Lunch was soooo good, you guys! My Mom had the fixins’ for Homemade Chipotle Burrito Bowls all ready for lunch today. 
Brown rice with lime & cilantro, spiced chicken and black beans, and homemade salsa with EXTRA cilantro – just the way I like it!
Oh, and homemade guac, too! Can this lady cook, or can this lady COOK?
And can this lady BAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Chocolate Caramel Heath Bar Cake!!!!!
I can still taste the perfection that is – I repeat – chocolate… caramel… heath bar… cake… Bake a chocolate cake mix, poke holes into the cooled cake about half way through with the end of a wooden spoon, fill said holes with caramel, spread on a layer of whip cream and sprinkle the top with crushed heath bars!! OMG!!
LOOK! The filled holes become little caramel bombs that ooze out the sweet stuff as you cut through each piece. Make this cake for your next get together – it will knock everyone’s socks off!! Warn your cake eaters, though, of the sugar high they’re sure to experience when they’re done. 
While in a sugar frenzy, we all played with Finn and heard him “talk” – his sweet little baby babble makes us all smile from ear to ear. Seriously – how does something so small, bring so much joy?!
After lunch I came home, crashed on the couch and cozied up under a big blanket to read my new book. I’m more than 1/3 of the way through, if that tells you how much I’m enjoying it! The book is fiction, but the story feels so real. Love that.
It started getting harder and harder to read and, when I looked up, I realized why. It was 5:00 and the sunlight was all but gone! Dinnertime!
Now I’ve been seeing this dinner dish around the blogosphere for months now, and have always been too afraid to make it…until tonight. Savory Oatmeal!
You know my love for sweet oatmeal – Apple Pie Oatmeal, Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal, Raspberry Cheesecake Oatmeal, Apricot Almond Oatmeal…the list goes on and on. But savory oatmeal? Could I make the transition? I was going to try, doggone it!
I cooked up 1/3 cup old fashioned oats with 2/3 cups water. When it was done cooking, I added in a splash of hot sauce, some green onions, and S&P.
Meanwhile, I cooked up 2 MorningStar Sausage Links in the microwave,
And 1 egg on the stovetop.
Toasted up 1 slice of 100% Whole Grain Earth Grains bread,
And assembled!
Savory oats are…different than regular oats…but good nonetheless! I enjoyed the subtly hot and oniony oatmeal, the perfectly cooked egg on top and the warm, heartiness of it all…
I did not enjoy the sausage links. They were funky – in both the taste and texture departments. Just laying it out there! Would I try savory oats again? Sure! But definitely with a different type of protein!
This toast was bomb though – highly recommend! I actually might go make another piece… There’s something about hot, buttered toast that really makes this gal happy.
Same goes for navel oranges…
Seriously – these have been SO juicy, sweet and luscious lately – I can’t get enough of them!
Nerd alert! For my fellow geeks, FYI, Planet Earth Extremes debuts tonight at 7pm central on the Discovery Channel! Last year, Ben and I borrowed the Planet Earth Blue Ray DVD series from a friend, and literally stayed in for 4 weekends in a row watching every single DVD (he’ll be thrilled I told you that 
). I think I liked the jungles and shallow seas the best. Hardcore science nerds!!
Have a good night everyone!
~~~~~
Are you a “nerd”?
Ben yelled from the other room last week – “Everytime I turn on a tv in this house, it’s on the History or Discovery Channel!!!” What can I say, I like to learn. Knowledge is power!
That cake has been one of our family favorites for years! Except, we call it “Better Than Sex Cake”.
And my husband says “everytime I turn on the TV in this house it’s on TLC or the Food Network!”
Wow! That cake looks incredible!! I must make it!
My mom makes that cake, except we call it Better Than Sex cake.
I LOVE home-made chipotle burritos! SO Much better than the real thing!
And that cake is without a doubt the best thing in the world (although we have another name for it…I believe it goes by, “better than S*x cake”. and Id say it is)
Im still nervous to try savory oats hmmm I may have to give your recipe a try! Looks good
xo- Molly
http://www.givinganythingbutup.wordpress.com
I love Planet Earth! Thanks for the heads up about Planet Earth Extremes! Husband is going to be so excited! Tivo-ing right now…
Well, since I’m working toward certification to teach high school chemistry and physics, I’d say that makes me a nerd for sure! Oh, and I own those Planet Earth DVDs! I love science.
My that cake sounds good!
Wow that cake looks amazing! My sil loves toffee, so we will have to make that asap! Is it just like ice cream topping caramel? And do you poke the holes right when it comes out of the oven, or after it’s cooled?
I’ve never tried the morningstar sausage links, and now I probably never will! I don’t care for their “bacon” either, but their veggie sausage patties are one of my staples. I have to buy them at Costco because I go through them so fast (and nobody else in the house eats them!) I always put some montreal steak seasoning (or similar) on them for extra sausage-y flavor, it has caraway seeds in it which always screams “sausage!” to me.
So excited because I didn’t know there was a new planet earth on!! Watching it now
Thanks!
I’m such a nerd. Hunni and I watch tons of those nerdy shows. And we love Criminal Minds so we can figure out how to profile better.
Ah, Sunday lunch at your parents. I am so serious in that I WISH I could join you every single Sunday!!!! Super jealous of your mama’s awesome cooking!
I haven’t tried savory oats yet, but I plan on it soon.
Hope you have a wonderful night hun!
Sounds like an amazing lunch with your family… I am sure that you had the best time and I would totally recommend that you use a different meat source from now on because I personally do not like the morning star sausage links either!!
I must be a ‘nerd’ too cuz I absolutely LOVE the Planet Earth series!!!
I think I’ve had that cake before, but they put sweetened condensed milk in before pouring the caramel… either way its still delicious!
I’m a definite nerd. Living overseas I miss the Discovery Channel. Our military broadcasting did just play a series about the national parks that was pretty awesome. I’m such a nerd that sometimes I can’t remember plants’ and animals’ common names, only their scientific names. Ooops. Too many taxonomy courses. I’m trying to eat more whole foods, but that cake makes my mouth water!
Oooh savoury oatmeal, that’s so clever!! I really really want to try that! That might be tonights dinner
That cake…omg that looks good!! I need to bake me some of that too
I’m a bit of a shark nerd…I have soo many books on them cos I think they’re fabulous, and can tell you so many random facts lol!
Have a great evening
Sadly, I am a big nerd. I’ve been subbing high school science all last week and it was not only fun, but I was excited to watch the blue planet ocean videos in marine bio class. I just ordered some nat’l geographic videos for blue ray. Glad you are enjoying your new book. I am in the middle of 2 grad classes right now (nerd!) so on my next break I will read it.
Hey there IGE!!
I think this is the first time commenting on here!
Shame on be, because I’m a (semi) long time reader and enjoy all your post every day!!! Just had to get this out for once!
Now I really need to try savoury oats because I think I’m the last one standing!! *makesanote*
Have a wonderful start into this new week!! (2pm here where I life, so my first workday this week is almost over YAY!!)
Yummy eats!
Mmmmmm….Heath bars! One of my favorites! I love them with hot tea in the winter! I like to dip a little section in the tea so the chocolate gets a bit melty then eat it! One little nibble at a time! YUM! AND… sort of along the same lines as the Heath cake is the wonderful Jello Cake! Mom would always make these when it was about 100 degrees outside. So cool & refreshing! White cake, poke holes in it w/ a fork, pour the red liquidy jello over it, toss it in the fridge to set up & add whipped cream & maybe strawberrys…..To Die For!! Plant Earth Rocks!
I consider myself a major nerd! I love science and all things kitschy! Nintendo original rocks my world, too! lol
Those savory oats looks great! I have been meaning to try savory oats and I might have to use your idea – ps. I really enjoy those links! It’s amazing how we all have different taste buds! =)
Oh my goodness….that cake looks HEAVENLY!!! Your momma can bake
im not a big fan of the sausage links either…try the patties. they taste so different, it may be a matter of the texture.
love your idea of chipotle bowls, im thinking ill do them for dinner this week! but im more of a pancheros fan
[...] weeks, I have been drooling over the idea of mimicking Kristin’s mother’s Chipotle burrito bowl. After several failed attempts due to lack of available ingredients, the stars have [...]
There’s a reason they call it better than sex cake
I’ve really enjoyed reading your articles. Thanks!