Blissfulbritt | Page 68

- DIY: Wine Box Garden
  
  Posted at 8:10 AM by Brittany, on March 23, 2012
  The mini garden I have been wanting to start has been completed. It was super easy, and a lot of fun. To start things off you will need the following:
  - Wine boxes
  - Soil
  - Plant starters/Seeds
  - Frost/Critter blanket
  - Wooden steaks (if your boxes are flimsy)
  - Something to prop the boxes on once complete
  - Power tools
  - Love and patience
  If you have sturdy wine boxes, you will not need to reinforce the box like I did.
  
  See that bucket in the background..the clout laundry detergent bucket? That was my front row seat to watching my friend do all the work. As I mentioned, these boxes were collected from Trader Joe’s. I had eight boxes total. Hoarding starts at a young age my friends. This is what the boxes looked like originally.
  
  Now you see why I have eight, these boxes are gorgeous. Despite the boxes good looks, the sides were not very sturdy. Insert a woodworking friend to fix the problem.
  
  Those 4 wooden pegs were nailed in to keep the sides from splitting. Now the box is ready to go. Next step-Drill holes in the bottom for drainage.
  
  I am the mastermind behind these six holes. I can be hired with the promise of cookies as my pay.
  
  Now the fun part-Time to get dirty! Pour your soil(s) in to the boxes and plant your goods! We used two different “dirts,” one as a base soil, and one with a fertilizer to nourish the plants. From top to bottom: Walla Walla onions, beets, swiss chard, and carrots!
  
  If you live somewhere that has the potential of getting frost still, like we do in Washington, a frost blanket is suggested. This also acts as an insulation while protecting your goods from creatures, slugs, passing neighbors, and slugs. Did I say slugs? I hate slugs…
  
  Lastly make sure the boxes can drain.
  
  We set the box ends onto left over wood for elevation. I ended up moving the wood under the box near the center more to evenly distribute the weight of the soil within the box.
  
  There you have it, making a wine box garden is THAT easy. You just need to find some sturdy wine boxes and the rest is simple. I do suggest using some form of a label to indicate which vegetables are in which box. You can spend money on something like this:
  
  Or you can be cheap like me and use parts that came inside the boxes, saw them into pieces and use a sharpie to write on the pieces of wood (see upper right corners of completed boxes.) OR you could make something like the poop stick by using a kitchen knife, and a hot glue gun to attach a label to the knife. Perhaps this will be another DIY post for the future.
  
  Growing a mini garden, or growing a small potted plant in your house is both fun and rewarding. Watching your plants grow is like watching your child complete grade school..I think. I don’t have children, except for my cats..but they don’t attend school. Either way it’s extremely satisfying doing this yourself!
  
  Q: Are you planting anything this season? If so..tell me what!
  | 49 Comments Tagged DIY, Gardening, Trader Joes, Veggies, Wine Box Garden
- St.Paddy’s Day 10K
  
  Posted at 3:31 PM by Brittany, on March 19, 2012
  
  Saturday morning I pulled my money makers out of bed to stand in the freezing rain for 30 minutes, and to run 6.2 miles. I was cold, I was crabby, and I was nervous. I was angry it was raining. I usually love the rain, but I was tired and did not want to be soaked like a can of soggy beans. I arrived early to get my race packet.
  
  It was official, I was running a 10K. I had never run more than 5 miles at once..so this is where the nerves came in. I knew one more mile was attainable, but having never done the distance before I had some worry. I had hoped for a leprechaun wombat to run with me if I needed an extra boost. No such luck.
  
  Fuel in the form of sugary candy, should I need it.
  
  Turns out I only ended up eating one. That one the arrow is pointing to, I ate that whole thing..I even ate the wrapper like a savage wild animal. My hands were frozen to the point I couldn’t feel my fingers, without working fingers I couldn’t unwrap the sugary treat. I panicked, fearing my energy would dwindle and without thinking, like a homeless monkey..I ate the wrapped candy. I have yet to see the wrapper come out the other end..this must mean it was digested by my ferocious stomach acid.
  
  Long story short, the course had some wicked hills..and the first 3 miles were painfully cold. After mile 3 everything started to feel better, including my body. I finished the run with a 10:15 pace (WAYY faster than I anticipated) and an overall time of 1hour and 3minutes. Thank you spaghetti feast, you helped my buns of steel power up those hills.
  
  Post run I wolfed down a delectable sandwich.
  
  Overall I felt a sense of accomplishment for my new PDR. It’s moments like this that make the painful days worth it. My March race is complete, and I can eat Reese’s Eggs guilt free for a few more days. I’ll keep you concerned cats posted on that Starburst wrapper..
  
  Q: Embarrassing running stories? Eating that wrapper is my top as of right now..One day I’ll be a real runner like those marathoners that shat themselves.
  
  | 33 Comments Tagged 10K, Running
- Brown Thumb Turned Green
  
  Posted at 6:39 PM by Brittany, on March 11, 2012
  
  I have a habit of talking the talk, but failing to walk the walk. I talk about many things I want to do in my life, thinking of them as more of a dream than a reality. I’ve made excuse upon excuse ranging from, “I don’t have time” to “I don’t know where to begin.” One of my goals in life, aside from owning chickens and walking on Pluto, is to have a garden. I have longed for the satisfaction of harvesting my own fruits and veggies for years, but have yet to take the plunge..until now.
  
  I salvaged a few wooden wine boxes from TJ’s and I am planning to grow some vegetables in them. With little to no knowledge, I decided to visit a nursery for ideas and inspiration. The nursery had so many fun and exciting things. Every loop and corner had a new ocular adventure.
  
  Food: Fruits, potatoes, onions, herbs..the food plants were the most exciting. I imagined having a backpack with soil for a portable garden/lunches on the go.
  
  Flowers: A nursery would be incomplete without trees and flowers.
  
  Pottery: For those that want variety, decoration, or aren’t lucky enough to have a lot of land to plant in.
  
  Those are all great, but I’d rather have one of these.
  
  Imagine growing a veggie in that. Broccoli, and Brussels, and kale OH MY!
  
  Randoms: Garden trinkets, scenery, plants.
  
  This nursery also offers free classes on certain gardening topics. I signed up for veggie gardening 101 (which I went to earlier today!)
  
  The nursery adventure both inspired and exhausted me. I needed to refuel my tank, and then refuel my brain. Tank first: Cinnamon rolls from the market.
  
  Brain second: An at home experiment with alien growing garlic.
  
  Watch out Ciscoe, there’s a new green thumb in the making!
  
  Q: Any gardening tips for a first timer!?
  
  | 29 Comments Tagged Adventure, Gardening, Veggies
- New Digs
  
  Posted at 6:17 PM by Brittany, on February 10, 2012
  
  If you were to tell me a year ago that I would end up running more than I bake, I would laugh in your face. I started running to challenge myself with a sport many people steer away from. As I’ve increase my mileage I have realized my beloved five fingers aren’t going to be enough for my longer runs. With that said, I buckled down and bought a pair of running shoes.
  
  I had my heart set on the bright blue and green pair of Brooks, but when I found out the running shop didn’t have a single pair of Brooks in my size, I opened my mind to something else. I tried on at least 5 pairs of shoes before buying the first and ugliest pair I had tried on.
  
  My immediate thought when I put these on was, “these look like old lady shoes.” Despite the hideous yellow and grey, these shoes felt the best..or so I thought. I ran a couple miles in these and while I was running they felt fine, but then when I was walking around after my run I felt as if my foot was folding into the inside of the shoe. I am new to running shoes like this so I don’t know what I should be looking for. My feet are comfortable in the shoe, and while running I felt ok..so I am torn on how to decide if I love them. These weren’t cheap and I want to be sure I love them so I can get some serious mileage in.
  
  I want this shirt to go with my new shoes.
  
  Somebody beat me to it…
  
  Q: All you running babes out there..how do you know when a shoe is perfect for you?!
  
  | 24 Comments Tagged 5K, Race, Running, Shoes
- Kombuchaaaa
  
  Posted at 10:07 AM by Brittany, on February 1, 2012
  
  I don’t drink wine, I don’t drink beer, I don’t drink soda, I don’t drink juice (unless I make it myself) and I don’t drink anything in between. Basically I keep it really classy by drinking Dihydrogen Monoxide day in and day out. On the rare occasion that I want to get wild, I will buy myself a Kombucha. Drinking a Kombucha makes me feel like Cinderella was mysteriously pushed off the face of the earth, and I magically took her place. It’s kind of a big deal.
  
  I posted a few days ago that I was ever so blessed with THREE free GT Kombucha passes. This allowed me to try flavors I had never tasted before, go places I had never been before, and buy bottles I had never saved before. Buckle your seat belts and prepare yourself for this adventure I am about to take you on. I call this: The Kombucha Review.
  
  First and foremost, Kombucha has been said to have various different health benefits. If you are interested in what those may be you can go here, here, and here. Along with these benefits come individual benefits with each flavor you choose. Each flavor I will discuss has the main kombucha ingredient, a variety of probiotics, and their individual ingredients which I will break down nutritionally.
  
  Multi-Green.This flavor has been, and always will be my favorite. If you want to feel like you are deep sea diving your body into a pool of feel good, this is the flavor for you. The flavor is very “green” and if you like wheat grass, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, and algae you will like this flavor. In this green foggy wonder there is kombucha, klamath mountain blue-green algae, spirulina, and chlorella.
  
  Spirulina and Chlorella are both superfoods. Superfoods are known to have high phytonutrient contents, as well as high concentrations of essential nutrients. If you want to learn more about Spirulina and Chlorella you can go here, here, and here.
  
  Gingerade.This flavor is amazing for an upset stomach. Similar to a ginger ale or any ginger based beverage, the ginger “ade” really helps to settle any uproar or parties the flora in your belly might be having. In this orange sunshine-y fog there is kombucha, and ginger juice. If you like ginger ale, ginger beer, or anything with ginger you will like this flavor. It is a mild ginger flavor for those of you that think ginger can be a bit “sharp” tasting, myself included.
  
  Ginger has a variety of different health benefits such as gastrointestinal relief as I stated earlier in simpler terms, anti-inflammatory effects, immune boosting properties, and menstrual cramp relief (can I get an AMEN!). If you want to learn more about ginger you can click here, here, and here.
  
  Mystic Mango.
  
  I include this flavor for those of you that are scared to try Kombucha. This is the mildest tasting Kombucha I have tried. It almost tasted like juice. Kombucha has a strong fermentation flavor and a bubbly kick to it, yet this mango flavor was calm and refreshing without the kick in the pants. I love the kick in the pants, but some people might not. Inside this amber city of tropical goodness is kombucha and mango puree.
  
  Some of the health benefits of mango are improved digestion, lowered cholesterol, high in iron, potassium, fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6 (hey hey you vegetarians!) Vitamin C, phytonutrients and many..MANY more. Click here for more nutritional information on mangoes.
  
  Along with these three flavors I also tried one of the chia seeded Kombuchas. These ones are even more mild than the mango flavor and I hardly tasted any kind of bubbly. I prefer the bubbled fermented flavor, so I won’t be buying the chia seeded Kombucha again, despite the health benefits of chia seeds. If you want to learn more about chia seeds you can click here.
  
  As you can see, I am a fan of the Kombucha. I would like to thank Amanda with Synergy Drinks for giving me these three free passes. All of these opinions are my own, and the nutritional information is based on my own research. If you are a Kombucha fan..high five. If you have never tried Kombucha there are PLENTY of flavors out there and I suggest starting with the chia or mango flavors. Happy fermenting!
  
  | 31 Comments Tagged Review
- Breakfast Of Champions
  
  Posted at 12:27 PM by Brittany, on January 12, 2012
  We have all been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It breaks our overnight fasting, and jump starts our day. On days that I am able to casually wake up, I like to make a breakfast fit for a nutrient craving king.
  
  The plate must start with half fruit.
  
  Apple and orange
  
  Then add protein.
  
  Eggs and peanut butter
  
  Lastly add the pleasurable item of the meal, because what is a good meal without something to indulge in.
  
  Morning star sausage patty with sharp cheddar on a homemade biscuit
  
  ALWAYS save the best for last. Even if it’s just one bite.
  
  Homemade biscuits
  - 2 cups of all purpose flour
  - 1 tablespoon baking powder
  - 1/2 teaspoon salt
  - 1/2 cup coconut oil
  - 3/4 cup milk
  1. Preheat oven to 450.
  2. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add coconut oil and mix until dough resembles a crumb like texture.
  3. Add milk and stir with fork until the dough pulls away from the bowl.
  4. Roll, knead, and love the dough on a floured surface until no longer sticky. Roll into a log.
  5. Grease a baking sheet with olive oil. Cut dough log into 1/2 inch thick pieces, or larger if you desire, and place onto the baking sheet. Spray or rub olive oil on the tops of the biscuits and put into the oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
  6. Enjoy!
  | 26 Comments Tagged Breakfast, Recipe
- 5 Reason 5K
  
  Posted at 5:33 PM by Brittany, on January 3, 2012
  
  Sunday morning I awoke at 5am to set out on the journey of completing my second 5K race. I was out the door by 6 in order to catch the 7:20 boat across the water to Seattle. It was cold, windy, and dark. Little did I know that the weather would turn around to be something wonderful. Instead of boring you all with every last detail of the day, I will sum it up to 5 key reasons as to why it was a great run.
  
  Reason 1: Location–The park where the course was set had scenic paths and the trails were twisty. The last stretch of the run was along the water.
  
  I assume we looked something like this.
  
  Reason 2: Chili–Post race, everyone was given a bowl of hot chili. Vegetarian chili was offered, and the line for the meatless option was three times shorter than the line for the meat chili. We walked up to get our bowls and waited less than a minute.
  
  Reason 3: Free Loot–Along with the free chili, we snagged free coconut water(s), fruit, and baby Lara Bars.
  
  Do not be fooled by this photo..I grabbed at least five more handfuls of the Lara mini’s.
  
  Reason 4: Unique race–Most races don’t have a wet and dry option. Choosing wet meant I signed up to run the last few hundredths of the race sopping wet. I took a detour into Lake Washington for the Polar Bear Plunge. I swore my body weight doubled after pulling myself out of the lake to finish the run.
  
  After..
  
  The plunge took the breath out of my lungs because the water was so cold. Though the dive into the lake was refreshing, I felt slightly immobilized when I could no longer touch the ground.
  
  Swim around the end of the line, dunk your head, and run out of the water.
  
  Reason 5: A friend-Having someone next to me made the time fly by. They grabbed my arm when I felt like I couldn’t swim, and they trotted to the finish with me dripping wet.
  
  I finished 3.17 miles in 32:43. The pace was nice, and the weather was ideal. Sunshine and blue skies. I would most definitely do this run again.
  
  The chili feed was not enough for my cheetah appetites so I ended up getting some more grub.
  
  Another piece of wall art to continue the collection.
  
  Q: What is the most unique race you have done? Definitely this one..jumping into a lake was fun.
  
  | 26 Comments Tagged 5K, Race, Running, Whole Foods
- Just Keep Running
  
  Posted at 7:49 AM by Brittany, on December 4, 2011
  
  It’s official, I am in the running club. I have finally run my first “race.” Yesterday I participated in my first 5K. I woke up to have an energetic breakfast of skittles, cake, and coffee..but my mom said that wouldn’t be a very wise option. So I had pancakes and eggs instead.
  
  I got to the event early to see all the people and booths along the streets. It was 40ish degrees so we had to go back to the car to thaw out a few times..but you’d never know we were shaking in out boots..OK I was shaking in my boots and was whining inside like a little girl. I couldn’t let my cold bones show with all these children around..they would surely point and laugh at me.
  
  Pre race snap shot. I of course looked like this after the run too, but not really..more like a wet rat that was excited after finding a scrap of cheese. My cheese was obviously finishing the run within my goal. I wanted to finish 3.1 miles in under 30 min, and I finished in 29:13. PLUS there was some incline for at least half the race..me and hills are not friends but I suckered through it.
  
  Let the running number collection begin!
  
  Post race (and post shower) I rocked my new t-shirt and headed out to eat some salad mountains.
  
  Two salad mountain faces and 4 breadsticks later I was in the most rewarding food coma. Fun fact: I hate when anything other than salad touches my salad..the plate is reserved for salad and salad toppings only aka lettuce’s, veggies, cheese’s, and croutons. Other salads like pasta salad and potato salad must have separate plates or containers. Otherwise I get angry and smash through walls.
  
  My plan of running one race a month is still in play. I want to make a dress out of all my running numbers and wear it everyday to high end parties and jazz clubs.
  
  Q: Do you care if your food touches?
  
  | 31 Comments Tagged 5K, Fun fact, Manfriend, Running, Salad mountains
- Love/Hate Relationship
  
  Posted at 8:19 AM by Brittany, on December 2, 2011
  
  The transition from fall to winter is a beautifully painful one for me. Perhaps it is still too early for me to mention the word winter, but in my lovely state of Washington we experience the beginnings of winter a tad bit earlier than some of you more fortunate states.
  
  What is wrong with this photo?– Besides the fact that my brights are on, and I am taking a picture while going 46mph.. the thermometer reads 27 degrees. This painfully cold weather brings many good things. Such as frost on trees and flowers, providing for beautiful scenery and photography.
  
  This also provides more excuses for tea breaks.
  
  I’ve obviously had a hard time saying goodbye to Halloween, my favorite mug will be used year round regardless of the holiday. Plus I like pretending my cat is with me at all times.
  
  Although this transition can be gorgeous, it is slightly painful for my limbs. A lot of this will be happening.
  
  Thanks to my terrible blood circulation, I soak my mitts in hot water to assist the flow back towards my heart. As if this weren’t enough, I get terrible dry skin on my hands when the weather gets cold. This happens a lot..
  
  As much as I’d like to say that this is bird poo from a bird that ate too many beets, that is indeed blood due to the crack-age of my hand skin. I am hopeful this year because thanks to my beloved soap from TJ’s, my soft skin has been prolonged into the colder days.
  
  This stuff is like liquid crack..for your skin.
  
  There is one more thing that happens to many people that I can’t prevent. I must carry a ton of tissues with me in order to cope with this hindrance.
  
  There are a few reasons as to why your nose runs when the weather is cold, but my favorite is the paralyzing of your nasal cilia. This cilia is in charge of containing your nasal liquids, but when it gets cold outside and you breathe that air in, the cilia becomes paralyzed..thus cannot do its duty of containing your liquids. Long story short..out comes the liquid for all to see. This picture does not do my nasal drippage justice..trust me that I leak like a broken faucet.
  
  I do love bundling up and preparing for Christmas with a warm beverage and a snogging buddy…which is usually my cat. I live a very tough life.
  
  Q: What do you love/hate about winter?
  
  | 19 Comments Tagged Cold, Dry skin, Frost, Runny nose, Trader Joes, Winter
- A Day of Thanks
  
  Posted at 11:21 AM by Brittany, on November 24, 2011
  
  HAPPY THANKSGIVING FRIENDS!
  
  I am thankful for many things in life. My health, my family, my friends, and my pets. I started this morning right with a sugary adventure. Taking these..
  
  and turning them into these..
  
  My two faves. Goofy gobbler eyes, and a perfect hat.
  
  Tell someone you’re thankful for them today!
  
  Q: What are you most thankful for?
  
  | 14 Comments
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- Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com
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