Bites of My Life

As we enter week 4 of social distancing, it’s feeing more and more normal. However I think this upcoming weekend is going to be hard and one of the hardest for a lot of people. With Easter this coming Sunday, but everyone still having to shelter in place, it’s going to look different. Some traditions will have to be set to the side. This is something I hate to see, but have grown to adapt to and accept change better as I’ve gotten older. There is so much change happening right now, and I hope and pray you are all hanging in there!

I’m working on an Easter baking blog post that I hope to get up tomorrow. If you can’t be with loved ones, maybe you plan a facetime baking date? Lemon loaf baked with your family or friends with the help of technology? That’s a new tradition I can get behind!

-Finally made #thestew. I loved it, but this recipe already had my name written all over it before I even cooked it. Turmeric, coconut milk, chickpeas, sold.
-The worst part of quarantining in OKC is that my little nieces are down the street and I can’t play with them. Got to say hi from 6 feet away though!
-Finally tried my hand at Dalgona/Whipped coffee! Have you seen this social media sensation? I’m still tweaking my recipe but shared my tips on IG highlights.
-Best friend zoom turned murder mystery. Oh and I was the one who got murdered….
-Did you see my April Fool’s post?
-Not that we are snobs, but we are kind of food snobs. We felt out of character eating frozen pizza, but not for one second did we think it wasn’t delicious. Props to my dad for stocking the freezer with TJ’s finest.
-Experimenting with a little something that involves these butterfly prints!
-Since everyone is breaking bread during quarantine, I couldn’t be left out! Used this recipe and it turned out great!
-Started my Friday baking bread, ended my Friday baking Perfect CCCs on Facebook Live!
-And then really topped off the day with this broccoli bolognese which I highly recommend.
-Just me, Gabe and my ankle weights for a Saturday stroll.
-Week 3 of quarantine IG Live’s, this week making my Creamy Vegan Lemon Bars! Full video is saved on instagram.

Annie

How to Make Water

Today’s recipe post couldn’t be easier! With shelter in place and everyone social distancing I know the shelves at the stores have become a little bare on the essentials such as toilet paper, canned goods and water bottles. Well good news, with this recipe you can make your own water at home so you don’t need to worry about going to germ-infested store after store looking for water bottles!

Water
yields 2, 16 oz servings

Ingredients:
32 oz tap water
2 cups of ice
2 lemon slices
2 drinking glasses
pitcher

Directions:
Fill a pitcher with 32 oz of tap water. Add the ice directly to the pitcher. Pour the water ice mixture into two glasses. Garnish each glass with a slice of lemon and enjoy!

If you make this recipe be sure to share a picture and tag me on instagram @_annietucker.

oh and April Fools ;)

Annie

If this wasn’t enough, make sure to read about my favorite April Fool’s Day post to date.

Bites of My Life

A few virtual happy hours, learned a new skill, live streamed workouts, supported local restaurants through take-out, went on about 10 walks and started watching Tiger King. Am I a quarantine queen yet? In all seriousness the gravity of coronavirus gets more real by the day as people nearer and dearer are being effected. It’s looking like the next few weeks/months will be spent at home, and I’m just really thankful for technology, and being under the same roof as loved ones. Staying in and counting my blessings.

-Forever thankful for my wild bunch of Kappa college besties. We are spread out amongst Oklahoma, Texas and London, and it somehow took quarantine to get us to do a group video chat for the first time. Realizing this needs to keep up even after Covid-19.
-When you gave up chips for lent and order tex-mex take out. Cucumbers don’t replace tortilla chips let me tell you that.
-Under-eye patches all morning is a work from home luxury I’m leaning into!
-Spoiled spoiled spoiled by quarantining at my parents! Amazing meals every day.
-Hooked on these protein banana pancakes! Indulgent but healthy and the recipe is saved in my highlights!
-Spent 9 hours on Friday learning how to edit videos. Check out my amateur handy work here.
-Finally got around to making the famous “Clayton’s Margaritas.” Despite adding too much egg white, for not liking margaritas, these were great.
-Prepping for another Instagram LIVE Sunday by flat laying my ingredients, but also taking this as a moment to show off my new leggings that I’m obsessed with (which are giving me Carol Baskin/Tiger King vibes but I’m going with it).
-These IG Lives are just too fun to be honest! Blueberry Banana Muffins were a hit with everyone who tuned in! This recipe is a few years old and I forgot how dang good they are.

Annie

Meals of Corona: What I've Been Eating, Making and Plan To Eat/Make

A positive of self-distancing is seeing all the fun things people are baking and cooking during the quarantine. This time has brought on a lot of anxiety and uncertainty for people. I know cooking and baking can be scary for some, but I also know I’m not alone when I say that cooking and baking is a stress release. Even if you aren’t the best cook or baker, I’ve seen so many people via social media, getting out of their comfort zone and getting into the kitchen. So if you are stress-baking or cooking like me, I thought it would be fun to share what I’ve been making and plan to make!

Perfect CCCs: This is a no brainer and maybe obnoxious by this point if you follow me on social media. On Sunday, I filmed an Instagram Live making my coveted cookies and it was the most fun I’ve had of all quarantine. You can watch the live recording on my IGTV!

The Cookies: This Alison Roman recipe went viral on the internet over a year ago, so good chance you’ve seen these before. However, I never got around to making them. I feel accomplished after checking these off my baking to-do list. I even have another Alison Roman recipe planned for #coronoacooking.

Avocado Toast: Lot’s of avocado toast. I’ve been on a big avo toast kick in 2020 and corona hasn’t stopped that. When I was packing to come home for a friend’s wedding shower before all this happened, I knew I would likely be home a few extra days. Along with my dress for the shower and some lounge clothes, my bag of Ezekiel 7 Grain Bread also got packed to come home. Avo toast for breakfast and lunch have been on rotation. I top mine with turmeric, a pinch of cayenne, salt and pepper. A drizzle of olive oil when I feel fancy.

Non-Dairy Yogurt: It’s been a little luxurious quarantining at my parents. Access to their fridge and groceries is a blessing I’m not blind too. They always have Whole Foods granola stocked, so I equally stocked up on non-dairy yogurt to enjoy with it. I love Lava and Siggi’s new coconut yogurt!

Loaded Salads: I ate this salad everyday for my WFH lunch last week. Prepped chicken, avocado and pickled red onions made for a filling and colorful lunch in the midst of scary, sad, confusing coronoa work from home reality. Grab some frozen chicken breasts and grill or cook in a skillet 2-3 of them to have in your fridge. If you can score a rotisserie chicken at the store, that would be something great to have in your fridge. Slice up a red onion to make quick pickled red onions (the key for upping any dish), I then added celery, avocado over greens and drizzled with just olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

Quarantini: While virtual happy hours are becoming more frequent and a drink to end the day is becoming the norm to warm off the stress of the situation, I bring you my under 70 calorie “quarantini.” It’s essentially a Ranch Water, but using La Croix instead of Topo Chico.

1-2 oz of Casamigos Tequila
A hefty slash of lime juice (I like my drinks really limey)
1/2 of a Cherry Lime La Croix (my favorite flavor)
ice

Wannabe Bibimbap Bowls: I love bibimbap and when Alex posted these easy bowls she made from just some ground beef, I quickly made plans to make them. The store was out of kimchi so I got this pickled cauliflower from the olive bar. I did cauli rice and made jasmine rice for my parents, the full recipe is posted in her feed!

What Is on My Covid Cooking List:
No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread
The Stew
2-Ingredient Shakshuka
Lemon Loaf (so good for Easter)
Teddy Bear Snickerdoodles
Basically anything by Half Baked Harvest
A killer pasta, we have some fettuccine ready to be used, any recipe suggestions?
An epic cheese board for dinner (because there are no rules in quarantine)

I had way too much fun filming an IG Live making my Perfect CCC’s, I asked what I should make on IG Live next. Here are a few follower requested recipes I wanted to share if I don’t get to filming them live!
Zucchini Bread
Banana Bread
Blueberry and Banana Streusel Muffins
Banana Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Sugar Cookie Pizza with Strawberry Icing
Brownies
Homemade Oreos
Campfire Cookies

Happy corona cooking!
Annie

Bites of My Life

How are you doing? How are you holding up? How is working from home? We are now at the start of official self distancing week two. While it feels like we are all falling into a rhythm it’s still just so strange. Conversations I’ve had often go like this, “I just can’t believe this.” or “I feel like we are in a movie.” and the worst “How long is this really going to last?” The truth is we don’t know. We are not in control. We can all do our part to help, but God will get us to the finish line. While I’ve struggled to make that my guiding principle through this, I’m confident it’s the truth.

-Very lucky to be at my parents during all of this. Their stocked fridge has me feeling very thankful.
-Lots of hugs and kisses from my nieces before we all decided it would be best to stay 6 feet apart for a while :(
-Walk then wine with my bestie Maddie. Last week was hard for a gajillion reasons, but especially for Maddie after having to reschedule her wedding.
-Wannabe Bibimbap Bowls being made in the #quarantinedkitchen.
-My go to “quarantini” has been a combo of tequila, lots of lime juice and Le Croix.
-Wondering if wearing plastic gloves at the grocery store will be the new normal even after Covid-19?
-Finished this book last week and highly recommend for a mind escape!
-Sunday morning avocado toast, Pioneer Woman and a side of Calm gummies.
-Perfect CCCs went live on Instagram yesterday, did you watch?