Of
and
I’m really enjoying my leisurely mornings 🙂 I figured out that I could technically workout in the mornings with my new schedule – up at 4:30, gym from 5-6, shower, dress from 6-6:45, breakfast + blog from 7-7:45.
However, I’m enjoying my schedule a lot right now so I’m not going to shift over….just yet 😉 I’ve got a run planned for this afternoon and am sure I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much in the dark!
I’ve been getting some work done before breakfast these days to give the sun a few more minutes to rise. The garden was just barely light when I took out my oats + tea, but my magical camera made everything pop! I felt like there was a flash going off somewhere (and I PROMISE there wasn’t – I never use a flash!!) It was so much darker than these photos let off:
Yum!
- 1/4 cup quick oats ( <— using them up but I miss rolled!)
- 2 tbsp 10 grain hot cereal
- 1/2 banana
- 1/2 tbsp chia seeds
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup milk
- Pinch salt, splash vanilla
- Coconut butter
- Naturally Nutty Vanilla Almond Butter
- Pecans
Tea time today was another Golden Moon sample – Coconut Pouchong!
Looks like collard greens to me!! 
The aroma from these packets was amazing!!!!!! The coconut smelled like toasted marshmallow!!! I was going googly eyed smelling the tea
But sadly it was very, very weak on flavor 🙁 I think it was the pouchong. I need strong black tea! Next time I’ll mix ’em together.
I discovered that the little extension on my Tuffy steeper is actually a way to twirl the tea and infuse better. D’oh!
FINALLY GMAIL, finally!!!!!!!!! 🙂 🙂 :) Drag + drop attachments!
Have a good one!!
Freya @ Brit Chick Runs says
That bowl is so so beautiful (and for once I mean the actual bowl, not the filling..though that is fab too :P) – where’s it from?
Kath says
Homegoods
Beth @ Beth's Journey to Thin says
I really need to try coconut butter… this morning I had My Perfect Oatmeal from Starbucks for the first time. While its nothing like homemade whipped banana oats, it is awesome for on the go! They give you mixed nuts, brown sugar, and dried fruit to go with it, and its under $3.
Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg says
Up at 4:30?! That’s SUPER early!! I would definitely go with the afternoon run too 🙂
Looks like a beautiful, peaceful start to the day (and weekend)!
Jordan @ Salt Sweat Sugar says
Wow, that bowl is really gorgeousss!
You’ve got me really curious about coconut butter. I love all things coconut.
Diana says
Ahah everybody loved the bowl. It really is cute. 🙂
And yep, that’s the difference that having a good camera and lens does 😉 It’s useful, right?
Waking up at 4:30, that’s craaaaaaaazy (for me at least!). One thing I’ve noticed is that most people in blogland (mostly in the US) start their days waaaaay before ours. You’re always ahead of us. We wake up later, have lunch later, have dinner later, etc etc. 🙂 And I’m not talking about timezones ahah
Andrea says
You’re right, sometimes an afternoon workout is better because of the daylight, even though getting it done first thing frees up the day! Hope you have a fabulous Friday!
Lauren @ eater not a runner says
That bowl reminds me that I want to go to homegoods today 😉
Deva (Voracious Vorilee) says
I’ve been working out mostly in the morning to have more time in the evenings, but there is something about an afternoon workout that is just awesome.
Marla says
I would be worried about putting boiling water through a silicone container….
afraid it would leech icky things into me over time!
Foodie (Fab and Delicious Food) says
Love the bowl! So pretty!
That’s so cool that the coconut smelled like toasted marshmallow!
Have a great day!
Estela @ Weekly Bite says
I heart gmail! It’s the best invention ever 🙂
Mara @ What's For Dinner? says
Gmail rocks!!
Good to know about that tea… i was eying it the other day!
Erin (Travel, Eat, Repeat) says
I wish there was Smell-O-Vision through computer screens… and, while we’re at it, Taste-O-Vision, too. 😉
megan says
i find out all the cool gmail things from you! I love gmail and am a little obsessed with it and google calendar
Jil @ Peace, Love & Munchies says
They do look like greens! haha And the bowl is what really pops…jealous that your camera works such magic…my little point and shoot does no such thing. haha
Allie (Live Laugh Eat) says
Showing off your SLR there, huh?? My mom asked if I wanted to fly out to CA to attend my cousin’s graduation ceremony….I said ‘no I’d rather have 1/2 an SLR.’ I fee like I’ve been the stingiest person lately because every time I spend money I think about how much it would be in SLR-money.
It looks like broad daylight there…crazy what a camera can do.
Sarah says
The gmail note has tipped me over into what I believe is my first comment. That really is the best news ever! Love your blog. Thanks for making healthy eating seem manageable (and fun) for anyone to do. Sorry you got into trouble at the internship.
Marisa (Loser for Life) says
That bowl is beautiful!
The tea does look like collard greens! I really like the tea steeper. May have to get me one of those!
Heather @ Side of Sneakers says
I need a powerful camera like yours– my pictures seem to end up dark even in bright daylight- and forget trying to take a clear picture in any kind of dim lighting, let alone dark!!
Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) says
Nice way to start this Friday morning! Have a great day!
Tina says
I’m gonna have to find some pretty bowls! All of a sudden mine feel so boring.
I need a new camera SO bad! Maybe I’ll put it on my Mother’s Day wish list.
Nicole, RD says
I love that bowl, too…beautiful! I couldn’t do a 4:30am wake-up for a workout. I stick to afternoon workouts 🙂
Hannah says
Beautiful bowl! Sometimes I don’t know what I want to pinch more – your kitchenware, or the food inside it! 😀
Carolyn @ lovinlosing says
There is no way in hell I could get up at 4:30. I can’t even get up at 6:30 lately.
Kim says
Nice to hear that someone else might join the 4:30 club. You’re proposed schedule is pretty close to mine (minus the blogging!). That’s the only time of day when I can get to the gym now that I’m a mom. It’s nice because at that hour, I can’t think clearly enough to talk my way out of going to the gym. After work, all that I want to do is be home with my husband and daughter. 🙂
Opera Girl Cooks says
Hmm, I still have not tried chia oats, though I enjoy adding chia gel to yogurt and smoothies. In any case, your bowl looks great!
Meg @ Be Fit Be Full says
Ok seriously, this is starting to creep me out. 3rd time in a row that there we 26 comments. Do do, do do… Thanks for the info about gmail attachments!
Kath says
What if I changed it so it ALWAYS said 26 comments!?
jaclyn@todays lady says
You’re so lucky that its warm enough to eat breakfast outside!!! I’m definitely a later morning/afternoon workout person. I used to always wake up early to either run or go to the gym but for the last couple of years I’ve really enjoyed my leisurely mornings 🙂
Kathleen says
Just got to say…..LOVE your bowl!
Katya says
Kath, how much sleep do you get? Do you go to bed really early? I feel like I never get enough sleep to ensure that I work out in the morning.
Kath says
Always 8 hours!! Rarely any less.
Abby says
That tea looks frightening! But it’s a nift contraption for loose tea leaves!
..and seriously, Gmail is amazing.
Jessica @ How Sweet says
I get up at 4:30 for the gym, too! It’s rough, but it gets easier!
Jessica @ The Process of Healing says
I loooove that bowl!! So gorgeous!
Lauren says
Your schedule is so planned out! You must have some serous motivation to stick to that and not get behind. I feel so frazzled in the mornings and by evenings I’m lazy as a tick!
Jenn (www. j3nn.net ) says
Those oats look creamy and delicious. At first glance, I thought that was greens, too! lol Too funny. 🙂
Jenn
Michelle @ Give Me the Almond Butter says
I really want to live in a warm climate just so I can eat outside in the morning. It’s currently 43 degrees here, so that ain’t happening 😉
Heather (Heather's Dish) says
i can’t wait for the days when it’s light enough (and warm enough!) to eat breakfast outside! we’re almost there, Denver, almost! 🙂 happy friday Kath!
Salah@myhealthiestlifestyle says
I don’t have a backyard or a porch really to go sit on to eat breakfast, but I always open my blinds and just enjoy the openness
Sarah-Mae @ Eat, Run, Knit says
I had a nice rather plain bowl of oats this morning too; strawberry-banana with roasted almond butter. Sometimes friday’s need some simplicity!
Laura @ youngDCliving says
Oooh! Thanks for the gmail announcement, you’re my new computer guru, with this and that preview one from last week 🙂 I would never have known these things, haha.
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
i need a new tea steeper. mine is annoying!
Christina says
Marshmallow smelling coconut tea sounds really good right now for some reason!
Cynthia (It All Changes) says
I love strong tea so I would be disappointed by weak tea too.
I love your thought process on working out. I much rather prefer running in the sun.
Laura says
Urm… another factor against a 4.30 wake up start is that you get a release of cortisol at around 4-4.30ish I think, and being awake at this time disrupts this- upsetting both your metabolism (incl. other interacting hormonal systems) and your immune system (lowers). Also, it is suggested that it disrupts the seretonin-melatonin balance with higher inflammatory markers in blood plasma. You probably know already, but studies are starting to come out showing long term shift pattern work, which also includes very early starts, not just doing nights, is a risk factor for the development of chronic disease states, and possibly cancer (they based the most recent around a cohort of nurses I think?). Sorry, boffin signing out now, blame my looming exams. Hope you have a lovely, springish run this afternoon 😉
SallyH @ accountablelife.wordpress.com says
Laura,
This is really interesting: thanks for posting it. When I was waking up at 4:30am for a boot camp class, I kept getting sick and it was really stressful for me to keep that schedule. I gave myself a hard time, thinking I was a wuss. But maybe it’s more about how my system works.
Kath says
Would this be dependent on the total number of hours you sleep and when you go to bed and not the time of day?
Cait (Cait's Plate) says
Ah YAAAAAAAAAAAY! I’ve been waiting for GMAIL to get on board with this! Makes life so much easier! 😀
Also – that bowl of oats looks positively divine. I just wanted to dive into that second picture (the aerial view) HEAD FIRST!
Happy Friday Kath!
Marina says
I love free mornings, specially when they are filled with a yummy bowl of oatmeal! 🙂
SallyH @ accountablelife.wordpress.com says
Kath, another poster asked you about how much sleep you get and I admit I’m curious too. It sounds like you go to bed pretty early?
LOVE that bowl.
Eileen says
Two things …
I tried spinach in a smoothie for the first time today, and loved it. It wasn’t so scary. 🙂 I just used a scant handful since it was my first time, but I will definitely keep experimenting. The rest of the mix: frozen banana, frozen peach, milk. Yum!
That was for lunch. My breakfast was a divine oatmeal combo: oats, blackberries, a little bit of blackberry jam, lots of cinnamon, and a little maple syrup.
Have a great weekend!
jennifer @ take the day off says
There is something so wonderful about a leisurely breakfast. It is one of life’s little luxuries to not have to rush through my favorite meal of the day. Working out in the morning has its perks, but it is hard to resist slowly savoring the morning bowl of goodness–cereal in my case, oats in yours!
Alison (Life's Little Lusts) says
aaaaah so yummy-looking!
i guess it’s fabulous motivation for
getting up at 4:30 every day.
i was getting up at 1am to work for VANOC
during the 2010 olympics here in vancouver
and i don’t think i could’ve done it without
my favourite meal to look forward to!
Veggielady4life says
I always love your photos, and I noticed today you said you never use the flash. Any reason for this? And what is your favorite setting for food on the Canon XSI?
Kath says
Flashes wash out the photos!! NEVER use one – unless it’s a dim restaurant emergency!
Favorite setting: AV on f-4.0
Veggielady4life says
Thanks so much!! I will take your advice… I got the Canon XS kit (the one advertised at your OpenSky store) a month or so ago… and I’ve been playing around with it.
Sometimes… it’s easier to set it on the portrait or close-up mode (which USUALLY uses the flash)… rather than try to get it just right with the AV mode, but I have noticed you can get more interesting shots with the AV setting. I will play around with AV f-4.0 and see what I can do. I usually edit my photos in Adobe Elements 6 or the free photoscape, but I’ve considered getting Adobe Photoshop CS2 (or 4… not really sure)…. what do you like to use? Thanks for your help!! 🙂
Just gotta add… I absolutely love your blog, and I check it daily!
Kath says
You need the Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens. It’s magic!
Caroline says
You must have really steady hands to be able to get such crisp photos at dawn! I had to buy a tripod for my camera and feel kind of lame using it at restaurants. My pictures are so much prettier now though!
Hillary [Nutrition Nut on the Run] says
I think this bowl is my favorite of your collection =] It’s so cheery!
Stacey@http://stacey-healthylife.blogspot.com/ says
I just saw your comment about never using a flash. I think I will have to try that for my own blog. Thanks for the tip.
Working out in the morning sometimes works so well for other things scheduled in your day. You don’t have to worry about finding time to workout or other things getting in the way.
Beth says
I could not agree more with you on running in the afternoons now that the sun is setting later. I struggled for a while with whether I should run in the mornings before work, or after, and have found that running in the sunlight after a long day is such a great de-stresser and worth the wait. I just enjoy my mornings and my runs so much more.