Tag: Fall

• Squashed

  Posted at 3:46 AM by Brittany, on October 21, 2014

  A few weeks ago I purchased “all the squash.” I wanted to do something fun with each of them, and I think I accomplished just that. Below are the random creations I came up with for five different types of squash. I don’t have recipe measurements because I usually just throw things together, but this will give you an idea of different flavor combinations to experiment with!You’ll see I used the outer “shell” of each squash as my bowl. Eating directly out of the squash shell is almost more fun than tormenting small children. Almost.

  Spaghetti Squash

  Named for its string like consistency, this squash is a fun substitute for noodles.

  

  In the mix: olive oil, nutritional yeast, pepper, jalapenos, broccoli and cauliflower.

  

  Butternut Squash

  The squash with a funny name and an equally funny shape. Borderline inappropriate for both…

  

  In the mix: Sauteed kale, cubed/roasted butternut squash, cranberries, cashews, olive oil, salt, pepper, and (un-pictured) quinoa.

  Leftover butternut squash was consumed for dessert with almond butter.

  Kabocha Squash

  The squash I want to wear as a hat.

  

  In the mix: Quinoa and gluten free penne pasta with tomatoes and brussels sprouts, topped with a vegan “cheese” sauce.

  For the sauce

  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tblsp gluten free flour
  • 1/2 tsp yellow mustard
  • 1 clove (chopped) garlic
  • pinch of salt

  Combine all ingredients into a sauce pan and heat on low for about 4 minutes. Stir often until sauce becomes thick. I paired this with 1/2 cup (precooked) quinoa, and 1 cup (precooked) penne.

  Acorn Squash

  A squash that resembles an acorn. Ever seen a squirrel try to eat one of these?

  

  In the mix: Cinnamon topped honeycrisp apples baked right into the center of the squash. Drizzled with a dash of raw honey to bring out the sweetness of the apples.

  Pumpkin

  October would not be complete without pumpkin, the quintessential fall squash. Pie pumpkins are perfect for making a meal or a treat. Naturally I chose treat.

  

  In the mix: Pumpkin Joe’s O’s, cashew butter, cinnamon, and vanilla coconut ice cream.

  Perfect ending to the squashed adventures.

  Q: What’s your favorite squash recipe? INSPIRE ME, leave a link in the comments!

  

  | 49 Comments Tagged Fall, Pumpkin, Recipe, Squash, Vegan

• Poulsbo Half Marathon – Take Two

  Posted at 3:59 AM by Brittany, on October 16, 2014

  Last Sunday I completed my sixth half marathon, and it was absolutely fantastic.

  

  This was my second time running the Poulsbo half, and it is the only half I’ve repeated thus far. This is also the course that holds my current PR from last year. Everything about this race is my favorite from the course to the time of year. October makes for perfect running weather.

  

  This year Lily was in town to run it too, and she took second female overall. No big deal.

  As for me, the race was just what I expected. My training was on point, and although I didn’t get a PR I was CLOSE. I felt strong the entire race, and didn’t feel the desire to walk despite the massive hills throughout the course. My time was about 2 minutes and 23 seconds slower than last year (and my current PR,) which I was more than OK with.

  I finished with a time of 2:11:52, a 10:03 pace.

  

  I wasn’t sure what to expect with this race because despite finishing all my long runs, my mid week runs were slacking the last couple weeks because I was so wrapped up with school. I also didn’t have “fresh legs” because of all the exploring/hiking Lily and I did the two days prior.

  I think I’ve come to a point where running half marathons are not longer a “big deal.” I didn’t feel nervous, and I was only moderately tired/sore after. I did run this entire race in my Vibram’s, which I had never done before. This contributed to some sore calves, but otherwise they were great. I couldn’t be happier with the outcome of this race.

  

  I’d also like to thank my giant spaghetti feast and this Texas sized cookie for my prerace fuel.

  My mentality throughout my entire training process and the race itself was they key to my successful run. I smiled, I laughed, I cheered on other runners, and I knew that I had the ability to finish strong. I’m still on such a runners high, & I’m searching for half marathon number #7!

  

  I didn’t stop my watch at 13.1 so this is my time for an extra .04 of a mile. Every second counts.

  Q(s):

  • Runners, what’s your favorite time of year to run?
  • Non runners, what’s your favorite time of year to do outdoor activities?

  

  | 54 Comments Tagged Fall, Half Marathon, October, Race, Run, Vegan

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 6:42 AM by Brittany, on September 25, 2014

  1. Pumpkins. Orange. Brown. Leaves. Scarecrows. Sweet Potatoes. Baked Apples. Yellow.

  FALL, FALL, FALL.

  

  2. I haven’t gone hiking in almost three weeks. WHAAAAT!?

  3. I have been drinking coffee in mugs made for the mountains though.

  

  4. Instead I’ve been running, and walking, and…working. T-minus 17 days until half time.

  5. I went to visit a friend last weekend and she told me she signed up for her first 5K. After I expressed pure joy by running up the side of a building, she asked if we could go practice run.

  UHH yes!? I didn’t even care that I wasn’t wearing proper shoes.

  I don’t advise running 3miles in TEVA’s.

  

  6. I’ve been doing 90% of my half marathon training in my Vibram Five Fingers. I’ve had the same pair for over five years, and they are fantastic.

  7. This made me insanely excited for Thanksgiving. It also made me wonder why I don’t have something like a sloth or wildebeest as my mailbox. I should rectify this.

  

  8. I went an entire week without treats. I plan to try a new experiment where I only have treats once a week, but if you see me on the news it’s because mentally I didn’t make it.

  9. I’m running out of things to share, so I will mention how delightful my first official fall weather run was. I went out for 5 mi, but ended up running 8 mi. Crisp air and yellow leaves are magical.

  

  10. I haven’t worn deodorant (and by this I mean I haven’t slapped baking soda under my arms because this is what I do for “deodorant”) in two weeks. I hope I haven’t been walking around with a green aura spewing from my body. I only had to reshower once. Win.

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 49 Comments Tagged Confessions, Fall, Half Marathon, Random, Run

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 10:03 AM by Brittany, on November 1, 2013

  1. This book is totally giving me a science high. With a combination of nature talk and scientific facts ABOUT nature, I get lost in the text. I even read the chapter about snails.

  

  If you’ve read my blog for a while you’ll know I have an odd fear of slugs/snails..this was a big deal to read that chapter!

  2. I was on a runners high for a solid week after my last half marathon. Thank you for all the kind comments I received on that post. I just want to say that I officially hate hornets, and I will make it my life mission to stay away from them. My stings got so itchy I wanted to GNAW my damn leg off. I have had a huge red ring of death around the entry hole for over two weeks, and I am convinced something is breeding inside my leg.

  3. Sometimes I kinda, sorta, love where I live.

  

  4. I have only run a handful of times since my race, and after a much needed break the last couple weeks I am ready to get back to a schedule. I also miss spin class..like..a lot. I ran my fastest 5K a couple days ago with a time of 26:44. That’s an 8:37 pace. I was elated.

  5. I have been doing a lot of this lately..reading WITH my coffee.

  

  A good book and a good cup of coffee. Perfect morning.

  6. I finally downloaded the new iPhone update, but only after seeing it improved picture quality. I resisted for weeks, but I am a sucker for a good photo. I need a real camera…

  7. I want this chair at my table. This chair would give me permission to eat my food as if I were a tornado. Who says only kids get special high chairs?

  

  8. I went trick or treating last night (no, I do not have kids..) The quote of the night was when asked for our ID’s and my friend said, “we’re 13….plus 13.” I died. I’ll stop when I am 30…maybe. I gave all my loot away though, no milk chocolate for me.

  9. It’s November, and Starbucks is preparing for the holidays with a super awesome sale! I got this mug I have been lusting over for only $5! I had a partner discount too, but still!

  

  10. I am so in love with fall. I just can’t get enough of the colors, the smells, and the baked goods. I know one person that doesn’t want summer to end, but she is craayyy.

  Q: What’s your confession!?

  

  | 51 Comments Tagged Fall, Half Marathon, Halloween, Nature, Reading, Running

• Footsteps Through the Corn

  Posted at 10:47 AM by Brittany, on October 25, 2013

  Thank you everyone for your input on my last post! If you’re at all interested in self hosting your blog, check out some of the comments! I know self hosting is my next step so stay tuned because I’m not sure exactly when it will happen! Now, onto today….

  I went to a corn maze. It’s not officially fall until you visit the corn maze/pumpkin patch. Sadly, no ninja moves were allowed so I kept my nunchuks in my pocket.

  

  Throughout the maze there were pumpkins with random paintings on them. My favorite was a self portrait of my child, equipped with a device for eating cereal, or ice cream.

  

  

  The objective of the maze was to solve a riddle. Random letters were sprinkled all over the maze and we were to write the letters down onto a sheet of paper, and then unscramble.

  

  S is for chicken.

  

  Any guesses? I couldn’t figure it out and had to resort to Facebook for help. I don’t know how I passed third grade. After finding all the letters, I enjoyed the sun through the corn.

  

  Obligatory corn maze photo.

  The farm also had chickens, goats, sheep, and one lone llama.

  

  To wrap up my trip, I searched the pumpkin patch for the perfect pumpkin to bake.

  

  

  

  

  This one..I want this one.

  When I went to pay for my pumpkin, the man did not know how to use the mobile device required for payment with a card. After asking him to find someone to help me, he asked me if I could wait a while. So I put the pumpkin back and I left. UGH I was so upset. Looks like I’ll just have to visit another pumpkin patch to get my pumpkin to bake!

  Q: Have you been to a pumpkin patch or corn maze this year? Now I want to go apple picking!! I just don’t want to find any larva in my apples….eww…

  

  | 49 Comments Tagged Adventure, Corn Maze, Fall, Pumpkin, Random

• Dancing with Hippies

  Posted at 8:57 AM by Brittany, on October 18, 2013

  Yesterday my friend and I hit the streets of a local town and enjoyed the lovely fall day.

  

  

  Something about wandering outside with leaves littered along the streets makes me feel so warm and full of life. I had the most wonderful day, and fall continues to make me swoon. There were plenty of photo ops, and naturally I had to take part.

  

  

  

  I’m not sure what’s going on the last photo, my face is clearly facing the wrong way. This is definitely my kind of girl though, having two of the same outfit. I also ran into Gigi, and by ran into I mean I superimposed her face into the hole next to mine so I wouldn’t be alone.

  

  How neat is this building? I want to live here.

  I also made some new friends.

  

  Bullfrog rides: $0.25

  

  Yoga with the locals.

  The only downside was not being able to find any vegan treats. Only one bakery had a slab of cake (only one option) but I didn’t have cash and that’s all they accepted. I went into every cafe/bakery in attempts to find something. While rounding a corner to another cafe, we saw some local hippies dancing at an intersection. My friend called them crazy, I called them intriguing. So…I went and danced for 19 seconds with no shame.

  I don’t know what compelled me to do this, but it was liberaring!! What I do know is that my dancing skills are zero (I was trying to mimic that lady) and this lady had the hairiest armpits I have ever seen. Once I saw that I ran the other way. Dance on my friends!

  We ended our afternoon at a coffee shop that was connected to a wine bar with live music. I swooned so hard over the guy singing. His voice was like a combination of Fergie and Jesus. Inside the adorable coffee shop I saw the most adorable sign. I want.

  

  “Luv can be so blind. & strangely blissful. Don’t sweat the small stuff.”

  Amen.

  Q: Do you like wandering cute local towns?

  

  | 55 Comments Tagged Adventure, Fall, Hippies, Love, Random, Vegan, Yoga

• Fun Times

  Posted at 8:31 AM by Brittany, on September 30, 2013

  On Saturday when I got to work we had no power. When all the cleaning was done, and there was nothing else that we could possibly do (the store was not open, we just had to wait it out) my fabulous coworkers and I had a powwow..in the dark…with coffee.

  

  Can you guess which hand is mine!?

  The store was closed for four hours…I was there for two of those hours. Ever tried going to the bathroom in a pitch black room? iPhone flashlight to the rescue. It was a fun time.

  After this crazy day, I went for a run. It was pouring, and the wind was so strong it blew down trees with trunks the size of semi trucks. Slight exaggeration maybe, but still. I ran 5 miles and was 5 pounds heavier when I got home thanks to all the rain. It was a fun time.

  

  TRUTH!

  I’ve been shopping so much lately, and by so much I mean 1/3 the amount of a normal shopper. For me this is huge. Yesterday I bought a new dress and I am so jazzed. I’ve always been the “roll outta bed and go” kinda girl, but putting a bit more effort into my outfits has given me a huge confidence boost. It’s been a fun time.

  

  It’s fall and the weather has been dark and grey, I love it. I have consumed more coffee and tea in the last week than I have all month. I’ve been spending a lot of time outside even when it’s nasty, I love where I live. Last night I walked in the rain. It was a fun time.

  

  I’ve been spending a lot of time with people lately. I tend to gravitate towards being alone, and have forced myself out of this bubble. Life is so much sweeter with good company.

  Q: What’s been fun in your world lately?

  

  | 65 Comments Tagged Coffee, Fall, Random, Running, Starbucks

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 5:38 AM by Brittany, on September 27, 2013

  1. BOOM fall has hit, and the temperatures are dropping. This means GLOVES on my runs! My mom is such a fabulous photographer, she has a sharp eye for blurry photos. I’m also clearly dressed to impress, this will be the outfit I meet my soul mate in. HA!

  

  2. I downloaded Spotify and I haven’t turned it off since. OH MY GOSH. So much love.

  3. Starbucks released its new coffee. I am obsessed. It is SO good. It’s creamy and smooth, with a nice tangy bite. I just love cofffffeeeeee.

  

  4. I am afraid of Netflix. My friend added me to her family account, and I was so overwhelmed by all the shows I ended up just watching 2 hours of Portlandia.

  5. I LOVE MY BLOG FRIENDS! Holy cow. I am falling in love with fall all over again thanks to my beloved Lily. After telling her I had some tricky emotions attached to the season, she sure knew how to make sure I got just as excited this year as I have in the past

  

  GOSH my friends are SWELL!

  6. I am officially no longer the “newbie” at work. Whoop whoop! Although I only really felt new for the first month, I caught on pretty quick and ended up fitting right in.

  7. I never buy myself things..like…ever. I hate spending money (unless it’s on food or running gear) and I decided I deserved some new things. I bought a new jacket, a new shirt, new earrings, and A NEW BAG THAT I AM SO OBSESSED WITH!

  

  This appears as if the bag on the left is a tiny version of the bag on the right, but this is in fact the same bag and two pictures pasted together haha. Also, this is FAUX LEATHER! YAHOO!

  8. I thought about shutting down my blog a couple months ago. I’m glad I didn’t.

  9. I have to soak my feet in the bathtub when it gets cold because I easily loose blood flow. Sometimes I have company when I do this.

  

  I can’t stop laughing at the picture on the right.

  10. There is a customer that comes into my work a lot, and he is beautiful. Thank you God for creating such a masterpiece for me to drool at while I pull espresso shots.

  Q: CONFESS TO ME! 

  

  | 68 Comments Tagged Bloggers, Coffee, Confessions, Fall, Running

• Shanked

  Posted at 8:59 AM by Brittany, on September 23, 2013

  Saturday night I went to the movies and saw Prisoners. I was thankful I emptied my bladder before the movie started, because I surely would have peed myself out of fear. Zombies and aliens don’t do it for me, but realistic events!? You can find me huddled in the corner with my thumb in my mouth for about three days after movies like this.

  The movie was great, and definitely had my mind racing after it ended. My mind continued to race when I went on a hike the next day. It was pouring rain outside, just like in all horror movies, but I didn’t let that deter me. I had my mind set on a hike, so off I went.

  

  Attempting to show the soaked parking lot. Please ignore my under eye bags the size of China, I’ve been tired lately!

  I was either a bad ass, or a crazy for going hiking in the middle of a down pour. I would like to pretend it was the former in this case. Throughout the hike I ran through every scary movie theme about stupid people going into the woods in the middle of a storm.

  

  Every crack, crumble, thud, or thunk had me spinning around in fear. I did not want to be lunch for a bear, and I also didn’t want to be thrown into a man made pit hole for the rest of my life. Ok I clearly watch too many horror films, but the paranoia has kept me safe!

  

  I’d like to think I look pretty scary, but let’s be real…so I try to come prepared.

  

  BOOM. Get shanked.

  I carried that knife up my sleeve the entire way (there was a cover on the knife, just in case I fell.) The knife is small, but it’s better than nothing. You can’t tell from this photo, but I assure you this is not a basic butter knife..it would do some damage to a small bear, frog, or salamander.

  

  Kidding about the last two. I couldn’t believe how close this guy let me get to him. I felt like a true Washingtonian getting soaked and welcoming the first day of fall with a nature hike! As you can tell, I made it home safe and sound without any attacks. Great success.

  

  Q: Do you get freaked out for dayyyyss after watching scary movies? I’m fine now, but when it’s dark out, or I am alone my mind races! 

  

  | 56 Comments Tagged Fall, Hike, Movie, Nature, Rain, Shank, Washington

• Garden Fresh

  Posted at 7:49 AM by Brittany, on September 6, 2013

  While I love growing my own produce, I reallllyyy love reaping the benefits of other peoples home grown produce. You can imagine my excitment when I came home the other night to find these sitting on my kitchen table…

  

  If I had any doubts about what veggies to pair with my cous cous for dinner, they were instantly squashed from my mind. Also, not pictured were some heirloom tomatoes. I was inspired to harvest some Swiss chard from my own garden and create my meal.

  

  Simple, yet oh so delicious. I ran a whopping 3 miles to earn this feast.

  Speaking of miles, I am welcoming this week of “easier runs.” My body has felt so fatigued lately thanks to long days at work, running, getting a head cold, Aunt Flo coming to visit, and insanity. I am allowing myself to skip insanity if I feel too tired (I never skip my runs though.) There is not enough coffee in the day to give me the energy to do insanity at 8PM. Just no. Even this beauty doesn’t cut it…

  

  Please note the DEEP pocket of foam. I now sprinkle pumpkin spice on top of my lattes to make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I sipped this amazing creation while staring out the window while it poured rain. Fall is coming..better harvest my garden while I still can!

  Q: Did you get a good garden harvest this year? Your own or someone else’s?

  

  | 46 Comments Tagged Fall, Garden, Harvest, Produce, Running, Vegan

• 

• 

• Search for:
• BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalistic nomad striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long hikes, deep connections, exploration, and lots of potatoes.

• If this blog does not meet your standards, please lower your standards.

• Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com

• ¿Quieres Más?

  Like my witty attitude and delightful charm? Enter your
  e-mail below for the party to come straight to your inbox!

  Email Address:

  Follow the adventure

  Join 4,725 other subscribers
• 

•