Today we met a family of wigglin’ worms for a picnic at the top of Carter Mountain!
Blog reader Kate invited us to a picnic with her fun family!
We had hoped to pick some apples, but after a few loops around, we could not find any single apple still in a tree!!
Most were fermenting on the ground
We knew there were apples to be found, but we were all hungry and decided to just have our picnic and think about apples later!
No waste of a trip because we had quite the view for our picnic!
We had an amazing spread of gourmet foods!
Matt and I brought a red quinoa salad
1 cup of red quinoa cooked and mixed with about 2 cups of sugar snaps from our garden, 2 medium zucchini (sauteed), about 3 tbsp of chopped hazelnuts and cranberries. The dressing was about 1/4 a cup of Garlic Gold Lemon Vinaigrette.
We also picked up a loaf of Apple Cider Sourdough from a local bakery
But I think Kate’s homemade golden flax bread was even better!!
I contributed a jar of Nuttzo PF to have with apples
Which were freshly sliced with some farmer’s market veggies
Plus some herby hummus from Feast! here in Cville
And some amazing cheese that escaped the camera
But my favorite thing by far was Kate’s homemade fig jam!!
She said it was a simple recipe from Simply Recipes! I spent a few minutes searching Elise’s site and found this Spicy Fig Orange Microwave Jam. That has to be it (am I right Kate!?) I can’t believe this was made in the microwave! [While searching I also stumbled upon this fig galette and licked the screen]
Just the beginning of a feast of amazing foods!
Sippy Cups rounded out the picnic
Dessert was cookies for the kiddos (we adult kids also had a bite!)
And chocolates from Gearhart’s Chocolates – a famous Chocolatier here in town.
Matt and I shared the Maya, bittersweet chocolate ganache with cinnamon, Ancho chili and orange. It melted in my mouth!
And we each enjoyed a Smoked Salted Caramel! [I also just saw they make a Mint Julep with bourbon! Going back for that one…!)
Chocolate or dirt!? I’ll let you guess.
Fun times!
Almost forgot about our speedy 4 miler we raced through on our way out the door this morning. I got a new strap for my Garmin – it’s Velcro! And awesome!
Currently sipping hot tea and blasting Brendan James!
Awww, what cutie pies! 🙂 WOW! That was quite a spread you guys had! Everything looked so good! The jam looked STAND OUT. Yum!
Awwwww- the boys are SO CUTE!! Quite the delicious looking spread there!!
adorable pics! i want those chocolates!!
What nice pictures 🙂 The weather looks like it’s definitely getting crips!
Looks like a fun time! Those little boys are adorable!
Cute picnic! I wish it were still warm enough for an outdoor picnic here…but I’m a baby when it comes to the cold!
Sweet kiddos…sweet day! Get that GH store out here and you can experience the girl version of Wigglin’ Worms!
What a lovely time!
Those kiddos are adorable!
My old Garmin had a velcro strap and I miss it.
Your pictures are so beautiful. VA is amazing in the fall.
That jam looks awesome, thanks for the link to the recipe!
Must make that fig jam! Looks so good, I almost followed you in licking my computer screen! 😛
Cuties! Kids make things like that so much fun. Looks like a great time!
Hi Kath,
That fig jam looks almost like cranberry!
I have a question a little off topic…but I know you have gone to many national meetings such as the Healthy living summit, blogher.etc, but have you thought of going to ADA’s national conference, FNCE this year? It’s taking place in Boston from November 6-9.
Have an awesome Halloween!
I very much wish I could have gone, but it conflicted with the Foodbuzz Festival 🙁 Hopefully next year!
If you get to go next year (in San Diego) my dad is giving the presidental address (the main address at the conference). He’s pretty good (if i do say so) 🙂
what an awesome place for a picnic! (i would’ve been all over those chocolates too!)
What an amazing view! All of our leaves have already fallen off the trees. All the food looks so good–especially the breads and jam. (I’m a sucker for sweets and carbs!)
I’ll have to check out that fig jam recipe….it looks so good and if it’s easy to make, even better! Sounds like you all had a beautiful day:) Have a great evening!
Hi Kath,
You’ve got the link right. I am a novice jam-maker and that recipe, so like all of the recipes I’ve tried on Simply Recipes, went off without a hitch. Of course, it nearly impossible to ruin a perfectly ripe fig.
I almost got the Mint Julep chocolates!
Thanks for the fun afternoon and the great pictures to have as memories of my wigglin’ worms. Now, on to bathtime for those two dirt covered little boys! 🙂
Kate.
I want to live at Feast! and nosh on herby hummus and pumpkin chevre.
Looks like you made it to the top of a mountain after all 🙂
Aw they are adorable!
Such cute photos!
Amazing array of foods for picnic.. And the kiddos are so adorable 😀
Aww those kiddos are so cute! And that fig jam looks delicious! I’m already dreaming up the delicious sandwiches with sliced pear and goat cheese that I could make with it! 😀
Are the smoked salt chocolates from Gearhearts too, or are they Fran’s (which I used to buy at the little cafe next toe Rebecca’s Natural Foods at Barracks). Either way… I miss those!
What a delicious-look picnic lunch! 🙂
I really need to pick up some more Nutzo!
What a nice picnic. Those cookies look delicious!!
fig jam = WANT. figs are amazing fruits. I love them! I’d run like 5 miles for a fig!
New here- directed from victory garden for tomorrow. You have my silver! Isn’t it just glorious?
Enjoying your blog.
Your picnic looks delicious!
Your picnic looks so delicious!
What a fun picnic! Her boys are adorable.
Oooh, I’m curious about the velcro strap. The rubber one is so bothersome at times!
You are just meeting all kinds of fun people in your new town.
Hi
I love your blog….if not for the Marie Claire article I never would have found it!!!
I ordered the Nutzzo pf…. the money was taken out of my account, however, I never recieved a confirmation e-mail…..hope it arrives……
Susan
[email protected]
Hey Susan,
Thanks for coming! Nuttzo is awesome 🙂 If you have any questions, send them to [email protected]
You had so many of my favorites today! Carter Mountain … Feast … Gearharts … It’s so fun to experience Cville for the first time again through you.
“licked the screen”?
hahahahahha
and what a beautiful beautiful day!
🙂
That hummus looks delicious!
Love your sweater! Way cute. Where did you get it?
Old Navy 🙂
I have been meaning to get a new strap for my Garmin. Where did you find the velcro one?!
Found this quinoa salad tonight and whipped it up. Oh. My. Totally perfect. Consider it stolen (but will give you full credit, of course) for one of my Functional Foodie Friday posts! I need to stop coming here and seeing all that chewy bread. Bread and wheatberries are the only things I really miss on this gluten-free (by-choice) plan 🙁