Whew! What a whirlwind of a week I had last week and we’re already moving into the start of another week. Things need to sloooow down! Yesterday I mistakenly checked out REI (that store gets the best of me every time I walk inside…it all goes back to help my membership dividend, right?) and walked out with a new winter coat and boots. While exciting to purchase when it’s 80 degrees outside, I’m not looking forward to when I actually need to wear them.

This past week seemed like a catch up week after having a blast in Colorado last weekend. Philip’s brother found himself a beautiful girl and got hitched last weekend at a venue nestled in the mountains outside of Boulder. Everything about the wedding was gorgeous and perfectly planned. So happy for the new couple! (photo creds go to Jenna, Philip’s sister)

Since I didn’t have to worry about anything with the wedding, it was so much fun getting to enjoy it all and spend quality time with family.

It was super adorable seeing my niece and nephew walk down the aisle together as the flower girl and ring bearer.

Philip gave a heart-warming best man speech.

We took lots of selfies…because that’s just what you do at weddings.

And we all had fun at the reception together. Gosh, I love my in-laws!

The couple had a great send-off and they were off to Hawaii the next morning. To help them stay well nourished on their trip (because that’s what I worry about most :)), I packaged up some of my favorite traveling treats, including my energy bites, homemade LaraBars (Philip likes to call them Kara Bars), cinnamon granola, and some trail mix with all their favorite add-ins. Such a fun way I could bless the couple!

It felt like deja vu to earlier this summer, but the next day after the wedding, we took in the sites! Jenna, who lives in Denver and is an avid hiker, took us on an “easy” hike the next morning. Easy — as in we only stopped to take a break enjoy the scenery about five times on the way up.

The views couldn’t be beat, though!

For the remainder of the day, we took a trip downtown, pretended we were hip and cool (let me rephrase — Jenna is, we’re not), and ate at Linger — one of the most popular restaurants in the Highlands of Denver with a menu featuring local and fresh ingredients and cuisines from all over the world. A couple bites into my pad thai and the restaurant quickly moved up to one of my top favorite restaurants. If you’re in Denver, check it out! Also, even though we were too full from dinner + the line was longer than we wanted to wait for, the Little Man Ice Cream was right next door and is known for their excellent ice cream. I can’t wait to try it the next time we come to visit!

We had so much fun in Colorado, it was hard to say good-bye. Alas, work and people were waiting for us here at home. As well as this delicious and filling Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats. So it wasn’t all bad coming back home. :)

Seriously though, this variation of overnight oats is by far my favorite. Philip and I have been enjoying this multiple times this fall; especially since the weather has been so nice, we haven’t really been wanting warm oatmeal in the morning. Not to mention, overnight oats makes having oatmeal in the morning so easy (and delicious!). There’s no need to warm anything up in the morning (which means you don’t risk having the oatmeal boil over in the microwave, leaving yet another thing you have to clean up…please tell me that doesn’t just happen to me) and the minimal prep work of combining all the ingredients are done the night before.

Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats are everything but short on flavor. It’s sweet, but naturally sweetened almost entirely from the shredded apple and a little bit of maple syrup. The plain yogurt adds a boost of extra protein without any added sugar. Win! Add in the nutrient-powerhouse chia seeds and the oats, and you have yourself a breakfast that will let you take on any day — even those long ones after an extra good vacation. :)

While Philip and I still remain die-hard cereal fans, these oats may be sneaking in as a regular in our breakfast rotation.

Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats

Serves 1 – 2

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup grated apple (use one whole apple if doubling recipe)
• 1/2 Tablespoon maple syrup (or more to your liking)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds
• Chopped walnuts and chopped apple for topping, optional

Directions:

1. In a jar or bowl, stir together all the ingredients, except for the walnuts and chopped apples. Refrigerate overnight and enjoy the next morning! When ready to eat, add chopped walnuts and apples, if desired.