There’s a first for everything right? Well, today I got to sit in First Class for the first time in my entire life. My dad and I were beyond excited (it was borderline embarrassing how giddy we were). We’re a rather frugal family so we always opt for the cheapest travel options. Thus, the First Class experience was completely foreign to me—SO awesome yet so shocking at the same time. I can have my seat back for take off? I can sit in my seat with my legs pretzel-style? Last but not least, multi-course meals?!

What a treat. Thanks, United!

It was a first for Peter too! And he definitely took full advantage of his ticket .

(P.S. we have no idea how we got on the upgrade list. We were too afraid to ask!)

***

More on my flight in a little bit.

I woke up at 7 AM to squeeze in a quick workout. I learned (the hard way) from my trip to San Fran that I really don’t feel good if I skip workouts while traveling/flying. I was actually a bit surprised by how crappy I felt taking just 6 days off from exercise. Hormones and too much food/sugar didn’t help!

I did 40 min. on the elliptical and then 10 min. on the treadmill at 3.8 mph / 5% incline.

I finished packing right in the nick of time! You’d think with the traveling I’ve done recently, I’d have this down pat but nope.

For breakfast, I made Pumpkin Protein Oat Bran

I can’t remember the last time I had oat bran. I like that it takes less time to cook than rolled oats and this morning, bfast had to be quick!

I added some Vega powder for protein along with pumpkin, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Topped with pepitas and coconut.

Sadly, we were out of egg whites and/or almond milk so the bowl didn’t turn out as creamy as I like it.

Photographed next to Peter’s new baby plant.

I finished off the can o’ pumpkin straight up!

***

On the way to the airport, I snacked on a banana and a small bite of a nutty seedy bar I made last night. As you know, I have no such thing as a bar stash so I had to make some at the last minute. Recipe to come!

And then I was handed the golden ticket, which granted me access to the Red Carpet Club.

Sweet!

I started with hot tea, carrots, celery, crackers, and a small butter cookie.

Surprisingly, I wasn’t allergic to the raw carrots and celery. Either it was my lucky day or they were magical crudites!

I also had some Chex Mix and a few yogurt covered raisins.

Then it was time to board the plane and streeeeeeeetch out my legs. I am mildly claustrophobic so this felt glorious.

I soon learned that you can do anything in First Class. Instead of flight attendants pestering you to buckle up, you get served drinks and nuts.

I opted for seltzer water. I think Peter drank enough red wine for both of us combined!

Soon enough, it was time for lunch! Served on a table cloth, mind you.

Tortilla soup (not bad!)

Chicken salad w/ tomatoes, black beans, corn, and cheddar cheese. Not gourmet but still real food–no complaints here.

Plus a side of these crunchy bread sticks.

Dessert? Don’t mind if I do! A warm chocolate chip cookie. I ate 1/2 and gave the rest to the bottomless pit sitting next to me.

I won’t lie, I’m already counting down the years (err decades) before I can fly First Class again. I have a feeling that won’t happen until I turn 90. Oh and I’m pretty sure we have been assigned to the very last row on our return flight.

Ya win some, ya lose some .

Bird’s eye view of Virginia.

***

We just checked into our resort. OH DEAR ME OH MY!!! Photos to come, I promise!

Tell me: Have you ever flown First Class?!

Today has been all about planning, packing and baking for the 2nd annual Foodbuzz Festival in San Francisco, CA! I’m flying out tomorrow morning and I get back super early on Tuesday (red eye flight). Who’s going?! Let me know!

To say I’m excited would be a serious understatement.

However, I am a last minute planner and packer so the day has been (and will continue to be) a bit c-c-c-crazy. I went on a run this morning to calm my nerves. I know it helped a lot, but I’m still frantic!!

Let’s all say sayonara to perfect running weather….bye…au revoir…adios.

At least now my shin sleeves will keep me warm and not make me HOT.

“HOT” not “HOTT.” I forgot to wear them once last week and got significantly more smiles and cat calls. Actually, I get none when I wear them! I guess shin sleeves not only protect my shins but keep kidnappers away!

Sweaty shin sleeves = pepper spray?

I ran 6 miles in 60 minutes. I felt a twinge of pain in my left shin near the end (uh oh). I made sure to stretch my legs nice ‘n’ good. Hopefully it’s nothing major.

The gloves make it look like I live in the arctic tundra. It sure felt like it going from underneath my down comforter to 40 degree chill!

I ended at the gym where I did a quick 25 min. full body strength training routine since I will be without weights for 5 days. Strength training is tres important.

Pre workout: I munched on some Shredded Oats cereal and a medjool date.

Post workout:

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Plus a bowl of Greek yogurt and pumpkin oatmeal swirl!

• 1 cup cinnamon spiked Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup pumpkin
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• cereal and raspberries

Operation eat-up-the-pumpkin-berries-and-yogurt!

I love the juxtaposition of hot, nutty oats/chia + cold, silky smooth yogurt.

Then I had to get some ingredients to bake for my festival Foodie Exchange gift. We are all supposed to bring something to exchange with another attendee. I’m baking AllieBars and another surprise item.

***

I think I photographed dinner with the very LAST drop of sunshine. Hmm I win this time, Sun .

I hereby present you the most random salad of ALL time. Are you ready?

While out, I picked up some artichoke hearts, caprese salad, a balsamic onion and olive tapenade from the Mediterranean/olive bar.

Supplemented with a carrot and 1/2 a veggie burger with ketchup.

Cinnaraisin Ezekiel Bread on the side.

So random, I know.

I wake up pretty late to begin with, so on the days that I run, all my meals get pushed back a few hours. Although this was eaten at dinner time, it was more like my lunch. I’m most likely gonna be eating another meal later on tonight.

…looks like I’m ready for California time already .

10 am East Coast time = 7 am Cali time. Heck yes! I’m going to be an early riser for 5 days.

***

I still have about 5,000 things to do in the next 10 hours, including sleep!!

To Do:

• Find a suitcase (uhh yeah…)

• Figure out all my outfits

• Laundry

• Find all my electronics + cords

• Charge everything

• Upload all my photos, burn on DVD, and delete from memory card

• BAKE!!

• PACK!!!!

It’s me against the clock. Ready, set, go!

***

Tell me: Some packing tips!! Running in the cold tips!!

Thanks

I’m SO late tonight! It’s been a rather loooong day.

Dork moment: As I laid in bed last night, I thought to myself: what was I thinking buying a tub of Greek yogurt and a tray of raspberries from Costco when I’m flying to San Francisco on Thursday? And opening a can of pumpkin?! Uh oh. The word “waste” flashed in neon yellow right before my eyes. Then I shook my head and reassured myself it was no big deal. I’m the dairy queen, I can surely finish 1 liter of yogurt in 3 days. Have some faith in yourself, Al!

Did I just call myself ‘Al’? Yep.

Breakfast involved ALL 3 of those foods. Pumpkin eggy oatmeal w/ chia seeds + cinnamon spiked Greek yogurt and raspberries.

Plus coffee

The leaf bowl was appropriate as it really felt like Fall (err WINTER) this morning. Check out that frost.

I got up on the early side this morning to attend one of my best friend’s father’s funeral followed by a reception. I left my camera at home out of respect for everyone there.

I had some pasta salad, a big pickle (not awkward at all) and a white chocolate macadamia cookie. I got to chat with several of my friends from elementary/middle/high school, many of whom I haven’t seen in a couple years.

***

Then I drove back to our old house to vote! I munched on a pack of Halloween pretzels on the way.

Since I was in the neighborhood, I headed to our old house to use the gym. We still own the house so I’m still allowed to use the gym . I did an easy 60 min. on the elliptical.

***

I ventured to the Whole Foods Hot Bar for dinner. ‘Twas glorious.

I got a medley of grains and veggies:

• Tofu
• Asian slaw
• Black quinoa salad
• Kale and wheatberry salad
• Israeli cous cous
• Peas, carrots, red peppers
• Spring mix + spinach

These photos were taken with my point + shoot camera….do you notice the difference?

I picked up a few items afterwards. The Whole Deal has some fabulous coupons. If you shop at Whole Foods, you definitely need to pick up a copy and flip through it.

The Shredded Oats and Siggi’s were actually on sale to begin with so I got the cereal for $1.50 and yogurt for 75 cents….a STEAL!!

I swear, sometimes I think I should write a food THRIFT blog.

The Shredded Oats Vanilla Almond tastes like a mix between Cinnamon Puffins and Quaker Oatmeal Squares. I think it goes without saying that I’m a HUGE fan!

I had several handfuls on the drive home. FYI opening a box of cereal on a 30 min. drive is uhh rather dangerous.

I also spotted this Pumpkin Spice Arctic Zero. I saw the phrase pumpkin spice and was immediately intrigued. There was no way I could put this back after I picked it up.

It’s not really ice cream nor is it frozen yogurt…I’m not sure what to call it!

I ate about 2/3 of the pint.

It tasted more like frozen yogurt than ice cream. I’m happy to report it was much easier on my stomach than regular ice cream. I also love that the whole pint has 16g of protein and 8g of fiber.

I ended the night with some Greek yogurt, raspberries and a several handfuls of cereal. Cereeaaaaaal!

***

Alright time to go figure out San Fran logistics! I haven’t started packing whatsoever. Oopsies.

Tell me: What are your strategies for saving money at the grocery store?

Hey y’all! (I’m watching Paula Deen on the Food Network right now…can’t help it!).

How was your Halloween? We only had a few groups of kiddos ring our doorbell last night so I’ve got plenty of Halloween pretzels left to eat. I thought we would get more kids now that we live in a neighborhood but NOPE. Good thing I didn’t get a big bag of candy to hand out like I had planned!

This morning, I munched on some Halloween pretzels and Honey Nut Cheerios as a pre-workout snack.

Workout:

• 45 min. elliptical
• 15 min. leg weights

Post Workout:

Pumpkin Pie Wheatgrass Smoothie

• 1/2 cup pumpkin
• 1/2 banana
• 1 packet wheat grass
• 2/3 cup almond milk
• 1 scoop protein powder
• water, ice, stevia

Next up, a little something I dreamt up while working out.

2 min. Microwave Pumpkin Pie on Cinnaraisin Ezekiel toast ‘crust’, topped with Greek yogurt ‘whipped cream’ and raspberries

Bread ~ ‘crust’

Greek yogurt ~ whipped cream

I went back for a messy bowl of Greek yogurt, berries, banana, and Cheerios.

***

Then I ran some errands at 2 humongous stores: Super Target and Wegman’s.

At Weg, I picked up an organic Pumpkin Spice tea I’d never seen before and [on-sale] Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride tea. I plan on buying many many many more boxes of this crack tea as the season progresses.

(I actually have a box leftover from last winter. I hoard SCSR tea like it’s going out of fashion.)

I also got 5 Chunks of Energy and ate ‘em all. One day, I will figure out how to make these.

I got home in time to watch Taylor Swift on Ellen and Portia de Rossi on Oprah.

Taylor was adorable. I’ve only been belting her songs day and night for the past week .

Portia discussed her battle with anorexia and bulimia as well as coming out in the Hollywood spotlight. She had me in tears! What a well-spoken lady. I never knew about her story until today. I want to read her new book now, Unbearable Lightness.

While watching, I snacked on some medjool dates. The ones we got from Costco are great–very soft and moist.

…dipped in hazelnut cream cheese of course.

I also had a few handfuls of Kettle Chips. This is definitely something I only eat because it is in the house…PETER!!

For dinner, I put together a simple salad.

Avocado, herbed goat cheese, diced tomatoes, perfectly fried egg and a slice of Ezekiel Bread.

It was the last of the goat cheese .

I also had a few bites of Peter’s cooking.

Now I am trying to figure out how to satisfy my chocolate craving with no chocolate in the house!

***

Becoming a Faster Blogger: Step 1

I’ve mentioned that it takes me an inordinate amount of time to blog. Part of the reason is that I put a lot of thought into what I write and I proofread my posts at least a dozen times before I press publish. The other part is that my laptop is incredibly slow and it can’t handle a lot of activity at one time. Sometimes, if I drag too many photos into my blog post, I have to restart the computer just to load more. This makes it very difficult for me to blog when I am short on time such as when I am on FUN TRIPS. It’s also just really annoying.

Recently, I’ve been using my mom’s super powerful laptop to blog and I’ve been enjoying the speed with which I can upload photos. However, it’s not practical for me to hog her computer all day and when I go out of town, I need something to speed my ancient laptop along.

Enter, the SD Card Reader.

My mom’s laptop (and most newer laptops) has a card reader on the side where I can insert my memory card directly. My laptop, however, doesn’t have one and therefore I have to use a cord.

With the cord, I have to download the photos before I can drag them into my blog posts. With the SD card reader, I DON’T have to download the photos. Instead, I can drag them into my blog posts directly.

This allows me to sort through the 80,000 photos I take on a daily basis without taking up a lot of my precious and limited computer memory.

I found this at Target for $7.99. I’m sure you could find a similar one online for cheaper but I am leaving for San Fran this Thursday!

OH! Also, with this gadget, I can drag my photos onto a blank CD and burn them there so I can back up my photos without having to take up computer memory space.

I can’t believe I didn’t buy this gadget a year ago!! I could have saved so much time. So long, farewell camera cord!

***

Have a great night and US peeps, don’t forget to vote tomorrow!

Tell me: Got a strategy to help me (and others) blog faster? Do tell!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I’ve got some fun flashback photos for you tonight.

Here I am on my very first Halloween wearing my brother’s Peter Pan hat. Major sweet tooth and super flexible…some things never change.

***

A couple years later, I was a pumpkin witch/custodian…?

I was quite the candy monster!

I think I was a witch for about 7 years in a row. In fact, I can’t remember not dressing up as a witch. Boo (as in thumbs down not the scary boo!). My mom always said costumes were too expensive for just one occasion and I could never convince her to make me a costume.

I did, however, get her to paint my nails BLACK!

…not sure why my face is blue and not green.

Confession: When I was in elementary school, I would eat my entire humongous stash of Halloween candy within a month! I ate several pieces a day, without my parents finding out (uhh hi, Mom).

I was and always will be a sugar lover!

***

Y’all have seen this photo already…Minnie Mouse!

Halloween 2008 in London.

Fast forward to today.

Workout:

• 47 min. elliptical
• 15 min. upper body strength training

Post workout:

To celebrate Halloween, I made a bowl of Orange and Black oatmeal!

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• 1/2 cup orange pumpkin
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 tsp black chia seeds
• 1 black Newman’s O’s cookie

With the pumpkin from my pumpkin-picking adventures yesterday!

Then it was time for some father-daughter bonding at Costco.

We participated in some trick-or-treating of our own with a multitude of samples.

From top to bottom: chips, pub mix, cheese quesadilla, queso blanco + salsa, pita chips + hummus, sushi + edamame, shrimp tempura, cheese + balsamic glaze, granola, peppermint bark, and pumpkin pie.

WHEW!

***

I picked up some medjool dates, Greek yogurt and raspberries.

Back home, I made a spinach salad with tuna (mixed with mustard), avocado and goat cheese. This bowl x2.

Then I broke into the beautiful [um no longer in season] raspberries.

Greek yogurt with chocolate pearls, pretzels, and raspberries. This bowl x2.

Now I’m eating candy and watching Titanic while waiting for trick-or-treaters to show up!

***

Tell me: What’s your favorite kind of candy? Did you gobble up your candy or make it last?

I used to love Skittles but now I am all about chocolate + caramel.

I went pumpkin picking yesterday with my good friend Trisha. We went just in the nick of time! The farms here (yes, HERE) are closing up shop this week.

I live near a mall, an outlet mall, countless grocery stores and any store you could imagine (Costco, Super Target, Best Buy). I ALSO live near a plethora of farms and vineyards!

All this time, I was admiring the beautiful scenery and vineyards of Charlottesville when I had them right here in my own backyard, just a few miles away (clearly, I haven’t done much exploring since we’ve moved here). I knew they were nearby but I wasn’t aware they were SO close!

After a quick drive, we arrived at Wegmeyer Farms. Trisha and I had to keep reminding ourselves that we were 10 min. from town and not in the boonies of West Virginia.

There were pumpkins on the vine, a corn maze, and hay rides! But what’s even better is they have strawberries, raspberries and blackberries in the warmer months. Say what?!

Must. Go. Back.

We grabbed a clipper and went on our merry way. The pumpkins looked a bit worn out but there were a few gems in need  of a good home.

We also found some BABY pumpkins. They were the size of cranberries. Cute!

My little pumpkin! Isn’t she a beauty?

We paid for our pumpkins and then stumbled upon another pumpkin patch, Pumpkinville.

Pumpkinville was more commercialized. There was a carnival/fair  geared towards kids that required an admission fee. We just walked around their shop for kicks. We’ll go back when we have kiddies of our own….

…uhh not for the next decade, at least. Right, Trisha?

I finally got to satisfy my craving and give a pumpkin a big bear hug .

(photo credit: Trisha )

475 POUNDS!! I never ever want to hear the phrase “pumpkin shortage” ever again! Got that, Libby?

We decided to go into downtown Leesburg to check out the cute shops. It felt like walking around an old southern town.

The very first store we walked into was celebrating it’s 8th birthday and had food for everyone to enjoy! Trisha and I were beyond excited…like you have NO idea.

They had this unbelievable Southwestern Pumpkin Soup that we could NOT stop thinking about.

They also had some cupcakes, grapes, and veggie chips that I enjoyed. Mmm mmm!

While trying to photograph all the food, I nearly tripped over something. I looked down and there was this little piglet hanging out by my feet.

How ironic. Trisha and I had a good chuckle about that.

After a little window shopping, we found a coffee shop to sit down and warm up.

The barista told us they were closing soon and offered us a pastry since they were going to be thrown away soon. Trisha and I jumped at the chance!

No food goes to waste, right?

I chose the granola cookie. It was very oaty and brown sugary. VERY soft!

I also got a decaf coffee with lotsa creamy whole milk.

Peter and I made the difficult decision NOT to carve the pumpkin so we can EAT it later. Priorities.

Happy Halloween!! I’ll be back with a fun flashback post .

Tell me: What are you dressing up as for Halloween? Did you carve a pumpkin this year? What’s the design?

Last night I went to sleep excited to wake up this morning so I could eat, photograph and share all the ideas flowin’ through my head. I even cut off my workout a little early today because I just couldn’t wait to create. Talk about life before/after blogging .

Today, I recreated the 2 min. Microwave Pumpkin Pie I’ve been making for years. I topped it with some pecans and a delicious ‘icing’ made with Greek yogurt and hazelnut cream cheese.

I ate this several times a week when I studied abroad in London. Perhaps it stemmed from my disappointment about not being able to celebrate my favorite holiday that year (Thanksgiving). Not only did I miss out on green bean casserole and cranberry sauce, I worked from 5 AM to 9 PM that day!!

Although, celebrating Thanksgiving in the UK would be a little awkward, no?

I first came across this quick snack/dessert on Kath’s blog, almost 3 years ago. Did you catch that? 3 years ago! I have been following KERF for what feels like a lifetime….well about 1/7th of my life to be exact .

2 min. Microwave Pumpkin Pie

Mix together:

• 1/2 pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup egg whites (from an egg or carton)
• sweetener
• cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

Microwave for 2 min. and voila! you’ve got pumpkin pie.

Note: If you add more pumpkin, it’s more like flan. If you add more egg whites, it’s more like cake. The recipe is pretty flexible.

For the icing, I used a mix of Greek yogurt, hazelnut cream cheese, and pumpkin pie spice. Topped with toasted pecans.

Mmmm!!

As for the hazelnut cream cheese (HCC)? I’ve been putting that sh*t on everything!!

(Catch that from the Frank’s Red Hot commercials? Ha!)

HCC Slathered on medjool dates.

I’ve been scraping off the cream in my Newman’s O’s and replacing it with HCC. Much better if you ask me!

That rhymed.

***

I also got the idea from Tina last night to make a quick pumpkin soup.

2 min. Microwave Pumpkin Soup

• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup veggie stock
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• Salt and Pepper

Stir together and microwave for, you guessed it…2 minutes!

Paired with my new favorite way to eat [cinnaraisin Ezekiel] bread…topped with buttery avocado!

Just chop, mash and spread around.

Healthy meals and snax do not have to take more than 2 minutes!

Photographing and blogging about them is a WHOLE ‘nother story .

Alrighty peeps, I hope you have a fabulous [Halloween] weekend. Peace out Girl/Boy Scout!

Tell me: What is one super quick meal/snack you enjoy making and eating?

Before blogging…

I didn’t pack my clonky camera in my gym bag just incase I came across some pretty fall foliage on the walk over.

(looks like somebody is ready for Christmas)

I didn’t whip out my camera to take photos of pumpkins that did not belong to me….or any pumpkins for that matter.

Don’t you just wanna give them each a big bear hug? Maybe that’s just me.

Before blogging…

I didn’t need a PRE-post-workout snack because there was no such thing as a 15 min. delay due to food styling and photography.

pumpkin pie smoothie

I didn’t get excited about seeing 280% DV of Vitamin A in 1/2 cup of pumpkin.

I didn’t then get concerned about vitamin A poisoning. Just kidding…not really.

I didn’t scan fields of grass for the perfect leaf to use as a garnish for my bowl.

FYI: Pineapple and grapefruit are my favorite fruits to pair with Greek yogurt.

Garnished with chocolate covered (and uncovered) pretzels and candy corn

Before blogging…

I didn’t jump out of bed to make chocolate covered candy corn and pretzels because it was finally light outside.

Chocolate Covered Candy Corn and Pretzels

Directions: Microwave dark chocolate for 2 min. to melt.

Steal Halloween pretzels from the stash set aside for the neighborhood kids.

(It’s okay, I plan to supplement the stash with real candy. We are not going to be the LAME house in the neighborhood!!)

Although let’s be honest, Bats and Jacks are pretty cool, too.

Dip candy corn and pretzels in chocolate and let dry on aluminum foil. Place in the fridge to speed up drying time.

Let the sugah coma ensue.

Before blogging…

I didn’t purchase squash just because I thought they were “pretty.”

I didn’t look at the clock at 6 PM and get anxious about trying to “beat” the sunset.

Bring it, Sun!

I bought this Carnival Squash from TJ’s. The sticker said it was a cross between Sweet Dumpling and Green Table Queen Squash.

That means nothing to me.

I cut the squash in half, scooped out the innards, and microwaved the halves for 5-6 minutes. I would have roasted ‘em in the toaster oven for however long but the sun was setting!!

I didn’t give much thought to the stuffing. It just needed to be FAST!

• 1.5 slices of Cinnaraisin Ezekiel Bread, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 small apple, chopped
• 1/4 cup veggie stock
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• Salt and Pepper

Doesn’t the bread look like sausage?

I stuffed both halves of the squash and put them in the toaster oven for ~10 min. at 350* F.

Topped with herbed goat cheese <–crucial!

Spring mix with mini peppers on the side. I’m trying really hard to finish off these Costco tubs!

The squash was reminiscent of spaghetti squash. It was really quite bland. I had to add gobs of ketchup after the photo shoot.

Kabocha and butternut squash are much more tasty, for sure.

The sun won tonight.

Don’t worry, I’ll be back for a rematch!

Before blogging….

I didn’t consider rearranging my sleeping schedule in preparation for my rematch with the sun.

Dessert Part I: Papaya

Dessert Part II: A fabulous mix of sugar and more sugar . It deserves to be shot in the sunlight though!

***

Tell me: If you are a blogger, what’s one thing you do now that you didn’t do prior to blogging? If you are NOT a blogger, just be grateful the sunset doesn’t give you anxiety .

I’m probably breaking every jinxing rule in the book but…ohbygollythejobisreallycool!

That’s all I’m going to say for now.

Alright. Okay. Fine. I’ll tell you a little more. Part of the ‘interview’ was to drive over to the bakery and be semi-undercover.

I need to stop!! I don’t want to get too attached (um too late…?).

While undercover at the scene of the crime , I got a decaf coffee. The one thing I really wanted, the pecan bar, had pistachios. Boo allergy.

***

On the way home, I stopped by Target, Trader Joe’s and Wegman’s to entertain my sweet tooth. As you know, I’ve got a raging sweet tooth.

Every day is Halloween for me .

Look what I found…Chocolate covered candy corn!

I actually ended up putting it back. Don’t worry–read on!

Taylor Swift’s new album. I rarely ever buy full albums but come on, it’s T. Swee! Worth. every. penny.

(I love it!)

***

I got a carton of Pacific Natural Foods Organic Almond Milk from TJ’s for $1.69. I don’t typically get this brand because I’ve only seen them for $2.50+ (too much!).

Pacific is ranked #2 in my Almond Milk Ranking.

***

From top to bottom…1) a 29 cent chocolate bar, 2) chocolate mint candy, 3) candy corn and…

4) Chunks of Energy Chocolate Chip Almond. I’m addicted. Apparently these don’t last in my possession because they disappeared before my eyes once again.

***

I got the candy corn to make my OWN chocolate covered candy corn.

I’m sure you now have a sugar coma just from seeing those photos….it’s time for some REAL FOOD.

Pumpkin oatmeal pancake with hazelnut cream cheese and dried cranberries.

(1/3 cup oats. 1/4 cup pumpkin puree. 1/4 cup egg whites. Cinnamon. Water)

I cracked open a can of 365 pumpkin for this. The verdict? Still not as good as Libby’s but much better than TJ’s (sorry, Teej)!

Libby’s Pure Pumpkin > WF’s 365 Pumpkin > TJ’s Organic Pumpkin

***

Does Allie eat salty food…ever?

Believe it or not, yes!

Salmon. Tilapia. Shrimp. Tomatoes. Asparagus. Spring Mix.

And that’s that. Gotta go!

It’s gonna hit 75 degrees today. Is next week really the beginning of November? Really?!

***

Tell me: Chocolate covered _____ are the bomb!

I say pecans. That was easy.

I spent exactly 26 hours in Charlottesville this past weekend (arrived at 12 PM, left at 2 PM). It zoomed by in the blink of an eye, YET with all our shenanigans it felt like I was there for days!

(26 may just be a number that comes after 25 and before 27 but don’t tell that to this girl!)

Sunday morning started off with an oatmeal breakfast….but not just any oatmeal breakfast. We ate the famous KERF oatmeal.

Because really, what’s a trip to Cville without KERF oatmeal?!

Everyone voted for the addition of pumpkin.

Pick your own bowl! This was arguably one of the most exciting parts for me .

We sipped coffee and set up the toppings while waiting for the oatmeal to cook.

Topping choices included: cookies, AllieBars, nut butter, jams, nuts, and granola.

Load em’ up!

My big beautiful bowl.

I got a bit heavy handed with the oatmeal so I had to scale back on the toppings a bit—silly mistake!

Sunflower seed butter, chocolate hazelnut butter, gingerbread cookie, crunchy buckwheat granola, coconut, and cinnamon almonds.

I’m just a bit infatuated with this bowl….and the mosaic table!

Good [early] morning!

The peaceful KERF porch made for the perfect dining spot.

Kath, Cara, Heather, Meghann, Brittany, and Christine

It was great to see Sarah and Josh (my NC buddies) again.

I found this surprise photo on my camera a couple hours later . Looks like somebody thoroughly enjoyed his oatmeal.

During clean up, we all had to do our part licking nut butter knives and spoons. I put myself in charge of licking the Sunflower Seed Butter knife.

The last time I had SSB was back when I wrote my love poem. Far too long if you ask me.

After a few hours of discussing all things blogging-related, we broke out the leftovers for lunch.

The size-of-my-head oatmeal bowl was still sitting in my tummy so I was not the least bit hungry. Holy satiety!

However, I was craving some veggies to balance everything out.

• arugula + spinach
• zuke + squash
• hummus + goat cheese
• and pita chips!

Then it was time to say our goodbyes and hit the road. I miss Cville aka KERFville already!

Mark my words, I will be back.

***

Earlier posts from the weekend trip:

• KERFville Part 1
• Wine Tasting in KERFville
• Celebrating 26+2 Years