Blissfulbritt | Page 56

- A Much Needed Foodie Adventure
  
  Posted at 1:35 PM by Brittany, on August 16, 2013
  My soul feels rejuvenated after a full day of amazing eats, and even better company. You know your day is going to be great when it starts out with a view like this.
  
  Vegan cupcakes galore at my favorite bakery. I behaved and ate brunch before I got a cupcake, although my meal was more of a snack/treat.
  
  Corn cakes with the most amazing vegan cream sauce and fresh berries. I cannot wait to go back and get a real meal. Any excuse to get more cupcakes…and a ginger molasses cookie.
  
  After a walk, skip, and a jump it was already time for lunch/another snack before dinner. The last time I had a legit vegan pizza was almost three months ago. Vegan pizza by the slice? YES, sign me up. The only thing missing from this pizza was potatoes.
  
  I don’t think they could have squeezed anything else on there if they tried. This slice gave me just enough energy to partake in some shopping, and some berry picking.
  
  I need pie…now. OK OK, now for my favorite meal of the day..summer is almost over and I had yet to make burgers. Better late than never right!?
  
  Black Bean Sweet Potato Burgers
  - 15 oz black beans drained and rinsed
  - 1 med/large cooked sweet potato
  - 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
  - 2/3 cup finely chopped onion
  - 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
  - 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
  - 6 tblsp rolled oats
  - 1/2 tsp salt
  - black pepper to taste
  - 1 tsp cayenne
  - 1 tblsp olive oil
  1. Preheat your oven to 375F, once you finish cooking your quinoa and sweet potato.
  2. Mash half of the beans in a bowl until paste-like.
  3. Add in the rest of the beans and give a very light stir/mash to combine.
  4. In a separate bowl, mash the sweet tater, but you don’t want it creamy.
  5. Stir in the salt, pepper, cayenne, and olive oil, until combined.
  6. Mix in the onion, garlic, corn, black beans, quinoa, and ground oats, until just combined.
  7. Taste, and adjust seasonings to your liking.
  8. Form into balls, between your hands and flatten into 1/2”-3/4” thick patties. This should make 8 medium/large patties.
  9. Place on a pan lined with parchment paper [or lightly greased pan] and bake on each side for 15min, flipping once, half-way through. Finish and serve!
  I topped mine with tomato, roasted red pepper, avocado, swiss chard, and BBQ sauce. As always I make my burgers and sandwiches so tall I can barely fit my mouth around them.
  
  Bon Appétit!
  
  Oh and I saved the best for last..somehow I managed to save the cupcake I got at brunch for after dinner. Seven hours after purchase I sunk my teeth into the most gorgeous sight.
  
  Lemon Lavender..swoon.
  
  Q: What does it take for you to recharge after a long week? Good food, and great company did it for me this week!
  | 45 Comments Tagged Cupcake, Recipe, Summer, Vegan
- Hanging On and Moving Forward
  
  Posted at 6:54 AM by Brittany, on August 14, 2013
  Last week I ran on my treadmill without wanting to blow up a building full of bunnies. Running inside on that hamster wheel makes me more angry than having to share my cupcakes. Usually I can’t stay on the treadmill for more than 3 miles, but I did and the run was actually very enjoyable. I was able to punch dance to some good music too.
  
  To celebrate this running success (because I will find a reason to celebrate anything) I decided to bake! I haven’t baked in two months. That’s two months too long. After seeing some bananas in my kitchen that were on their last days of life, I knew what to bake. I had enough bananas to bake TWO variations of banana bread. One to honor summer, and one to move forward into fall..aka the best season..aka pumpkin central..aka I CAN’T WAIT!
  
  “Hanging Onto Summer” Blueberry Banana Bread
  - 3 large overly ripe bananas
  - 2 tblsp lemon juice
  - 1/3 cup vanilla almond milk
  - 1/2 cup raspberry honey*
  - 2 cups all purpose flour
  - 3/4 tsp baking soda
  - 3/4 tsp baking powder
  - 1/2 tsp salt
  - 1 cup frozen blueberries
  *I use honey in my baking, for a true vegan recipe use agave or molasses.
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray or wipe a 9×5-inch loaf pan with oil.
  2. Mix the almond milk with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and let sit until it curdles.
  3. In a large bowl, mash the bananas and add the remaining lemon juice, almond milk, and honey. Stir well to combine. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, and stir just until the mixture is well-combined. Fold in the blueberries.
  4. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting and serving.
  “Moving Forward to Fall” Pumpkin Cinnamon Banana Bread
  - 2 overly ripe bananas
  - 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
  - 1 cup pumpkin puree
  - 1 tsp vanilla extract
  - chia seed “egg” (1 tbsp chia seeds + 1/8 cup water)
  - 2 cups all purpose flour
  - 1/2 cup raw sugar
  - 1 tsp baking soda
  - pinch of salt
  - 1 tblsp cinnamon
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mash banana and then add the melted coconut oil, pumpkin puree, vanilla, chia seed “egg” and mix together.
  3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
  4. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine. Then add the cinnamon and stir.
  5. Pour into 4 small loaf pans, and then sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg on top of each loaf. Bake for 50 minutes.
  The pumpkin cinnamon loaves made my entire house smell like fall! I will be making this version again very soon. It was hands down my favorite. If I could make some changes I would have baked the blueberry bread in the four loaf pan as well to help minimize chewiness. Overall this was a successful 3.5 hrs in the kitchen.
  
  Q: What’s your favorite version of banana bread?
  | 73 Comments Tagged Baking, Fall, Recipe, Running, Vegan
- Vega Sport Review
  
  Posted at 5:17 AM by Brittany, on August 12, 2013
  
  I love caffeine. Give me a pot of coffee with some espresso shots on the side and I will be bouncing off the walls for hours. While I love the high that I get from caffeine, I would rather get this energy boost from vitamins. I’m a huge believer of using vitamins for natural energy. With that said, you can understand my excitement when I received an e-mail from Vega asking me to try out their new sugar free energizer.
  
  A lot of endurance or energy products are super sketchy, so I was glad to see that the ingredients were legit. Aside from devils claw (which I promptly Googled) I knew what everything was, making it easy to confidently put this into my body.
  
  I hate when people share products without sharing the nutrition label!!
  
  I was shocked to find that they sent me an entire box, with THIRTY packets. This meant multiple reviews for multiple activities.
  
  First up was a packet before a morning spin class. Normally I feel a bit sluggish for this class, but this time I felt great. One packet 20 mins prior to spin and you’ll feel like you’ve got the Olympic torch, pedaling as fast as you can to get it home. Faster, FASTER!
  
  Next up was work. I wanted to see how this stuff stood up to regular activity vs higher endurance activities. I was pumped so full of vitamins that I was moving at lighting speed. I was pouring lattes and blending frappuccinos like the end of the world was coming. I almost had too much energy..almost. Seriously I felt cracked out, in a good way. Good thing I work with coffee and no one noticed, I’m sure they thought I slammed some shots.
  
  Last, but most certainly not least I tested these out while running. Let me just set this disclaimer out there, these energy packets DO NOT turn you into Kara Goucher. I had to test these twice because the first time I went for a run with the energizer, I set out of the gate like I was competing for a spot in a zombie shelter. NONONO! Once I depleted all my energy within 5minutes I knew I had to try them again..and run like I do normally.
  
  So I did just that, I tried them again before an early morning five mile run. It was amazing. I didn’t even need my morning coffee!! Well I didn’t need my coffee for energy, I still needed it for other morning rituals. I also lasted that entire day until after 10pm. Long story short I really, REALLY like this product! I will be purchasing more when I run out!
  
  Q: What’s your go to energy source for working out? These are now my favorite, along with SHOT BLOKS!
  
  | 33 Comments Tagged Coffee, Review, Running, Spinning, Vega, Work
- Other Options
  
  Posted at 7:25 AM by Brittany, on August 8, 2013
  
  Let’s be real, most coffee based beverages are jam packed with extra calories, fats, sugars, and so on. I have never been a “fancy” coffee drinker, and 98% of my days I stick to black coffee with absolutely nothing added, but with free drinks being thrown my way I’ve tried to get creative. I’ve already shared my Starbucks smoothie creations, and I always get my iced teas unsweetened, but what if I want a coffee drink with a little pizzazz?
  
  Insert the coffee frappuccino, the most basic of frappuccinos with just enough oomph to make you feel like you’re in with the “foo foo” drink club. I don’t care for the crazy sugary flavored fraps, and really enjoy the flavor of just the basic coffee. However, this is still a frappuccino which means it gets a sugary binding agent to help hold the goodness together. Well I don’t like that, so I decided to NIX the frap syrup base all together and sub in some natural sugar..in the form of a banana! PERFECT binding agent and GREAT flavor pair.
  
  Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE me some sugar, but I would rather eat a cookie or an entire cake than get my sugar from syrups. To each their own. I also swap the frap roast (coffee portion) for fresh espresso shots for more of a coffee flavor. Swoon.
  
  While I am on the topic of work, and other options, I just want to say my commute to work is quite enjoyable. It’s about a 20minute drive, and I am able to take back roads that I adore. Taking the road less traveled instead of the freeway makes for a calm drive to and from. One of my favorite roads on this commute is full of farms, cows, and a produce stand.
  
  It’s adorable and makes me crave fall.
  
  On a completely unrelated note my cereal spoke to me the other day.
  
  Is this real life!?!
  
  Those blueberries fused together to form a PERFECTLY proportioned Mickey Mouse head! This must be a sign..it’s almost been a year since I have been to Disneyland, which means it’s almost been a year since I ran my first half marathon!! I want to go back! I have officially started training for half marathon number three..here we gooooo!
  
  Q: What’s your go to drink at Starbucks (or any coffee shop?) I have like five.
  
  | 64 Comments Tagged Disneyland, Half Marathon, Starbucks, Work
- Old Soul
  
  Posted at 5:13 AM by Brittany, on August 5, 2013
  
  I’ve been told I have a bit of an old soul. I am not your typical 24 year old, and I have tenancies that have earned me the nickname, “Grandma B.” I really don’t mind this much, and I enjoy living a calm, smooth life. I go to bed no later than 10, I wake up at 6, I drink my coffee black just like grandpa, mornings are my favorite time of the day, I eat Metamucil crackers (these are legit good, I don’t actually “need them” I just like the taste!) and I LOVE gardening. I often share stories of my first garden from last summer.
  
  This year I slacked on planting anything, but my roommate (hi mom) planted a few things that I am just swooning over as they start to grow!
  
  Neither of us had planted cauliflower before, so when the leaves started to grow we were unsure of when we would see anything else. I noticed this tiny cauliflower head yesterday!
  
  This Swiss chard has already put my wine box chard to shame, and just proves plants need A LOT of room to grow. I still loved my chard last summer even if the leaves were small.
  
  Classic garden zucchini plant. Will be making lots of brownies with these!
  
  The mini garden also has some fresh herbs, but this is all for the veggies. I just need an avocado, some carrots, tofu, and cucumber to recreate this amazing rice roll…I’ll use the chard for the leafy green, and perhaps some zucchini as well.
  
  New to me garden additions would be fruit plants!
  
  I am so excited to harvest more blueberries, freeze them, and put them in my cereal.
  
  If you have a garden, don’t invite me over to your house. You will loose me, and then find me talking to your plants as if they were people. Just kidding, please invite me over. Also if anyone spots a good deal on some Depends, I think it’s time I stock up. Just in case.
  
  Q: Did you plant a garden this year?
  
  | 79 Comments Tagged Gardening, Veggies, Wine Box Garden
- Hangry
  
  Posted at 9:39 AM by Brittany, on July 31, 2013
  
  Monday was my sisters 29th birthday. To celebrate, my family and I went to eat at Red Robin. The weather was nice, which permitted us to sit outside. Big mistake. While it felt good outside, I think the waitress forgot there were people out there because it took WAY too long to get our food. I was getting so hangry I was ready to fight.
  
  My brain was like a forest fire until this burger was placed in front of my face. The second I got my food I turned into a tornado and it’s a wonder I didn’t choke. Sometimes I wish I had a set of gills that I could use to breathe through while I run train on my food.
  
  I would have eaten the plate if it weren’t plastic. Do not cross me when I am hangry.
  
  I look something like this.
  
  I don’t go out to eat very often because: A. It can get expensive, B. My waistline doesn’t like it, and C. I like to know exactly what I am eating, and with restaurant meals that’s almost impossible. With that said when I DO go out to eat, I take my “vegan” diet with a grain of salt. I like to go to all vegan restaurants when I can, but sometimes I go elsewhere.
  
  This meal for example is a Boca burger. The patty is vegan, but I have no idea what’s in the bun. Normally whole wheat buns are vegan, but I don’t ask when I am at restaurants. I don’t want to be “that person” that asks for every single ingredient, and if I were I should just stay home. SO I don’t eat out often, but when I do I close my eyes and assume my bread is vegan. C’est la vie..vegan with benefits at its finest.
  
  My booty has started to resemble Jupiter lately and in order to combat the severe case of belly bloat I have, today will be a day of SMOOTHIES! Bye bye broccoli gas, hello flat belly. Lots of fruit means LOTs of fiber. I like to ensure my colon never looks like an LA freeway in the middle of rush hour traffic. I need smooth sailing every day.
  
  Thankfully my work has fruit. I’ve been drinking this smoothie nearly every day. So simple, but so good. Splash of strawberry puree (I balance this with some water) splash of soy milk, a banana, and two packs of blueberries. Who says you have to get coffee at a coffee shop? Free smoothies never tasted so good.
  
  Q: Do you turn into a tornado when you are hangry?
  
  | 70 Comments Tagged Hangry, Red Robin, Smoothie, Starbucks, Vegan
- Early Morning Confessions
  
  Posted at 5:21 AM by Brittany, on July 29, 2013
  
  1. Lately my life has been very textbook. I literally do the same thing everyday. I wake up, I coffee, I eat, I let coffee do its job, I run, I work, I run, I eat, I sleep, I work. My days are a bit numb, but I’m glad to be busy. I’m working 11 days in a row and I don’t even care.
  
  My own smoothie creation.
  
  2. If you dare me to do something I’ll most likely do it. Add money to the conversation and it’s a sure go. I made a dollar yesterday just to bite into a brown banana. Don’t people know that this is when bananas are best? I didn’t dare spill my secret, and my dollar is safe in my pocket. I imagined biting the banana skin is what it’s like to be a Tasmanian devil.
  
  3. While taking awkward photos proving I occasionally wear girl clothes before the wedding I went to last weekend, I noticed my uneven scapula’s. When I was 13 I broke my collar bone, and clearly the broken size droops. I had no idea..haha.
  
  I was trying to show off my runners tan, and instead I have a pathetic tan and uneven shoulders. Please tell me you notice it… it’s on —> side.
  
  4. I don’t like telling people I’m a vegan. In fact I don’t really like calling myself a vegan. The title is too stereotypical these days and too many people judge me before they know me. Just because I don’t want to put dead animals or their teet milk in my body, doesn’t mean I run around with butterflies and rainbows. My blog is another story obviously.
  
  5. My meals have been completely unimaginative lately. I need to find my spark in the kitchen again because I miss it. All I eat are a lot of veggie bowls with some kind of protein base. I also still lather my face with peanut butter, I just can’t get enough. Oh and fruit. Basically I am pretending I am a survivalist in my kitchen and eating off the land.
  
  Lunch break with lady green.
  
  6. I am already craving fall. Crisp morning runs, crunchy leaves, pumpkin GALORE! Only a couple more months!! Just the thought makes me twitch with excitement. Twitch.
  
  7. My cat is a ninja. That is all.
  
  Climbing up jackets on the wall.
  
  Observing his prey (aka me while I am running..what a creep!) Also please don’t be jealous of my TV circa the 1700’s.
  
  Fangs of death.
  
  8. My confession posts are becoming more frequent. My topics to write about are too small for their own post, but just important enough to deserve being mentioned. It’s time I work on a new recipe. I haven’t had cake in weeks and my desire to shank is coming back.
  
  9. Somehow the Starbucks bag makes it into a lot of my pictures. The wannabe photographer in me thinks it’s artsy. Hanging out with my cat all day will do that.
  
  10. I used to wake up at 3:30 AM every morning for work. Today I woke up at 4:30 AM for work and felt like I was hobbling around like a drunk monkey. HOW did I do this every morning? Just another example of the wonder that is the human body. After an hour and an IV of coffee I was agile and glad to be up before the sun, and the world.
  
  Q: Who likes to wake up early? I do I do, but my ideal time is 6AM.
  
  | 84 Comments Tagged Cats, Coffee, Confessions, Random, Running, Starbucks, Vegan
- Love is in the Air
  
  Posted at 9:02 AM by Brittany, on July 23, 2013
  Saturday I went to a wedding. This was my first wedding in two years, and maybe my third wedding total. I went to weddings as a child, but I don’t remember them, so for my adult life we will just count the ones I know of..which makes the total three.
  
  “Hi. I’m Brittany and don’t know how to stand for pictures when I am alone. I am awkward.”
  
  Shameless selfie/proof I don’t always look like a wet running dog.
  
  Truth be told, I love weddings. I love the energy of a good wedding, and I turn to complete mush during the ceremony. This wedding was different though, this wedding was unique.
  
  The groom(s) yes..plural
  
  This was the most adorable wedding. Backyard, country, relaxed, eclectic themed bliss. The groom on the left has the most amazing decorative eye, and I want him to plan my wedding. Their house is so tranquil it’s like a secret garden getaway.
  
  Random sink coming out of the porch? LET’s PUT A PLANT IN IT! Genius..
  
  Old chair? Blue spray paint and a hole for a plant..LOVE THIS!
  
  This wedding was almost completely DIY and there is something so romantically adorable about that to me. So much love was put into creating such a unique experience.
  
  The bar, complete with orange solo cups.
  
  Follow the sign, you don’t have to tell me twice! THE GARDEN in the background..OHH I just swoon.
  
  I couldn’t help but secretly wish I had offered to make cupcakes for them. Not only would I have had an excuse to bake, but to be able to secretly give all these people vegan cupcakes would have been amazing. Owell, next time..
  
  What’s a wedding without a photo booth? I think I prefer this rugged “face in hole” style better. Get you cameras out, this is a snap it yourself photo booth.
  
  I could not get over the adorableness of his outfit.
  
  The altar
  
  The love and support from the friends and family of these two men was amazing. It’s refreshing to be around people who are accepting of all people, and I feel blessed to live in a state that is allowing everyone to show their love. Equality at its finest.
  
  Caught laughing
  
  Q(s):
  - Do you like going to weddings? YES YES YES!
  - Traditional church weddings, or unique outdoors? OUTSIDE!
  | 76 Comments Tagged Equality, Summer, Wedding
- Early Morning Confessions
  
  Posted at 6:50 AM by Brittany, on July 19, 2013
  
  1. My dad once told me, “a sandwich is not a sandwich without some crunch.” I couldn’t agree more. Chips make for the ultimate crunch in a sandwich, but so does kale and chard.
  
  Perfect bread:greens ratio.
  
  2. I’ve consumed way too much coffee lately. Sigh.
  
  3. I won the most amazing giveaway a few days ago. I was lucky enough to finally try Lindsay’s healthy bites and OH MY GOSH. They have been taunting me for months, but after tasting them..I died and went to heaven. Please order yourself some, NOW!
  
  4. I was supposed to store my healthy bites in the freezer, but that was not necessary. I knew they would be gone within a few days…I was right…
  
  5. I got my first pair of compression socks in the mail. They are cozy.
  
  Black..to match my soul.
  
  6. I signed up for my third half marathon in October. Whoop whoop. I am super jazzed.
  
  7. The only reason I carry a bag while I’m away on day trips is to smuggle food with me.
  
  Food and a rubber-banded wad of cash…to buy more food.
  
  8. I’m almost ashamed at the amount of PB I have eaten in the last week. Almost, but not really. I will be getting more the moment I hit publish on this post.
  
  9. My cat has learned how to climb up jackets that are hanging on the wall. Such a ninja.
  
  Please notice the tongue slightly sticking out. Such a creep.
  
  10. This post is ridiculously sporadic and has little to no depth. For a more meaningful post go back and read my last post about my amazing running. I love running. YAY running.
  
  Q: What’s your confession?
  
  | 75 Comments Tagged Cats, Confessions, Half Marathon, Random, Running, Vegan
- Who’da Thunk
  
  Posted at 7:30 AM by Brittany, on July 17, 2013
  
  I’ve been running now for about two years. I started running solo, then I started to run with a buddy, now I am back to running solo and I am thriving more than ever before. The moment I let go of looking at my watch and obsessing over my pace, it was as if a brand new runner was born, a runner that I am starting to love!
  
  I’ve been working on my speed lately, and my goal is to get a sub 9:00/mile for at least 3 mi or more. I went for a 3 mi run last week and my pace was EXACTLY 9:00/mile! SO CLOSE! This is still the fastest 3mi I have run, so that is a success in itself. I hadn’t run over 5 miles in almost two months, and decided to see if I still had what it took to run 8 mi.
  
  NOT only did I still have the endurance, this was my fastest 8 miler ever. SUB 10:00/miles! My longer runs are naturally slower than my short runs, but not this one! Not only did I move quicker than normal, but this run FELT GOOD! I didn’t feel tired at all! Well my legs did, but that’s for many reasons. MY endurance is what I was focused on. The small speed work I have done is PAYING OFF for my longer runs!
  
  I’ve always loved running AFTER I am done, but lately I have been loving the run WHILE I am running. I still struggle getting out the door at times, but once I am moving I love it. I am finally starting to consider myself “a runner” and it feels damn good. You know what else feels good? When big companies like your photos on Instagram….
  
  Bahaha to be fair they “liked” quite a few peoples photos, but I still felt special. Anyway, running is rocking my world right now and I am so thankful for my body’s performance.
  
  In non running related news, today is Disneyland’s 58th birthday! To infinity & beyond!
  
  I want to gooooo…
  
  Q: Have you had any amazing workouts lately that rocked your world??
  
  | 73 Comments Tagged Asics, Disneyland, Running
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- Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com
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