Bites of My Life

Another busy pre-Christmas week before heading home for the holiday - I can’t wait! December is flying per usual but only because the days are full of festive festivities. I’m craving a slow down, but I know the time will come.

-Christmas concert with Jordan and Wills.
-Annual Christmas ornament exchange was a success. The theme was food this year and I lucked into this little take-out box that now proudly hangs on my tree.
-Pretty new holiday studs thanks to Made by Maddie!
-This Flower Child menu item leaves their menu tomorrow and I’m so sad. You’ve got to try the Singapore spaghetti squash noodles today!
-Tried the hot new spot Friday. Another lemon drop, please!
-What started as a walk around the hood turned into a pit stop for brunch at one of my favorite spots!
-Ginger cookies were finally made this season and all is right in the world.
-Up early Sunday morning to cheer on our Dallas marathoners.
-Sunday night hibachi turned polaroid photoshoot!

Annie

Bites of My Life

December has really kicked off and started running toward Christmas. So many fun events and parties and dinners on the docket for December. In typical Annie fashion, looking ahead at my calendar I started to get overwhelmed at what the month held. However, I know that it’s a blessing to have a full schedule, especially after last year, and that the memories made and fun times had will outweigh any preconceived stress or worry of not having enough downtime.

I always write the captions for each photo below before I write this opening section. And to my point above this month has already hit the ground running. What a treat to have my Sunday night routine of writing out my bites post and getting to reflect back on the week. Because what a good one it was! And if not for this time, I’d easily have my eyes only turned to what is on tap for this week and forget to say my thanks and prayers for a a great last 7 days.

-I was lucky to get to do a sponsored post with Kodiak Cakes, and boy do I love this brand and these pancakes. More details here.
-Fun evening bopping around the Something Navy pop-up with Jordan and Sarah!
-A Rom Com Holiday! Have you listened to my *perfectly* curated holiday playlist?
-A holiday must if you’re in Dallas is drinks or dinner at Hudson House while they are fully decked!
-ABPA Holiday Home Tour with my festive friend Jordan. Each house was stunning but this one took the cake and the Christmas decor was spot on. You can watch a tour of the house from a few months ago with The Potted Boxwood.
-Friday favorite things party with some of my favorite people! Walked away with some fancy shampoo and conditioner that I used for the first time last night and wow. I took my tried and true lip stain.
-Sweet Green is finally in Dallas. I waited in a line out the door for this Curry Cauliflower Bowl. But worth it!
-First time trying cutie Yo! Lobster in Highland Park Village. After a tour of Christmas lights, Pete and I feasted on oysters, lobster bisque, fish tacos and lobster rolls.
-Started Prolon again yesterday. I was not its #1 fan the first time I did it, mainly because of the price, so I purchased a box on Black Friday to save a few dollars. I’ve been feeling bleh and wanted a jumpstart before I turn into a Christmas cookie.

Annie

Rom Com Holiday Playlist

I oddly (or maybe you can relate) love to listen to movie scores as I walk or drive around town. It instantly transports me to my main character alter ego on the set of my own romantic comedy. Hans Zimmer take me away!

If you’ve never done this, try it! Father of the Bride, You’ve Got Mail, and The Holiday are some of my favorite scores. This leads me to the holidays. Today is December 1st which means full-fledged Christmas music is on until the big day!

I typically always throw together or freshen up an old holiday playlist to listen throughout the season. However this year, I’ve created a rom com holiday playlist inspired by all of my favorite Christmas movies.

Picture this: Sybill is making coffee in the kitchen, Elsie is serving up her homemade eggnog, there is construction paper garland hung from the bookshelves, Graham is acting out Mr. Napkin Head, Meredith and Amy are bickering, Nanny is sneaking holiday fudge… These moments combined would make for the ultimate Christmas scene, but they really are a combination of my favorite holiday movies. Don’t forget Sara and Johnathon, Buddy, Eloise, Kevin, Judy, Betty, Phil and Bob!

My playlist has scores, Christmas classics, and a few non-traditional, but movie scene-inspired songs in its mix. Listen and let it transform you to a cottage in the Cotswolds. Alright, I’m getting cheesy, but this playlist is really good. Like really good IMO. Oh, and please listen in order, none of that shuffling buisness on this one.

Favorite, save, listen, download my Rom Com Holiday playlist here. And let me know if you recognize which songs are from which movie.

You, you, you, you send me!

Annie

Bites of My Life

Unintentionally skipped a week of bites and barely noticed. It was suuuuch a good week and some change at home for Thanksgiving. Can’t wait to do it all again for Christmas. After having Covid over Thanksgiving last year, this year’s holiday was everything.

I’m back in Dallas for the next few weeks, and I know they are going to fly by. Work is always busy this time of year making the workdays quick, and socially things are stacking up. I’m trying to schedule in as many nights at home for cooking and watching holiday movies!

-So many snuggles and kisses and loving on baby Jack. The newest to our crew is cute as ever and growing so big and healthy. I loved his addition to Thanksgiving.
-Once arriving to OKC, a trip to Spark for lunch was an obvious decision.
-Gameday like it was 2014!!
-Pete in OKC! Peter came up on the front end of the trip for a short but really fun visit with the whoooooole fam.
-We’ve turned sporty! A Sunday afternoon pickleball game started off a little dicey, but once we all got the hang of it, it was a really fun day.
-OKC’s favorite drink turned cozy. Thanks to cousin Clay who’s working for Clubby, we got the Cashmere Sweater hookup.
-Almost every evening ended with a round or two of Mexican Train. Such a good game to play with family. It also doesn’t take too much concentration so it’s easy to play while multitasking watching Planes, Trains, and Automobiles and sipping some kind of cocktail or glass of wine.
-Proof of the turkey trot that killed me. We ran 2 miles, yes only 2 miles, but the wind that morning sent my allergies into a spiral that had me napping from all the Benedryl I took the majority of Thanksgiving.
-Look at that plate! So much color, so much yum.
-Rent the Runway head to toe pretty much every day, always. I couldn’t let these split flare jeans and oversized plaid coat go just yet.
-Leftover turkey cooked all day in a smokey tomato sauce for turkey tinga tacos. The best way we’ve ever used up leftover turkey. I used this recipe as a guide minus the corn.
-Claire, Mike, Jack and I headed back to Texas early Sunday morning. We all stopped in Dallas for lunch and a visit to my apartment before the Elmgreen’s kept on to Austin.

Annie

Bites of My Life

One week countdown to Thanksgiving, the best holiday of the year! Days feel full of events, and food, and holiday hooplah already and I am a OK with it.

-I love a stuffed sweet potato moment. I’ve been doing this since college. The amount of microwaved sweet potatoes with almond butter I ate in the sorority house is alarming.
-Roasted cauliflower sammy on house-made focaccia. Need I say more. This lunch from Georgie’s Butcher Shop was a stretch outside my usual salad lunch, but just what I needed.
-How gooooood is this bowtie pasta puffer I rented last week from RTR!
-Such a fun new spot in Downtown Dallas, National Anthem. It’s owned by the same guys from Neighborhood Services so you know it’s going to be good.
-Celebrated #NationalHappyHourDay at The Slate on Friday with a group effort board. We all contributed something to this 3-foot board.
-This goofy house in the M Streets has a rotating gigantic inflatable in their yard. I joked they are prepping for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.
-Saturday morning walk with a breakfast taco reward!
-Black tie crew!
-Chelsea Handler crashing our Sunday night dinner. Yes I submitted to Deux Moi, brace yourself for the repost.

Annie

Soup bite: I quietly posted my Chicken & Right Rice Soup recipe last week. View the recipe here.