Bites of My Life

Oh buddy I am so ready for Thanksgiving. My favorite holiday is only a few short days away and I can't stand the wait. The holiday feels a little different this year not being in school and not getting a real break. I still managed a few days off from work to hang out, eat and be with family. But there was always such a peace of cramming in those last few tests and projects then driving straight home for almost a week off to relax and unwind in the comfort of home. 

This year there will be lots of relaxing, lots of family time and lots of food, it's just different.  Being the youngest, I've always tried to hang on to traditions the longest because I feel like I wasn't around long enough before everyone started growing up and wanting to change them. It's interesting as I grow up and realize how I've adapted to the change. I'm not as much of a traditionalist as I used to be. I'm okay with the changes here and there and the idea of adding new traditions. We have new family who joins us, new recipes we try and new homes to enjoy them in.

I started a new tradition this year that is easily going to stick around for a while. On Friday, I hosted my first Friendsgiving. I had a little too much fun prepping and decorating for the event. All of my closest friends came together in my little baby house to enjoy amazing food and fun times spent together. Everyone really rolled out on the food too, no cop outs with store bought junk. All delicious family recipes that we all got to share with each other. I'm so thankful for friends and family, traditions old and new, and for this time that makes you reflect on it. 

-Step aside pumpkin, it's gingerbread time. Swapped out my pumpkin oats for gingerbread oatmeal. Made by adding molasses, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Topped with crystalized ginger and a little AB!
-CCC recipe round 2!
-This is what happens when I go to Kathleen's house. I steal her clothes and she makes me pumpkin soup. That's what sisters are for. 
-Not so plain siggis with a little pumpkin butter and granola swirled in for a happy desk breakfast.
-I haven't gone to the grocery store in forever and I don't plan on it until after Thanksgiving, this means mooching off my parents for a free dinner. If I pay them a visit they don't see it as mooching, so it's a win win!
-Happy reading with my new cookbook "Happy Cooking" by miss Giada.
-The best surprise by my aunt and cousin and my favorite little chunk of a second cousin at work last week.
-An evening spent as fleuriste pupils. We can now add how to make sushi and create gorgeous flower arrangements to our repertoire of skills.
-My contribution to Friendsgiving, a pumpkin galette
-My first Friendsgiving was just perfect. A full recap to come!
-Everyone outdid themselves with the food. Not a single dish wasn't sampled by me.
-A little boomering and soonering on a freezing Saturday, was well worth it for the win in the end!

Annie

Turkey Time

How to pregame your thanksgiving.

Remember to treat yourself this Thanksgiving, including pie for breakfast.

Why you should cook with your mom.

My favorite Thanksgiving playlist.

Another playlist for the 4 stages of your Turkey day.

Top 5 tips for Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving from my favorite girl Gaby. My Friendsgiving is tomorrow!!

What your Thanksgiving plate says about you.

Are you more Thanksgiving or Christmas? Thanksgiving, duh. 

Thanksgiving is not for the weak.

How to recover once it's over.

And a recipe to help you detox.

And the reason for this season.

It's exactly one week until the main event! It's almost turkey trot, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and PIE TIME!!!

Annie

Chocolate Chip Cookies Round 2

I mentioned a few weeks ago how I am on a quest to find my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. First attempt I made these pillow-like cookies. I kept testing and recently made another batch of cookies. This recipe was sent to me form Molly. She saw my mission and passed along her family's favorite recipe. 

With a few alterations they came out nice! Thin, lots of chocolate and and just a good ole cookie.

This recipe uses two different kinds of flour and requires you to chill the dough. I made mine with mini chocolate chips to ensure a piece of chocolate in every bite.

Chocolate Chip Cookies Round 2

Ingredients:
2 cups cakes flour
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. coarse salt
2 1/2  sticks unsalted butter, room temp (1 1/4 cups)
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
12 oz. mini semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies

Directions:
Combine flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

When time to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop 2 Tbsp. sized cookies onto sheet, 2-inches apart so they have enough room to spread out.  Bake for 10 minutes. 

My first batch burned, but only because we had a little spillage from the night before's dinner and it caused a big smokey mess. Once I got that cleaned up the cookies turned out great, but still on the hunt for my go-to CCC recipe. Fortunately that means more chocolate chip cookies to come.

A fine recipe indeed but still working on finding my go-to. More testing to come!

Annie

Bites of My Life

One week down with the new site design up! You guys probably aren't as obsessed with the new site as I am because it's a little weird to be obsessed with a website, but I still hope you love it. Thank you thank you thank you for all the sweet notes and compliments about the new site. This was a long time coming, so to finally see it in action is extremely exciting. Besides getting a fresh new look, this was just the motivation I needed for all things blog related. 

After the excitement from the new blog launch, my week went running downhill pretty fast. Nothing extravagant just several little things that built up to have a few crappy days in a row. Brushed it off toward the end of the week. Made a little extra cash turning my trash into others treasures, spent Friday night on the couch with Scandal on the DVR and an Irish coffee in hand, had the most fun with a packed house and full tummy on Saturday, and finished the week with a Thunder game!

-Monday morning the new Take A Bite went live and it was a hands in the air all day kind of day.
-First bite of the site was this recipe for Upside Down Pumpkin Crumb Cake
-Mushroom spaghetti squash with parmesan and herbs. On repeat for dinner twice last week and can't wait to make it again. Seriously so good and satisfying. Adapted from this recipe.
-With all the new happenings with Take A Bite, I threw it back to a super old recipe. Can't wait for leftover Thanksgiving turkey to make this again. 
-Did you catch my review of The Homemade Kitchen last week, as well as the recipe for some killer jambalaya?
-My favorite kind of lunch is easily a version of sweet and salty toast. This week was avocado toast with a poached egg and pumpkin butter toast with granola sprinkled on top. 
-Finally made it into Provision Kitchen. Stopped in for their Thanksgiving tasting and got to catch up with my favorite employee/best friend.
-After showing up Sunday to see they were closed, Dad and I redeemed ourselves with lunch Friday from the new sandwich shop in town!
-Hoestesses with the mostesses.
-Two words, Baked Havarti. My favorite dish out of all the cheese options to choose from.
-A full spread to celebrate a big birthday and an OU win! 
-It's not a true birthday celebration without a little cake. Skillet baked chocolate cobbler served with lots of ice cream. Used this recipe but baked it in a skillet instead!

Annie

What I'm Listening To

Between Adele's "Hello" and "Bieber's" Sorry, "Easy Love" by Sigala is on repeat. I'm a top 40 junkie, can't help it. Easy Love is one of those guaranteed good mood songs. It heavily resembles Jackson 5's "ABC," so after about two times of listening to it you will probably know all the words. If you see me in my car in the next few days I will probably be obnoxiously singing and attempting to steering wheel dance while listening to Easy Love. 

Annie