Tag: Food

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 8:35 AM by Brittany, on November 24, 2015

  1. As I write this my back is exposed to the public. My favorite standing table at my favorite Starbucks (other than my own of course) is occupied, thus I must be vulnerable until my table is available.

  2. It’s gotten cold in my woods. This means my favorite vest is worn…everyday.

  

  Creature of habit.

  3. OK, it’s not that bad. We’ve been hanging out between 35-45F.

  4. My nutrition has been on point lately.

  

  Carbs, on carbs, on carbs.

  5. What’s changed? I stopped eating so much fruit. I know, the horror.

  6. After two months of minimal running, I signed up for a Thanksgiving day 10K. I decided I should make sure I wouldn’t die and went for a 6 mile run. It was amazing.

  

  Fueled by oatmeal and coffee.

  7. I’ve never run a race on Thanksgiving, and I haven’t run a single race in 2015.

  8. I am obsessed with romaine hearts. Like, eat an entire bunch every day obsessed.

  

  9. I’m OK with this obsession, it’s like eating the sun for a natural and legal high.

  10. Speaking of high, I once ate a spoonful of catnip just to see what would happen. Turns out catnip is actually brewed like tea to help things like anxiety, indigestion, and stress. No wonder my cat loves it.

  

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 60 Comments Tagged Coffee, Cold, Confessions, Food, Race, Running, Starbucks, Thanksgiving

• LA Eats

  Posted at 9:10 AM by Brittany, on November 10, 2015

  To be honest my latest trip to LA wasn’t very food oriented.

  I know…and no I’m not sick.

  

  I made it a point to try a few “firsts” starting with a trip to Spitz for their unbelievable falafel. I’d walk to LA just to eat that ball of fried chickpea goodness again. Plus I got to stuff my face while meeting new people. This girl is a gem.

  As for the treats (aka life as I know it,) the only planned pit stop was a visit to a bakery, and ohhh boy did I visit. Erin Mckenna’s Bakery was formerly known as Babycakes, which I had a negative experience with many moons ago. I’m not one to hold grudges, so I gave them a second chance.

  This was a good move on my part.

  

  I got chocolate all over my face with those treats, I had zero shame.

  Another local discovery was a post run acai bowl, $11 worth of fruity goodness. I’m glad the bowl was good, because my interaction with the cashier was less than stellar.

  “Does your granola have nuts?”

  “We have gluten free oats.”

  “OK, but does it have nuts?”

  “It’s gluten free.”

  “NUTS ARE NOT GLUTEN SHOW ME THE GRANOLA!”

  I digress…

  

  I spent more time making food than I did exploring new to me places, and I was OK with that. After a trip to a California pumpkin patch (which is nothing more than a plot of land with hot sun beating on your face and pumpkins placed atop hay, sorry CA, WA has you beat here) a new recipe was created with a white pumpkin.

  

  

  I also found my future tiny home, which was cool.

  

  

  White pumpkin pie, recipe to come on Gigi’s blog next Tuesday.

  

  Cooking food and making videos.

  In all reality I didn’t eat out a lot because I spent all my money on one banana at Disneyland. It’s OK Disney, I forgive you for your overpriced produce.

  

  Most expensive banana known to man.

  I then spent 1/3 of that on a banana twice the size the very next day.

  

  Gotta love amusement park prices. Hanger makes you do crazy things.

  Q: Would you pay $2 for a small banana? I’m not proud of this.

  

  | 54 Comments Tagged California, Explore, Food, LA, Vacation, Vegan

• Freedom

  Posted at 2:15 PM by Brittany, on September 15, 2015

  I feel very thankful to have a lifestyle that offers me a great amount of freedom. I have somewhat of a unique mindset in that I truly believe life is too short to be unhappy in any way, shape, or form, and I believe it’s up to us to create the lifestyle we want.

  Often when I have discussions with my parents about my future and my career desires I’m told: “think about the life you want to live, and how to make that a possibility with your job choice.” Well what if I’m currently living the life I want outside of work, but I know I’m not in my “end all be all” job?

  

  I admit that lately I’ve been feeling a bit burned out at work, but my job right now is allowing me to live the life I want when I’m not immersing myself in the world of coffee. I find with the proper adjustment of my mindset, the positives can always be found. Working this kind of job allows more time for…

  Running/Hiking/Exploring

  I thrive off of routine, and the one thing I don’t have while working at Starbucks is a routine. My schedule has been even wonkier since becoming a supervisor. I’ve tried to spin my up and down schedule into a positive by realizing it’s much easier to have a relaxing morning at times and go for a longer run when I have a closing shift.

  

  

  

  I’m also able to easily escape to the mountains should I feel the urge, which is often.

  

  

  Spending time with clients

  Aka my house sitting buddies. This has become a legit third job for me, and I spent a lot of my time taking care of other peoples fur babies. I enjoy the freedom of having certain weekdays off, or really any days I ask for off.

  

  This is Emma, she is a regular in my life these days. Her mom travels a lot, and one day I strive to be like that. A life full of love and travel sound fantastic to me.

  That haunch fluff kills me. So does the word “haunch.”

  

  Reading

  When I leave work, I leave completely. 100% gone mentally and physically. I don’t work a job that requires extra work when I get home, nor requires restless nights due to stressful thoughts about projects or deadlines. This opens more doors for other mental actives like blogging, and reading.

  

  My current read. A classic about a man that escapes to the woods to live off the grid before it was “cool.” A life of self sustainability and tiny homes is a life I would love to live.

  

  So much yes. I dig his style, I think we would have been great friends.

  Spending time on meals

  Piggy backing off the previous bullet point, I have time and energy to invest in the meals I eat. This is a key part of my life, because food IS life.

  

  

  Potatoes are also life.

  

  Cinnamon wheat bundles, cinnamon puffin squares, a spoonful of almond butter, a frozen banana, all on top of some homemade apple sauce. So good, but sadly my insides weren’t so happy. Worth it.

  When it comes to eating, I’ve taken a step away from my obsessive paranoia with trigger foods, and have focused on the foods that make me feel good. My food allergy test came back with results that didn’t help much, so the true test is how I feel after eating things. The foods that don’t cooperate will continue to be ditched, or moderated. Simple as that.

  Travel

  I have a fantastic boss, that gives great flexibility when it comes to the schedule. From school to travel, she has accommodated everything I’ve asked of her, and I am immensely grateful for her. I’ve planned some travels to balance my need for freedom.

  

  I’m off to Ohio tomorrow for a weekend of shenanigans with Meghan and I couldn’t be more excited. This has to be the biggest perk of my current job, the flexibility. Follow me on Instagram to see what shenanigans I get myself into on the other side of the country. Something tells me my Birkenstocks with socks will stick out like a sore thumb in the Midwest.

  Now if only I could find a job that gave me both the freedom to do all the things I love, AND allowed me to thrive while working. It’s out there, I just have to find it. 🙂 For now, I’m just going to keep riding the caffeine wave. Unless any of you reading want to pay to me travel, make you food, take photos, and share it all online.

  Anyone…anyone…Bueller…

  Q: Have you found your passion? Are you living the life you want outside of work?

  

  | 64 Comments Tagged Bloggers, Coffee, Explore, Food, Running, Starbucks, Vacation

• 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.

  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.

  

  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.

  

  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.

  

  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.

  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.

  

  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.

  

  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. 😉

  

  | 52 Comments Tagged Almond Butter, Fall, Food, Fruit, sugar

• Random Rambles

  Posted at 10:06 AM by Brittany, on August 14, 2015

  I ate a pancake and 7 tons of sweet potatoes last week. What’d they have in common?

  

  

  The prettiest darn berries you ever did see. Note, those blueberries on the tater were baked, giving them that purple color, and a gooey decadent flavor.

  I also ate at least 4 homegrown tomatoes.

  

  I didn’t see anything more beautiful that day.

  Seattle with two of my favorites for a Starbucks Roastery adventure. 

  

  

  I decided to get a cup of tea because it was after 1pm, and if I drink coffee too late I’m like a lab rat that’s been injected with cocaine. My tea tasted like Thanksgiving and Christmas had an unwed lovechild. It was fantastic.

  I tried to learn how to play the piano a handful of times in my life, and never made it past the first few pages of the beginners book. 

  

  Should I finally learn to play, I want a piano in my house with hand painted trees like the one I stumbled across at Green Lake in Seattle.

  I had no intentions of participating in National Smore’s Day until the monster in my stomach that starts to crave sugar after dark reared its head. 

  My angelic mother not only had graham crackers tucked in the pantry, but vegan marshmallows as well. I of course had an 85% dark chocolate Theo bar in the fridge because these days I’m never without.

  The best part? This was annihilated eaten at 10:30….PM! I never used to eat that late.

  Funniest photo of the week goes to my dad. 

  

  I sent him a birthday card with a cat because he hates them adores their independent way of life. This photo was sent with the words “negatory.”

  I have the next four days off from work. 

  

  So much excitement. I see Portland, hiking, and sleep in my future. This mini break is the first of a few to come. Livin la vida loca.

  Q: What’s your random ramble for the day? Any Portland readers!?

  

  | 50 Comments Tagged Explore, Food, Gardening, Random, Seattle, Starbucks, Vegan

• Bye Bye Barista

  Posted at 7:23 AM by Brittany, on May 21, 2015

  This past Monday I said goodbye to my job as a barista, and hello to my new job as a supervisor. In the Starbucks world once you become a supervisor you are no longer considered a barista. However, in the textbook world I will forever be a barista as long as I am with the company because I will still be making beverages for customers, but I now have a few extra tasks and responsibilities added to my day. I digress…

  

  In typical Brittany fashion I spent the days leading up to this change enjoying the “carefree” barista life both in and out of work. I spent my days exploring, eating, meeting blog friends, and drinking good coffee. My kind of perfection.

  

  { Exploring }

  A 9.5 mile hike through the Olympic Forest with perfect weather, and good company.

  

  

  

  { Eating }

  Whole Foods in Seattle carries baked goods from my favorite local bakery, and naturally I had to hoard them stock up.

  

  I balanced out the sugar with vegetable rolls.

  

  { Meeting Blog Friends }

  After years of blog reading, texting, letter writing, package sending, and patience, I finally got to meet my Canadian soul mate, Britta.

  We met up at the Starbucks Roastery, because…Seattle.

  

  What a gem. We drank great coffee and talked like old friends.

  

  Side note: The coffee I had at the roastery (photo above) literally blew my mind. This roast has a medium body, & a low acidity giving it a sensationally silky mouth feel. The chocolate notes were the strongest I’ve ever experienced in a coffee. It was like the beans were flavored, but they weren’t. What a beautiful coffee.

  { Drinking Good Coffee }

  Good enough segue? As if that Brazil reserve roast wasn’t good enough, I snagged myself a bag of Pike Place Reserve beans from the first Starbucks store in Seattle.

  

  Not to be confused with the traditional Pike Place roast served at any and all Starbucks locations, these beans are ONLY sold at this location, and one other store a block up from the original Starbucks. Darker than the standard Pike Roast and SO much better. It’s a real treat when I get this as my weekly coffee markout.

  Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a French press of Pike Place special reserve to drink while I enjoy my day off from training. Back to the grind tomorrow.

  Q: How do you like to spend your free time?

  

  | 68 Comments Tagged Barista, Bloggers, Coffee, Food, Reserve Coffee, Starbucks, Vegan

• Tic -vs- Toc

  Posted at 6:42 AM by Brittany, on May 18, 2015

  The last few months I’ve been paying extra attention to what foods make me tick, and what foods make me tock. I have become somewhat of a walking science project.

  All this time I just assumed the broccoli was to blame, and I learned to live with it. We all know what happens when broccoli and gut bugs dance together.

  

  Come to find out, it wasn’t just the cruciferous vegetables. I’ve been keeping my eats very simple lately while I try to decipher the codes my stomach bugs are trying to tell me. Fruits and seeds all morning, and vegetables galore at night.

  

  Typical dinner plate.

  This has made it easy to figure out what foods are causing problems. So far I’ve noticed problems with peanut butter, walnuts, most soy products, and chocolate.

  Hang on, I need a moment of silence for that last one.

  My simple eats have kept me feeling great, but once every few days I notice I need somewhat of a “refuel.” Different carbs, more protein, and some kind of treat.

  

  Like a cookie.

  I’ve been running every day this month, which has added to the insatiable hunger every few days. My lower mile days (3 miles) I get by just fine with fewer calories, but after a 5 miler last week I couldn’t get enough food in my face fast enough.

  

  

  I drove to one of my favorite lakes for this run, and the weather was perfect. The thing about running everyday is that it becomes somewhat…easy. My pace has already improved in the mere 18 days straight I’ve been running.

  

  Post run I had one thing on my mind: scones. I made my way to Whole Foods only to find they had no scones. My soul and stomach were empty and cold, like the inside of an ice cave. Instead, I ate potatoes and veggies from the hot bar, and braced myself for the tornado I would soon become in my kitchen.

  The moment I walked in the door it was game over. I ate enough to put my daily intake around 3000 calories, and I was completely satisfied. Refuel complete.

  

  It looked like this, multiple items sprawled in front of me, and pure determination on my face.

  It’s a magical thing when you discover what foods cause inflammatory, lethargic, and skin irritating reactions, like walking through the doors to Narnia. Does this mean I’m never going to eat chocolate again? Heavens no I still have my dignity, but it will be minimal and as close to raw as possible. Let the experimentation continue!

  Oh, and I finally got my scone. Plus another.

  Q: Do you stay away from certain foods that cause you problems? Knowing some of the culprits makes it much easier to stay away from them. 

  

  | 57 Comments Tagged Food, Running, Vegan

• Moderating Indulgences

  Posted at 7:53 AM by Brittany, on April 16, 2015

  My eats have been somewhat black and white lately. Smoothies, salads, vegetables, sweet potatoes, tempeh, and pretzels. What can I say, sometimes I like simple.

  Dessert has been a hefty bowl of rice chex mix with almond butter and cacao nibs, because I’m currently obsessed with them. OH, and chocolate. Always chocolate.

  

  Starbucks has new smoothies (in select locations) made from cold pressed juice. I add fresh kale and banana to mine. Absolutely obsessed.

  

  

  Eating a consistent diet most of the time makes the days I do “splurge” that much more rewarding. If I eat like a teenage boy every single day, I pay for it.

  

  After my root canal last week I had plans to venture to Seattle for a run at the lake and a feast to follow. I planned this adventure days in advance. Thankfully everything went smooth with my tooth, allowing me to run and eat just fine.

  

  Very welcoming for solo diners like myself.

  I ran five miles, and walked another four miles before ending up at stop number one. A local vegan cafe with a menu packed full of hearty comfort food. I went with tempeh “bacon”, spinach, and tomatoes wrapped in a rice tortilla.

  

  Paired with the best spuds I’ve had in FOREVER.

  In an attempt to keep the space in my gut free for the main event, I walked to and from the cafe. My main objective was to visit my current favorite V/GF bakery in the quaint Seattle neighborhood of Fremont. I love eating local.

  Scratch that, I love eating…period.

  I walked in with my morals, and walked out with 5 extra pounds.

  

  It started off innocent, one cupcake for me, a scone to share, and a slice of berry coffee cake perhaps for another day. Then I saw the pizza…THE pizza that would soon become one of the best slices of pizza to ever pass through my largest facial orifice.

  

  

  Cauliflower, roasted carrots, spinach, red peppers with house-made garlic aioli on a gluten-free crust.

  I struggle to find the right words to describe this, I couldn’t believe it was gluten free.

  I thought I was home free after snagging a slice, and then I saw the discount bin. You know, the one that’s tucked to the side that slowly calls to your soul telling you to splurge on day old items that you definitely don’t need, but that you definitely want.

  

  On top of the scone, the coffee cake, the cupcake, and the pizza I also bought three brownies. Ready for the kicker? I ate a brownie right away. Then I ate the coffee cake, followed by half of the scone. The best part…I felt completely fine.

  No sick stomach, no bloat, no guilt. A few hours later I ate the pizza and then demolished my cupcake leaving me with nothing left (I gave the other two brownies and half of the scone to my mom and sister.) My soul and body were equally full.

  

  Moral of my story is this: when you eat clean 85% of your days, the remaining 15% of indulgences taste so much sweeter. Today I’m going to the dentist to get a crown, and if another day like this is coming my way I’ll get dental work done anytime. Kidding.

  Kind of.

  Four treats in one day will not be a regular occurrence. Thank goodness for running.

  Q: Do you eat whatever you want everyday, or do you moderate what goes into your tank? I feel really crummy when I eat poorly too many days in a row. 

  

  | 60 Comments Tagged Adventure, Food, Gluten Free, Running, Vegan

• Finding Inspiration

  Posted at 7:03 AM by Brittany, on April 6, 2015

  I really enjoy walking among tall, unique buildings.

  

  I was able to wander the University of Washington campus recently, and it reminded me of the time I visited the east coast and wandered the streets of Detroit.

  

  I find it fascinating to think about the time, efforts, and thoughts that go into designing a building. I don’t have the patience for something like that, but I sure appreciate those that do. Everyone has their niche.

  

  College campuses have a certain air about them, a calmness that comes only when you’re a visitor and not a student. I’m in another transition stage of my educational career, so I can enjoy being on a campus without the stress of actually rushing to class.

  There’s also a subtle sense of inspiration that makes me want to create something new. Perhaps it’s the fresh spring air, but either way I’m running with it.

  

  9/10 times my idea of creating something new comes in the form of food. What can I say, I love to eat. I stumbled upon these noodles while perusing the inner aisles of the grocery store, and I was immediately intrigued. I had to give them a try.

  What sold me was what I saw on the back…

  

  Fiber and protein ON POINT. The noodles were a bit chewy, but overall they were good. I threw together a random meal that turned out quite lovely.

  

  Despite the ugly color of that sauce, I assure you it was packed with power. I blended the innards of 8 tomatoes (I used the “outards” for pico de gallo and refuse to waste) around 15 beet leaves, roasted garlic, sun dried tomatoes, spices, and olive oil.

  I was extremely fascinated by the separation caused by the beet leaves phytonutrients.

  

  Red ring from the leaves, what a powerfully unique vegetable packed full of betanin!

  I imagine one thing that would have made this meal taste better would have been to enjoy it inside a unique building. Perhaps a tiny home, nestled into the woods.

  Daydreams and inspiration.

  Q: Where have you recently discovered a sense of inspiration?

  

  | 42 Comments Tagged Explore, Food, New, Recipe, Vegan

• One Day Detox

  Posted at 7:14 AM by Brittany, on February 9, 2015

  My fat consumption has been through the roof the last few months. Before I go any further let me just say I have NO problem with this, and all my fats come from things like coconut oil, avocados, nuts, nut butters, a scoop of granola here, and a handful (or three) of flax chips there. However, “healthy” fats need moderation too.

  

  Chocolate avocado pudding with full fat coconut milk anyone?

  When I take the time to wrangle in my sugar beast, my cravings for all things fatty increase. Makes sense as both have equally addictive properties. I’m not knocking fats OR sugar, but I will say (healthy) fats are a better choice than the typical sugar I consume. After noticing some extra bloat and gas I knew I needed a one day detox.

  

  Don’t worry cashew friends, I’ll be back.

  SO last Thursday I avoided my typical healthy fats. No avocados, no nut butters, no hemp seeds, no granola, and no coconut products whatsoever. Post 4 mile run I ate some protein oats with berries and some chex. I need crunch, it’s a texture thing.

  

  Aka second breakfast.

  I had an apple and a snack sized pack of edamame around 1, but you’d have thought someone was putting me through a drug detox once the clock hit 3PM. I ate a normal lunch/dinner (I like to eat reaaalllyyy early, but I also wake up really early) of kimchi, a giant salad, and more edamame. I also had some chips with a lower fat count, but my typical fatty treat was skipped, ignored, left in the dust. ABANDONED. 

  

  I couldn’t stop thinking about the peanut butter in the fridge. Or the ice cream at the store. OR the chocolate bars I passed by at World Market a few hours earlier. It was ugly. I combated these feelings the only way I knew how.

  

  

  Sugar. With a bite of a bran muffin.

  

  Even my muffin is frowning. Or spewing a mango, you decide.

  I wanted to roll around in a pool of peanut butter. I could feel the cats judging me from their shiny tub, but I ignored their cries to mingle and party. It was their fault I needed this detox! I’m 100% addicted to peanut butter, and not in a good way.

  When it was all said and done I still had some gut bugs doing somersaults in my small intestine. Turns out it might not have been the fat, but instead the cupcakeicecreamcookieCATSANDfats over a couple days. A combo effect.

  I also blame the kimchi, those probiotics don’t mess around.

  Q: Do you ever find yourself needing a one day break from a certain food group? Does peanut butter count as a food group? Because we’re going on a break. 

  

  | 90 Comments Tagged Detox, Fat, Food, Peanut Butter

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