Vine Ripened

Mornin’! On Monday’s Matt does inventory for work, so he gets to sleep in and works normal daytime hours. So we set a date to get up and run together this morning. So glad the SUN decided to come out on time too!!

We ran an easy 5.2 miles in the neighborhoods around our house.

But poor Matt – something is wrong with his body! His eyes are swollen shut and he has welts/raised red rashes in weird places – his hip, his stomach, arm, behind his ears. He removed a hairy vine from our house yesterday and I’m 90% sure that’s what is causing this reaction, but he said he didn’t feel a thing until he got up this morning, so the delayed response is strange. He’s also been having lots of other allergy problems this fall, so maybe it’s something else odd. Like all the DOGGIES he played with this weekend. And I swear when I kissed his cheek goodbye this morning my lips started tingling!

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Today’s oatmeal was delish!! Hooray for replenishing my cottage cheese stash. 

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  • 1/3 cup oats, milk, water, pinch salt
  • Half banana
  • 1 tbsp flax + chia seed mix
  • 1/4 cup cottage cheese (Trader Joe’s)
  • 1/3 crumbled Glo-Bar 
  • Spoonful MaraNatha

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I used to eat my nut butter on the spoon, but my latest habit is letting it melt in as I take my photos and then dripping it off the spoon and onto the oats!

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Per usual. Lovin’ the Pumpkin Spice Decaf + Christmas Blend Caf mix from Fresh Market!!

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Thanksgiving Challenge: The Sequel

Remember last year’s Thanksgiving Challenge? A month of minimal groceries. We came out spending only $115 for the month. I considered repeating the challenge this year, but decided it would be a lot of work and I need to focus on finishing up this semester most of all. But EMILY of Eatventures has taken on the challenge!! Head over to her site to join in here.

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Happy Birthday to Caitlin!!!!

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STUDY TIME!

by Kath on November 2, 2009

tagged as in Breakfast

{ 70 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Beth @ DiningAndDishing November 2, 2009 at 9:21 am

Poor Matt, his eye looks brutal!! Hope he feels better soon :O)

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2 Allie (Live Laugh Eat) November 2, 2009 at 9:23 am

Oh no! Get well soon, Matt! Sometimes Benadryl does the trick with random allergies like that. Your coffee sounds amazing!

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3 Jocelyn November 2, 2009 at 9:24 am

Hey girl…your oatmeal looks delish. I showed my dad and he gave his aproval ;)

Poor Matt though! Hope you guys figure out what it is and he starts to feel (and look) back to normal soon!

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4 Amelia November 2, 2009 at 9:30 am

Aww poor Matt! That doesn’t sound fun at all. Hope he feels better soon! :)

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5 christie @ honoring health November 2, 2009 at 9:31 am

Aw, poor Mat. Maybe some benadryl would help :(

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6 megan November 2, 2009 at 9:34 am

I used to do that with my peanut butter and oatmeal. it’s so wonderful when it gets all melty and you can swirl it everywhere :)

hope matt feels better! My husband had something similar where he was so itchy for like a week, but now it’s subsiding on its own…

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7 Monica November 2, 2009 at 9:36 am

Kath, you make a good point about the large amount of effort it takes just to seek out inexpensive grocery prices. What with balancing work/school/family, most people can’t spend too much time researching deals and so they choose the most accessible(ie. usually least healthy) options. I guess that’s why having solid, go-to ingredients is key!

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8 Kristin @ Iowa Girl Eats November 2, 2009 at 9:38 am

Oh! Poor Matt – definitely looks like an allergic reaction :( Poor guy!

I’ve never tried cottage cheese in my oats – but it sounds like an interesting idea, and a good boost of protein too.

Have a great day – Gossip Girl tonight! Wheee!

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9 brandi November 2, 2009 at 9:43 am

oh no! I hope Matt gets better soon!

Hope you have a good Monday

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10 Bizzle November 2, 2009 at 9:45 am

It often takes 12 or so hours for a reaction…Yuck, Yuck. Poor Matt. Benadryl to the rescue! Only if it were me, I would be passing out during inventory!

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11 Diana November 2, 2009 at 9:46 am

Omg, poor Matt, his eyes are so swollen :/ I hope he gets better soon!
Have a great day Kath :)

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12 Jessica @ How SWeet It Is November 2, 2009 at 9:47 am

Aw his poor eye. :(

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13 emmy - eatventures November 2, 2009 at 9:48 am

Thanks so much for mentioning the challenge, I hope Matt feels better!

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14 Kath November 2, 2009 at 9:48 am

He refused to take Benedryl because he wants to “see how it runs its course.” Stubborn!

K

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15 Paige(Running Around Normal) November 2, 2009 at 9:51 am

Oh my! Poor Matt:( I hope he feels better.

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16 Christin November 2, 2009 at 9:51 am

Oh no I hope Matt feels better soon. That happened to Nathan (my husband) one time – I think it was an allergy to spray paint?! His ’symptoms’ showed up right before bedtime – he had big, puffy welts all over his body – hips and armpits (!?) and lower back. Freaked me out – I probably woke up every half hour to make sure he was breathing! :(

Kath, how do you do your chia seeds for oatmeal – I bought some this weekend. Do you soak them in the water you use for oatmeal (1/3 or 1/2 cup) or soak them all at once and drain them (seems like they would slip through the sieve). Just wondering about your process – I want to use them tomorrow morning! :)

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17 Meghann November 2, 2009 at 9:53 am

My parents and brothers pulled some questionable vines from our pool area over the summer. They all used gloves and were find the rest of the afternoon, but the next day all four of them woke up swollen with a weird rash. My twin bro swore they had some sort of disease. Eventually they tracked it back to the questionable vines which was actually poison oak. I’m sure Matt will be fine in a couple of days.

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18 MelissaNibbles November 2, 2009 at 9:54 am

Be honest Kath, you beat your hubby in your sleep. Just kidding! It looks like an allergic reaction to something. Benadryl will clear it up, but will make him sleepy. I hope he gets better soon!

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19 Emily Eats and Exercises November 2, 2009 at 9:55 am

Mmmm…melty peanut butter. I love that bowl.
Hope Matt gets better – my boyfriend always accuses me of being stubborn about not taking medicine.

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20 Lu November 2, 2009 at 9:56 am

Poor Matt. My hubby has been battling allergies all season. Hope he feels better. Your oatmeal looks good. I’m definitely going to look into the challenge.

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21 nic November 2, 2009 at 9:59 am

I hope he gets better soon!!! Doesn’t look too good!! Keep us postet!
Yum breakfast, I have jet to try cottage cheese in my morning oats! But as I’m not a big fan of sweet cottage cheese, I hesitate a little!!
Have a wonderful day Kat! Hug n.

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22 laura dishes November 2, 2009 at 10:02 am

Poor Matt! Hopefully the swelling will go down soon. I loved your Thanksgiving challenge last year- I’ll have to check out Emily’s… thanks for the link!

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23 Jenna November 2, 2009 at 10:02 am

hope matt feels better! i love your bowl, super cute and i am the same way about my pb melting into the oats, delish!
jenna

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24 Food Makes Fun Fuel November 2, 2009 at 10:02 am

Great run! I am loving the morning sun. Good luck studying!

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25 Angie November 2, 2009 at 10:02 am

Oh- I’ve had those allergic reactions before….horrible- I hate it. Sound like my husband- he’d probably wait it out too before taking something…ME? I’d be downing the Benedryl :)

Love your breakfast Kath! Have a great day!

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26 Tammy November 2, 2009 at 10:04 am

I hope Matt feels better soon! The pumpkin spice decaf blend is the best!!

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27 Estela @ Weekly Bite November 2, 2009 at 10:05 am

poor matt! He needs benedryl!!!

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28 Lizzy November 2, 2009 at 10:06 am

Aw poor Matt, i hope he gets better asap!

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29 JessicaR November 2, 2009 at 10:16 am

Hope Matt feels better soon! I had something similar happen two years ago and eventually ended up in the ER because my throat was closing up. If Benadryl doesn’t solve his problems, it’s nothing a little epinephrine won’t fix! That stuff is a miracle drug ;)

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30 Heather November 2, 2009 at 10:18 am

Yikes – Matt does not look so good today.

Your oatmeal looks delicious – good luck with your studying!

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31 Sally November 2, 2009 at 10:20 am

Hey Kath – I’m no doctor but I had the identical allergic reaction to a pesticide about 2 years ago. Solution: over-the-counter antihistamine and sleep. I was back to normal in about 2 days…

Hope your boy feels better soon!
sally

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32 amanda (Two Boos Who Eat) November 2, 2009 at 10:24 am

I have taken on the Thanksgiving Challenge too. I think it’s exactly what my husband and I need right now. Luckily I have tons of food in the fridge, freezer and pantry already or I’d be a little worried.

Poor Matt! I have allergic reactions like that all the time. I am good friends with benadryl.

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33 Nicole November 2, 2009 at 10:27 am

It’s my birthday, too! Woohooo!

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34 Hil November 2, 2009 at 10:27 am

The Thanksgiving challenge last year was really great–thanks for hosting it. I’ll have to think about whether I am up for doing it again this year, but I would definitely encourage people to consider it.

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35 Sarah @ The Foodie Diaries November 2, 2009 at 10:39 am

Hope Matt feels better!

I’ve been switching it up with my nut butter spoons. I do like it dripped/melted it, but there’s something SO GOOD about getting some with every bite :) . Decisions, decisions…

Have a great Monday!

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36 katherine November 2, 2009 at 10:40 am

Hope Matt feels better soon!!

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37 Janna (Just Flourishing) November 2, 2009 at 10:53 am

Poor Matt! He needs to take an antihistamine! I hope he feels better soon!!!

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38 Mom November 2, 2009 at 11:15 am

Hairy vines usually mean poison ivy.

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39 Vanessa (Last Night's Leftovers) November 2, 2009 at 11:31 am

Awww, poor Matt! Hope he’s better soon!

I love your bowl :)

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40 Julie November 2, 2009 at 11:40 am

Oh no! Matt does not look very happy. How uncomfortable. Get better!!

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41 Mama Pea November 2, 2009 at 12:01 pm

Oh no, get Matt some Benadryl NOW!!

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42 RG November 2, 2009 at 12:03 pm

My father in law the doctor said even though he doesn’t want to take the benadryl he really should for the swelling :) and that is was probs poison oak

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43 rhodeygirl November 2, 2009 at 1:33 pm

Sorry he said poison ivy and I typed poison oak for some reason. anyway, some action: BENADRYL!

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44 Molly November 2, 2009 at 12:17 pm

I am a poision ivy/oak pro, due to more personal experience than I care to remember.
The delayed response is totally normal. In the future, you can pick up a wash at Walgreens that you can wash yourself with, and wash your clothes with. Right after you deal with anything like that, you just jump in a cold shower and wash up.
Hope this helps!

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45 AnnQ November 2, 2009 at 12:22 pm

OH NO!!!! :-( Benadryl can do wonders….it knocks you on your rear, but it totally squashes bad allergic reactions.

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46 Joelle (The Pancake Girl) November 2, 2009 at 12:40 pm

Oh my goodness, poor Matt! I was going to say maybe he’d gotten Pink Eye until you mentioned the welts. That definitely sounds like an allergic reaction.. did he eat anything differently yesterday? I’m not a doctor, but I’ve grown up around the medical field, and I don’t personally think that handling a vine would cause such drastic reactions the day after.. I hope he gets better, and you have a nice day!

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47 Jenn (www. j3nn.net ) November 2, 2009 at 12:44 pm

Aww, poor Matt! :(

Your oatmeal looks delish!

Jenn

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48 Susan November 2, 2009 at 1:06 pm

Ohno! Poor Matt! I echo everyone who’s said Benadryl. I puff up like that with a lot of bug bites, and it works every time.

I’ve been “sandwiching” my nut butter in my oatmeal lately. It’s like a little surprise in the center of the bowl! :P

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49 Foodie (Fab and Delicious Food) November 2, 2009 at 1:10 pm

Poor Matt! Hope he feels better soon!

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50 Christa @ Antz on a Blog November 2, 2009 at 1:11 pm

Hope he feels better soon!

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51 Chelsea (Chelsea's Chew and Run Fun) November 2, 2009 at 1:13 pm

Sorry to hear about Matt’s allergy issues! It’s hard functioning through something like that.

I’m curious about Chia Seeds, can I find them at most Natural Food Stores/Whole Foods?

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52 Tania November 2, 2009 at 1:17 pm

Kath, tell that stubborn husband of yours that he needs to take some benadryl now. If it’s not enough to stop the reaction, he may need an intramuscular injection of it along with one or two doses of prednisone. Trust, you do NOT want to be messing around with allergic reactions.

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53 Renee November 2, 2009 at 1:39 pm

Poor Matt! Hope he feels better soon!! =)

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54 Sophie November 2, 2009 at 1:48 pm

Where did you get that bowl? It is lovely!

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55 Kathy W. November 2, 2009 at 2:00 pm

All of our hairy, ropy vines are poison ivy without the leaves. My husband removed some wearing gloves and had a similar reaction 12 hours later. Poison ivy is actually more toxic (the urushiol oil is stronger) now all over the country–another side effect of climate change/global warming.

Someone else mentioned pesticide…if there’s any left over on the carpet from spraying bugs, maybe Matt’s carpet naps are causing some of the rashes…or the carpet fibers themselves, which are usually treated with flame retardants and stain repellants.

Anyway…BENADRYL BENADRYL BENADRYL!!

(Hope he feels better soon!)

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56 lynn (The Actors Diet) November 2, 2009 at 2:09 pm

poor matt – i hope he gets well soon.

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57 klm November 2, 2009 at 2:23 pm

One of the fifty billion times I had mono my eyes were swollen shut like that.. pooooor bebesito!!

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58 Stacey November 2, 2009 at 3:22 pm

Uh oh :( Hope he gets better (and doesn’t pass it to you!)

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59 Lauren November 2, 2009 at 3:37 pm

I hope Matt gets well soon. Poor guy. He looks to be in bad shape!

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60 sarah (ghost world) November 2, 2009 at 3:43 pm

yes — i agree, likely contact dermatitis (ie same as poison ivy) from the vine or plants he touched. actually, it is normal for poison ivy rash NOT to pop up right away — can take up to a day. it’s known as delayed-type hypersensitivity (Type IV for true nerds!)

he’s probably feeling awful! and actually, since it looks like it’s around his eyes, he could (perhaps should?) be treated with oral steroids. unless it’s milder than it looks, it might be a good idea for him to go to his dr!

POOR MATT!

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61 Emily, homecookedem November 2, 2009 at 4:16 pm

Poor Matt! Hope he’s better soon!!

I love that oatmeal bowl!! :)

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62 Stephanie November 2, 2009 at 4:36 pm

Poor Matt!! You know, I mowed yesterday and worked in the backyard, which I typically leave to my husband cuz I have such bad allergies. I felt just fine all through the day and night, but when I woke up, I had terrible allergy symptoms (runny nose, coughing, itching, etc). I think its because I didnt shower afterwards, and get all the pollen and whatever off of me. Maybe that’s what happened to him? And it just sorta seeped in during the night?

Anyway, Benadryl or Claritin should help with all his ailments. Good luck!

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63 Katy @ These Beautiful Feet November 2, 2009 at 4:43 pm

The sun finally came out? My mom and step-dad were in NC all week and she said she didn’t see it once! Glad it finally came out, too bad it was after they left! It’s pretty dreary here right now. I’m just happy for the cooler temps! I’m so sorry for your husband being allergic to..something! I hope it settles down and that allergy medicine calms it down. He seems like he’s being a good sport though.

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64 Sheila November 2, 2009 at 5:11 pm

You get so much free stuff, it’s hard for us to know how much your grocery bill would really be, but it sounds pretty good, regardless. But then again, you eat out lots also, and that’s not cheap. What about a month where you count how much everything would be if you had to pay for it all and all the restaurant bills total, also. I think that would be more informativeand realistic.

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65 Kath November 2, 2009 at 5:16 pm

Christin,
I add them in the beginning and by the time the oats are cooked they have slightly gelled.

MelissaNibbles,
Yeah I do that sometimes when he breathes through his mouth on me ;)

Nicole,
HAPPY BDAY!

Sophie,
Pier 1

Kath

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66 Angela (Oh She Glows) November 2, 2009 at 6:05 pm

Awww poor Matt!!! I hate allergies. I have been having a terrible time this year too. Hope you feel better soon Matt!

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67 Wendy November 2, 2009 at 7:19 pm

Poor Matt!! Hope it clears up soon, that looks uncomfortable!

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68 alex November 2, 2009 at 10:21 pm

Not sure if this will help or not, but my eyes looked like that when I switched to a new brand of contact lens solution. Not sure if Matt even wears contacts, but I lived with it for a MONTH before I got the detective work right and I was so annoyed that I hadn’t figured it out earlier. Other common culprits for me are switching facewash, soap, and laundry detergent. Good luck!

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69 Gina November 2, 2009 at 10:42 pm

Oh man! Poor Matt! Hope he feels better soon!

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70 Christin November 3, 2009 at 9:27 am

Thanks, Kath!

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