Wine & Oatmeal | Green Dog Wine

I think I’m finally back in the groove!

This weekend, I just finally said “Hey – that’s it! Snap out of it!” I spent some time shopping for healthy foods, cleaning up & organizing the house, and hanging out with Mike and my family. It’s funny how things can snowball once you get going. It’s always that initial push that is the hardest!

Also – I was really glad to hear so many of you SPEAK UP when you are getting charged the wrong thing!

Sunday I woke up, straightened up a few things around the house, worked on the blog – and then had some coffee while cuddling on the couch with Lando – how perfect is that?

Once my belly was ready for breakfast – I went with: the last of the waffles (tear!) with a Pink Lady apple:

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I really like how things look when they are “fanned” – whether it be food, deck of cards, you name it. Weird, I know!

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In the afternoon – I headed over to our family picnic at a park on the Lake! Every year – my Mom’s entire side of the family gets together to catch up, visit, eat, and of course, play an old Italian favorite – BOCCE BALL!

I (of course!) went straight for the food – and loaded up with pasta salad and KFC’s new GRILLED chicken:

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I have to say – the grilled chicken was really great! Juicy, moist, and very flavorful! It was a nice change from the old KFC!

Here’s me, hanging with my brothers, and my Aunt Laura (my momma’s sister & also my godmother!):

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Mike was doing law school things so he couldn’t come.

After letting my food “settle” for about 30 minutes – I decided I could still fit more delicious pasta salad and other goodies in there!

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Plate 2: Homemade caprese salad (garden fresh tomatoes & basil!!!), pasta salad, and roasted veggie salad!

3 of THE CUTEST teeny tiny Italians ladies around:

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My Grandma is on the left (LOVE HER TO PIECES!), then her sister Josie (can’t you see the resemblance?!), and their sister-in-law Fran. Seriously – aren’t they the cutest?! They couldn’t be nicer, either!

Despite all the pasta salad – I still had some space left in my belly – and splurged on brownie:

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I don’t really even dig sweets – but this.was.awesome!

Here’s another group shot… (HELLO – ALLISON – WORK ON YOUR POSTURE! EEK!) I had a really nice time chatting with my mom’s cousins – especially Therese, who pretty much has the same view of food as I do – and her husband just started running! We had plenty to talk about!!

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See that handsome devil on the left? That’s my Grandpa! (yeah, I’m partial – so what!)

By the time I got home, it was dinner time (but I certainly wasn’t hungry) – so I decided to get a head start on meal prep for the week (I told you – get that snowball going – and you.are.set!). What would any meal prep be, without a little vino?!

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It’s official – I finally like Cabernet! I was always a “white” girl – and then last winter, discovered I liked Merlot as well as Cab/Merlot blends. But every time I tried Cab by itself – it just didn’t do it for me. Well after trying that fabulous Cab from Chile at that Traveling Vineyards Wine Tasting – I’ve been much more open minded. And while this bottle was only $5.99 – the flavor did not disappoint!

I prepped all my oatmeal for the week, as well as my lunch for Monday. I’ve been meaning to show you guys (since I get alot of questions about it) – the oatmeal that I use & swear by:

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Trader Joe’s Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats.

These really are fabulous! I love the taste, and they take between 7-10 minutes to make, depending on how you like your oats.

Not that Trader Joe’s needs any more free promotion from food bloggers – but I just wanted to pimp these out. From the day I first tried them, I’ve been hooked, and never looked back!

Hope you are having a great start to your week!

18 Comments so far

I just starting eating steal cut oats and I’m a big fan.
Your family reunion reminds me of ours, with many cute little Italian ladies everywhere! And of course, wine and pasta, gotta love it!

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mmmm how good are pink lady apples? Pretty + delicious. Glad you’re back on track. The family party looks like so much fun! Love caprese salad. Enjoy the rest of the week

I knew there was more in common between us than our love of pasta salad. It’s those OATS. I swear by them too.

Also, you have some good looking brothers. I’m just sayin’. Homegirl ain’t blind.

Cute family pictures. I need to go to TJ’s this week, so steel cut oats it is!

I am also a white wine girl. I have begun to foray into pinot noirs and malbecs but can’t do the cab yet. It’s too…thick?

Yum- wine and oatmeal are two of my favorite things- especially blueberry wine!

I just read your post about speaking up! Unfortunately, I don’t always do that . . . particularly at Starbucks! I worked there for 2.5 years, and when I go into other locations and see my drink being made completely wrong (like missing an ingredient kind of wrong), I usually don’t speak up because I’m afraid of . . . I don’t even know! I need to get better about that.

Your apple fan looks so colorful! Sounds like a fun family gathering – old people are so cute!! I’m a white girl as well. The first time I tried red wine I literally spit it out, I don’t know what kind it was either. Oopsie!

I have to say: your grandma is adorable, you’ve got some great genes, lady!

ooooh those quick cut oats – i saw them today!!!

sigh, maybe one day TJs will come to the SLC. in the meantime, i will continue to take an extra suitcase to california to stock up on my non perishables haha, i like the look of fanned stuff too come to think of it.. but i dont think i have ever pointed my love for it out. thanks for helping me discover that. the grilled chicken does look so good, i thought that and then i read what you wrote about it! looks like fun times with fam, always a great way to spend the weekend. hope you get some waffles soon so you don’t go through withdrawals!

award for the cutest grandparents goes to you – i literally ahhhh’ed out loud at the site of those three cute italian ladies. love it!

yay for tj’s – i will have to try to find those oats next time i am there. i was totally unaware of those!

happy day to you!

I’ll have to try that Kentucky Grilled Chicken. It looks like a great thing to get out when I’m trying to find something healthier.

YAY I finally got my SO Delicious winnings…Will update you with a review once I get to the store to pick something up!!!
PS – I am ADDICTED to the Pink Lady apples. Maybe it’s just because of my obsession with Grease? Not too sure. But mixed with laughing cow…TDF per Kristin.

Glad you are enojoying your ventures in the dark side of wines! I have always been a red fan and am very picky about my whites.
What cute trio of Italian ladies!
How do oats hold up through the week? Do you cook them all at once then store?

what a fun family afternoon! I’ve tried the grill kfc chicken, and it’s not too bad! definitely a better choice than fried sometimes.

Aww, that family get-together looks like a real blast! The pasta salad looks super yummy as well. You have the most awesome blog banner, by the way!

Thanks for stopping by my blog;)

I love the Trader Joe’s quick cook steel cut oats! Believe it or not, they’re the only steel cut oats I’ve tried

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