Tag: Food

• Real Talk

  Posted at 7:47 AM by Brittany, on February 2, 2015

  I finally broke into the box of Halloween Joe-Joe’s I’ve been hoarding for the last four months. As I stated on my Instagram, I’m a self proclaimed minimalist. Clutter makes me anxious, and if I’m not going to “use it” then it’s time for me to “loose it.” However, there are almost always exceptions – like this box of Joe-Joe’s.

  Halloween in January never tasted so good. Real talk.

  

  I finally got a waffle maker. I’ve used it twice, and both times I got something other than waffles. What’d I do wrong? Coconut flour. I love the stuff, but it can be tricky to play with. Thankfully despite my non waffle like waffle, this mush tasted so good.

  Sometimes ugly food tastes the best. Real talk.

  

  Even the photo is ugly, ugly lighting, ugly colors, just…ugly.

  **UPDATE** I gave up on waffles for a few days and tried my hand at scones. They were PERFECT. So perfect I settled for mediocre iPhone photos.

  

  I finally found a Starbucks Reserve coffee that I love. The last five blends I’ve tried have been MUCH too bright and acidic for me. My boss bought a bag of Sulawesi Pango Pango from the roastery when we visited last week. I had three coffee tastings.

  Coffee is more fun when you talk and write about it. Real talk.

  

  Talk about fresh, roasted on 1/18 and consumed on 1/23.

  I finally made my first batch of pico de gallo. I know, I know…it took me far too long. My “dressing” of choice on all my salads/grain bowls is salsa. All the salsa. I was about to buy some locally made pico at the store when the light bulb finally went off.

  Pico so good I ate over half in one sitting. Real talk.

  

  I finally got myself a cupcake..or two. Actually my mom did. She wins everything.

  Cupcakes taste better in multiples. Real talk.

  

  I finally branched out of my ice cream bubble. 99.9378% of the time I buy ice cream I get vanilla. Why? Because it’s a universal flavor. I can pair it with any and everything. I decided to try something new and bought Almond Dream Praline Crunch.

  I took one bite and had a revelation. Pretzels + praline =  Real talk.

  

  Q: What’s your real talk moment of the week?

  

  | 65 Comments Tagged Coffee, Food, Halloween, Random, Trader Joes, Vegan

• Does it Make Me…

  Posted at 6:04 AM by Brittany, on January 23, 2015

  Does is make me obsessive if I can’t stop with the creamy/crunchy combo?

  

  Pretzels and almond butter

  -OR-

  

  Yogurt/blueberry/banana mush WITH CRUNCHY GRANOLA.

  Does is make me immature if this text message was the highlight of my week?

  

  Does it make me impatient if I say I AM SO OVER WINTER. The dry skin, and constant static cling alone are enough to make me a hot angry mess.

  

  Silver lining – at least there’s no snow. Knock on wood.

  Does is make me lazy if I haven’t made any time to buy a new SD card for my dSLR? I’ve been using my iPhone for all my photos.

  Does is make me motivated if I’ve not purchased a treat in…far too long. I’m starting to dream about donuts dancing with sprinkles.

  

  Does it make me earthy if this is my toothpaste? It’s made of…clay.

  Does it make me a bad student if I plan to skip class today (something you would have NEVER caught me doing last quarter, learning to be lenient), because I’m too excited about finally going to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery??

  Coffee playground here I come.

  

  Click photo for more awesome pictures.

  Brace yourselves for some Instagram photos. Happy weekend!

  Q: Fill in the blank: “Does it make me ________?”

  

  | 86 Comments Tagged Coffee, Does it Make Me, Food, Instagram, Random, Starbucks, Vegan

• Running Thoughts – Take Two

  Posted at 6:02 AM by Brittany, on November 3, 2014

  Sometimes when I run I think about dancing sugar molecules in the form of cookies making their way into my mouth. Actually let’s keep it real, the only time I’m not thinking about food while running is when I’ve eaten too much before the run, and I have to distract myself with other thoughts to prevent myself from stopping.

  

  Truth

  I haven’t been running as much as I’d like the last few weeks, and my clothes have let me know it’s time to put down the fork and put on my Garmin. While on a run the other day (one I had eaten enough pumpkin and beans beforehand to fuel a small village) I had empty brain space to think about things other than cookies.

  My Thinks 

  1. “There are three of you, and one of me..I would love if you shared this sidewalk. Then again, you are all around age 12 and haven’t grown into your naturally occurring hormones known as “manners.” It’s OK, but not really…MOVE or I will hit you.”

  2. “Oh man, the yellow light is flashing. I’d better slow down, I don’t want to get a ticket.”

  3. “I wonder if I’ll ever have to use my MACE.”

  4. “I feel like a busted can of biscuits. Too many chips.”

  

  5. Meghan. <—-Post inspiration right there.

  6. “The seasonal Clif Bar I ate yesterday was as soft as my under-run midsection. Usually I’m putting my jaw through the wringer to eat one of those.” I love this flavor, makes me warm and fuzzy inside like swallowing a caterpillar.

  

  7. “I’m going to blog about this. I’ll call it running thoughts.”

  8. “Oh look, a chubby kid with a cupcake. I wonder if he would share that with me. Doubtful, chubby kids don’t share. I speak from experience.”

  

  I laughed waaayy hard at this.

  9. “I feel haggard, but those guys just whistled. They must have been warning traffic a train was coming. And by train I mean me.”

  10. “That run was at a quicker pace than I thought…hmm…GIVE ME CAKE!”

  

  Blogging Thoughts: This post was way cooler in my head.

  Q: What do you think about when you have open brain space?

  

  | 69 Comments Tagged Food, Garmin, Running

• Coffee Master Certification: My Coffee Tasting/Pairings

  Posted at 7:28 AM by Brittany, on August 18, 2014

  If you follow me on Instagram you probably saw this photo.

  After months of reading, tasting, talking, exploring, and learning all I can about coffee (alone, and also coffee and Starbucks together) I am finally a certified Coffee Master. This journey focused on coffee history, geographic origins, coffee agriculture, sourcing and buying, green coffee quality, the art of roasting and blending, and my favorite part:

  -coffee parings/tastings/flavors/notes.

  

  One of my new aprons.

  Coffee, like wine grapes, gets much of its flavor from the specific growing conditions and processing methods of whatever region it was produced in. Three of the main coffee producing regions are: Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Each of these regions have specific flavor characteristics that give each coffee blend its distinct coffee “notes.”

  What’s a coffee note you ask? Certain flavors are detected in coffee’s that allow them to harmonize well with certain foods. Have you ever had a cup of Joe that just didn’t mesh well with your blueberry muffin? This is due to the specific notes present with each blend. Alone this coffee may be just what you’re looking for, but when shared alongside a meal you’ll want to be a bit more particular.

  Coffee blends alone may survive just fine, but when you combine them with the right foods the harmony is out of this world.

  

  This is a fantastic chart.

  Lets break down the top three regions by their coffee notes.

  Latin America – high balanced flavors of cocoa or nuts, as well as a crisp, bright acidity.

  Africa – Floral and citrus characteristics.

  Asia – Full body and spicy flavors with balanced acidity and herbal notes.

  

  Part of my final certification was putting together a coffee tasting. As a food AND coffee lover you can imagine my excitement when the two come together. If anyone is interested in learning more about a proper coffee tasting with coffee alone, let me know in the comments.

  I chose one coffee from each coffee region, plus one coffee that is multi-regional and paired each with different foods.

  Kenya – An African grown coffee with complimentary flavors of grapefruit, berries, currants, raisins, and oranges.

  

  For this pairing I made an orange and currant quinoa salad. Sounds bizarre right? Oranges, quinoa, and coffee? This went together SO well it was almost magical. I could have cried from the joy I felt.

  

  Komodo Dragon – An Asia/Pacific coffee with complimentary flavors of cinnamon, maple, buttery breads, and pastries.

  

  For this pairing I chose almond butter stuffed dates sprinkled with cinnamon. The flavors harmonized almost perfectly. This is a common breakfast pairing for me, except I also use a rice cake for my base.

  Guatemala Antigua – A Latin American grown coffee with complimentary flavors of cocoa, apples, caramel, and nuts.

  Organic Yukon – A multi-regional blend with beans from both Latin American and Asia. This blend is mellow and well balanced with complimentary flavors of cinnamon, raisins, oatmeal, and chocolate.

  

  Due to the cocoa and chocolate notes in both of these coffee’s, they both paired well with some chocolate chip coffee cookies. I used fresh ground Yukon beans in the mix for these cookies. I also paired these two coffees with some toasted coconut cashews.

  

  While these all balanced well together, I found that the Yukon paired a bit better with the cookie, and the Guatemala paired a bit better with the cashews. Guatemala has more nutty notes while Yukon has more chocolate notes so this made complete sense.

  To conduct a proper tasting, each coffee should be brewed with high quality water, a proper grind for your brewing method, proper ratio of water to grinds, and your coffee should be fresh. Coffee should then be tasted in it’s pure form, without the addition of milks and sugars.

  

  Lucky for me I am a black coffee connoisseur so conducting tastings is naturally one of my favorite things to do. Tampering (or destroying in my humble opinion) with the coffee by adding milk or sugar hinders the natural flavors from being detected. Not a fan of black coffee? That’s OK, I don’t like beer..we all have our downfalls. 😉

  Q(s):

  • What’s your favorite coffee pairing?
  • Have you ever payed attention to how certain coffees can CLASH with certain foods? For example the orange quinoa salad would have been TERRIBLE with any of the other coffees I mentioned in this post.
  • Would anyone like to see a short post in more depth about how to conduct a coffee tasting? 

  

  | 85 Comments Tagged Coffee, Coffee Master, Food, Starbucks, Tasting

• Wide Open Spaces

  Posted at 7:26 AM by Brittany, on August 17, 2014

  Change is something that I’ve always struggled with. I know I’m not alone in this, and I’d bet that most of you reading this right now would agree. These days I’ve grown accustomed to change, and even sometimes welcome it. A few months ago I changed my blog layout after over TWO years of the same set up. I’m a big believer of keeping things simple, and I live my life by a, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” motto, but I wanted something new and fresh.

  After settling on a new layout, I quickly discovered that although I enjoyed the sleek and clean look, the way my photos were squished just didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t get myself a dSLR to highlight tiny details in certain pictures just to have them unappreciated by a squished blog.

  

  I have a 70/30 approach to blogging. 70% photos, and 30% written content. After settling with the smooshed setup for a while, I made an impromptu change as you can see. No hesitation, no struggling with the change, just a click of a button and boom-wide open spaces for my photos to stretch and breath. My photos are far from perfect, but they surely benefit from a better layout.

  

  OK, you get the idea. Long story short I have a new layout that is very simple and clean, giving my photos a bit more wiggle room. I still use my iPhone for nearly all other photos like hiking, but even those benefit from some space. On that note go bake something tasty. Happy Sunday.

  

  Q: What’s most important to you about reading/writing blogs? I am a big fan of LOTS of photos. Too much text and I get bored.

  

  | 36 Comments Tagged Blog, dSLR, Food, Photography, Random

• Jumbled Mind

  Posted at 9:52 AM by Brittany, on April 1, 2014

  Oh hey there, remember me? I contemplated blogging while away on my east coast adventures, and as you can see I decided not to blog…at all. The mini break was amazing, but the only downside is that I have ALL THIS STUFF I want to share. I don’t even know where to begin, and my mind is a jumbled mess. I’ll just start at the beginning and the end.

  Upon arrival in DC I was in need of a feast. Let’s be real though…when am I NOT in need of a feast? Megan and I met up with Sarah at this immensely eclectic diner called Paper Moon. I was so overstimulated with things to look at I felt like I had ADD..in a good way.

  

  Menu

  

  

  I wanted to take a green leg home with me for my wall, but figured airport security would take me into questioning. The inside was just as bizarre, and the food was fantastic.

  Traveling sure is tough.

  

  

  Oh hey there hummus, thanks for coming to the party in my mouth.

  We chatted running, life, and had a wonderful time. I love bloggers!

  

  Such flattering lighting.

  Later in the week Megan and I visited a coffee shop that had a similar vibe. I had my coffee with a cat, no big deal. I adore local coffee shops! The coffee was delicious too…I love coffee.

  

  The final hurrah before my trek back home was another feast, but this time I earned it. I set out to run 4-5 miles, and ended up running 8 miles. I blame/thank Megan for that.

  

  

  This path was gorgeous, and I can see why it’s so popular. The torrential down pour that caused snot to drip from my face, and gave me the look of a lost rat made me feel at home. DC blessed me with some gorgeous weather. The best part was that long miles = food.

  

  This place was PACKED. I’m talking a 40 minute wait. I was getting so hangry I just about ate the books right off the wall. It was worth the wait though, and my burger/brownie was to.die.for. I also had the pleasure of meeting Nikki, and she was simply wonderful!

  

  Scratch made vegan burger and oh look, more sweet taters.

  

  

  Topped with soy ice cream.

  

  A perfect vegan meal, with two lovely ladies. I couldn’t have asked for a better last day in the DC area. I have two other blogger meet ups, including a wedding that will be hard to top, a mountain adventure, and exploring new cities still to share. I’m already planning my next trip! I’m also ready to sign up for another half marathon after that 8 miler!

  Q: WHAT HAVE I MISSED IN YOUR LIVES!?!

  

  | 44 Comments Tagged Bloggers, Chocolate, DC, Food, Run, Running, Vegan

• Raw Vegan Banana Cream Pie

  Posted at 4:24 AM by Brittany, on March 12, 2014

  While perusing the black hole that is Pinterest, I stumbled upon a recipe I just had to conquer. This was one of those, “if I don’t make this in 5-7 days I may spontaneously combust.” It was serious. I pinned it, and promptly bought ingredients the next day.

  

  

  Raw..vegan..and full of deliciously healthy fats? I’m sold.

  

  Creating an exceptional food item makes me feel alive. It’s similar to the feeling I get when I complete a really hard run. I feel accomplished, and that I’ve done something wonderful. Pair the two together and I’m on cloud nine. These happen together often, because I don’t normally like to eat two slices of pie unless I’ve earned them with a good run.

  

  Raw Vegan Banana Cream Pie 

  By Minimalist Baker

  Ingredients

  FOR THE CRUST:

  • 1 cup raw walnuts (perhaps a bit more, my crust was a little on the soft side)*See note
  • 1 cup pitted dates (soaked for 10 minutes in warm water and drained)

  FOR THE FILLING:

  • 1 1/4 cups raw cashews soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight, then drained
  • 4 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
  • 1/4 cup agave nectar or maple syrup (I used maple flavored agave)
  • 1 medium just ripe banana
  • 1/3 cup full fat coconut milk (I mixed the cream on top into the milk before measuring)
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 4 Tbsp lemon juice

  

  Directions

  1. Place soaked dates in a food processor or blender and process until small bits remain and/or it forms into a ball. I used my blender. Remove and set aside.

  2. Process or blend walnuts until a powdery consistency is achieved. This step was difficult with my blender, and some nuts were chunky (not a big problem though.) A processor would be better. Add back in dates with a pinch of salt and mix to combine.

  3. Press into a medium pie pan lined with parchment/wax paper. Press until flat, going up the sides about 1/2 inch. My crust didn’t end up filling all the sides. Place in freezer to set.

  4. Add all filling ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. It should be silky smooth when completely combined. Then pour into crust and smooth with a spoon. Cover and freeze until set. At least 4-6 hours, but I left mine overnight.

  5. When ready to serve let your pie sit out for about 10 minutes. Then top.

  *Note: This crust isn’t like a “typical crust.” It will still be a bit soft despite being the in the freezer. This is why you will want to ensure you use a wax lined paper, it will make getting your slice out of the pan a cinch. Or you can just dig right in with a spoon, that works too.

  

  I used the leftover coconut milk to make a quick whipped cream, and then sprinkled peanuts on top. Simple, but delicious! I have a chargeable whipped cream canister that makes for effortless whipped cream, but if you don’t have one this recipe is great.

  

  I hope you’ll understand why I had two slices, I just couldn’t stay out of this pie! My last slice was drizzled with some almond butter, it was the perfect addition.

  

  

  

  Q: Who wants a slice?? 

  

  | 54 Comments Tagged Dessert, Food, Pie, Raw, Recipe, Run, Vegan

• Brittany, Party of One…

  Posted at 9:58 AM by Brittany, on August 22, 2013

  …your table is ready! Does anyone else ever feel like it’s easier to slap some bread together or throw some spinach in a tortilla and call it dinner? This may be easy, but where is the fun, where is the inspiration, where is the EXCITEMENT?! Who says elaborate meals have to be enjoyed with other people? I want to start making them for myself..solo style.

  I haven’t been in much of a cooking mood these days, but with a bit of a push I am slowly getting back to making myself some decent meals. Not to say that a PB&J isn’t decent, it’s just not decent to eat every morning, afternoon, and evening. Sure, cooking with others is WICKED fun, but don’t think for one minute solo dining isn’t worthy of a solid meal.

  

  A classic meal is always a good place to start when jumping back onto the cooking bandwagon. Whole wheat spaghetti with roasted Brussels sprouts, sauteed asparagus, raw Swiss chard, and an avocado. Lightly tossed with lemon juice and simple seasonings.

  Even after a long, LONG day, there is something so rewarding about taking the time to prepare a proper meal. No body likes a lazy lass. I look forward to making lots of squash and potatoes in the next few months. Fall is coming, and we’ve already started to decorate.

  

  Sure it’s still August..but you can never be too early for fall, HAHA! Just ask Starbies, they already have the PSL mix (not available to the public yet)!! Sadly it contains milk, perhaps there is a vegan with benefits day in my fall future! Or maybe I should create my own..

  I’m feeling optimistic today, and I have a calm/positive mind. If I could, I would take a leaf blower and send some of my feel good to all of you! Sharing is caring my friends. Next time you feel like you’re lacking motivation to treat your body to a good solo meal, slap your hand and get your fanny to the market to buy some fresh delicious food! You’re welcome.

  

  Food for thought!

  Q: Do you cook for yourself (or your family) everynight? I find it’s easier to consistently cook meals when there are other people involved. Cooking for one is harder for me, but SO much more important. Treat yourself right! 

  

  | 55 Comments Tagged Adventure, Fall, Food, Recipe, Vegan

• Coupons Make My Heart Soar

  Posted at 9:34 AM by Brittany, on April 11, 2013

  Fact: Sweets taste better when they’re free. Most of anything tastes better when I don’t have to spend any of my hard earned cash money on them, but sweets are the top dog in this playing field.

  I’ve been daydreaming about being a contestant (is this what I’d call myself?) on Extreme Couponing. While I don’t have the patience or the brain capacity to do all the work that goes into couponing, watching other people coupon is extremely fascinating. I may never have a stockpile the size of the Taj Mahal, but I do my part in couponing for civilians.

  

  I was lucky enough to be born with sticky fingers, and while at VegFest a few weeks ago I snagged a “few” extra BOGO donut coupons. Six to be exact. I used four coupons last weekend, which gave me four free donuts.

  

  

  *One maple bar was consumed prior to the picture taking. Donuts wait for no one.

  These bangin beauties are from Mighty-O Donuts in Seattle. Only the best vegan donuts around the sound. Let’s do some math now. I spent a total of $3.78 on four donuts (My friend bought the other four making our total eight, but for the sake of numbers we will only count the ones I paid for.) Remember when I said all the lost change I found with my coin counter would go towards donuts? Well I wasn’t joking. I’ve found a total of $2.19 thus far, subtract that from my whopping total and I payed: $1.59 for four donuts. Oh sweet victory is mine.

  I wish I could say the sugar faeries stopped dancing in my brain after I bought these donuts, but that would be a terrible lie. While in Seattle, I do it big. Both my friend and I had coupons for a free dessert at Veggie Grill. The donuts were packed safely for later and along with a delicious comfort meal, we had two desserts at no cost to us.

  

  

  Damn if feels good to be a gangsta  couponer.

  For all health purposes I feel inclined to tell you the only thing I ate this day was half of that carrot cake. I saved my donuts for the days to follow, and I still haven’t touched my half of the cookie. As much as I’d like to go into a sugar coma by eating everything in one sitting, I just can’t.

  If anyone would like to pay me large heaps of money, I will teach you my frugal ways. I also still have two donut coupons for anyone that wants to chat over coffee and sugar!

  Q: Do you ever use coupons? 

  

  | 68 Comments Tagged Coupons, Donuts, Food, Frugal, Mighty-O, Seattle, Vegan

• My List

  Posted at 10:18 AM by Brittany, on April 8, 2013

  One of my favorite bloggers, Shira, wrote a post a while ago about daily happiness. I decided to follow suit and make a list of my own simple things that bring me daily happiness. This list comes in handy for me on days that I feel down, bored, or just want to relax.  It’s such a versatile list of things that can be done almost anytime, anywhere.

  My list of happiness

  • A good run.

  

  • Pampering myself. 

  

  A Biore strip and a hot bath.

  • A long walk outside with nature. 

  

  • Reading a book, or watching a movie. 

  

  It’s amazing how excited I was to watch this movie..at the age of 24.

  • Making a good meal.

  

  • Baking something new.

  

  • Spending time with the ones I love.

  

  • Yoga.

  

  • Making a craft.

  

  • Doing something for someone else.

  

  This list could go on and on and on…but I will stop with the top ten. Making yourself happy doesn’t have to be hard. Next time you want a jolt of happy juice adrenaline, think about what you can do to pick yourself up, or make yourself (or someone else) smile.

  Q: What’s on your happy list?

  

  | 60 Comments Tagged Food, Happy, New food, Random, Running, Vegan

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

• Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com

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