Bites of My Life

Lot’s of tile floor pics this week. I had more, but refrained from posting them. I think I need to start a #anniestilefloor hashtag for the amount of pictures I take in this exact spot. Lot’s of #anniestilefloor is showing up because lot’s a good food was and is going down these days. I’m reading a book that has a whole section on how food is medicine and what we eat, when we eat it, how we eat etc. can help cure a multitude of hormonal issues. That being said, lots of intentional recipes are being made and devoured!

Aside from food (always) I got extra time with my mini me this week, and had a double header of concerts this weekend. ‘Twas a good one!

Looking forward to The Bachelor finale tonight and tomorrow and celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Dallas this weekend!

-Started the week with an egg craving. If you’ve been around here for a while, you know I go up and down and down and up with eggs. For a month I’ll eat them everyday and then one day I’ll wake up and almost gag getting them down and then won’t eat eggs for 6 months. Well, I’ve been off eggs for a few weeks, but decided this week I was going to try again. I made 6 1/2 minute jammy eggs and they were amazing. But then I made them again the next day and could barely get them down. Don’t ask. I don’t know why I’m so finicky with them. However, I posted on my stories about this and had several people say, they too, go through egg phases.
-Mardi Gras complete with a homemade King Cake from our baker at The Jones. Kind of one ups my homemade king cakes, but I’ll give it to the professional!
-Sweet Potato Lentil Dhal from one of my favorite cookbooks. Super cozy indian dish topped with avocado, yogurt, sesame seeds and toasted coconut.
-Really loved this brothy celery and chickpea soup I made for lunches last week.
-Elle, can you say puppies??
-Back to back concerts this weekend. Friday night with Ben Rector and Saturday night with my #1 music crush right now, Mt. Joy. After discovering them in Dallas a few weekends ago when they opened for RKS, I freaked out when I saw they would be in OKC. I’m Your Wreck and Sheep are my favorites. Do yourself a favor and jump on my bandwagon.
-Went a little protein pancake crazy this weekend. Woke up real early both days this weekend, starving none the less. These protein pancakes were equal parts filling as they were satisfying. Just 1 scoop vanilla protein, 1 egg, 1/4 cup water cooked in coconut oil topped with melted almond butter and cinnamon.
-Sunday Self Care <3 read my Sunday routine in yesterday’s post.
-Clean out the fridge meals are often my favorite. I pride myself on being able to repurpose leftovers like a champ. Seen here, I took leftover roasted broccoli, leftover corn tortillas, almond milk mozzarella and spinach to make a little quesadilla for lunch. I dipped it in a crema I made from leftover cashew yogurt, cilantro and cumin!

Annie

Music bite: just listen to them please!

Sunday Self Care

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Since the new year, I’ve adapted a new Sunday, enter trendy buzz word “self care,” routine. On most Sundays, especially those following a weekend of lots of eating and drinking, I try to end the weekend with the same routine. It’s a sure way to help detox and ease the Sunday scaries…

Sunday Self Care Routine:

Take an epsom salt bath. I love Dr. Teal’s epsom salt bath, but I really love the coconut oil scent. Bonus, it makes your skin extra soft. Epsom salt baths are said to detox your skin of toxins, leave your skin smooth and ease sore muscles. A warm bath also helps with stress and aids with sleep!

Apply a thick layer of shea butter. I have really dry skin and patches of eczema. I have tried a gagillion lotions and this lotion by Aveeno has proven to be the best for an everyday lotion. However, on Sunday’s I lather up with this super thick (like really really thick) shea butter by Sun Potion.

Put on a face mask. 2018 was the year of taking better care of my skin. I’m still on the mission in 2019. When I have extra time, like on Sundays, putting on a face mask is one of my favorite acts of self care. My roommate gifted me the Super Collagen Mask by Mario Badescu for Christmas and I’ve been loving it. I put on the mask right before I get in the bath.

Sip on detox tea. I drink a lot of hot tea morning, noon and night. I often have a cup of detox tea after dinner to help settle my meal and subside any sugar cravings. But something about sipping tea, with a face mask on, in a hot bath, makes me feel like I’m really living my best life.

Get in bed early. I try to get in or start getting ready for bed around 9 each night. On Sundays especially.

Do you have a specific self care routine?

Annie

Bites of My Life

I started my Monday morning and one of my favorite spots in the city, Kitchen at Commonplace. They promoted having free coffee on Monday’s and it seemed like the perfect place to start my week and get some things done before heading into the office. Well, on the way there I realized I left my phone at home. I opted out of going back to get it and decided I could live a day with out my phone (really testing myself here). I then got there to find out the “free coffee” special was for networking purposes. The idea was to have a cup of coffee and mingle and meet with like minded people. I missed that message. I wasn’t quite in the mingling mood, I had things to get done for goodness sake! So I grabbed my cup of coffee, said hi to the business owners and a few others I saw and knew, and then settled into a corner of the Kitchen.

I pulled out my computer and couldn’t find the wifi. Second realization of the day, they don’t have free wifi for guests. While I can appreciate that I was slightly annoyed. I needed to finish this blog post and reply to emails. All things that require wifi. And, let’s remember, I didn’t have my phone so I couldn’t connect to my hotspot. Instead of getting up and leaving, I was taking the no phone and no wifi as a sign.

I had brought my bible study and book club book, thinking maybe if after finishing my post and emails I may work on my study or read a bit. But let’s be honest, I knew I wouldn’t. Although, it was the thought that count! Well, I had no choice. No wifi, I couldn’t leave I already said hi, no phone. It was time to read, time to write, with actual pen and paper. So I drank my coffee and went through three days of my study. It was wonderful honestly. No distractions, no screens. I think I might start leaving my phone at home once a week and going places that don’t have wifi. A perfect slow start to a Monday and new week.

-Last week I went to the store with no idea what I was buying. I never do that. I always have a list. I mentally knew I wanted to cook vegetarian for the week, but I just let the store speak to me (LOL) as far as what I ended up putting in my cart. It was slightly stressful and I don’t plan to just roam the aisles without a plan again, but I ended up with a great meal. I made a batch of lentils and did a composed salad of romaine, cooked red lentils, chickpeas, avocado, marinated onions, cherry tomatoes and topped with Trader Joe’s Turmeric Almond Butter dressing and black sesame seeds.
-My bestie is now a proud new homeowner! Bonus: she’s right down the street from me!
-I posted a picture of my room in bites last week too, but I’ve just really been loving this space lately!
-Old episodes from The Hills and a glass of wine in bed from 5pm Friday until I fell asleep.
-Fun Saturday popping up at Madewell to promote upcoming shows at The Jones Assembly!
-Always always always my go to snack. Apple with cinnamon and fresh ground almond butter.
-Ready to get these two married so I can get my liver back!
-Prior comment aside, we had a great time showering Alex and Graham!
-Panera delivery. I hate that I’m becoming that person to order food delivery, but its v necessary sometimes. And the $2 delivery price is hard not to pass up.

Annie

Meal prepped this for lunches this week and it’s going to be the perfect lunch for this cold weather that won’t go away.

Bites of My Life

A pretty easy and fun week last week that led up to another weekend in Dallas. Started the weekend with #NationalMargaritaDay and a copious amount of tortilla chips (I have zero restraint). A beautiful day Saturday catching up with friends getting to meet our Lo’s baby girl. It’s wild being the age where your friends start having babies, but it’s incredibly fun too! Finished the weekend with the Oscars which in my opinion was one of the best in years. Having seen zero nominated movies, the show was entertaining and the pink moment was everything!

-My friends and I have officially started a book club and I can’t wait for our first meeting. We’ve been talking about it for forever, but finally committed to getting together monthly to discuss our chosen book. First up, the book of the moment, Educated. Anyone else in a book club?
-The makings of my one of my favorite Defined Dish meals!
-Fun morning with work getting to prep, cook and serve at the Oklahoma City Homeless Alliance!
-Samoa Popcorn. It’s a thing. Figure out how, here.
-No story behind this picture except that his corner of my room was just looking cozy and cute.
-When you work in hospitality marketing and national food holidays lead you to taking vibey drink pictures and mentioning margaritas about 100 times in one day.
-It’s a crazy thing I tell you when your friends start having babies, but loved getting to meet sweet little Grace this weekend.
-A baby weekend kind of weekend apparently. Stole my little bestie for some on one aunt Annie and Elle time on Sunday.
-And the Oscar goes to… Samoa Popcorn of course!

Annie

Oscar bite: Pink for the win at the Oscars! My favorites were Gemma Chan and Julia Roberts!

Samoa Popcorn

Girl Scout cookies, you can’t, not, love them. My top three are Samoas, Thin Mints and Trefoils. Yours?

With it being peak Girl Scout cookie season, I wanted to repurpose the coveted cookies. I’m taking the flavors of Samoas, and actual Samoa pieces and turning it into a decorated popcorn recipe. With the Oscars this Sunday, it will be the perfect snack at my watch party!

My sister, Kathleen and our two best friends Jillian and Taylor get together for almost all award shows (and pageants), especially the Oscars. I never do as well as I set out to, when it comes to actually seeing Oscar nominated movies, but you can bet I’ll be in front of the TV Sunday evening filling out my ballot and snacking on all the appropriate snacks. Exhibit A, this Samoa Popcorn.

Are you watching the Oscars this Sunday? Hit up your local scout before the big show, so you too, can make this popcorn for your viewing and tastebud pleasure!

Samoa Popcorn
yields 6-8 cups

Ingredients:
6-8 cups air popped popcorn (I used 1/2 cup kernels and 1 tbsp. coconut oil, prepared in my Lekue popcorn maker)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips*
2 tsps. coconut oil
1/2 cup sweetened coconut
5 Samoas, roughly chopped

Directions:
Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil. Pop your popcorn and evenly distribute on your prepared cookie sheet.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt your semi-sweet chocolate chips with 1 tsp. of coconut oil in 30 second intervals. Stirring well between each interval to keep the chips from burning. Once melted, set aside. I did 30 seconds, another 30 seconds and then about 10 seconds at the end. In another microwave safe bowl, do the same with the butterscotch chips and 1 tsp. of coconut oil, then set aside.

Toast your coconut in a small sauté pan, over medium heat. Stirring often, until light brown. Don’t take your eyes off of it, this happens fast. Once light brown, take off the heat and set aside.

Now it’s time to put it all together. Using a small spatula or spoon, drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the popcorn. Repeat with the melted butterscotch. Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the popcorn. Finish by evenly distributing the Samoa cookie pieces. Let sit until the chocolate is hardened, about an hour. Break up the big chunks of popcorn and serve!

*you can use melted caramel instead of butterscotch chips, but I just really love butterscotch and prefer the way it hardens on the popcorn.

Annie

My Oscar Ballot is from Studio DIY!