Coolest dude in the orchard!! We’ve been here and there and everywhere these past few weeks. I skipped a Lately post so I’m a bit all over the place today!
Just your run-of-the-mill whipped banana oats with a dollop of yogurt, granola and sunbutter! I really like the yogurt on top – it’s kind of like frosting……ok it’s nothing like frosting, but I still like it!
Have you seen these in Whole Foods?
Oats with chia seed explosion! Kind of like a single serving of overnight oats minus the yogurt. Chia, oats, apple – ready to eat! This would be perfect for a traveler who needs a quick and cheap breakfast and passes by a grocery store. Spoon included! You could eat it cold, but heated up it was great.
I served it with some of the baked apples I made plus almond butter and granola on top. Texture heaven!!
The next day I tried to replicate it myself – I soaked chia and oats in milk and then added cinnamon, vanilla and more baked apples in the morning. It was good, but not as good as the original! I will keep trying.
Eggs, toast with jam, a grape arch.
And finally, a pumpkin pie smoothie in a bowl! Nature’s Path granola is my favorite of all time (well second to Cville Cluster, which is just a category of its own).
Back to the apple orchard!
Karen and I took Mazen up to Carter’s Mountain to go apple picking and apple picnicking!
He had apple and PB&J and Karen made us egg salad sandwiches with Terra chips. She grates her hard-boiled egg for the perfect egg salad consistency – I must try her method soon!
Apple picking was fun for about 5 minutes
But then M just wanted to run up and down the mountain
In the end he liked choosing apples from the bins much more.
And we came home with plenty!
My next lunch was a big salad at home – quesadilla on the side made with a local blue corn tortilla stuffed with a slice of cheese plus greens with beans, hummus, peppers and feta cheese.
Another day we went to the bakery for lunch and I had a turkey + cheese salad.
Quesadillas are my favorite lunch of late : ) I get these tortillas at the city market and 5 minutes in my toaster oven makes a perfect quesadilla! Served with peppers and grapes.
And finally – salad with eggs on top and a Popeye roll on the side. Blue D’auvergne is back!
^^ Would you expect anything less this time of year?
This actually was supposed to be a recipe, but it just didn’t turn out like I had planned. Too thick for soup, but too soupy for pasta. If you’re curious, it was 4 cups of squash and pumpkin puree with 2 cups of chicken broth, 1 can of white beans, 1/2 tsp of salt, some garlic and fresh rosemary. Plus 3 cups of rigatone. All cooked together into a “stoup.”
Matt had homemade pizza waiting when I got home from Boulder – food never tastes as good as it does post-airplane ride!
We made the Cook Smarts classic beef chili one night and it was amazing!!
Another night we did Cook Smarts’ lo mein noodles with chicken. Another winner and chicken dinner!
Served with Hardywood’s Bourbon Sidamo. Amazing!
And finally our last Cook Smarts meal this week – white bean and sausage soup! Loved all the parsley on top. It’s soup season y’all.
2 days till my birf-day!!
(That’s for you Hugh David, Lydia and Kirsten!)
Sarah says
What type of apples are they at the orchard? Happy BERF-day soon. Yay for October b-days!
KathEats says
A lot of different kinds…gala…red delicious. ..winesap…and more!
Maryea {happy healthy mama} says
Happy early birthday! Have a great weekend. 🙂
Linda @ TheFitty says
Let’s be honest: everything at whole foods is so extra, but it just makes your meal that much more special knowing it was carefully handpicked and packaged organic and fresh. 🙂 I don’t have the budget to shop there but I will be paying them a visit on Halloween to snag some swag! 🙂
And oh, restock on some parsley and mayyyybeeeee organic grassfed meats if they’re on sale.
Kori says
I tried the Chia Pod when I was in FL, but I haven’t seen the Chia Oat Pods. I’ll definitely have to find + try them soon! Kaci & I loved Carter Mnt when we visited in Oct. 2012. Man, I miss Cville. I wish I could one day live there! Fun post!
Lindsey @ SimplyLindsey says
Happy early birthday! Thanks for posting about the chia pod. I’ve been curious to try and think I will!
Shawn says
What kind of natures path granola do you like? Is it low in added sugars?
KathEats says
It’s not particularly low in sugar, but I use it as a garnish only a few days per week, so I’m not that concerned about the levels.
jill says
I love how toddlers make their own fun wherever they go – my kiddo loves to go to the library because of the toy dinosaurs and the chairs that are his size. He loves to read, but for him, the library isn’t about the books. Apple-picking is obviously way less fun than having an entire dirt road to sprint up and down! Good job on Mazen for keeping his sunglasses on! He and Karen look like two cool lunch buddies. And the waxed paper under your sandwiches took me straight back to elementary school lunches! Love it!
Tonya says
Glad to see you went apple pickin’. I’ve been procrastinating on going, and I figured all the apples had been harvested from the trees by now. Maybe I still have time!
Cool items on this post. I wanna try out the Chia pod. Hopefully, it’s not like $4 for a cup of oatmeal! The pumpkin pie smoothie, chili and Hardywood beer looks great!
Natasha says
The chia pods sell for 3.66 here, outrageous!
KathEats says
But still worth a try!
Rachel says
Ooh, I need to try that Bourbon Sidamo. Can’t go wrong with coffee and bourbon barrels. Have you had Hardywood’s Gingerbread Stout? It’s incredible.
Jonna Green says
Hi Kath,
Food looks delicious! A trick I use for the perfect egg salad is to use a potato ricer to
“rice” the eggs. This makes the eggs extremely fluffy and voluminous and uniform in size.
If you have a potato ricer (which by the way makes perfect mashed potatoes as well) give
hardboiled eggs a try in it and you will love it!
Best,
Jonna
Caitlin says
Mmmm is that Cava kalamata olive hummus? So good.
KathEats says
Yes!
Alyssa @ The Healthy RD says
I love putting Greek yogurt on top of of oatmeal. When it’s Chobani, I call it “choats”!
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl says
Sunbutter is currently my FAVORITE hot oatmeal topping. I. am. obsessed!
Catalina @ Shades of Pink says
M is too cute with sun glasses, how did you actually get him to wear them, my toddler won’t keep them on.
KathEats says
One day he walked outside and said “too sunny!!!” and I showed him how glasses helped with that problem. He has loved them ever since!! But hats…he will not do.
Alissa says
Your little man is so adorable! I’m loving the salad inspiration too, fried eggs on salad are so yum!
I’m making a butternut squash gratin this weekend, but was actually contemplating soup before I saw the forecast for close to 80 degrees…so excited for fall foods, and very thankful for the “fall” weather we have in the South 😀
Kay says
Your orchard pictures are adorable. I remember going with my mom and family when I was a kid. Makes me want to go now. 🙂
The chia pods seem so smart, I’ll have to try them some time!
Dana @ fresh simple five says
The chia oat pod sounds so good! Thanks for the travel tip. Finding a healthy grab-and-go breakfast while traveling can be tough!
Laura says
Is that slices of apple on the egg salad sandwich you had at the orchard?
meredith @ The Cookie ChRUNicles says
I love Nature’s Path Pumpkin Flax Granola! It’s the best. And that oatmeal chia thing looks terrific too.
Katie says
OMG I looooooooove egg salad. Reminds me of my mom and summer, and it’s delicious to boot.
Shel@PeachyPalate says
ooh any birthday plans? Lunches look damn good this week! Salad and fried eggs..can of salmon in the mix is my go to when I can’t think outside the box!
Tricia @ A Couple of Dashes says
Okay so your post has officially made me hungry even though I just finished eating! I wish I had a Whole Foods nearby so I could try that oatmeal. It looks delicious!
Catherine says
I love egg salad, too!! This might sound silly, but my husband has been trying to figure out the method for perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs. I still don’t think they’re quite done in the middle. Do you (or Karen) have a fool-proof method for cooking them so the shell comes off easily, and they have perfectly cooked yolks?
KathEats says
Yes check out this post!
https://www.katheats.com/julia-childs-eggs
Christina @ The Beautiful Balance says
Awesome eats! I can’t get enough of pumpkin-everything right now (naturally).
Alex says
Hope you have a great birthday weekend!! I’ve tried to make a chia dish like that before too but it always ends up a little too soupy. I’m thinking about adding arrowroot to try and thicken it up a bit. Will you be attempting the recipe again for a future post?
Sally says
Karen looks great! How is she doing?
KathEats says
She is well thanks!
Ella says
I love pasta with butternut or other squash – did it taste good despite the soupiness? Any suggested tweaks? That is totally a recipe I would do.
kim says
another great post Kath, thanks!
Lindsay says
Happy early Birthday! I am lovin on pumpkin lately too, except it’s been hard to find in Hawaii! I actually had my mom send me a box of canned pumpkin this past week:) Just makes it that much tastier! The M apple picking looked so fun, he is on the GO!
Julia says
Happy early B-Day! Hope your day is as special as you are! I love the photo recap of meals. It inspires me!!! Thanks!!
Teri says
I’ve tried the Oats Chia mixed berry flavor and love it!
Sending Happy Birthday wishes your way
Mary says
I love your site! Great pics and wonderful meal ideas. I am now officially very hungry. 🙂
Oh, happy early birthday. I just had one myself.
Hey, if I may ask. What newsletter service are you using? I am looking for a nice service and I just love what you have!
Mary
KathEats says
Thanks it’s Mail Chimp
Mary says
Hi Kath
Thanks for responding so quickly. It is well appreciated.
Have a most wonderful day!
~ Mary
Karen says
Hey Kath!
Thinking of you on your big day (and the eve of my big day!) and sending my best ‘birf-day’ wishes to you…hope you’re celebrations are fun-filled!!
xo,
Karen L.
KathEats says
Happy birthday to you!
Sarah says
Loving all of your fall-ish meals! We really need to start eating some more butternut squash – your stoup looks pretty tasty!
Stefanie says
I have not yet tried the Chia oatmeal pods, but tried the chia pudding pods and it was disgusting! It was very gelatinous, rubbery, and slimy. I ate two spoonful’s and had to throw it out. Hopefully the oatmeal is much better!
Ttrockwood says
For the chia pod oats you have to use coconut milk- not regular milk- for it to taste as good. Mix chia pudding with chia and coconut milk and let set up. Then add in the oats and whatever. Easiest to use a blender for chia and coconut milk, pulse, let sit 5 min, pulse, let sit a few times and then fridge overnight to set up all the way
Christina W says
I have commented this before, but seriously, how does your food always look so good?!
Kelly says
Wondered which natures path granola is your fav? I usually get the pumpkin flax.
KathEats says
The Hemp Plus!
Tiffany says
Hey Kath!
I tried the chia oats and it was great! I tried the berry flavor – the flavor was a bit muted but I loved how thick it was. I’m going to try the mango/banana and apple spice that I bought soon. I definitely want to recreate it. If you figure it will you post your recipe please?