Obsessions, Recipes, Treats, Vegan

Foodie Penpals – July

Guess what? Today is the last day of July which means… FOODIE PENPALS REVEAL DAY!

Last month I decided to join Foodie Penpals, which is a program created by another blogger named Lindsay, also known as The Lean Green Bean. Foodie Penpals is a fun program that matches food lovers as penpals each month!

Foodie Penpal Details:

  • 5th of the month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. You will send a package to someone different than from whom you receive.
  • Your package is to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats!
  • The spending limit is $15.
  • The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe.
  • 15th of the month, you put your box of goodies in the mail.
  • Last day of the month, reveal the Foodie Penpal package you received in a post!
  • Open to bloggers and blog readers.

Click here for more information about becoming a Foodie Penpal! Who knows… we could get matched as Foodie Penpals! xo

My first Foodie Penpals  were Heather from Brownsburg, IN and April from Austin, TX! I was assigned to send a package to Heather, so I sent her some of my fav goodies from LA which conveniently arrived on her birthday making my first Foodie Penpals experience pretty memorable! April was assigned to send a package to me, and after exchanging a few emails, I was so excited to learn that she was from Austin, TX; where the flagship Whole Foods store is! April sent me some REALLY yummy goodies! The coolest part about April’s package was that I had never tried any of these items before!

WHAT’S IN THE BOX?!

  • Mint Double Fudge Bite-Lettes by Laura’s Wholesome Junk Food: O.M.G. My sister and I nearly finished the entire container in a matter of hours… SO. GOOD. and vegan. and healthy. and amazing. April… you’re the best!
  • austiNuts Chili Lime Cashews: Loved that she sent me something local from Austin! These cashews had the perfect amount of chili, perfect amount of lime, and a perfect little kick!
  • Hint Raspberry-Lime Water: I’m a huge fan of natural flavored waters versus artificially sweetened and flavored waters but had never tried Hint before. I loved the light flavor.
  • Late July Organic Vanilla Bean with Green Tea Cookie Sandwiches: These were awesome! The taste is similar to Oreos, but they have ingredients that you can actually pronounce haha.
  • Mints in a Moustache Tin: Cute addition! I can tell April has a sense of humor!

Thanks for the vegan treats from Austin, TX April! You’re so sweet! xo 





Interested in joining Foodie Penpals?! Get more information here!

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Desserts, Recipes, Snacks, Treats, Vegan, Vegetarian

Campfire Kisses

Motivation Monday: “You are always stronger than you think you are.”

UPDATE: LAPTOP IS BACK! YESSSS!
Today and tomorrow are super busy days for me as I am trying to get together a new part of my blog, Sam’s brother is here visiting, and two of my best friends are moving to Denver! It’s been kind of bittersweet this week… but I do have some really sweet giveaways and recipes coming up for you guys, yayyy!

If you didn’t get a chance to see my guest post on Wonder Forest a couple of weeks ago, you can read my original guest post on here! The author, Dana is an incredible artist with a gorgeous blog full of pretty type and imagery that you will just adore!

Here is the recipe for my Campfire Kisses from my guest post! The perfect healthy alternative to S’mores for your summer camping, hiking, or backpacking adventure!


Campfire Kisses
Makes 10 kisses

2 graham crackers + 1 for outer “crust”
1/2 cup unsalted cashews
1 cup Medjool dates – pitted
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp mini chocolate chips (or carob chips for a vegan option)
Optional: 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed for a boost of healthy omega-3s

Place 1 graham cracker in a food processor or blender and process until finely ground. Empty the graham cracker contents into a bowl and set aside, as it will be used to roll the kisses in later. Combine cashews and 2 graham crackers (and flaxseed if desired) in a food processor and grind until they become very finely ground, but not a butter. Remove pits from dates. Once pits have been removed, add the dates and vanilla into the food processor. Process until the contents are evenly chopped/combined and form a sticky dough. Remove dough from the food processor and fold in chocolate chips by hand or mixing spoon. Using a 1tbsp measuring spoon, scoop the dough into balls and roll evenly in your hands. Roll the ball through the bowl of ground graham cracker, coating it evenly (this will add flavor and prevent the kisses from sticking to the foil!). Wrap each ball separately in a 4x4in piece of tinfoil and twist off the tops like Hershey Kisses.

Take your Campfire Kisses on your next hiking trip or store in the refrigerator for 1 week, or freezer for up to 1 month.

| 18 Comments
Breakfast, Desserts, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Tropical Quinoa Smoothie

Happy Friday!

Last night I made another batch of Mediterranean Lentils and refrigerated them overnight for a quick pre-made lunch for my busy day today, and it was sooo good cold! It tasted like a completely different dish. I’m never a huge fan of refrigerated leftovers or meals, they just never taste the same to me… but this one was perfect.

This morning a threw a smoothie together with what I had on hand in the refrigerator and freezer and it turned out pretty good! I had some leftover cooked quinoa that needed to be eaten, along with some miscellaneous frozen fruit, so into the blender it went. I have been loving putting cooked quinoa in my smoothies (a nice break from rolled oats) because it gives a slightly nutty flavor and is also a complete protein. With the addition of some milk and coconut, a filling tropical morning smoothie was born!


Tropical Quinoa Smoothie
Serves 1

1 cup milk of your choice
1/2 cup pineapple
1/2 cup mango
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
2 Tbsp shredded coconut
1/2 tsp vanilla

Precook and chill quinoa. Combine all ingredients in a high powered blender and blend thoroughly. Enjoy chilled.
Note: If your blender is not very powerful, blend the milk and quinoa first until it is completely smooth and then add the other ingredients.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: pineapple and mango
Whole Grain: quinoa
Protein: milk
Plant Based Fat: coconut

| 15 Comments
Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Mediterranean Lentils

Today started off with a magical phone call from the Apple store telling me that my computer was ready to be picked up! After arriving at the apple store, they told me that my baby got some brand new shiny parts: logic board, track pad, wifi antennas, right fan, rubber foot, and 2 new screws. I was so pumped and ready to take my little lappy home until the dreaded word dun dun dun…”unfortunately” came out of the employee’s mouth. He said, “Unfortunately we were not able to replace your battery because that is not considered a repair, but a new purchase and installation, so we’re going to have to do that in the store.” He told me that they are usually able to replace batteries in MacBook Pros during Genius Bar appointments but due to an overbooking of appointments that were then running 45 minutes behind, they could not replace my battery at that time and had to keep it overnight. Boooooo! So off went my computer in a bright white apple box… Hopefully we will be re-reunited tomorrow morning!

Yesterday, an amazing RFFMBT reader, Tamiko completed the Skinny Bunny Cleanse with a total loss of 7 lbs! Tamiko also shared her awesome one day meal plan for her first day post cleanse so I thought you guys might like to see what she’s whipping up in her kitchen! Thank you so much for sharing your success and meals with me and the RFFMBT community Tamiko, you are so inspiring! Don’t forget to join the RFFMBT Facebook community for more updates and discussions like this!

If you are interested in doing the Skinny Bunny Cleanse and have any questions, make sure to read through the comments on the post to see if your question has already been answered. There are tons of comments from readers regarding questions and their success stories after the 5 day cleanse!

TAMIKO’S ONE DAY RABBIT FOOD MEAL PLAN

BREAKFAST:
Produce: 1 Apple
Whole Grain: 1 Slice of Toasted Whole Grain Bread
Protein: 1 Cup of Soy Milk
Plant Based Fat: 1 Tbsp. Almond Butter

LUNCH:
Produce: 1 Cup Peas and 1 Cup Carrots
Whole Grain: ½ Cup Cooked Whole Grain Couscous
Protein: 3oz Chicken Breast
Plan Based Fat: 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

DINNER
Produce: 1 Cup Broccoli and 1 Cup Asparagus
Whole Grain: ½ Cup Cooked Brown Rice
Protein: 3oz Salmon
Plant Based Fat: 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

SNACK
Produce: 1 banana
Whole Grain: ¼ cups rolled oats + ½ cup water
Protein: 1 Cup Soy Milk
Plant Based Fat: 1 Tbsp. Almond Butter

I have found that the serving sizes and combinations listed on my blog in the Rabbit Food Pyramid work perfectly for me. Everyone is different and not every day or workout is the same, so it could take some tweaking to find the perfect amount of food is for your body. Since I am maintaining, I do add in some extra fruit throughout the day if I am hungry and usually incorporate a post workout protein shake if I exercise that day. The pyramid is meant to be a guide to build healthy balanced meals to lose weight, and can be adapted for your individual needs, so if this is not enough food for your body/exercise level, or you are now maintaining, you can add another small meal or up your protein to fit your needs!

Earlier this week I posted a photograph on Instagram of a nutrition label for a round of “NAME THAT FOOD!” After tons of great guesses, a RFFMBT reader was able to identify that the label belonged to a bag of dry lentils! You guys had tons of great questions about lentils and I got a few requests for a lentil recipe, so here it is: vegan Mediterranean Lentils!

Let’s get to know these little legumes know as Lentils!

  • High in fiber with an average of 10-15g per serving.
  • Helps to regulate blood sugar by providing steady, slow-burning energy and balancing blood sugar levels from the high amount of fiber.
  • Loaded with iron, making them an excellent choice for vegetarians, vegans, and people who don’t eat red meat.
  • The protein in lentils makes up 26% of its overall calories, which makes them an outstanding source of protein for vegans.



Mediterranean Lentils
Serves 1

1/2 cup cooked lentils (you may use dry or canned)
1/2 cup cooke whole-wheat couscous
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup tomato
1/2 cup onion
1/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth
10 pitted kalamata olives
1 Tsp  balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp minced garlic
lemon juice to taste

Cook the lentils to package instructions (usually 1:4 lentil water ratio). Cook couscous to package instructions (in only water – no butter if suggested). Chop the onion and tomato. Mix the vegetable broth and garlic and pour into a pan over medium high heat. Cook the onion and spinach in the vegetable broth. Once the spinach has wilted, add the tomatoes to the pan (to avoid overcooking). Rinse the lentils once they have finished cooking, and combine one half cup lentils with the cooked vegetables. Add balsamic vinegar and chopped pitted olives to the lentil mixture and finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to taste. Place the couscous on a plate and top with the lentil mixture.
Note: If you use canned lentils, rinse and strain lentils, and cook in the pan with the vegetables to heat them.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: spinach, tomato, onion
Whole Grain: whole wheat couscous
Protein: lentils
Plant Based Fat: olives

| 23 Comments
Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegetarian

Pasta Primavera

Pasta pasta pasta where do I even begin?
Pasta can get a pretty bad rap due to it’s often fattening cream sauces, high carbohydrate count, and low nutritional value, but I’m here to tell you that not all pasta is bad! You can still eat pasta and lose weight, or maintain your toned figure. The keys to eating pasta are knowing what kind, and how much.

“Pasta doesn’t make you fat. How much pasta you eat makes you fat.”
– Giada De Laurentiis (Health Magazine, May 2012)

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Weather you are trying to maintain or lose weight, you could virtually eat anything that you want, as long as you know the correct amount and portions!

Today’s recipe is a healthy Pasta Primavera made with whole wheat pasta. Whole wheat pasta is made from flour that uses the entire grain and contains slightly more protein, and two to three times more fiber than refined pastas allowing you to stay fuller longer while stabilizing blood sugar levels.


Pasta Primavera
Serves 1

1/2 cup cooked whole wheat pasta
1 cup bell pepper (I used 1/2 cup red and 1/2 cup green)
1/2 cup mushrooms
1/2 cup yellow onion
1/4 cup nonfat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth (I use Pacific)
2 Tbsp pine nuts
1 tsp  salt-free Italian seasoning (I use Frontier)
1/2 tsp minced garlic

Cook the pasta to package instructions. Chop the bell pepper, onion, and mushroom and cook in vegetable broth in a pan over high heat.  While the pasta and vegetables are cooking, combine the ricotta, Italian seasoning, garlic, and pine nuts in a separate bowl and mix evenly. Once the pasta has finished cooking, strain and combine with the ricotta mixture. After vegetables have finished cooking, gently fold into the pasta and ricotta. Serve hot.
Note: If you are allergic to nuts, you can omit the nuts and cook your veggies in 1 Tbsp of olive oil (instead of vegetable broth) for your plant based fat serving.


The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: bell pepper, mushroom, onion
Whole Grain: whole wheat pasta
Protein: nonfat ricotta cheese
Plant Based Fat: pine nuts

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