Bites of My Life

Memorial Day behind us and it’s unofficially officially summer! After a particularly fun week, I headed up to Grand Lake for one of my favorite weekends. A group of some of my best college friends have been hitting the lake for MDW for 4 years now and have deemed it “Lake Ratz.” We joke about how we will be going years from now even if babies are in tow. Since year one we’ve had a wedding and two on the way for members of the group. It’s evolved, yet remained the same. Each year the house gets a little bigger and nicer, we’ve classed up the weekend menu a bit adding smoked pork shoulder in the the mix with our ground beef tacos and burgers. Don’t let me fool you though, it’s pretty easy to revert back to being 22 when you’re at the lake with your college besties!

-Spotted this skirt and had to have it. It was double my normal size but I bought it and belted it with a thick brown belt. Long dresses (like this one) and skirts are all I want to wear right now to keep things breezy for these Dallas temps, yet warm when inside and the AC is blasting.
-Tini Tuesday nourishment in the form of a charcuterie board and this Strawberry Quinoa Salad. I added tomatoes and subbed mozzarella pearls for burrata.
-However, the Mary Martini was the star of #tinituesday. Did you catch last week’s post when my friend Mary guest blogged sharing her new go-to cocktail recipe?
-A batch and a half of Perfect CCC’s to take with me to the lake! I 1 and a 1/2 the recipe and scooped them a little smaller to end up with exactly 60 cookies.
-Pizza on the dock to commence Memorial Day weekend at the lake!
-My birthday has fallen on MDW the past few years, and I love celebrating over the weekend with friends. My birthday is actually tomorrow, but I was still surprised with a cake and Happy Birthday over the speakers on the deck to celebrate a few days early!
-Golden hour with girls of Lake Ratz.
-Closing time feat. this perfect s’more.
-Ended the weekend with a bang being asked to be a bridesmaid in my bestie Jordan’s wedding next spring!

Annie

Song of the week: Thief by Ookay

Guest Post: Mary Martini

I’m thrilled to introduce you to my friend Mary today. Mary is my Nancy Meyers obsessed, oldies music loving, eye for a perfectly curated Instagram - soul sister. Today she is giving Take A Bite readers a recipe for her signature cocktail with a themed playlist to match. Without further ado, cheers to Mary Martini!

What do Carrie Bradshaw and Betty Draper have in common? A signature cocktail. Read all about the quest for mine.

Somewhere between idolizing Carrie Bradshaw and binge-watching Mad Men, I realized it was imponent I choose a signature beverage (hold the cigarette). These women sophisticatedly bruted with social pizazz and class while sipping cocktails that were not for the faint of heart. I quickly attached to the idea of the martini because the glass was chic, the beverage was timeless, and most every restaurant can serve one. The issue: I hate olives. Half the fun of ordering a martini out is saying you want it “dirty”. It's the type of notion my mother would be just disappointed enough to hear me say that would make me want another. 

Right around the time of my search, Hudson House on Lovers Lane opened with a martini and oyster happy hour from 4-6pm. On my first visit, my husband ordered the Bleu and Gold (the beverage I wish I wanted to order) and I ordered the Cabo. It’s a “martini”, but with tequila and jalapeño. After one sip I knew, this is my drink. 

After many failed attempts, I believe I’ve mastered this as my Quarantini, my Monday martini, my usual. Maybe you aren’t headed anywhere beyond the living room, but grab a swanky coupe, turn on this playlist, and TAKE A BITE SIP! 

This is a 3-2-1-GO! Just like any martini, this drink is meant to be strong yet smooth so ingredients matter. The key to this beverage is using Peychaud’s Bitters which gives it the delicious flavor and crucial pink hue. 

Mary Martini
yields 1 cocktail

3 oz high-quality tequila 
2 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz Cointreau
.5 oz jalapeño prepared Peychaud’s Bitters  (see note)
½ jalapeño

Notes/Prep:
Slice ½ jalapeño and place the slices into a shallow bowl. Pour half a bottle of bitters into the bowl. Let bitters and jalapeño soak for at least 4-6 hours ahead of cocktail hour.

Directions:
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker half full of ice. Shake for 15 seconds. Pour the cocktail into a martini glass or coupe and serve immediately. Top with a jalapeño slice, extra style points if you pop the glass into the freezer ahead of time.

If you loved this post by Mary, I encourage you to check out her recent contribution to Over The Moon and past articles written for D Weddings (like her buzzworthy post, How to Get Your Marriage License in Dallas).

Annie + Mary

Martini Glasses

Bites of My Life

So is it kind of summer now? I know Memorial Day is the unofficial start to summer, but it feels like it’s already here to me. Despite the daze quarantine has put us in, since I’ve been back in Dallas as least, there feels to be a beat in the air that I only feel during the summer. You know; the accidental later nights since it stays light until 9pm, tanner skin, grilling out, laying by the pool, and the overall boost of happiness just because it’s summer? It may be due to the 90 degree temperatures we are having this week, but I’m here for it.

-Sampled Wild By Nature’s CBD sample pack last week. A 6 week starter kit to get your toes wet. They launch this Friday and I can’t wait to get my hands on more.
-Refreshed an old TAB archive post and was quickly reminded how delicious this recipe is.
-5pm topo and grapefruit mocktail is my favorite way to separate the work day to evening.
-Lunch ick-up from a Dallas favorite, Bird Bakery, to meet two friends, one of whom just moved back to Dallas from OKC!
-Team tiny canned fish yes or no? I’m a yes and so was my Trader Joe’s checker. Noticing I had anchovies in my cart, he insisted I had to try the smoked sardines and tossed a tin in my bag for free. TJs you are too good, the sardines on the other hand were fine…
-Mussels - actually incredibly easy to make. I urge you to try if you like mussels.
-A good ole fashioned Friday girls night that consisted of tex-mex, tequila, this guac, my new favorite dress and staying up past midnight talking.
-Teamed up with Wild By Nature (that I mentioned above) to make my Matcha Mint Smoothie inspired by their mint flavor of CBD. I went live from their account Sunday and it was one of the more fun lives I’ve done.
-When you have no patio space at your apartment and take to tanning on truly any public patch of grass you find.

Annie

Brussels Sprouts Salad with Avocado and Pistachios

I originally published this recipe in May of 2014. I can honestly say I have never made it again until now. It’s a little hidden gem hiding in the TAB archives and I’m excited to bring it back to life. The recipe has been slightly updated along with the photos and post.

An excerpt from the original post 5/16/14:

Cooking for my parents is one of my favorite things to do! The one night I was gone this week I think my parents went into panic mode and didn't know what to do without me cooking dinner. They had to resort to take-out when their "personal chef" was gone. 

Mom, Dad, looks like 2014 is looking a little like 2020 during quarantine. Would you agree? At this time in May ‘14 I had just finished my junior year of college and was home for a couple of weeks before moving to Washington D.C. for my summer internship with Scout. My parents had just moved into a new house and I was obsessed with cooking in their kitchen. Little has changed, their kitchen is still my favorite place to cook.

How cool that recipes can instantly take you back to a certain time of life. Since I obsessively take photos of almost everything that goes into my mouth, I probably remember meals more than others. But I’m sure some of you can agree that a certain recipe can instantly have you travel back in time.

Brussels Sprouts Salad with Avocado and Pistachios
serves 2 as an entree salad, and 4-5 as a side

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. brussels sprouts
1 small red onion or ½ of one large onion, thinly sliced
½ cup unsalted pistachios, shelled and coarsely chopped
1 avocado, cubed
¼ cup roughly chopped cilantro
juice of one lime
salt and pepper

Directions:
Trim the ends off the Brussels sprouts and thinly slice, so they look shaved. Cut the ends off of red onion and thinly slice into rings. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the Brussels sprouts and onion to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for 4-5 minutes until both are tender.

Stir in the pistachios and lime juice, and cook for 2 more minutes until the Brussels are lightly browned, the onions are starting to cook down and all the flavors are combined. Remove from heat and gently stir in the avocado and cilantro. Serve warm!

Serve this as a side dish next to fish or even with barbecue. It’s also great as a hearty lunch salad and perfect enjoyed in spring and summer!

Annie

Bites of My Life

So happy to be home, so happy to be back in Dallas. I absolutely loved being in Oklahoma City with my parents for so long, but being back here, with my friends, in my cute apartment, it feels right. Last week flew by as I made a conscious effort to have something to look forward to each day. Wether it was a planned walk with a friend, a backyard Cinco de Mayo party, first time going to a restaurant, or a a recipe I leisurely spent cooking.

Quarantining with my parents taught me to enjoy the evening. In the past, I would shut my computer around 5 or so, soon after heat up food I had prepped on Sunday, and be done eating by 5:30. That then left about 4 hours of sitting on my couch all night. I’m working on changing my routine and establishing a more leisurely evening. Once I wrap up work I’ll put my phone in my bedroom, watch some news (big Nightly News with Lester Holt fan!!), and then maybe make a cocktail or a mocktail of just sparkling water with a splash of grapefruit juice. Around 6 or 6:30 I’ll put on a playlist (I’ve been really into music over TV), put on my apron, and start cooking dinner. Taking small steps to make the evening more special and not something that I just glaze through has been really nice. Encourage you to do the same!

-Just a big ole plate of roasted shishito peppers for my first night back in Dallas.
-Finally wrote out the recipe for the cocktail I’ve been drinking all of quarantine and plan to all summer.
-Slightly obnoxious, but we will call it cute when 5 out 6 girls at our backyard Cinco de Mayo fiesta were donning their Mi Golondrina.
-WFH = blue light glasses, my Perfect Green Smoothie, and wrinkled pants.
-My attempt to make the Trader Joe’s kale gnocchi pretty and taste delicious. I did the best I could but there is no way to make those little green things pretty. My verdict - they are fine.
-Happy to be reunited with the best sushi in Dallas. It’s Oishii in case you didn’t know.
-Laying out in the park with Marge and 100 others. It’s really fun to see the number of people who have fled to the outdoors to picnic, fish, layout, etc. One of the many things I hope sticks around after all of this.
-Added some life to my apartment over the weekend.
-In addition to my plant purchase, I also potted basil, mint, rosemary, and cilantro. Having fresh herbs at your fingertips is kind of everything. Use my surplus of basil for a sun-dried tomato, basil, and mozzarella omelet.

Annie

Morning bite: Hope you saw last week’s breakfast post, a classic Tucker recipe I loved sharing!