Monthly Archives: September 2015

• Americas Most Beautiful Farm

  Posted at 9:00 AM by Brittany, on September 30, 2015

  I assume it takes a lot to be dubbed as Americas most beautiful farm, a title that is sure to attract people from all walks of life. For me all it took was the promise of a trip to Pumpkin Village and all the apples I could eat, the beauty was just an added perk.

  

  

  

  After a less than exciting trip to Amish country I was thrilled to let my inner child fly free at Mapleside Farms. For $6 whole dollars I threw my adult pants in the garbage and gave each child at the farm a run for their money. The coffee I drank at 5:30 pm may have helped me get wild, but I can neither confirm nor deny that.

  

  

  I made sure to get all 600 pennies worth of my ticket to Pumpkin Village and hit each of the stops. After jumping on a giant pillow with a gaggle of children, it was time to ride “the longest slide in America.”

  

  That VIEW!! ❤

  The slide led to the party at the bottom of the hill with activities that made me squeal louder than a hog in heat.

  

  Duck racing

  

  I won the duck race.

  Hay rides

  

  View from hay ride, the apple trees are stunning.

  

  Corn mazes

  

  I had no idea pumpkins were so hydrating.

  

  Pig rides

  

  You didn’t think I meant real pigs did you?

  We were the only adults sans children in the pig mobiles.

  

  Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, I gorged myself on apples.

  I ate at least 4.

  

  

  One of my favorite memories of the apple orchard actually happened days later while I was on a plane heading back home. We were suck waiting for a handful of other planes to take off and sat inside the plane for an hour before actually taking off.

  

  I went a little stir crazy.

  An older gentleman to my left stood up to get some food from his bag just as we were ready to take off, and was asked to sit back down. He seemed somewhat panicked as he stated that he needed something to eat because he had stomach problems. All he was offered was water, so I offered him an apple.

  He graciously accepted the apple, and proceeded to take at least six photos of his shiny green fruit. Anyone that takes photos of their food gets a gold star of approval.

  

  Children’s play barn in pumpkin village, but I would totally live in this tiny house.

  I lugged my (1/2)peck of apples all the way from Ohio to Washington in a carry on with ambitious thoughts of apple pie, apple crisps, applesauce and more. Instead, I ended up baking my apples and plopping them right onto multiple bowls of oats.

  It tasted like apple pie, but was half the work.

  

  Mapleside farms gave me my first taste of fall for the year, and I can’t wait to check out some farms around my area. I only hope I get the chance to ride more mechanical animals.

  

  Q: Have you done any fall activities yet? Next on my list is a pumpkin patch and a you-pick apple orchard.

  

  | 43 Comments Tagged Adventure, Apple Orchard, Corn Maze, Fall, Ohio

• Amish Country, Ohio

  Posted at 9:10 AM by Brittany, on September 28, 2015

  You know you’re in good company when you visit someone that puts ” visit Amish country” on the to do list. Before last week I had no experience with the Amish way of life, other than the extremely scripted “reality” TV show “Breaking Amish,” which I admittedly have been sucked into watching more than once.

  

  PC Meghan, a true horse and buggy.

  It seemed to me the Amish lived a very simple life, similar to the idea of living off the grid which I love. While this is true for most Amish that abstain from things like electricity and cars, I also discovered things I didn’t know.

  Meghan and I found ourselves smack in the heart of tourist Amish country, where despite the beards, dresses, and fancy hats, the Amish people were no different when it came to making money. Whatever it takes to make that dollar, even if it’s not completely ethical (in my eyes.)

  

  My excitement quickly turned to fear when I saw a 3000 lb horse with sad eyes kicking ferociously to get out of his 10×10 pen, and when I saw an obese pig (I pray it was just preggo) having stomach convulsions. I suddenly felt like I was in a horror movie and my stomach sank to my toes. We spent ZERO pennies at this spot.

  

  We quickly moved on to check out the bakeries, because the words “homemade” and “fresh baked” spoke to my sugar loving soul louder than a morning rooster. I also got excited to check out the famous cheese factory, and I don’t even eat cheese.

  Not only were they “not making cheese today,” the cheeses has added microbial fillers and colors. Um, what? Worse than this were the “homemade” baked goods.”

  Cue the Psycho music.

  

  Well shoot, apparently my homemade goods have been missing some key ingredients like partially hydrogenated oils, polysorbate 60 (wtf?!), and artificial flavors.

  It wasn’t all scary though, the autumnal displays had my heart singing like a summer canary. Pumpkins, mums, and wagon wheels OH MY!

  

  

  

  I also found my soulmate at one of the antique shops, but he refused to come home with me after I told him I would NOT be filling his belly with Amish made cookies.

  

  All this needs is the word “my” after the word “steal.”

  After spending one too many hours trying to find a ray of hope, my hanger became unmanageable. With no explanation other than the magical white squirrels waving their tails again, I found a place to eat that was FRESH and delicious.

  Like a water mirage in the middle of the desert.

  

  

  Cute decor too!

  

  I hoovered a burrito quicker than a Dyson vacuum

  

  The ONLY item in all of Amish land, with no crazy oils or unpronounceable ingredients.

  Moral of my story is this: things aren’t always what they seem. I pray this is the case with the animals I saw at stop number one. ¡Ay, qué horror!

  I’d like to add that I am in no way “judging” the uncomplicated way of life for the Amish, and if it weren’t for the stories and sights of the living conditions for the animals I would be all about that life. I’m simply sharing my experience. 🙂

  Q: Have you ever been to Amish country? Tell me I’m not the only one that has shamelessly watched “Breaking Amish.”

  

  | 43 Comments Tagged Amish, Explore, Ohio, Vacation, Vegan

• Cleveland Streets and Souvenirs

  Posted at 10:20 AM by Brittany, on September 26, 2015

  If you’ve been a long time reader of my bliss-ed out blog, you’ll know I’m a sucker for beautiful architecture. I find myself drawn towards older looking buildings, along with cathedrals and anything unique. I’m fascinated by the different styles of houses between the west coast and the east coast/Midwest.

  I suspect I’ll turn into a pile of love struck mush when I make my way to Europe.

  

  

  The colonial style houses on the east coast have stood the test of time, and have given me hours of visual stimulation. I ran 12 miles while in Ohio which was just enough to keep my legs loose, and just enough to soak in the surrounding sights.

  Running is one of my favorite ways to explore.

  

  Morning runs give fantastic views of the city.

  

  I haven’t had a running partner in years, so it was a real treat to run with Meghan even if it was just once. Plus she picks things up on her runs too. I love looking around me while I run, but sometimes there is beauty to be found right underneath our feet.

  

  

  PC Meghan.

  Despite running on my own the remainder of my miles, I wasn’t really alone. Each day I was running in what felt like a squirrel sanctuary. Grey squirrels, BLACK squirrels, and unseen white squirrels. Those are like the unicorns of the squirrel world.

  Who knew there was such a variety of colors, they were literally EvErYwhEreeEEe.

  

  Check out his buddy in the background.

  I tried to summon them to run behind me, like my own squirrel tribe, but they were more interested in the plethora of acorns on the ground. Maybe next time.

  

  Catholic school.

  

  The oldest stone house.

  I think what I adore the most about these houses are the stones. There is something comforting and rustic about a house built from stone opposed to wood.

  I find safety in the fact that the big bad wolf huffed and puffed all the live long day, but couldn’t blow down the stone house. Solid.

  

  I loved the new to me surroundings, but I missed my PNW trees. This vase inside Meghan’s house made me feel fuzzy and warm.

  I took a lot of mental and physical snap shots of my trip to Ohio, but I was convinced I was going to leave with no actual souvenirs (cinnamon rolls don’t count.) Then, as if those magical white squirrels waved their fluffy tails in an act of fate I found myself inside an outdoor shop where I found my souvenir.

  

  I’ve been searching for new Vibrams for a long time, without any luck. Not only are these the EXACT same style I was running in, (which have been discontinued for years, leaving my soul empty and alone) but they were MY SIZE.

  The best part? They were 1/4 the price I payed over six years ago for my last pair. It’s like running barefoot atop a giant cloud filled with sparkles and cupcakes. I shall now think of Ohio each time I slip these magical slippers on my feet, which makes these the best souvenir I’ve ever purchased for fun and functionality.

  

  Even better than the bottle of tequila I brought back from Mexico when I was 17. I’ll have you know the bottle is STILL closed, but there was something thrilling about buying alcohol as a minor despite the trouble it brought me with my parents.

  I’d bet they’d be shocked to know I never drank it. 😉

  Q: How do you prefer to explore new areas?

  

  | 45 Comments Tagged Architecture, Cleveland, Explore, Ohio, Running, Vacation, Vibram

• Cleveland Eats

  Posted at 7:35 AM by Brittany, on September 23, 2015

  I discovered a new hashtag last week, which led me to conclude that if you put the word “eats” after any large city you’ll find photo after photo of delicious looking food.

  I also discovered #SeattleEats is amazing and I’ve been missing out. For this post though, all attention goes towards Cleveland and all my delicious eats.

  

  Cleveland Vegan decor.

  It should come as no surprise that one of the highlights of my trip to Ohio (second of course to the wonderful company I had) was all my exploration through food.

  I was fortunate enough to try a handful of new to me eateries, which is naturally the first thing I’m posting about. Food is life after all.

  

  

  “Beet” still my heart.

  First up to bat is this quinoa, beet, and sunflower seed burger from Cleveland Vegan. It knocked my socks clear into next week. The food was fresh and full of flavor, the staff was friendly and fun, and the decorations were absolutely adorable.

  

  Young love in a sea of plants.

  Root vegetables everywhere just like the carrot shown above.

  

  This place was so legit I had to go twice. Once for “real food” and once for “the best food.” Also known as dessert. Also known and my life force.

  Also known as triple chocolate cupcakes.

  

  Sigh.

  Cleveland Vegan wasn’t the only place with too legit to quit desserts, oohhh no. I made my rounds to a cafe down the way for brunch with a side of sugar.

  I’d love to give a hug to the person that coined the term brunch. It’s fantastic, and when I participate in the event known as brunch I feel fancy.

  

  The Root Cafe was fully equipped with bearded men, fair trade coffee, and vegan food that filled my soul with rainbows and kitten whiskers.

  

  Breakfast burrito packed with sweet taters, beans, broccoli, and enchilada sauce.

  The inner vibe was equally fantastic.

  

  

  

  My lovely brunch date.

  

  Oreo like cookie.

  If that Oreo like cookie wasn’t enough to bring me back to Ohio, the vegan mac and cheese from Forage Public House is. I’ll be recreating this masterpiece VERY soon.

  

  

  I also got a salad. I think that counts as balance.

  

  Last, but most CERTAINLY not least was the vegan cinnamon roll I obtained from Natures Bin – “a non-profit organization whose mission is to help people with disabilities develop skills and confidence leading to sustainable employment.”

  There is so much yes about that mission statement.

  

  

  I needed a moment of silence while eating this roll.

  I ate so much more than this while on the other side of the US, but these were the highlights. All of these places had a common theme – sourcing local and organically grown produce for a true farm to table meal. It’s no wonder I loved the food so much.

  Still to come are my adventures in Amish Country, my trip to an apple orchard, wandering through sunflowers, riding trolleys downtown, and pretending to be Tarzan in a forest filled with trees. Until next time.

  Q: Do you eat the same when you’re on vacation as you do in everyday life? 80% yes, 20% treats.

  

  | 65 Comments Tagged Cleveland, Cupcake, Dessert, Ohio, Vacation, Vegan

• Freedom

  Posted at 2:15 PM by Brittany, on September 15, 2015

  I feel very thankful to have a lifestyle that offers me a great amount of freedom. I have somewhat of a unique mindset in that I truly believe life is too short to be unhappy in any way, shape, or form, and I believe it’s up to us to create the lifestyle we want.

  Often when I have discussions with my parents about my future and my career desires I’m told: “think about the life you want to live, and how to make that a possibility with your job choice.” Well what if I’m currently living the life I want outside of work, but I know I’m not in my “end all be all” job?

  

  I admit that lately I’ve been feeling a bit burned out at work, but my job right now is allowing me to live the life I want when I’m not immersing myself in the world of coffee. I find with the proper adjustment of my mindset, the positives can always be found. Working this kind of job allows more time for…

  Running/Hiking/Exploring

  I thrive off of routine, and the one thing I don’t have while working at Starbucks is a routine. My schedule has been even wonkier since becoming a supervisor. I’ve tried to spin my up and down schedule into a positive by realizing it’s much easier to have a relaxing morning at times and go for a longer run when I have a closing shift.

  

  

  

  I’m also able to easily escape to the mountains should I feel the urge, which is often.

  

  

  Spending time with clients

  Aka my house sitting buddies. This has become a legit third job for me, and I spent a lot of my time taking care of other peoples fur babies. I enjoy the freedom of having certain weekdays off, or really any days I ask for off.

  

  This is Emma, she is a regular in my life these days. Her mom travels a lot, and one day I strive to be like that. A life full of love and travel sound fantastic to me.

  That haunch fluff kills me. So does the word “haunch.”

  

  Reading

  When I leave work, I leave completely. 100% gone mentally and physically. I don’t work a job that requires extra work when I get home, nor requires restless nights due to stressful thoughts about projects or deadlines. This opens more doors for other mental actives like blogging, and reading.

  

  My current read. A classic about a man that escapes to the woods to live off the grid before it was “cool.” A life of self sustainability and tiny homes is a life I would love to live.

  

  So much yes. I dig his style, I think we would have been great friends.

  Spending time on meals

  Piggy backing off the previous bullet point, I have time and energy to invest in the meals I eat. This is a key part of my life, because food IS life.

  

  

  Potatoes are also life.

  

  Cinnamon wheat bundles, cinnamon puffin squares, a spoonful of almond butter, a frozen banana, all on top of some homemade apple sauce. So good, but sadly my insides weren’t so happy. Worth it.

  When it comes to eating, I’ve taken a step away from my obsessive paranoia with trigger foods, and have focused on the foods that make me feel good. My food allergy test came back with results that didn’t help much, so the true test is how I feel after eating things. The foods that don’t cooperate will continue to be ditched, or moderated. Simple as that.

  Travel

  I have a fantastic boss, that gives great flexibility when it comes to the schedule. From school to travel, she has accommodated everything I’ve asked of her, and I am immensely grateful for her. I’ve planned some travels to balance my need for freedom.

  

  I’m off to Ohio tomorrow for a weekend of shenanigans with Meghan and I couldn’t be more excited. This has to be the biggest perk of my current job, the flexibility. Follow me on Instagram to see what shenanigans I get myself into on the other side of the country. Something tells me my Birkenstocks with socks will stick out like a sore thumb in the Midwest.

  Now if only I could find a job that gave me both the freedom to do all the things I love, AND allowed me to thrive while working. It’s out there, I just have to find it. 🙂 For now, I’m just going to keep riding the caffeine wave. Unless any of you reading want to pay to me travel, make you food, take photos, and share it all online.

  Anyone…anyone…Bueller…

  Q: Have you found your passion? Are you living the life you want outside of work?

  

  | 64 Comments Tagged Bloggers, Coffee, Explore, Food, Running, Starbucks, Vacation

• 100 Mile September

  Posted at 8:25 AM by Brittany, on September 8, 2015

  Remember back in May when I decided to run 100 miles for the month? Well, I loved that so much I am doing it again for September.

  

  It gives me a great focus, and just enough of a “training plan” where I don’t get burned out. Sure I’m running nearly every day, but the miles are short which makes them manageable. I kicked off the month with a 4 miler that was SO CLOSE to being under a 9 minute average I could taste it.

  

  I’m not a fast runner, at all. I bounce between a 9:30-10 min pace depending on my mood, energy, and my food intake. Lately I’ve been bouncing around 9:45min/miles which I love. Anything faster and I’m usually chasing the ice cream truck or trying to get into a line at Disneyland.

  Where am I going with this, OH YES, my pace was a 9:03 average which has given me a new goal of breaking into the 8 min mile range. I don’t know when, but I know it must happen. I did run the last two miles of that 4 miler at an 8:40 pace, however my goal is for the overall average to be sub 9. Boom.

  

  My favorite part about running everyday is the carb destruction that follows. Run for carbs and carbs for run, thanks to this routine my runs have all been great so far, the kind that leave you on a natural high.

  I also attribute my success to good music, and good coffee. This song is fantastic for running. Obsessed.

  

  My current regimen.

  My run on Saturday was supposed to be 3 miles, but I wanted to keep going for one more because it was one of those “ponder life” runs where I was so lost in my thoughts I could have run all day. Then I got hungry. I also found a treasure.

  

  Perhaps somewhat ironic that the item found on this run (I find a lot of random things) was a symbol of death. Or maybe just a symbol of the upcoming holiday, Halloween is my favorite after all. I intend to leave this skull prize at my bosses house, where I am currently dog/house sitting. I wonder how long it will take for her to find it. 😉

  As large and cuddly as this lovely dog may be, I miss my cats.

  

  So, I went to visit them.

  

  My Halloween baby, I just love that yogic beauty.

  Q: What’s one of your goals for the month, week, or even just today?

  

  | 65 Comments Tagged 100 Miles, Carbs, Cats, Goals, Housesitting, Run

• No Bake Coconut Creme Breakfast Pie

  Posted at 7:00 AM by Brittany, on September 3, 2015

  Alternatively titled: Carrot Coconut Creme Breakfast Pie, until I realized this really had no flavor of carrot despite the full cup of shredded goodness in the crust. Believe it or not I am in fact sharing a recipe after a hard core hiatus. Not just any recipe, but one that requires putting the words “breakfast” and “pie” in the same sentence.

  

  It may be somewhat ironic that I post a pie recipe just a few days after posting about avoiding added sugars, but that’s the beauty of eating “real food,” no processed sugar necessary. Just turn your eye to the bit of honey used, at least it’s raw. 😉

  I tend to get on a solid raw food kick when the summer months hit, and this year was no exception. It’s easy to eat raw for most of my meals (don’t get me wrong, I’ll easily throw back a back of chips with a side of fresh baked scones) but for raw “treats” it requires just a bit more experimenting.

  

  After my lovely mother made a raw blueberry pie, I knew the time had come to start creating allthepies. I don’t typically go for carrot cakes or pies, but I wanted something different and carrots hold a natural sweetness that can’t be denied.

  

  Carrot cake turned into a coconut creme pie, but I’m not complaining. The crust is made from the natural goodness of nuts, dates, and carrots, while the filling rounds it out with a creamy combination of more nuts, coconut oil and cream, and sweetened with honey. Good enough to eat for dessert, but hearty enough to eat for breakfast.

  Boom…clap…BAM.

  No Bake Coconut Creme Breakfast Pie

  

  Ingredients

  For the crust:

  • 1 cup shredded carrots (pat with paper towel to remove extra moisture)
  • 1 cup medjool dates, packed
  • 1 cup raw pecans
  • 1/4 cup raw unsweetened coconut flakes

  For the filling:

  • 1.5 cup raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours and drained
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup full fat canned coconut milk, stirred well before measuring
  • 1/2 cup raw honey (sub maple syrup to make this completely vegan)
  • 1 tblsp vanilla

  

  Directions

  1. Combine all crust ingredients into a food processor and combine until sticky and malleable.
  2. Once combined, press crust evenly into a 7 in spring form pan and set aside.
  3. Combine filling ingredients in a high speed blender until well combined, and pour on top of crust mix.

  

  I sprinkled more coconut flakes on top before setting in the freezer overnight. I wanted this for breakfast, and that’s exactly what I did hence the “morning light darkness” in my photos. Sometimes when you don’t want to wait for the daylight you settle for semi decent photos. I just wanted the pie.

  

  I let mine sit overnight, but a few hours will do fine. This pie is softer than most raw pies so it will need some time to set. Once it was ready to eat, I felt it needed just a little something more….

  

  Ah there we go, and a sprinkle of cinnamon to boot.

  

  Next time you want to go for that breakfast pastry try this on for size instead. This pie fueled me on a handful of runs, including a solid 8 miler.

  Q: Pie for breakfast, yay or nay? BIG FAT YAY when it’s packed with goodness. 

  

  | 54 Comments Tagged Pie, Plant Based, Raw, Recipe

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