Get it? Full steam, fall steam? Har har! Oh, I’m corny and I know it 😉
But, corniness aside, I know you guys are just as excited as I am over the fact that it’s officially fall. Even though most of us started enjoying pumpkin and kabocha preeeeetty much as soon as September hit, it’s nice to feel less obsessed finally have things feeling a bit more legit, no?
Fall foods are some of my favourite… Warming spices, comforting dishes, soothing teas. Apple, pumpkin, cinnamon, maple, kabocha. Swoooon. Needless to say, I’ve been doing some serious fawning over fall flavours lately, and since today is a day that’s dedicated to food (aka: What I Ate Wednesday), I thought it’d be the perfect opportunity to profess my love publicly and share some of the fall-inspired eats that I’ve been enjoying as of late.
Breakfast… [pumpkin]
Confession: I’m not the biggest fan of pumpkin oats and rarely make them more than once or twice a year, but I figured… well… ’tis the season and all the cool kids are doing it, so pumpkin oats it was. Verdict? I still prefer my oats plain and topped with almond butter and honey, but these were a pleasant enough change.
In the bowl: 1/2 cup quick oats cooked in 1 cup of pumpkin chai tea, with 2 Tbsp. pumpkin puree, 1 Tbsp. ground flax, and 1 Tbsp. maple syrup stirred in near the end of cooking. Finished off with a healthy sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg, then topped with melted coconut butter.
Morning snack… [figs]
Confession: I have no problem eating the last muffin/cookie/chocolate/whatever it may be. We’re going to conveniently overlook the fact that I live alone and don’t exactly have to worry about sharing my food with anyone else (aside from the baked goodies I give away), but regardless of logistics, this last fig and goat cheese honey muffin tasted exceptionally good… especially accompanied by coffee.
Lunch… [pumpkin]
Confession: In my mind, throwing salsa on something instantly makes it a Mexican dish. And adding avocado? Even better! This pumpkin chili Mexican scramble, for example? I’m pretty sure that die-hard Mexican fans would cringe at my flippant use of the label, but let’s not get caught up in semantics… let’s just call it delicious and leave it at that.
Afternoon snack… [caramel and kabocha]
Confession: I’m kicking myself over this snack. Why? Because although it looks like I ate these two wonderful foods together, the reality is that it was actually a snack in two parts. The problem with that? Hellooooo! Am I the only one tho thinks that kabocha dipped IN caramel pudding would be an out-of-this-world combination!? Mental note: next time, dip kabocha into caramel pudding.
Dinner… […*crickets*…]
Confession: I realize that nothing about this meal is inspired by fall. I also realize that it’s the third WIAW in a row that I’ve shown a stir fry dinner. Blogger fail. I promise that I do eat other things (at least I think I do), but apparently I just don’t photograph them. And I pinky promise that I’ll show you something different next week. Now just watch me forget…
Evening snack… [maple]
Confession: I’m completely smitten with Justin’s maple almond butter. Yup. That’s really all I have to say about that…
. – . – . – .
So my snack bag [and suitcase] is packed and I’m about to head out the door on my trip, but I’ll be doing my best to check in with you guys while I’m gone, so make sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram if you want to see scenes from the road.
Happy Wednesday, peeps! See you guys tomorrow! 😀
. – . – . – .
What fall-inspired meal have you eaten lately?
Do you like the flavour of plain oats?
What’s your favourite Mexican meal?
Everything looks good, especially dessert! Thats probably my all time favorite nut butter. Maple and almond just go so well together. I eat the same things almost daily so I understand the whole constant oatmeal for breakfast and then lots of stir frys for dinner. I mean who doenst love stir frys? quick, easy and delicious!
I’ve been on such a squash kick (aren’t you proud) and even made my parents try the roasted kabocha I made! HAHA! I think this week I’ll go for the butternut squash. You have to embrace it this time of year since it’s everywhere!!
😆 I even managed to convince MY parents to try out kabocha. I was over at their place last weekend and saw a squash sitting on the counter… was so proud 😉
Haha I’m so happy with that title! Um is it ok for me to use that IRL? I’m not sure how I’ll work it into a convo but I’ll try danggit… I’m a massive fan of heuvos rancheros (though I’m not sure I can spell it let alone pronounce it?)
Oh and this post has made me drool twice. I thank you… I think?!
That pumpkin chili mexican scramble looks fantastic!
I’m in love with Fall foods right now too – every single one of them!
My favorite way to enjoy nut butter is on a spoon dipped into a bag of chocolate chips. I think I love you a little more right now! I’m a big fan of pumpkin oats. I usually use half a banana and pumpkin in mine, so maybe you’d like it too? Maybe not. I don’t know. ALL THE PUMPKIN. Okay, I’m done.
Chipotle is my favorite Mexican. Does it count? I hope so. I had too much coffee this morning.
I am obsessed with the maple AB right now, too!! I take any excuse to put it on pretty much everything ;).
Your meals look so good. Especially lunch and dinner 🙂
Can we please discuss how DELICIOUS all of your meals look? Seriously! You have the best lighting (haha fellow photographer here!). Diggin’ your kabocha. I just ate the last of mine last night and am feeling a bit down :(. Need to grab another one at the store today!
Have a great Wednesday! Love ya girlie <3
I’ve actually been fighting with lighting like -crazy.- I’m definitely not looking forward to the winter when lighting is going to become a pain in the butt 😕
I like plain oats, but I love pumpkin oats! I actually had them for dinner Monday night. 😉 I just pinned the pumpkin chili scramble. I need to get a few things before I make it, but next week I will be trying it out for sure. Have a blast on your road trip!
Yum to that dessert, I could eat that every night! I am also not a huge fan of pumpkin in oats but I will eat it every once in a while, no pumpkin muffins, or pumpkin cupcake yes!
Oh man, I have got to try out that pumpkin Mexican scramble! It looks soooooo good! My favorite Mexican meal is a burrito and I always order the fried plantains.
I just had pumpkin oatmeal this morning and I actually liked it! I’ve also been making pumpkin soup and pumpkin smoothies. Tis the season for pumpkin! 😉
I love plain oats too! I’m wondering after my attempted pumpkin oats yesterday if I don’t like pumpkin in my oatmeal as much as I used to? Ohhh well.
Nut butter + choc chips = one of my faves! I probably do it almost every day.
And avocado totally makes everything better. Good choice on that addition. 😉
P.S. Would still love to chat re: blog improvement stuff… Email me if you have a chance!
I definitely will! It’ll probably be some time after I get back though, so early next week 🙂
Sometimes I forget about pudding and I really shouldn’t because it is so good!! I love chocolate pudding but also in the past few years I got into pistachio pudding. Yum.
Ahhh when I saw the caramel pudding + the picture of the kabocha I thought you were going to have dipped it in too! That would be incredibly amazing! You’re definitely going to have to do that next time yummmm!!
I agree pretty much anything with salsa on and I immediately think its mexican! I love oats flavoured but I love them plain too; I like making a big sticky bowl full and then just topping them with a few raisins..my favourite way to eat plain oats!
YES about loving the taste of oats plain…sometimes less truly is more! I am yet to “fall” in love with canned pumpkin but that scramble is making me think otherwise. Then again, that could be due to inclusion of salsa & avocado! You are absolutely right about the 2 making everything better. I can’t even remember the last time I had eggs sans salsa! Even though I eat it all year round, does applesauce count as a fall food? For what it’s worth, I add a loooooot of cinnamon ;)!
Loving all these fall flavors girly! Yes I am a huge fan of plain oats, but a little cinnamon, AB and banana is also great. Yum –> pumpkin chili Mexican scramble
Safe travels, I will certainly be keeping up xo
Caramel pudding and kabocha together would be SO FANTASTIC. Too bad I don’t have easy access to either of them at school…sigh. On a different note, I once saw caramel Greek yogurt and looking back, I probably should have gotten it. It looked delicious.
Amanda- your pictures seriously always blow my mind! They are SO gorgeous. I just wanted to tell you how pretty your blog is to look at to me! I always look forward to seeing your gorgeous pictures. You take the simplest thing and make it look so gorgeous, appetizing, and artful! You have a real eye for the beauty in the world!
What fall-inspired meal have you eaten lately? I had pumpkin oats this morning. I’m not going to lie, I’m not the biggest fan, but I figured I needed to join the blog world and add some more pumpkin to my life in honor of the season!
Do you like the flavour of plain oats? YES! I’m that weird person that can have oatmeal plain. It’s good to me!
What’s your favourite Mexican meal? Oh lord. Living right near Mexico, this question is nearly impossible to answer. I like classic fajitas, enchiladas, empanadas, etc, but I also like arroz con pollo, carne asada, and all the great rices! There are just way too many options to pinpoint my fav!
Awwwr well thanks so much, Katherine 🙂 And that was pretty much my exact justification for having pumpkin oats… and now that I’ve had ’em, I’m good till next year 😉
I must find kabocha soon! You are convincing me more and more of this every time I read your blog.
I’m almost certain that I have some kind of stir fry at least three times a week. No shame. They’re just so easy! And your dessert = perfect.
Safe travels!
I’m also not a big fan of pumpkin oats. I really like pumpkin but I’m discovering that the only things I really love that are pumpkin flavored are pumpkin pie and this pumpkin ice cream one of my friend’s makes. Hope you have a fantastic trip!
I’m not a huge fan of fall food, other than the comforting aspect of it. Pumpkin, maple, kabocha… I could take ’em or leave ’em. Except the pumpkin, which I would definitely leave. I know, I’m such a blogger anomaly. I can get on board with roasted veggies, though. Does that make up for anything?!
Gawwwsh – that pumpkin chili mexican scramble …it sure gets the drool flowing 🙂 !!!
Haha – love the AB and choc chips! I have been dunking in PB and dipping in chocolate way too many times this week!
I know I haven’t been reading your blog for too long, but have been faithful since I started…so finding out that you give away baked goodies had me swooning!!!! Waaaaaaat?????? When??????
I had some roasted butternut squash last night and almost burnt my tongue trying to lick off the roasted, caramelized bits off the baking tray! I cannot seem to find Kambocha yet 🙁 I love oats – but ALWAYS sprinkle cinnamon on them – does that count as plain oats? I did drizzle PB on my pumpkin oats and the flavors mushed well – just saying
And Mexican – hmmm…salsa…CHIPS…fajitas…CHIPS…guac…CHIPS …are some of my favs.
Safe travels lady
Awwr I meant giving them away to family, friends, and co-workers. I wouldn’t mind doing it on the blog, but I usually just share the recipes instead 😆
Fall flavors are some of my favorite as well. I could seriously eat them all the time. As with most bloggers pumpkin is one of the best. I remember a few years ago I bought something like 16-17 cans because they didn’t have them anywhere close to me.
I’ve been adding pumpkin into lots of fall foods recently. But just being back in the kitchen baking and it’s not 100 degrees is my favorite part about fall. I miss baking and cooking during the summer but it’s just too hot for me to get creative.
That really is one of the best things about fall. There’s nothing quite like being in a warm kitchen when it starts to get cold and dark outside. So very cozy… and the stuff that comes out of the kitchen doesn’t hurt either 😉
I need that pumpkin chili Mexican scramble immediately. It looks soooo good! I love how colorful all of your meals are – rainbow plates make me happy!
When it starts to get cold (or cooler in our case), I love making chilli. There’s nothing like it! And girl, Mexican is one of my favorite cuisines, and I especially love bean and cheese enchiladas with a side of guac. YUM!
Yes to dipping kabocha into caramel [or dark chocolate!] pudding. I promise you it’s good – at least I can vouch for the chocolate.
Black beans in mole sauce [homemade] and burrito bowls [eating at Germany’s equivalent to Chipotle – sadly just in Berlin] would have to be my favourite Mexican meals. Though I’ll admit I didn’t have too many Mexican meals yet. It has to change and I’ve been meaning to finally try enchiladas for aaaages.
Does plain steamed kabocha count as a meal? If yes then that’d be my favourite fall-inspired meal as of late. If not then anything containing kabocha 😉 – or the cauliflower risotto I had yesterday. The added thyme totally made it feel fall-ish for me.
Happy Wednesday and have a great trip!
So I’m probably the only blogger that doesn’t eat by the season. And isn’t a huge pumpkin fan, unless you count the roasted seeds. Oh well. What you DID remind me of is the fact that I have caramel pudding in my fridge waiting to be eaten. I bet it would be good dip for apples…
My daily oats have been steel cut oats cooked in pumpkin chai with cinnamon, a giant dollop of almond butter and a banana. Seriously heavenly!
I think I’m going to have to nix the caned pumpkin and just stick to cooking my oats in tea instead… Love the spice, but not so much the pumpkin.
Haha, how fun that you made a confessions-style-WIAW too! Love your confessions, especially the finishing almond butter spoon with chocolate chips looks amazing. Hope you have a wonderful time travelling with your parents and enjoy a hike in the mountains right now.
I actually do like my oats plain. When I cook them, I have noticed that I can eat them straight out of the pot with nothing added, nothing mixed in, not a drop of cinnamon or sweetener (never add sweetener!). However, I always seem to add in berries and often eat them cold mixed with greek yogurt, pb and fruit. I love pumpkin mixed in too!
Confession: I have never had Kabocha squash and I am slightly embarrassed by that fact considering that I am seeing it EVERYWHERE!! It is like I live under a rock or something! Oh and while I am confessing….I have been known to have a spoon of Justin’s Maple Almond Butter with dark chocolate chips as a snack! 🙂
Oh girl, you NEED to give it a try! It’s a killer to cut, but so.very worth it. There’s a reason it’s basically taken over the blog world 😉
hmm ive never tried pumpkin oats. i think im going to have to try them before the season is over though. and that mexican pumpkin chili looks amazing! even though its not fall themed- i’ve been so in the mood for stir fry lately so seeing that pic just helped me decide what im having for dinner tonight 🙂 safe travels!!
Almond butter and chocolate chips, yes please!
Mmmm, so much yum! I really like McDonald’s coffee. I love Starbucks espresso, but when I just want a good ole’ fashioned drip coffee, McCafe’s where it’s at.
Right!? I was super surprised the first time I tried coffee at McD’s. I imagine it’s going to be a pretty common thing on this road trip, since the golden arches are basically… everywhere.
Haha, I adore the name of your post. I’m actually not a huge pumpkin oat fan either…well, let me rephrase that I love pumpkin oats ONLY when they are cold. Not sure why this is, but they taste weird hot to me.
And of course I adore the kabocha happening in this post. I swear I can’t go a day without it.
Favorite mexican meal is a taco salad…I know, I’m boring.
Hope to see you soon!!!
Fall foods are my favorite! They’re just so comforting. I can’t eat oats by themselves, I have to have toppings! I’ve never tried pumpkin oats before so I may have to sample it and see if I like them!
Oh my.. I am in love with fall foods, no scratch that. I am o.b.s.e.s.s.e.d and I was just talking about it with my dad yesterday. Hokkaido squash, figs, crumble, apples, cinnamon, parsnips, quince, mushrooms. This time of year I feel that there’s too much food and not enough time lol!
Couldn’t agree more! Actually, I think I end up eating fall foods throughout the majority of the year… but they’re just so much more comforting at this time 🙂
I know everyone is going crazy for pumpkin in the fall but I look forward to the apples more! Apple pie! mmm.
My favorite Mexican dish is fajitas. I always order them and could eat them every day!
I need to make pumpkin oats and remember just cuz I AM NOT A FAN doesnt mean the child wouldnt love :-0