Bites of My Life

It's the calm before the storm. Not typically the phrase you would use after the holidays, but I'm talking literally here. Oklahoma got dumped on with rain and sleet yesterday, and today is bringing more sleet and snow. I've been bunking up at my parents since Christmas and the cabin fever is starting to set in. Fingers crossed the weather comes and goes so I can head down to Texas for a best friend New Years reunion. 

Reflecting back on the past week, it was a time of giving, receiving, family and friends. The holidays are so good about making me feel all warm fuzzy inside and reminding me just how thankful I am for the little life I live. 

I say this a lot, but this season of life keeps proving how I am really growing up, whether I like it or not. The hardest part recently is not having that month long break off... Celebrating Christmas Eve with just my mom and dad also shows me how I'm growing up. My sisters are off doing their own celebrations and I'm weirdly okay with it. I'm a traditionalist and don't usually handle change well. But the older I get, the more accepting I am. There are too many good things to be blinded with instead of dwelling on the constant change. 

-Just because Christmas is over doesn't mean you can't still enjoy this wintery gingerbread breakfast shake. Recipe posted on my instagram.
-Spaghetti squash is easily my favorite weeknight meal. Topped with a runny poached egg makes it even better.
-Santa requests my signature sugar cookies every year. 
-Dad got a Nespresso for Christmas and I'm reaping the benefits with homemade decaf lattes. 
-Took it upon ourselves this year to buy our Christmas PJs. This was a tradition I wasn't ready to let go of...
-Capped off the day with a Christmas meal of crown pork roast, spiced pecan salad, creamed spinach and cheese grits. 
-Ain't no party until the cocktail weenies show up. Sis and brother-in-law know how to throw one.
-Coconut water just met it's match. Picked this up while dad and I were stocking up on groceries and necessities before the winter storm hit.
-Lunch by the fire, still in my PJs, because Sunday and snow. 

Annie

Snowball Cookies

So you know that scene in Elf when Buddy gets into the snowball fight and within seconds has a whole pile of perfectly rolled snowballs? Ya so I don't really know where I was going with this except that he makes snowballs, and this post is about snowball cookies. 

Some people call them Mexican Wedding Cookies, but if you are making them around the holidays they must be called snowball cookies. Last week Oklahoma got a tiny amount of flurries but besides that we have been sitting pretty in the 60s...not okay. Let it snow, let is snow, let it snow!

Snowball Cookies (Mexican Wedding Cookies) adapted from The Domestic Rebel
yields 40 cookies

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of cinnamon
2 cups ground pecans (I bought chopped and grounded them finer in a food processer) 
2 cups flour
powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In an electric mixer, beat together the butter, white and brown sugars until fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the vanilla and cinnamon to combine. Lastly, add in the ground pecans and the flour until the dough comes together. The dough may be crumbly, but using a spatula or your hands work to bring it together. 

Using a cookie dough scoop, roll Tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place them about 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 10-13 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time to ensure an even cook. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheets for about 10 minutes or until cooler to the touch. Immediately roll the cookies into powdered sugar to coat.

Once cookies are cooled, send them through another light roll in the powdered sugar for a second coat. Then serve! Cookies can be stored airtight at room temperature for up to a week.

Annie

Peppermint Bark

Chocolate and peppermint are the pumpkin spice of Christmas. I am a huge mint and chocolate fan, so when peppermint bark makes it's appearance around Christmas, its gimme gimme gimme. 

I was so excited to make a fun treat for my co-workers. I know it's cheesy, but I've been thinking about what I could make for a while.  Perks of the working world is always having people to pawn my treats off on. I wasn't just pawning it off on this time, I made it special for them! Hint** if you are still needing a co-worker gift, go straight home and whip up a batch, you still have a day or two!

My first batch was a disaster. Chocolate chips do not qualify as "good quality" chocolate. My first attempt I used chips and the white and chocolate layer completely broke apart when I tried to break it up. I also didn't let it set up long enough. 

After doing some research, I found 3 tips that are imperative for peppermint bark. 1. Use good quality chocolate (I used Ghiradelli) 2. Don't rush the process, let it firm up in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. 3. Break into pieces face down. This keeps the mess to a minimum and doesn't crush the candy cane pieces. 

Peppermint Bark

Ingredients:
8 oz *good quality semi-sweet chocolate (I used Gihradelli)
12 oz *good quality white chocolate (More white chocolate, cause I love it)
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
5 candy canes or a handful of peppermints

Directions:
Line a 9x9 pan with foil. 

Place a heat proof bowl over a small sauce pan filled with about an 1-2 inches of water. You don't want the water to touch the bottom of the bowl. Bring the water to a simmer and keep simmering. Place about 6 oz of the chocolate in the bowl and stir often until melted. Add in the rest of the chocolate. Once it is all melted together, stir in 1/4 tsp. of the peppermint extract. Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly along the bottom. Refrigerate until firm. About 2 hours. 

While the chocolate layer is firming, place your candy canes in a Ziploc bag and crush into small pieces. Don't crush too small otherwise you will end up with powder.

Once the chocolate layer is firm and set up, repeat the melting process with the white chocolate. melting about 8 oz, then adding the rest at the end as well as then the remaining 1/4 tsp. of peppermint extract. pour over the chocolate layer and spread evenly. Sprinkle the crushed candy canes over the top and lightly press into the chocolate. Back to the fridge it goes for 2 hours or overnight. 

*Good quality chocolate is imperative, so you don't get separation between the layers. Chocolate chips will not work.

Once the bark is set up. Take it out of the pan and place face down on a kitchen towel. This will help from all of the peppermint pieces breaking. Using your hands break into random shaped pieces. Store in the fridge before gifting or in between eating!

Annie

Bites of My Life

Four days, four days, four days!! I'm starting to get the Christmas giddiness. This week plans to contain Christmas recipes, Christmas movies, last minute Christmas parties and lots of Christmas music. 

After getting to celebrate friends' graduation this weekend, I was feeling all kinds of weird feelings. Graduation back in May was so strange and brought all kinds of unexpected feelings for me. I can't really describe it but they kind of came back. Weird realities of how I really am getting older, have so many more responsibilities, and how I don't have a month off of school for winter break...

-Blueberry tahini oatmeal. Blueberries and tahini are a surprising great combo.
-My little Christmas cottage.
-Verde Turkey Chili made a comeback this season. 
-Got in a snowball fight and came out with some snowball cookies, recipe to come.
-Pushed the store bought aside and made my own peppermint bark, recipe also to come!
-Friday spent with my favorite people.
-Welcomed more friends to the post grad club this weekend.
-Sunday sweet potato.
-Quinoa fried rice and a side of popcorn for Miss Universe viewing, go Miss USA (an Oklahoma native).

Annie

Checking Off the TDL

Let's check in . The door is officially closing on fall and winter begins this Tuesday. In comparison to my summer to-do list, I actually made quite a bit of headway on my fall to-do list. As busy as fall is, I'm always slightly more motivated to GSD (get sh** done). 

I successfully crossed 7/10 items off my TDL. I'm still working on reading that book...need to make a little trip up to Tulsa, Oklahoma and hopefully cozying up in a cabin somewhere can still happen sometime this winter.

I'm a productive junkie. I love the feeling when I get to cross things off and when all my errands get done. I like to think of my self as a pretty chill person, but I'm a go-getter when it comes to getting things done. It irks me that I haven't finished a book yet. But Gilmore Girls always wins when it comes down to how I want to wind down before bed. 

photo taken at Provision Kitchen

1. Make unconventional pumpkin recipes.

Turned pumpkins into Pumpkin Curry, Upside Down Pumpkin Crumb Cake and Best D@#% Pumpkin Soup.

2. Have a fall themed cookout outside by the chiminea. S'mores and hot chocolate must be included. 

This get together lacked s'mores and hot cocoa, but there was tons of food, tons of friends and college football outside by the chiminea.

3. Rent bikes and ride around town. 

Super spontaneous, but made for the most fun afternoon!

4. Make at least three cookbook recipes.

My favorite cookbook recipe was easily this Jambalaya from The Homemade Kitchen.

5. Have a full-fledge Thursday night Scandal watch party. Lots of popcorn and lots of red wine. 

Okay so I didn't plan this but I happily participated.

6. Finish a book...still working on it.

7. Plan a friendsgiving!

This is about to be annual!

8. Take a day trip to Tulsa-Plans are in the works!

9. Take a food photography class. 

I purchased this class from Brit + Co. Lindsey, was super helpful I just need to learn the ins and outs of my camera first.

10. Cozy up in a cabin for a weekend-Hopeful this still happens soon!

Now bring on winter, snow and more to-dos!

Annie