Breakfast, Contests & Giveaways, Recipes, Reviews, Smoothies

Barbie Bowl + Pitaya Plus Giveaway

Today’s recipe and giveaway is brought to you by my new favorite superfood brand: Pitaya Plus!
Ummm, how gorg is this color?
Seriously, to die for.

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I’ve been obsessing over pitaya smoothies and smoothie bowls at my favorite local spot Nekter, and when Pitaya Plus caught wind of my new healthy addiction, they offered to send me some of their smoothie packs to try! They were also kind enough to giveaway some Pitaya Plus Smoothie Packs to one lucky RFFMBT reader!

can’t. contain. my. excitement. right. now.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok. excitement is now contained.

So… what is Pitaya?
Pitaya, otherwise known as dragon fruit, is a fruit that comes from the cactus species. It’s native throughout Asia as well as Mexico, Central America, and South America. It’s glossy magenta exterior cuts open to reveal a gorgeous vivid pink interior (Central America), studded with black seeds. Depending on where the fruit is from the flesh can also be white inside (Asia).

What does it taste like?
Its texture is very similar to a kiwi, but its flavor is more mild, almost a cross between a kiwi and pear.

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Here’s why I love Pitaya Plus Smoothie Packs:

Raw // Did you know that Pitaya Smoothie packs are never cooked or heated? Most other smoothie packs are cooked and pasteurized. Our pitayas are picked at the peak of ripeness, and flash frozen to ensure you get the most nutrients. Maybe that is why it looks so bright and alive when blended?

No added sugar //  Helping maintain healthy levels of insulin in the blood, keeping energy levels stable, a low-carb, low-sugar diet has proven to be a good weapon in the war against obesity. A low-carb diet is essential to maintaining safe blood sugar levels for diabetics, and can help reverse the onset of adult diabetes.

Antioxidants  // Helps neutralize the formation of cancer causing free radicals.

Fiber // Helps to lower cholesterol, Lower blood-glucose levels and improve you digestive health by removing harmful toxins.

Vitamin C // Experts say Vitamin C is one of the safest and most effective antioxidants. Benefits of vitamin C are known to include strengthening and protection against immune system deficiencies, cardiovascular disease, prenatal health problems, eye disease, and even skin wrinkling.

Calcium & Magnesium // Calcium is essential for the  body to protect and heal. Magnesium increases the absorption of calcium in the body. Both are required for general health. They work in harmony to help the body in numerous ways to keep illness and disease at bay.

Omega-3s // Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and may help lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis.
(source)

I  would definitely say that Pitaya puts the “Super” in Superfruit!
These smoothie packs are an easy way to add pitaya to your daily noms. Since pitaya can be tricky to find (often at Asian and exotic food markets), it’s great to have it right at my fingertips and year round in my freezer!

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Barbie Bowl
Serves 1

1 Pitaya Plus Smoothie Pack
1/4-1/2 cup coconut water
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1/2 tbsp coconut butter

Toppings:
1/2 banana, sliced
2 Tbsp granola (I love Nature’s Path Hemp Plus)
1 Tbsp shredded coconut

Blend until smooth. Start with 1/2 cup of coconut water and add until desired texture is reached. Add toppings, and enjoy!

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WIN PITAYA PLUS SMOOTHIE PACKS!

Thanks to Pitaya Plus, one lucky RFFMBT reader will win a case of Raw Organic Pitaya Plus Smoothie Packs!
Giveaway ends on Sunday, March 9th at 11:59pm PST.
Winner will be announced on Monday, March 10th.

*Must use a valid email address and be a US resident to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Show Pitaya Plus some love:
Instagram // @pitayaplus
Facebook // fb.com/pitayaplus
Twitter // @PitayaPlus
Pinterest // pinterest.com/pitayaplus
Google + // pitayaplus
Website // pitayaplus.com
Where to buy // store locator
I need to buy it right now // online

| 200 Comments
Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Maple Lemon Tempeh

Today’s recipe is from one of my favorite healthy recipe blogs, Eating Bird Food (Obviously bird food and rabbit food is where it’s at!). I had been dying to try Brittany’s Maple Lemon Tempeh Cubes recipe since I first saw it last week and finally got around to making it today! I love Brittany’s blog because she has some amazing flavor combinations and great healthy recipe ideas. I love her approach of healthy eating and I think you will too!

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I made these tempeh cubes to eat on top of a salad but ended up having a serving straight from the oven with a fork! They have just the right amount of crispiness and tons of flavor.

If you’ve never had tempeh before, you have to try it!
Tempeh is one of my favorite plant based vegan proteins. It’s similar to tofu because it is made from soybeans, but it’s taste and texture are completely different. Tempeh is much more textured and firm since the soybeans are cooked and slightly fermented, and has a mild nutty flavor. It’s low in fat and high in protein and calcium, making it a great addition for stir-frys and salads.

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Maple Lemon Tempeh
Adapted from Eating Bird Food
Serves 3

1 package tempeh (I recommend LightLife’s Three Grain)
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons water
¼ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon powdered garlic
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 400°. Chop tempeh into bite size cubes. Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. Once melted and hot, add tempeh and cook for 2-4 minutes until the tempeh turns a golden brown color. While the tempeh is browning, mix together the lemon juice, maple syrup, water, basil, garlic, and black pepper. Pour mixture over tempeh and stir around to coat the tempeh. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. The tempeh should be nice and brown on both sides. Transfer the tempeh cubes to a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes in the oven until crispy. Remove from the oven, plate and serve.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: none
Whole Grain:  none
Protein: tempeh
Plant Based Fat: olive oil
Free Extras: lemon juice, basil, garlic, pepper

To make a complete Rabbit Food Pyramid approved meal with your Maple Lemon Tempeh, here are some ideas!
Meal Idea 1: Combine with 2 cups of veggies (carrots, snow peas, broccoli, cauliflower, and peppers) and serve with 1/2 cup of brown rice.
Meal Idea 2: Combine with 2 cups of chopped kale and wrap into a whole grain tortilla or wrap.
Meal Idea 2: Serve on top of 2 cups of spinach and 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa!.

| 7 Comments
Breakfast, Recipes, Smoothies, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Antioxidant Smoothie

Before I get to my smoothie recipe I wanted to talk about a couple of things!

First: Thank you thank you thank you to all of my little bunnies who ordered shirts and “Eat More Rabbit Food” merch! I can’t even tell you how thankful and humbled I am by your support! I’m also so happy that you guys love rabbit food as much as I do : ).

Second: Sorry for being a little MIA on the blog! Once I list merch in my online shop, it turned in to utter madness (and happiness)! I get so excited when I see your orders come in and want to get them packed up and shipped as fast as I can so you can wear your new goodies, but then I totally stress myself out thinking I’m superwoman lol. But guess what, everyone’s orders (up to today at 2pm) have been shipped! WOOO!! It’s just me myself and I running my blog, email, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, so when I add shirts into the mix, I literally go crazy. Today, I ate an entire bag of goldfish while I packed orders and laughed when I realized the bag was empty. Im stress eating like crazy this week! I’m also working on a huge freelance graphic design project right now, so I have a feeling I will be buying another bag of goldfish this week.. haha. These are things I used to beat myself up about, but now, I know that I’m stressed, I’m eating because I’m stressed, I’m going to get my workout on later tonight, everything will be ok, and life goes on! I’m glad to have a much healthier perspective on food now vs a couple of years ago… which leads me to my next subject! The Organic CBD Nugs help with stress.

Since this week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, and I wanted to post a different kind of Transformation Tuesday. I didn’t just want to post this, I NEEDED to post this. If you guys have been following me for a while, you’ve probably read my weight loss story, but today, I wanted to talk about my recovery/weight gain story!

Before and After RecoveryYou may have noticed that I don’t really talk about weight very much. I am totally open to talking about my before (heaviest) and after (lowest) weights. I can tell you that in the photo on the left, I was at my worst in my eating disorder and I weighed around 100 lbs. But now… I don’t care what I weigh. Yes, I weigh myself on occasion to make sure I’m in a normal range for my body, and am not getting crazy with the bags of goldfish (haha), but for the most part my jeans and bra are a good indicator of how I’m doing. I will notice if I go to Sprinkles Ice Cream too many days in a row that my bra is feeling a litttttlllleee snug so I replace the Sprinkles Ice Cream with banana nice cream that I make in my Yonanas. It’s taken me a LONG time and a lot of hard work to get to this place where I don’t beat myself up over certain things, and can happily allow myself things like goldfish and ice cream, but it has been 100% worth it.

During my weight loss journey, I became obsessed with losing weight. I loved when people would call me “tiny” and “skinny” and was driven by people who thought that I was too thin. In my ED mindset, the thinner the better. But did it equal happiness? No, not at all. I was extremely depressed, miserable, always hungry, in pain, and my brain was foggy because I wasn’t nourishing my body with enough calories. At my lowest weight of about 100 lbs, I was never small enough. At this point I was terrified of most foods (even fruit, wtf), I had alienated myself from all of my friends, and never had any energy. At one point I didn’t think I was thin enough or worthy enough to live. That’s when I has a huge meltdown that saved my life. I started therapy and working with a nutritionist to become happy and healthy again, which was the best decision I’ve ever made. Was it easy? No. Was it fun? Not really. But was it worth it? Yes. During my recovery I realized what it was like to live again and eat freely without caring. Instead of working out to burn what I ate, now I workout because it’s fun and I love the friends that I’ve made at spin. I eat healthy because I love the way it makes me feel. It scares me when I look back at old photos when I was too small and thought I was “fat.” It’s terrifying how frail I was. I’m so happy to be where I am today! I have so much more muscle and love my strong legs and hiney compared to what I looked like during my ED. Starving & overexercising will not make you happy, no matter how much you think it will. Say yes to healthy eating, sexy muscles, and happiness! I hope that by sharing my story, I can inspire just one person to choose recovery and a healthy lifestyle!

Now that the serious part is done, onto the recipe! Today’s recipe is one of my best friend’s favorites! I can’t eat berries (worst allergy ever… boo), so I make this for my sister and her fiancé to enjoy while I stick with my Tropical Green Smoothie!

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Antioxidant Smothie
Serves 1

1 frozen banana
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup strawberries
huge handful of spinach

Blend until smooth.

I promise I will have recipes other than smoothies this week!
xo

| 13 Comments
Fashion, Obsessions

Eat More Rabbit Food Winter 2014 Merch!

It’s finally hereeeeee!
RFFMBT “Eat More Rabbit Food” Winter 2014 Merchandise!

I can’t believe how fast the first couple months of 2014 are flying by!
I’ve been so busy working on new projects and collaborations and couldn’t be more excited to share it all with you!
That being said, I apologize for totally slacking on the merchandise, but it’s officially on sale now!

I know the International shipping prices totally suck… the United States Postal Service does not make shipping for small businesses very easy or affordable : ( But I want you guys to know that everything is shipped via USPS Flat Rate shipping prices, so I don’t set the prices, the post office does.

I’m really excited for you guys to see all of the new pieces for Winter 2014!

Eat-More-Rabbit-Food-Oversized-Long-Sleeve-ShirtThe new Long Sleeve Oversized Shirts are so flowy and comfy! They’ve available in Navy, Black, Red, Grey, and Olive Green! This is by far my FAV style shirt I’ve ever sold! If you guys like them as much as I do, I want to order some bright colors for spring!

Eat-More-Rabbit-Food-Fold-Over-Yoga-PantsFold-Over Yoga Pants

Eat-More-Rabbit-Food-TankMint Green Ribbed Racerbacks

Eat-More-Rabbit-Food-HoodieMore Pullover Hoodies in Heather Grey, Charcoal, and Black! Check the sizing chart as these unfortunately run small : ( I am looking for another hoodie brand for next time!

RFFMBT-Beanie-1Carrot Logo Embroidered Beanies for cold outdoor workouts!

I hope you like all of the new goodies!
Health & Happiness
xo Catherine

| 11 Comments
Breakfast, Lunch, Raw, Recipes, Smoothies, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Copycat {whole foods} Tropical Green Smoothie

I am really really excited to tell you guys that I am an official contributor for Olympic gold medal winning gymnast Shawn Johnson’s website The Body Department! The goal for Shawn and TBD is to provide a safe and healthy place for young women to come and talk about health and body image in a positive way. You can see my Contributor Profile on TBD, where Shawn will be sharing some of my recipes and tips to live a healthy vibrant life! She also posts some great workouts that you guys will love!

I went to Whole Foods the other night after spin and ended up ordering the BEST smoothie. I’ve been making my Simple Green Smoothie every morning, but I’m quite certain that this is my new go to! The best part is that it’s just as simple to make! See my video below to watch me make this smoothie step by step!

Below is the 24 oz Tropical Green Smoothie that I purchased from Whole Foods for $5.95.
It consisted of spinach, coconut water, banana, pineapple, and mango.
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I love getting smoothies from juice bars and markets when I’m low on time and groceries, but sometimes I don’t think their smoothies are thick enough for my liking and I drink them in a nanosecond. My recipe is a little bit thicker but to my knowledge, tastes exactly the same as theirs! If you like thick smoothies, you are in the right place! But if you like your smoothies a little thinner, no problem, just add some extra coconut water to this recipe!

Below is my Copycat Tropical Green Smoothie!

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Copycat {whole foods} Tropical Green Smoothie
Serves 1

1/2 – 1 cup coconut water (I used O.N.E.brand)
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup pineapple
1/2 cup mango
huge handful of spinach

Start with 1/2 cup of coconut water and add more if needed or desired. Blend until creamy and smooth.

Vitamix Blending Tips:
Some of you have asked me what settings I use on my blender.
Vitamix blenders can look intimidating, but they are so easy to use!

  • Start by placing all of the ingredients into the blender, followed by the lid, and plunger.
  • I usually start off on variable 5 as I jam all of the ingredients down with the plunger.
  • Once the ingredients have all been pushed to the bottom, I like to bring the variable speed up to 7 or 8 until it starts moving on it’s own without the plunger.
  • Once the ingredients start blending without the help of the trusty Vitamix plunger, I hit the “HIGH” switch and let it run until it blends super smooth and even!

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I hope you guys enjoy this smoothie as much as I did!
And I apologize for all of the smoothie recipes recently, it’s so hot in CA! We literally haven’t had winter at all here, boooo. I want snow and hot soup!

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