Last night at 12:30AM our neighbor decided to spend 20 minutes chopping firewood on his back patio. GUF! It was so loud and I had no clue what the noise was for the first 15 minutes. I finally got out of bed and could see the process enough just to realize what he was doing. Also, he was angering some kitty kats who were growling in reaction.
So I ended up sleeping a little later this morning!
Had a big bowl of delicious for breakfast!
Katie is a junior in high school from Atlanta and has started a small muffin business. She sent me a few to try out 
The remind me of Muffin Films!
Do you like Apple Spiiiiiiiice muffins!? Or Fig Apricot!
Of course I crumbled them onto my oats. About 1/3 of each one (Matt had the rest!) They muffins are made with interesting ingredients like pureed peas and apple butternut squash puree. I enjoyed them very much! They had a bit more chew than some more crumbly muffins out there, so they made a great oat topping.
The Mix
- 1/3 cup homemade scottish oats
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/3 cup water
- Half banana
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- Pinch salt, splash vanilla, sprinkle cinnamon
- Brittany‘s Apple Butter
- Muffin crumbs
- TJs Sunflower Butter
I got my taste for coffee back!
Matt made it on Oprah! Did you SEE who was on the show yesterday!?!? KANZI! You may know that Matt and I have permanent nicknames for each other. Mine is Koops (and most of the world calls me a version of Koops or Koopa), which stems from a nickname that I acquired in middle school and carried with me to college.
Matt nickname is Kanz, short for Kanzi. We had freshman psych 101 together and studied Kanzi. At the time, Matt was popular for doing a great bonobo impression around our dorm (he is very furry after all!) so I call him Kanz full time!
Agenda for the day includes my writing that didn’t get done yesterday, a run, sardines and a fun annual dinner date with a friend!
{ 61 comments… read them below or add one }
Your nicknames are so cute!! My bf does a great t-rex impression but somehow I don’t think he’ll take to me calling him Sue …
hurray! so glad matt made it on oprah…that’s quite the achievement
i love the nicknames…i have so many for nate it’s not even funny!
ugh, insensitive neighbors are the worst! at least you eased into the day with a delightful breakfast!
Have a great day
i didn’t see it, can you post a video?? now matt’s a star in my eyes!! im gonna celeb stalk him!
I love those muffin films! How about a braaAAAaan muffin?
chopping wood at NIGT?!! seems pretty absurd to me… I actually hit the snooze twice this morning so you weren’t the only one sleeping in, ha.
I love apple muffins. Or anything apple, for that matter.
The nicknames totally cracked me up
LOVE the fact that Katie started such a cool little business while in high school!
Cutting wood at 12:30 am. Seriously? that’s strange
Chopping wood at night? One, I would have been p*sssssssed; two, I might have jumped to conclusions if I saw a man wielding an ax and chopping something up that I couldn’t completely see…in the middle of the night.
Also – what an entrepreneur, that Katie! Love the fact that you can see those apricot chunks.
Who in their right mind chops wood at 12:30 am? That is insane!
Your nicknames are cute.
When neighbours wake you up by chopping firewood, you gotta whip out the marshmallows, chcoclate, and graham crackers and start up a s’more party.
There’s no other option.
Ya’lls nicknames are so cute!
That’s quite an achievement for Matt to make it on Oprah
Nicknames are so funny when you think about where thy come from! Um, that is crazy for that man to be cutting wood at that time…a little nerve racking too. What in the world would make him think that is ok? Have a great day!
That’s one crazy neighbour you’ve got! I’m liking the sound of apple butternut squash puree… might have to experiment and make my own! Have a great day
cute nicknames!!
Fig apricot sounds delicious! Sounds like a busy day, have a great one!
On Oprah?!! Even I know who she is – that is world fame!
too funny. Why do they call you Koops, Kath?
the muffins sound wonderful!
Kath = Kooth = Koop = Koopa = Koopa Troopa = Koops
How odd to be chopping wood at 12:30 am – what were they thinking?!?
I love adding muffins to warm oats – great addition of texture.
Can’t wait to see what you do with the sardines.
Chopping wood at 12:30? Was it a cold cold night?
Anyways, I love your nicknames!
Neighbors are lovely sometimes. I remember right after having our oldest son, our neighbors decided to have a full on party….his nursery walls were literally vibrating and we don’t live in a town house. Ridic!
Having a lumberjack as a neighbor??? I guess it has it’s advantages if you have a wood-burning fireplace! The 12:30 chopping would not be acceptable though!! Maybe to him it’s like counting sheep…who knows!
Have a fun run!
Chopping wood at that hour? Did he have some frustrations to get out?!
Thank you for making me smile (and laugh!) every morning. Your blog is one of the one’s that get me out of bed (either that or I stay in bed and read
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Does she sell the muffins in Atlanta anywhere cause that’s where I am!
Look delish!
Waking up to an unknown sound in the middle of the night must have been really scary after watching Psycho (I haven’t seen it either).
It must be fun having people send you healthy, homemade treats to sample
those muffins sound so interesting! i should try the muffin oatmeal combo
Chopping wood at 12:30?!? That would make me so irritated, ha!
muffins + oats = yessssss
I was wondering why you called him Kanz — how hilarious!
I love noisy neighbors in the middle of the night — they help me test my patience!
My husband and I have been “boy” and “girl” to one another for forever. It doesn’t sound sweet, but I love it when he calls me “girl.”
My husband and I have nicknames for each other too–Boubala and Boubie (not boobie!). We have called each other these names for over 27 years.
I know how you felt last night. We have neighbors that like to have bon fires in their backyard many nights. We don’t mind this at all but they have them late, after 10:00 pm on the weekdays, and they cut the wood as they need it, with a chain saw, very often well after midnight. UGH! It makes for a tough morning when we have to wake at 5:00 am for work.
How cute
I have a nickname for Hubby, but it gives away his name 
My nickname is Pooh…started with my grandma and stuck! Lyssa Pooh is also an acceptable derivation!
Hey, I know you’re a reader, so thought I’d mention that Sara Gruen’s latest book “Ape House” is about bonobos. Supposedly she’s done a lot of research on the subject (though fiction). I just started it, so cannot tell you what I think, but thought you (or Matt) may be interested.
Yum, those muffins look delicious!!
I’ll have to try leftover muffins as a cereal topper. Good idea for redeploying baked goods!
love the nicknames, love the oats!
Happy Tuesday,
cathy B. @ brightbakes
What is with your crazy neighbor? Who honestly saws stuff in the middle of the night?
Oh my goodness..whyy would anybody have the sudden urge to chop wood at midnight? :/
I always wondered where “Kanz” came from- that’s a funny story!
Muffins AND oats: sounds like breakfast perfection!
The fig muffin looked delish
Note to self: when choosing next home, avoid neighborhoods with lumberjacks!
I can’t believe your neighbor, chopping wood at Midnight. If I were you I’d probably write a polite note and stick it on the chopping block.
Those muffins look unique and tasty! Pureed peas?
Who decides to chop wood that late at night?! You’ve got yourself a pretty odd neighbor there.
Oats on muffins are the BEST!
And mr. random nighttime wood chopper? Who DOES that?
You should be happy to know I just bought my first can of sardines while in Italy. I thought of you Kath as I perused the aisles for some good protein. I am happy to report they were sans heads!
And they were fantastico!
Fig apricot muffins sound sooooooooo good. When I first read this post, I thought you said that you guys were chopping wood last night. I was thinking, wow, that’s an interesting workout!
Breakfast bowl looks awesome! Matt looks good on Oprah.
Muffin films flashback! I was all over that web site in college – could not get enough! Especially the French flick.
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I thought I was the only one out there with a wood-chopping neighbor problem! My neighbor chops wood about 3 to 4 times a week. Either around midnight or 6am. The worst part is that after cutting each piece of wood, he tosses it into a garbage bin which makes a huge WHACK sound. He also cleans up beer bottles from his weekly sat night parties this way. Didn’t know it was possible to get a trash bin to make so much noise. I live in a neighborhood of very close duplexes, so all this happens about 6 feet away from my bedroom window.
Sigh. Put some earplugs next to your bed!
That’s cute you guys have unique pet names for each other. I much prefer them over the traditional “honey” and “sweetie”.
And I call him scoozie. Scoozie n. : meaning a person that is so cute that you just want to squeeze their checks
Chris calls me “hiphop” not sure why but it has stuck
Muffin Oats! Yum!
I love Kanzi! When I took anthropology in college I did my research paper/presentation on Bonobos and how much they rule! I think bonobos represent the better part of our natures, while chimpanzees represent our worst, most violent sides.
What an adorable, lil’ pumpkin.
Love the look of fall. Delicious bowl of oats. I don’t know what your neighbor was thinking. Doesn’t he know the 10pm rule.
I learned about Kanzi in first year psych too. That’s hilarious that’s how Matt got his nickname! I think you need to post a video of his bonobo impression.
Fig, apricot, and peas? I want! And that glossy puddle of nut butter… divine!
Eek!!! I love Muffin Films!!!!!! The moral is: never talk to muffin trees!!
My roomies and I watched them all.the.time freshman year. Nobody else seems to think they’re funny… lol. I would have to say that “Bluebirds in Springtime” is probably my favorite! … or the one with Harold… or the one where the girl is allergic to blueberries… OK fine – I love them all. 
Would you be so sweet as to let me know where you got your beautiful spoons from? This is my first time on your blog, so I’m sorry if you’ve mentioned the source somewhere else…. By the way (though completely not related), what do you think about the shout out in Marie Claire this month? It seems a bit dramatic, in my opinion…
Great blog with beautiful pictures and writing by the way!
I just stumbled on your post regarding MC. I am so surprised, I have been such a big fan of MC and never thought they’d write something so unfair, uneducated and frankly, a little pissy. Chin up! You’re eating great stuff, doing great things for your body, and being a great inspiration as far as I can see. I’ll leave you with a quote from my grandpa, ” they can’t kill me and I’m too damn big to eat “.
The spoons are from my grandmother’s collection. I just LOVE iced tea spoons! Small heads, intricate designs. You can find them in antique shops