Bites of My Life

Last week got off on the wrong foot after my car got towed and I accidentally ate a whole protein bar that had peanut butter in it (oops). It turned out OK and thanks to Benadryl I’m all good. After I got over those two bumps the rest of the week turned around. I had a very low maintenance holiday spending the day by the pool with friends. My two very best friends get married this weekend and next, so taking it easy before two packed weekends was just what I needed.

-Kicked off last week with a juice cleanse from The Juice Bar. I’ve done a one day juice cleanse now maybe three times. I was just feeling bleh and this helped get me feeling better inside and outside.
-Dallas marked a city-wide mandate enforcing masks. I upped my blue surgical mask with this pink gingham one from Scout! Only $11.
-Have you tried the cauliflower thins from Trader Joe’s? I turned them into little pizzas for lunch and can’t get enough.
-Wednesday mornings are quickly becoming my favorite day of the week. Two of my best friends and I are going through Jennie Allen’s book, Get Out of Your Head and it’s solicited the best thoughts and conversations.
-Anyone else love seeing all of the flags everywhere?
-Can we talk about the color of this smoothie bowl? Beets and raspberries created this.
-My American flag snack board was a hit at my 4th of July celebration!
-S’mores cookies are always better than I remember.
-Started a new little creative outlet, come hang out here.

Annie

4th of July Recipe Roundup

What does the 4th of July look like for you this year? Are you traveling or doing a barbecue with friends? Maybe you are flying solo this year due to coronavirus still being very much a concern in our country. My whole family had a trip planned to Santa Barbara that we had been looking forward to since February. The 4th is always a bit of a flop for me, so I was looking forward to being with family this year. Plans have obviously changed and we are staying home.

I’m laying very low this year, but hope to be meeting up with a few friends by a pool at some point this Saturday. I’m thinking festive Perfect CCC’s or S’mores Cookies and The Baker Mama’s American Flag cheese board will be my contributions. I rounded up those + some favorite summer recipes from my site and a few from websites I trust. Hopefully, this list will help make your holiday a little more special no matter what your celebration looks like.

Sweets
S’mores Cookies
Cherry Peach Pie with Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Berry Cobbler
3-Ingredient Individual Strawberry Trifles
Sugar Cookie Pizza with Strawberry Icing or M&M Cookie Pizza (with festive M&Ms)
Perfect CCC’s (with festive sprinkles)

Sides
Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad
Shaved Cauliflower Salad
Brussels Sprouts Salad with Avocado and Pistachios
Charred Corn Salad with Feta, Basil, and Jalapeno
The Mix
Watermelon Feta Pistachio Salad

And now a few recipes I’ve made or recommend from sites I trust!

The Baker Mama’s American Flag Cheese Board
Broma Bakery’s S’mores Rice Krispie Treats
Half Baked Harvest’s Bourbon Peach Baked Beans (I love this recipe!)
Barefoot Contessa’s Flag Cake (a 4th of July staple. I’ve made this exact recipe and is insanely good)
Elisabeth & Butter’s Blackberry Cobbler Ice Cream
The Defined Dish Whole 30 BBQ Ribs (I’ve been craving ribs, is that weird?)
A Peony For Your Thoughts Red Potato and Sweet Corn Salad (APFYT was my sister’s old blog, we havne’t made this recipe in forever, but it is so good and I always think of it when it comes to barbecues).

I hope you have a wonderful and safe 4th!
Annie

Bites of My Life

Such a fun week back in OKC. I had plans to be in town at the end of the week for a wedding, but snuck up early to surprise my dad for father’s day and his birthday. Got to catch of with some of my best friends and family, and it was all around just a great little trip. Back in Dallas and looking forward to a low key holiday weekend.

-Parmesan risotto with bacon-wrapped shrimp and crispy brussels for dad’s 62nd birthday dinner.
-Sweet-home Okra-homa! Sweet home Jones Assembly (is back open!!).
-Snuck in some QT with one of my most special friends. My Lex girl and I are the kind of friends that spill our guts to each other every time we are together. The best!
-Post-work day pool time with these little fishies.
-First wedding post quarantine. Everyone was a little anxious, but only my happiest friend could pull it off!
-Saw my friend Maddi post about these litte ice cream cone scoopers and had to get them for Elle and Hallie. Needless to say, they loved them.
-This Seven 11 themed shower for a July 11th wedding had details on point. Even down to the fact that it last minute turned into a “slurp and see” drive-by shower.
-Slurpies in cookie form can’t get any cuter.
-She’s getting married in a few weeks one way or another!

Annie

Bites of My Life

Last week was a run of the mill week with some highlights like game night (any Rummikub fans out there?), a visit from my London living college bestie, and then a Saturday spent at a lake nearby with some of my favorite Dallas friends! We came back from the lake Sunday morning and I hopped in the car to drive up to OKC to surprise my dad for Father’s Day and his birthday today!

-Perfecting my chia seed pudding recipe one breakfast at a time!
-After having a similar wrap from a Dallas favorite for lunch Sunday, I went to the store and proceeded to recreate it every day for lunch. There is something so satisfying about the taste of sandwich ingredients but without the gluten!
-3pm hits and the GG crackers go into the oven for my daily snack. I’ve been doing a few GG pizzas and one GG with AB and raspberries for dessert. If you are like what the heck are GGs and what are you talking about, read this.
-Grass-fed beef, broccoli, mushrooms, and Asian seasonings made up this stir-fry on a whim!
-My little Londoner was in town (Fort Worth), so a visit was in order. Catching up with Megan and her family is always the best. Lots of white wine and girl talk.
-By Friday, my lettuce wrap ingredients were on the outs, so I used some leftover small lettuce leaves to fill with salami, cashew cheese, mustard, pickles and microgreens. Odd but it worked.
-Cheeseboard lakeside!
-Snuck out of Dallas for the day, for tons of sun, food, and rounds of Code Names!
-When you forget Prosecco, add tequila to your Aperol and call it a Lakeside Spritz.

Annie

Bites of My Life

Things are picking up, things are feeling normal. I’m home from a bachelorette party for a wedding that will happen in less than a month. Something that seemed unattainable a couple of months ago. More restaurants are opening up, more people are out and it feels good.

-Golden Ratio sent me some of their coffee bags to try and I cannot get enough. It brews like tea and has this really smooth taste. They launch June 30th so keep an eye out.
-Started Jennie Allen’s ‘Get Out of Your Head’ with two of my best friends in Dallas. We are working through her online study of the book and it’s been the highlight of my week since we started.
-Did you catch last week’s recipe post? This salad is truly everything.
-These funfetti blondies by Elisabeth and Butter were a HIT on the bachelorette trip. I used GF flour and they came out great.
-Packed up my new Stoney Clover makeup bag for the weekend trip and had to snap a pic of how cute it was.
-A full weekend celebrating the best girl in the world. SB’s been my bestie since 1st grade and gets married in less than a month!
-Pretty epic lake cheese board if I do say so myself. Props to me and my cheesy sous chef Claire! Everything was surprisingly from Costco!
-Golden hour on the lake >>
-Greens and veg post chips, chips, and more chips.