Blissfulbritt | Page 55

- What Goes Up…
  
  Posted at 6:39 AM by Brittany, on September 12, 2013
  
  …must come down. That’s what I kept telling myself yesterday morning while I was ~~dying~~ running like a gazelle up a hill for over half my run. I recently bought myself a brand spankin’ new pair of running shoes and I was so jazzed to take them out for a run!
  
  This was the first time I was able to somewhat choose what my shoes looked like. Don’t get me wrong, I will run in shoes that look like your grandmas curtains as long as they are good for my legs, but this time I decided to try something flashy.
  
  My knees were starting to bother me on my runs which let me know it was time for a new pair of shoes. For some reason I get a slight twinge of sadness when it’s time to retire a pair of running shoes. Those shoes are with me for miles upon miles, and shoving them in the closet just doesn’t seem fair. Sadly the style of shoe I had been running in for over a year is no longer manufactured. After a quick e-mail to Asics, I decided on the Gel-Cumulus 15.
  
  Of all the color schemes I had to choose from, this one was my favorite. I was a bit nervous because I ordered these online without trying them on first. Thankfully after taking them out for a run I love them! Despite the HILLY run, I felt like I was running on clouds.
  
  Obligatory post run Garmin/shoe photo.
  
  And just like that, I wrote an entire post about shoes. I guess I was excited! Long story short, I bought new kicks and they rock my world. I think my favorite thing about these shoes is that they deceive you from the front. Just like a mullet.
  
  Business in the front, party in the back.
  
  Q: Do you ever buy your workout gear online before trying it out??
  
  | 60 Comments Tagged Asics, New Digs, Running
- Brownie Protein Pancakes
  
  Posted at 8:02 AM by Brittany, on September 10, 2013
  Sometimes when I have a day off from work, I like to make myself a legit breakfast. Yesterday was no exception. Below are some of the best pancakes I have ever created..hands down. I don’t make pancakes often, but when I do I go big. I’ve done classic pancakes, I’ve done pumpkin pancakes (I could eat pumpkin pancakes every day), but this time I wanted something different…something new..something…chocolate.
  
  Brownie Protein Pancakes
  
  Once I took this first photo, I realized I needed a better presentation plate. The dark pancakes blend in too much with the dark plate.
  
  Ingredients
  - 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk (and then some more after everything is combined)
  - 1 tblsp olive oil
  - 1 tsp vanilla
  - 1/4 AND 1/8 cup of whole wheat flour (just go with this, my math skills suck)
  - 1/8 cup vanilla rice protein
  - 1.5 tsp baking powder
  - 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  - 1 tblsp raw sugar
  - pinch of salt
  Then once I grabbed a white plate the bananas got “washed out” by the color contrast.
  
  Directions
  1. Mix milk, oil, and vanilla in a small bowl and set aside.
  2. Mix together the flour, protein, baking powder, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a separate bowl until well combined.
  3. Add the liquid mix to the dry mix and stir until well mixed. You will need a bit more milk at this stage because they batter came out a bit thick. Add enough milk to thin the batter a bit.
  4. Scoop mix onto a lightly greased skillet and cook one side until you can easily slide a spatula underneath to flip. Same for the other side.
  I was not expecting these pancakes to taste like brownies, but they did. Hence the name brownie pancakes. I thought they would taste like chocolate, but I didn’t realize I would be face planting into a pile of dessert for breakfast. These were amazing.
  
  I’ve always wanted a pouring syrup photo, I clearly need more practice.
  
  These were gooey, delicious, and perfect for one person. I gobbled up every last bite of these brownie like cakes. I’ll be adding this recipe to my mental cookbook. In the end, the first photo with the dark plate turned out to be my favorite. Go figure.
  
  Q: What’s your favorite pancake flavor?
  | 68 Comments Tagged Chocolate, Pancakes, Recipe, Vegan
- Garden Fresh
  
  Posted at 7:49 AM by Brittany, on September 6, 2013
  
  While I love growing my own produce, I reallllyyy love reaping the benefits of other peoples home grown produce. You can imagine my excitment when I came home the other night to find these sitting on my kitchen table…
  
  If I had any doubts about what veggies to pair with my cous cous for dinner, they were instantly squashed from my mind. Also, not pictured were some heirloom tomatoes. I was inspired to harvest some Swiss chard from my own garden and create my meal.
  
  Simple, yet oh so delicious. I ran a whopping 3 miles to earn this feast.
  
  Speaking of miles, I am welcoming this week of “easier runs.” My body has felt so fatigued lately thanks to long days at work, running, getting a head cold, Aunt Flo coming to visit, and insanity. I am allowing myself to skip insanity if I feel too tired (I never skip my runs though.) There is not enough coffee in the day to give me the energy to do insanity at 8PM. Just no. Even this beauty doesn’t cut it…
  
  Please note the DEEP pocket of foam. I now sprinkle pumpkin spice on top of my lattes to make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I sipped this amazing creation while staring out the window while it poured rain. Fall is coming..better harvest my garden while I still can!
  
  Q: Did you get a good garden harvest this year? Your own or someone else’s?
  
  | 46 Comments Tagged Fall, Garden, Harvest, Produce, Running, Vegan
- Tucked Into the Woods
  
  Posted at 8:08 AM by Brittany, on September 4, 2013
  
  I often daydream about living somewhere remote, tucked into the woods, with only my family and my garden. Chickens roaming free, and dogs barking at the leaves blowing in the wind. A picturesque view to stare at while I sit on my porch and drink my morning coffee. While I love living in a smaller city, something about the idea of escaping the world with just a few small items sounds so…magical.
  
  I recently discovered a gorgeous place called The Bloedel Reserve, just a hop, skip, and a jump from where I work. While I would like my place to be MUCH smaller, this place is similar to my daydream in the sense that a family once lived here, tucked into the woods. This is now an open to the public attraction and man, was it gorgeous!
  
  I have a thing for barn like buildings. See here, and here for other examples.
  
  A place to sit and watch the water.
  
  I also have a thing for random benches. See here for another example.
  
  I assume this is where people used to live. The entire downstairs was set up like a 1920’s murder mystery film. It was a bit eerie, and I expected Jack Nicholson to pop out at any moment. Despite the creepy interior, the view from the house was breathtaking.
  
  Clearly aliens come to visit too.
  
  Follow the path down to the water.
  
  These zen garden stones look like giant PB cups to me. Perhaps I need sweets. I accidentally stepped into the sand while taking this picture..oops.
  
  One more pebble path for good measure.
  
  If I were alone on this quest I could have sat for hours staring into the open water daydreaming about making cupcakes and PB cups in my own back-country cabin. Alas, I was not alone and this journey took just under an hour, enough time to stir up my hunger.
  
  Q: Would you rather live in a busy city, or a quiet countryside? I would love to live in a busy city for a few years, but when I settle down it must be somewhere tranquil and with a slower paced life.
  
  | 59 Comments Tagged Adventure, Nature
- It’s Been a While
  
  Posted at 8:10 AM by Brittany, on September 2, 2013
  
  The last few months have been a bit of a blur for me. I’ve been trying to find my feet after some changes that have occurred recently, and it’s been a very slow process. I’m not in any rush, I know these things take time, but it’s comforting when I see a glimmer of progress. I had struggled finding joy in things that I loved, and lately I’m finding that joy.
  
  It’s been a while…since I’ve genuinely enjoyed grocery shopping. Something that has always been one of my favorite things to do was more of a necessity than a want the last few months. I’ve started to feel that excitement again when walking into the markets.
  
  $50 worth of Costco staples.
  
  $15 worth of RANDOM steals! I am a sucker for things on sale.
  
  It’s been a while…since I have enjoyed recreational reading. Lately I’ve been reading a lot of uplifting books about finding peace, and how to be aware of your thoughts, and I finally feel ready to read some books just for fun.
  
  Deal
  
  It’s been a while…since I’ve really enjoyed baking. As you’ve noticed I have been baking a bit lately and I couldn’t be more thrilled. 3 months without baking really catches up to you!
  
  It’s been a while…since I’ve been this excited! Fall is coming..and I am so ready. I have some bittersweet emotions attached to fall, but this is my favorite season and I will continue to make it amazing! Fall makes me excited, and feeling excited feels good.
  
  I don’t even drink beer, but when I saw this I squealed.
  
  THE STORES ARE STARTING TO DECORATE!
  
  It’s been a while…since I have run 10 minute miles. For the last three months ALL of my miles have been in the 9:00 range. I’ve been running for almost two years now and it’s taken me this long to get a bit faster. Those of you that think running happens overnight, let me be the example that sometimes it takes a LOT of work. Keep going!
  
  Life is constantly changing, and if we aren’t ready for it we will be knocked flat on our backs. Always be prepared for change, you never know what will come your way! I’ve discovered that time is very powerful, and time will always see you through.
  
  Q: Has it been a while since you’ve done something you love?
  
  | 68 Comments Tagged Change, Life, Random, Time
- Hold the Cheese Please
  
  Posted at 7:52 AM by Brittany, on August 30, 2013
  If anyone ever tells you that you need cheese on your pizza, look them straight in the eye and say, “NO, cheese clogs your colon!” Actually I happen to love cheese, I just don’t eat it these days. I promise I don’t judge those that do, but I think making pizza without cheese forces you to be more creative with your flavor combinations. I’ve had my fair share of vegan pizzas before and each time I do the flavor combinations get a little more wild.
  
  When deciding what to make for dinner the other night, I suddenly remembered I had some walnut cream sauce left from my dinner last week. Pizza immediately popped into my head as a way to finish up the sauce. BOOM. The only problem was that I didn’t have any yeast on deck, and I didn’t want to drive to the store just for that. To be honest I just didn’t want to use the yeast period..so I didn’t! This yeast free dough turned out great!
  
  Yeast Free Pizza Dough
  - 2.5 cups whole wheat (or all purpose) flour
  - 2 3/4 tsp baking powder
  - 1 tsp sea salt
  - 1 tblsp olive oil
  - 1 cup of water (possible a skosh more)
  Mix your dry ingredients together and then add in your water and oil. I used a fork for maybe 5 seconds before getting my hands in there and rolling the dough around until it was well combined. Knead the dough on a floured surface for a few minutes and then roll out onto baking tray (I used a pizza stone) and top with desired ingredients!
  
  I topped mine with the walnut sauce, spinach, rosemary potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted beets, chopped green onions and not photographed nutritional yeast. For my veggies I roasted each of them before topping my pizza dough, the pizza will only take about 20 minutes at 400F so you want these veggies already cooked for the most part. The potatoes were roasted with the rosemary prior to topping the pizza.
  
  This pizza hit the spot, and even my non vegan family members gave it two thumbs up. The best part? Leftovers for lunch! Somehow leftovers make me just as excited.
  
  Q: What’s your favorite pizza topping? Potatoes are essential for me on pizza.
  | 66 Comments Tagged Pizza, Recipe, Vegan
- Apple Spice Cupcakes…Turned Muffins
  
  Posted at 7:48 AM by Brittany, on August 28, 2013
  The other day I started to bake some cupcakes, because you know..I didn’t get enough last weekend. In my defense, the cupcakes my mom brought me just didn’t hit the spot. DON’T get me wrong, they were unbelievably delicious, but a lemon cake with raspberry filling is so… last summer. (Disclaimer: I’d never turn down a cupcake regardless of flavor.)
  
  I am foaming at the mouth for fall to hurry up and get here, so to honor my favorite season I got spicy in the kitchen with cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bring on the fall spices! Sadly, the maple “butter” cream icing I attempted to make turned into a soupy mess, which means these went from cupcakes to muffins faster than you can say, “vegan butter is a b*^ch.”
  
  Apple Spice Cupcakes/Muffins
  
  For the apples
  - 3 peeled and cored apples, diced into cubes
  - 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  - 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  - 1 tblsp flour
  - 2 tblsp brown sugar
  - 1 tblsp coconut oil
  Toss your apples in the spices and flour. Over medium heat, heat the brown sugar and coconut oil until slightly bubbly. Add in your apples and cook until caramelized, most of the liquid has been cooked off, and the apples are soft. Remove from heat and let cool.
  
  For the cupcakes
  - 1 cup almond milk
  - 1 tblsp lemon juice
  - 1/3 cup olive oil
  - 3/4 cup raw sugar
  - 1 tsp vanilla
  - 1 1/2 cups flour
  - 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  - 1/2 tsp baking powder
  - 1/4 tsp salt
  - 1 tsp cinnamon
  - 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  Mix together the almond milk and lemon juice and let sit for a minute to curdle. Then add in the oil, sugar, and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine your spices, flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Once combined, add to the milk mixture.
  
  So much apple goodness
  
  Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. I used the ADORABLE liners my dear friend Lily sent me a while back. Fold the cooled apples into the cupcake batter and fill your liners almost to the top. Your kitchen will smell like FALL!
  
  I am a bit depressed that the icing didn’t turn out, I had some high hopes for these cupcakes. Muffins are good too though, and sometimes trying to turn a non vegan recipe into a vegan one just doesn’t work. Live and learn. Overall these were still delicious and I ended up eating them with a GLOB of PB on top. I will make these again!
  
  Q: Do you get bummed when you have kitchen failures? I’ve gotten a lot better in time, I used to have internal melt downs. Failures are now excuses to bake again!
  | 65 Comments Tagged Cupcake, Fall, Recipe, Vegan
- Let’s Get Saucy!
  
  Posted at 7:33 AM by Brittany, on August 26, 2013
  Sometimes my mom takes on the shape of an angel, a cupcake carrying angel.
  
  Yeah, this totally happened.
  
  Bottom two are mine, but the others deserved to be in the picture too because they are gorgeous. Especially middle left. Lets take another look from a different angle.
  
  I don’t know if I should admit to people how amazing I feel inside just looking at cupcakes like this. There is an ART about cupcake decorating that just gets me excited. You know what else gets me excited..secrets..inner secrets.
  
  Food porn as its finest.
  
  To balance out the cupcakes I’ve been ~~inhaling~~ eating, I am also making myself decent meals. I’ve really started to fall back in love with the concept of taking the time to cook.
  
  Cous cous, avocado, tomato, and pistachios over a bed of Swiss chard.
  
  I bring bowls like this to work with me to prevent me from cracking out on too much coffee. It’s all about balancing the caffeine with real food, or so I tell myself. This snack takes no more than 10 minutes to throw together, but is so much heartier than a PB&J.
  
  Insanity is still insane, and running is going fine. I have felt a bit tired these days, but I think it’s because I’m not eating enough cupcakes..that’s obviously why (however these cupcakes fueled my 7 mile run this weekend at a 9:42 pace per mile.) I’ve also been ravenous at times due to the extra calories I am burning, which helps give me motivation to continue making myself some solid dinners.
  
  I had a recent craving for gnocchi, because I think it had been at least a year since I last had it! One day I will make my own from scratch, but for now the tricolored gnocchi from my local market does just fine. Paired with roasted beets, roasted Brussels sprouts, and sauteed asparagus for a complete meal. Let’s get a close up of that saucy gnocchi.
  
  I made a walnut cream sauce to lather on top. For those of you that love the heavy cream based sauces I encourage you to try making a nut based sauce, it will change your life.
  
  Walnut “Cream” Sauce
  - raw walnuts (or sub in any nut-cashews are my favorite, but this is what I had)
  - water
  - garlic powder
  - salt
  - lemon juice
  -This is somewhat of a DIY recipe, basically you will need equal parts water and nuts. Combine the two in your high powered blender, or food processor and blend. For a thicker sauce, add more nuts, and for a thinner sauce add more water. Experiment with whatever consistency you prefer. I used about a cup of nuts/water for two people.
  
  -With the seasonings I used about 1/2 tablespoon of garlic powder, and about 1/2 tsp of sea salt. I squeezed in half of a lemon (completely squeezed, you will need to drain that lemon dry.) Blend again. The fattiness of the walnuts balance these flavors perfectly.
  
  With the leftover sauce I plan to make more veggie/grain bowls and continue gettin saucy!
  
  Q: What’s your favorite sauce? SALSAAAA and mustard find their way onto most things I eat, but I am always a fan of nut sauces!
  | 80 Comments Tagged Cupcake, Insanity, Recipe, Running, Vegan
- Brittany, Party of One…
  
  Posted at 9:58 AM by Brittany, on August 22, 2013
  
  …your table is ready! Does anyone else ever feel like it’s easier to slap some bread together or throw some spinach in a tortilla and call it dinner? This may be easy, but where is the fun, where is the inspiration, where is the EXCITEMENT?! Who says elaborate meals have to be enjoyed with other people? I want to start making them for myself..solo style.
  
  I haven’t been in much of a cooking mood these days, but with a bit of a push I am slowly getting back to making myself some decent meals. Not to say that a PB&J isn’t decent, it’s just not decent to eat every morning, afternoon, and evening. Sure, cooking with others is WICKED fun, but don’t think for one minute solo dining isn’t worthy of a solid meal.
  
  A classic meal is always a good place to start when jumping back onto the cooking bandwagon. Whole wheat spaghetti with roasted Brussels sprouts, sauteed asparagus, raw Swiss chard, and an avocado. Lightly tossed with lemon juice and simple seasonings.
  
  Even after a long, LONG day, there is something so rewarding about taking the time to prepare a proper meal. No body likes a lazy lass. I look forward to making lots of squash and potatoes in the next few months. Fall is coming, and we’ve already started to decorate.
  
  Sure it’s still August..but you can never be too early for fall, HAHA! Just ask Starbies, they already have the PSL mix (not available to the public yet)!! Sadly it contains milk, perhaps there is a vegan with benefits day in my fall future! Or maybe I should create my own..
  
  I’m feeling optimistic today, and I have a calm/positive mind. If I could, I would take a leaf blower and send some of my feel good to all of you! Sharing is caring my friends. Next time you feel like you’re lacking motivation to treat your body to a good solo meal, slap your hand and get your fanny to the market to buy some fresh delicious food! You’re welcome.
  
  Food for thought!
  
  Q: Do you cook for yourself (or your family) everynight? I find it’s easier to consistently cook meals when there are other people involved. Cooking for one is harder for me, but SO much more important. Treat yourself right!
  
  | 55 Comments Tagged Adventure, Fall, Food, Recipe, Vegan
- Early Morning Confessions
  
  Posted at 5:23 AM by Brittany, on August 19, 2013
  
  1. Last week I started Insanity. I also started training for my next half marathon two weeks ago, this has made for some very sore days. Insanity has made my calves so sore they want to punch me in the face. I have to walk down the stairs like a pregnant woman.
  
  2. One of my coworkers has a YouTube channel. She vlogs, I blog..we are basically a match made in heaven. We also both love to get cracked out on coffee, best friends for life. Her videos seriously crack me up, I just adore her.
  
  3. My runs lately have felt like I’m eating a cloud. So fluffy amazing. I just want to cry they are going so well. I would like to thank good music and a good mindset. This song in particular gets me REALLY FREAKING JAZZED! I get chills and run fast..aka 9:00 miles.
  
  4. This past weekend I went to Seattle’s Hempfest for an hour. I felt like I needed an adult for 50 of those 60 minutes. So many characters…I might have been a bit scared.
  
  5. I inhaled the banana breads I baked last week. I shared half of the haul (thank God) but the other half was gone in just a couple days. They tasted better with each bite!
  
  6. Speaking of Insanity (and food), it has revved up my metabolism so much that it’s like everything I eat literally passes right through me. No stopping to pass go and collect $200. No complaints though, my intestines feel like a wrung out sponge. So fresh and clean.
  
  7. The other evening I spent a good hour sitting on my couch looking outside and listening to the rain. I had both my cats with me and it was the most relaxing evening. I cannot wait for fall. This was the first rainy day in a while, bring it on mother nature!
  
  I love this photo.
  
  8. One of my regular customers at work told me that she was texting her friend while running, and forgot that she was running. I don’t know what endurance gels she takes but I want some. I would pay serious money to zone out like that, until she said she fell…
  
  9. This finally happened after a three month separation..
  
  10.“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald
  
  Q: What’s your confession?
  
  | 74 Comments Tagged Chipotle, Confessions, Half Marathon, Insanity, Random, Running
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- Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com
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