Treats

Treats

Dole Banana Power Pops

I have been working with Dole for over three years now, and I am so honored to be an official Dole ambassador for 2015! I’m also really excited to announce the launch of Dole’s “Get Up and Grow!” campaign and tour! All of my bunnies know that I am a huge advocate for “eating more rabbit food” and getting as many fruits and vegetables into your diet as possible. You’ve seen me hide spinach in everything from smoothies to brownies and it’s no secret that I love introducing my readers to healthier options. That’s why I’m so excited for Dole’s “Get Up and Grow!” campaign and initiative to directly challenge the public to adopt a healthier daily routine including eating more fresh fruits and vegetables!

The Dole “Get Up and Grow” tour caravans are making roughly 480 stops at supermarkets and special events throughout the U.S. and Canada this summer that you won’t want to miss!

“Multiple colorful Get Up and Grow! Tour caravans with rolling kitchens will deliver innovative new recipes, product samples, a do-it-yourself smoothie bar, free giveaways for the whole family and other activities specifically created to showcase the fun, flavor and preparation possibilities of fresh fruit and vegetables and a plant-based diet. Visitors can also present a grocery receipt showing a qualifying level of DOLE® fresh purchase to receive a limited-edition, commemorative Get Up and Grow! item.

The new recipes available for sampling range from the Banana and Blue, Breakfast Smoothie, Power Punch Smoothie and Spinach-Avocado Hummus to the Grilled Banana Parfait, Southwestern Gazpacho, Caesar’s Bounty Salad and Charred Summer Salad, which Dole has proclaimed 2015’s “Official Salad of Summer.”

Dole-Get-Up-and-Grow-Tour-2015Take the Pledge Today & View Tour Dates and Info!

I’m really into snacks, they literally make the world go round. My absolute worst snack attacks usually hit at about 3pm and midnight (I know, it’s so bad) and although I try to avoid the midnight snacking by sipping on herbal tea, the midday hunger is unavoidable. 3pm is that awkward time in-between lunch and dinner when you don’t want to eat something heavy and spoil your dinner, but you need something to give you energy and nourish your brain and body to get you through the next few hours. This is when Banana Power Pops are the perfect little energizing snack. Natural sugars and potassium from bananas, antioxidants and caffeine from dark chocolate, and nourishing plant based fats from the nut and seed toppings make a winning combo to power you up and give you a dose energy! They also make a great cool treat during the hot summer when kept in the freezer!

Power snack or dessert? You decide!

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Dole Banana Power Pops

1 Dole Banana
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips or vegan chocolate chips
Toppings: shredded coconut, sliced almonds, chia seeds, raisins, oats.
Lollipop Sticks

1. Peel and slice banana into half inch thick slices.
2. Melt chocolate in a saucepan over medium heat.
3. Place a lollipop stick in each banana slice.
4. Dip each banana slice one by one into dark chocolate and sprinkle with desired topping.
5. Place dipped banana slices on wax paper and place in the freezer until hardened. Enjoy cold.

Dole-Get-Up-and-Grow-Ambassador-Facebook-ChatI am hosting a Facebook chat this Thursday, June 11 at 5pm PDT (8pm EST!) on the Dole Facebook page! Make sure to stop by, chat, and ask me questions!

Health & Happiness
xo-Catherine

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.

Coconut Chia Pudding

Hi buns!

Thank you SOOO much for the sweet comments on my last post. I cannot tell you how much you lift me up. Sometimes it’s challenging to write about how down I am and the fact that I’m not where I really want to be, but it’s part of life. It means a lot to me that some of you mentioned how much you appreciate my honesty when I post these kinds of things. I appreciate your supporting more than you even know. You guys are 100% the reason why I love this blog so much!

I’ve been enjoying spending some time with Matt since he got home (Sunday) after a month on tour in Europe, so I’m finally going to respond to all of your comments tonight : ) I wasn’t sure if I would be able to pick him up at the airpot last Sunday night but I surprised him and popped out of the back seat of his parents car! He was totally shocked, I got him good!

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Chia seed pudding is one of the easiest healthy snacks to make. You literally throw all of the ingredients in a glass jar, refrigerate it overnight, and it’s ready for you the next day! Easy peasy! And you guys know I love easy no fuss recipes!

Some of you may still be new to chia seeds and pretty intrigued by them, or possibly scared of them! Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!

Soooo, what exactly is a Chia seed?
The Chia plant (Salvia hispanica) is a member of the mint family that’s native to Mexico and Guatemala. Chia seeds are often eaten raw, but can also be soaked in liquid to form a gelatinous mixture. Chia seeds can also be ground into a powder for baking!

What do they taste like?
Chia seeds don’t really taste like anything. Their flavor is practically non-existent, but he magic is in the texture. When combined with water or liquid, they absorb 9 times their weight in water, forming a gel-like consistency. They are great in smoothies and oatmeal because they add texture and a thicker consistency. The proof is in the pudding… ha ha ha

Why Chia?
Chia seeds are an amazing source of plant-based fat, and are especially high in Omega 3 fatty acids which reduce inflammation and may help lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. They also contain a large amount of fiber, which aids with weight loss by keeping your stomach feeling full. Last but not least, these tiny little seeds are filled with magnesium, potassium, and powerful antioxidants to help rid our bodies of free radicals. Talk about big things in small packages!

Depending on the brand, 1 Tablespoon of dry Chia seeds tallies up to about 55 calories, 5g of Fat, 5g of Carbohydrate, 6g of Fiber, 3g of Protein.

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Serves 2

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I like So Delicious)
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 Tbsp maple syrup

1. Whisk together coconut milk and maple syrup in a glass jar
2. Stir in chia seeds.
3. Cover jar with lid and refrigerate overnight.
4. Top with fresh berries or enjoy plain.

Note: If you use sweetened coconut milk, you can omit the maple syrup.
Tip: The longer you leave your chia seed pudding in the fridge, the thicker it will get!

Vegan Eggnog

Vegan-Eggnog-5Copper Mule Mug:  Sur La Table

Vegan-Eggnog-1Vitamix 750: Sur La Table (on sale)

Vegan-Eggnog-2 Vegan-Eggnog-3 Vegan-Eggnog-4Copper Mule Mug:  Sur La Table

December has been FLYING by. I cannot believe that 2014 is coming to an end. I just arrived home on Friday from visiting Matt while he was on tour in Chicago, and hosted my annual Ugly Sweater party the next night (Saturday). Photos to come : )

I am I am so so so so so excited because (drumroll please) today I finished my Christmas shopping! I started off overly eager online holiday shopping before Thanksgiving this year and then as soon as mid December rolled around I was more behind than anyone I knew! How the heck does that even happen?! Today I conquered Target (twice) and Ikea. It was no easy feat, but I took the furthest parking spots away and “hoofed it” as my mom would say, battled the crowds, survived the lengthy lines, and conquered Christmas shopping! WOHOO!!!

One of my favorite things in the world is giving gifts. I never ask my friends of family for lists – not because I want to get them random things, but because I listen to them all year long and compile a little secret list and surprise them when Christmas comes around. Gift giving is kind of my thing. I will do anything to get the perfect gift for someone, a la Arnold Schwarzenegger looking for TurboMan in “Jingle All the Way” (such a good movie)! It gives me so much joy to see my friends and family excited and surprised when they open gifts. There’s nothing like it!
Anyone else finish their Christmas shopping already?!

Now that the shopping talk is done, it’s time to cozy up by the fire, watch christmas movies, and sip on some vegan egg-less nog!

Traditional eggnog is filled with sugar, heavy cream, and egg yolk, which equals tons of saturated fat and cholesterol – yikes! Of course you can buy vegan eggnog in stores, but most of them contain loads of refined sugar. This eggnog recipe is made from whole plant based foods (with the exception of rum extract!) and natural sugars from Medjool dates!

You might ask, isn’t this recipe a little heavy on the fat (nuts)? Yes, it’s definitely a treat, but the fats from nuts are healthy monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs).

Why are MUFAs good for you?
Monounsaturated fats can help reduce bad cholesterol levels in your blood which can lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. Research also shows that these good-for-you fats may even target body fat where it’s hardest to lose – in your belly! Eat fat to lose fat! Good fat, that is!

Vegan Eggnog
By Chef AJ
Serves 4

3 cups almond milk
1 cup cashews
3/4 cup Medjool dates, pitted
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp rum extract
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Ground nutmeg & cinnamon sticks for garnish

Blend all ingredients together in a high powered blender until smooth and creamy. Best when served cold.

Healthy Happy Holidays,
xo-Catherine

Oatmeal Stuffed Baked Apple

All of the sweet and tasty goodness of a traditional apple crisp, stuffed and baked inside a fresh Autumn apple. Serve it alongside some vanilla Greek yogurt for an extra filling fall dessert, for one!

This single serving recipe is so easy to make, plus it’s gluten free, and vegan!

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If you’re new to my blog, you will notice that the majority of my recipes are single serving – for one person. I’ve always struggled with portion control… If I made a recipe that serves 4, I know I’d end up eating the whole thing… so that’s why I started making all of my meals only 1 serving. That way there’s no leftovers for me to eat, and no question as to how much of the meal is an appropriate portion. I always had a hard time with diet/nutrition books that would give recipes for 4-6 servings. I know I could measure out the appropriate servings and store them in their own tupperware, but if there are leftovers or extra in the fridge, I know I will end up eating them when I shouldn’t! Maybe that’s just me, but I’ve found that single serving recipes work best for me to stay on track! Single serving recipes are also great for someone who lives alone, but they’re easy to double if you’re cooking for another person as well!

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Oatmeal Stuffed Baked Apple
Serves 1

1 Fuji Apple
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp Earth Balance Olive Oil Buttery Spread (or coconut oil)

Preheat oven to 375. Wash and carefully hollow out the apple making sure not to cut too deep through the bottom of the apple. Mix oats, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon together and pour into the apple. Fill the bottom of a small baking dish with about 1/2 inch of water. Place the apple in the baking dish lined with water. Place 1/4 tsp of Earth Balance or coconut oil on top of the oats. Bake for 30 minutes.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown:
Produce: apple
Whole Grain: oats
Protein: none
Plant Based Fat: Earth Balance or Coconut Oil

Rabbit Food Meal Tip: Complete this meal with a cup of milk, or 1 cup of Greek yogurt as your serving of protein.

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