Blissfulbritt | Page 58

- Early Morning Confessions
  
  Posted at 6:56 AM by Brittany, on June 3, 2013
  
  1. In an attempt to fix my peanut butter ~~addiction~~ intake, I purchased a jar that was 1/5 the size of the jar I’ve been consuming. I wish I were kidding, and I am not proud of how quickly I go through that jar fit for a whale. I turn into a human whirl wind with my hands and mouth when it comes to peanut butter. It’s not a pretty sight.
  
  80oz -VS- 16oz
  
  2. My running is going great lately, and (knock on wood) nothing hurts! My knees have been doing great and I am convinced that I hurt my knee in February due to sitting down too much/minimal movement. The more I stand and move now the less pain. BAZINGA!
  
  3. I love taking outdoor pictures. Not much else I need to say about that.
  
  4. My pants have been feeling a little tight lately. I’m not talking about my jeans..I’m talking about my yoga pants. You know it’s bad when your stretchy pants are stretched to full capacity. No more trays of chocolate.
  
  5. My mom is the best photographer. She really knows how to capture the essence of my beauty.
  
  Clearly that swing was a struggle to get onto. I happen to think I look like a wounded raptor on the left. The sound I would make sounds like this: “CAWWW CAWWWW”
  
  Money Shot
  
  6. Thanks to my pants getting snug, I am trying to cut back on sweets (and peanut butter.) Instead of going cold turkey anytime I get a craving, which is everyday, I eat an “energy” bar instead. Something like a Clif Mojo bar, or a Nature Valley Oats & Honey bar. Let’s be real, these are pretty high in sugar and are more like dessert anyway, but still less sugar than a cookie. It’s a win win in my book.
  
  7. Ever had a peanut butter and basil sandwich? I have. I licked the plate clean which tells you it was edible and not disgusting, but I think I’ll leave the basil to my pasta sauce.
  
  8. I think my cat needs a diaper. He is getting so old his BM’s are a little messy and he likes to scoot his butt on the carpet. It’s not fun to clean up his yellow brick road.
  
  9. Speaking of my cat, both of my cats were sick within a week of each other. I was awake all hours of the night concerned about the sneezing fit that was going on in my room. Hurricane Kittina was happening at 3A.M. for like a week. Poor babies.
  
  This is them with their new toy, Mr.Wiggles. The tan man is the messy pooper. I find the black mans body in a hilarious stance. The longer I stare, the funnier he looks.
  
  10. I know you have all been on the edge of your seats waiting for an update on my coin counter, and I am happy to report that I have made it to $5.33. Who’s laughing now!
  
  Also I would like to give my mom some credit. After 40 failed photo attempts, she did capture a good one. I call this picture, “two jungle cats hungry for spinach.”
  
  Q: What’s your confession?
  
  | 62 Comments Tagged Cats, Chocolate, Confessions, Cookies, Nature, Running
- The Key to (MY) Successful Running
  
  Posted at 11:09 AM by Brittany, on May 29, 2013
  
  After Mothers Day, I took nine days off from running. Nine days. For my non running friends this may sounds like NO big deal, but to a runner this is a century. I just..didn’t feel like running. Mentally I was unable to get myself outside. Instead I went to spin class almost every single evening, and yoga almost every single morning. (Must stay active.)
  
  Finally by day 10, I decided it was time. I felt that urge that I hadn’t felt for nine days. Since then I have run a handful of times, and each time I have had my Garmin with me, but did not look at the pace until I was done. The numbers mess with my head too much.
  
  I’m not mad at that pace..in fact all my runs lately have been in the 9:30 range. Given I am not running far, but I am also not dying. These runs feel good! I credit that to the rain. I have been loving running in the rain. It feels so raw and cleansing.
  
  This was the first time my shoes matched my outfit. Unplanned.
  
  I have been trying to find myself as a runner the past couple weeks. Sounds kind of corny, but let me explain. I love running. I don’t always love it mid-run, but after I finish a run I am always on cloud nine. With that said, there were times I felt like I was running for other people, always comparing myself and wanting to get that shiny new PR. You can see how running for all the wrong reasons would cause you to fall out of love with it.
  
  All my runs are solo these days, which gives me a lot of time to think and reflect. While I loved having a running partner, I am embracing these solo runs and challenging myself to run on intuition. Running with other people motivates me to push my pace a little faster, but in the end that could tire me out. Running alone means I focus on myself…that’s it.
  
  I’ve stopped using Dailymile because I found that it stressed me out at times to run a certain pace. I found myself running to be able to share it online, or with friends-big mistake. In time I may use DailyM again, but for now my runs are for me, and occasionally will be shared on the blog (the super duper good runs of course.) I’ve also stepped away from training plans that make me feel like I have to run. I will run only when I want to. This doesn’t mean I won’t be training for a half marathon in the future, just not right now.
  
  This is not an overnight process, it will take time. I am going to stay calm even when I have a “bad” run. I have a goal to be “that” runner that runs for fun, for therapy, and for health. I run for health right now, and sometimes for therapy, but very rarely for fun. All in time. Moral of the story: Run for yourself, this goes for any kind of workout. Capish?
  
  ALRIGHT that was way too much seriousness for one post. I had some cake the other day and anytime someone came near me while I was crouching in the corner I felt like this.
  
  Amen.
  
  Q: Have you found your workouts lacking lately because your mental state wasn’t where it should be? “You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.” -J.M
  
  | 67 Comments Tagged Garmin, Joyce Meyer, Running
- Like a Fine Wine
  
  Posted at 9:03 AM by Brittany, on May 27, 2013
  *Happy Memorial Day! Please take the time to thank a service member/veteran for all that they do today. Sending prayers to the families who have lost their loved ones, and to those missing their spouses and children who are away from home.*
  
  I’m going to apologize now for the recipe I am about to share with you. I guarantee you will not be able to stop eating this, which means you will need to purchase a new pair of pants to fit your new, larger waistline after you eat the entire pan of these chocolate treats.
  
  Zero Self Control Chocolate Bars
  
  Straight up SWIPED from amy-newnostalgia! EXACT recipe. It was perfect just the way it was. The name is mine though, haha. I named it from my experience.
  - 1 cup peanut butter
  - 2/3 cup honey *
  - 1/2 cup coconut oil (NO substitutions, must use coconut oil)
  - 2 cups oats (NOT instant)
  - 1 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
  - 3/4 cup dried cranberries
  *I use honey in my diet while most vegans don’t. If you don’t want to use honey, try another sticky sweetener in its place.
  
  In a medium sized saucepan, melt together peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil. Remove from heat and add oats, chocolate chips, and dried cranberries. Stir until combined and chocolate chips are melted.
  
  Spread into a 9 x 13 pan. Refrigerate until hardened, about an hour or so. Store in refrigerator.
  
  Oh I’m not done yet. These bars were not eaten alone. Ohhhh no, they had a copilot. I had a can of coconut cream in my fridge for almost a month, and I finally decided to use it.
  
  Coconut Whipped Cream
  - 1 can of coconut cream (14 oz) I used that TJ’s can.
  - 1 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  - 1 1/4 teaspoons of vanilla
  Place your can of coconut cream into the fridge for at least 8 hours, or for a month like I did. After 8 hours open the can UPSIDE down and pour the liquid into a container to use later. Possibly for a smoothie. Take the hardened cream out of the can into a mixing bowl and combine with the powdered sugar using an electric mixer. Add the vanilla and let sit.
  
  Or dig your fork right in.
  
  NOTE: This whipped cream is like Leonardo DiCaprio, or like a fine wine, it gets better with age. Let this sit for at least a day before you use it for the best results. I found that when I tasted it the first day it was much too fatty and rich for me. The next day it was better, and TWO days after I made this it was perfect. While most recipes use a can of coconut milk, I thought the fatty texture of the coconut cream was divine. Plus this is GOOD fat, we need good fats in our diet! Great with fruit, or with those chocolate bars!
  
  I couldn’t stop cutting off pieces of this chocolate stuff and dipping it straight into the cream. I ate all the cream by myself and it’s gone. The pan of chocolate bars are gone too.. both gone in two days. I was addicted. In all actuality the ingredients are not bad in either of these recipes, but I know nothing about moderation. I had ZERO self control with these. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m late for my Chocoholics Anonymous meeting.
  
  Q: What tasty treat have you been addicted to lately?
  | 67 Comments Tagged Chocolate, Memorial Day, Recipe, Vegan
- The Secret Garden
  
  Posted at 9:56 AM by Brittany, on May 23, 2013
  
  It’s amazing the places you can find if you just walk around your area.
  
  There is a garden/children’s park just under 2 miles from my house. I’ve been here a few times before, but never really stopped to appreciate the scenery.
  
  I’m not sure if children maintain this garden, or just come to look at it, but it was adorable and made me want to polish off my green thumb. It’s looking rather rusty right now.
  
  Tiny garden railroad..I was wayyy more excited about this than I should have been. All this cave needed was a troll.
  
  Bahaha I had to.
  
  It’s reasons like this I probably don’t have many friends. Owell. This garden even had edible plants and I swooned when I recognized some Swiss chard.
  
  I need this green house. This exact one. The colors are awesome.
  
  Are we noticing a trend yet with my last few posts? Nature is kind of my thing right now. I could sit on this bench all day. Just when I thought this garden already had it all..I discovered it. THE secret garden..
  
  Tucked back behind the garden with long plants covering part of it, was a door. It was actually kind of creepy and once I was done pretending a boy in a wheel chair was going to come open the door for me, I scooted off before a rabid raccoon tried to eat my feet.
  
  As if this tranquil place couldn’t get better, there is a trail leading down to the water.
  
  After spending some time daydreaming about living on that boat in the picture and pondering life, I made the trek back home just before it was dark. Adventure complete.
  
  Q: Are you within walking distance of any fun places? Be reasonable, you CAN walk 3-4 miles (possibly more!) to get there. Put your legs to use!
  
  | 65 Comments Tagged Adventure, Gardening, Nature, Walking, Water
- When Nature Calls
  
  Posted at 10:33 AM by Brittany, on May 20, 2013
  
  Lately I have been spending a lot of time alone. Sometimes it’s peaceful, sometimes it’s not. This weekend I tried to get out and spend time around other people and bless them with my charm and wit. Friday I successfully got lost in nature, kind of. Can you get lost if you’re not alone?
  
  Oops she was mid sentence when I snapped the picture haha.
  
  I brought my sister with me to go for a walk in the woods because let’s be honest, I am afraid of going into the woods alone. What can I say, I’m a wuss. What I am not afraid of though, is honoring nature when it calls. I was no where near a bathroom and my bladder felt like it was carrying the entire San Diego Zoo. The problem was finding somewhere appropriate to hide. I don’t prefer this way, but I just had to.
  
  Too out in the open.
  
  Too rude to go on a bridge.
  
  Can I climb inside this tree stump?
  
  Finally when I thought I couldn’t hold my bladder any longer I found a giant rock to hide behind. I told my sister to block my way and she then say, “Can Tiff try?” For those of you that don’t know, my sister has autism and is very impressionable. I probably should have held it, but I REALLY had to go. I said “NO! Don’t ever do this..and pretend it didn’t happen.” She said, “Keep it a secret.” Yes..keep my secret. Sorry mom.
  
  I really enjoyed being out with the ferns, birds, and tree monkeys.
  
  Sunday I spent time with a friend that I’ve known since I was a wee won.
  
  For the record, yes I wear this jacket basically everywhere I go. I don’t know what I’ll do when the weather heats up for good. I’ll probably just cut off the sleeves.
  
  While driving around Seattle I spotted the most beautiful graffiti I have ever seen.
  
  I have been craving pizza, for WEEKS! For some reason I’ve had no motivation to make my own, and as a vegan it’s not easy to just walk into Domino’s and ask for a pizza without cheese. Plus who knows whats in their crust..ANYWAY. This pizza..was legit.
  
  I chose the Field Roast pizza and it had: white garlic sauce, Field Roast, fresh tomatoes, spinach, and I ditched mushrooms for potatoes. Potatoes on pizza is the best. I think they also sprinkled dill on top, which I don’t really care for..but the pizza was so good I was able to ignore the dill. Plus I dumped enough red pepper and nooch on top to plug a flood hole.
  
  So good I left some on the side of my mouth for later. Thanks for the candid shot my friend.
  
  The pizza is made to order, so you know it’s fresh. They don’t sell by the slice so I had to purchase a small, but that just means more for later. I love supporting small businesses.
  
  I need to move to Seattle. Happy Monday everyone, I’m off to yoga!
  
  Q: Have you ever used nature as a bathroom? Be honest…
  
  | 67 Comments Tagged Adventure, Nature, Pizza, Seattle, Vegan
- Getting Lost In Nature
  
  Posted at 11:55 AM by Brittany, on May 17, 2013
  
  “The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.” Unknown
  
  “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” Albert Einstein
  
  “He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.” Socrates
  
  “All water has a perfect memory, and is forever trying to get back to where it was.” Toni Morrison
  
  “Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
  
  “I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.” John Burroughs
  
  “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” John Muir
  
  Today I plan to get lost in nature. I’ve fallen into the habit of staring at the ground too much when I am outside. Part of this is due to the fact that I have an extreme fear of slugs (weird I know) and I am always on the look out for them. Warmer weather means no slugs and I have been challenging myself to look at the world around me whenever I am walking around outside. Sometimes something as simple as enjoying a walk around your area can be uplifting and rewarding. Maybe you’ll learn something about youself you never knew.
  
  “I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.” George Washington Carver
  
  Q: Where do you go to get lost?
  
  | 54 Comments Tagged Adventure, Nature
- Early Morning Confessions
  
  Posted at 10:24 AM by Brittany, on May 15, 2013
  
  1. Life has been crazy lately. Almost like a blur. Initially I wanted to crawl into a hole like a hermit, but I’ve decided blogging helps me stay calm and collected. So blog I shall.
  
  2. Cookies make everything better…everything.
  
  3. Remember when I said I felt like I was a flying unicorn while dripping sweat in spin class a few weeks ago? Well the other day I noticed more sweat drops underneath my bike and instantly got excited. I then remembered that I never felt any drops fall from my face, and noticed a fan blowing directly onto the sweaty man next to me. The fan was blowing in my direction. Ohh gross. Please let the sweat on my skin be mine.
  
  4. While trying to coax my cat into the kitty carrier to go to the vet he was hesitant.
  
  “Please go into the jail like box.”
  
  My other cat decided the box was a playground and I couldn’t get him to come OUT of it.
  
  5. I never read The Great Gatsby in school, so when I saw the movie I had no idea what to expect. What a sad, tragic, and romantic story all wrapped into one. I couldn’t help but feel a bit down after watching it though. Also, WHY does Leo ALWAYS die!?
  
  6. I love my mom because she is ALWAYS there for me. No matter the situation. We may butt heads at times, but when I need her the most she is there whether it’s a shoulder to cry on, or answering my distress call after a failed attempt at a long run.
  
  I made it to 6miles and everything started to hurt. Including my mind. Mom to the rescue.
  
  7. I really realllyyy really want a bike. I am looking at hybrid bikes, but don’t know much about them. If you’re a biker pleaseee help!! Any tips or suggestions PLEASE!
  
  8. I got a haircut last week, and of course left the salon excited with the way it was styled. I cannot for the life of me style it the same way. I now regret this decision and want to shave my head. I must remember this next time I feel the need to chop my hair.
  
  Do not be fooled by this. When I try to curl it myself it looks like a 12 yr old did it.
  
  9. My black cat has been ALL OVER ME lately. I’ve decided I am going to invent a device where humans can pick up on emotions like animals can. I swear he knows when I am off and then turns into extremely annoying kitty. It’s appreciated though. Stay tuned for my invention, I think this is my calling.
  
  10. I need a vacation. Somewhere tropical would be nice. Someone please take me.
  
  Hawaii 2009
  
  Q: What’s your confession?
  
  | 68 Comments Tagged Biking, Confessions, Random, Running, Spinning
- Virtual Vegan Potluck: Classic Chocolate Cupcake
  
  Posted at 12:24 AM by Brittany, on May 11, 2013
  When I first started to brainstorm what dessert I wanted to bring to this potluck, I knew I wanted to do something epic. Bigger and badder than the the rest. Something unique, something with an interesting ingredient, something with…beans. So that’s what I did. I made some black bean chocolate cupcakes with a peanut butter frosting, and they both failed so miserably. I salvaged the “cupcakes” and turned them into a brownie like mixture (waste NOT) but the frosting was toast. Into the garbage it went. Time to reevaluate.
  
  I decided to go with a classic chocolate cake, and make a vanilla frosting. I’ve made vanilla frosting before with Earth Balance vegan butter and it was delicious. I didn’t have enough on hand and decided to test the Gods by using coconut oil instead. Mistake number two. I knew coconut oil with a vanilla frosting tasted like..well..coconut oil. I love coconut oil as much as the next vegan, but I don’t enjoy the flavor of it on it’s own. Frosting number two down the drain. I was starting to loose my patience, but I had to finish these.
  
  Finally, I decided to top my classic chocolate cupcakes (which turned out GREAT) with a classic chocolate frosting. OH and a homemade PB cup. After a 9 mile run in the hot sun, and 3 hours of baking in a hot kitchen, I was more than willing to stick with a classic. I’ll get wild in my kitchen another time.
  
  Classic Chocolate Cupcakes
  
  For the cake:
  - 1 cup vanilla almond milk
  - 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  - 1 cup flour
  - 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  - 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  - 1/4 teaspoon salt
  - 3/4 cup raw sugar
  - 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
  - 1.5 teaspoons vanilla
  Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners. In a bowl whisk together the almond milk and the apple cider vinegar and set aside for a few minutes to allow to curdle. While you wait for the mixture to curdle, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl and set aside.
  
  Once your mixture is curdled, pour in the sugar, melted coconut oil, and vanilla. Mix together until foamy. Once foamy slowly pour (in two batches) the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until there are no visible lumps. Evenly distribute the mix into 12 cupcake liners. The liners should be about 3/4 full. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
  
  For the icing:
  - 2 cups powdered sugar
  - 1/4 cup coconut oil
  - 1/4 cup vanilla almond milk
  - 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  I mentioned earlier that coconut oil does not work well with vanilla frosting. It does however work with the chocolate. The cocoa powder is strong enough to overtake the flavor of the coconut oil.
  
  In a medium-large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, mix the powdered sugar with the coconut oil. Add the almond milk, cocoa powder and vanilla, and continue to mix until smooth.
  
  For the PB cups I simply melted some chocolate chips and lined the bottom of a small cupcake liner. I stuck the base layer in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Then I put a layer of peanut butter (fresh ground works the best to bind the chocolate together) and put back into the freezer for 20 minutes. Lastly, I melted more chocolate chips and covered the top. No measurements with this, I just eyeballed. If you make too much…who am I kidding there could never be too much.
  
  These cupcakes were shared by many, including Megan when we had our blogger meet up! Her birthday was two days after our meet up so I baked these for her to drown her sorrows in..she turned a quarter of a century! Kidding…
  
  This post is one of many in a virtual potluck, to see more vegan treats visit the blogs before and after mine by clicking the buttons below.
  | 80 Comments Tagged Chocolate, Cupcake, Dessert, Vegan, Virtual Vegan Potluck
- BBQ Tofu Bowl
  
  Posted at 9:32 AM by Brittany, on May 6, 2013
  Every once in a while I stumble upon a recipe that rocks my world. These masterpieces usually cause my inner foodie to do a mental back flip off of a killer whale. It’s very rare for me to follow a recipe completely, as I usually like to tweak them around to make them my own. I found a recipe online and followed it almost 100%, right down to the food plating. I was that inspired. All pictures in this post are in fact mine.
  
  It’s been two days and I still can’t stop thinking about this meal. It’s the perfect spring/summer meal. I did use different beans, sprouted tofu instead of firm, and I didn’t season my kale. Minor differences that don’t take away from the glory that is this recipe.
  
  BBQ Tofu Bowl
  
  Inspired by thesweetlifeonline.com smoky bbq bowl
  - 1 cup brown rice
  - 8 oz sprouted tofu, pressed
  - 4 giant kale leaves
  - 1 cup beans (I used white kidney)
  - 1 cup BBQ sauce (or you can make your own) also enough to cook the beans in.
  - 1 avocado
  - 2 tblsp nutritional yeast
  For the tofu:
  
  Cut the pressed tofu into cubes and marinate them in a shallow container with 1 cup of your BBQ sauce for about an hour. Once the tofu is done marinating, place on parchment paper or silicone baking mat and bake for 20 minutes with your oven preheated to 400F.
  
  Save the extra BBQ sauce and mix with the nutritional yeast. After 20 minutes take the tofu out and flip them over. Reapply the saved BBQ sauce and bake for another 10-15 minutes. For extra crispness put on broil for a few minutes, but make sure not to burn it.
  
  To assemble the bowl:
  
  I used brown rice on the bottom, and then layered the rest of the ingredients on top. I steamed my kale, and warmed my beans on the stove in BBQ sauce. Yes..more BBQ sauce. Assemble and place avocado on top. This recipe serves two. For an extra kick squeeze lemon onto the kale after it’s been steamed, and add S + P to taste.
  
  This meal took hours to prepare, and minutes to destroy.
  
  Please do yourself a favor, and make this for dinner. Vegan or not..this meal is sure to please everyone with a pulse. Oh and as if I could forgot..dessert is always a must. Just like my cupcake for one, I made ONE cookie for dessert. This too needs some tweaking.
  
  It was delicious, but crumbly.
  
  Q: Have you made any meals lately that channeled your inner foodie?
  | 55 Comments Tagged BBQ, Recipe, Vegan
- Who Needs a Car?
  
  Posted at 9:57 AM by Brittany, on May 3, 2013
  
  May 1st came and so did the spring weather. Spring season is the perfect time to be outside and move! I am not sorry to be breaking up with my treadmill for a while, and I have been enjoying many outdoor runs, and walks. Yesterday I ran to the farmers market to see about getting some fixings for dinner.
  
  The market just opened for the season a couple of weeks ago and the pickings are pretty slim right now. Plenty of apples though!
  
  Some of the Fuji apples were so big I mistook them for honeycrisps.
  
  Apples on steroids.
  
  With empty bags I proceeded to walk to the store to find what I needed for dinner. If you follow me on Instagram, you will have seen a sneak peak at what was for dinner. This meal was so delicious and I cannot wait to make it again. Post/recipe to come!
  
  The rest of the weekend will be spent outdoors, baking, blogger meet ups, running, walking, BIKING (hopefully), and eating A LOT of food. Watermelons are back, time to get real with my spoon. No bowl necessary for watermelons. Happy weekend!
  
  Q: Is it farmers market season where you live?
  
  | 60 Comments Tagged Farmers Market, New food, Running, Spring, Vegan
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