BlissfulBritt

Who Needs a Car?

Posted on May 3, 2013 by blissfulbritt

May 1st came and so did the spring weather. Spring season is the perfect time to be outside and move! I am not sorry to be breaking up with my treadmill for a while, and I have been enjoying many outdoor runs, and walks. Dating a runner means that while “normal” people drive places, we can run places. Yesterday we ran to the farmers market to see about getting some fixings for dinner.

The market just opened for the season a couple of weeks ago and the pickings are pretty slim right now. Plenty of apples though!

Some of the Fuji apples were so big I mistook them for honeycrisps.

Apples on steroids.

With empty bags we proceeded to walk to the store to find what we needed for dinner. If you follow me on Instagram, you will have seen a sneak peak at what was for dinner. This meal was so delicious and I cannot wait to make it again. Post/recipe to come!

The rest of the weekend will be spent outdoors, baking, blogger meet ups, running, walking, BIKING (hopefully), and eating A LOT of food. Watermelons are back, time to get real with my spoon. No bowl necessary for watermelons. Happy weekend!

Q: Is it farmers market season where you live?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Farmers Market, Manfriend, New food, Running, Spring, Vegan | 60 Comments

Sometimes

Posted on April 29, 2013 by blissfulbritt

Sometimes I take pictures that make me feel really freaking awesome. I pretend I am a professional feline photographer for a feline magazine. I call this, “Dreaming of a better life.” In reality though, he is really spoiled and comes home within 20 mins of being let out.

Sometimes I edit pictures that make me feel really freaking weird.

This is what my cat would look like with a human face. Or so I assume. I couldn’t decide on which one to post so I posed three different versions. I think I like the goober, simply because it best describes my inner personality.

Sometimes I fight my cravings for cupcakes and satisfy my sweet tooth with something easy and quick. It’s never the same, but the sugar rush is similar.

Adult version of ants on a log. Minus the log. Sub chocolate for raisins So really this is nothing like ants on a log..scratch that all together.

Sometimes I surprise myself with a good run. 6 miles at a 9:31 pace is about a minute faster than my average pace. I’ll take it. Still undecided if I am going to run my third half marathon next month though..I take it day by day with my knees.

Sometimes I get wild and give into my cravings for what I really want and build myself ONE cupcake. If I make more than one, I eat more than one. Problem solved-bake one.

No recipe for this yet, it still needs some tweaking. It did satisfy my craving though..so job well done funfetti like cupcake. I made a sprinkle cupcake to celebrate the missed birthday of my blog. Oops..I forgot that last week was my two year blog birthday. I can’t believe it’s already been two years. I should have known with a first post like this I would be here for a while. The weirdness hasn’t changed, I can tell you that much.

Sometimes my family makes me smile.. OK more like a lot of the time. My younger sister has started an art blog. If you like to draw and want to participate in her contests check her out over at: Order of the Pencil. YAY! I wish I could draw, but really my skills are as bad as a monkey trying to sing. My talents include twisting my arms to look like Frankenstein and making faces that would frighten small children. I’ve been blessed.

Q: What’s your “sometimes” for the day?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Cats, Cupcake, Family, Peanut Butter, Random, Running, Vegan | 63 Comments

One of Three

Posted on April 25, 2013 by blissfulbritt

Yesterday I went for a run. Nothing crazy, just a run. No record breaking distance or speed..JUST a RUN! Well it was hard. So hard in fact that I needed to drink my entire mini water bottle by the end of a measly three mile run.

The difficulty of this run could have been for one of three reasons:

1. It was hot out. And by hot I mean like 64, but the sun was BEATING on my skin!
2. Aunt Flo is here. That bitch always zaps my energy.
3. I was tied to a fishing pole and someone was reeling me in each step I took.

The last one sounds about right.

After I got home from my run, I noticed someone got a new bed.

Where’s my new bed!? This kitty king palace was $30!! Seriously that is like $1000 in human money and I could get a nice bed for that price. This is actually a dog bed, but shh don’t tell them. My furry felines we given this bed for one of three reasons:

1. They are princes of my house and get whatever they want.
2. They get cat hair on the couches so in attempt to stop that, they now have their own couch.
3. They brainwashed my mom and today she will be coming home with fresh salmon and string toys from Europe.

I’m going to say all of the above.

Lastly, in the evening I went to a spin class. Before I went I had some of this.

My spin class was so epic, I swore at any moment my bike was going to come off the stable indoor docking and I was going to be riding through mystical forests filled with shirtless centaurs that looked like Adam Levine. The class was SO good, that I was dripping sweat. There was one point where I saw the drops fall..plop, plop, plop..tic tac toe three in a row. It was like the Amazon Rainforest was leaking off my face.

This sweat dripping, energy pounding class could have been for one of three reasons:

1. The liquid green crack brought so much oxygen to my blood cells that I couldn’t use it fast enough.
2. I chose a broken bike with easier gears than the rest, making me think I was at a level 17 when in reality it was the equivalent of a level 5.
3. I am a beast.

Why yes, I did bend down to take a picture of one of my sweat droplets. You’re welcome.

I’m going to say one and three are probably legit. This was the same day as that bum run, so something must have kicked in to give me some energy.

While I know I get a ton of chlorophyll (not to be confused with chloroform) from the leafy greens I eat, I wanted to try to get even more. This plant based product is known to mimic hemoglobin and assist in bringing oxygen to your blood cells, carry carcinogenic properties OUT of your body, and boost energy naturally!! I’m going to continue to test it out on runs and spinning, and I hope it helps my energy levels! Ok well that’s enough for one day!

Q(s):

Does anyone else judge a hard workout by the drops of sweat on the floor?
Anyone ever tried liquid chlorophyll?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Cats, Chlorophyll, Random, Running, Spinning | 56 Comments

Dirty Good Times

Posted on April 23, 2013 by blissfulbritt

The bearded dragon and I have finally completed one of the dates out of our date jar.

We went running! That most definitely counts as a date, especially because we hadn’t run together in almost two months! Whaaaaaat!?

5.5 morning miles went quicker than any 3 miler alone. Except for my 3 miler yesterday, I am trying to work on some speed. Speed for me means consistent 9min range miles with an occasional 8:50mile. Slow and steady. Anyway what I’m saying is running with a partner makes time flyyy byyy.

Manfriend ran in his minimalist Merrell’s for the first time and his calves are still sore two days later. It reminded me of the first time I ran in my Vibrams, it was a rough week walking up and down the stairs.

Speaking of Manfriend…

He has been a smoothie making fiend lately, which has inspired me to get wild in the kitchen with Bill. He made an interesting smoothie with a root vegetable that I had to try my own version of.

There is a large handful of spinach in there which means the smoothie SHOULD be green, but this strong red colored vegetable took over the color. Any guesses?

WARNING: This smoothie is not for the faint of heart, only SERIOUS beet lovers should attempt to consume. Otherwise you risk wasting food.

“Beet me up”

1/2 cup almond milk
1 whole apple
1/2 banana
1 medium (pre cooked) beet
1 LARGE handful spinach
1 cup frozen berries
1 scoop (15g) rice protein (or protein of your choice)
1 tblsp flax seed

It’s a “dirty” good smoothie. Get it..cause beets taste like dirt/earth..anyway..I am going to work on perfecting this smoothie for the everyday smoothie maker, but if you’re wild like me give this version a go! If you hate it, well suck it up it’s good for you!

Q: Any crazy smoothie creations lately?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Beets, Date Night, Manfriend, Recipe, Running, Smoothie, Vegan | 55 Comments

Early Morning Confessions

Posted on April 20, 2013 by blissfulbritt

1. Remember the Grinch that tried to steal Christmas, only to be shocked when the people of Whoville came together stronger than ever? Even without their gifts? Yeah, that just happened in Boston. Runners unite, even without their medals.

2. I have separation issues. Specifically with clothing, I recently gave away some too big race shirts, and old work shirts, and it was like giving away a piece of my soul.

I did keep four TJ’s shirts…baby steps.

3. My running has been below average lately. I blame this on the fact that my knee is killing me. The bizarre part is that it’s not the knee that was hurting me before my last half marathon. Whatever, they are trying to take me down..damn knees.

4. On sunny days I like to spoil my children and let them outside. It’s like Christmas in April for these furry boys.

He got so dirty I soon regretted my decision.

5. That jungle cat in the above picture has a new name: Richard Parker. Simply because I was so blown away by the movie Life Of Pi that I now call my cat by this name. This movie rocked my world so hard I couldn’t stop thinking about it for days…

6. I love nature…like a lot. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before.

7. I’ve been obsessing over burritos lately. Better yet burritos with the entire kitchen mashed inside. Newest obsession: Beets inside the burrito.

8. Last night I combined a store discount along with a coupon to get $2.00 off, making my total $1.99. Couponing at it’s finest.

9 and 10. While I haven’t been running A LOT I have still been running, and I was given some gels to try out on one of my longer runs. I’ve tried GU Gels, Shot Bloks, Chia Surge, and now Huma gels, a chia energy gel. I love chia seeds so I happily accepted the gels in exchange for my honest review.

This is a new company, and I am all for supporting small businesses. They have two flavors right now, strawberry and apple cinnamon. I have to admit that I am not a fan of fruity flavored gels like this, so the strawberry was not my jam. I did however LOVE the apple cinnamon gel. The flavor was amazing and I would eat it with my oatmeal or toast before a run, if not straight from the packet.

The texture was smooth, perfect for those of you skeeved out by chia seeds and their gelatinous texture when wet. I was surprised when I couldn’t even tell the seeds were in the mix. I would definitely buy the apple cinnamon gel again for my longer runs. Delicious AND nutritious.

Click photo to be taken to the website.

You don’t have to be a runner to enjoy these gels, these are perfect for any cardio like activity. If you’re interested in trying these gels, and supporting a small new business you can use the discount code: BLISSFULBRITT for 10% off until April 30th!

Q: What’s your morning confession?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Boston, Confessions, Half Marathon, Review, Running, Vegan | 48 Comments

Sweet Treat

Posted on April 15, 2013 by blissfulbritt

It’s no secret that I love sugar. Cookies, cakes, chocolate, anything with that sweet kick to the mouth and I’m in heaven. I don’t however, love fake sugar or anything claiming to be a healthier alternative to sugar. Don’t even try to offer me Splenda, Equal, or even Stevia. Stevia tastes just as bad as the dirt it’s grown from. Blech. Nothing beats the real deal as long as it’s raw and pure. Also, it’s all about the balance..sugar doesn’t make you unhealthy if it’s consumed responsibly, so why eat the shit your body doesn’t recognize? Beats me.

With that said, there is one sugar “alternative” that I was willing to try: Xylitol. Heard of it?? It’s what is used to sweeten your gum and toothpaste and gives that minty cool feeling. Sugar alcohols don’t affect your teeth, but they do have one major side effect: Diarrhea. This could be good and bad…just hear me out. Knowing that if you eat too much and could get diarrhea, this could help to keep your paws out of the cookie jar eating too many cookies. A little help getting rid of waste never hurt anyone right? Kidding..sorta.

I was asked to do a review of a Canadian company’s Xylitol product. While I still swear by real sugar, I was happy to give this stuff a try.

I do have to disagree with the words at the top, if eating sweets gives you guilt, you’ve got bigger issues than needing fake sugars. BALANCE PEOPLE! If you don’t think you earned the sweet, DON’T EAT IT! No need to feel guilty! This stuff looked like sugar, and tasted sweet with a cooling after taste..in a good way! I also was given some candies, and gum.

No complaints. I loved all of the candies, and I am obsessed with the gum!! This is the kind of gum that you chew so obnoxiously because the flavor is SO good and you just can’t get enough. This might explain why I have no friends..

Now I just needed to BAKE with the Xylitol to see how it tasted in a cookie.

Chocolate Chip Cookie

2 cups whole wheat flower
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup xyla
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup applesauce
1.5 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the melted coconut oil, brown sugar and xyla until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, and applesauce until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted.

So how did they taste?? Amazing, just as if I used real sugar. The xylitol didn’t alter the flavor of these at all. I can’t say the same for stevia, seriously baking with stevia is like chewing on nails. Horiffic.

If you are interested in using xylitol I would recommend doing your research before using a lot of it. Overall the flavor was good and moderation is key.

Q: Do you use any fake/alternative sugars? I’m a sucker for the real deal.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Baking, Cookies, Recipe, Review, Vegan | 44 Comments

Coupons Make My Heart Soar

Posted on April 11, 2013 by blissfulbritt

Fact: Sweets taste better when they’re free. Most of anything tastes better when I don’t have to spend any of my hard earned cash money on them, but sweets are the top dog in this playing field.

I’ve been daydreaming about being a contestant (is this what I’d call myself?) on Extreme Couponing. While I don’t have the patience or the brain capacity to do all the work that goes into couponing, watching other people coupon is extremely fascinating. I may never have a stockpile the size of the Taj Mahal, but I do my part in couponing for civilians.

I was lucky enough to be born with sticky fingers, and while at VegFest a few weeks ago I snagged a “few” extra BOGO donut coupons. Six to be exact. I used four coupons last weekend, which gave me four free donuts.

*One maple bar was consumed prior to the picture taking. Donuts wait for no one.

These bangin beauties are from Mighty-O Donuts in Seattle. Only the best vegan donuts around the sound. Let’s do some math now. I spent a total of $3.78 on four donuts (Manfriend bought the other four making our total eight, but for the sake of numbers we will only count the ones I paid for.) Remember when I said all the lost change I found with my coin counter would go towards donuts? Well I wasn’t joking. I’ve found a total of $2.19 thus far, subtract that from my whopping total and I payed: $1.59 for four donuts. Oh sweet victory is mine.

I wish I could say the sugar faeries stopped dancing in my brain after I bought these donuts, but that would be a terrible lie. While in Seattle, I do it big. Both Manfriend and I had coupons for a free dessert at Veggie Grill. The donuts were packed safely for later and along with a delicious comfort meal, we had two desserts at no cost to us.

Damn if feels good to be a ~~gangsta~~ couponer.

For all health purposes I feel inclined to tell you the only thing I ate this day was half of that carrot cake. I saved my donuts for the days to follow, and I still haven’t touched my half of the cookie. As much as I’d like to go into a sugar coma by eating everything in one sitting, I just can’t. Manfriend finished his four donuts and his half of the cookie in less than two days. I aspire to be like him someday, without the body hair and boy smell. <3

If anyone would like to pay me large heaps of money, I will teach you my frugal ways. I also still have two donut coupons for anyone that wants to chat over coffee and sugar!

Q: Do you ever use coupons?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Coupons, Donuts, Food, Frugal, Manfriend, Mighty-O, Seattle, Vegan | 68 Comments