweet-Potatoes-4 Rosemary-Coconut-Stove-Top-Sweet-Potatoes-5 I have an induction stove that ranges from heat level 1-9 and I left it on level 5 for the duration of my cooking time. My potatoes cooked perfectly in 13 minutes! Of course the cooking time varies depending on the size of your potato and pan. If you potato is larger, you can add 1 tsp more of coconut oil.

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Rosemary Coconut Stove Top Sweet Potatoes
Serves 2

1 sweet potato
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1/8 tsp sea salt

Wash and dry sweet potato. Cube sweet potato into about 1 inch pieces. Place cubed sweet potato, coconut oil, rosemary, crushed garlic, and sea salt into a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir until sweet potato is evenly coated in the coconut oil and herb mixture. Cover for 12 minutes and stir occasionally (about every 2 minutes). Continue cooking until sweet potato is soft or desired texture is reached (12-15 minutes). Serve immediately.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown:
Produce: none
Whole Grain: Sweet potato*
Protein: none
Plant Based Fat: Coconut oil

*So I get asked fairly often if a potato counts as produce under The Rabbit Food Pyramid. While yes, a potato is classified as a vegetable it is also considered a “starchy food.” I know that a potato is not a whole grain, but I would put potatoes in the whole grain category since this is where the starchy foods like breads and rice fit into the puzzle. Basically, if you are trying to lose weight, I would try to avoid creating meals that combine potato as your vegetable serving, and then rice as your whole grain serving since it makes for a starchy, heavy meal. Something more appropriate and balanced would be a green vegetable salad with mushrooms and bell peppers as your vegetable serving and potato as your whole grain or starch serving! Or even red bell peppers as your vegetable serving stuffed with sweet potatoes as your whole grain/starch serving! I hope this helps you to better understand how to create balanced meals with the pyramid, and to see why certain foods are in the categories they are!

Rabbit Food Meal Tip: Complete this meal with a salad of 1.5 cups field greens, 1/4 cup of chopped mushrooms, and 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper as your vegetable serving, and 1/2 cup cooked lentils as your protein serving tossed with balsamic vinegar!

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