I went on a run today (!!) and noticed that most of the leaves have fallen off the trees. What was a huge orange fireball of a tree at the end of our street last week is now winter bare bones. And I’m sure Miss Sandy is going to take the last of them.
Don’t hate me, but I sort of see my birthday as the end of fall and the beginning of the holiday season. I am one of those who starts listening to holiday music (not really Christmas music, but holiday music) on November 1st. So at least there’s some good on the way when the leaves have said goodbye!
We started our day with bath time – wheee!
And 2 outfits after this one was exploded upon
And finally some pumpkin yogurt
Greek yogurt (about 1/2 a cup) with 1/3 cup pumpkin and 1/4 cup raw oats mixed in. Plus a juicy pear and Cville Cluster Granola on top for crunch.
After Mazen’s morning snack, we headed to the market in the stroller. It was our last week there for Great Harvest this year. We had such fun being a part of the City Market and made so many friends! It’s kind of like summer camp coming to a close.
I made my rounds and bought some things for dinners this week before heading home and assembling a nutritious + delicious salad
Packed with veggies, sprinkled with flavor.
Greens with leftover sautéed Brussels sprouts and roasted butternut squash, dressed in olive oil, honey and salt, and served with a scoop of grass-fed ricotta and Blue D’Auvergne. Grapes on the side –
As an afternoon snack, I smashed a banana in a mug with some almond butter and topped it with some Autumn Spice. Perfect combo of textures and perfect fuel for my run!
Run #3 was 3.75 miles long and HARD!! I chose a route with some big hills, which I had to walk up towards the end, and added the distance at the same time. I was chuggin’ along by the end, but felt so good when I returned. I wish you could tell how red my race was because this photo does not do it justice!
Matt and I were thrilled to have a low-key evening in after the hectic two days prior. Sweatpants were donned, blues went on Pandora and we made a combo of leftovers and newovers –
The wonderful Chicken Marsala that Whitney brought us a few weeks ago (I froze a portion and we thawed it out and heated it up). It was served with a pile of sautéed braising greens we harvested from the garden and sautéed in olive oil, salt and pepper.
And on the other side – a pile of roasted taters! Matt sliced these thinly and smothered them in olive oil, parmesan cheese, rosemary, salt and pepper and arranged them on a cooling rack (that should be called baking rack since that’s what we use it for all the time – like this one!). We baked them for an hour at 400* until they were nice and crispy.
Happy Sunday. Stay dry and safe East Coasters.
jenna k says
ahh, the first part of this post put me in such a holiday spirit! i’ve gotten up super early all week (especially for me), and something about it being so dark for so long has made it feel wintery already. i’m much more of a thanksgiving girl than christmas, but i love the whole season.
my face and body always get so red during workouts. i’m always afraid the workers at my gym are going to approach me and tell me i need to stop because i’m dying.
i need a cooling/baking rack! i love the lines on those fries.
Jeri says
I wish we had some sun right now. I thought about you yesterday on my first ever visit to Whole Foods! I talked about you the whole time to my friend about what you eat and oh yeah she eats this and she makes that. And it’s not as expensive as I thought. I just have to stick to a grocery budget to make it work. I even converted a non-fish lover by making her try Golden Tile samples. Just plan sauteed. No fishy taste.
S/n: only lost 1.6 this month. Nov 15 is the next weigh-in. But good news; a new rec center opened up across the street. No excuses of gym is too far!
Eating 4 Balance says
Don’t worry about the Christmas music thing! I listened to Michael Buble’s Christmas CD in the middle of summer… With the windows down and air blasting! 😀
[email protected] for the Soul says
ahhh now I really wanna listen to him! I think I shall 😀
And it must be so so nice to get your normal appetite back, Kath! So much deliciousness on this post, as usual~! And Maze is seriously too handsome! How do you handle that? lol.
Katie @ Peace Love and Oats says
Aww that’s too bad farmers market season is over! I think that this was our last weekend in Chicago too, although the one I go to moves indoors during the winter!
Kristen @ Change of Pace says
I can’t even believe it is almost the end of October. However, I am excited to start the holiday season. Your dinner looks a lot like what we had last night 🙂
Tiffany says
Im excited for the holiday season too!!
So your farmers market is not year round? Where I live the markets are year round which makes it fun especially during the holidays 🙂
KathEats says
It goes through December but becomes more of a craft market later in the fall. We just chose this weekend to be our last
OliePants says
Love the fallen leaves – I too am so ready for fall! It means more walks and outside time for me which is really needed after a hot summer of being cooped up inside.
Anna @ On Anna's Plate says
I’m all about the holiday music starting in November too. In fact, sometimes I put Christmas music on my summer runs, just because it makes me happy. 🙂
lynn @ the actor's diet says
my bday is xmas eve, so the holidays can never come early enough for me!!!
Allison k says
If you do end up using your cloth diapers you’ll enjoy almost zero explosions! As for spit up? Only time cures that!
Lauren says
Everything looks delicious. Mind if I ask where you procured those rectangle plates? I NEED them 🙂
KathEats says
Pretty sure it’s from Pier One
Hayley @ Running on Pumpkin says
Congrats at getting back out there and running again!! Must feel amazing. I am the same as you and start listening to holiday music way too early. I am a little too obsessed with Christmas and could listen to Christmas music all year long if it was socially acceptable!
Carly @ Snack Therapy says
I love the holiday mood! So nostalgic. Those potatoes looks so delightfully crispy. Few things are better in this world than a good, crispy potato :).
Susan H. @ The Food Allergy Chronicles says
I always look forward to switching into the holiday spirit! I have a butternut squash and brussel sprouts just waiting for me to roast them…yummy! I love the leftovers in my salad with some balsamic vinegar and evo!
Vivi says
ooo that dinner looks SO good. Might have to recreate it.
the 3volution of j3nn says
Our trees were full of leaves just last week too and now, all gone!! I didn’t think they were ever going to fall off this year, and then a major drop spurt.
Becca says
What a BEAUTIFULLY plated meal. Just like at a restaurant!
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
The Brussels sprouts and roasted butternut squash look fabulous and lots of pretty meals here!
And running – woot! Glad you’re able to pull it off! I was not able to get back into running until about 1 year post-delivery. Everything was just too jiggly and bouncy til then..ha! 🙂 I love the pic of you in the hat, red face and all as you say.
And Nov 1 starting holiday music – I am rolling out holiday food posts starting then, too 🙂
Michelle (Better with Berries) says
The leaves always fall so much faster than I think they will! You have to take in the colorful leaves while you can!
I’ve never tried ricotta on a salad – it sounds delicious though!
Ella says
Dear Kath, I love the way you always look at the bright side of life 🙂 That is a SPECIAL gift from above….
Ella
KathEats says
: )
K says
What is the differene between Christmas music & holiday music? Just curious 🙂
KathEats says
Holiday is like “it’s the most wonderful time of the year” and Silver Bells and The Grinch and Sleigh Ride and Let It Snow (more about cold weather/holidays in general) and Christmas is like Away in a Manger, The 12 Days of Christmas, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (more about Christmas Day)
EllaS says
Fun fact! Silver Bells IS a Christmas song! It was first recorded by Bing Crosby (who I absolutely love) and I had to double-check for sure. Whew! Sure glad I did. I panicked for a moment, thinking my Grandfather told me this was a Christmas song just to please me as a child. It’s such a beautiful, classic Christmas tune.
KathEats says
I’m not saying it’s not – “it’s Christmas time in the city” – it just FEELS more seasonal to me : )
Emily @ Life on Food says
This weekend was a mess of leave falling. We swept the sidewalk three times only to come back and find it covered again. I don’t know where they could be coming from at this point all of the trees are bare!
Megan says
GREAT that you’re getting back into running! I was 6 weeks post part-um on friday and I did my first run yesterday. A little over 2 miles. It felt good to be back however I can tell that I have not run in over 10 months. I also did Core 20 (TurboFire) after my run. LOL I’m hoping to run again tomorrow night.
Katie @ Talk Less, Say More says
Those taters look SO good!!
Michelle (Peachy Palate) says
Must try roasting potatoes on a rack, they look incredible! Well done on the run! You haven’t mentioned any pain after your weights so hopefully you were ok?! Fantastic looking salad as ALWAYS! Roasted Brussels are just awesome, sitting here eating a bowlful as I type! Checked out your Mums blog, very cute and far does to her for setting it up! Going to recommend it to my mum to read!
KathEats says
Yep, felt good – just a little bit sore!
Jen says
Random question, but is the cooling rack you linked to oven proof? I was looking for something like this recently but it seems like none of them specify that they are oven safe so I was afraid to use them in the oven… But it sounds like you use a cooling rack as an oven rack all the time, so I guess it’s fine? Would love your thoughts. thanks 🙂
KathEats says
You know I never thought of this because it’s metal and seems to be coated just like our nonstick bakeware. I looked at the one I linked to and it did mention ‘for baking’: “This cooling rack is designed with a non-stick, easy release for ease in baking and cleaning.” Where did you see that it was not recommended? I will want to double check the one we do have if that’s the case. An option would be to get one that’s just metal with no coating or anything – like stainless steel.
Jen says
It didnt say “not recommended for baking” on the ones I saw (at Sur La Table), but it just said cooling and never mentioned that it was oven safe or anything so it always made me wonder if it was ok or not.
KathEats says
Hmmm. I would think since it’s a baking tool that if it were really UNsafe it would say “Do not put in oven.” I’m still not 100% sure on that though.
Cara @ I Don't Believe in Diets says
Those potatoes inspired me to make some of my own this morning!
Sand says
such a cute little boy!…
just a quick observation re. the leaves having fallen off the trees down there….although a lot of leaves have fallen off the trees here we still have a lot of trees with a lot of leaves, very strange….but I’m sure things will be different once Hurricane Sandy passes by….
Pam K. says
Beautiful photos of Maze! My son is 18 months and I still struggle to lose the weight around my abdomen. Any recommendations from the dietary standpoint?
KathEats says
There’s really no secret – you gotta move more and eat less. Sometimes it involves taking a good look at your diet and finding places where calories are sneaking in. I often recommend food journaling for a few days (or weeks) to figure that out.
Annie says
A great app to help with journaling is Lose It. It’s free and very user friendly. Has tons of food on the database.
jenna k says
i lost a noticeable amount of belly fat over the summer by cutting way down on added sugar and even cutting down sugar from fruit. i also replaced some calories in my diet with more monounsaturated fats like olive oil and avocado.
Carrie @ The Cook's Palette says
Your salad looks delicious! Love butternut squash on salads. Also loving the cute smiles at bathtime. 🙂 Congrats for accomplishing a challenging run!
Mary says
Those potatoes look phenomenal!!!! What types of greens did you braise?
KathEats says
They’re a mix called “Braising greens” from our garden. Matt bought the seeds in a mixed pack
Matt says
If I remember, the braising green mix consisted of tatsoi, curly kale, and three types of collards. The collards vary in stiffness from really flimsy thin leaves, to big crunchers! It’s actually a little annoying to deal with different varieties growing amongst each other – the quick growing rate of some makes harvesting the slow growers more difficult. In the future I’ll plant individual rows of specific types.
Molly says
Nothing says fall quite like a run through a sidewalk covered in leaves. It’s awesome that you’re able to get out there so soon after giving birth, impressive!
Yussy says
Any chance you could do a post on freezing meals and food safety? Pretty please with a cherry on top!!! You always have great meals using your leftovers! I’m sooooo Jelous! I waste so much food because I never know how to handle my leftovers 🙁
Thank you! And happy belated bday!
KathEats says
The important thing to note is that food doesn’t stay in the danger zone – 40 to 140* – for long. The best way to cool food quickly is an ice bath. We just cooled a pot of soup in an ice bath in our kitchen sink and then put it in glass tupperwares in the fridge. Once they are cool, we’ll transfer to the freezer. You don’t want hot food touching the cold food in your freezer, so you’ll want to chill in the fridge before freezing it. The same with thawing things – the best way is in the fridge, but in a pinch you can put food under running cool water and it will thaw pretty quickly. Shallow containers and small portions make this easiest too.
k says
Haha! You aren’t the only one who feels the holiday spirit early Kath! I’ve been helping out my parents quite a bit lately, who thankfully live just a few miles away. As my Mum just had brain surgery on the 9th of this month, just two days prior to my own birthday actually. (Hooray for Octobers!) She is doing wonderfully, able to walk and such, but obviously is under strict ruling to take it very easy whilst healing. Anyways, when she called me over this afternoon to do something for her, I came prepared to scrub the toilet, dust moulding, things that my poor father, bless his heart, cannot seem to manage to complete to her stringent code of spotlessness. He’s putting in such an effort as well. 🙂 Imagine my surprise when, Christmas fanatic that she is, she had simply called me over because she could not wait any longer to start wrapping up Christmas gifts that she has been stashing away since March! 🙂 Brain tumor or no, she is certainly still my same old Mum. She had me re-creasing corners and retying ribbons until she was able to deem each and every one just right!
KathEats says
That is so sweet… Glad she is doing well. All the best.
Christina @ The Beautiful Balance says
Send leaves my way, so jealous! I relate to your hurry towards Xmas. I have an inner battle with myself leading up to Thanksgiving…to put my tree up, to not put my tree up. Seriously, my family and friends think I’m nuts. I am normally great at waiting until the week of Thanksgiving and then going for it, but we’ll see this year.
Christy says
I love the fall too! It just makes running all the better, I literally feel it dragging me from under my covers to the road for a good old sweat session. Glad it got you outside too!
Sonal says
Happy belated birthdayy Kath! 🙂 Mazen looks so, so cute in his towel. Your meals look so delicious and healthy!
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin says
I start listening to holiday music early too. 😀 I tell myself I have to wait until Halloween is over, but after that, bring on the tunes!
Molly @ RDexposed says
I love holiday music! We’ll play it at work in our office area (away from pts). It always makes the day a little better!
Jenica says
I am so impressed by your running! 3.75 miles for your third run is AWESOME especially since you haven’t run in so long. Good for you!
[email protected] says
Those potatoes look delicious. I need to get a rack so that I can do that! Congrats on your run!
Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen says
Congrats on getting your ‘run on’ again! I must keep missing you at the market. Next year, we need to time our ventures in that direction better. 🙂
KathEats says
Indeed!
Ellen @ Wannabe Health Nut says
Maze looks so cute in his bath towel and stripes! Question: Does pumpkin really add a nice flavor to things like yogurt and oatmeal? The flavor seems to mild to really make an impact. I’ve been wanting to try it in things other than pancake mix, but I also haven’t wanted to risk messing up a meal or snack, ha!
KathEats says
I like it almost more for its heft than its flavor. The flavor really comes from the cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg that I add with it. That said, I do think you can taste it.
Ellen @ Wannabe Health Nut says
Ahhh, think I might brave it now. Thanks for your speedy reply!
Cait says
Those potatoes look AMAZING!