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Desserts, Recipes, Snacks

Lightened Up Date Shake

Living in Southern California my entire life, I grew up going to Palm Springs every Easter with my family. Every trip to palm springs always included a quick stop by the date gardens in Indio to get a date shake. Since you guys know I love “healthifying” comfort foods, today is the day for a Lightened Up Date Shake. Traditional date shakes consist of full fat vanilla ice cream, whole milk, and dates. My recipe still consists of 3 ingredients, but adds up to nearly a fraction of the calories! Plus it’s vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, paleo, and low-fat!

A traidtional date shake adds up to:
Calories: 626
Fat: 25.3g
Sugar: 77.5g
Fiber: 4.5g
Protein: 13.2g

And my Lightened Up Date Shake totals:
Calories: 330
Fat: 1.25g
Sugar: 57.5g (all natural unrefined sugar)
Fiber: 8g
Protein: 3g

Not all sugars are created equal. Say a candy bar (refined sugar) has the same amount of sugar as a banana (natural sugar). They process through your body completely different. Whole fruit has a lot of fiber, which actually slows down your body’s digestion of glucose, so you don’t get the crazy insulin spike (and crash) that candy causes. That also means your body has more time to use up glucose as fuel before storing it… as fat.

That’s the #1 reason why I love using Medjool Dates as a sweetener in baking and other recipes versus regular table sugar!

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Lightened Up Date Shake
Serves 1

3 Natural Delights Medjool Dates, pitted
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup unsweetened original almond milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Remove pits from dates. Blend blend blend until smooth and creamy!

Tip: To make this more filling as a meal replacement, try adding 1/4 cup of dry rolled oats to the blender!

Huge thank you to Natural Delights for supplying the dates for this recipe!

| 15 Comments
Desserts, Raw, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Raw Gingerbread Men

Congratulations to the winner of my #ChotallyAwesome Chobani Giveaway: Kaitlin!
Don’t forget to check your email to claim your prize! xo

Giveaway Winner 12:13:13
Merry Christmas Eve Eve little bunnies!

Is it just me or has this holiday season been crazy? I’ve been working on a lot of graphic design projects and I’ve barely had time to create new recipes, which makes me bummed. But today, that changed! It’s been a way-too-warm 70 degrees here in southern California, and as awesome as it sounds to have beach weather and sunshine, it makes it feel less like Christmas. I literally don’t even want to turn on my oven to bake anything because it’s too hot in my house, haha.

Instead of traditional gingerbread cookies, I created a no bake, raw, vegan, paleo, gluten-free, gingerbread cookie recipe with no grains or refined sugars! How do you like them apples?! I don’t want to toot my own horn, but toot toot, this is probably the healthiest gingerbread recipe you will find! Minimal dishes required. What whatttttt!

Grab your almond milk, turn on Elf, and prepare to be a man-eater. ha. ha .ha.
But seriously, these Medjool men are so scrumptious!

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Raw Gingerbread Men

1 cup + 1/4 cup Natural Delights Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup almonds
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp cloves

Before you begin, REMOVE PITS FROM DATES! Combine all spices and almonds in a food processor and blend until finely chopped. Next add the dates and vanilla extract and blend until well combined. Even if it doesn’t resemble dough, it should stick together when pressing it into a ball. Transfer the ball of dough onto a picee or parchment or wax paper, cover with another sheet of parchment paper, and flatten to 1/4 inch thickness with a rolling pin. Remove the top layer of parchment paper and cut into gingerbread men or various shapes using a cookie cutter. Continue balling up the dough, rolling it out, and cutting into gingerbread men until there is no dough left. Eat right off of the plate, or store in refrigerator until serving!

Note: If you don’t have a cookie cutter, you can also roll them into 1 Tbsp sized balls as Gingerbread bites!

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Have a Merry Merry Christmas my loves!
xo Catherine

| 12 Comments
Desserts, Recipes, Vegan

Light Vegan Apple Crumble for One

I hope you guys had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I am so very thankful for all of my readers.
You make me so happy and inspire me every single day.
Thank you for allowing me to do what I love for a job.
It’s incredibly rewarding and I love hearing your success stories!

Thank you so much for being patient with me the past few weeks! A lot has been going on recently.
Now that the cat’s out of the bag, I can finally tell you guys why I have been so MIA!
I’ve been traveling a ton meeting with RFFMBT brand sponsors,
buttttt the big news is: my sister got engaged!
And of course amidst the chaos along came Thanksgiving and tons of family events!

This was seriously the cutest proposal in the world! I’ve had to keep my mouth closed for a month and it has been the hardest thing in the world! Patrick had asked my dad for his blessing, and then told my mom and I that he wanted to propose. Patrick actually asked me to be a part of the proposal which was so sweet! My sister is a photographer, and since photography is obviously very important to her, Patrick asked if I would hide and capture the proposal on camera (um duhhh this is every girl’s dream!). Of course I was all over it! I ended up hiding in a bush at the beach for 3 hours in the rain while Jess was “photographing” the beach and sunset until they made their way to the proposal sight where Patrick had written “Jessica will you marry me?” in shells and rocks! Both families were waiting at our house with champagne when they got back! It was too cute and I am soooooo happy that I was a part of it! My sister was beyond surprised, she had NO clue it was happening : ).

Of course for me, this means bridesmaid bootcamp! I’m ready to get those arms and shoulders toned for the wedding! I’m patiently waiting for the fiancés to set a date!

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proposalGreetings from my hobbit hole!

Since the holidays are here and dessert is essential at every gathering in my family, I have been inventing some new healthy single serving sweets for you guys. This recipe is the ultimate quick and easy dessert. Serve with nostalgia and the warm cozy feeling of fall!

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Light Vegan Apple Crumble
Serves 1

For the Apple Filling
1 medium fuji or gala apple
2 Tbsp almond milk
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt

For the crumble
1/4 up rolled oats
1 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1/2 Tbsp maple syrup or 1 packet stevia
1 tbsp Earth Balance Buttery Spread with Olive Oil or coconut oil

Optional: Top with 1 cup of Chobani 0% Vanilla Greek Yogurt as a light & healthy ice cream replacement.

Chop apple into small pieces and combine with almond milk, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Microwave for 4-5 minutes until apple becomes soft. In a separate bowl, combine oats, flour, maple syrup, and earth balance. microwave for 1 minute and stir. Place cooked apples in a bowl and top with the crumble mixture.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: apple
Whole Grain: rolled oats & whole wheat flour
Protein: Greek yogurt
Plant Based Fat: Earth Balance Buttery Spread
Free Extras: salt, cinnamon, nutmeg

| 18 Comments
Breakfast, Recipes, Vegetarian

Fluffy Oats

If you love oatmeal, you will love this new twist to get the fluffiest oats in the biz!
“It’s so fluffy I’m gonna die!” -Agnes from Despicable Me

Fluffy OatsMy words exactly while I was cooking these oats!

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Fluffy Oats
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Fluffy Oats
Serves 1

1/4 cup whole rolled oats
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup water
1 egg white

Whisk the egg until it gets a little fluffy/foamy. Combine with oats, water, and almond milk in a saucepan and bring heat to medium. Whisk the mixture until it starts to simmer. Raise the heat to high and continue whisking for a couple of minutes until it starts to thicken. Reduce heat back to medium and whisk until most of the liquid is soaked. Transfer to a bowl and enjoy with toppings!
Note: Be sure to whisk the egg before combining with other ingredients!

Make your oatmeal into a complete Rabbit Food meal with 1/4 cup of raisins and 4 Two Ingredient Coconut Macaroons!

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: raisins
Whole Grain: rolled oats
Protein: egg white
Plant Based Fat: coconut macaroons
Fluffy Oats
Fluffy Oats
Fluffy Oats
Fluffy Oats

| 5 Comments
Lunch, Recipes, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Sweet Summer Wrap

Hoppy Monday!

Motivation Monday: “If it is important to you, you will find a way. If it’s not, you’ll find an excuse.”

I’m so excited because I finally edited my RFFMBT shirt photos for the online store and updated my inventory, but dun dun dunnnnnnn I’m going out of town AGAIN! This bunny is a jet setter! Since I do all of the shipping and handling for the RFFMBT online store myself, I don’t want to open the store and not be able to send you guys your shirts, so I will be postponing it yet again until I get home. I just couldn’t imagine buying a product and waiting forever for it to ship, that’s just not fair to you guys. Eeeeeeek I can’t wait to show off the new store when I get home! Thank you for your patience!

In other updates, United Luv donated 9 iPads to St. Patrick’s Hospital in Missoula, MT! St Patrick’s also matched their donation with 9 more iPads for patients! Thank you thank you thank you everyone for supporting United Luv! The little things like “liking” United Luv on Facebook are helping enormously! For all of my little bunnies who purchased United Luv shirts, I hope you like your little surprises that I sent in the mail! The Eaton family and I are so grateful for all of you!

If you have a second, checkout RFFMBT reader Melissa’s healthy living blog Little Blue Dress and her post about United Luv too! Thank you for your support Melissa!

I’m also super excited that a little bunny in Mexico shared my Personal Pan Pizza recipe on her fab blog en espanol! Be sure to checkout Dolores’ blog La Lola Dice! Hi international bunnies! xo

Onto the yummy stuff!
Light, filling, Sweet Summer Wraps!
Sweet Summer Wrap
Sweet Summer Wrap
Sweet Summer Wrap
Serves 1

1 iceberg or romaine lettuce leaf
3 oz tempeh
3 Tbsp chopped fuji apple
2 Tbsp chopped red grapes
2 Tbsp Almond Butter
1 tsp honey

cut the tempeh into cubes and cook over stovetop to package instructions. Chop apple and grapes. Once tempeh has finished cooking, combine with apple, grapes, almond butter, and honey and mix well. Place the mixture into a leaf of lettuce, wrap, and enjoy!

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: iceburg lettuce, fuji apple, grapes
Whole Grain: –
Protein: tempeh
Plant Based Fat: almond butter

| 6 Comments

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