National Oatmeal Day

Written by on in Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Snacks

Can I please have a moment of silence?

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Thank you. Today, October 29, marks National Oatmeal Day. Yes, that’s right – a day completely dedicated to OATMEAL and amazing people such as Mr. Quaker. I found out via my daily Hungry Girl email – check out that link for some of their yummy recipes!

Of course, that meant a new oatmeal combination for breakfast to celebrate!

I’ve dubbed it Double Vanilla Almond Oatmeal, and it was finger lickin’ good – if you eat oatmeal with your fingers, that is 😉 I don’t personally – but I don’t judge, either!

Here’s the lowdown:

  • 1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1/2 small banana
  • 1/4 cup liquid egg whites
  • 1/8 cup Bear Naked Vanilla Almond Granola

~*~

It was SO. GOOD. ya’ll 😉 This was actually my first time trying egg whites in my oatmeal. I loved the way they fluffed up the bowl and even though they made the oatmeal a little “eggy” tasting, it wasn’t overpowering. Yay protein!

Of course, there was also a little Coffee Cocoa involved.

National Oatmeal Day was a success 🙂 But I’ve gotta ask…

If you could sum up your view of oatmeal in three sentences or less, what would you say? All answers are welcome – even if you hate oatmeal with a passion (scandalous!). Again, I don’t judge!

I spent my morning shooting a health story for my reporter beat. Can I rant a little bit here? I made the decision a while ago that I don’t want to be a broadcast reporter. Don’t get me wrong – I love my journalism major. But I prefer the producing, behind-the-scenes aspect to the field reporting. So why the heck did I decide to be the health beat reporter this quarter? Honestly, I’m not sure. I like being on camera for the show, but that’s about it. I have a serious problem with overextending myself, and I often make rash, spur-of-the-moment decisions without weighing out the pros and cons. Then I regret it later and feel like I can’t get out of it because I’d be disappointing people. So I stress and stress just to appease others. I think I’ll stick it out for the rest of the quarter, but then it might be time to make a change. Does anyone else have this problem? If so, what do you do about it?

It’s always helpful to type stuff out like that. Thanks for bearing with me (or scrolling down, if that’s what you chose to do instead!). Let’s get back to the food. After I finished up my health story, I came home and made myself a delicious lunch.

I started with a yummy salad made with spinach, deli turkey, feta cheese and an Asian viniagrette. Lately this has been my go-to combination when I want something I know will taste good!

With my so-fresh-and-so-clean salad, I tried out one of my new Arnold Sandwich Thins – the whole wheat variety!

I used it to make a jellywich with Smucker’s Strawberry Jam. It was delicious!! I love the fact that these are so versatile – you can use them with sandwiches, hamburgers, as toast…the list goes on! And the taste is great – just as good as other Arnold breads I’ve tried and reviewed here. Yum!

Just look at that jam oozing out of the sammie!

After lunch, I did some homework, checked my midterm grades – 99.5 on my FINANCE midterm, wahoo!! – and caught up on some blogs (not done yet, but getting there!). Before I knew it, it was time for me to get all dressed and made up for my appearance on the newscast – again, I do like that part of the job description!! – and eat a little somethin’ to fuel me until later in the evening. I decided on a container of Fage 0% topped with a Clif Mini Chocolate Brownie bar and 1 tsp. maple syrup.

I think Greek yogurt + Clif + maple syrup is my favorite combination of all time. I love the sweet/tangy combination, and the chunks of “brownie” are such a treat!

The newscast went pretty smoothly, and overall I was happy with my performance. I always get the jitters right before I go on air, but I’ve gotten better recently thanks to some deep breathing 🙂 I must look like a weirdo, but it really does help me feel more at ease!

It was pretty late when I got home, so I didn’t feel like eating anything too substantial. So I decided bring back the Humbecue Tortilla Pizza!

I would love it if someone would try this and tell me what they think. I’m just so curious because I’m a big fan of combining sauces, but I know plenty of people who aren’t – Bobby, for example 👿 So it’s always nice to know that I’m not alone!

After dinner, I had a yummy rice pudding cup.

And now I’m sipping on a mug of Decaf Coffee Cocoa while watching the newscast with K. She’s the anchor of the show, by the way – I’m so proud of her!

GET ON THE DE-LURKIN’ TRAIN!

I’m going to be a copycat and take a cue from Meghann and Erin to ask my lovely readers: who are you?! I know that some of you are readers, but not commenters – which is totally cool. But I’d love it if maybe, just this once, you could leave me a note and let me know what part of the world you’re reading from! It’d be so cool to see how far this blog reaches!! Please and thank you :mrgreen: Much appreciation!

Goodnight, blogosphere!

60 Comments

  1. Well I’m Karen and I work in Evanston (which from what I’ve determined, is where you attend school) and live in Chicago. So I know I’m not very far at all, but I think almost as interesting- I am probably pretty close. Love the blog!
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    Karen ~ Hi!! Nice to “know” ya! That is definitely just as interesting 🙂 Thank you for commenting, and I’m very glad you enjoy the blog!

  2. Hi I’m Emily, I live in Charlotte, NC and I love reading your blog everyday!
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    Emily ~ Aw, thank you so much! I lived in Winston-Salem from age 2-6 🙂 I love NC!! Thanks for reading!

  3. I can’t believe that today was national oatmeal day and I didn’t even eat OATMEAL today!!!! Where do you get those mini cliff bars?

    I am a reader who lives in Yucaipa CA
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    bobbi ~ I found the mini Clif bars at Target!! Holla California!

  4. i saw that this morning in my daily hungrygirl email…but i already had bfast packed…maybe tomorrow! yours sounds yummy in the tummy tho!

    and me? so cal san diego soon to be central floridian girl!
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    Melissa S. ~ It WAS yummy in the tummy! And yay for your big move!

  5. Victoria, BC, Canada

    And I wish I had known about oatmeal day. I had planned on oatmeal, but since I slept in, it didn’t happen. Oh well, I just have belated oatmeal day tomorrow!

    And your humbecue pizza is definitely on my list of things to try…one day! Maybe even this weekend!
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    Marianne ~ Oatmeal is good any day 🙂 I hope you give the pizza a try, eh? Hehe, that’s my Canadian stereotype. I get it too, being a Minnesota girl.

  6. Alberta, Canada

    I cannot believe that I MISSED National Oatmeal Day! I had cereal and not oatmeal… oh no! -sigh- hahaha
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    Sharon ~ Oh no! It’s ok, that’s what tomorrow is for, eh?! Haha, love Canada!

  7. I love your pizza recipe! I’ve used it probably around 5 times in the past 3 weeks as an easy, light, and delicious meal. The bbq and hummus are great together!
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    Jim ~ I’m so glad to hear that, thank you!! I agree on the BBQ and hummus combo 🙂

  9. I absolutely love oatmeal, and your blog!! I’m fron Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
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    suzanne ~ Thank you 🙂 Another Canadian, eh?! Haha don’t hate me for that one.

  10. well your oatmeal is definitely fit for the celebration! i really want to try your humbecue but we never ever have barbeque sauce at home – noone comsumes it, i never use it so i don’t know how to justify buying it!! plus there aren’t that many choices of brand when it comes to BBQ sauce in england, because it’s not as popular, and i don’t know if there is a good, natural one out there – maybe i should look in wholefoods?!?!

    GOD SAVE THE QUEEN
    london, england 😉
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    wholefoodswholeme ~ Haha, well let me know if you ever come across some BBQ 😉 No worries!! Yay London! Totally on my “to travel to” list!

  11. Awesome…..I love me some oatmeal. Thanks for the recipe as well! 🙂
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    m ~ No problem!! Glad you liked it 🙂

  12. I am a Texas girl!

    To describe oatmeal…I would have to say: Comfort. It never fails to comfort me! I look forward to it’s yummy goodness every day! Your oatmeal sounds delicious! I love that granola.
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    Megan ~ Yay Texas! And I love your oatmeal description, thanks 🙂

  13. Hi, I’m from Israel

    And I’ll take this chance to ask you, do you have a method for folding your tortillawraps? it looks kind of over stuffed to be rolled without being a total mess
    I can never get the folding part right! tips?
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    Hila ~ Wow, I have a reader in Israel?! That’s amazing – I’m so glad you enjoy the blog 🙂 As for folding tortillas and wraps…my philosophy is that it doesn’t have to look perfect – but if you want it to close properly, my tips would be 1) buy an extra big wrap or 2) fold it together and wrap it in a paper towel or aluminum foil so that it holds in place or 3) insert a toothpick to hold it together. I hope one of those will help you!

  14. EVERYDAY IS NATIONAL OATMEAL DAY IN MY HOUSE!! 😀

    To sum up my view of oatmeal in three words = Holy. Freaking. Yum.

    Girl, you KNOW that I have that same issue, about my major and what’s going on with my career path/schooling, etc. I’m here for ya!

    Your so-fresh-and-so-clean salad makes me want to sing that song “So Fresh, So Clean” by OutKast, haha! 😀

    OHIO UP IN HERE!!!
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    VeggieGirl ~ At my house too!! Thanks for being here for me 🙂 And I was totally thinking of that OutKast song when I wrote that!

  15. First, yes, I think that happens (trying to please others –> stress) with a lot of motivated, successful women. We know we can do it, but we don’t always think about whether we should do it.

    Oatmeal:

    When I think of oatmeal I think of a delicious morning hello. It’s like a blank piece of paper waiting for me to paint it with banana, peanut butter, pumpkin or berries. It’s super fuel for a long day. 😀
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    Hangry Pants ~ I love that quote “We know we can do it, but we don’t always think about whether we should do it.” I am going to write that down!

  16. You may have an entire hour of silence. Why? Because I’ll shut up for an hour so I can eat a huge bowl of oatmeal to celebrate (I didn’t have oatmeal yesterday… but I had oat bran. That counts, right???)
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    CCV ~ Totally counts!!

  17. I am in Baltimore, MD! I am eating my morning oatmeal as I type this! I am so excited I was turned on to this food blog world because I discovered the many great combinations of oatmeal and have now incorporated it into my diet. It is the best breakfast because it warms me in this cold weather and keeps me full and satisfied for hours!
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    lauren ~ Yay oatmeal!! I agree with you about the food blog world and oatmeal, wholeheartedly!!

  18. I’m in Woodbridge, VA.

    I am also loving the new Arnold Sandwich Thins! 🙂
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    Laura ~ Yay for Virginia and Sandwich Thins!

  19. National oatmeal day! I had no idea! Good thing I made some oatmeal squares last night! It was my mini celebration and I didn’t even know it!I love the thins! They are so good! I may need to purchase them again this week! I bought regular Arnold’s flax bread this week and it went bad so quickly! I was so angry 🙁 Thank you for all of your kind words on my blog 🙂
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    Erica ~     Mm, oatmeal squares!! Too bad about the flax bread 🙁 But the thins are awesome!

  20. 1. yummy oatmeal
    2. reading from rhode island obviously, and sometimes from philly
    3. i’m rhodeygirl on ck, come say hi! (i blog there too)
    4. oatmeal makes me happy bc it’s healthy but it feels me up in that stick to your ribs way and it is so versatile and warm on those cold days.
    5. arnold’s sandwich thins are amazing. my fiance loves them too.
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    rhodeygirltests ~ Yay for CK! And yes, oatmeal does stick to your ribs – love that!!

  21. Ok, long-timre reader de-lurking for you.

    I’m from Washington, DC
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    H ~ Thank you so much for de-lurking 🙂 I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the blog for a while!

  22. My name is Janine and my friend and I read your blog every day at work. It’s become part of my morning ritual. Come in, eat breakfast and read your blog (along with a few others, but yours is my fave!). I always say that I’m going to try your humbeque pizza and your coffee cocoa, but living in NYC, I’m always running around and have no time! The second I try it I’ll let you know, but I’m sure it won’t be anything short of fabulous =)
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    Janine ~ Hi there! Your comment made me smile because I could picture you and your friend at work reading and it just made me so happy! Thank you so much 🙂 So cool that you live in NYC! Definitely let me know if you try the pizza or my ultimate fave, Coffee Cocoa!

  24. I am totally stoked that there is an actual National Oatmeal Day. Had I known I would have celebrated like crazy. However, I guess I did eat some oats yesterday without even knowing. I think everyday could be national Oatmeal day for me.

    One sentence with lots of adjectives to describe oatmeal – It’s warm, creamy, tasty, healthy and oh so delightful, AND almost anything can be added to it to make it even more delicious.
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    eatingbirdfood ~ Hehe, love your ponderings about oatmeal 🙂 I agree with everything!

  26. Chicago!

    I put cornflakes in my oatmeal every morning….it sounds disgusting, but they get all mushy and blend right into the oats – the texture is great!
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    chiwolverine ~ Hurray for Chicago! I like the sound of the cornflakes in the oatmeal – thanks for the tip!

  27. Yeah~~~ it was our day!!!!! Great eats!!!! I love put almond breeze vanilla in my oatmeal too!!!
    great blog!!!!!!!!
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    coco ~ Thanks!! 🙂

  28. Your choco cocoa coffee looks so elegant! And i must try that clif bar / fage combo—looks like such a special treat. EVERY DAY IS NATIONAL OATMEAL DAY FOR ME!@!!
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    seeleelive ~     The best part about the Clif/Fage combo is that it tastes like a treat but is totally doin’ your body some good!!

  29. Living in NYC, originally from Chicago! Your blog keeps me connected to home!
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    Elsa ~ Aw, I’m glad that I can give you a homey reminder 🙂

  30. I really like your blog! I am from Wisconsin.
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    Erin ~ Awesome! Wisconsin is a great state 🙂

  31. I am from Israel but have been living in the Czech Republic for the last 9 years
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    Moran ~     That’s great! I visited Prague when I was a junior in high school and absolutely loved it. I love that you are reading my blog, thank you 🙂

  32. Fabulous long post!! Loved the recap.

    First:

    “So I stress and stress just to appease others.” Ummm, I think that sentance may explain me quite perfectly…at least the me around the ages of 20-25. I think I am getting better.

    Oatmeal.
    It is so comforting, warm and filling. Great for experimenting. The perfect way to start my morning.

    sweets&sweats
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    Fitzalan ~ Thanks for commiserating with me 🙂 And yay, oatmeal!

  33. happy belated oatmeal day!!
    when i get some good bbq sauce, i’ll totally try the humebque pizza– sans meat 😀
    i TOTALLY know what you mean about the reporter thing– i majored in finance, and i’m getting my mba right now, and i still have no clue what i want to do. guess i’ll be an aerobics teacher for the rest of my life??
    i totally want to try those sandwich thins! looks so good
    i’m in valdosta, ga but i’m an arizona girl!
    happy thursday!!
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    Gina ~ Yay! I hope you like the pizza sans meat 🙂 And I totally think it’d be cool to be an aerobics teacher for life. Clearly, you are amazing at it, so why not?!

  34. My view on oats…

    *oats are delicious
    *oats keep in full for a long time!
    *I never use to eat breakfast….until I discovered oats!

    There you have it! Great post!!!
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    Krista ~ Love the star-studded reasoning 🙂

  35. Okay – so maybe this is a stupid question – but when you add the liquid eggs whites to the oatmeal – is the only thing that “cooks” the egg whites the heat of the oatmeal? That kind of skeeves me out I think!

    I’m not a lurker – I’m a commentor – but here ya go! 🙂

    I’m 26 – from good old, cold, Cleveland OHIO
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    Allison ~     Haha, technically yes – but as long as they are liquid egg whites you’re ok. Did you know that you can even put those into smoothies raw? I would never do that, but keeping that in mind helps me feel better when I heat them up in oatmeal! If you think about it, it’s kind of the same as baking something with eggs in the oven?

  36. Haha – moment of silence. I love it.

    My oatmeal is:

    inspired
    meaningful
    creative

    I at least try to make my oatmeal keeping these things in mind!

    Oh and about me – but you probably already know… I’m 24 and live in the Washington,DC/Baltimore metro area.
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    Rose ~ You definitely make your oatmeal keeping those things in mind, which is why I love it so much!! And I did know that about you, but it was nice to hear it again anyway 🙂

  37. My view on oats: They are awesome, but only if I have time to make them. Sometimes washing a pot in the morning seems like a pain in the butt (how lazy am I??) and I’m not a huge fan of instant oats. But definitely in my top 3 breakfasts!

    The pizza looks amazing! And great job on the reporting gig!

    Oh, I’m in Dallas, TX 🙂
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    HeatherBakes ~ Haha, that’s why I leave the pot in the sink and then wash it out at night 😉 I’m not a big fan of instant oats, either!

  38. Oh no, I’m a day late on Oatmeal Day! I had it for brekkie today instead of yesterday. Clearly I’m behind in reading my Hungry Girl emails! :'(
    I need to try egg whites in oats still though, pretty sure I’d dig it!

    I’m sorry to hear you aren’t enjoying the broadcasting thing like you thought you would. I honestly don’t think I get myself into those situations much, maybe because I’m terrible at committing to things? Yeeks. Who knows. But good for you for at least thinking you’ll stick it out for the quarter. But if you’re not enjoying it, might as well switch it up as soon as it seems most appropriate. No point in suffering, it’s supposed to be fun, right?

    That’s an INSANELY good midterm mark. I’m jealous of your brains missy!

    PS I’m from Ontario, Canada 😉

    PPS I could SO eat nothing but squash for the next month. Who needs other foods when you’ve got lovely SQUASH to chow down on??
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    Kristie ~ “No point in suffering if it’s supposed to be fun” – I couldn’t agree with you more!! And hell yeah, squash! I tried acorn tonight!!

  40. I’m from Overland Park, KS (a suburb of Kansas City). You were my first food blog! Love your upbeat attitude!
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    Meghan ~     I was your first food blog?! That makes me so happy 🙂

  41. I love it!
    Love it!
    Love it all!
    I do the same thing. I overcommit and do way too much. What do I do about it? Nothing! I just keep doing it and eventually crash out. It’s fun, honest!
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    Erin ~ It sounds like fun!!

  42. Oh man, I had no idea yesterday was National Oatmeal Day and I inadvertently tried a new oatmeal recipe! I might have a super connection with the oatmeal gods.

    I’m going to contribute a poem for oats:

    When it’s cold, windy and gloomy
    My heart desires something warm and gooye
    Full of fiber, nutritious grains and health
    Yummy oats for breakfast are the best!

    Hahah, there.

    Oh and I’m reading from Amherst, MA where I go to school and from Brooklyn, NY when I’m home =]

    have a lovely day
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    Olga ~ You definitely have a connection with the gods. I absolutely LOVED your poem!! Awesome 🙂

  43. Another Jenn checking in here, from Athens Georgia. I haven’t been reading terribly long, so this is my first comment. Hi!
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    Jenn ~     HI! Love that you spell your name with two N’s, too 😉

  44. Enjoying your blog from St. Louis, MO!
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    Natalie ~     Hey St. Louis! I have family there!

  45. Ah I can’t believe I missed that it was National Oatmeal Day! What a wondrous event, good thing I ate oatmeal anyways 😉

    Sum it up in three sentences? How about three words: Warm, melty, filling….

    I am the same way lately when it comes to making rash decisions, and then feeling stuck because I don’t want to disappoint people. I haven’t really figured out a solution to it yet, other than trying not to stress out too much about it, and listen to myself more in the situation. It’s gunna take some work though.

    So jealous you have sandwich thins! Have a great Thursday! 🙂
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    jenngirl ~ It will definitely take work, but I’m glad we’re in it together because that will double our chance of success 🙂

  46. Sarah from Pittsburgh, PA at school in Boston—but I think you knew that already ; )

    OATMEAL = LIFE. —i don’t even need 3 sentences!

    I totally know what you mean about not wanting to disappoint people and doing things I don’t really enjoy as a result. You really need to focus on YOU though and what makes you happy because YOU deserve it!

    CONGRATS on the amazing grade!!
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    Sarah ~ I may have known that already 😉 Thanks for the feedback on disappointing people…it’s totally true, and now I just have to make myself believe that every day!

  49. I love oatmeal! It is the perfect way to start the day because it is:
    -Warm and comforting (the best on cold days!)
    -Filling
    -Nutritious

    I think I’ll have a nice big bowl of oatmeal tomorrow morning 🙂
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    Foodie ~ I think I will, too 😉

  50. New York, NY!

    (Evanston/Chicago was my second home – go Wildcats!; first was St. Louis)
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    Ash ~ GO WILDCATS is right!! Love all the cities you’ve lived in 🙂 Oh the places you’ll go…I’m such a cheeseball.

  51. Hi, I’m a new lurker. I just discovered food blogs and I think I’m addicted.
    I LOVE oats and recently started adding pumpkin after reading blogs.
    Oh, I’m also a college student (almost graduate) from Shepherdstown, WV.
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    Erin ~ It is very easy to get addicted, no worries 🙂 Yay for pumpkin oats and college students!!

  53. Well, here’s Kristie checking in from southwest MI — only about 2 hours away from Chicago depending on traffic. 🙂
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    Kristie ~ Awesome 🙂 I’ve always wanted to take a drive up to Michigan – I hear it’s gorgeous!

  54. I love reading your blog all the way from Seattle, Washington!!! I’m studying to be a Dietitian, and I’m considering starting a blog of my own.
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    Carrie ~     Awesome – you should definitely start a blog and share your studying adventures 🙂 I find dietetics to be so interesting!

  55. exton, pa!

    yay phillies… and oatmeal!
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    allison ~ Congrats to the Phillies, for sure!

  56. Love the blog! Reading in Los Angeles, CA…
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    Katie R ~ Thank you! I’m glad you enjoy the blog 🙂

  57. Hi! My name’s Michelle and I read a lot of the food blogs around here, and yours is definitely a favorite!! I don’t comment often, and this is my first time commenting on your blog but I am definitely reading, so keep up the great job…your blog is great!!

    I’m from New York (not city lol) by the way!!!!
    🙂
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    Michelle ~     Thanks so much for the comment 🙂 I’m glad that you enjoy the blog and will definitely keep it up as long as people keep wanting to read!

  58. Kelly Turner, Seattle, WA. Personal trainer, fitness writer, currently has the flu.

    Its national oatmeal day!? why didnt i get the day off work!?

    Kelly Turner
    http://www.groundedfitness.com
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    Kelly ~ Oh no 🙁 I hope you feel better! You should have gotten the day off from work for sure…not only because of oatmeal day, but because you’re sick!

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