gluten free

Desserts, Vegetarian

Two Ingredient Coconut Macaroons

Congratulations to the winner of my Love True Naturals Beauty Box Giveaway: Melanie H.!
Be sure to check your email!

Motivation Monday: “What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.”

My website had some technical difficulties this morning, so I apologize for the inconvenience. I’m so happy it’s back up and running!

I’m obsessed with desserts and after making some toasted coconut this weekend, I though to myself; I NEED to make healthy coconut  macaroons! Most macaroons contain tons of added sugar and even full fat condensed milk, so I took to the kitchen to make a skinny bunny version with only 2 ingredients! Crispy and toasted on the outside with a lightly sweet chewy center!

This recipe is gluten-free, paleo friendly, clean, and made with healthy plant based fats!
If you’re following my Rabbit Food Pyramid: 4 Macaroons (2 Tbsp of shredded coconut) count as 1 serving of healthy plant based fats! Excellent topping for your Banana Nicecream!

Two Ingredient Coconut Macaroons
Two Ingredient Coconut Macaroons
Two Ingredient Coconut Macaroons
Two Ingredient Coconut Macaroons
Two Ingredient Coconut Macaroons
Two Ingredient Coconut Macaroons
Two Ingredient Coconut Macaroons
Two Ingredient Coconut Macaroons
Makes 14 macaroons
(about 3.5 servings)

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 egg white

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk one egg white and then stir into the shredded coconut until well combined. Spray a cooking sheet with nonstick cooking spray (I used coconut oil spray, but any will do). Using a 1/2 Tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop the mixture, press into the spoon (to keep the mixture together), and then place onto the cooking sheet. Once all of the mixture has been scooped into 1/2 Tbsp balls, place cooking sheet in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until they become a light golden brown. If only the bottom halves of macaroons brown, turn the oven to broil and cook for 1 minute until the tops turn golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Note: Watch the macaroons while baking because they tend to burn quickly.

What’s your favorite healthy dessert to make?

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Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Medjool Date BBQ Sauce

When Natural Delights sent me an email with their new “naturally sweet” summer recipes, I knew I had to give their Medjool Date & Citrus BBQ Sauce a try! My kitchen is always stocked with medjool dates for raw vegan dessert recipes and my crazy sweet tooth. Although I do throw medjool dates in an occasional salad, I never really thought about using them in savory recipes. I was excited to see a naturally sweet barbecue sauce recipe since I’m always looking for ways to lower my refined sugar intake. This recipe does call for half a cup of brown sugar, but I actually omitted it, using only the dates as sweetener and LOVED how it turned out!

Homemade barbecue sauce= gluten free, vegan, and naturally sweet with no refined sugars!
Just in time for the 4th of July!!!

Natural Delights Medjool Date BBQ Sauce
Natural Delights Medjool Date BBQ Sauce
Natural Delights Medjool Date BBQ Sauce
Natural Delights Medjool Date BBQ Sauce
Natural Delights Medjool Date BBQ SauceMy friend Behnaz brought me a huge bag of fresh picked grapefruit from her backyard! Perfect timing!

Natural Delights Medjool Date BBQ Sauce
Natural Delights Medjool Date BBQ Sauce
Natural Delights Medjool Date BBQ Sauce
Natural Delights Medjool Date BBQ Sauce

Medjool Date & Citrus BBQ Sauce
Adapted from Natural Delights

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup grapefruit juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup low-sodium tomato paste
12 Natural Delights Medjool Dates, pitted & coarsely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Chop onions and mince garlic. Heat oil in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients (grapefruit juice, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, chopped medjool dates, and spices) and let simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer to a blender or immersion blender and purée the mixture. Transfer the completely blended mixture back to a saucepan and let simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator.
Note: Great for basting tofu, or tempeh for a mock BBQ chicken salad!

Visit NaturalDelights.com for the original recipe (using brown sugar) and nutrition information!

If you’re a visual learner, Natural Delights has an excellent YouTube video showing step by step insructions on how to make the BBQ Sauce!
Natural Delights Medjool Dates

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Breakfast, Desserts, Recipes, Snacks, Vegetarian

ViSalus Protein Pudding

Congratulations to my DOLE Bananas Peel The Love giveaway winner, Tammy!
Make sure to check your email!

Motivation Monday: “Be strong, you never know who you are inspiring!”

As you guys know, I’ve been traveling a ton lately. Along with traveling comes little time to cook my own meals and unhealthy airport options, so I was excited when ViSalus contacted me and asked if I would like to try their Vi-Shape Nutritional Shake Mix. I’m always searching for the perfect, quick, no hassle  protein shake that actually fills me up for days where I’m short on time. I’m not a huge fan of protein shakes because they never fill me up and I end up snacking times 100 about a half an hour later, but ViSalus actually kept me full until my next meal!

Since I’ve been on the go a lot recently, I’ve been replacing my usual breakfast (or sometimes lunch) with one Vi-shape shake. I throw it in my blender bottle with one cup of almond milk and hop in my car to go to my meetings. I was really surprised by the flavor. While most protein shakes taste chalky, ViSalus‘ Sweet Cream flavor tasted like cake batter! Very pleasantly surprised!

When I took a road trip a few weeks ago to Chicago with my friend (she got a new job and needed a driving buddy!) I took my ViSalus Vi-Shape Mix and a blender bottle. It was easy for me to get some fresh nonfat milk and shake it up each morning! I NEVER skip breakfast, so the Vi-Shape shakes have really helped me when I have little time in the morning. I even created a recipe for Protein Pudding that I can make overnight and have in the fridge to snack on when I get a sweet tooth!

About ViSalus Vi-Shape Mix:

  • Only 90 calories per serving
  • 20g protein per serving
  • 25 Vitamins & Minerals
  • Lactose free
  • Gluten free
  • Certified kosher
  • Non GMO soy
  • Proprietary Tri-SorbTM protein blend helps build lean muscle to help your body burn fat
  • Full serving of fiber (5g)
  • Low fat (1g)
  • Low sodium (75mg)
  • Low sugar (less than 1g)
  • Low carb (7g)
  • Heart-healthy
  • Includes calcium for bone health
  • Good for those watching their sugar intake

ViSalus Protein Pudding
ViSalus Protein PuddingViSalus shake and chia seeds before refrigerating for 3 hours.

ViSalus Protein Pudding
ViSalus Protein PuddingChia seeds in the ViSalus shake after refrigerating for 3 hours.

ViSalus Protein Pudding
ViSalus Protein Pudding
ViSalus Protein Pudding
Serves 2

2 scoops ViSalus Vi-Shape Nutritional Mix
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
4 Tbsp chia seeds

Combine ViSalus mix and almond milk and blend until smooth. Transfer to a jar and stir in chia seeds. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight for best results.

The final tally per serving:
Calories: 180
Fat: 10g
Carbohydrate: 14.5
Fiber: 13g
Sugar: <1g
Protein: 12.5g

*nutritional information based on Bob’s Red Mill Chia Seeds, and Unsweetened Original Blue Diamond Almond Breeze.

For awesome inspiration, motivation, and jaw dropping transformation photos, checkout the ViSlus Facebook page, website, and blog!
Website: http://www.ViSalus.com
Facebook: ViSalus
Blog: http://www.ViSalusBlog.com
ABout Vi-Shape Shakes: Vi-Shape Shake Mix

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Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Pasta!

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Pasta!
I can't believe it's not pasta!

Really, I can’t believe it!
There’s tons of hype about spaghetti squash these days, but I found out the hard way that I’m extremely allergic. After the allergy incident, I was determined to find a light healthy veggie pasta alternative. I’m pretty proud of this one!

This is an excellent pasta alternative for someone who is looking for something light and healthy, gluten free, low carb, vegan (without the cheese), or someone who is simply looking for a tasty way to incorporate more veggies into their diet. Also a huge plus for mommies who want to disguise more veggies in their kids meals!

So what’s the secret noodle?
Broccoli! Broccoli slaw to be exact.

What is broccoli slaw?
Broccoli slaw is made of raw shredded broccoli stalks. Sometimes you will see it in the grocery store mixed with shredded carrots and/or cabbage.

Sound too scary?
Give it a try by slowly incorporating the broccoli pasta into your regular pasta! Start with a larger ratio of pasta, and then each time you make it, try using more of the broccoli pasta.


Considered to be one of the most nutritious vegetables, broccoli offers us:

  • High amount of potassium.
  • Magnesium and calcium that help regulate blood pressure.
  • One cup of broccoli contains the RDA of vitamin C, an antioxidant necessary for fighting against free radicals.
  • Contains high levels of both calcium an vitamin K, which are important for bone health.
  • High in fiber, which aids in digestion and helps to make us feel full and prevent overeating.
  • Trace minerals, such as zinc and selenium that act to strengthen the immune system.

Now that you’ve met your new friend broccoli, let’s make some “pasta!”

I can't believe it's not pasta!
I can't believe it's not pasta!
I can't believe it's not pasta!
I can't believe it's not pasta!

I Can’t Believe It’s Not pasta!
Serves 1

2 cups raw broccoli slaw
1/4 cup organic tomato/marinara sauce
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese
1 tbsp olive oil

Place olive oil and chopped onions in a skillet over medium/high heat. Cook the onions until they become translucent. Add the broccoli slaw to the same pan and sauté for about 5 mins, tossing frequently. Add the tomato sauce to the pan and stir until evenly coated and heated. Transfer the “pasta” to a bowl and top with parmesan cheese.
Note: You want the broccoli slaw to get soft, but not mushy. “Al dente” is probably the best description!

I can't believe it's not pasta!

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: broccoli, onions, and tomato sauce
Whole Grain: –
Protein: parmesan cheese
Plant Based Fat: olive oil

| 20 Comments
Desserts, Recipes, Vegetarian

Coconut Mug Cake

Ohhh my gosh, I am so excited to share this recipe with you! On Tuesday, I went to a Kappa Alpha Theta Alumni Group social and came home with the BEST recipe! My fellow sister, Carter (sorority sister for those of you who may be confused) told me all about her new healthy dessert creation, and I was all over it! Only 6 ingredients and takes 2 minutes to make, what’s not to love?! Carter has a Tumblr with tons of delish healthy recipes so make sure visit choisis la joie!

Choisis la joie

Coconut Mug Cake
When I asked her how she came up with the recipe, she explained, “I am not Paleo, because I love cheese and sourdough bread too much, but Paleo recipes are a great place to start, because they are focused on veggies, fruits, healthy fats and proteins. This makes it so that overall, the foods I make for myself are healthier and more nutritious. Then I can indulge without guilt when I’m out for happy hour or food-truck day!” I love her philosophy on using Paleo guidelines as a starting point or base for her recipes. It’s a great way to explore different healthy foods and experiment with new recipes!

I like to emphasize that all types of foodies are welcome here whether you are vegan, vegetarian, carnivore, candy lover, paleo, gluten-free or if you follow Weight Watchers, or a low carb diet like Atkins. I want my blog to be a place where anyone can come to find inspiration and motivation to try new healthy recipes. There is no foodie judgement here! Plus most of my recipes can be easily adjusted to fit your dietary needs.

I do however want to talk about the pressure to follow a certain “diet.”
My most requested recipe adjustments are usually to make meals gluten-free, but recently I have been asked about Paleo options. I don’t follow the Paleo diet, but I love the way that Carter explained it! It makes Paleo seem less cult-like and more approachable! If you are an avid healthy living blog reader, you probably know what I mean by “cult-like” haha but if not, let me explain. CrossFit has recently turned into a phenomenon. Not only for fitness, but for it’s own “language” (box, WOD, AMRAP, etc.) and even adopting it’s own diet; Paleo. It seems like any blogger that I follow (or even Facebook friend) that goes to CrossFit, gets sucked into this crazy CrossFit cult! Suddenly they give up their vegetarian lifestyle to become full-blown carnivores and LIVE to plaster their new weight lifting PR all over the internet. It seems more like people are quick to jump into the Paleo world for the trendy CrossFit reasons than for their health. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea, I’m proud of all of my friends who do CrossFit. I know it’s something that I A) would never enjoy B) would probably suck at, and C) would most likely get hurt doing, so props to the CrossFitters in the world! But why has CrossFit gone from a trendy new exercise to intimidating hardcore lifestyle? Honestly, I would be so scared to set foot into a “box” because I wouldn’t be able to lift more than 10 lbs, would feel guilty that I ate whole-wheat, and think that Fran is my instructor, not my workout! As you can tell, CrossFit is probably not for me, but it’s a great match for so many others! Long story short, I like Carter’s approach for creating healthy recipes by starting with paleo guidelines. To me, that’s how special diets should be used. You shouldn’t feel obligated or pressured into eating a certain way to sit at the cool table haha. Not every diet or lifestyle works for everyone, and most of the time it takes a little while to find out what works for you and makes you feel your best. I don’t want anyone to think that because I eat a certain way, that they have to as well I also want everyone to know that no matter what their diet is, they are very welcome here and I respect their choices. The important thing is to eat clean whole foods as much as possible and have a healthy balance and relationship with food. Healthy eating should be fun, not intimidating!

choisis la joieAlso love that Carter made my DIY Workout Shirt before meeting me or knowing that this was my blog! So awesome!

Coconut Mug CakeI had some very curious kitchen assistants today. Elin (Labrador Retriever) & Teddy (Corgi) had tons of fun as the cleanup crew.

Coconut Mug Cake

Coconut Mug CakeSince this recipe requires a heaping tablespoon, I thought I would show you what that looks like. If you are unsure of anything in my recipes, always feel free to ask! I had no idea what a heaping or scant Tbsp was a while ago haha yay for learning new things!

Coconut Mug CakeThe batter before microwaving.

Coconut Mug CakeCoconut mug cake cooked!

Coconut Mug CakeMy favorite way to eat it, with one tablespoon of all-natural peanut butter!

Coconut Mug Cake
Serves 1

1 heaping Tbsp coconut flour
1 heaping Tbsp cocoa powder
1 Tbsp almond milk (or coconut)
1/2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 egg

Combine all all ingredients together in a microwave safe mug and mix well. Microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds to 2 minutes until cooked.
Carter’s notes: Enjoy with a big dollop of peanut butter if you’re as obsessed with the pb/choc mix as I am! You can also add some dark chocolate chips in the cake for a little extra flavor.

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