raw

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

Juicing for Dummies

I hope that everyone had a happy Halloween!Cactus-CostumeIf anyone was curious about this year’s Halloween costume… I was a cactus! I cut white pipe cleaners into small pieces, folded them into “V” shapes and stitched them all over a green fitted American Apparel dress! I added a cactus flower in my hair and as a ring as well : )

Thursday-Saturday consisted of lots of sugary drinks, candy, and costume changes and I think it’s about time for a juice cleanse!

I’ve been complaining to my friends about being super tired and sluggish, and to be honest it’s probably all of the extra crapola that i’ve been eating! Halloween is only once a year, and candy and punch is necessary to celebrate.

My friend Brett (my gorg bunny model) and I are starting a 3 day juice cleanse and I would love some bunnies to join us! I’ll be posting my daily juices and feedback on my blog for you guys to read and follow along. It’s always great to have a buddy so you can hold each other accountable and stay motivated.

I’m really really excited for this post, because I love sharing what i’ve learned along the way of my weight loss journey. I want to showcase my simple juicing tips to make a homemade juice cleanse less intimidating and less time consuming for you guys. Hopefully you will learn some new tricks or be inspired to do a cleanse of your own after reading this!

TIP #1: BUY LOCAL. IT’S CHEAPER.
A lot of people can get turned off by juicing or juice cleanses because of the price. Store bought juice cleanses are super pricey, but making it at home doesn’t have to be!I went to a local store called “Growers Direct” which has excellent prices. I bought all of my produce for the next 3 days for $14.50 (unless I forgot something and need to go back!). Farmers markets are excellent for buying produce for a juice cleanse because they tend to be less expensive than your average grocery store or Whole Foods. Even hit Costco or Sam’s Club for bulk produce!
What I bought:
4 bunches of kale
4 oranges
4 lemons
4 cucumbers
7 Fuji apples
ginger root
5 lb bag of carrots
All for $14.50! That’s the price of 2 store bought juices, or one meal at a restaurant!

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TIP #2: LINE THE PULP BIN WITH A PLASTIC BAG.
This will definitely help when cleanup time comes! You won’t have fruit and veggies bits all over your kitchen and they will be pre-bagged and ready to be transferred. For ideas on what to do with your pulp, see TIP #7.
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TIP #3: SORT YOUR PRODUCE FOR WASHING.
Place all of your produce that needs to be washed in the sink (anything that the skin remains on i.e. apples, greens, cucumber, grapes, etc.). In the meantime, place a few pieces of paper towel next to the sink for easy drying. Kind of like a little fruit & veggie washing assembly line!

Juicing-for-Dummies-Homemade-Juice-Cleanse-5 After your produce has been rinsed, place them on the paper towel and gently blot dry. Don’t worry about drying them completely, just blot the excess water.

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TIP #4: SORT ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE CHOPED
Sort any produce that needs the skin removed (i.e. citrus and ginger.) At this time, you will also want to chop any large fruits or vegetables that cannot fit into the juicer whole. I like to chop my apples into 4 pieces each so they’re easier to feed into the juicer.

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TIP 5: JUICE CITRUS IN BETWEEN SOLID PRODUCE.
To get the most juice out of your citrus and greens, place them in between more solid produce like apples or cucumbers. I like to line up the “mouth” of my juicer with an apple, lemon, and then more apple and press it in with the “plunger.” This way I know I’m getting all of my citrus juice pressed in!

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TIP #6: FILL THE SINK WITH SOAP AND WATER FOR QUICK CLEANUP
Fill your sink with warm water and soap while you juice your produce. This will make the cleanup process MUCH faster! Once you finish juicing, place all of your washable juicer parts in the sink and let them soak while you bottle up the juice. This will allow the soap and water to help loosen up the pump for quick and easy part cleanup!

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TIP #7: RECYCLE YOUR PULP!
Now that your pulp is already stored in a plastic bag, it’s super easy to transfer it to your refrigerator for later use, or to compost! I love using juice pulp for crackers (recipe coming later this week)! Just remember, if you want to use your juice pulp for another recipe later on, be sure to remove any inedible seeds and skin before juicing. Get that pulp in the refrigerator and save it for my Juice Pulp Cracker recipe later this week!

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TIP #8: LINE YOUR COUNTER WITH PAPER TOWEL FOR JUICE STORING.
Line your counter with a couple sheets of paper towel to make the juice storing process less messy. Remove lids from your glass jars and get ready to pour.

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Tip #9: HOW TO PROPERLY STORE YOUR FRESH JUICE
Fresh juice right out of the juicer is not only the best tasting but the best for you because of it’s high nutrient level. But we can all agree that it’s not always practical, right?  No one really has time to juice several times per day, so it’s necessary to make juice beforehand. A couple of questions I frequently receive are “Is it possible to make juice ahead of time?,” “how long does juice last in the fridge,” and “how do you store fresh juice?” Well here are my answers. Yes, it is possible to make a batch of juice ahead of time and store it for later. Fresh juice can last about 24 hours without losing any nutrients if stored properly.

The biggest concern for keeping juices fresh is oxidation. During the juicing process, fruits and vegetables are broken open and their enzymes and other nutrients are released from the fiber.   When the juice is exposed to air it gives up an electron to the oxygen in the air, thus oxidizing the juice and making it less nutritionally stable.  If you can reduce the amount of time the juice is exposed to the air and seal it up quickly you have a better chance of keeping the nutrients intact.

This means storing your juice in glass jars with an air tight seal. Below I will describe the process of filling the jars to get the least amount of oxygen in them as possible!

Juicing-for-Dummies-Homemade-Juice-Cleanse-14Fill the jars all the way to the top rim with juice so that they actually overflow a little.  The goal is no air inside the jar.

Juicing-for-Dummies-Homemade-Juice-Cleanse-19Place the metal lid on top of the jar. Some juice may overflow, which is ok. This ensures that there is no excess oxygen in the jar.

Juicing-for-Dummies-Homemade-Juice-Cleanse-15Screw the metal band on tightly to ensure the lid is on and sealed.

Juicing-for-Dummies-Homemade-Juice-Cleanse-16Clean off the jars and throw away the paper towel. Store for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator! Careful when opening, they’re full!

TIP # 10: DRY JUICER PARTS ON A DRYING RACK
After cleaning all of your juicer parts, let them air dry on a drying rack (I bought a bottle rack at Target for about $10). The less work, the better, and the more likely you will be to juice again!
Juicing-for-Dummies-Homemade-Juice-Cleanse-18Now for that juice recipe you’ve been waiting for!

Juicing-for-Dummies-Homemade-Juice-Cleanse-17Catherine’s Glowing Green Juice
Makes 4  16oz servings

2 bunches of curly kale
4 Fuji Apples
2 Lemons, skin removed
2 large cucumbers
1.5-2 inch slice of ginger, skin removed

This is one of my favorite juices and an excellent basic green juice for a cleanse!

I hope that these juicing tips have helped and/or inspired you to juice at home! xo
If you have any juicing tips, let me know in the comments below!

Kiwi Greenie

Congratulations to the winner of my Red Apple Lipstick Giveaway: Katie!
Be sure to check your email to claim your prize, Katie! xoRFFMBT red apple giveaway winner— Winners are chosen using a random number generator : ) —

Today’s recipe is a green smoothie, just in time for this massive heat wave headed our way! It includes tropical flavors of mango and kiwi along with super spinach, and plant based fat from avocado to give a rich creamy texture! Enjoy!

Kiwi Greenie
Kiwi Greenie
Kiwi Greenie
Kiwi Greenie

Serves 1

1 kiwi, peeled
1 cup frozen mango
1 cup frozen spinach (or 2 cups fresh)
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 medium avocado

Combine all ingredients in a high powered blender and blend until smooth.
Note: If you don’t have a high powered blender, start by blending the spinach and almond milk first until spinach is completely smooth. Then add other ingredients.

Kiwi Greenie

Tofu Asparagus Spring Rolls

Congratulations to the winner of my ENLIGHTENED Ice cream giveaway: Valerie M!
Be sure to check your email! & Enjoy your cold ice cream during this crazy heat wave!

This week I have been giving my 100% and going to spin everyday. I am so in love with the endorphin rush that it gives me, and the calorie burn isn’t bad either! I hope that you guys have been scoping out some new workout classes to try this weekend. You may just find your new thangggg. I love motivating you guys with personal posts about my fitness progress and body/weight stuff, but I just can’t get myself to post it along with these gorgeous recipe photos! I feel like those kinds of posts need to be separate, so I’ve set some posts aside next week for updates on how everything is going in the workout world! Right now it’s time for some rabbit food!

I absolutely love all of these bright green veggies! Beautiful!

Tofu Asparagus Spring Rolls
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Tofu Asparagus Spring Rolls
Tofu Asparagus Spring Rolls
Serves 1

1 spring roll (rice paper) wrap
1 inch strip of firm tofu
6 spears of asparagus
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1/4 medium avocado
1/4 cup arugula
4-5 mint leafs

Sesame Miso Sauce
*Also pairs well with low sodium soy sauce, or tamari if you don’t feel like making sauce!

2 Tbsp tahini
1 Tbsp white miso paste
1 Tbsp agave nectar
1/2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp grated ginger root

Refrigerate all ingredients beforehand. Wash and cut ingredients for inside the spring roll. Fill a bowl or saucepan with warm water. Begin dipping the spring roll wrap in the water and rotate. Continue gently dipping until the rice paper becomes transparent and limp. Lay the pliable wrap on a piece of cheese cloth or clean kitchen towel. Place the ingredients on the top center of the wrap. Fold the sides in over the filling. Then tightly push the ingredients together folding the top corner over, then roll until completely wrapped. Chop in half or into 6 pieces.
Note: I have found that wrapping the spring roll on a towel is the best way to prevent it from sticking and tearing.
Another Note: The spring rolls are much easier to handle if cut in half vs. small pieces!

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: asparagus, cucumber, arugula, and mint
Whole Grain: complete this meal with 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice!
Protein: tofu
Plant Based Fat: avocado

Carrot Cake Bites

Hoppy Easter Everybunny!

Even if you don’t celebrate Easter, you can celebrate bunnies, spring, pastel colors, and carrot cake with me!
I’m so excited to hangout with my family this weekend. I will be celebrating Armenian Easter Saturday with my cousins tomorrow, and then Easter Sunday with my dad, mom, sister, grandparents, and aunt. Can’t wait for all of the bunny cuteness that will occur this weekend!

Since Easter is often associated with bunnies and carrots and those are pretty much the two best things on this planet, I thought it would be fun to make Carrot Cake Bites. Little bites of natural energy that won’t hurt your waistline! True rabbit food!

Carrot Cake Bites
Carrot Cake Bites

Carrot Cake Bites
Makes about 20 bites
Adapted from Baking Serendipity

1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup almond butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 chopped almonds
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a mixing bowl, combine shredded carrots, almonds, raisins, flaxseed, and cinnamon and stir. Add almond butter and maple syrup and stir until evenly combined. Place mixture in refrigerator for at least one hour. Shape mixture into one-inch bites.

Don’t forget my other healthy carrot cake recipes:

Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Carrot Cake Oatmeal
Serves 1

1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup nonfat cream cheese
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp raisins
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp vanilla

Cook the oats with water in a pan over medium-high heat. Once most of the water has been soaked up into the oats, stir in the chia seeds, cream cheese, and grated carrot. Add in the rest of the spices, vanilla, and maple syrup and stir until all ingredients are combined. Transfer the cooked oatmeal to a bowl, garnish with extra shredded carrot, and top with raisins. Enjoy warm.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: carrot and raisins
Whole Grain: rolled oats
Protein: nonfat cream cheese
Plant Based Fat: chia seeds

Carrot Cake Smoothie

Carrot Cake Smoothie
Serves 1

1 cup chopped carrots
1 frozen banana
6oz Chobani Pineapple Greek Yogurt
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground ginger

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add almond milk as needed to acquire your desired thickness.
Note: For a vegan option, omit the Greek yogurt (and almond milk) and sub with 1 cup of coconut milk instead.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: carrot and banana
Whole Grain: rolled oats
Protein: Greek yogurt
Plant Based Fat: chia seeds

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