Blissfulbritt | Page 61

- Stick With What You Know
  
  Posted at 8:56 AM by Brittany, on February 8, 2013
  
  Confession: I have been running in the same shoes for a year now. Any running expert will tell you shoes need to be retired anywhere around 500miles of usage (I’m looking at you dad..shoes from the 1990’s!.) Oops..I think I exceeded that. I can’t help it..I’m as frugal as they come! I finally..FINALLY went last week to buy some new shoes, but it didn’t go so smoothly..
  
  I had no specific shoe in mind, I just wanted a new pair. I have to admit I was partial to Brooks for a few reasons. Number one being I reverted back to my high school days of being a brand snob, and Brooks are just “cool.” They also make vegan shoes..double cool. Oh and my boyfriend runs in Brooks, and so does Scott Jurek..triple cool. I’m telling you now..what an awful way to base your shoe choice. You can possibly guess by now I ended up buying a pair of Brooks.
  
  Brooks Ghost 5..what a GORGEOUS shoe.
  
  Gorgeous as this shoe may be, after a 4mile test run something wasn’t right. Just my luck that with a prettier running shoe would come problems. Any shoe I’ve ever worn that was “pretty” (heels, fancy flats, studded flippy floppys) ended up causing PAIN! NO PRETTY SHOES! So despite Brooks awesome reputation, pretty shoes, and catchy slogan..I had to take these vegan shoes back.
  
  I decided to buy another pair of my old shoes, but no one had them in store so I had to wait a WEEK and order them online. I ate a lot of cookies to pass the time and drown my sorrows.
  
  I also had to put 11more miles on my old shoes, which really ended up hurting my knees. My left knee still hurts. Ugh..never waiting a year again! I did have a good run with my running partner despite the knee pain, and the views were awesome too..but nothing is worth hurting your body!
  
  1896 Olympia Brewery. I need a beer to sooth my funky knees!
  
  I am now coming to the falling action of this story. Yesterday I received my new shoes. There is something magical about seeing the UPS or FEDEX truck outside your door. Oh so magical.
  
  Aesthetically these shoes are awful. Absolutely AWFUL. They look like they were colored by a 5yr old, funny that they have similar colors to the Brooks. Physically..these shoes were like running on CLOUDS! I AM SO HAPPY with these shoes! I took them out for a run IMMEDIATELY and could have cried I was so happy. It was such a good run I even found some chachachaangge.
  
  That’s a whopping $0.11 cents, and I sure did STOP running to pick those coins up!! I can’t get to Disneyland without money people!
  
  The moral of this long story is: STICK with what you know!! The tread difference on the bottom of these two shoes was embarrassingly pathetic. I was LONG overdue for a new pair, and I am stoked to have my beloved Asics. I am now partial to Asics because they WORK FOR ME, this is how you should choose a running shoe! Maybe one day I will run in some Brooks, but until this shoe is discontinued I will stick with what I know!
  
  Q: What do you run in and whyyy!?
  
  | 68 Comments Tagged Asics, Brooks, Disneyland, Free Money, Half Marathon, New Digs, Run Happy, Running, Vegan
- Donut Daze
  
  Posted at 9:43 AM by Brittany, on February 6, 2013
  One of my all time favorite donuts has always been the apple fritter. The cinnamony appley goodness just melts in your mouth and is hard to pass up with a morning cup of coffee.
  
  I was inspired by a recipe that is sure to excite not only your taste buds, but your body will be empowered to go for a run. Seriously..sugar rushes and coffee highs make for great runs (5miles and under.)
  
  Apple Fritters
  - 1 cup all purpose flour
  - 1/3 cup sugar
  - 1 tsp baking powder
  - dash of salt
  - 2 tsp cinnamon
  - 1 tsp vanilla
  - 1 tblsp Earth Balance Vegan Butter
  - Equivalent of 1 egg ( I used Ener G egg re-placer.)
  - 1/3 cup vanilla almond milk, plus more if needed
  - 1 cup chopped/diced apple. I used a honeycrisp.
  - For the glaze-1 cup powdered sugar and 1 tblsp almond milk or more. Start with 1tblsp.
  - Coconut oil for frying
  Mix all the dry ingredients together, and then slowly add the wet ingredients MINUS the apples. Mix together until well combined, but not over beaten. Gently fold in the apple pieces. Once the oil is ready (when a test drop of dough floats to the top of the oil, a drop of water sizzles, or a piece of white bread browns in 60 seconds) place 3-4 balls of dough into the oil. Watch for browning and once the underside is browned flip over and fry the other side. Once the golf ball sized ball is completely browned they are done. I used a basic frying pan with enough coconut oil to cover about 1/3 of the dough. Once the donut is dried off, paint or dunk into the glaze.
  
  These are the best donuts I have ever tasted. Partially because they are homemade, and everything tastes better when you make it yourself. You can’t even tell they’re vegan. Make these now. This batch makes about 14 medium sized donut balls, and they were gone in two days. I was in a donut daze.
  
  Q(s):
  - What’s your favorite type of donut? Apple fritters, maple bars, and ANYTHING filled with creamy goodness.
  - Donut or doughnut? Why can’t we just pick one way to spell this word!?
  | 80 Comments Tagged Baking, Cooking, Food, Pinterest, Recipe, Running, Vegan
- Cravings
  
  Posted at 7:28 PM by Brittany, on February 3, 2013
  
  Usually my food cravings are so spot on that it takes less than 10 minutes for me to make some magic happen to satisfy my needs. The other night I wanted grease, and carbs. Solution? Cheesy tots.
  
  I don’t think I stopped to breath while I ate these. Daiya cheese has found a new way into my heart. Craving satisfied. Then yesterday something horrific happened. I was craving..nothing. Not a single thing sounded good to me..NOT even cupcakes or cookies. Oh the horror! So my dinner consisted of a random throw together. I would have gone to bed hungry, but I needed to eat something for my longer run today.
  
  The saddest part about this gorgeous looking mish mash, was that it was just MEH to my taste buds. Such a rough life I know. Speaking of rough, in my last post I mentioned that I judge other runners apparel. Check out this atrocity that hit the streets today..
  
  Green pants, grey top, PINK gloves, ugly shoes that are a YEAR old. Judge away friends..JUDGE AWAY! My shoes are so far gone it’s not even funny..more on that in a future post. I am officially the epitome of what I “judge.” Inefficiency at it’s finest running in shoes that will KILL my legs. New shoes are ON THEIR WAY.
  
  My knees HATED me today on my 11 mile run. On the upside I had my HOT running partner with me, and I tried a new energy gel.
  
  I have been obsessed with chia seeds for at least 4 years now. I have heard AWFUL reviews about this product, and it sold so poorly that Manfriend got all of these for free from his work. I also got some freebies from Liz (thanks again L!) I LOVED them. I have to try them again to judge the endurance aspect, but I didn’t mind the taste and I was already used to the gel like consistency of chia seeds in liquid. I think Scott Jurek would approve. Shot Bloks still have my heart though.
  
  After this run it took me a few hours to find my hunger beast and while I struggled finding a craving, the stars have realigned because I was willing to shank anyone with a cupcake. I didn’t get a cupcake though, instead I had Chipotle. My intestines will thank me later.
  
  Q: What do you do when you crave NOTHING!?
  
  | 52 Comments Tagged Cravings, Food, Random, Running, Vegan
- The Three Month Project
  
  Posted at 9:55 AM by Brittany, on January 28, 2013
  
  I love Pinterest. What kind of jobless woman would I be if I didn’t? Between the gym, walking around the grocery store, and reading blogs..I need something else to occupy the other 20hrs of my day. While I browse more than I actually pin, when I do find something worthy of pinning I attempt to make 80% of the items I pin. Take yesterdays snack for example.
  
  Inspired by a pin, but changed up to fit my standards. Cut up russet potato, brussels sprouts, tossed in olive oil, rosemary, salt/pepper, and garlic. Roasted at 400 for maybe 30 min. It was delicious.
  
  Pretty simple right? It took me maybe 45 minutes total to buy the ingredients, bake, and eat. BAM. I started another pin creation that didn’t go so quickly. I’m sure most of you saw this pin all over back in early October/November. The perfect fall decoration. I started this pin back in November, and I finally finished it last Friday.
  
  I can only blame pure laziness on not finishing this craft. It should have taken me 3 hours, not three months. Needless to say, it’s complete..and I am obsessed.
  
  Now I just need my own place to start displaying all my creations, my tiny room isn’t going to hold it all!!Completing a project (or meal) I pinned is like successfully giving a cat a bath.
  
  Q: What has been a Pinterest item you’ve recently made that you are proud of?? My most proud pin would be this one. It got 70 repins and 26 likes. Plus I had a blast making it.
  
  | 57 Comments Tagged Craft, Pinterest, Recipe
- Coffee Energy Bites
  
  Posted at 9:46 AM by Brittany, on January 25, 2013
  There is something magical about a morning cup of coffee.
  
  Not just any cup, a morning cup. The cup that allows for relaxation with the paper, the internet, a book, or with a friend. The cup that allows last nights dinner to be safely excreted from your body. The cup that gives that morning pick me up after a long night of work, school, or llama wrangling.
  
  While I love coffee in its more common form of a liquid, the beans and grounds are becoming a quick favorite of mine when it comes to baking. I made my basura cookies last week, and they didn’t stand a chance lasting more than 2 days. The coffee grounds in these cookies really stole the show. Here’s another favorite with the addition of some coffee grounds.
  
  Energy bites SHOULD have coffee grounds in them, don’t you think?
  
  Coffee Ground No Bake Energy Bites
  
  Ingredients
  - 1 cup dry whole grain oatmeal
  - 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
  - 1.5 tblsp fresh ground “unused” coffee beans *
  - 1/2 cup creamy almond butter *
  - 1/4 cup of honey
  - 1 tsp vanilla
  - 1/4 cup chocolate chips
  - 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  *Notes: Peanut butter also works in place of the almond butter, however both MUST be creamy, and preferably store bought jars. While I love my self ground nut butters, they are much too dry for this recipe. When I say coffee grounds I mean take fresh beans, grind them, and use those grounds in the recipe. DO NOT brew them, and make sure your coffee is FRESH, old coffee will result in minimal coffee flavor. Also, the finer the grind of your coffee beans, the better the texture will be. If your coffee is too coarse you risk developing a cat like sandpaper tongue.
  
  Directions
  
  Stir your oatmeal, flaxseed, and coffee granules together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed, then add your almond butter, honey, and vanilla. Once well combined fold in your chocolate chips and cranberries. Stir well! Let chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like, I usually make 10-12 balls. Store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 1 week…if they last that long!
  
  Can you see the coffee?
  
  These are some of the best balls I’ve made yet. The addition of fruit, chocolate and coffee made for a flavor explosion. They won’t last a week.
  
  These pair perfectly with..guess what..a cup of coffee!
  
  Q: Do you like coffee? If you don’t drink it, do you like anything else coffee related? Think CHOCOLATE covered coffee beans!
  | 268 Comments Tagged Coffee, Recipe, Vegan
- Running Thoughts
  
  Posted at 9:26 AM by Brittany, on January 21, 2013
  Running longer distances allows for a lot of time with your thoughts. Thoughts about life, thoughts about family, thoughts about food, and most importantly thoughts about cookies. While on a 10 mile run yesterday, I thought about all of these things. My running partner was with me for good conversation, but anytime there was silence my mind was thinking about how excited I was to get to the grocery store destination so I could buy myself a cookie.
  
  10 miles done and the grocery store was waiting for me to purchase sugar laden treats and guzzle water with blueberries floating inside. If you don’t end your run at the grocery store, you are missing out. While walking the aisles patiently waiting to stumble upon the cranberry orange cookie I had discovered just the day before, I looked at my friend as he muttered the most beautiful words I had heard all day, “let’s make compost cookies.”
  
  Compost cookies were originally founded by a restaurant called Momofuku, but I wanted to make my own version..vegan friendly of course. I used my chocolate chip cookie base, and added the random ingredients to it. It doesn’t feel right to call these compost cookies, and anytime I mentioned the fact that I was tired on this 10mile run my friend would say “basura” which means trash in Spanish It was the theme of the run, so I present to you..basura cookies.
  
  Basura Cookies
  
  Ingredients
  - 2 cups all purpose flour
  - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  - 1/2 teaspoon salt
  - 3/4 cup coconut oil
  - 1 cup packed brown sugar
  - 1/2 cup raw sugar
  - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  - 1/2 cup applesauce
  - 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  - 1 cup crushed potato chips
  - 1 cup crushed pretzels
  - 2.5 teaspoons fresh ground UN-brewed coffee beans
  - a few splashes of almond milk depending on texture
  Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted coconut oil, brown sugar and raw sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, and applesauce until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips, potato chips, pretzels, and coffee grounds by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
  4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted.
  I will run marathons for these cookies. I am savoring one of these as I type this post, they pair perfectly with a cup of coffee. Lets be real though, I haven’t found a cookie that DOESN’T pair well with coffee!
  
  Q: What do you think about on long runs/bike rides/swims/hikes?
  | 83 Comments Tagged Cookies, Recipe, Running, Vegan
- Home Again
  
  Posted at 9:38 AM by Brittany, on January 11, 2013
  My trip to Arizona was a short but sweet ten days. I had a lot of fun with family, running, eating, and adventuring. I rode on a train, I ran on new streets, and I tasted my first Moscato. For the things I haven’t mentioned, here are some bullet points for easy viewing.
  - I watched horses dance like people.
  - I ate garden grown spinach the size of my hand.
  - I ran 26 miles in unknown flat land. The best part about running in Arizona is the lack of hills. It felt like a vacation from running too.
  - I tried new food.
  - I ate at Pei Wei.
  - I watched a new blogger blossom. My younger brother has started a blog, and I had a blast being around to watch him write a post.
  - I had awesome family time.
  I’ve been home for five days, and am missing the flat roads of Arizona. Running on hills is supposed to make you a better runner..right? It’s good to be home.
  
  By the way, I have become completely engrossed by Instagram. I think the only bandwagon I just can’t get on is Twitter. At the rate I am going I will have a Twitter by the end of the year. Ugh.
  
  Q: Do you have all the bells and whistles of social media? I just can’t do it..
  | 41 Comments Tagged Arizona, Cats, Food, Instagram, New food, Running, Vacation, Vegan
- Wannabe Wino
  
  Posted at 10:05 AM by Brittany, on January 8, 2013
  
  I have finally earned my big girl pants and went wine tasting.
  
  I then took the big girl pants off because I made a stink face after every sip. I do not like wine. Between my dad, my step-mom and I we made enough wine waste to fill an entire glass. Finally when I thought it was too late for any hope, I found one that I liked.
  
  This Moscato tasted like juice. It was no surprise I liked the dessert wine, I am 12 years old at heart. Drink enough wine and the windows in the bathroom start to glow.
  
  After the tasting it was time to tour the land. No grapes on the vines because it’s winter. That just means I need to go back when it’s harvest time.
  
  This vineyard was beautiful, and the mountains on the horizon made this a place I would love to wake up and drink my morning coffee, or a bottle of wine (Moscato please.)
  
  Better yet, just put me in the production room and I’ll stick my head under the nozzles used to fill the bottles.
  
  In all seriousness this place was not only gorgeous, but it was very tranquil. Tucked into the hillsides of Sedona without knowing it was there, you would never find it. I think I could pretend to be a wino if it meant spending my afternoons here.
  
  Q: Have you ever gone wine tasting, or toured a vineyard?
  
  | 55 Comments Tagged Alcantara, Arizona, Vineyard, Wino
- That Time I Crab-walked Down A Mountain
  
  Posted at 8:40 AM by Brittany, on January 6, 2013
  
  If anyone has a spare parka or blanket made out of seal blubber, I would gladly take it off your hands. That’s not very vegan of me, but it’s been very hard to get out of bed in the morning because it’s so cold. Inside AND outside. I’m in Arizona..what gives!?
  
  I know some of my Canadian readers are laughing at me, and anyone else that’s in weather wayyy below this. Laugh away, I am a wimp.
  
  Fortunately going hiking means the blood flows and helps with heating up the body.
  
  Ohh the beautiful red rocks of Sedona. What a lovely hike, UNTIL we reached the destination.
  
  This vertical wall of death was the scariest thing I have encountered all year. I was shaking, breathing heavy, sweating, and planning my funeral just looking at this. Finally after telling my brother I would do it if he did..he was gone in a flash climbing up like a spider monkey. Finally I climbed, all while breathing like a cow in labor. So scared. Luckily the view at the top was well worth it.
  
  What goes up, must come…~~falling down to a painful death~~ down.
  
  To ensure maximum safety, I put my 5th grade PE skills to use and crab-walked down.
  
  Oh and I was wearing jeans since it was so cold. BAD idea. I went against everything I have ever stood for when it comes to hiking. I will never do that again. NEVER EVER.
  
  I’m sure you can figure out by now I survived. Once I came back down, I was able to resume regular breathing and my armpits started to dry off. I was glad to say I did it. Accomplishing such a grueling task required some serious nourishment.
  
  While taking this picture of my beautiful black bean burger, I didn’t notice I was missing a bun. Come to find out I kinda liked it sans bread. The world was realigned once again.
  
  Q: Have you done any scary hiking before? I get scared all the time, it’s either vertical walls of death, or rustling bushes. Like I said, I’m a wimp. I also watch too much Animal Planet.
  
  | 52 Comments Tagged Arizona, Cold, Hiking, Photography, Vegan, Wimp
- Choo-Choo!
  
  Posted at 5:00 PM by Brittany, on January 4, 2013
  
  It shouldn’t take a neurologist to figure out this post is going to be about a train.
  
  A trip north to Cottonwood/Sedona area started with a train ride through the Verde Canyons in Clarkdale Arizona. This railway was built in 1912 as a support for the copper mines in Jerome, AZ, and it just so happened to be my first wilderness style train ride.
  
  I started this adventure on the inside of the train, but quickly made my way outside with the big kids to get the full experience. Despite being a bit chilly, being outside was much better.
  
  Who ever said there’s no water in the desert?
  
  The most fascinating thing about this train ride was seeing all the caves in the canyon walls that were used by Indians many years ago. The idea of living in a cave is wild to me. To display just how close the train drove by the canyons, here is a picture of a random old man.
  
  This two hour ride took us into a “town” called Perkinsville, where you have to be a Perkins to reside. There were maybe three people that lived here, and at least 10 farm animals. This is where I took my favorite photo of the day.
  
  One day I will frame this and hang it in my house. After a 15 minute break check, we headed back on the two hour ride into the train port. If you’re ever in this area of Arizona, I highly suggest taking this train ride.
  
  Q: Have you ever been on a train?
  
  | 28 Comments Tagged Adventure, Arizona, Desert, Photography, Train
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- Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com
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