Bites of My Life

Week 1 of funemployment was a little too fun. Let's hope this week can compare. With oldest sister also between jobs, she made a trip down from New York for the week. We took full advantage of her being here and having time off from work. Lunch, dinner, workouts, shopping, pedicures, puppy time, family time, we squeezed it all in. Having a family of foodies meant lots of eating, cooking and snacking. We amped up our workouts to counteract the calories! Sad to see last week go, but this week is already shaping up to be a good one!

-Started my week of "funemployment" off right with a fun stack of raspberry pancakes!
-Kept the fun going by treating myself to a massage at Udander. Seriously amazing, highly recommend to locals. 
-Lunch at my current fav, Cultivar. I could eat those chips and guac for every meal. 
-With oldest sis in town, we instantly became sous chefs for the week! Spring green salad with scallops over garlic ginger pea puree.
-Showing sis the OKC can be just as cool as NYC. 
-Another dinner win with slow roasted citrus salmon and harissa israeli cous cous salad.
-My sweet little site has officially been published for 3 years. HBD TAB!
-Made a stop in Norman, OK to visit my grandmother, which led to lunch at this college town staple. 
-Made homemade kimchi with big sis while she was home. Used the recipe from Edible OKC.
-Randomly craving bananas in any form. And I usually hate bananas... Recipe for this banana bread tomorrow!
-Homemade cashew butter about to come in handy for a recipe later this week. Followed the same recipe as my homemade almond butter just roast the cashews for 7-9 minutes instead.
-Spaghetti Squash Kimchi Korean Bowl slayed Sunday night dinner, comment if you want the recipe and I will post it!

Annie

Bites of My Life

As mentioned in last week's bites post I got a new job!!! It will be a job that is much more "me" per se. Think food, restaurants and social media. With the starting of my new job, means the end of my other job. My first big girl job to be exact.

Though this job had it's peaks and pits, I learned so much. There is something to be said about your first job out of college. (Christina from The Blissful Balance coincidentally put all my thoughts into words in to her post today). Your first job doesn't have to be your last and it doesn't have to turn into a career. I learned what I like and don't like in a job. I'm a millennial generation Y where I think I have a right to do whatever I set my mind to. I took action to find something more, and I'm hopeful this new job adventure is going to be just that. 

Next on tap...oldest sis, Claire is in the middle of a job switch too and will be home in OK this whole week. I can't wait for a week of sister family food time!

-Regular nachos upgraded with sweet potato chips as the base! Check out last week's recipe for Sweet Potachos.
-My favorite after dinner snack, rice cake with AB, gogi berries and granola.
-Peanut butter blossoms also got an upgrade with the swap of almond butter in place of PB. Tucking this recipe away into my "go-tos."
-Was surprised with loving goodbyes on my last day at my first big girl job. 
-#GabeTheBabe had his first puppaccino experience on Friday, safe to say he loved it. 
-Smoothie bowl game strong these past couple warm days.
-Saturday morning mimosas.
-Just some crawdaddies posing for a pic before they turned into our lunch!
-Can check "go to a crawfish boil" off my spring TDL.

Annie

Bites of My Life

Last week was a throw my hands in the air and praise the big guy kind of week. After a few months and several weeks of looking for a new job, it finally happened. More on the actual job later, but for now I'm celebrating and eager to see what this next adventure holds. I emailed, interviewed and met so many people for coffee over the past few months, but it was all worth it and finally paid off!

Besides the whole job thing kind of overshadowing the week, there were other little victories to celebrate too. A fancy night out with my roommates, was just what the doctor ordered. A great friend in town and temps reaching over 80 made for a perfect day. And Thomas Rhett on my TV screen finished out the weekend just right. Who else gets country obsessed the second it gets warm?

-They started selling at the farmers market, but now Belle Kitchen has their own brick and mortar. The gourmet donut and macron shop opened this past week and thanks to Yelp OKC we got VIP access to make our own!
-Touches of spring in our little rental.
-I've had this fortune and quote from a Yogi tea on my dash for about two months now. "Your present plans will succeed" and "Let things come to you." I got the fortune from a cookie the same night this quote was on my tea. I took it as a sign and used it as a mantra over the past few weeks. After lots of patiences and perseverance, I let things happened and my plans followed through!
-On Fridays we drink pink.
-So much fun sipping tiny tinis at ArtiniOKC.
-Stay tuned for these cookies later this week!
-The day started off great until OU lost by 40...
-When the girl accidentally made too many smoothies and you get one for free!
-Springy shrimp salad for Sunday supper. How many more 'S' can I use?

Annie

Bites of My Life

I've been writing these bites of my life posts every Sunday night for the past three years. I love them. I love getting to take a minute to reflect on the past week. Some weeks are better than others and some more productive than others, but I still love to be reminded of how I spent the past seven days. Time travels fast these days. It's cool to have a reason for slowing down and reflecting on time well spent!

I'd say this past week was time well spent! I always feel recharged when spring arrives, but Easter being so early this year was an extra boost. It's a holiday filled with so much meaning that never fails to fill me up and remind me of the importance of life on earth! Here's to more time well spent in the coming days, weeks and months!

-Crock-Pot Carnitas easily became one of my favorite meals I've made and what I'll recommend to anyone! You don't want to miss this recipe!
-My Spring TDL is up and I'm already working to cross things off! 
-When cheese is involved, it really ups the happy hour ante.
-Nourished Food Bar is a healthy little gem in OKC! They just started a meal delivery service and to help promote, ran an Instagram contest for one free delivery. And I won! Thank you nourished for the incredible lunch!
-How could I not celebrate #NationalPuppyDay now that Gabe is around?
-If you are looking for some lunch ideas, look no further than What's Gaby Cooking's Loaded Power Salad. The basil vinaigrette is the most incredible thing I can't even, and the salad has enough oompf to keep you satisfied through the work day.
-It was a lay low weekend leading up to Easter. Leftovers and a 9:30 bedtime on a Friday is something I will never complain about.
-Miscommunication on who was making what, ended up in Kathleen and I making the same dessert. We turned it into a who made it better competition and claimed ourselves both winners.
-Pretty much every holiday it my house gets treated like Thanksgiving. The food spread is always top notch.

Annie

Bites of My Life

Adult spring break: it is not a thing, and that is a hard reality. My social media feeds this past week were full of friends who are still in school seen hitting the ski slopes, sunbathing in Mexico, galavanting through Europe and sightseeing in big cities. All while I was stuck behind a desk doing as the other adults do. 

Work hard, play hard though. This week wasn't too shabby. Our last Bachelor Monday for a while #teamjojo4bachelorette, a little casual 5 course cajun dinner with my foodie fam, some St. Patrick's day celebrash, and the opening of one of my new favorite restaurants. 

-Bachelor finale calls for chocolate covered strawberries.
-Finale also called for greek yogurt bark which was an extreme fail. Don't try it. Greek yogurt does not stay frozen...
-Since I was having to be adult this week, grown up cereal and milk seemed appropriate. 
-A chocolate coconut blueberry smoothie bowl inspired by Bailey's using Arbonne's chocolate protein powder. 
-Cafe 501's chef inspired dinner has become a monthly tradition! This month's cajun theme included a course of  oysters, gumbo, shrimp po boy, filet and table side bananas foster.
-As expected, some puppy brother time! 
-A little Irish Soda Bread for all the leprechauns out there.
-St. Patricks day calls for green beer which means washing it down with loaded jalapeno fries. 
-Cultivar Mexican Kitchen opened it's doors last week in OKC. Do yourself a favor and go ASAP. #tacos
-OATastic.
-So I went to Cultivar two days in a row, so be it. 
-Some call it Mississippi Mud, some call it Methodist Cake and the correct ones call it Better Than Sex Cake. I call it the latter because I love watching mom squirm. 

Annie