guest post

Breakfast, Guest Bloggers, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Guest Blogger: Lauryn {The Skinny Confidential}

Today I am so so so excited to introduce you to my final guest blogger: Lauryn Evarts from The Skinny Confidential! She’s a super gorg San Diego girl, model, Proformer Pilates instructor, and future nutritionist with a passion for healthy eats.  Her blog: The Skinny Confidential is all about fitness, diet modifications/substitutions, fashion, creating, photography, blogging, beauty, & clean living. She’s always trying to help others make healthy decisions when it comes to food & exercise, what’s not to love?

RFFMBT Guest Blogger The Skinny ConfidentialHi guys! I’m Lauryn from The Skinny Confidential : ).
Today I’m talking BREAKY!Start Your Day Off Healthy: Coconut Blueberry Oatmeal

Get rid of the “I’m running late excuses” and make time for your health, diet, and figure. Fueling your bod with oatmeal in the AM allows you to feel full for hours. Instead of opting for boring, predictable oats, add a few blueberries, banana slices, almond milk, some unsweetened coconut shavings, a dash of cinnamon, and a sprinkle of nutmeg. My favie oatmeal benefits? It’s low on the cals, rids cravings, and contains tons of protein, antioxidants, & fiber.

Be careful when selecting a oatmeal brand at the market. Don’t let the low-sugar kind fool you: it’s filled with Aspartame and crap. Look for words like “steel cut” and/or “whole grain.” As far as milk goes, I prefer almond, flaxseed, or rice milk. Besides being easier on the stomach than typical hormone-filled milk, they’re all dairy-free!

And plus, who doesn’t anything with coconut?!

Recipe: Coconut Blueberry Oatmeal 
 ** Serves two
2 cups of Quaker oatmeal
1 handful of blueberries
1 sliced banana
1 cup almond milk
2 sprinkles of unsweetened coconut shavings
1 dash cinnamon
1 dash nutmeg

Slice banana & clean blueberries. Cook oats on the stove for about five minutes. Drain oats and add blueberries and bananas. Sprinkle coconut shavings, cinnamon and nutmeg over fruit. I like to let it sit for 2 minutes so fruit dissolves into the oats. Add 1/2 cup of dairy-free milk. Enjoy with fresh orange juice!

The Skinny Confidential's Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal 1
The Skinny Confidential's Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal 2
The Skinny Confidential's Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal 3
The Skinny Confidential's Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal 4
The Skinny Confidential's Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal 5Follow Lauryn on:

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Breakfast, Guest Bloggers, Recipes, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Guest Blogger: Kelly {Running Blonde}

Today’s recipe comes from guest blogger Kelly of Running Blonde! She’s created a protein packed granola filled with chia seeds, pecans, almonds, coconut, and dried fruit! She even broke down her recipe with the Rabbit Food Pyramid for you guys! I cannot wait to give this recipe a try! xo

Running Blonde

Hi! I’m Kelly. I’m a physician, athlete and blogger living in San Francisco, CA. On my blog I share recipes, DIY’s and travel stories. To learn more about me and what my life is like when I’m not wearing my white coat, check out Running Blonde.

chia pecan shredded coconut granola

Today I want to share a recipe for homemade granola with you. You’ve probably heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It’s true! An important part of your important breakfast is getting healthy protein so your body has energy to do everything you demand of it. Thanks to the pecans and almonds, this granola is protein packed. Plus, it features one of my favorite superfoods – chia seeds. These little wonders are rich in omega-3’s and fiber. This means they will help your heart and keep you feeling full all morning long.

Every time I share a granola recipe on Running Blonde, I give a little homemade granola spiel. It goes something like this – granola is one of the most flexible and most forgiving recipes ever. It’s easy to make substitutions based on your dietary needs and what you have around the home. If you are gluten intolerant, make sure you buy gluten free oats. If you are vegan, use maple syrup instead of honey. You can use any type of nut from pepitas to walnuts and any type of dried fruit. There are a few secrets to perfectly toasted granola – make sure you spread the granola out on your baking sheet evenly and not too thick. To get clusters of granola, after removing it from the oven when it is still warm, use your hands to press it gently into clumps.

chia pecan shredded coconut granola
chia pecan shredded coconut granola

Protein Packed Chia Granola
Makes about 6 cups

3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chopped almonds
3 Tbsp chia seeds
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dried fruit (I used cranberries)
1/4 cup honey
3 Tbsp melted coconut oil
3/4 tsp vanilla
1 cup shredded coconut

Instructions

1. Combine the oats, pecans, chia seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

2. Stir in the dried fruit

3. Stir in the honey, coconut oil and vanilla

4. Spread evenly on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper and bake at 300F for 30 minutes, stirring halfway. Toss, sprinkle with the shredded coconut and bake another 5 minutes.

chia pecan shredded coconut granola

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: dried fruit
Whole Grain: oatmeal
Protein: pecans, almonds, chia seeds
Plant Based Fat: coconut oil, chia seeds

Note from Catherine: Although I would usually put nuts and seeds in the “plant based fat” category, they are an excellent combined source of plant protein in this recipe!

Follow Kelly on:
Twitter: @RunBlonde
Pinterest: pinterest.com/runblonde/

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Life, Travel

RFFMBT Goes to Holland!

Hi bunnies!
I have two little announcements:

1. Today is my birthday! YAYYY!

2. Sooooo, some of you may have noticed that my RFFMBT store is completely empty. Welllll that’s because I’m in Holland visiting one of my best friends, Tammy! I had been planning a surprise trip (with the help of her fiancé Luc) for months and couldn’t say anything on my blog in fear of her finding out! Since I will be here until the 27th, I decided it would be best to put my store on hold until I’m home. I would feel terrible if anyone placed an order and I couldn’t ship it for weeks. The shop will resume when I return to the US around August 27th!

I also wanted to say thank you to everyone who purchased RFFMBT shirts! I shipped out hundreds of shirts to bunnies all over the world. I was so excited to see shirts going to Australia, UK, France, Germany, Turkey, Portugal, Canada, and all over the states! You guys are amazing! Huge thank you to my mom and Brett for helping me pack and ship everything!

Screen Shot 2013-08-15 at 2.17.52 PMFirst day of orders!

Screen Shot 2013-08-15 at 2.18.02 PMDay two of orders!

I had to completely refrain from Instagramming photos during my travel day, so I would’t give the surprise away to Tammy! Here is a photo update on my birthday and trip to Holland!

photo 1After I landed, Luc picked me up at the airport and we took the train home to surprise Tammy. I wish we filmed her reaction, it was priceless and something I will never forget! I walked into her house and she was photographing her sugar flowers and started SCREAMING! It was sooooo cute. I totally bawled my eyes out since I hadn’t seen her for an entire year!Reunited and it feels so goooood!

Screen Shot 2013-08-15 at 2.18.16 PMI woke up in Holland to flowers and a gift from Tammy!

photo 5About 5 lbs of Haribo gummies from The Netherlands! The flavors are sooo much better than the American Haribo bears! Trust me, I’m a gummy expert haha.

photo 2This morning, Tammy and I walked to breakfast in Breda, Holland.

photo 4
Birthday massage from a Dutch stranger! There was a group of students from a Physical Therapy school who were offering shoulder massages for practice hours. I suggest they do this everyday!

photo 3
photo 3 copyI thought this was hilarious! Luckily Tammy can translate menus for me!

photo 4 copyBirthday matcha green tea latte with soy milk!

photo 5 copyBirthday bagel: Sun dried tomato bagel with pesto and sun dried tomato cream cheese. omg. I. love. tomatoes. Favorite fruitveggie! I have to learn how to make this spread!

photo copyOn our way home from breakfast, Tammy and I stopped by the grocery store and guess what? I found Dutch almond milk! SCORE!

photo 2 copyTammy is the owner of Sugarlips Cakes, so she is busy building cakes and custom sugar flowers for a wedding this weekend! I’m the taste tester. Such a bummer. ha!

More updates to come from my trip! I’m so excited I could finally update you guys on what I’m doing!

Since I wasn’t able to say anything until now, I wanted to let you guys know that I will be taking a few guest blog submissions during my vacation.
If you are interested, please contact me using the “advertise” tab at the top of my blog!

For guest post submissions please include:
1. Your name
2. Blog URL
3. A little bit about yourself & your blog
4. Post subject/idea
5. How long you have been blogging

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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.

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Breakfast, Desserts, Recipes, Snacks, Toast Tuesdays, Vegetarian

Apple Walnut Toast

Hello Helloooo!
I had the BEST breakfast this morning! Of course it was toast in honor of Toast Tuesday!

Today I did my first official guest post for a blog called Wonder Forest! The author, Dana is a very stylish and extremely talented blogger, graphic artist, and entrepreneur from Ontario, Canada! She owns an adorable shop called Wonder Forest and is also a co-owner of another called Fawn & Flora!

Make sure to stop by and checkout my healthy recipe for: Campfire Kisses! Caution, you will spend hours on her gorgeous blog… Sophisticated combinations of color, typography, and imagery ahead!

Nowww back to some delicious toast! My palette has been craving all sorts of crazy flavor combinations, so I have been experimenting with tons of different food pairings. It’s fun to discover new favorites and change up the good ol’ day breakfast routine!


Apple Walnut Toast
serves 1

1 slice whole-grain toast
1 fuji apple
2 Tbsp nonfat cream cheese
2 Tbsp walnuts
cinnamon to taste

Toast the bread and slice the apple. Spread the toast evenly with cream cheese and top with apple slices and walnuts. Sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon to taste!

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: apple
Whole Grain: bread
Protein: nonfat cream cheese
Plant Based Fat: walnuts

 

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