Winter Fruit and Nut Oatmeal

I don't know about where you are right now, but it's definitely oatmeal whether in my neck of the woods - cold and stormy, with seemingly no end in sight. And while the rain pours down and the wind whips through the trees, all I want to do is curl up on the couch with a blanket and a hot cup of tea, and watch movies all day. Of course, my almost-four-month-old has other ideas. No leisurely watching movies and lounging around for this tired mommy. But I am still in need of a little cozy, so that's where the oatmeal fits in.

I've always been a huge fan of oatmeal, especially during the cold winter months, and there are so many things you can do with it. I love to add fruit like apples, bananas, and berries; different kinds of nuts; and sometimes I'll toss in flax or chia seeds. It always makes me feel really healthy and fueled for the day. I call this particular concoction my "forage porridge" because it stemmed from literally throwing into the pot what I could find left over in the fruit drawer. I had never put pears in oatmeal before, but it was so good, and now I don't like to make it without them. Depending on how long you cook it, the pear kind of becomes one with the oatmeal and adds a great consistency, along with adding a lot of volume to really fill you up.

Mediterranean Salad with Artichoke Hearts, Green Olives, Walnuts & Herbed Feta

I've never been much of a salad person, believe it or not. I know they're good for you and all, but I've just never been a huge fan. When we're at our local pizza place and they ask if we want salad, Dustin almost always says yes, but all I can think about is how I won't have as much room for pizza. When I'm out with friends and we end up at a restaurant with salad as the only vegetarian option, I immediately think about where I will be stopping on the way home to get food. But this salad is different; it's really good, and it's making me rethink my salad-hating ways.

Blueberry Banana Smoothie with Spinach, Avocado, and Walnuts

Happy Halloween, everyone! I cannot believe how the last several days have gotten away from me; I had planned to make something particularly Halloweeny for this post, but simply did not have the time. I did have the time, however, to make this really yummy and healthy smoothie. There’s no pumpkin or chocolate in it (it’s not even orange!), but it is pretty delicious and very good for you! The blueberries and spinach are full of antioxidants and vitamins, the walnuts provide a bit of protein and omega 3s, the banana adds fiber and potassium, the milk provides calcium and Vitamin D, and the avocado adds a yummy creaminess along with other health benefits (read more about the “alligator pear” HERE).

It may not be Halloween themed, but perhaps it will help combat all those Halloween treats we’ve all been consuming!

Chocolate Dipped Plantain Chips

I don’t know about you, but I have been noticing a serious trend toward mixing the unexpected salty with something classically sweet lately. First I noticed it with bacon (you know what I’m talking about!), and then the other day I saw where someone had dipped potato chips in chocolate… CHOCOLATE, I say! I couldn’t really jump on the bacon bandwagon, being vegetarian and all, but chocolate dipped potato chips I could do! Only, I decided to use plantain chips instead, and added some yummy toppings!

Plantain chips are one of my favorite snacks. They look like regular banana chips, but that’s really where the resemblance ends. They taste more like their potato counterpart, and are definitely a surprise if you’ve never had them before. I get mine at SaveMart or Trader Joe's, and love having them around as a snack alternative. It just made sense to slather them with chocolate and other tasty toppings!