Bites of My Life

The pictures below don’t represent the state of my heart or our country. While last week was a really great week, it was paralleled by a very sad week, weekend, and coming days. I don’t want to be naive, but I’m hopeful of the change stirring in myself and my peers. It’s hard and uncomfortable to put thoughts to words, but I’m reflecting and learning, and wanting to change alongside all of us who need this change of heart.

-Been clutching onto LiquidIV to help get my afternoon dose of water.
-I live for a freezer foraging single girl meals. Turkey burger, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes.
-Drinks at lunch for a birthday cheers! Thankful for a family who will drive three hours just to have lunch with me!
-Turned 27, but forever the baby in my famili’s eyes.
-What was supposed to be a casual get-together with friends at my apartment, turned into a full birthday party including all of my favorites who don’t live near.
-Thank you to Margaret and Olivia for not letting my golden birthday slide by. This was truly one of my best birthdays ever. And if you haven’t had the celebration cake from Susie Cakes you are seriously missing out.
-I’ve been loving this sun-dried tomato, basil and mozzarella omelette on the weekends.
-Celebrating #BrittWillBeBridges!
-When the future Bauer’s double as your personal chef and besties.

Annie

27 bites: 27 Lessons Learned

Bites of My Life

Memorial Day behind us and it’s unofficially officially summer! After a particularly fun week, I headed up to Grand Lake for one of my favorite weekends. A group of some of my best college friends have been hitting the lake for MDW for 4 years now and have deemed it “Lake Ratz.” We joke about how we will be going years from now even if babies are in tow. Since year one we’ve had a wedding and two on the way for members of the group. It’s evolved, yet remained the same. Each year the house gets a little bigger and nicer, we’ve classed up the weekend menu a bit adding smoked pork shoulder in the the mix with our ground beef tacos and burgers. Don’t let me fool you though, it’s pretty easy to revert back to being 22 when you’re at the lake with your college besties!

-Spotted this skirt and had to have it. It was double my normal size but I bought it and belted it with a thick brown belt. Long dresses (like this one) and skirts are all I want to wear right now to keep things breezy for these Dallas temps, yet warm when inside and the AC is blasting.
-Tini Tuesday nourishment in the form of a charcuterie board and this Strawberry Quinoa Salad. I added tomatoes and subbed mozzarella pearls for burrata.
-However, the Mary Martini was the star of #tinituesday. Did you catch last week’s post when my friend Mary guest blogged sharing her new go-to cocktail recipe?
-A batch and a half of Perfect CCC’s to take with me to the lake! I 1 and a 1/2 the recipe and scooped them a little smaller to end up with exactly 60 cookies.
-Pizza on the dock to commence Memorial Day weekend at the lake!
-My birthday has fallen on MDW the past few years, and I love celebrating over the weekend with friends. My birthday is actually tomorrow, but I was still surprised with a cake and Happy Birthday over the speakers on the deck to celebrate a few days early!
-Golden hour with girls of Lake Ratz.
-Closing time feat. this perfect s’more.
-Ended the weekend with a bang being asked to be a bridesmaid in my bestie Jordan’s wedding next spring!

Annie

Song of the week: Thief by Ookay

Bites of My Life

So is it kind of summer now? I know Memorial Day is the unofficial start to summer, but it feels like it’s already here to me. Despite the daze quarantine has put us in, since I’ve been back in Dallas as least, there feels to be a beat in the air that I only feel during the summer. You know; the accidental later nights since it stays light until 9pm, tanner skin, grilling out, laying by the pool, and the overall boost of happiness just because it’s summer? It may be due to the 90 degree temperatures we are having this week, but I’m here for it.

-Sampled Wild By Nature’s CBD sample pack last week. A 6 week starter kit to get your toes wet. They launch this Friday and I can’t wait to get my hands on more.
-Refreshed an old TAB archive post and was quickly reminded how delicious this recipe is.
-5pm topo and grapefruit mocktail is my favorite way to separate the work day to evening.
-Lunch ick-up from a Dallas favorite, Bird Bakery, to meet two friends, one of whom just moved back to Dallas from OKC!
-Team tiny canned fish yes or no? I’m a yes and so was my Trader Joe’s checker. Noticing I had anchovies in my cart, he insisted I had to try the smoked sardines and tossed a tin in my bag for free. TJs you are too good, the sardines on the other hand were fine…
-Mussels - actually incredibly easy to make. I urge you to try if you like mussels.
-A good ole fashioned Friday girls night that consisted of tex-mex, tequila, this guac, my new favorite dress and staying up past midnight talking.
-Teamed up with Wild By Nature (that I mentioned above) to make my Matcha Mint Smoothie inspired by their mint flavor of CBD. I went live from their account Sunday and it was one of the more fun lives I’ve done.
-When you have no patio space at your apartment and take to tanning on truly any public patch of grass you find.

Annie

Bites of My Life

Hi from Texas! Made it back to Dallas yesterday after 7 weeks in Oklahoma City. Being home was so nice honestly. From a mental state I’m so glad I chose to quarantine with my parents. From a work perspective, it was necessary in my opinion. As things are starting to open back up in Oklahoma and Texas, I felt confident it was time to get back to my life in Dallas. I’m working out of my apartment this morning, trying to adapt the great little routine I had in OKC, here.

-Ina Garten’s cast-iron skillet salmon method is the best. Crispy sear in the pan and then finished in the oven. Been working on my sauce game in quarantine and did a basil vinaigrette sitch loosely based on this recipe.
-Attempted homemade corn tortillas for taco Tuesday! Not bad for my first go. Used this recipe.
-I was on dinner duty a lot last week to soak up the last few days of having to people to cook for. Half Baked Harvest’s Lebanese Chicken was crazy good.
-My quarantine lewk on repeat: cute sweatshirt, tennis skirt or athletic dress, this primer and coffee.
-Cookie baking with this little chef! Used the best sugar cookie recipe of course!
-Friday at 5 pm called for a Clover Club. Recipe thanks to The Jones Assembly.
-Tomato tarts are next-level side dishes (especially next to a steak).
-Celebrated Taylor’s bday with a backyard brunch, I brought The Defined Dish’s Sausage Balls. Grain-free, dairy-free and still quite delicious.
-The girl gang of aunts (minus aunt taire) and godmother’s celebrating little Hallie’s 1st birthday. So glad I go to be home for it! And the white dress I’m obsessed with is from H&M!

Annie

p.s. don’t miss last week’s post on How to Stock Your Kitchen.

Bites of My Life

Week 7. How are we doing? Enjoying small things like gorgeous weather over the weekend and the sense that things are their way to getting better.

-I kind of love barbecue sauce. This makeshift BBQ chicken salad made a lunch appearance a few times last week. Shredded chicken, bbq sauce, a little dijon mustard, chopped celery, carrots, relish, salt and pepper!
-Got to help deliver meals to healthcare workers with work last week. Our cases are down in Oklahoma but our nurses and doctors are still overwhelmed and they mentioned the food helped lift their spirits!
-Mojito o’clock!
-This last week should have been the Oklahoma City Art’s Festival. Due to Covid-19 it was canceled, but an Indian Taco at home made it feel like I was there.
-Sweet and salty toast is the easiest go-to breakfast or lunch.
-Coffee walks have been a new part of my morning routine a few days a week. Coffee mug yeti, favorite leggings and sneaks are also included.
-This easy cocktail that is on repeat: grapefruit juice, tequila, a splash of lemon juice, rosemary and filled to the top with sparkling water.
-Did you catch my Flow + Glow with my friend and yoga instructor Addie yesterday? We did a 30 minute guided flow followed by a demo of My Perfect Green Smoothie!
-Sunday bike ride with mom!

Annie