Author Archives: Brittany

• 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

• Real Food, Real Good

  Posted at 8:35 AM by Brittany, on August 31, 2015

  Seven days. It’s been seven full days since I’ve consumed any added sugars and I’m not only alive, but I’m alive and well. I’ve realized how easy it is for me to get complacent about the foods I put into my hard working machine of a body. It’s easy to fall off the wagon and a whole heck of a lot harder to get back on which is why finding a happy balance is key. For me that balance is all about a healthy mindset.

  

  Cauliflower rice, by far one of the easiest things I have ever made.

  Choosing to avoid certain foods that make me like a bag of flaming poo is just that, a choice. I’m not being forced and if I want to eat cookies for dinner every night I can. I will just have to deal with the consequences, which I don’t like. I play the “I’m not going to eat sugar” game all the time, back and forth I go until I find some solid ground. This time however, I’m doing things a bit differently.

  

  Along with avoiding the obvious: cookies, cakes, store bought chocolate, etc, I am also paying attention to the hidden sugars. You know, the ones you find in your store bought salsa and ketchup. Fortunately for me 95% of the food I eat is already in its pure unadulterated form, but my one go to has always been store bought salsa.

  Thanks to the abundance of tomatoes my garden has thrown at me, I have been making my own. Nothing beats the flavor of fresh.

  

  I find it powerful to be fully aware and present with what I eat. Distractions aside, and really stopping to savor each ingredient, texture, and flavor. In the past my sugar hiatuses left me like a rabid dog searching for blood, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on sugar. This time, I’m calm, peaceful, and I feel good.

  

  I voraciously tore through that book. I’ve always wanted to use the word voracious in a sentence about books, checking that one off the bucket list. I finished the book in three days, which never happens in my world. I’m usually distracted by other things, probably chocolate. I found the read to be inspirational and comforting.

  

  Staple meal. Everyday. Popcorn and salads in bowls fit for sasquatch.

  This is not to say I will NEVEREATADDEDSUGAR again, oh no, you bet your sweet britches that won’t be happening, but I intend to be mindful of my sugar. Avoiding it where it’s not necessary (salsa) and moderating it with simplified treats. Local, homemade, things like that. I owe a lot of my success this last week to bananas and almond butter. I ate an entire Costco tub of almond butter in five days. Five days.

  

  This specific brand of almond butter has given me ZERO troubles and the fats have helped curb my sweet tooth while providing me with sustainable energy. No crashing. I also think what’s made this so easy is knowing that I am honoring my body. Insert awkward hippie dance here. Raw cacao has been helpful too.

  What I love most about being fully aware and present with what I’m eating is that food becomes almost spiritual. It’s the foundation for our entire being, and should be treated with respect. We as Americans have become all too comfortable with convenience, but what happened to actually working for our food? Baking our bread at home instead of buying it with ingredients not meant for bread, whipping up cupcakes from scratch instead of staining our fingers with Red#40 and Blue#6.

  I’m inspired to not only eat the food I eat, but to be excited about it. Real food makes me feel real good. Also fall, fall makes me feel real good. The pumpkins and colored leaves have come out of storage. That was quite the sentence transition.

  

  FALL DECORATIONS.

  Alright, I’m done preaching. Long story short is that I’ve fallen back into my crunchy granola ways and am mindful of my food. Avoiding sugars has also inspired me to avoid things like processed oils. You get out what you put in so fuel yourself with whole foods and I assure you that you’ll notice the difference.

  Q: Do you notice when you’ve had too much of a good thing? To be fair, I’ve been having too much fruit so I’m going to start paying attention to that too. I think I need to start a fructose addiction support group. 😉

  

  | 52 Comments Tagged Almond Butter, Fall, Food, Fruit, sugar

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 7:04 AM by Brittany, on August 24, 2015

  1. This post is being written because I feel like writing, yet don’t have anything of substance or structure to share. Story of my life.

  2. I got sick last week out of no where, and took three days off from running. I then lost all my morals and ate whatever the hell I wanted, because that’s obviously how you get better. The upside of it all was when I got back on track with running my pace had unexpectedly improved.

  

  Before the unplanned rest I was averaging 10min/miles. Proof that rest is key, and won’t destroy what you’ve built.

  3. Remember that time I talked about going to ASU through Starbucks? Yea, that ship sailed, was re-boarded, and then sailed again. I changed majors and have everything set up whenever I decided to bite that bullet. What I know for sure is I WILL have my degree finished before my 80th birthday.

  4. I still have the recipe for a delicious pie hanging out in my draft bin. Perhaps I need to share that. I ate the entire thing in like 3 days.

  

  5. I haven’t run a race in…ALMOST A YEAR!? I’m kind of in shock about that, but I haven’t had a desire to train for a half marathon, and haven’t found a 10K that aligns with my schedule. Anything less than a 10K I don’t like to pay for. Running has been very zen for me lately with no strict schedule, and I like it that way.

  6. Ever had cassava flour? It’s different, good, but different. It’s a great option for anyone that can’t have most traditional flours. It’s made from a root vegetable, so basically it’s friendly for all. I made pumpkin bread, and brownies from it and then proceeded to eat all of both.

  

  

  I used Otto’s cassava flour, which is different from others because it is said to be the closest taste and smell to regular flours. It’s a bit chewy, but flavor was fantastic.

  7. These next few months, are travel months. I’m going to Ohio in September to see Meghan, LA in October to see my twin, and Arizona in December to see my family. To ensure I am living life on my terms, this is a must.

  8. Once upon a a time I had a dream to run my first half marathon at Disneyland. I made this a reality, and it was absolutely magical. My next dream was to go to Disneyland for Halloween, because Halloween is my favorite. My trip in October is MAKING THIS DREAM COME TRUE.

  

  I did go last year JUST as they were setting up, but didn’t get to see it fully done.

  9. Starting today…I am going to try my damnedest to stay away from added sugars. That toxin is EVERYWHERE and I am straight addicted. Fruit is the only exception. Wish me luck, detox is an ugly beast.

  10. I’m currently drinking a cup French press of my favorite coffee, which is calming my soul about ditching sugar. On the flip side, I’m thinking about how well a piece of dark chocolate would pair with this. Thank God for raw cacao.

  

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 67 Comments Tagged Baking, Coffee, Confessions, Disneyland, Run, sugar, Vacation

• Mount Rainier – Reflection Lake

  Posted at 7:35 AM by Brittany, on August 20, 2015

  My last trip to Mount Rainier was so monumental I couldn’t get back there quick enough. To round out the end of my 4 day weekend I wrangled up a hiking buddy and headed south. Hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s off to Rainier we go!

  

  

  The weather was a perfect 75ish in the mountain range, with sun sun sun. The only clouds in the sky waited to make an appearance until we were ready to leave.

  How kind, I made sure to thank them before we left. “Thank you clouds.”

  

  This time I took a trail that led away from the mountain through fields of wildflowers, marmots, and enough chipmunks to build me a Cinderella like dress. The destination was Reflection Lake, I’ll let you figure out how it got its name.

  

  

  Round trip we probably meandered for about 7 miles and ended up being spit out onto the road, where we discovered Reflection Lake was a spot most people drove to.

  What can I say, I like to do things the hard way.

  

  I’ve decided Rainier is one of my top spots for adventure these days. The endless trails enveloping this mountain require days of exploration.

  One of my goals is to hike up to Camp Muir, the highest point you can climb without a climbing permit. Muir sits at a lovely 10,080 ft, and is a grueling 8 mile round trip climb. I hear it’s harder than a half marathon. Perhaps it’s a good thing I’ve got six of those under my belt.

  

  After I accomplish Muir, to the top I must go.

  Post Rainier shenangans my hiking partner was hung-ray so we stopped for a road side burger. I noticed a guy picking what looked like small green chickpeas from a nearby flower plant, and naturally had to inquire about what he was doing.

  

  Turns out they were seeds for the above flower known as NASTURTIUMS. “One of the few edible flowers in this area.” And then he ate one…so I ate one too. Nothing like trusting a stranger at a small town burger stop eating flowers.

  HO-LY SPI-CY. Like, peppery spicy. I Googled the flower and sure enough the flavor is described as: “peppery spice similar to watercress.” I don’t think I’ll be sprinkling these on my salads anytime soon. First hiking to a location that you can drive to, second eating flowers with strangers, clearly I like to live my life on the wild side. 😉

  Q: Have you ever eaten edible flowers? 

  

  | 43 Comments Tagged Adventure, Explore, Flowers, Hike, Mount Rainier, PNW, Washington

• Portland – The Land of Good Coffee and Cat Pillows

  Posted at 6:58 AM by Brittany, on August 17, 2015

  Though my recent trip to Portland was short, I managed to pack in enough adventure to highlight a few things Portland is best known for.

  

  A tiny home with giant Sunflower stalks. I want.

  I’m fortunate to live just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Portland which makes the 3 hour drive doable without much notice. I’d been spending a lot of time in Seattle lately, and needed a change of scenery.

  

  Can anyone guess where I stopped first upon arrival? After spending 3 hours in my car (with at least 4 bathroom stops) I needed a pick me up.

  

  On my last trip to Portland I was given this card for a free coffee because they forgot my moms bagel. I decided to cash it in, but because it was after 1pm I went with decaf. I told you in my last post what happens if I drink coffee after noon.

  

  I almost got a regular coffee, but these tasting notes were perfect.

  

  In true Brittany fashion, I needed something to pair with my coffee.

  What I’m about to say next requires no explanation because I feel no need to justify my decision, however a brief glance into my thoughts might help clarify why I paired my coffee with a non vegan donut.

  

  I’ve been having a lot of issues with food lately, as regular readers will know. It had come to the point where I felt like I had no control over what I was able to eat, and I was feeling immensely restricted and fearful of anything that I put into my mouth. I have my safe foods, which I enjoy, but after a while they get a bit old.

  

  Traditional vegan donuts are full of junk (well, I suppose most donuts are) that my body doesn’t like and my usual go-to’s for donuts are now off the table. Sure, I can make my own, and I plan to in the future, but after walking past Blue Star Donuts and reading their statement on simple, whole food based ingredients I knew I had to go in.

  

  They had one vegan option, but I had been lusting over one specific donut ever since I saw it online a few months ago. Blueberry bourbon basil. If that doesn’t catch your attention I don’t know what will. When I first adapted a plant based diet I always said when I traveled I’d become a “vegan with benefits,” and with French based recipes consisting of whole foods, I benefited that day.

  

  I was caught trying to take a photo of my donut and coffee when someone asked if I wanted my picture taken with them.

  So there you have it, I ate a donut that had NO soy, no nuts, no unrecognizable ingredients, but had eggs. I regret nothing. Will this happen again? Not anytime soon, and not unless I’m in Italy because you better believe I’m eating all the pizza.

  I don’t quite know why I had the urge to eat this donut, but my mind told me to eat it and I did. Plus, when the ingredients are locally sourced and I know the animals aren’t being harmed for their products, my morals aren’t compromised.

  I no longer feel restricted and the donut did its job. Moving on.

  

  Donut and coffee in one hand. Skillz.

  Oh and the verdict? Light, fluffy, but the flavor wasn’t what I was expecting. It was delicious, but I was hoping to feel like I took a bite of blueberry pizza (basil) with a swig of throat burning bourbon. It just tasted like an airy donut.

  I didn’t feel sick after so that was a win. It also paired beautifully with the caramel and buttery notes in my coffee. Total taste-bud harmonization.

  Post donut and coffee consumption, wandering was required. Powell’s bookstore is always a good time, mentally stimulating on so many levels. I’ve been in the market for a new pillow and almost purchased one I saw while perusing the store.

  

  I decided against the giant cat pillow after considering how my main man would react. He tends to get jealous, and these days I try to put others needs before my own.

  Even though he was busted ripping things off my wall so that he could lay on them, but I digress.

  

  “I do what I want”

  Next I ventured down to the water to soak up the last bit of the sun. I passed some solid cathedrals on my way there, and I’m a sucker for gorgeous architecture.

  

  

  The only thing that would have made my trip to Portland better would have been a solid hike, and a trip to Multnomah Falls. The falls are on my bucket list, and next time I intend to stare at them until my eyes hurt.

  My next trip to Portland will be mid January for round two of Gregory Alan Isakov, but this time with the Portland symphony. Does this make me a groupie?

  

  Not sure a visit to the falls will be a good idea when it’s freezing out in January, but nothing is off the table in my world.

  • Coffee scene – check
  • Foodie scene – check
  • Food trucks – check
  • Listening to street musicians – check
  • Tattoo’s everywhere – check
  • Exploration – check

  Portland in a nutshell.

  Q: How was your weekend? I have one more day of freedom, and today I’m off to Mount Rainier!

  

  | 60 Comments Tagged Cats, Coffee, Donuts, Explore, Portland, Stumptown

• Random Rambles

  Posted at 10:06 AM by Brittany, on August 14, 2015

  I ate a pancake and 7 tons of sweet potatoes last week. What’d they have in common?

  

  

  The prettiest darn berries you ever did see. Note, those blueberries on the tater were baked, giving them that purple color, and a gooey decadent flavor.

  I also ate at least 4 homegrown tomatoes.

  

  I didn’t see anything more beautiful that day.

  Seattle with two of my favorites for a Starbucks Roastery adventure. 

  

  

  I decided to get a cup of tea because it was after 1pm, and if I drink coffee too late I’m like a lab rat that’s been injected with cocaine. My tea tasted like Thanksgiving and Christmas had an unwed lovechild. It was fantastic.

  I tried to learn how to play the piano a handful of times in my life, and never made it past the first few pages of the beginners book. 

  

  Should I finally learn to play, I want a piano in my house with hand painted trees like the one I stumbled across at Green Lake in Seattle.

  I had no intentions of participating in National Smore’s Day until the monster in my stomach that starts to crave sugar after dark reared its head. 

  My angelic mother not only had graham crackers tucked in the pantry, but vegan marshmallows as well. I of course had an 85% dark chocolate Theo bar in the fridge because these days I’m never without.

  The best part? This was annihilated eaten at 10:30….PM! I never used to eat that late.

  Funniest photo of the week goes to my dad. 

  

  I sent him a birthday card with a cat because he hates them adores their independent way of life. This photo was sent with the words “negatory.”

  I have the next four days off from work. 

  

  So much excitement. I see Portland, hiking, and sleep in my future. This mini break is the first of a few to come. Livin la vida loca.

  Q: What’s your random ramble for the day? Any Portland readers!?

  

  | 50 Comments Tagged Explore, Food, Gardening, Random, Seattle, Starbucks, Vegan

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• Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com

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