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    • Finding Inspiration

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

      I really enjoy walking among tall, unique buildings.

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      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.

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      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.

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      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.

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      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…

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      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.

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      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.

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      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?

      b

      | 42 Comments Tagged Explore, Food, New, Recipe, Vegan
    • Cardio Conundrum

      Posted at 8:43 AM by Brittany, on January 23, 2014

      Over the last few weeks I’ve noticed some changes in my every day life. My mood has elevated, my hunger is under control, and best of all…my pants are fitting better.

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      So what’s my secret? I’ve stopped doing intense cardio..and continued eating cookies and chocolate. OK so that is an exaggeration, but I do have a good balance with sugar right now, along with food as a whole. Intuitive eating has a whole new meaning for me.

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      After my recent trip to Arizona I had somewhat of a small epiphany if you will. I was anxious about not having access to my gym, but instead of dwelling I focused my thoughts onto what I was eating. Hunger cues became my friend, and with no access to my gym I was forced to get outside and run. I ran short miles, and tried to run for the simplicity of the run itself. I was forced to step away from my routine. Hence my last post.

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      I didn’t do any intense cardio workouts, instead I ran a few 3-4 mile runs, I hiked, I biked, and I listened to my body cues on when I needed to eat. I didn’t worry about burning calories and I finally just…relaxed. This is when I realized nothing I’ve been doing has worked. The intense cardio has not been working, and a couple weeks ago I decided it was time for a break. Are we noticing a trend with my constant breakups?

      The only problem was that I LOVE intense cardio. It feels like a waste of motivation, but with nothing to loose I decided to give it a shot. This has allowed me to eat smaller, more frequent meals which has helped my digestion and overall I feel better. With minimal cardio in my daily routine, it was time to start some new workouts.

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      Along with casual runs I’ve been doing yoga, walking, hanging with Jillian, and Pilates. Let me preach for a moment..Pilates is a dirty demon that I can’t get enough of. My legs have never hurt so good. After a class I can’t walk right for days. The weight work that I’ve been doing through Pilates and my Jillian DVD have already started making small differences. I’m still doing intense cardio here and there, maybe once a week, but earlier in the day and I’m fueling accordingly.

      So why am I sharing all of this? Well, for starters it just feels good to purge all the chaos that swirls in my brain from time to time. As a devout cardio junkie…I am admitting to the world that cardio is NOT all there is to life, I’m officially a strength training believer. I honestly don’t feel like I was fueling properly for the workouts I was doing, and since I don’t want to change my intake, this was the solution I needed.

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      I still love you spin class…

      As humans we are constantly changing and growing, reinventing and reevaluating. The trial and error with my workouts, and finding my perfect balance can relate to my personal life too. I am at a place of peace, and all the mental hurdles I’ve overcome within the last year have givin me the ability to switch my mindset when it comes to lower intensity workouts. It sounds ridiculous, and makes more sense in my head (per usual) but I’m saying it anyway! It feels good to start gaining back my confidence in a round about way.

      Q: Do you feel that confidence in your workouts helps with confidence in your life? YES!

      b

      | 51 Comments Tagged Cardio, Gym, Life, New, Random, Running, Spinning, Workout
    • Ohh, it is Lovee.

      Posted at 7:01 AM by Brittany, on January 17, 2014

      When I was younger I never understood the necessity of researching a product before I bought it. I was naive and brainwashed by society’s impatient need for something NOW. Thankfully, my dad is a research wizard and although it took me a while, I fully appreciate everything he has done to help me research and purchase anything “large.” My latest and greatest technological toy that was fully researched before purchase is a dSLR camera.

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      Canon Rebel T3i

      I knew what I wanted: a dSLR fit for a beginner, under $500, and with image stabilization. My main goal was to finally take photos without the blurry look I got with my iPhone. I Consumer Reported the hell out of each and every model within these three categories and finally narrowed the choice down to this one. Purchases are much easier this way.

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      When my new toy finally came in the mail, I took it out for a spin. The three photos taken above were before I realized there was an auto focus button, and I had to manually focus these. Hence a bit of blurriness still. I also re-sized them, which I think affected the noise.

      That Frango canister was filled with chocolates from a customer given to my coworkers and I for Christmas. I saw the empty can in the corner the other day and promptly snagged it, what a perfect decorative jar! I adore the vintage look it has. I had more decorative ideas that I snapped photos of to try and get a feel for my new camera.

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      My loyal readers know I have an obsession with wood products. This three sectioned wood tray was originally filled with three different succulents. The succulents died, but I kept the jars and the tray knowing I would reuse it someday. I finally figured out what to reuse it for. The typical coffee bean and vanilla candle, it smells like cupcakes. LOVE.

      I also filled a rose topped jar from with coffee beans, and discovered the camera flash.

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      I sometimes have a tendency to not read directions. I’ve always been one to figure something out simply by playing with it. I think this will be the first time I have to actually read the manual because there are so many options and settings. These photos were all taken at random on random settings and they aren’t as crisp as I would like. I did take a few of my cats on the portrait setting that turned out great.

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      Who says black pets aren’t photogenic!?!? LIES!

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      So there you have it, some of my very first amateur photos with my new dSLR. These were all taken inside, while normally I go outside for natural light. These were also taken with the hands of someone that had no idea what they were doing. I look forward to coming back to this post a year from now and seeing if/how my photos have improved! I also can’t wait to start photographing some legit food porn.

      First photo of food.

      First photo of food. This looks better when enlarged.

      First attempt at adding text to the photo. Very amateur. Click this photo for link to my recipe.

      First attempt at adding text to the photo. Very amateur. This also looked better when enlarged. Click this photo for link to my recipe.

      If you need to get a hold of me, I’ll be out with the trees and birds with this camera strapped to my face trying to get the perfect shot. New obsession commenced.

      Q(s):

      • Does re-sizing your photos change the quality? 
      • What do all you photogs do in order to make a photo decently sized for a blog post, while still maintaining the quality?
      • Any helpful tips or tricks for a brand new wannabe?
      • Have you tried the coffee bean and vanilla candle combo? AMAZING.

      b

      | 52 Comments Tagged Camera, Coffee, dSLR, Energy Bites, New, Photography
    • My Marvelous Mug

      Posted at 8:59 AM by Brittany, on July 4, 2013

      So I have a new job. I have been working at Starbucks for six weeks now, and have been drinking enough coffee to fuel a humpback whale flying to the moon. I can’t complain though, getting free drinks all day is just one of the many perks.

      After I received my barista certification a few weeks ago, I decided to buy myself a mug that I have been lusting over for months. It’s not often I come across a mug that I drool over while my foot twitches at the same time.

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      SWOOOOOON. I first saw this mug back in March when I stopped into Starbucks on my way to VegFest. I couldn’t justify buying it then, so I didn’t. WELL I needed a new mug and figured that my barista certification was justification enough to buy myself a gift!. A mug like this makes my morning coffee taste so much better.

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      I’m slightly obsessed. Now all I need is my own espresso machine to make lattes at home. My favorite part about this mug is that I saved almost $4 thanks to my partner discount. We all know I go coo coo for discounts. I also no longer need to buy coffee for home thanks to my weekly markout where I get a pound of free coffee. Free loot, free loot, FREE LOOT!

      I’m trying to be proactive with this job, and I ask to make drinks anytime it’s slow. Normally newbies stay on the register for a while before making drinks, but I want to learn as soon as possible so that I am on par with the rest of the crew. Sometimes when it starts getting busy and I have to make a drink I am unfamiliar with I feel something like this..

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      I’m catching on though. Thankfully all the people I work with are super nice and help me out anytime I flop like a suffocated fish splashing coffee and milk all over the place. I’ve held my own anytime it’s been busy, and I actually enjoy the morning rush of the junkies coming in to get their crack coffee fix. Coffee drinkers can be ruthless.

      As time goes on and things start to feel comfortable I enjoy the job so much more. I am having fun, and making new friends. I’ve received nothing but positive feedback which helps give me the confidence I need as the new kid.

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      Starbucks is an amazing company and gives back to the community, along with taking care of the countries they get their beans from. I’ve learned so much about what happens behind the scenes and it makes me love the products that much more! They also take great care of their employees. All in all things are going well, and I’ve started to settle in!

      Q: Do you have a favorite mug you use for everything? 

      b

      | 57 Comments Tagged Coffee, Job, Mug, New, Starbucks
    • NEWWW

      Posted at 8:29 AM by Brittany, on June 1, 2012

      New Food Find: Fiddle head ferns.

      These alien like claws of goodness have a very mild flavor (WHEN COOKED CORRECTLY!!) I boiled them until the gooey green stuff came off, and then drizzled lemon and pepper over them. They are crazy good for you and are comparable to broccoli and asparagus. This must be their love child. I purchased mine at Trader Joe’s, but you may be able to find them elsewhere..try them!

      New Eating Technique: Watermelon with a spoon.

      So here’s the deal, instead of making a mess on your counter by cutting this up, designate one half of a watermelon as “yours” and eat with a spoon whenever you want. I don’t advise sharing watermelon halves with anyone, this must be your own goldmine. Especially don’t share with your cat. Mine is creeping in the upper corner of the picture, you can see his paw. He goes crazy for watermelon. The empty watermelon half can be used as a hat, Frisbee, serving bowl, you name it!

      New meals: Green tea noodles, and pita pockets.

      ^^^ THAT was the best meal of the week. If you have never tried green tea noodles, go now. Something you must add to your bucket list. The texture and flavor are unbeatable. I used these noodles that I found at a local health store. I didn’t know what sauce to use, so I experimented with adding garlic, asparagus, onion and olive oil. It was perfect.

      Pita pockets stuffed with Punjab, cabbage, and an extra can of garbanzo beans. Asparagus is quickly becoming my number two veggie. Quick and easy meal.

      New Twist On Old Favorites: Gnocchi and Pad Thai.

      Normally I would douche my gnocchi with cheese, that’s not very vegan of me. Instead a basic homemade tomato sauce was used. It was just as delicious!

      What is Pad Thai without crushed peanuts? When discovering I had no peanuts to top my meal, I quickly improvised. Insert wasabi almonds instead. The extra flavor and heat was almost better than the peanuts! Almost..

      New Recipe: Whole Wheat Beer Bread.

      I recently received a new vegan cookbook from the wonderful Kelly. Inside was a recipe for beer bread that turned out great. It was quick, easy, and most importantly I was able to tweak the recipe to incorporate vital wheat gluten. This stuff is a goldmine and I have been trying to find decent recipes to slip this protein powerhouse into.

      Vegan Beer Bread

      • 2 cups whole wheat flour
      • 1 cup vital wheat gluten
      • 2 tbsp raw sugar
      • 3 tsp baking powder
      • 1 tsp salt
      • 12oz beer

      –Preheat oven to 375. Combine flour and other dry ingredients into a bowl. Pour in the beer and mix until a dough forms. Use your hands to finish combining the ingredients. Put dough into a well greased pan, spread the dough with your hands so it’s evenly distributed in the pan, and bake for one hour (or until you feel it’s ready!)

      Good, dense, hearty bread. That loaf up there had over 100 grams of protein. WOWWZA.

      That’s all I have for now.

      Q: Tell me something NEW that has happened to you, or that you have eaten.

      | 56 Comments Tagged New, New food, Recipe
    • BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalistic nomad striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long bike rides, deep connections, exploration, and lots of cucumbers.
    • If this blog does not meet your standards, please lower your standards.

    • Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com
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