autumn

stone barns /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

i'm always beyond excited when my brother comes home for a visit - it's like i'm 8 years old all over again and he's coming back from summer sleepaway camp and i have all to do to not squeeze him to death and litter his cheeks with big smooches.  he's been more than a brother to me, i consider him one of my greatest friends - when others don't get it, he surely does; and when he tells me something (good or bad) there's no BS, just totally straight up.  but after a few years of him living there, that new norm became life, and i made it through my dreaded brother-withdrawals with the help of facetime (thanks, apple!), some frequent visits to see him, and the benefits of maturing into an adult!  and so after almost 10 years of him living on the other side of the country what i thought would be a terrible thing turned out to be survivable, and may i say really good.  

each time he comes back for a visit we find ourselves at stone barns for a walk.  i like to think of it as a reset of sorts. a place that changes with the seasons, but offers up the good juju whenever you set foot on its grounds and breath in its fresh air.  but autumn here gets me every year. those leaves! the crisp cool air! the scent of cozy hot apple cider wafting through the air!   we were lucky enough to see the last of the tomatoes being plucked, and the remaining asian pears still secured to their branches before the first freeze hit, and a group of farmers herding the turkeys from their grazing field into where they settle for the evening. big hopes that you're enjoying these cozy november days as well! xo

more travel posts:

up island, martha's vineyard

up island, martha's vineyard

amsterdam

amsterdam

berlin, germany

berlin, germany

turmeric-miso soup w/ shiitakes, turnips + soba noodles /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

life seems to be getting back into a more consistent rhythm and flow post-holiday season.  my early morning routine of yoga and a cup of tea have returned, easy breakfasts whipped together in a flash, weekday evenings where my me and my husband catch each other up on our days, and dinners that include more wholesomeness and less of the not-so-good stuff! i was especially careful over the holidays not to overdo it with the mentality of "it's the holidays, i can eat whatever i want!" but more of an intentional approach to meals and eating.  i spent a chunk of time removed from all things computer/phone, and instead plugged myself into time with family, leaving me super grounded. during that time, it got me thinking and reassessing what i'm doing here with this space.  i have always wanted to share recipes in the hope of inspiring people to get in the kitchen, perhaps eat less take-out, and be more mindful about what they put into their bodies.  so, i have resolved to make this more of a point going forward!

when gardenista asked me to develop an invigorating, post-holiday, one-pot meal, i gathered together some of my go-to healing ingredients and prepared this simple, nourishing meal.  i started with miso as the base of this soup because it's great way to boost your immune system, promote digestion, and give any soup an awesome umami flavor.  fresh turmeric was added for an anti-inflammatory purposes - perhaps to help repair a weak system after the consumption of too many holiday treats, along with 2 all-stars: shiitake mushrooms, and turnips for sweet, earthy flavors.  to round this dish out and make it more of a substantial meal, soba noodles were added as well, which offer their own lovely flavor.  my husband and i have been eating this soup for a quick meal, when we feel the onset of a cold, or for days when it's -9° and we need some warmth in our bodies!  and today, you can find the recipe over at the lovely gardenista!  

love, warmth + miso, everyone! xo 

butternut squash squares w/ chocolate drizzle + sea salt, a virtual friendsgiving + a giveaway! /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

it's one last hurrah, before we hang up the thanksgiving hat and move on.  but before we do, there's a few things we need to take care of.  first! this week we're celebrating a virtual friendsgiving, hosted by renee, from will frolic for food and j.q. dickinson salt company!  some of my favorite blogger friends will be sharing really rad thanksgiving dishes, menus, tips, the list goes on (you can follow on instagram by using the hashtag: #jqdfriendsgiving or follow along here)!  plus, i'm giving away a bottle of j.q. dickinson company's beautiful salt.  rarely do i call salt beautiful, but after watching this video on how they develop their salt, and watching the care and attention that goes into it, i've found an such an appreciation for their process.  i've been enjoying this salt on just about everything, from roasted veggies, to topping weekend eggie breakfasts, to sprinkling it on my sweets!  i can't find enough ways to use it!

if you've hung around this space enough, you're probably aware that i love sprinkling flecks of salt on anything made in combination with chocolate.  which brings me to these butternut squash bars!  there are so many recipes out there that i've been meaning to make, then months (and sometime years) go by, and then i'm reminded of them and kicking myself for how much time has gone by.  case in point,  laura's banana bread granola bars with chocolate drizzles! well, the baking stars aligned last week and i finally made them with a few seasonal changes.  i thought friendsgiving called for more of a pumpkin bread granola bar situation, and from there i loaded these babes up with some warm spices and added a few festive pumpkin seeds.  these butternut bars came together so delightfully, they're sweet enough to count for dessert, but hearty enough to enjoy in the morning as a sturdy breakfast.  they are totally a new favorite non-treat, treat!

***for the giveaway! one lucky winner will receive a jar of j.q. dickinson salt company salt, wrapped in its personal little burlap bag!  just leave a comment below, and i will pick a winner at random.  contest ends friday, november 28th at 6pm!

happy almost thanksgiving friends! xo

butternut squash squares w/ chocolate drizzle + sea salt (v + gf)

barely adapted from The First Mess

| makes 32 bars |

bars

  • 1 cup butternut squash puree
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted almond butter (or nut butter of choice)
  • 1/4 cup brown rice syrup
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup (preferably grade b)
  • 1 tablespoon unrefined extra virgin coconut oil, more for greasing pan
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup puffed quinoa (or puffed brown rice, puffed millet, etc.)
  • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup chopped pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  •  1/4 cup cacao nibs (or dairy-free chocolate chips)
  • large grain sea salt for sprinkling

chocolate drizzle

  • 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil

instructions

  • preheat oven to 350° and line a 8x11-inch pan with parchment paper (make sure it's a big enough piece to allow overhang).  set aside.
  • in a large bowl, combine the first 9 ingredients, until mixed and creamy.  in another large bowl, combine the oats, puffed quinoa, nuts, seeds, and cacao nibs.  add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix for a couple minutes, until everything coated and mixed thoroughly.  transfer mixture to the prepared baking pan, and bake in the center of your oven for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown.
  • remove from oven and place on a cooling rack; allow bars to cool completely before cutting.  with a sharp knife cut the bars into even squares
  • in a heat-proof bowl over simmering water, add the chocolate and coconut oil; stir with a spatula until melted.  using a fork, drizzle the chocolate over the bars; transfer to refrigerator for 10 minutes (you want the chocolate half set).  remove from fridge and sprinkle with as much or as little sea salt as desired.  place back in the fridge until chocolate has completely set  
  • bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temp for roughly 4-5 days 

enjoy!