Monthly Archives: March 2013

• Exploration

  Posted at 10:49 AM by Brittany, on March 28, 2013

  One of my goals this year is to spend some quality time exploring my state. Having lived in Washington my entire life, I feel it’s time to really start appreciating all the beauty around me. Seattle is always an easy go to being that it’s only an hour ferry ride away, but there are still plenty of hikes, lakes, mountains, and restaurants that I want to explore!

  

  The trees in this city are different than in mine. Only an hour of separation, but completely different landscape. There are also new to me wildlife parks that make for great afternoon adventures.

  

  The sun was in hiding for the first part of this wildlife trek, but eventually made an appearance.

  

  There were birds, ducks, snakes, turtles, and lots of foliage to see. I’ve become a pro at identifying skunk cabbage, and could continue living contently if I never had to see or smell that stuff again..blech. Another smelly substance left me in fear every time packs of geese flew over my head.

  

  No body likes poop hair.

  I have walked so much this week that my legs feel as if I have run a half marathon everyday. It’s been a welcomed change from the constant running, and giving my knees a break every couple days has been nice. While I LOVE running in new areas, I find that walking helps me appreciate the scenery around me more.

  

  Spring time is a perfect time to start exploring, but I need serious fuel when it comes to hours of exploring. Spring time also means BRING OUT THE BBQ!

  

  Pre BBQ

  

  There aren’t many sights more beautiful than grilled veggies. Match made in adventure heaven.

  Q: Do you ever explore areas close to home, or do you prefer adventures further away? I like both, but close to home is easier to do on a whim! 

  

  | 56 Comments Tagged Adventure, BBQ, Exploring, Food, Grill, Running, Spring, Vegan, Walking, Washington

• Spring Eggs

  Posted at 9:28 AM by Brittany, on March 26, 2013

  Spring has sprung!! Sorry to all you east coasters that are still getting inches of snow, that’s rough. Over here in the north west it’s been sunny sunny sunny.

  

  It was so sunny on my run yesterday I felt wildly overdressed. It’s almost time to bust out the running tanks, my favorite! I feel like a cartoon in this picture.

  Spring means flowers, sun, birds, birds mating, and Easter for those of you that celebrate. I’d be lying if I said Easter didn’t make me think of candy, eggs, and searching for money in a giant yard. As I get older I am trying to appreciate the real meaning behind Easter, with maybe a chocolate egg or two. Before I went vegan my go to chocolate egg was none other than the Reese’s egg.  The thick PB center was far more delicious than their regular PB cup. Any holiday Reese’s was divine.

  Last year I tried to give my love to another, which was a terrible mistake. Nothing compares. Sorry TJ’s, I love you, and I love your candy, but your choc eggs suck. Since Easter isn’t complete without chocolate covered eggs. I made my own! I was inspired by this recipe, and if you want a non vegan version give it a try! They also have more pictures, and better egg shaping skills.

  

  Before you judge my egg shaping skills, I’ll have you know that no matter what the shape..everything goes in and out of the same place. So deal with it.

  Chocolate PB Eggs

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup PB (I used chunkaayy!)
  • 2 tblsp Earth Balance butter
  • 1-3 tablespoons almond milk (depending on texture)
  • 1.5 cups of semisweet or dark (dairy free) chocolate chips
  • 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

  Mix together the powdered sugar, peanut butter, and butter. Add the milk one tablespoon at a time until it becomes a nice workable dough. Form the dough into egg shapes, or dinosaur turds, and place in the freezer for about an hour.

  I used the stove to melt my chocolate chips and coconut oil, but a microwave would work too. Dip each egg into the melted chocolate and place on wax paper.

  

  I put mine back into the freezer to set up. The coconut oil will make these melt quick at room temperature, and I like my treats cold anyway. This made about 16 sm/med eggs. Which were gone in two days..between three people.

  These were delicious, and I think it’s time for another sugar detox!! Would you believe I pulled a muscle in my neck reaching for a cupcake?? I did pull a muscle, I’m not sure how, but I’m going to pretend it’s a sign to cut back on sugar…again. HA!

  Q: Favorite Easter time treat???

  

  | 50 Comments Tagged Easter, Reeses, Running, Spring, Sun, Vegan

• Food for Days

  Posted at 9:06 AM by Brittany, on March 24, 2013

  Yesterday I made my way to Seattle for tons of free stuff VegFest, a vegetarian food festival with lots of samples. This was my first time attending VegFest as a vegan, but I was pleased to find out that 95% of the food was vegan friendly!

  

  The day started off gray, but that didn’t stop hundreds of people from piling onto the ferries going across the water.

  

  I saw that Scott Jurek was in town and was really hoping to see him at VegFest, but no such luck. I did however score big in the food department. Hundreds of samples to eat, and plenty more to take home. All for an $8 entrance fee. Score.

  

  Beet, fennel, quinoa salad.

  

  Two bags FULL of loot.

  

  The final haul, all sprawled out.

  The best new-to-me find at VegFest was vegan whipped cream that tasted JUST like the dairy version..pumpkin/apple/berry pie here I come! After stuffing my face with tons of delicious vegan food, it was time to play tourist in the city I adore.

  

  What’s a trip to Seattle without Starbucks?

  

  

  

  Pike Place market has amazing spring flowers this time of year, and of course delicious produce! The daffodils were everywhere.

  

  

  Spring has SPRUNG! The sun also decided to come out for the rest of the day. HOO-rah.

  

  I tell ya, the day would have been rough without this guy..

  

  Snacks, water, and extra clothes. The day was great, and to top it off I found $0.63 cents over the course of six hours. I’m not even kidding (super rad, right!?.) I’m up to $1.13 on my coin counter. I’m well on my way to that free donut. By the end of the day I was ravenous all over again. Food for days will last for..maybe five days.

  Q: What big city do you live near or in, and how often do you visit?? Seattle, and I visit as often as I can! 

  

  | 55 Comments Tagged Adventure, Food, Seattle, Spring, Vegan

• Speechless

  Posted at 12:09 PM by Brittany, on March 20, 2013

  I thought about incorporating this treat into another post, but then I decided the only way to do justice to this cupcake is to give it a post of it’s own.

  

  I had so many reasons why I needed to make these cupcakes: free time, chocolate craving, experimental bones in my body, a cat that likes peanut butter, and a new Wilton piping set I was given for my birthday!

  

  I don’t know if I should be embarrassed or proud to say these cupcakes left me speechless.

  

  A rich chocolate cake, with cookie dough icing. Oh and have you guessed yet…they’re vegan.

  Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes

  For the cake:

  • 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup raw sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup cold water

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. The ingredients must be mixed in the right order to achieve the correct texture. First, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and mix well.
  3. When the dry ingredients are mixed, stir in the vanilla, vinegar, and olive oil. Then pour the water into the mix and stir well.

  This should make 15 regular sized cupcakes.

  

  For the icing:

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/4 cup vanilla almond milk
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • Pinch salt
  • Chocolate chips to top the cupcake with

  Mix these ingredients together in the order they are presented.

  I wasn’t sure how this cookie dough texture would hold up in my piping bag. I’ve never used a nice piping set before, but I am happy to report it was a success!

  

  Just to be safe I didn’t mix any chocolate chips into the dough. I didn’t want the piper to get clogged because I don’t mess around with small chocolate chips. Go big or go home. I added 5-6 chips per cupcake for a nice ending decoration.

  

  Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a cupcake platter calling my name for lunch.

  Q: Cookie dough icing yay or nay? Ohhh yay for sure. Cookie dough anything please! 

  

  | 68 Comments Tagged Chocolate, Cookie Dough, Cupcake, Food, Recipe, Vegan

• Falling in Love

  Posted at 9:06 AM by Brittany, on March 18, 2013

  I used to really dislike walking into my kitchen and seeing this..

  

  Spotted bananas usually meant my family was buying more than they could consume. If you hang around me, you know wasting is not an option. These days I have fallen in love with spotted bananas. Anytime I see them I know it’s the perfect excuse to bake something.

  

  Something like banana, applesauce, almond milk, cranberry, pumpkin seed, chocolate chip, cinnamon breakfast cookies. Or as I like to call them, anytime cookies.

  I used to only read school books, and even then I would only half read them. Lately I have really begun to enjoy, dare I say love reading books. I recently finished a book written by one of the most selfless people I have ever had the privilege of reading about.

  

  Kisses from Katie is one of the best books I have read in such a long time, I finished it within 5 days. What an inspiration, oh and now I want to travel to Uganda and spread the word of Jesus. Anyone that wants to fund that trip hollerr!

  I used to go to yoga because it helped stretch and build muscles in my body. For at least five years this has been my yoga practice. This past week I have gone to yoga every.single.day. sometimes multiple times a day and I have fallen in love with not only the physical aspect, but the mental aspect as well.

  

  I have discovered something magical on that mat when it comes to quieting my mind. My thoughts have been awry this week and forcing myself to focus on the current moment has been amazing.

  I used to eat popcorn with just a little bit of sea salt. Since discovering nutritional yeast my world has been rocked. I have fallen in love with this simple yet amazing..yeast.

  

  The only problem is that a lot of the yeast falls to the bottom of my bowl..

  

  Don’t ask me how I cleaned the bowl.

  I have always been in love with the power I hold over my furry children.

  

  My treatshake brings all the cats to the yard.

  Q: What have you fallen in love with this past week, month, year?

  

  | 65 Comments Tagged Bananas, Cats, Cookies, Nutritional Yeast, Popcorn, Yoga

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 9:23 AM by Brittany, on March 9, 2013

  1. I have eaten the exact same lunch the past three days and I am officially obsessed.

  

  Spinach, kale, broccolettes, and sweet potatoes. Topped with mustard and nooch.

  I dream about this bowl.

  2. I have competition. When asking my (autistic) sister if she had a boyfriend her reply was, “*****. He is a good guy.” Well that’s odd, ***** is my boyfriend. Hahaha.

  3. I have FINALLY finished Scott’s book.

  

  I still want to be his best friend.

  4. I haven’t had sweets in too long. I lost count. I would shank someone for some Snackimals right now.

  5.  I went urban hiking yesterday. I didn’t know that was even a thing. It’s what you call walking around town, I guess it sounds cooler to call it urban hiking. Weird. The sights were still as good as a mountain hike though.

  

  6. I love the smell of cleaning products. It’s bad. Citrus smell, bleach, Ajax, laundry soap, cat litter..nothing like chemicals to awaken my senses. Who needs drugs when you can smell cleaning products…….JOKE!

  7. I’ve owned my car for 5 years and have yet to change the wiper blades, until yesterday. This may seem like no big deal to my desert friends, but I live in a state that rains..a LOT.

  

  With a combination of discounted blades at Costco, and an insisting family, I bought the blades. I also wanted to use them as ninja sticks.

  

  Fortunately for me I didn’t have to put them on.

  Now it just needs to rain.

  8. I have found the next half marathon I am going to run. Super jazzed.

  9. Sitting in a coffee shop reading a book, people watching, or blogging is one of the most relaxing things ever.

  

  10. I have found the most amazing app for my cheap frugal ways. I have this habit of picking up change when I see it on the ground. I get wayyy too excited when I find pennies, nickles, and dimes on the ground. Don’t even get me started on finding a quarter. I decided to track how much change I find starting from the beginning of March. I found at least $1.50 from January to February. Laugh away, that will buy me a free donut!

  

  So March hasn’t been a big payday yet, but I’m holding strong for the day I find those quarters! My friends won’t be laughing at the end of the year when they see I’ve found $5.00 for free!

  Q(s):

  • When’s the last time you changed your wiper blades?
  • What’s your weekly confession?

  

  | 63 Comments Tagged Confessions, Food, Half Marathon, Random, Running, Vegan

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• BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalistic nomad striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long hikes, deep connections, exploration, and lots of potatoes.

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• Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com

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