baked apple chips

wondering what to do with all those apples you came home with after apple picking? how about apple chips!?

these guys might be my new favorite snack. i love fruit...but let's be honest...sometimes i'm just not in the mood for it. i want something like, well, a chip. [i eat tortilla chips faaaaar too often]. solution? apple chips. seriously...it's the greatest. they satisfy that "snack" or "chip" craving. they are crunchy and not too sweet, but just sweet enough. these will probably be a staple in my purse for the little ones one day. [yes, i know..i'm one step ahead of myself]

baked apple chips

serves: 2

ingredients:

• 3 apples (i used fuji)
• brown sugar
• cinnamon
• nutmeg

heat the oven to 200 F. rinse and dry the apples. cut them in thin slices..as thin as you can get it using a really sharp knife [be careful!]. prepare a baking sheet, or two, by laying parchment paper on it. lay each slice flat on the parchment paper. when all of the apples have been sliced and assembled on the baking sheet, sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, and just a small dash of nutmeg. place in the oven and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes. take them out of the oven, flip them, and add more cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar to the opposite side. bake for another hour in a half. depending on how crunchy you want your chips, you made need to bake them a little longer...up to four hours. when they are finished baking, turn the oven off and leave them in the warm oven to harden up for another hour.

i know, it's a long time. i made mine in the morning and folded the laundry, did the dishes, cleaned the bathroom, and went on a run all while they were cooking. that's right - killed two birds with one stone, baby! and... the great thing is, once you've got a batch cooked they can last in an airtight container for up to a week. 

enjoy!

pumpkin carving

pumpkin carving has quickly become a fall tradition in our family. scofield and i carved pumpkins together when we were dating. then, after we were married, we continued the tradition with the foster clan ... complete with a bowl full of chili and a glass of wine. 

i prefer to let scofield do the digging and pumpkin cleaning. pumpkin guts ... not my favorite. unless of course you use them to make a face mask. i haven't tried it, but i've heard it works great!

and yes, those are heart shaped googly eyes [and nose] on our pumpkin... because we're in love...

did you carve a pumpkin!? i'd love to know what you crafted!

around town || tealoha

coffee dates, tea dates...they're all my favorite..and the way to my heart. when sarah and i decided to get together this week, she suggested tealoha. i had driven by, but had never stopped in, so i was anxious to try it.

and it did not disappoint. i ordered the chai tea latte, and sarah order the snowflake latte -- tea, almond milk, and coconut milk over ice.

it wasn't crowded at all [and sarah said it normally isn't] which was totally refreshing. there was something about it -- maybe it was the warm drink..maybe it the large windows -- but we just sat there and got lost in conversation for hours. for a moment, i felt like i was visiting another city, just relaxing on vacation. mm, delight..

7 easy appetizer ideas

football season is here...well, it's been here for a while. and unlike most people, the game doesn't get me too excited. but i tell you what does get me excited...appetizers. i'll let the boys do the watching...i'm perfectly content doing the cooking [and the eating, of course!] so whether you're passionate about football or not, here are some great appetizer ideas for your next gathering.

1. beet hummus and blue corn tortilla chips... mostly, i just love the color combination.

2. falafel...but in this case, we'll call them "falafel poppers"

3. spicy sweet potato chips for a little kick at kick-off

4. baked hush puppies...they're so good, you won't even miss the fried version.

5. guacamole... my go to dish.

6. baked brie with apricot jam and figs...this one is sure to impress!

7. and you can never go wrong with a fruit tray

happy watching! 

outdoor yoga on the square

...it's one of the many reasons i love my city.

and i can't think of a better way to start your saturday. seriously, so good...

i work a lot of weekends, so rarely does my weekend coordinate with free events, like outdoor yoga--but this weekend it did! and not to mention, it was one of the best yoga classes i've taken...the music, the cobblestone ground, the sound of the fountains, the cool fall air, and the routine. so rejuvinating. every time i practice, i'm reminded why i love it so much. and if outdoor yoga isn't enough, there was a waffle cart with fresh waffles, just waiting on us when class was over. 

we skipped out on the waffles, though, and my sweet husband made pumpkin pancakes for us when we got home. don't worry, waffle cart..

we'll be back!

at the food truck

we've been wanting to hit up the food truck for quite some time. finally this week we made it over there! and it was definitely worth the wait. scofield ordered the rice bowl filled with goodies for the meat lover, and i got the falafel. and it was amazing--which is saying a lot considering i don't play around when it comes to falafel.

    ^we are suckers for some brussels sprouts, and these were some of the best we've ever had! i've declared the lazy goat's brussels sprouts the best around...but i tell you what, these apple cider glazed ones from the food truck sure made it a close call!

 and i certainly didn't mind the clean kitchen when we got home. no dishes to clean up after dinner...i could get use to that. can we eat here every night!?

getting real women's retreat

debbie (my rockstar mother-in-law) and some friends once had a dream of a women's retreat...a retreat with a holistic approach, where women build community and dig down deep. last weekend, that dream came to life, and i was honored to be a part of it. i spent the weekend with some stellar women in the beautiful and peaceful north carolina mountains, preparing food and leading yoga sessions.

everything about the retreat was refreshing. the weather, the table decor, the food....oh my gosh, the food. each meal was a labor of love. i've never felt so nourished, not only in my body but in my soul. we gathered around the table at each meal, sharing stories, laughing, and soaking up the flavors of the food and the moment.

i helped prepare the meals, and even i felt spoiled when i sat down to eat. for dessert the first night, we had black cherry almond ice cream with chocolate shavings alongside rosemary corn cake with a brown sugar cream cheese frosting. holy...

on the menu for lunch the next day was a grilled cheese bar. everyone made different grilled cheese concoctions -- apple, pear, gouda, mozzarella, brie, cheddar, goat, hard boiled eggs, arugula, mustard, jam, tapenade..just to name a few ingredients. we had our sandwiches out on the patio (the weather was perfect) and had lemon poppy seed cookies for dessert. decadent, i know. don't worry, we did plenty of yoga and hiking ;)

    ^red pepper cheesecakes with an apricot glaze...beth was the mastermind behind the menu and an inspiration to us all...

some other favorite activities from the weekend were the crafts. i use to love to paint. i've never been good at it...but i use to love it. so sitting down to actually craft was a breath of fresh air. we painted mugs and stamped them with leaves, and also did a fused glass project. i made a candle holder, and i can't wait to see how it turns out!

    ^oh yes, and i can't forget the bark. we made homemade bark for s'mores. my favorite bark concoction was the rosemary, dried cherry, orange bark with almonds [recipe to come!]. 

my weekend could not have been spent any better. it was just plain good for my soul. i came home feeling inspired and new. which makes sense...the mountains, good food, yoga, and good people will do that to ya...

------

p.s. if you are from the carolinas or georgia area, there is a giveaway for the brand market workshop on nov. 2 in atlanta, that you don't want to miss! you can find details * here *

a little yoga video to start off your week.

have you seen this video? the only word i know to describe it is beautiful. otherwise, it leaves me speechless. the human body never ceases to amaze me. not to mention, this video makes me want to spend all of my time practicing yoga. she's strong and serene. enjoy.

baked hush puppies

everyone has their guilty pleasures, right? if it was a tv show, mine would be keeping up with the kardashians (guilty!), and if it was food, my guilty pleasure would be hush puppies. ohhhh i love them so. the fried sweetness that just melts in your mouth. and once i get started, it usually takes feeling sick to stop (guilty, again). i think part of this is that i never have them unless we are vacationing at the beach. it's not something you can really find on a normal day. my order will typically go something like: "a salmon salad and water please. with lemon. oh, and a side order of hush puppies." the salad totally balances it out, right?

but, i think i've found a way to not only eat these little treasures more often, but to also take them out of the guilty pleasure category. the solution? homemade, baked hush puppies. why have i not thought of this sooner!?

baked hush puppies

ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cup cornmeal, finely ground
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
• scant cayenne pepper

heat the oven to 425 F. whisk together the eggs, sugar and buttermilk. in another bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, lightly mixing the dough together. fold in the chopped onions. using a cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto a prepared cookie sheet. bake at 425 F for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and serve warm.

we love ours alongside some fish and served with tartar sauce or ketchup. enjoy!