Green smoothie and Apple pie oatmeal

I will start by saying I hope everyone is staying warm if you are up north like I am, it is darn cold outside people! I am dressed in layer upon layer. No joke.
I haven't been doing anything too exciting lately. We are planning on heading up to Wamego, Kansas to see my husbands family this weekend. I am going to have to prep for staying with meat eaters who like to pick on me mercilessly about my food choices. All the while they suck down their Dr.Peppers and eat their dead things then tell me how poor their health is.
SIGH....It is enough to drive a sane person over the edge..

I am thinking about packing a soup and salad lunch for me and Kait, making sure to have enough for everyone else too. Chris' father is planning on making pork and spanish rice. I will not be able to eat the rice due to the bacon fat he uses in it, but I remember it was my favorite dish before I was a vegan. Now I cannot even fathom why people start out a dish with fat....LOL
We wish me luck that I do not open my mouth and start a literal food fight like the last time I was there with Margaret, Chris' sister. It was really bad....

Anyway, moving on to my food!

I am not a huge oatmeal lover. Especially since I gave up sugar. I loved it laced with sugar and raisins as a child. As an adult it wasn't bad either, but since I am health conscious now, I care about what I put in my body.

I started making pie flavored oatmeal after I saw Vegan Epicurean making blueberry topped oatmeal here

I give you Apple Pie Oatmeal
I took 1/2 cup of oatmeal, 1 large fuji apple, 3 walnuts that I chopped and probably a full heaping teaspoon of cinnamon on top to start my "pie".

Next I added 1 cup of cold water and mixed it really good. Now, you can either use boiling water over your oatmeal or you can microwave if you are not into the nuking of it...lol

I nuked mine, cause I am lazy. Usually I am not, but I was cold. don't judge me....lol

Microwave for about 1-2 minutes then cover the top with a plate and let sit for about 2 minutes until the oatmeal is ooey gooey and the water is soaked up. You can sprinkle some stevia over it if you want a sweet oatmeal, or you can be like me and just eat it plain and boring.

I really liked this alot. It reminded me more of a strudel than a pie and it was really filling and made me warm and content.

I made my usual morning smoothie late today, but it was my usual breakfast smoothie for Chris and I.

Viv's Green Smothie

2 banana's

2 handfuls of kale, stripped from their stalks, (I have big hands btw, so I figure it was probably 3 cups full.)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

2 tsp. ground golden flax seed

16 ounces ice

1 1/2 cups water
Throw everything in your high speed blender and whirl for about 2 minutes. Done!!

YUM!

Tonight Kaiti an I braved the snow to go out on our evening walk. It really wasn't bad until we were heading home and the wind picked up and was heading right for us..I thought my cheek bones would literally fall off..

Even in the winter I try to get out and walk not only for health, but for fun too. Nothing is more enjoyable to me than to be outdoors.

What is your favorite outdoor winter activity?

What do you do to warm up?

Tomorrow, I have a strawberry banana green smoothie planned and some fun shopping with my hubby for things I need in the kitchen.

Would you like to see what I buy?

Viv~