Bites of My Life

Spring has sprung in Oklahoma. Besides today being the first day of spring, the temperatures are equally cooperating. We had a few chilly days last week followed by amazing warm temperatures. Trees are turning green and flowers are blooming.

In a sense of winter ending, a few other things ended for me last week. Well in terms of TV shows...I finished the 4th season of Scandal on Netflix and The Bachelor also came to a close. With a new season comes new things too! I've started Big Little Lies, anyone else? Spring cleaning has also been in order. I cleared out my winter sweaters, and brought in all my spring tops and dresses. My closet has a lot more color now. Nothing feels better than the arrival of spring after a long dead winter.

-Last week I read about all the benefits of rose for your body. Went to All About Cha and my eyes went straight to their rose tea. 
-So I ate spaghetti squash for a solid three weeks straight. It's so satisfying, I just couldn't stop. Been adding nutritional yeast to give it that cheesy taste. So basically I'm faking spaghetti and cheese with squash and yeast...
-Perfect Bars, have your tried them? They are in the refrigerated section at your grocery store. The Blueberry Cashew is my favorite! And the new Turmeric Tantric GTS Kombucha is incredible. And the red buds blooming in OKC are equally incredible.  
-Tip: Load all of your smoothie ingredients (minus the liquids) into your blender the night before, then the next morning you shaved a solid 2 minutes off your smoothie routine.
-Hooked on my Matcha Mint Smoothie last week. 
-The hot bar at Provision Kitchen in Nichols Hills should be your healthy lunch go-to. P.S. Whitney, the owner, told me they are about to expand the hot bar to be bigger and better coming in the next month.
-Coffee Glazed Cashews (new) at Trader Joe's. Run don't walk to buy them. 
-When it's the end of the week and your fridge is almost empty, turn your mis-matched food into an omelette!
-Felt like a frenchie with this quiche and arugula lunch. Pro tip, this is the spinach, mushroom frozen quiche from Trader Joe's. And it's delicious. 
-St. Patrick's day got all it's deserved celebrations this weekend!
-So I started Whole 30 again...and my Crock-Pot Carnitas are about to rock dinner this week. Served in a lettuce wrap with pickled red onions and avocado!
-When your hanger color coordinates with your sweater. My inner OCDness loved this. 

Annie

Bites of My Life

Springing forward kicks falling back in the booty. I'll take losing an hour of sleep any day if it means more daylight in the evening. Who else agrees? Last week there was a thunder game, dinner with two ladies I adore, a pizza food truck excursion and a wedding for one of my high school best friends. Now tonight, I'm counting down the hours until The Bachelor finale. Anyone else think Nick ends up alone this season?

-Lunch board is looking so good these days.
-Perfect Bars are new to my repertoire. They are pricy, but worth the splurge here and there!
-First time putting parsley in my green smoothie. It barely alters the flavor but adds tons of vitamins like iron, Vitamin A and VItamin C.
-The cutest cafe, Okay Yeah also makes one of the best matchas. Elevated with macadamia nut milk. A new nut milk to me, but I'm into it. 
-My favorite breakfast that I started eating while doing Whole 30. 1 banana sliced up and layered on a plate, drizzled with AB, tahini and sprinkle of cinnamon. 
-This bulletproof coffee made me extra happy with it's smile back!
-Had the coolest experience Friday night getting to see the inner workings of The Saucee Sicilian food truck. Got to me Gannon, Nonna and the crew. They showed us how to make the pizzas, let us make our own, call out rders and told us about how the truck gets up to 130 degrees in the summer. That's the price they pay with a wood fired oven on board. Thanks Saucee and thanks OKC Over Easy for the hook up!
-I love treating myself to Whole Foods breakfast on the weekends.
-High school, scratch that elementary school girl gang all together for Kelsey's big day!

Annie

Bites of My Life

The busyness of spring came the second March hit. Anyone else feel it? I don't necessarily mind the busyness if it keeps the work week feeling short, but I hate how fast the weekend passes too. I can't stinking wait to get through this week to spring forward next weekend. I have spring fever for sunny mornings and evenings that are still light out past 5PM. 

Bites of my life comes in the form of many delicious and indulgent eats and drinks last week. A fun soft opening to attend, trying a new juice bar, crafting cocktails with Vim Vitae, a sushi dinner with my best friends (and froyo to follow) then copious amounts of junk food during a movie marathon on Saturday. 

-Why you should join StudioHop, my reasons here. 
-We are working away like crazy to get to bring these delicious eats to OKC so soon at The Jones Assembly! Follow us here and here and here (because it's me posting and we need your support)!
-Welcome back lunch board, I forgot how much I love you. 
-Two weeks strong with my spaghetti squash. Current dinner obsession. 
-Finally got my booty to Wheeze the Juice after getting my booty kicked at Beyond Studios. This little downtown juice bar located in the shipping containers off 2nd, is supreme. Bottle juices, milks and drinks, with smoothie and smoothie bowls to order. 
-Got a sneak peek at 3Sixty Restaurant & Bar. Officially opens on the 13th. Let me highly recommend sitting at the bar and ordering the shrimp & gouda bread bowl dip. YUP. Bread bowl dip.
-Took so many sips in last weeks post with Vim Vitae. Their new line of limeades is killer!
-When you plan to make chocolate chip cookies and already went to the store because you were out of flour, but got home to realize you were also short on chocolate chips. Made due with leftover Valentine candy and s'more accoutrements.
-Turns out my hodge podge mix of chocolates and a little flakey sea salt on top of my normally Perfect CCCs is what made them even more perfect this go around.   

Annie

Happy Hour with Vim Vitae

Cocktails that are good for you? Oxymoron? Not in this case. I have three killer (in my opinion) cocktail recipes coming your way today. Each recipe is made with fresh vibrant ingredients thanks to Vim Vitae. 

Vim Vitae, formally know as Vim + Vigor, is an organic, raw, cold-pressed juice company based out of Dallas, but can be found all over Texas, Oklahoma City, and Little Rock. Vim Vitae's mission is to feel amazing about yourself and your choices, every single day. With delicious and nutritious juices, they make it easy to incorporate healthy choices into your day. Their line of juices ranges in flavors and products, all developed by nutrition experts and food lovers.

I've been a Vim Vitae fan from the early days. Fun fact, the founders Annie & Liz are cousins originally from Oklahoma City. Annie's dad and my dad were fraternity brothers and her dad was also my landlord my senior year of college. Home Sweet Lahoma! Annie and Liz also lived in that house while they were in college. 

It's fun to have seen them grow and evolve while continuing to develop new products. From cold-press juices, adding in exotic flavors, savory soups and their newest line of limeades. V V's new limeades are just perfect. They are exactly what I want to grab for in the afternoon when water won't make the cut. I have no problem downing one knowing they are made with few and real ingredients. Things like ginger, basil, agave, acai berry, cardamom and more. 

Despite them being my afternoon pick me up, today we are talking happy hour. Ramping up the deliciousness of limeades by turning them into cocktails. Vim Vitae's limeades come in five flavors. Since I couldn't pick just one, I chose three, creating a Lavender Cardamom Gin Lemonade, Basil Agave Mint Mojito and Hibiscus Berry Vodka Smash.  I can't wait to sip on these drinks all spring and summer long.

First up is the Lavender Cardamom Gin Lemonade. Simply inspired by the colored label I knew I wanted to add lavender. Lemon, gin, and lavender simple syrup get shaken with gin and garnished with a lavender sugar rim. Disclosure I hate gin. But in this cocktail, I love gin. 

Lavender & Cardamom Gin Lemonade
serves 2

Ingredients:
1 cup Vim Vitae Cardamom Limeade
1.5 oz or 3 Tbsp. lavender simple syrup (recipe to follow below)*
2 shots or 3 oz gin
1/2 lemon
ice
lavender sugar for garnish*

Directions:
*Using a tablespoon of lavender and two tablespoons of sugar, blitz in a single serving blender or crush the lavender buds into the sugar using a mortar and pestle or end of a wooden spoon. Spread sugar in a thin layer on a plate. Run a lemon wedge along the edge of your martini glasses. Dip into the sugar and set aside. 

In a cocktail shaker, combine Cardamom Limeade, simple syrup, gin, squeeze of lemon and a big handful of ice. Shake until combined then pour into martini glasses. Sprinkle a little lavender sugar into the glass and enjoy!

Lavender Simple Syrup:
Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 tablespoon lavender buds in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Strain out the lavender buds then place in a mason jar and cool in the refrigerator. 

Mojitos are my favorite cocktail. When I tried the Basil Agave limeade I knew it would be turning into a mojito!

Basil Agave Mint Mojito
serves 2

Ingredients:
1 cup Vim Vitae Basil Agave Limeade
6-8 large leaves of basil and mint
2 shots or 3 oz white rum
1 lime
sparkling water or club soda
ice

Directions:
Tear your basil and mint up and divide evenly amongst 2 glasses. To get the most flavor from your basil leaves, one leaf at a time, place in the palm of your hand then smash with your other hand, then proceed to tear up. Cut your lime into fourths. Squeeze 1/4 lime into each glass with the mint and basil. Using a muddler or the end of a wooden spoon, muddle the herbs and lime juice together. Pour 1 shot of rum and 1/2 cup Basil Agave Limeade into each glass. Fill with ice and top with sparkling water. Stir to combine. Garnish with a basil leaf and lime wedge. 

This last drink is so easy and even easier to drink...oops! I used the Hibiscus Flower Limeade combined with mixed berries. The hibiscus adds a suspicious taste to the drink that you'll love but wouldn't guess if you didn't know what it was.

Berry Vodka Smash
serves 2

Ingredients:
1 cup Vim Vitae Hibiscus Flower Limeade
1/4 cup mixed berries (I used a package of frozen berries I let thaw out)
2 shots or 3 oz vodka
1 oz or 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
sparkling water or club soda
ice

Directions:
Divide mixed berries among two glasses. I used raspberries, blackberries and strawberries. Using a muddler or end of a wooden spoon smash the berries together in the bottom of the glass. Add a shot, 1/2 cup Hibiscus Flower Limeade, and 1 tbsp. lemon juice to each glass. Fill the glasses with ice and top with sparkling water. Stir to combine. Garnish with a few berries and lemon wheel. 

Can I get a #takeasip? Vim Vitae Limeades can be found locally at Native Roots Market. The originals can be found locally at Whole Foods. All retailers listed here. Thank you Vim Vitae for the delicious limeades and opportunity for this post!

Annie

*All photos by KGC Photography

Why You Should Join StudioHop

photo cred KGC Photography

If you follow me anywhere on social media then you have probably seen me hopping around town taking full advantage of my new obsession StudioHop. What's StudioHop you ask? It's a monthly membership to the best of best fitness classes in the city. Say you like spin but love to get your flow on in a hot yoga class. Tired of paying for two memberships or drop-in classes here there and all over. Ya, me too. Welllll, now that StudioHop has touched down in OKC you can get all the benefits of different studios with only paying one price. SIGN. ME. UP. 

StudioHop hand selects their favorite studios so you know you are getting the best of the best. Take a look here, to see the studios Oklahoma City has to offer. In the past month I have been hopping back and forth from Beyond Studios to Soul Yoga and Union Performance to Yoga at Tiffany's. I love getting my cardio in at the Beyond 500 classes, but love nothing more than a 6am sweat sesh in hot yoga. Union Performance is new to me, but I try to fit in their bootcamp class at lunchtime for a mid day pick me up. My girl Chelsea gives you a full body workout that you will be feeling the next day! 

I read an article a few weeks ago about how switching up your workout routine is the ticket to start seeing results. In a study done on people performing the same exercise day in and day out, individuals bodies simply stopped responding. When they were then exposed to different exercises, their fitness only improved!

I had been in a rut lately of doing the same thing, barre mixed with moderate cardio. I enjoyed my workout regime and could go on about my love for barre workouts for hours, but it was getting a little boring as well as results become stagnant. My favorite part of StudioHop and the #1 reason why I think you should join, is the change! The ability to change up your workout everyday, every week. Spin on Monday followed by a hot yoga flow on Tuesday. Bootcamp Wednesday and pilates Thursday. Your body will love you for keeping it challenged and never getting settled into one form of exercise. The most economical way to make this changing routine happen is by joining StudioHop. One price, once a month, but instead of one workout class you get a multitude of different workout options! Join me, you won't regret it. 

Photo Cred KGC Photography

StudioHop offers a monthly unlimited package for $135 as well as a 4 class bundle and 8 class bundle package. More info about pricing can be found here. If you have any questions about how the packages work or what studios have limitations, you can get answers in their FAQ or feel free to ask me in the comments below!

StudioHop is like the gift that keeps on giving! And to keep the giving going, use my code anniehopokc in checkout to get $20 off your first month! This code can be used for class bundles or the monthly unlimited package. That means access to the best studios all about town for $115, WIN! (Hurry and sign up, code expires 3/6). Give StudioHop a follow on insta and a like on Facebook, and make sure to sign up for their newsletter (just scroll to the bottom of the page)!

Now, hop to it!

Annie