Apple Pie Oatmeal + Apple Picking in Charlottesville

apple picking in charlottesville, va | willfrolicforfood.com

apple pie oatmeal | vegan and refined sugar free recipe via willfrolicforfood.com

I'm currently writing this drinking 20 year old brandy with a pot of chili simmering on the stove. It's 8pm and I'm doing everything in my power not to freak out because I'm shooting two weddings this weekend!

Oh wait did you know that I shoot weddings sometimes?

Yeah. I do that. I also shoot engagement sessions, portraits and, well, just about anything you can throw at me.

I'm not one to turn down a photography gig!

I shouldn't be nervous about this weekend. I know.

But to be frank, I've never done a solo wedding before. Yeah, I've played lead on portrait, editorial, engagement, lifestyle and still-life shoots. And I've brought out my bossy babe playing second-shooter at some big weddings in the past.

But shooting a wedding all alone... it's a different feeling.

I can't tell if I'm more thrilled or ready to vom.

A little bit of both. And I think that's the best I can hope for.

apple picking in charlottesville, VA | willfrolicforfood.com

apple pie oatmeal | willfrolicforfood.com

On Saturday I'm shooting my friend Lindsay's wedding. She's an herbalist and her beau is an arborist. How magical is that?! I'm pretty stoked to see all of the plant themed elegance they're sure to bring to the table!

And on Sunday I have a bride, Sidney, who owns a "mindful bakery" called Moon Maidens Delights that specializes in conscious, sprouted, vegan and gluten free wedding cakes (and treats)! She's making her own cake! With flour she sprouted and ground herself!!! Who is this magical being??? And her husband-to-be is a Zen Buddhist Priest in-training (and yoga teacher... and holistic nutritionist in training).

Seriously how do these people find me???

Basically I've been blessed with the very best of clients. And I couldn't ask for more!

Anyway, to calm my nerves Logan and I did a quick sprint through Carters Apple Orchard with the Canon 5d Mark IV I rented for the weekend. I needed to give it a solid test drive anyway.

All of these photos were taken on a mark IV with a 50 mm f/1.4 prime lens. I edited everything in Lightroom 6 using a custom preset based on VSCO 5's Afgha Vista.

The 5d Mark IV's touch screen and lightning-quick autofocus alone are enough to convince me that this camera is worth the investment. But it should also be noted that it has brilliant color-tone and it's really light (important for when you're shooting on your feet all day). There are loads of great features on the mark IV. I haven't even begun to dive into them all.

But let's just say I'll be exploring long-exposure shots at this weekends wedding! I'm hoping it'll be starry and dark enough that I can get some portraits of my couples set against the milky way.

OH AND THIS APPLE PIE OATMEAL!

It's apple pie in lazy breakfast form.

I'm way too busy slash impatient to be bothered with pies when it's not a holiday, apparently. So I've been doing my best to eat pie-like things whenever possible.

I guess I just want to eat pie filling? I think that's it.

This apple pie oatmeal is so delicious and perfect for a chill, slightly-more-fancy-than-usual breakfast vibe!

In one pot you make the stovetop apple pie filling. And in the other pot you make your oatmeal. Then you mix them together, top with cream or nut milk and dig in!

I've spiced my apples with cinnamon and cardamom. And sweetened them with maple syrup and coconut sugar. I really like this combo. Warmly spiced with a little Scandinavian flair. It's got that brown-sugar sweetness, but it's not overly sweet. Perfect for a healthy, decadent breakfast!

I used the apples from my apple-picking trek (winesap and stayman varieties, which are locally cultivated heirloom eating apples). But any tart, crisp apple will do. Including tart green apples.

And yep, this makes a fabulous apple pie filling for whole apple pies as well! Just double, triple or quadruple the ingredients depending on how big your pie is going to be.

Apple Pie Oatmeal (Vegan, Refined Sugar Free)

Created by Renee on October 7, 2016

Note: Use crisp, lightly sweet apples or tart green apples.

Cook Time: 15m

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 cup oats
2 cups water
pinch sea salt
3 -4 medium apples, cored and roughly chopped (~3 cups chopped apples)
juice of 1 lemon (~1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons sorghum flour (brown rice flour & all-purpose gf flour also work)
1 teaspoon corn starch
to serve: plant milk or cream, coconut oil or ghee, more maple syrup and ground cinnamon

Instructions

Cook oats according to package directions, or your preference. I add my oats and water and salt to a small sauce pot and cook, covered, on low heat for 10 minutes or until soft.
In a heavy bottomed pot, combine the chopped apples, lemon juice, maple syrup, coconut sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, sorghum flour and corn starch. Mix everything together with a wooden spoon until the apples are evenly coated.
Cook covered for 15-20 minutes -- stirring frequently -- until the apples are totally soft.
Serve the oats alongside the apples. Top with plant milk or cream, a small swirl of melted coconut oil or ghee, more maple syrup (to taste) to sweeten the oats and a dash of cinnamon.

autumn, breakfast, dairy free, Personal, Travel, vegan, winter, Recipe, MusingsRenee ShumanOctober 7, 2016apple, apple picking, apple pie, apple pie filling, breakfast, charlottesville, cinnamon, easy, oatmeal18 Comments