Some housekeeping! 
1. Get Him to the Greek was hilarious! Russell Brand, while slightly nauseating at times, is a genuinely funny guy. I hid behind my hands during several throw-up sequences, but for the most part I really enjoyed it. Oh and P-Diddy didn’t annoy me as much as he usually does. 1 1/2 thumbs up!
2. Several of you asked where I got my wine rack. That’s an IKEA purchase. $9.99, baby. I’m positive they still have it around.
3. So I totally confused all of you last year too, but kids Trick-or-Treat on October 30th around here. Thanks to reader Bekah for providing this helpful and informative article explaining the sitch-u. So here’s my question to you – if you’re not local, do your kids NOT have to tell a joke to get candy?!
4. Des Moines Area Locals: You have until tomorrow @ 5pm to enter to win free tickets to the Junior League’s Gift Mart in a couple weeks!
In other news, I spent a couple of hours in the kitchen this afternoon getting 80% of dinners ready for the upcoming week (feels so good to say that) and also made some steel cut oatmeal for breakfasts!
I have had a bag of steel cut oats in my pantry for MONTHS but, for whatever reason, haven’t done anything with them yet. My boss told me to cook them in my rice cooker (genius) but since I was already working away at my stove this afternoon, I decided to give Josie’s method a try!
FYI – steel cut oats are oats that have had the outer hull removed and are then chopped up. In comparison, old fashioned oats are oats that have had the outer hull removed, and are then rolled flat.
Josie’s recipe combines the oats with unsweetened vanilla almond breeze and sweet, ripe bananas. I threw in some cinnamon and vanilla for extra flavahhh.
My oats took a little bit less time to cook then hers did,
but they got UBER creamy and chewy, just like she said they would.
Love that texture!
In goes the bananas and seasonings,
then portioned into containers for an easy, grab and go breakfast every morning this week. How convenient!
I snuck a few bites and boy is this oatmeal delish. Smells like sweet, vanilla rice pudding. Mmmm.
Cooking away next door to my oatmeal was some Chili Verde & Cornbread!
I know, I know – I just made this, but it is so yummy. Plus it’s freezing in our house so I needed a little heat from the jalapenos to warm us up. 
Super creamy – this stuff is to die.
Ok the cornbread. You know I always use this recipe and modify it in some way. Sometimes I’ll sub half the butter for applesauce, other times I’ll use almond milk in place of the buttermilk, etc. Well this time I combined ALL my healthy shortcuts, just to see what it would taste like.
I replaced all the butter with applesauce, used almond milk instead of buttermilk and used half the sugar the recipe calls for. The result?
Ok definitely not as creamy and decadent as the original (obvi) but it you were watching your weight but still wanted cornbread, I would totally recommend these substitutes! It was very cake-like from the applesauce, but the perfect amount of sweet. Ben housed it, if that tells you anything… 
Enjoyed under a big blanket, icyww!
Oh, and big spoon worthy. 
I STILL have to finish up some work from Friday and then I’m going to TRY and get to some emails that I still have to return from last week. I am such a procrastinator!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have a great night – and a great MONDAY!
~~~~~
What meals or foods are you obsessed with right now?
Clearly I can’t stop making chili verde and cornbread – but I’m also obsessed with Honeycrisp Apples!
Im obsessed with my turkey pumpkin chili with butternut squash. I may have just had three bowls!
Also dark chocolate…but thats always my go-to
I’m not obsessed with a particular meal, but rather an appliance – my slow cooker! I am using it nearly every day lately.
Cortland apples have been my jam! Today… chocolate… lots of chocolate… but as of late, anything in a crockpot or “homey.”
You know I wants EVERYTHING you made. la-la-la-la-laaaa! (that’s me, singing your praises)
Thanks for putting up the oatmeal pics and recipe! The grab and go breakfast sounds good to me.
No obsessions at the moment!
Kids just have to say Trick or Treat here and some are so shy they can barely say that! I can’t imagine them having to say a joke!
Cute though!
I am making your chile verde recipe and cornbread for dinner sometime this week it looks delicious!
For some reason I’m on a beef stew (in the crock pot) & white yeast rolls from the Highland Bakery kick right now. Must be the cool weather. I even eat it for breakfast!
Kristin, you have to try adding Pumpkin to your next batch of cornbread. It’s incredible!!
I hear ya on the soup for dinner. I just made a big batch of chili and most of my reasoning for this was to warm me up. But the fact that it tasted delicious didn’t hurt either.
right now i’m obsessed with pumpkin. actually this week i’m featuring a week of pumpkin recipes if anyone wants to check ‘em out!
molly..your turkey pumpkin chili sounds awesome!!! can you post the recipe?! or if anyone else has one!
I would love to have you as a personal chef!
I am loving avocados right now.
That chile looks so. good. I love your recipes!
After my recent Oaxacan cook book purchase I am beyond obsessed with the flavors of this region of Mexico! I can’t stop making Mexican food… I’m seriously going to turn us into chili peppers soon LOL. I’ve promised The Man more traditional fall meals soon… we’ll see though, these recipes are just too good!
I actually do the grab and go technique for my oatmeal but with your baked pumpkin pie oatmeal recipe. It works out great for me on the days I have to work.
Low carb – no carb foods
bad this weekend – I nnneeeed the gym – lol – never thought I’d say that one! BUT finished a bunch of socks and booties and hats off – Xmas socks have been officially started – the race is on! (New tradition – a new pair of knitted socks for each child instead of Xmas stockings on the mantle) – Do you do stockings for Xmas?
Why yes, we do!
http://iowagirleats.com/2009/12/26/an-ige-christmas/
I’m obsessed with Granny Smith apples as of late!
We moved to the area a couple of years ago, and we had no idea why:
a. No porch lights were on for Halloween (October 31st)
b. People asked us for a “trick” before giving us candy. My 4 year old just kept saying “Please? Thank you?” trying to find the magic word they wanted from year.
In Iowa (Des Moines), we have “beggar’s night” on the night before Halloween. The kids have to say a joke to get the treat-that’s the magic word!!!:) This also is the tradition in Ohio where I was born and raised. Porch lights on on if you’re home and off if you’re away and can’t be there for the trick or treaters!
*That should say “trying to find the magic word they wanted from *him*” Not “year”.
I have 2 of those Ikea wine racks sitting at my house empty if any of your readers in Minneapolis might want them. We bought shelving with built in wine racks so they are just sitting waiting for a Goodwill trip but anyone could have them for free.
That is hilarious – no one here has to say a joke, ever. I live in the downtown core of a city here in Canada – ahem, Olympics anyone? Anyways… the stores in some of the select areas give out candy as a lot of people here live in apartments (yes, we’re talking full families here people!). So it’s pretty sweet to see the kids walking around downtown all done up. It’s not just for the burbs
No jokes, just good costumes and ALWAYS on the 31st!
Oh, I am beyond obsessed with Honeycrisps this year! So, so good!
I am also a little obsessed with pumpkin….naturally
I’m from ST. Louis and kids DEFINITELY have to tell jokes here!! No joke = no candy! I didn’t realize that wasn’t an everywhere thing until college….Halloween without jokes just seems crazy!
Telling jokes for candy? I have never heard of that before, but what a great idea!
My current obsession is pumpkin, anything pumpkin!
I would love some great gift ideas since i havent even started shopping yet!
Great post. Those scottish oats look deee-lish. And the chili and healthified cornbread look tasty, too.
To answer your question, the foods I’m obsessed with right now are anything with pumpkin in it, brussel sprouts, chili and red pepper and tomato soup. They’re all so good. Yum!
I love thick and creamy oatmeal!!!!
This weather is begging for chili – I made some yesterday, too! And cornbread…oh, how I love cornbread
And the steel cut oats look delicious, too – I also have a bag hangin’ out in my cabinet!
Wow! I’ve never heard of telling a joke to get candy before?!?! And I grew up in southern MN, which isn’t that far away. I’m also surprised this tradition is found in other states as well!!
Making your cornbread as I write!! So excited to see how it turns out : )