Tag: Summer

• Summer of the Lakes

  Posted at 10:30 AM by Brittany, on September 6, 2024

  This summer has been the season of the lakes for me. My activity of choice changes with the seasons, and summer is reserved for hiking as many places as possible. While I prefer hiking in the fall, summer hiking means I am far more likely to submerge myself in a body of water. I have managed a few more lake hikes since I last posted, one of which I swam in.

  All of these hikes I have done before (and blogged about!) so I will share the link to the previous adventures because I like looking back in time.

  First up I ventured to the Olympics for a tromp up to Lake Angeles. I did not swim in this lake because it was under 65 and I was a wimp. We did see one swimmer, and I commend him for his bravery. Caitlin, Duncan, and I had a lovely time on this adventure. We saw a multitude of frogs, very few other humans, and had coffee and ice cream after we finished. I was wild and chose a honey lavender flavor, but it did not sit well. This is why I stick to vanilla.

  Hike Highlight: spending time giggling with my two favorite people. Read about my last venture to Lake Angeles here. (I was much more philosophical in that post. lol.)

  

  

  Next up was a trek to my favorite alpine lake within the Alpine Lake Wilderness. I used to embark on this trail solo after a long week working at Starbucks, and it holds a very close spot in my heart. I wrangled up three of my coworkers (including Caitlin because duh) and we headed to Melakwa Lake on a Friday morning.

  I almost didn’t make it out the door however, because look at what I had to say goodbye to…

  

  I warned my other two coworkers who had not been hiking much that this trail was relatively steep, but they were up for the challenge. Despite the fact that I had done this trail many times, I had not been since they reconstructed the parking. I was thrown off by this and ended up taking us on the adjacent trail adding another 2 miles to our day.

  While this made for a longer hike overall, I was jazzed we made this detour because I had never ventured down this other trail. This 2 mile out and back leads to Franklin Falls, and I can’t believe I never took the time to make this detour on my last few visits to Melakwa Lake.

  

  

  

  We managed around 12 miles total this day, and while one of my pals was in a good bit of discomfort after, she is still up for another adventure. We spent just enough time at the lake for three of us to swim, snack, and SAVOR the surrounding beauty! No ice cream after this hike, how sad for me.

  Hike Highlight: swimming in my favorite alpine lake. Read about my last trek to Melakwa Lake here.

  

  

  

  Next up was a stroll to Snow Lake, one of the most popular trails in the Alpine Lake Wilderness. I was quickly reminded why I do not hike this trail on a weekend, alas I wanted my Monday – Friday working boyfriend to go with us on this hike. I also saw a woman hiking up with a cat in a mesh backpack, so I guess it was worth it.

  We started early making the hike up pleasant because we didn’t see many people. We secured the perfect spot on a rock by the lake to drool over the view before heading back to the car. This hike is more of a moderate one, which is partially why it’s so popular. Caitlin, her pup Poncho, Duncan, and I ventured off for this stroll on a Sunday. Never again.

  

  

  This was another chilly day so we did not swim in this lake either, which is a bit of a bummer. Last summer Caitlin and I hiked to Snow Lake, and continued on further to Gem Lake where we did swim. I have yet to swim in Snow Lake, so next year it will be a must. Coming back down after we enjoyed our snacks was a nightmare. There were more people than a big city train station and I was loosing my mind. No more popular weekend hikes for me, sorry Duncan. Also no ice cream after this. I am deprived.

  Hike Highlight: cat in a backpack. Read about my first stroll to Snow Lake here. So young, and my photo quality was so, so bad.

  

  

  

  Lastly a quick honorable mention. My mom spent a week in Glacier with one of her girlfriends last month, which meant I got to stay home with my sister. For those of you who don’t know, my older sister has autism. My mom and I tag team taking care of her, and while she will never be fully independent she is relatively high functioning.

  She loves going on adventures, and was keen on the idea of going for a hike with me and Duncan.

  We took her to a moderate trial, and while I dressed her myself I was shocked to discover just minutes before arriving at the trail head that she had changed out of her Nike shoes and into her Converse shoes. I refused to turn back, so we hoped for the best. Turns out she was more eager than both of us to get to the top (perhaps because Duncan told her she could have a Beanie Baby from our bin in the garage after), and her shoes worked fine.

  Hike Highlight: watching her trail blaze like a pro.

  

  Q: Do you prefer savory or sweet after a long physical endeavor?

  

  | 31 Comments Tagged Alpine Lake, Hiking, Lake Angeles, Melakwa Lake, Snow Lake, Summer

• First Summer Summit

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on August 5, 2024

  I tend to change with the seasons both mentally and physically. My moods change, my activities change, and my habits change. I find that living in a state with four seasons allows me to appreciate the changes, and allows me to let go of what no longer serves me. When summer hits I know I will stay up later in the evening, feel naturally a bit more joyful from the extra vitamin D, and most importantly my hiking shoes get a lot more use.

  I still hike year round when possible, but in the summer I can climb into the mountains that were once off limits because of snow. I appreciate the seasons forcing me to wait for these moments each year. In a world surrounded by instant gratification I enjoy the delay. Waiting for an adventure makes the journey that much sweeter.

  

  When it comes to choosing a hike, I am one who reads trail reports like I am studying for a college exam. I need as much information as possible to feel prepared and to quell my anxiety. Once I find a trail that is up to snuff in my book I wrangle a willing participant and venture to the mountains. Lucky for me, last summer I befriended my coworker Caitlin and the rest has been history.

  She is just as eager to hike as I am, which lets Duncan off the hook for weekly excursions.

  

  

  Our first bigger summit of the season happened to coincide with the first 90 degree day of a very hot week. We left as early as possible to beat the heat, and overall we were successful. Caitlin, her sister Christina, Duncan, myself, and Caitlin’s sweet pup hiked to the top of Mount Townsend, a trail I have done a handful of times now.

  This is a great hike to welcome the season, with spectacular views of the surrounding Olympic mountains.

  

  

  The day was certainly hot, but when we are on mountain time there is no rush in getting to the top. Gone are the days I used to hike just to rush to the top. There was once a period of my life where I hiked solo a lot. I enjoyed this season of my life, but just like the seasons of weather – things change.

  I enjoyed hiking alone and going at my own pace, but the reason I started doing it was because I couldn’t find any willing participants. Now that I am older and wiser (and far more anxious) I avoid hiking alone. I am thankful to have met both Caitlin and Duncan in the last few years, because now I never have to go alone.

  

  

  While summer is likely my least favorite season, I take full advantage of the longer days. Summer months bring early starts to beat the crowds, and less fear of trying to beat the darkness of the setting sun. We only saw a handful of people on this hike, allowing us to find our own pocket of solace at the summit. We snacked, we savored, and then we sauntered our way back to the car.

  Day hikes like this are the perfect summer excursion for me because I have something to look forward to on my weekends, but I am home in time to snuggle with my kitty in the evening. It’s taken me a while to appreciate the simpler things in life, but sometimes all it takes is a hike in my own backyard (metaphorically speaking of course) to bring me to life after a long week.

  

  

  

  While I am ready for the high 80 / low 90 degree days to go away, I plan to use them to my advantage on some of these hikes. Insert alpine lake here. More on that in my next post. Who doesn’t love a good cold plunge after a grueling hike.

  Q: What’s your favorite season? Hands down fall for me. I don’t care that it’s only August, I LOVE seeing all the fall themed items in the stores.

  

  | 27 Comments Tagged Hiking, Mount Townsend, Summer

• Reading Whales

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on July 1, 2024

  It’s been raining a lot this week – at the end of June and just days after the arrival of summer. The thing is, I’m not upset about it. My summer has started off on a lack luster foot this year, and while I plan to get out and hike as much as I can, I know this will be a low key summer all around for me. It’s bittersweet because I would love to hop on a plane and spend a month in Germany with my dear pal MaryBeth, something I have been itching to do for a while, but I know leaving my sweet fur child that long is not an option.

  I have a six day trip planned in September and while I love having something international on my calendar (even if it’s just a road trip into Canada, anything outside of the US counts), I have some underlying anxiety about leaving my cat for that long. My only goal for this summer is to continue finding smaller day/weekend trips to keep my stale soul as mold free as possible. Sometimes life forces us to slow down, and that’s ok. Or so I keep telling myself.

  A helpful tool for me when slowing down is a good book.

  

  I recently got back into reading, and this has been a wonderful hobby to help pass time instead of lusting over traveling too far. I am amongst the millennial community who succumbed to one particular book series last year, and from there I took off running. I have read 36 books since January, and have had to change my reading goal three times. I will be changing it again as my current goal is 40 books this year.

  I have become obsessed with Goodreads. Anyone wanna be friends on there?

  For my birthday back in February, Duncan gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card and told me we would each get a copy of a book to read for a two person book club. I am usually exclusively a library girl (owning books gives me clutter anxiety), but I loved this idea. We chose Watership Down and while we have been slow to finish, it’s been fun to discuss with him as we go.

  

  Speaking of Duncan, he has been quite the handyman around my moms house lately. He fixed a leaking tub spout in the bathroom a few months back, replaced a cracked toilet, takes care of the grass in the backyard for me, and helped bring home some gardening materials. We have one trough filled with broccoli and other similar vegetables, but I need one of my own for potatoes.

  My main hesitation are the slugs. I do not mess with slugs, hence the copper tape in the below photos.

  

  

  This post is like a scatter of word vomit because I feel like I am currently running on a hamster wheel. I am going through the motions to exist within a society that I don’t really enjoy existing in. I strive to play by my own rules, but there is only so much of that I can feasibly do. I don’t relate to most people I encounter, I prefer a simpler way of life, and spending all my time working for someone else until I die is not my path.

  I’ve been seeking the best fit for me for a while now, but I suppose it becomes more complicated when you feel obligated to stay close to family.

  When I do find the rare few people I click with I hold onto them tight. My friend Caitlin turned 30 this week and we went on a whale watching adventure to start the celebrations. Truth be told I am indifferent to whales and I am even more indifferent to spending four hours on a boat. This tour was two hours too long, but it was good to get out of town for a day. It was also a good metaphor for my current life.

  Sometimes we want to be somewhere else, but we learn to make the best of where we are until we can change our situations.

  

  

  

  I sound dramatic, but I would have done this all over again because it was special to my good friend. Sometimes it’s more about the people we are with than the destination/location. Caitlin is the real deal because she saved the day with a spare hat and sunglasses for me. What kind of putz doesn’t bring these two essentials whale watching?

  As someone who is usually overly prepared I don’t know who I am anymore.

  Each excursion I take on a water vessel confirms that I am hands down a mountain/forest lover vs. a beach/water lover. We saw one pair of humpback whales waving their fins, but I was more interested in the sea lions we passed living their lives on a buoy. I strive for that kind of carefree life.

  

  I’ve spend the last decade of my life navigating the thoughts of whether or not I am missing something vital to succeeding in modern life. I don’t want kids, I don’t think I want to get married, I don’t want a traditional career, I have revolved my life around my aging cat, I prioritize flexible schedules, and I’m not waiting until I am 59.5 to start living freely (I’ve at least been maxing out my Roth IRA contributions since I was 23) – and yet these are all things I have chosen because they are what I want. Not what someone else wants for me.

  However, sometimes it’s hard to not feel like I am failing to progress as a fully functioning human adult, but that’s my ego talking.

  That’s my mini rant/vent session. I don’t have much else. I’m just out here doing my best to find pockets of excitement in my day to day life, and change what I can (because change and knowledge are where I feel revived.) I hope everyone’s summer is off to a good start, please share with me any upcoming plans you may have.

  Q: Current book recommendations? I like science, psychology, romance/romcom, mind benders, and WWII books. I do not like horror, thriller, or extremely dense reads.

  

  | 27 Comments Tagged Gardening, Reading, Summer, Whale Watching

• Summer

  Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on September 14, 2023

  I have been all over the place lately. My mind has been scattered, stale, and stagnant. When my cat got sick back in May it threw me for a bit of a loop. Three months of daily morning medications, non stop monitoring of symptoms and bathroom habits, and trying new foods. This meant I wasn’t finding much time for myself and what I enjoy doing. It took another month before I felt comfortable leaving him alone for a night. I can blame my anxiety for that one.

  I would go to the ends of the world for this cat, and I am thankful he is stable and doing well, but admittedly I have felt a bit lost as to where my focus should be directed.

  I couldn’t see much past the basics, going to work, and spending time with Little. I knew I needed to spend some time out of my house, and while Duncan is a huge support to me, we have differing desires for how to spend our free time. We compromise most weekends, but in an attempt to let Duncan off the hook (because let’s face it, if someone isn’t overly interested in hiking giant mountains, it’s not fun for anyone) I befriended my coworker Caitlin.

  

  It’s no secret I enjoy spending most of my free time outside. It’s not only physically beneficial for me, but mentally as well. I thrive knowing I have weekend plans to hike a mountain or travel somewhere new, and I’m kicking myself for taking so long to ask Caitlin to hangout outside of work. We have been working closely together for around two years now, but I knew she kept to herself on her weekends.

  We slowly learned over time that we had similar humor, similar interests, and there was something about her I knew I would click with. She invited me to go kayaking with her back in June and from there I knew it was game on. We talked about hiking a local trail in passing one day, and I decided to make it happen. Since our first hike together in July we have been making a habit of hiking as often as we can. She is up for any hike I throw her way, and it has been so helpful for my mental health to have someone I can go on bigger adventures with.

  

  Making friends as an adult is hard. There is no way around that. Making friends as an emotionally charged introvert is ever harder. I am very sensitive to peoples energies and I can almost immediately tell if I am not going to vibe with someone. As children we are told to be friends with anyone and everyone, but as an adult I have become the polar opposite. If I don’t like your energy, I will not spend time with you.

  This is nothing to apologize for, not everyone is for everyone and that’s ok.

  Whenever I am feeling stuck or stale there is usually a correlation. I am either not doing the things that bring me joy, or I don’t have a community of people around me who shares similar interests. My job will never be my source of joy, or purpose, therefor it’s imperative for me to continue finding ways to connect with the world and the people around me outside of where I make money.

  

  I wasn’t sure if I would have many summer adventures this year. Keeping close to Little has been my main priority the last handful of months, but I have been able to sprinkle a hike in most weekends since Caitlin and I started hiking together. We have a few more planned, some of which Duncan will tag along on, and I am directing my focus on enjoying the little things in life.

  This first hike Caitlin and I did was one I had hiked back in 2014, and then again in 2015. It had been so long I didn’t remember anything about it. This was my first “bigger” hike in a while, and it felt good to get my lungs working again. The sun was out for the first half of this hike, but as we reached the top the clouds moved in, allowing sporadic pockets of views. I made sure to give Caitlin the best view of my face, a look reserved for true friends.

  

  

  As it turns out I had summer adventures after all. I hiked, I picked blueberries and blackberries, I ran, I rode my bike, I read three books, I took countless evening and morning drives with Little to see horses and sheep and chickens, I went on walks with friends, I spent time with people I love, and I never had to stray too far from my child. I am excited for fall and the hiking to come, and I am excited to continue finding pockets of joy in the simplicity of my happily mundane life.

  Q: Did you travel far this summer? Let me live through you.

  

  | 31 Comments Tagged Hiking, Little, Summer

• Mount Rainier

  Posted at 7:46 AM by Brittany, on July 7, 2015

  Does anyone remember back in January when I had my first public, “I can’t even” moment? For those of you that don’t know what this means, (mom) it’s an abused phrase that I really can’t stand, yet found myself using…again.

  

  A phrase used when something is so monumental that “I can’t even” think of words to describe how I feel. All that comes out is “I can’t even.”

  

  I was so enraptured by the wonder that is Mount Rainier that I really had no words, just feelings. Lots of feelings. Like the kind you get when you are eating cake.

  

  I’d been wanting to make my way to Mount Rainier National Park for quite some time now. On most of my hikes this volcanic mountain is what I search for off in the far distance as it’s the highest mountain in Washington.

  It was indescribable to be this close to it.

  

  

  This park is so big that I was overwhelmed with where to start exploring. Thankfully I have adventurous friends that also like to explore, and when one of them asked if I wanted to go hike a specific trail I didn’t think twice before saying yes.

  Plus my dad appreciates when I take a buddy.

  

  

  

  Burroughs mountain trail brought me to the view in most of the photos above. I felt almost close enough to touch the top, yet we were only halfway there. The peak of this active volcanic mountain is 14,410 ft above sea level, and we were merely at the 7400 ft mark. We were like ants in a sea of evergreen trees.

  

  Because you gotta drink a Rainier while next to Rainier.

  

  Unless you don’t drink beer, then eat a Larabar.

  The Burroughs trail brought us to this view, but I wanted more. The thing about Rainier National Park is there are trails..everywhere. Literally days of exploration.

  

  A fire lookout sat atop an adjacent mountain, and I wanted to see the view from it.

  That was a great decision on my part.

  

  A perfect shot to celebrate independence day.

  

  This adventure filled my soul with 5 hours and 8.2 miles of mountain goodness. I can’t wait to get back and explore even more. Next time I want to camp.

  

  

  

  I started a pin collection, because I’m too lazy to work with patches. Now I need to get my fanny to more national parks and get my bag some legit bling. I also bought a mug because coffee tastes better in a good mug, and because I fell prey to the tourist traps.

  

  

  

  Yea, that coffee tasted like adventure.

  

  Q: Have you been to a national park in or near your state?

  

  | 70 Comments Tagged Explore, Hike, Hiking, Mount Rainier, National Park, Summer, Washington

• Raspberry Oat Crumble Bars

  Posted at 9:16 AM by Brittany, on July 17, 2014

  I didn’t plan on posting today, or even posting this recipe at all. I had a couple people ask for it though, and I decided that I wanted to link up with the Virtual Vegan LINKY Potluck, the only link up I ever participate in! Any excuse for baked goods is a good excuse!

  

  With an abundance of raspberries in my house these days, it’s no surprise we’ve been creating all kinds of raspberry based recipes.

  

  This recipe cred actually goes to my mom, the angel that had these delicious bars baked and ready for consumption the moment I arrived home after a morning run in the hot hot sun.

  

  We made these gluten free, but you can easily sub whole wheat flour if you prefer. Either way, prepare for a raspberry flavor bomb.

  Raspberry Oat Crumble Bars (V/GF)

  

  Ingredients

  For the cake: 

  • 1 1/2 cups GF flour (I suggest Namaste Perfect Flour Blend)
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil cut in pieces
  • 1  chia egg  (1 tbsp ground chia and 3 tblsp of water)
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup fresh raspberries

  For the crumble topping:

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tblsp of gluten free flour
  • pinch of ground nutmeg
  • 2 tblsp coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped almonds
  • 1/4 cup rolled oats

  

  Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F and oil an 8in square baking pan.
  2. For the crumble topping stir together the brown sugar, flour, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Cut in your coconut oil* with a knife and mix-stir until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in pecans and oats.  Set aside.
  3. For the cake stir together the flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in your coconut oil* until mixture is crumbled. Add chia egg, almond milk, and vanilla. Stir until combined.
  4. Pour batter into your pan and scatter your raspberries evenly over the surface. Sprinkle the set aside crumble topping evenly over  the berries. Bake until cake is well risen and golden- about 50 minutes.
  5. Remove, let cool, serve, and ENJOY!

  Notes: *You don’t want to use melted coconut oil for this recipe, but solid oil can be difficult to cut. Allow your oil to be somewhat softened as if you were using room temperature butter.

  

  I suggest serving these with a side of more berries, some banana, alongside your morning coffee, or underneath a blob of vanilla coconut ice cream. These were gone in a couple days, and now I need to decide what to make next! Suggestions welcomed! 🙂

  Q: How are you taking advantage of summer berries? We’re on our second batch of fresh picked, local raspberries. We’ve gone through almost fifteen containers.

  

  | 38 Comments Tagged Gluten Free, Raspberries, Recipe, Run, Summer, Vegan, Virtual Vegan Potluck

• Does It Make Me…

  Posted at 8:37 AM by Brittany, on July 9, 2014

  Does it make me un-American if I say I didn’t watch fireworks on the fourth of July? I did eat some Mac and Cheese though, which I think balances out the former sentence. Vegan of course, and Brittany-fied.

  

  Tomatoes, jalapenos, broccoli, and avocado added to the mix.

  Does it make me innovative for chopping up some chocolate salted almonds for my banana/oat cookies because they’re all I had? I totally turned on the oven despite the 80 degree temps. Priorities.

  

  I just really wanted to use my fancy knives.

  Does it make me a lazy runner for switching from a half marathon to a 5K this weekend? I can’t pretend to be Zues anymore, running 13 miles with zero training just isn’t going to work. So I’ll run 3 miles and then eat donuts as if I ran 13. This sounds much better to me.

  

  This has nothing to do with running a race, but they portray why I am not in running shape. Hiking shoes = hiking instead of running.

  Does it make me inappropriate for saying that due to the aforementioned comment about the warmer temps, I’ve been sleeping with minimal zero clothing? I want to die every night.

  

  Does is make me obsessed if I can’t stop eating/thinking about the flat of raspberries in my kitchen? Local, organic, and only $10!

  

  Does it make me a genius for unintentionally figuring out how to soften dates? I left them in my car and the hot temps made them so perfect. Soft mushy sugary heaven for my crunchy salty rice cake.

  

  Does it make me easy to please if my morning cup of coffee at home right now is already the highlight of my day? I’ve been opening at work every day the last week, and coffee on the go is nothing like coffee at home with nothing but empty, quiet space around you.

  

  Does this make me an acrophile?

  

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

  

  | 61 Comments Tagged Chocolate, Coffee, Does it Make Me, Hike, Mountain, Random, Summer, Vegan

• Bandera Mountain – The Sun it Shines

  Posted at 3:48 AM by Brittany, on July 7, 2014

  The last handful of “big adventure” hikes (anything I have to travel over an hour to get to and consists of at least 4-8 hours of hiking) I’ve gone on have been on cloudy days. Temp wise this is ideal, but for a good view and full proof navigation it’s not.

  

  BIG difference in the view driving up from the last hike I went on. NO clouds. YES!

  

  You can imagine my excitement when I ventured to Seattle/North Bend on a bright sunshiny day. Bring on the fantastic views!!

  

  

  The must see attraction on this hike was Mount Rainier. As the elevation grew, the views became better and better. What first started at just a tiny peak of a view, grew to a mass pile of gorgeous. 
  

  

  

  

  

  

  This hike was rated a 4/5 for difficulty, but once it got steep I personally rated it a 4.5/5. I was also hot and I was tired. As always though, the views from the top were well worth the climb.

  

  

  Snow on one side, dirt on the other.

  

  

  

  Due to the activities that took place on my last big hike (getting lost and almost starving to death) I packed my bag full. I had an apple, a plum, two tortillas with an avocado smashed inside, a Vega bar, dry roasted edamame, leftover brown rice noodles with beans and tomato, and a vegan/gluten free berry scone I bought at WF.

  

  

  My one and only complaint on this hike was not having a personal zap gun for all the bugs swarming me. It was legit ridiculous. Thankfully as I sat at the peak and enjoyed my food feast, the annoyance of the bugs all seemed to fade away.

  

  

  I have 4 bug bites that have lasted over a week, but I ate every last morsel of the food I brought. I call that a success.

  Blogging has been on the back burner right now due to work, school, and my hiking adventures. I will pop in for a post or two whenever I have some down time to write! As always, you can follow my adventures outside of the blog through my Instagram photos! 🙂

  Q: What’s your favorite hiking weather? I like a slight bit of overcast to keep things cool, but not enough to skew the view! 

  

  | 51 Comments Tagged Adventure, Bandera Mountain, Hiking, North Bend, Summer, Sun

• A Much Needed Foodie Adventure

  Posted at 1:35 PM by Brittany, on August 16, 2013

  My soul feels rejuvenated after a full day of amazing eats, and even better company. You know your day is going to be great when it starts out with a view like this.

  

  Vegan cupcakes galore at my favorite bakery. I behaved and ate brunch before I got a cupcake, although my meal was more of a snack/treat.

  

  Corn cakes with the most amazing vegan cream sauce and fresh berries. I cannot wait to go back and get a real meal. Any excuse to get more cupcakes…and a ginger molasses cookie.

  After a walk, skip, and a jump it was already time for lunch/another snack before dinner. The last time I had a legit vegan pizza was almost three months ago. Vegan pizza by the slice? YES, sign me up. The only thing missing from this pizza was potatoes.

  

  I don’t think they could have squeezed anything else on there if they tried. This slice gave me just enough energy to partake in some shopping, and some berry picking.

  

  I need pie…now. OK OK, now for my favorite meal of the day..summer is almost over and I had yet to make burgers. Better late than never right!?

  Black Bean Sweet Potato Burgers 

  

  • 15 oz black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1  med/large cooked sweet potato
  • 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn
  • 2/3 cup finely chopped onion
  • 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
  • 6 tblsp rolled oats
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp cayenne
  • 1 tblsp olive oil

  

  1. Preheat your oven to 375F, once you finish cooking your quinoa and sweet potato.
  2. Mash half of the beans in a bowl until paste-like.
  3. Add in the rest of the beans and give a very light stir/mash to combine.
  4. In a separate bowl, mash the sweet tater, but you don’t want it creamy.
  5. Stir in the salt, pepper, cayenne, and olive oil, until combined.
  6. Mix in the onion, garlic, corn, black beans, quinoa, and ground oats, until just combined.
  7. Taste, and adjust seasonings to your liking.
  8. Form into balls, between your hands and flatten into 1/2”-3/4” thick patties.  This should make 8 medium/large patties.
  9. Place on a pan lined with parchment paper [or lightly greased pan] and bake on each side for 15min, flipping once, half-way through. Finish and serve!

  I topped mine with tomato, roasted red pepper, avocado, swiss chard, and BBQ sauce. As always I make my burgers and sandwiches so tall I can barely fit my mouth around them.

  

  Bon Appétit!

  Oh and I saved the best for last..somehow I managed to save the cupcake I got at brunch for after dinner. Seven hours after purchase I sunk my teeth into the most gorgeous sight.

  

  Lemon Lavender..swoon.

  Q: What does it take for you to recharge after a long week? Good food, and great company did it for me this week! 

  

  | 45 Comments Tagged Cupcake, Recipe, Summer, Vegan

• Love is in the Air

  Posted at 9:02 AM by Brittany, on July 23, 2013

  Saturday I went to a wedding. This was my first wedding in two years, and maybe my third wedding total. I went to weddings as a child, but I don’t remember them, so for my adult life we will just count the ones I know of..which makes the total three.

  

  “Hi. I’m Brittany and don’t know how to stand for pictures when I am alone. I am awkward.”

  

  Shameless selfie/proof I don’t always look like a wet running dog.

  Truth be told, I love weddings. I love the energy of a good wedding, and I turn to complete mush during the ceremony. This wedding was different though, this wedding was unique.

  

  The groom(s) yes..plural

  This was the most adorable wedding. Backyard, country, relaxed, eclectic themed bliss. The groom on the left has the most amazing decorative eye, and I want him to plan my wedding. Their house is so tranquil it’s like a secret garden getaway.

  

  Random sink coming out of the porch? LET’s PUT A PLANT IN IT! Genius..

  

  Old chair? Blue spray paint and a hole for a plant..LOVE THIS!

  

  This wedding was almost completely DIY and there is something so romantically adorable about that to me. So much love was put into creating such a unique experience.

  

  

  The bar, complete with orange solo cups.

  

  Follow the sign, you don’t have to tell me twice! THE GARDEN in the background..OHH I just swoon.

  I couldn’t help but secretly wish I had offered to make cupcakes for them. Not only would I have had an excuse to bake, but to be able to secretly give all these people vegan cupcakes would have been amazing. Owell, next time..

  

  What’s a wedding without a photo booth? I think I prefer this rugged “face in hole” style better. Get you cameras out, this is a snap it yourself photo booth.

  

  

  I could not get over the adorableness of his outfit.

  

  The altar

  The love and support from the friends and family of these two men was amazing. It’s refreshing to be around people who are accepting of all people, and I feel blessed to live in a state that is allowing everyone to show their love. Equality at its finest.

  

  

  Caught laughing

  Q(s):

  • Do you like going to weddings? YES YES YES! 
  • Traditional church weddings, or unique outdoors? OUTSIDE! 

  

  | 76 Comments Tagged Equality, Summer, Wedding

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

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• Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com

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