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

Crock-Pot Carnitas

This is it you guys, this is it. Officially my go to recipe for cooking for friends, party food, pot-lucks etc. Crock-pot carnitas are a zip to make, but totally bring on the wow. Not to mention they make a truck load, so it's a perfect way to feed the masses.

My mind and my stomach have been on a taco kick recently. One of my co-workers was recently sharing with me how she loves to make carnitas. She was going on about how easy, fresh and healthy they were. Okay, sold. Give me the recipe. So thank you Mel, this one is for you!

My pork butt was a little over 7 lbs. which is huge, but that was the smallest I could find! It barely fit in my crock pot. I think it made enough carnitas for the whole neighborhood. But really. Some for me, some for my roommates, some for sis and husband, and some for the freezer to pull out on a rainy day. Search your market and you can probably find a smaller butt. I was limited and hungry so just went with it. A pork shoulder is interchangeable for this recipe. You can typically find small pork shoulders in the grocery store!

That being said the measurements for this recipe are a little loosey goosey because your pork butt size may vary. Just go with it and trust your self, I promise you can't mess this up. 

Crock Pot Carnitas

Ingredients:
4-5 lb. pork butt roast or shoulder  (bone-in or boneless, either works)
cumin
chili powder
garlic powder
salt and pepper

Accompaniments: 
white corn tortillas
cilantro, chopped
avocado slices
lime wedges
chopped red onion, pickled onions, pico de gallo etc.

Directions:
Rinse and pat dry the pork butt. Put just about a 1/2 inch of water in the bottom of your crock pot. Season both sides of the pork with all of the seasonings. I did about one teaspoon per side (roughly 2 tsps. of each seasoning). Place in the crock-pot. Turn on low and let cook for 6-8 hours or until tender. My pork butt was a bone-in. The best part was getting to reach in and just slide the bone right out of the tender meat.

Using two forks shred the carnitas. Add more seasoning if needed. Warm tortillas on a griddle. Serve carnitas with some pico, cilantro, fresh avocado and a squeeze of lime! 

Perfect served as is, but I also can't wait to use the meat in taco salads or on nachos. Melanie said she uses her leftovers in quesadillas and as enchilada filling! I'm also thinking it wouldn't be half bad mixed with a little BBQ sauce for a take on pulled pork. 

I'm not sure what it is about this recipe, but when I was snapchatting while I was cooking, you guys were going crazy. Which I love. And these  carnitas deserve that kind of love because they are that good. So here you go my friends, crock-pot carnitas for your stomachs to enjoy! 

Annie

Spring TDL

These seasonal to-do lists are starting to become some of my favorite posts to come up with. Cue Summer TDL and Fall TDL. Sorry winter, you got left out. Some of the things on my list I've been holding to out to do, but others I had to think about. These posts let me sit down and think on what I want to enjoy in the coming months. I'm a planner as I've shared before, so it also gives me a plan on what the spring season may look like. Also, there really is no better feeling than crossing things off your to-do list. And when everything on your TDL is fun, why not strive to get them done!

1. Host a spring dinner party

2. Attend the Oklahoma City Arts Festival.

Because as much as it's about the art, it's really more about the food.

3. Take some kind of cooking, pastry or coffee and latte making class.

4. Go to a crawfish boil/convince a friend to have one.

5. Eat outside as much as possible.

6. Cheer on the OKC Thunder at a playoff game.

7. Make this Coconut Carrot Cake Cheesecake.

8. Perfect how to poach an egg.

9. Host a Cinco De Mayo taco party.

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Anything on your spring to-do list this season?

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

BB Weekend

Meet my friend Molly. She's my blogger bestie, soul sister, sweet to my savory and this past weekend, my getaway gal. Molly and I met on the internet. Laugh to yourself for a second because I am too. It wasn't in a creepy dating site kind of way, but that's what is so cool about the blog world. The people I have met and discovered since starting Take A Bite has made it so worthwhile. Molly and I found each other through the crazy world wide web and instantly new we could be friends. Our amount of similarities is numerous and the way our brain works is almost telepathic.  

We were strictly internet friends for a while, but claimed each other as blogger besties. Always commenting on posts, sharing blog tips, and swapping ideas. Same age, attended rival schools, are in the same sorority, and have a handful of mutual friends, we knew we would meet up eventually. So far we have caught up at Austin City Limits and OU vs. Texas. This past weekend we met halfway between our two cities. I drove down from Oklahoma City and Molly bussed it up from Houston, to meet in Dallas. 

It was a quicky 24 hours, but we packed in loads of blogger bestie goodness. First stop was at Flea Style that just so happened to be taking place this weekend. Honestly...it was slightly underwhelming, but it was fun going booth to booth checking out the specialty food goods, catchy greeting cards, whimsical home goods and vintage clothes. 

Post Flea Market, I was about to eat my arm. We headed to the Knox Henderson area for lunch. We left it up to wherever the wind blew us and we ended up with rose` and greek noshes from Ziziki's. We were those horribly obnoxious people hovering over our tables and moving dinnerware around to get the perfect shot all weekend. Although, it was nice to not be judged for my obsessive foodgramming... 

After lunch and more shopping a little caffeine was needed. Vanilla lavender lattes from Sip Stir fit the bill. Again with the food pics. I'll let you in on a little secret (this is totally posed), but shhhh don't tell the other bloggers. 

Drinks and dinner were at HG Sply Co. which doubles as my new favorite Dallas restaurant.  

A little salmon curry bowl for me and the cauliflower grit bowl with a quinoa patty for Molls.

The weekend was idyllic, with the addition of a few spaz moments as we called them. A Mega Bus "experience", a slightly dazed shopkeeper, a few wreckless uber drivers, a waiter switcheroo and the icing on the cake...getting my car towed. Tip: don't park in a fire line. This seems simple, but take my advice. I'm now a pro at "regaining your vehicle after getting it impounded." Memories, ya know?

More lattes (the best too might I add) and my favorite meal from Ascension Coffee, made for the last stop on our 24 hour excursion. So much real talk, blog talk, job talk and life talk over the weekend. Thank you internet for helping me find one of my besties! If you haven't already, take a peek at Molly's blog. She brings the words and intellect, while I just bring the food. 

Annie