PB&J Medjool Date Smoothie

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Summer is upon us and all I want recently are smoothies! I guess that’s a good thing considering I could want candy or Nutella (my weakness). My friend Beth is obsessed with the PB Bowl at Nekter Juice Bar. We go at least twice a week to get our fav smoothie bowls, she gets the PB Bowl, and I get the Pitaya Bowl. Since she tells me everyday via text message how good this bowl is, I decided to try making a similar smoothie at home. Honestly, now I get why she craves it daily! At Nekter they use acai in the PB bowl, but because of my severe food allergy I had to pass on the acai, aside from that small change it turned out sooooo delish. I love the texture that Natural Delights Medjool Dates adds to smoothies. Plus it makes them dessert-like-sweet and super filling!

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Peanut-Butter-and-Jelly-Medjool-Date-Smoothie-6I love this little Gold Trophy Bowl from rachelgeorge.com. I’ve been getting really into food styling props, home decor, and office supplies recently. Is this what happens when you grow up? You get excited about bowls?! Well if this is growing up, I actually like it! I’ve been spending my days on the Rachel George website buying staplers and tape dispensers (and this mug), someone stop me now! If I haven’t disclosed this already, I also have a candle buying problem. I’m such a girl. haha.

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PB&J Medjool Date Smoothie
Serves 1

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 Tbsp natural peanut butter
4 Natural Delights Medjool Dates, pitted
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Blend until smooth.

Motivational Wallpapers // 03

It’s time for some new motivational wallpaper!!!
Sorry I totally slacked on last month’s free wallpaper, but this one is worth the wait!

This month’s free downloadable wallpaper: If it doesn’t challenge you it doesn’t change you

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It’s simple. If something doesn’t challenge you, it will not change you. No matter what you apply this principle to; exercise, weight loss, professional development, conquering of fears, or recovery: it stands the same.

To accomplish a goal, and to experience and feel change within us (be it physically or mentally), the goal must in some way challenge us. We need to step outside our comfort zones to experience magic.

But being uncomfortable is not something we enjoy as humans; hence the phrase “comfort zone.” We rate pleasure much higher than we rate pain. We crave routine. We love things to be somewhat predictable. And we live our days doing most activities by second nature. We do our utmost to avoid discomfort, pain, and challenging situations. What we must remember though, is that what does not kill us will only make us stronger. Challenges, then, should be viewed in a somewhat positive light.

Every single time you open your computer or phone, let this be a reminder that the change you want comes from challenging yourself each and every day!

DL-Wallpaper-if-it-doesnt-challenge-you-it-doesnt-change-you-brushstrokes-blue// click to download // BLUE // IF IT DOESN’T CHALLENGE YOU (1856 X 1161) // DESKTOP

DL-Wallpaper-if-it-doesnt-challenge-you-it-doesnt-change-you-brushstrokes-pink// click to download // PINK // IF IT DOESN’T CHALLENGE YOU (1856 X 1161) // DESKTOP

Iphone-Sample-if-it-doesnt-challenge-you-it-doesnt-change-you-brushstrokes// PINK // IPHONE WALLPAPER (1936 X 3000) // IF IT DOESN’T CHALLENGE YOU

// BLUE // IPHONE WALLPAPER (1936 X 3000) // IF IT DOESN’T CHALLENGE YOU

 

I hope you love the new wallpapers!
Health & Happiness
xo Catherine

Looking for previous Motivational Wallpapers?
Motivational Wallpapers // 01
Motivational Wallpapers // 02

Vegan Tofu Scramble

Hi my little loverbuns!

Thank you thank you thank you for your incredible comments on my post earlier this week. It’s hard to put these kinds of things out there onto the world wide web, but writing it all out helps me so much, and your support works miracles for my soul! I am so moved by all of your beautiful, kind, and motivating words. I feel so close to so many of you just from your comments! I love my little RFFMBT community so much, I cannot even describe how much you all inspire me everyday! I feel so honored that you feel comfortable enough to share your personal stories with little old me! I am amazed by all of you. Seriously. I’m pretty much speechless and want to type the same thing over and over because I’m so overwhelmed by your support and kindness! Thank you!

I’m really excited to share this awesome vegan staple with you. This is a dish that I make quite often, so often that I actually didn’t realize that I never posted it on here!

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Tofu scrambles are a great way to start your morning. This eggless replacement for your traditional scrambled eggs is loaded with protein and is also cholesterol-free!

For all of you “texture eaters” out there, let me give you the 411 before you get totally weirded out. There are a few different firmnesses of tofu. I love firm to extra firm tofu. It’s a bit tougher and chewier, but if that totally gives you the heebie-geebies just reading about it, never fear: there is also silken tofu! Silken tofu is a lot softer, and when “scrambled” resembles more of a light fluffy texture (similar to actual scrambled eggs). After you select the correct tofu for your texture preference, you are good to go! This is a really simple recipe, and the combinations of veggies are endless.

To make this scramble a complete Rabbit Food approved meal, I made it into a breakfast burrito with 1 whole grain tortilla (you could also swap the whole grain tortilla for 2 corn soft taco sized tortillas instead.). Finally, a breakfast burrito that won’t weigh you down and leave you overly stuffed!

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I like adding turmeric to my scrambles because it gives flavor and a yellow color that resembles eggs!

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Vegan Tofu Scramble
Serves 1

1/4 package of tofu
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

Remove tofu from packaging and strain water. Remove as much excess water fem tofu as possible by pressing it firmly between paper towel. Cut the tofu evenly into 4 cubes and store 3 remaining cubes in a container in the fridge. Place the tofu cube into a bowl and crumble with a fork. In a pan over medium heat, combine olive oil and tofu. Add the onions, bell pepper, garlic powder, turmeric, and nutritional yeast, and stir until onions become translucent. Transfer the tofu scramble to a tortilla, drizzle with hot sauce, and enjoy hot!

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown:
Produce: onion and bell peppers
Whole Grain: tortilla
Protein: tofu
Plant Based Fat: olive oil
Free Extras: garlic powder, turmeric, hot sauce, & nutritional yeast

Elle Est Forte

I fight this all too familiar feeling fairly often. I struggle with body image, and it’s days like this that  I realize that an eating disorder is something that I have to live with. It doesn’t define me or consume me, but I have some serious down days (and weeks) where I struggle. I mainly struggle with how I see myself. Sometimes I am so happy and content with my body and the scale or my clothing size doesn’t bother me, but there are other times where I can be extremely triggered by seeing myself in the mirror or in photographs that makes me want to stop eating, or gorge myself in sweets. It’s hard for some of my friends and family to understand my struggles with food and body image. I hear “you’re gorgeous” and “you look great,” but it’s nothing like that. I’m not programmed like everyone else.

When I was younger, my weight didn’t really phase me. Of course I wanted to be a “skinny” girl, but I never tried to diet or made an effort to be anything but myself and how I was. After losing 80 pounds after college, I have never seen myself the same. I feel like I will never be content with how I look wether I’m 100 pounds of 200 pounds. Even at the same weight I was in high school, I am so unhappy with my body. My body composition is completely different because I spin 5-6 days a week and have more muscle definition and tone, but I’m still so unhappy. It’s sad. Sometimes I wish that I never lost weight to begin with because I wouldn’t have this problem. Now that I’ve seen what I look like super “skinny” (at an unhealthy weight, mind you) I cannot get that image out of my head. I visually myself looking like that again, and can’t get that image out of my head. I find myself looking at photos of me at my lightest and comparing myself to what I look like today. It’s the WORST possible thing I can do, and I cannot stop. It’s triggering, it makes me sad, and it makes me hate my body even more because I’ve gained weight. When I take a step back, the comparison and negative thoughts that I have with myself make me so sad.

Sometimes talking about these things is hard, but I’ve learned through my blog that I’m not going through it alone, so why not write about it, right?

When I’m down, it’s so hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I describe my down moments as if I am treading in water. My head isn’t underwater, but my nose is barely peaking out. I’m able to get work done and get through the day, but it’s a struggle. Dealing with this same thing for a couple of years now, I’ve gotten better at coping with it. I no longer isolate myself from friends, or stop doing things that I love because I’m sad, but as I said, it’s a struggle. I guess why I’m talking about this is because writing is my therapy. Sometimes I completely shut down and keep everything inside, but writing is a way to get everything out.

On Saturday night I attended an event hosted by Full Psycle which celebrated the strong fit women of FP. At Full Psycle, we all compete inside “The Asylum” to get stronger,  but we’ve all formed quite a comradeship outside of the studio that gives us strength internally. This amazing group of ladies came together to celebrate and support the National Breast Cancer Foundation for a FP Girls Night filled with fitness, laughter, and shopping! Seeing so many strong, gorgeous, amazing women come together to celebrate ourselves was an amazing amazing feeling. Sometimes being a girl is just hard! We spend a lot of time criticizing ourselves and comparing ourselves to others, when we should really be celebrating ourselves! The event was so much fun. I love my Full Psycle family! Full Psycle has literally been my therapy since last July. I cannot go very many days without it, because it makes me happy. The workout and my Full Psycle family of friends and instructors lifts my mood and makes me feel so much better. In many ways, it has changed my life.

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I got a shirt that that benefits the National Breast Cancer Foundation, and I am absolutely obsessed with it. It reads “elle est forte” (she is strong). When I got home to try my new shirt on, something hit me and I felt so emotional. I’ve been very down on myself recently, and when I put my new shirt on, it spoke to me. I am strong. I’ve been through a roller coaster of ups and down in my life from my weight loss, eating disorder, and depression, to my accomplishments and success in school and my career, and through it all, I am strong.

I want every woman reading this to know that you are strong. There are so many obstacles that we as women face every day, but we get through it, because we are strong!

xo Catherine

PB Green Smoothie

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I loveeee green smoothies, and I love that DOLE has added all of these amazing new Power Up Greens to their lineup. I usually do a lot of fruit and veggie green smoothies, but this week I decided to try a different type of green monster smoothie from my fellow DOLE buddy, Kristin from Iowa Girl Eats! I love the addition of Greek yogurt and peanut butter in her smoothie recipe! It tastes so good, yet it’s so good for you!

DOLE’s new Power Up Greens ‘Baby Kale & Greens’ is loaded with baby spinach, baby kale, baby green chard, and baby red chard. This combination of dark leafy greens provides the perfect lineup for bold flavor and nutrition. With vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, manganese and calcium, this blend is a perfect way to power up by adding a boost of nutritious flavor to soups, smoothies and more.

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During the launch of DOLE Power Up Greens, DOLE sent me an adorable smoothie tumbler so I can power up on Green smoothies all summer long. They also sent me a super cute salad green yoga mat and custom DOLE earbuds for my workouts! They’re the perfect power up workout accessories!

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PB Green Smoothie
Adapted from: Iowa Girl Eats
Serves 1

1 frozen banana
1 Tbsp peanut butter
1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
1 cup unsweetened vanilla (or regular flavor) almond milk
2 cups DOLE Power Up Greens™ ‘Baby Kale & Greens’

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

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