Are you puffin' today?

Let me explain how and why I decided on the blog title "Daily Dose of Rabbit Food". When I started the quest of eating nutritious foods I consumed a lot of nuts, dried berries, fresh berries, and nut butters. My brothers, who are Italian I might add, didn't understand how these foods fit into the typical Italian diet of salami, red sauce, and wine. Don't get me wrong, foods of this nature have a place in moderation. Besides, what Italian girl doesn't love a glass of vino and a beautiful plate of bolognese sauce. It is making my mouth water just thinking about it! Over the years my brothers have gotten use to the way I eat and have deemed my style of eating as "rabbit food". Somewhere along the way my "rabbit food" has become something I am proud of. 

Let me share with you one of my, oh so favorite, breakfasts. Barbara's Cinnamon Puffins have a permanent home in my pantry. The fluffy corn squares are sprinkled with cinnamon and contain only 6 grams of sugar, 90 calories, and roughly 6 grams of fiber per serving. Plus, Barbara's cereals contain no refined sugars, hydrogenated oils, or artificial food additives. They remind me of one of my childhood favorites, Cinnamon Toast Crunch. If that is not enough to tempt you to try a bowl I don't know what does. 

The only downside of cereal is that it doesn't always fill me up. I like to pair my bowl of cereal with peanut butter banana toast. YUM, YUM, TRIPLE YUM. Pre-rabbit days I was a JIF girl but I have been digging Earth Balance natural peanut butter. It is no-stir natural peanut butter with added flaxseed for ALA Omega-3's and a touch of agave syrup for sweetness. I use half of the banana for my toast and the other half as a Puffins add-in. I even take this combo to work for lunch some days. If I am feeling really sassy I will top my peanut butter banana toast with some dark chocolate chips. 

Barbara's Cinnamon Puffins with Banana

Has anybody ever tried Chocolove chocolate bars? The company is based in Boulder, CO and they use all-natural ingredients. They have 24 flavors and the packaging resembles a love letter and inside each wrapper is a romantic poem. This was enough to make me shell out $2.99 for one chocolate bar. The flavor combo I chose was salted peanut in milk chocolate. I hope it is as heavenly as I think it is going to be!

My husband and I are leaving for Gulf Shores, AL in three days. The trip was planned in honor of two of our best friends. They are getting married in August and this is their bachelor and bachelorette celebrations. There are 16 of us going and we have a big beach house rented. The Hangout Music Festival will also be going on. I am looking forward to time off of work, sand in my toes, music in my ears, and sun on my shoulders. I am starting the mental checklist of what needs to get packed. Before I get the suitcase out, I think I am going to have to dig into my Chocolove bar!

Black Beans and Chocolate

                                         "Every journey begins with a single step." 

This is one of my favorite quotes because it is so true. I have been thinking about starting a blog for some time and decided today was the day. My goal is to share with you the things that bring me the most happiness. Aside from the hubby, family, and friends I love to cook, exercise, paint, travel, hike, canoe, camp, and pretty much anything else you can do outdoors! 

I am somewhat obsessed with and always searching for delicious and nutritious recipes and plan to share many of those with you. I tried my hand at vegan brownies last week. The ingredients included  a ripe banana, applesauce, cocoa, cinnamon, and black beans. Yep, BLACK BEANS. Black beans are a great way to incorporate fiber and protein into your diet. I can't take credit for this recipe so here is the link:

http://monimeals.com/lightened-up-treats/vegan-brownies/

This is the final product. I thought they were good and snacked on them all week for dessert. My mom, a chocolate lover, was not sure what to think when I told her they were black bean brownies, my husband just laughed, and my brother Nick thought they were pretty good! Hey, I will take it! If all else fails, throw some vanilla ice cream on top and call it a day!

I also want to share one of my favorite smoothie recipes. By favorite, I mean only. I am trying to get into the idea of drinking my fruits and veggies. As of right now, I prefer to eat my veggies rather than drink them but this is actually quite delicious. Even my husband is a believer.

Add 1/2 banana, 1 cup frozen strawberries, 1 cup of spinach, and 1/2-1 cup milk or other liquid to blender. Pulse a few times then blend until desired consistency.

I thought the color would end up having a green hue but I was pleasantly surprised with the strawberry-like color. The only thing I would suggest is throwing in some protein powder so the smoothie sticks with you a little longer. I am a "eat every few hours" type of person and I was hoping the smoothie would keep me full a tad bit longer. I always tell my family if I am grouchy for no reason put a piece a food in my mouth!

I want you to meet Magic. He is the first addition to our family. Our neighbor found him a few weeks ago. We think he got dropped off in our neighborhood because somebody couldn't afford him. Our neighbor looked for the owners and we contacted the humane society and after no luck we took all 65 lbs of him in, got him up to date on vaccines, and provided him with a home, rawhides, greenies, toys, and lots of love. We couldn't imagine life without him but I could do without picking up the morning poo on our walks. Big dog = big poop.

Have a good weekend and a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY shout out to all the moms out there.