Bites of My Life

Last week I was off. I felt unmotivated, lazy, a bottomless pit, the list goes on. These weeks come and go. Unfortunately I feel like I’ve been having more than less of these weeks. Being at home with me, myself, and I is wearing on me. I scroll and scroll on social media to fill the long days and can feel the way it’s affecting me.

However, I’m totally aware of all of this. I’m trying really hard to schedule something each day to look forward to. A walk with a friend, meeting up for drinks, or my favorite - just getting out and going for a drive. I’m feeling really motivated by my new desk set up I got assembled over the weekend and ready for a fresh week’s perspective!

-I made The Defined Dish’s lasagna zucchini boats and they were honestly killer. Don’t let the zucchini scare you away from this Pinterest sounding meal. The flavor of these was next level. The recipe is in her cookbook, which I love but have honestly only used a few times.
-This bike short set, just buy it and don’t overthink it because it’s everything of the sort.
-Friday night in with these three celebrating our girl (pup) Finley Anne turning 5!
-I just love a good salad - sue me!
-Tried my twist on these NYT Tahini Chocolate Chip cookies and my twist failed…I tried to turn them into bars since the dough was so crumbly, but they were actually disgusting. The biggest downside was that I proceeded to eat so much of the dough and baked bars that I spent the rest of Saturday on the couch with a stomach ache - yay!
-A new neighbor left this like-new desk outside for 3 DAYS! And I wanted it. More on how I snatched it in this Instagram Reel I posted.
-Got my desk in place and thrilled about my new work from home set up!
-It’s hatch chili season and I also had these amazing homemade coconut flour tortillas I got from the farmers market (if you are in Dallas you have to check out The Salsa Texan and their 10 calorie tortillas). The combination meant one thing for me - enchiladas. I posted the quick recipe for you here.
-Graham crackers, simply the best after-dinner snack. Two a night on r-e-p-e-a-t!

Annie

Bites of My Life

August, but howwwwww? That’s all I’ve got this morning. Happy monday, happy bites, happy August?…

-Tini Tuesday girls do Martini Monday for the new Hudson House opening. Their Blue and Gold martini is what made me fall in love with martinis!
-Breakfast tacos for lunch are cheap, filling, and too easy!
-Not pictured: chips and salsa for dinner, pictured: key lime pie for dessert. Friday night in style.
-Walked to the farmer’s market with friends Saturday morning and got a loot for the week!
-FIG SZN is here (but unfortunately these are just from TJs not the farmer’s market). I love to snack on figs whole, but this smoothie and these blondies are two fig faves!
-Just a great Saturday afternoon of live music and drinks with my Dallas college besties.
-Stayed in Saturday night to cook a summery meal, listen to my favorite playlist and discover that Lucky 7 is available to stream on IMDBtv. Anyone else used to love this made for TV movie?
-Woke up Sunday to begrudgingly workout. Things really turned around when I discovered a live Fleetwood Mac themed flow on Obe! They are replaying it tomorrow (Tuesday 8/4 at 9am)!
-Sunday snack board for lunch! One of my favorite ways to eat!

Annie

Bites of My Life

I’m back in Dallas for a good period of time, and last week felt great getting back into the swing of things. Meeting friends for walks or drinks, hanging by the pool, just letting the days play out as they please. Despite an easy week, I did have some serious anxiety last week. I used my tools, deep breaths, CBD, Calm gummies, devotional, going on walks, little caffeine, etc. but I couldn’t quite kick it, just had to ride it out. Week's like that suck, so I’m reflecting back on the good parts and already feeling better on this new day, new week, and (bah) new month creeping in soon.

-Salmon is something I go in phases with and really do love, but get nervous to make it. I’ve been following Ina Garten’s method and it’s perfect every time. Should I share on TAB?
-Don’t cry over spilled matcha…okay maybe a few tears.
-Ladies lunch with my bestie Jordan to perk up a random Thursday.
-I have found so much encouragement from local Dallas, Tova Sido’s podcast The Remedy. Her story is hard to comprehend, but I’m loving reading how God has carried her through in her book.
-Stuffing salads into whole wheat low carb tortillas was the name of the game last week.
-Summer Fridays mean ending the workday with your best friend by the pool. But make it corporate with branded company koozies.
-Thanks to The Defined Dish these Ranch Rider Spirits are breaking the internet. I had tried the Ranch Water version and didn’t love it TBH, but the famous Lubbock drink, The Chilton went down too easy for a day by the pool.
-Haven’t baked in forever it seemed. Wanted to have a healthy treat around, and Liz Moody’s Twix Protein Bites were it!
-Sunday supper poolside with two of the best girls!

Annie

Bites of My Life

I stayed in Oklahoma City between wedding #1 and #2. Since my work is based in OKC, I worked in the office during the week, before the festivities for Maddie and Cooper kicked off Thursday night and into Friday. The whole weekend was perfect and too fun from the start. I can’t believe that for what seems like a lifetime of planning, I mean truly have been planning these days since we were little, to then long engagements due to rescheduling, that both weddings for my best friends have already come and gone.

I’m having a little bit of post-wedding depression. I love a good birthday for myself and dream of my own big day, but there is something about celebrating the closest people in my life that truly makes me so happy.

-My co-worker Ashley got me hooked on this Good Culture cottage cheese last time I was in our OKC office. I picked up a few and ate for lunch with some chia seeds, raspberries and fiber cereal. Pro cottage cheese or does it make you gag?
-Chop chop chop! I have been needing to cut my hair for months, but my salon in Dallas is still closed. I booked an appointment in Oklahoma City while I was home and said take it all off! I had this personal crisis that I wanted to look different between the back to back weddings I was in so 4 inches of hair seemed like the only way to achieve that.
-Loved putting together the bridesmaid luncheon to kick off Maddie’s wedding weekend. Mom’s china, her plethora of linens, and my restaurant connections made everything seamless.
-This girl has been my go to since 2015. I’ve only been Maid of Honor for my sisters (which lets be honest I did nothing for, sorry Kat and Claire), so it was so fun to really play into that role for one of my nearest and dearest.
-Maid of honor speeches, check! The best weekend with this trio!
-Emily is Maddie’s best friend from growing up and I can’t imagine navigating post grad without Maddie. We got to share MOH responsibilities over the past year and I highly encourage having two MOHs. Made it sooooo nice.
-A dress too perfect for my Maddie girl, the giant bow is hiding in this pic, but it was everything.
-Look at that Mr. and Mrs (and groomsman and bridesmaid - ha)!
-Bandana masks and massive foam cowboy hats keeping us safe on the dance floor.

Annie

If you know me well you know I love a good wedding dance floor. A new Spotify playlist as a nod to one of my favorite past times seemed necessary.

Bites of My Life

A week at home staying healthy and safe before my best friend’s wedding. Round 1. Did I mention that my two very best friends are getting married back to back in the middle of a pandemic? I have soooo much respect for them for powering through the twists and turns the world has turned to finally get to these two weekends. Wedding #1 for Sarah Beth was all kinds of perfect. And Wedding #2 for Maddie is this weekend and will be equally as wonderful.

It’s not lost on anyone that now isn’t the safest time to get married, but as girls, you wait your whole life to get married and they’ve been through so much over the past few months to get here, it’s the least anyone who feels comfortable enough can do, to be there for them.

Once the wedding weekend kicked off if was party time, and a party it was. I slept on and off all day on Sunday and then all through the night. Beauty sleep is a must this week to gear up for another amazing friend filled wedding weekend. I feel so special to get to be apart of them both.

-Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Thins turned into mini pizzas. So cute and can’t stop making. I load mine up then bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
-Random clean out the fridge lunch deliciousness. Chopped tomatoes, avocado, turkey deli meat, salami, and white cheddar. Topped with salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar.
-Had a head of cauliflower I needed to use up, so I roasted the florets, covered in marinara and almond mozzarella and called it “chicken-less parmesan.”
-In-N-Out protein style burgers are vastly underrated and make for delicious and healthy road trip fuel.
-Monsoon rains and some humid hair, but kicked off the weekend with my Taylor celebrating our best friend SB!
-Rent the Runway was the name of the game for the weekend. Every piece of clothing I wore was RTR! More details on my new Instagram page @confessionsofarentaholic.
-Sarah Beth and I have been dreaming about our weddings since we were 7, so wild seeing those dreams come true for her this weekend.
-Favorite part of the weekend was seeing SB shovel down a burger in her wedding dresses, minutes before the ceremony. Too too good.
-Staying the week with my parents, because my other bestie gets married this weekend. This means cooking in their kitchen again, which is one of my favorite things to do!

Annie