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  • Tag: Almond Butter

    • Real Food, Real Good

      Posted at 8:35 AM by Brittany, on August 31, 2015

      Seven days. It’s been seven full days since I’ve consumed any added sugars and I’m not only alive, but I’m alive and well. I’ve realized how easy it is for me to get complacent about the foods I put into my hard working machine of a body. It’s easy to fall off the wagon and a whole heck of a lot harder to get back on which is why finding a happy balance is key. For me that balance is all about a healthy mindset.

      Cauliflower rice, by far one of the easiest things I have ever made.

      Cauliflower rice, by far one of the easiest things I have ever made.

      Choosing to avoid certain foods that make me like a bag of flaming poo is just that, a choice. I’m not being forced and if I want to eat cookies for dinner every night I can. I will just have to deal with the consequences, which I don’t like. I play the “I’m not going to eat sugar” game all the time, back and forth I go until I find some solid ground. This time however, I’m doing things a bit differently.

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      Along with avoiding the obvious: cookies, cakes, store bought chocolate, etc, I am also paying attention to the hidden sugars. You know, the ones you find in your store bought salsa and ketchup. Fortunately for me 95% of the food I eat is already in its pure unadulterated form, but my one go to has always been store bought salsa.

      Thanks to the abundance of tomatoes my garden has thrown at me, I have been making my own. Nothing beats the flavor of fresh.

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      I find it powerful to be fully aware and present with what I eat. Distractions aside, and really stopping to savor each ingredient, texture, and flavor. In the past my sugar hiatuses left me like a rabid dog searching for blood, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on sugar. This time, I’m calm, peaceful, and I feel good.

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      I voraciously tore through that book. I’ve always wanted to use the word voracious in a sentence about books, checking that one off the bucket list. I finished the book in three days, which never happens in my world. I’m usually distracted by other things, probably chocolate. I found the read to be inspirational and comforting.

      Staple meal. Everyday. Popcorn and salads in bowls fit for sasquatch.

      Staple meal. Everyday. Popcorn and salads in bowls fit for sasquatch.

      This is not to say I will NEVEREATADDEDSUGAR again, oh no, you bet your sweet britches that won’t be happening, but I intend to be mindful of my sugar. Avoiding it where it’s not necessary (salsa) and moderating it with simplified treats. Local, homemade, things like that. I owe a lot of my success this last week to bananas and almond butter. I ate an entire Costco tub of almond butter in five days. Five days.

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      This specific brand of almond butter has given me ZERO troubles and the fats have helped curb my sweet tooth while providing me with sustainable energy. No crashing. I also think what’s made this so easy is knowing that I am honoring my body. Insert awkward hippie dance here. Raw cacao has been helpful too.

      What I love most about being fully aware and present with what I’m eating is that food becomes almost spiritual. It’s the foundation for our entire being, and should be treated with respect. We as Americans have become all too comfortable with convenience, but what happened to actually working for our food? Baking our bread at home instead of buying it with ingredients not meant for bread, whipping up cupcakes from scratch instead of staining our fingers with Red#40 and Blue#6.

      I’m inspired to not only eat the food I eat, but to be excited about it. Real food makes me feel real good. Also fall, fall makes me feel real good. The pumpkins and colored leaves have come out of storage. That was quite the sentence transition.

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      FALL DECORATIONS.

      Alright, I’m done preaching. Long story short is that I’ve fallen back into my crunchy granola ways and am mindful of my food. Avoiding sugars has also inspired me to avoid things like processed oils. You get out what you put in so fuel yourself with whole foods and I assure you that you’ll notice the difference.

      Q: Do you notice when you’ve had too much of a good thing? To be fair, I’ve been having too much fruit so I’m going to start paying attention to that too. I think I need to start a fructose addiction support group. 😉

      b

      | 52 Comments Tagged Almond Butter, Fall, Food, Fruit, sugar
    • Coffee Knowledge

      Posted at 7:12 AM by Brittany, on July 14, 2015

      Let’s talk coffee, shall we?

      I was given a blend of beans the other day with no information other than the person it was from, and the name he had given it. I was excited to try his homemade blend and see if my coffee knowledge was up to speed. Upon grinding the beans I immediately detected scents of berries, a characteristic of a sun-dried coffee.

      Once the fresh ground coffee steeped in my French press for four(ish) minutes, I plunged, poured, smelled, slurped, and savored. My palate was overwhelmed with flavors of blueberries and nuts, and I immediately knew this blend had African and Latin American grown beans. What I didn’t pick up on was the Indonesian beans, which I was told about after I had guessed the blend. Apparently the full body and herbal flavor typical of Indonesian beans comes out as the coffee cools.

      I didn’t wait long enough to let it cool. 😉

      My life quote.

      My life quote.

      I haven’t been focusing on the tasting aspect of my job lately, simply because I’ve been focusing on grasping everything there is to grasp about being a supervisor. Now that I’ve got a handle on things I want to get back to my coffee tasting adventures.

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      I remember a time many moons ago when I tried to combine two very different coffee blends into one because I wanted to save space in my pantry. Coffee is coffee right?

      Oh how wrong I was, I ended up throwing it all out. RIP handpicked beans.

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      I’m now comfortable with combining blends, knowing which will pair well, and which will not. When I noticed I was a handful of Maui beans shy of a full French press I knew exactly which blend to complete my morning brew. The Pike Place special reserve has similar notes to the Maui coffee and they went together perfectly.

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      They also paired perfectly with my new obsession: two ingredient almond butter maple cookies. The simpler the ingredients the better for me. 1 cup of almond butter mixed with 1/4 cup maple syrup and a dash of salt gave 10 chewy, nutty cookies that I couldn’t get enough of. Two cookies per serving thanks to the “fit in my hand” rule.

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      I sprinkled some cinnamon and salt on top. Bake at 350F for 10-12minutes.

      Those cookies and coffee were the perfect fuel for a few extremely enjoyable runs.

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      I debated on up-cycling some discarded snake skin I saw while on this 5 mile run (which turned into 5.10 because I insisted on a 10min or below pace) but then I found this paracord bracelet in perfect condition! I love finding treasure!

      Q: Do you pick up treasures you find while out exploring the land, or leave them behind? I usually leave behind the used Kleenex pieces and needles, but $$ and hiking tools are a must grab! Also I was totally joking about the snake skin.

      atterned-n

      | 46 Comments Tagged Almond Butter, Coffee, Coffee Master, Cookie, Garmin, Run
    • One Pot Veggies Spice and Rice (Noodles)

      Posted at 6:37 AM by Brittany, on June 4, 2014

      I have somewhat of a love/hate relationship with peanut butter. I love to dip my spoon into the jar more times than I can count on two hands, but my waistline hates me for it. It’s a tough life I tell ya.

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      I haven’t had a jar of PB in my house in months, sometimes when I look in the mirror I don’t even know who I am anymore. Instead, I’ve been embracing almond butter in all its nutty glory. I have a bit more self control when it comes to the AB variety, but just a skosh.

      To honor my “just a little bit” mindset with nut butters lately, I made myself an Asian themed meal – all in one pot. Just a little bit of flavor, and just a little bit of almond butter. Full of vegetables, vegan, AND gluten free, but no one would ever notice the lack of meat or milk.

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      Before cooking.

      Pad Thai has always been a favorite of mine, but I don’t tend to like restaurant versions because they are much too high in sodium. I hesitate to call this Pad Thai at all though because the nutty flavor is much too mild (I did up the amount in this recipe after making it.)

      Instead I’ve channeled my inner child and put my rhyming skills to good use. Veggies-Spice-Rice…because all three are abundant here.

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      I’ve seen these “one pot wonder” meals around the interwebs, but I’d never attempted to make one. I don’t know what took me so long because something this easy should be done over and over again.

      One Pot Veggies Spice and Rice 

       
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      Ingredients 

      • 16 oz rice noodles
      • 6 cups water
      • 3-4 large cloves of garlic, sliced thin
      • 1 tblsp tamarind paste
      • 1 tblsp soy sauce (I used two of the sample packs)
      • 1 tsp red pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper
      • 2 inches of a ginger root, cut in 1/4 in pieces
      • 1 large carrot cut into large strips
      • 1 red bell pepper cut into strips
      • 4 green onions cut in half, and then into 2 inch pieces
      • 3/4 cup sliced almonds
      • 1/4 or 1/3 cup almond butter (depending how nutty you want it)

      Optional addition: 1 med/large jalapeno WITH seeds for extra spice.

      For topping at the end of cooking

      • cilantro
      • juice from 2 limes

      Optional topping (which I highly suggest): dry roasted edamame for an extra protein boost. However much you desire per serving.

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      Directions

      1. Place everything except the cilantro and lime juice into a large stockpot. Cover and bring to a boil.
      2. Reduce heat and let simmer to cook for about 10 minutes. Stir the mix every couple minutes to avoid any sticking.
      3.  Once liquid is evaporated to your liking remove from heat.
      4. If you like salt and pepper season to taste. I didn’t add any.
      5. If you want to, remove slices of ginger. I left mine in because I love the sharpness of ginger.
      6. Stir in cilantro, as much as you feel is needed, and juice from the limes. I also topped my bowl with more cilantro.
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      After cooking.

      Notes: I used all water in this because I like “mild” flavors. If you want to use vegetable broth instead use 5 1/2 cups of broth and 1/2 cup water. The tamarind paste helps give this a sweet/sour flavor.

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      Prepping the veggies took the most time, but even this was a quick process. The entire meal was smooth and fast. I served this over a bed of steamed kale, because I always need more green.

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      I find great joy in taking the extra time to make something like this. It was a nice break from my usual “quinoa and veggie” mix. 

      Behind the scenes cell phone shot.

      Behind the scenes cell phone shot.

      Q: Do you ever find yourself dipping the spoon one too many times in the nut butter jar? I already know the answer for most of you….

      atterned-n

      | 47 Comments Tagged Almond Butter, Gluten Free, Peanut Butter, Recipe, Vegan, Vegetables
    • BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalistic nomad striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long bike rides, deep connections, exploration, and lots of cucumbers.
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