Tag: Baking

• Speaking Of

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on December 13, 2021

  I debated turning this into another Early Morning Confessions post, but I settled on a “proper” post that will likely still be a bit sporadic. A few things have happened in my world since we last spoke, nothing crazy, but a few fun things I wanted to share with the three people who visit my blog (my grandpa, my dad, and my boyfriend.)

  Speaking of my boyfriend, this cute mountain man turned another year older last month.

  

  

  I was a hot mess in my kitchen trying to bake with butter for what felt like the first time. At the height of my baking days I was plant based, so butter did not cross my lips. These days, I am still dairy free (except for those blue moon splurges when I eat the three day old pizza in my fridge on the first day of my period), so I still do not bake with butter.

  I found it surprisingly difficult to bake this cake, but after what felt like an entire afternoon the masterpiece was complete. Special shoutout to my mom and my cat for helping me. My mom with the KitchenAid, and my cat with emotional support. 32 going on 12 for me.

  Speaking of going on 12, I have grown exceptionally fearful of the world around me. No amount of protection is too much these days.

  

  I introduce to you my new running friend. I first discovered Go Guarded on Instagram, and I knew I had to have one of these mace/knife combos. I am extra alert these days while I run outside, but this tool helps me to feel a wee bit safer. Except for the constant fear of tripping and severing important arteries, but I’m more inclined to explore alone with this device.

  Speaking of exploring, I went bird watching for the first time in my life recently.

  

  Duncan and I went for a wetland walk, and he brought his binoculars with the hopes of seeing some birds. Birds we saw, but the highlight of this walk was a rogue seal who found his way to the inlands for some rest and relaxation. A pleasant surprise on this afternoon of adventure.

  Speaking of adventure, I went for my first snow hike of the season last week.

  

  Before 1/3 of my readers get upset (I’m looking at you dad), I did not go solo on this adventure in the snow. There were five of us who braved the lower temps with the hopes of awe and wonder. I will say, I was not expecting THIS much snow when I prepared for the hike, but thankfully a good base layer and an 850 down jacket kept me mostly warm.

  

  

  I only lost feeling in my digits a few times, thanks to my good friend Raynaud’s. We hiked for around four and a half hours, and managed just under 9 miles. I had hiked the trail to Annette Lake before, but never in the winter. I didn’t recognize a single part of this trail – could be because it’s been six years since I’ve hiked it, or could be because of the snow.

  Speaking of snow hikes, look at this gem photo I took of Duncan on my birthday back in February after a mass of snow fell on him.

  

  Little did we know two months after I snapped this photo we would be like school children in his car after a hike confessing we had weird bubbly feelings in our bellies for each other. Life is weird.

  That’s all for now.

  Q: What’re your holiday plans?

  

  | 38 Comments Tagged Baking, Hiking, Life

• Since You’ve Been Gone

  Posted at 9:00 AM by Brittany, on April 3, 2017

  Oh hi. I wasn’t gone long was I? Truth be told I can be a bit impetuous when I get emotional and my last post declaring a blog break was just that. I don’t feel like three weeks was long, and possibly not worthy of a declaration, however it allowed me to fully step away with ease.

  I missed this space which was a nice refresher for me. This outlet keeps me somewhat whole in the times I feel like I’m falling apart. Which has been the story of my life lately. The exciting thing is that these times of our lives are completely normal, and learning to be comfortable during the times of discomfort is amazingly freeing.

  

  The weather has been hit or miss in my parts lately, but I still try to get outside as much as I can. Fresh air is like an instant serotonin boost and LAWD knows I need sum-o-dat. Walking has been soothing for me lately, and while I’ve had a couple runs here and there I find that what my body is truly craving is slow paced, stress-less walking.

  Also jogging.

  I think I’m officially a believer of the jog.

  I’m not fully adjusted to the lifestyle change that comes with an autoimmune disease. The scaling back of physical activities to honor my fatigue is something I mentally struggled with for a while. As with all sudden changes this can take time, but I’m getting there each day. Moving is moving amirite?

  

  I’ve also slowly but surely been trying to find my way back to a mostly plant based diet. At this point I believe a lot of my struggles around what my body can and cannot handle is more mental than physical. At the end of the day I’m mentally conflicted over just about everything so I might as well ethically feel good, HA! I am putting my focus onto healing my mental state rather than worrying so much.

  Worry is an emotion reserved for those who don’t trust.

  I trust. I trust God, I trust my body, I trust my intuition, and I trust my life is falling into place just how it was meant to. I also trust the sun will come out sooner or later here. We’ve had a few previews and oh boy, o berto am I excited. 🙂

  

  I spent 10 days last week with my first client Emma, the catalyst to my pet sitting adventures. She is also one of the only clients I continue to stay with because I realized pet sitting (specifically dogs) was a huge stress addition for me.

  My mom tells me I will be a good mother one day because I’m very attentive to the pets in my life, but with that comes added stress. Unfortunately for her I still don’t want kids. “OH Brittany, you’ll want them when you’re older!” I’m 28…not getting any younger here. Still don’t want crawling drool producers, sorry mom.

  Also, I really like referring to these animals as my clients. #sidehustle

  I was happy to pull back the reins on this side hustle for less stress in my life. I do like staying with Emma though, she is easy and she and I have a bond that started with her ability to produce a RBF much like mine.

  

  I very much enjoy the company of Emma’s mom, and I think this is also why I continue to stay with her. I don’t have many people in my life that make me feel refreshed after we speak, but this woman makes me feel so happy inside. She has a solid 45 years on me, but she’s good people. I flock towards the older crowd, I’m told I have an old soul.

  So where am I going with this post? The moral of my story is to continue to be at peace with myself. Continue to trust my body, trust my mind, be gentle with my mind, and be gentle with my progress. Autoimmune diseases are a fickle beast and I’m certain mine was thrown into acceleration because of stress, so continuing to stress about little things will only make matters worse.

  This means giving my mind a hug at times with muffins. Paired this one with a cup of coffee and a walk in the rain. 

  

  An added benefit of walking more is that I am more aware of the ground. When I run I mostly focus on not dying so it’s harder for me to notice shiny objects on the ground. Walking allows me to pay attention to my surroundings. This attention brings me more money. One year I found over $10 on the ground.

  A penny isn’t just a penny when you find 250 of them.

  

  That’s almost enough to buy me another muffin. We’re making moves people, we’re making moves.

  Q: Do you pick up spare change when you see it? I know some of you do…you know who you are. #soulmates

  

  | 67 Comments Tagged Baking, Free Money, Life, Plant Based, Vegan

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 7:04 AM by Brittany, on August 24, 2015

  1. This post is being written because I feel like writing, yet don’t have anything of substance or structure to share. Story of my life.

  2. I got sick last week out of no where, and took three days off from running. I then lost all my morals and ate whatever the hell I wanted, because that’s obviously how you get better. The upside of it all was when I got back on track with running my pace had unexpectedly improved.

  

  Before the unplanned rest I was averaging 10min/miles. Proof that rest is key, and won’t destroy what you’ve built.

  3. Remember that time I talked about going to ASU through Starbucks? Yea, that ship sailed, was re-boarded, and then sailed again. I changed majors and have everything set up whenever I decided to bite that bullet. What I know for sure is I WILL have my degree finished before my 80th birthday.

  4. I still have the recipe for a delicious pie hanging out in my draft bin. Perhaps I need to share that. I ate the entire thing in like 3 days.

  

  5. I haven’t run a race in…ALMOST A YEAR!? I’m kind of in shock about that, but I haven’t had a desire to train for a half marathon, and haven’t found a 10K that aligns with my schedule. Anything less than a 10K I don’t like to pay for. Running has been very zen for me lately with no strict schedule, and I like it that way.

  6. Ever had cassava flour? It’s different, good, but different. It’s a great option for anyone that can’t have most traditional flours. It’s made from a root vegetable, so basically it’s friendly for all. I made pumpkin bread, and brownies from it and then proceeded to eat all of both.

  

  

  I used Otto’s cassava flour, which is different from others because it is said to be the closest taste and smell to regular flours. It’s a bit chewy, but flavor was fantastic.

  7. These next few months, are travel months. I’m going to Ohio in September to see Meghan, LA in October to see my twin, and Arizona in December to see my family. To ensure I am living life on my terms, this is a must.

  8. Once upon a a time I had a dream to run my first half marathon at Disneyland. I made this a reality, and it was absolutely magical. My next dream was to go to Disneyland for Halloween, because Halloween is my favorite. My trip in October is MAKING THIS DREAM COME TRUE.

  

  I did go last year JUST as they were setting up, but didn’t get to see it fully done.

  9. Starting today…I am going to try my damnedest to stay away from added sugars. That toxin is EVERYWHERE and I am straight addicted. Fruit is the only exception. Wish me luck, detox is an ugly beast.

  10. I’m currently drinking a cup French press of my favorite coffee, which is calming my soul about ditching sugar. On the flip side, I’m thinking about how well a piece of dark chocolate would pair with this. Thank God for raw cacao.

  

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 67 Comments Tagged Baking, Coffee, Confessions, Disneyland, Run, sugar, Vacation

• Fancy That

  Posted at 9:15 AM by Brittany, on July 14, 2014

  I find it quite comical how my mind/mood works.  It’s not uncommon for me to feel a certain way inside, and the moment I express those feelings to the outside world they change. Indecisive much!?

  

  Case in point – anytime I feel like I’m in a running funk and I express it on the blog, I get the urge to run. So I’ve been running lately, not far, but I’ve been running. Partially to balance out the treats I’m enjoying.

  

  An abundance of raspberries means a crumble cake is in order.

  

  I find that when I remove the stress, or feelings of pressure from something, everything else just falls into place. Once I switched from the half marathon to the 5K for a race I ran yesterday, I was no longer dreading the idea of running and it became rejuvenating again.

  Fancy that.

  

  Even a 5K warrants a trip to Whole Foods.

  I’ll have a post dedicated to the race,  because it was too good of a run not to talk about. My entire weekend was good actually. The day before the race I went to spend time with a friend and explore.

  

  

  

  It was a fantastic day. Today I’m back to exploring the mountains, it’s been 11 days since my last climb!! Thank you 4 day weekend! 🙂

  Q: Do you ever feel emotionally indecisive when you make a choice one way or another? I’m even worse when it comes to purchasing things. 

  

  | 39 Comments Tagged Adventure, Baking, Explore, Running, Vegan, Whole Foods

• Coffee For Me, Coffee For You

  Posted at 8:24 AM by Brittany, on March 21, 2014

  I don’t know what has gotten into me the past few weeks, but this blog has turned into a baking/treat/dessert/stuff my face with chocolate blog. My only complaint is that I don’t have many people to share with, so my coworkers have been getting force fed on the regular lately. In all honesty though, no one has complained. Modern day sugar mama.

  

  One of the many things I love about blogging is that it inspires me to switch things up. If you remember this post, I talked about how I go through phases of activities. The baking phase has been alive and well, but it’s time to get out and explore more. Just in time for my upcoming trip to DC/Virginia/Michigan to visit Megan (and a handful of other bloggers!!!)

  

  May 2013 – she will forever hold the spot in my heart as my “first blogger meetup.”

  I do have a post coming about coffee. Go figure. This post is a bit different though, I have been doing a lot of thinking/reading lately about organic vs. non organic coffee, Starbucks vs. local shops, which decaf beans you should buy…things like that. I have been complacent with my coffee intake lately, and it’s time to tighten the belt!

  I’m not sure what my posting will be like next week, as I mentioned earlier I have more recipe posts saved, and will be writing my coffee post today so I should have things to share. Unless I get swept away by the vacation spirit and get my blogging fix in the form of people. Megan, Lily, Alex, Sarah, Brennan, Nikki…the club can’t even handle me right now.

  Q: What has been your main blogging topic lately?

  

  | 32 Comments Tagged Adventure, Baking, Blog, Coffee, 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

• Blissful Blueberries

  Posted at 7:16 AM by Brittany, on July 10, 2013

  Working in a coffee shop means I get to work around drool worthy baked goods all day long. I have been lusting over the blueberry scone at Starbucks since it was first launched a few weeks ago as apart of the new La Boulange treats. This scone is made with dairy, so I took the inspiration and baked my own dairy free scones!

  

  I took my scones up a notch though and added orange zest and squeezed an orange on top, with some sugar for a crumbly finish. Craving satisfied! If you look close you’ll see the zest!

  

  I used a pre-made flour base so I don’t have a recipe for you, but perhaps this post will inspire you to bake some scones to have with your morning coffee! I had just purchased some fresh organic blueberries that were on sale, it must have been fate!

  

  If all else fails, there is a Starbucks on every corner and you can go buy a blueberry scone from them, I hear they are delicious! I bring some home to my mom anytime I can! Bringing home scones for my family means I get to eat more of these scones, win win!

  

  I still had plenty of blueberries left after making these scones, and decided to throw some in with a bowl of quinoa. From there I added some pistachios and topped it all off with some lime juice! SO simple, but so delicious!

  

  I don’t have a recipe for this either because I just eyeballed everything. I used a half cup of (pre)cooked quinoa (which comes out to be more like a full cup after the quinoa is cooked,) around 3/4 cup of blueberries, and around 1/2 cup shelled salted pistachios. Squeeze as much lime (or lemon, or ORANGE!) on top as you desire!

  

  Close up shot.

  I LOVE blueberries, so perfect for summer.

  Q: What’s your favorite flavor scone? 

  

  | 60 Comments Tagged Baking, Scones, Starbucks, Vegan

• Sweet Treat

  Posted at 12:31 PM by Brittany, on April 15, 2013

  It’s no secret that I love sugar. Cookies, cakes, chocolate, anything with that sweet kick to the mouth and I’m in heaven. I don’t however, love fake sugar or anything claiming to be a healthier alternative to sugar. Don’t even try to offer me Splenda, Equal, or even Stevia. Stevia tastes just as bad as the dirt it’s grown from. Blech. Nothing beats the real deal as long as it’s raw and pure. Also, it’s all about the balance..sugar doesn’t make you unhealthy if it’s consumed responsibly, so why eat the shit your body doesn’t recognize? Beats me.

  With that said, there is one sugar “alternative” that I was willing to try: Xylitol. Heard of it?? It’s what is used to sweeten your gum and toothpaste and gives that minty cool feeling. Sugar alcohols don’t affect your teeth, but they do have one major side effect: Diarrhea. This could be good and bad…just hear me out. Knowing that if you eat too much and could get diarrhea, this could help to keep your paws out of the cookie jar eating too many cookies. A little help getting rid of waste never hurt anyone right? Kidding..sorta.

  I was asked to do a review of a Canadian company’s Xylitol product. While I still swear by real sugar, I was happy to give this stuff a try.

  

  I do have to disagree with the words at the top, if eating sweets gives you guilt, you’ve got bigger issues than needing fake sugars. BALANCE PEOPLE! If you don’t think you earned the sweet, DON’T EAT IT! No need to feel guilty! This stuff looked like sugar, and tasted sweet with a cooling after taste..in a good way! I also was given some candies, and gum.

  

  No complaints. I loved all of the candies, and I am obsessed with the gum!! This is the kind of gum that you chew so obnoxiously because the flavor is SO good and you just can’t get enough. This might explain why I have no friends..

  Now I just needed to BAKE with the Xylitol to see how it tasted in a cookie.

  Chocolate Chip Cookie 

  

  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup xyla
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1.5 cups semisweet chocolate chips

  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 xyla 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 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.

  

  So how did they taste?? Amazing, just as if I used real sugar. The xylitol didn’t alter the flavor of these at all. I can’t say the same for stevia, seriously baking with stevia is like chewing on nails. Horiffic.

  

  If you are interested in using xylitol I would recommend doing your research before using a lot of it. Overall the flavor was good and moderation is key.

  Q: Do you use any fake/alternative sugars? I’m a sucker for the real deal. 

  

  | 44 Comments Tagged Baking, Cookies, Recipe, Review, 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

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• Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com

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