What’s life like these days in the bring joy household?
I’ll tell you.
An eight day stint with the flu (me).
Followed by a smattering of sick children (baby Tyndale–teething, then the flu accompanied with lots of snot & a fever + 3 year old had a day of throwing up, while others in the household remained relatively healthy).
Then there’s the moving. We’re getting geared to do a local move in a few weeks & I’m giddy as anything. I daydream about a smaller abode, a cozy place where there is much less square footage to clean. It’s exciting to also think we’ll be using less energy to heat & cool our home. (I’m not quite ready for a “no impact” life, but going in a green/eco-friendly/minimalist direction is actually quite addicting. The more waste we reduce, the more I want to reduce. Funny how that works.)
We’ve made a whole bunch of cash selling our excess on craigslist (as part of our project downsize).
On the weather front (I know, I’m talking about the weather, punch me), I’m enjoying the cooler, autumn-like temps here, which means we finally have cool mornings & 70 degree days–it’s awesome–& have gotten back into a running routine.
Also, the 10 month old (Tyndale), has sprouted some Energizer bunny legs that won’t quit. He’s discovered our stairs & would love nothing more than to climb them all day long. This inevitably makes for (very) low-productive days on my part as I chase him around our wannabe McMansion (again, another reason I’m tickled to be moving to a smaller place). I’ve forgotten how much work babies are at this age. Tyndale wants me to hold him, play with him, & watch him climb the stairs, all day long. And I mostly do. The last time we had a baby this age, Joseph was the stay-at-home parent & he did a good majority of said chasing.
In all of this, we’re experiencing some great momentum on the debt snowball. Ever since we paid off our first huge debt in the summer, freeing up an extra $900 a month in addition to a slew of other things (for more on this, see how running is like getting out of debt fast), things are clipping along at a surprising pace. IT’S SUCH A FREAKIN’ AWESOME FEELING! With each penny we throw at our debt, I feel more & more liberated. Yee-haw.
That’s all well & good, I know, but you’re thinking–give us a recipe Janae!
Alright, here’s your recipe–raw apple crumble–quick, seasonal, filling, & FSL approved.
Since my last recipe was apple-infused (apple pie muffins), I thought I’d continue with the theme since the recipes I share here are reflective of what I’m eating at home, & I have been eating a lot of apple-y dishes in the past month or so (eating more seasonly is one of the tricks to getting our grocery budget below $500).
a quick, filling, high-fiber vegan gluten-free dessert
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet apples (ie. cameo or gala, though any will do)
- 1 tsp. lemon juice (optional, but prevents apples from browning)
- 1/2 c. rolled old fashioned oatmeal
- 2 TBS. sucanat/brown sugar OR 3 TBS. coconut sugar
- 2 packets stevia (I like Purevia)
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- pinch nutmeg
- 1 TBS. melted coconut oil OR non-dairy butter (like Earth Balance)
- OPTIONAL: 2 TBS. walnuts, chopped
Instructions
- Wash & core apples. Cut into cubes. I use my handy dandy veggie chopper to do this (I use this gadget nearly as much as my Blendtec!).
- In a small bowl, toss cubed apples with lemon juice. Set aside.
- In another small bowl, sift sugar, stevia, cinnamon & nutmeg. Add melted oil & oatmeal, & stir (will be really coarse).
- Toss the oatmeal/sugar mixture with apples & sprinkle with additional cinnamon & chopped walnuts if desired. Eat immediately. Refrigerate leftovers & eat within a day for best flavor.
Additional Nutrition Info: 19 g sugar, 29 g carbs, 1.5 g protein, 3 g fiber, 3.8 mg sodium; 4 WWP points
Looking for more inspiration in the kitchen?
→ Check out my 28 day meal plan!
Other bring joy posts you might want to check out:
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