Bites of My Life

A good friend of mine posted on social media how she is trying to be more intentional with friendships. Not just sending a text message to check in, but finding ways to spend quality time to keep the friendship strong. I have incredible friends. Close friends, distant friends, work friends, blog friends, family friends etc. Regardless I am adopting her act to be more intentional with those friendships. A coffee and lunch date last week, a wedding this weekend, another lunch date this week, and two workout dates. I'm already feeling more filled!  I used to find it easier to not take the time to spend quality time and just let time with friends happen naturally, but in hindsight that is just time wasted. 

Okay friendship talk aside. I did my best to stay busy last week and succeeded. Work took me all around Oklahoma, free time was spent with friends, at yoga or celebrating birthdays, marriage and everyday life. 

-Chocolate chips three ways...stay tuned.
-The seasonal turmeric latte at Clarity Coffee. Run don't walk, I highly recommend. 
-Bought the largest spaghetti squash I have ever laid eyes on last week. Instead of eating it right away, I stored the roasted and shredded squash in the fridge to make this cold spaghetti squash salad for lunches. Cherry tomatoes, roasted red pepper, red onion, parsley, capers, drizzle of olive oil, s&p and some pumpkin seeds for crunch!
-The best part of mom and dad's is having a homemade latte accessible at my finger tips. *Cough* I'd love a Nespresso for Christmas, *Cough*
-Wigging out seeing The Jones on the cover of Edible OKC. Pick up a copy today and see our cocktail feature.
-Maranatha with the hook up. How great is their new packaging?
-The maple and the coconut are for sure my favorite Maranatha flavor they sent me. Added a tropical twist to my standard banana and AB breakfast. 
-Work is so tasty sometimes! 
-HBD MK! Love you more than you love country concerts!
-KissTheCooke
-I LOVE my Pumpkin Green Smoothie, but I was out of spinach yesterday morning so I had to switch up my usual recipe. The results may have been better than the original. Recipe --> almond milk, pumpkin puree, avocado, lots of pumpkin pie spice, frozen mango, Nutvia High Fiber hemp protein, and 4 walnuts (KEY ingredient).
-Rainy Sunday and signs of fall called for a batch of my Whole 30 Butternut Squash Soup. This is a personal top 5 recipe of mine!

Annie

Bites of My Life

As mentioned in last week's bites post I got a new job!!! It will be a job that is much more "me" per se. Think food, restaurants and social media. With the starting of my new job, means the end of my other job. My first big girl job to be exact.

Though this job had it's peaks and pits, I learned so much. There is something to be said about your first job out of college. (Christina from The Blissful Balance coincidentally put all my thoughts into words in to her post today). Your first job doesn't have to be your last and it doesn't have to turn into a career. I learned what I like and don't like in a job. I'm a millennial generation Y where I think I have a right to do whatever I set my mind to. I took action to find something more, and I'm hopeful this new job adventure is going to be just that. 

Next on tap...oldest sis, Claire is in the middle of a job switch too and will be home in OK this whole week. I can't wait for a week of sister family food time!

-Regular nachos upgraded with sweet potato chips as the base! Check out last week's recipe for Sweet Potachos.
-My favorite after dinner snack, rice cake with AB, gogi berries and granola.
-Peanut butter blossoms also got an upgrade with the swap of almond butter in place of PB. Tucking this recipe away into my "go-tos."
-Was surprised with loving goodbyes on my last day at my first big girl job. 
-#GabeTheBabe had his first puppaccino experience on Friday, safe to say he loved it. 
-Smoothie bowl game strong these past couple warm days.
-Saturday morning mimosas.
-Just some crawdaddies posing for a pic before they turned into our lunch!
-Can check "go to a crawfish boil" off my spring TDL.

Annie

Almond Butter Blossoms

I know I talk about being allergic to peanut butter a lot, but I'm clearly missing out so just let me blab. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, never had one, Reese's cup, never had one, peanut butter blossoms, never had one. Until now, kind of.

Thank you almond butter for being my vice and helping me feel like a normal kid. I've made my own almond butter and jelly sandwiches before, I've even tried to make homemade Reese's using almond butter instead of PB, and now I have made my very own Almond Butter Blossoms. 

Even if you aren't allergic to peanut butter, you must give almond butter a try. The nutritional benefits in almonds totally kicks peanuts tush. It's so versatile. It's subtle nutty flavor is just enough flavor, but also discrete when added to smoothies, oatmeal, flourless desserts etc. 

Having never had any kind of nut butter growing up, coming around to the flavor of AB took some time. Justin's Almond Butter is what finally got me hooked. Justin's has maple, honey, vanilla and classic flavored almond butters. The vanilla pretty basically tastes like frosting, but it's healthy, so there's that.

This cookie is just like it's counterpart, but subs the PB for AB! The cookie is slightly sweet and nutty with a little kiss of sweet chocolate . I had peanut butter blossom pros taste these cookies and they requested I bring them more. I'll take that as a good sign! 

Almond Butter Blossoms
yields 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1 package of Hershey's Kisses
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup Justin's Classic Almond Butter, softened
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. milk
more sugar for rolling in

Directions:
Unwrap about 24 Kisses and set aside. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 

Beat the shortening and almond butter in an electric mixer until combined {Justin's is a little thicker than most almond butters so nuke it in the microwave for 15 seconds first). Scrape down the sides then add in both sugars and beat for 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix to combine. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Lastly add the milk.

Using a cookie scoop, form 1-inch balls and roll in extra sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes. Immediately press a Kiss into each cookie, cracks will form. The Kisses will get glossy from the heat of the cookie but they won't melt! Cool completely before serving! 
 

Annie

Guest Post: Almond Butter Balls

Hi all, Annie’s sister, Kathleen here! I am excited to be back guest blogging today on Take A Bite, especially because I get to blog about one of my favorite food groups—snacks!

I am not sure what doctors recommend as the daily serving of snacks (well, yes I do, but I ignore that) but I get a healthy four servings of snacks a day. Like yesterday, for example, I had granola at 9:45 A.M., pretzels at 1:00 P.M., pumpkin spice popcorn at 1:15 P.M., and wasabi peas at 4:00 P.M.

I never met a snack I didn’t like and I could medal in the Grazing Olympics. A handful here, a handful there, cheese, graham crackers, chips and dip, raisins, apples and almond butter… the list goes on and on of all my favorites.

Speaking of almond butter—it is one of my favorite snacks and also one of the main ingredients in one of my new favorite snacks. I made these snack balls about two weeks ago and have made them twice since. They are the perfect two-bite snack that will tide you over for hours. Plus, they only have five ingredients (most of which you will already have in your pantry!

Almond Butter Oatmeal Balls adapted from  Purely Elizabeth
yields about 8 balls

Ingredients:
½ cup almond butter (or peanut butter)
3 Tbsps. maple syrup
1 tsp. coconut oil
A pinch of salt
1 cup oats

Directions:
Prepare a sheet pan or large plate by placing parchment paper to cover the surface.

Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and combine the first four ingredients, stirring until fully combined. Take the mixture off of the heat and stir in the oats, mixing until fully combined. (A thick mixture should form that should not be wet but easy to work with using your hands.)

Using a small cookie scoop or your hands, form balls (or scoops) with about two tablespoons of mixture, forming compact balls of dough. Place each ball on the sheet pan or plate, continuing to forms the balls until all the mixture has been used. Place the sheet pan or plate in the freezer to chill and set for at least an hour. After an hour you can store the balls in a sealed container until you eat them all!

Until next time,

Kathleen

Bites of My Life

Tuesday bites? This can be a thing I suppose. After a handful of conversations with GoDaddy and pulling a few hairs out, they got me back up and running, and now here we are a day late on bites. Just rolling with the punches over here! 

Last week consisted of fantabulous almond butter that you are missing out on if you didn't read the post, sharing my summer to-do list, taking my favorite workout outside, trying to be grown up and learning how to budget (I highly recommend this website), celebrating yet another fabulous weekend, and as always, some delicious bites. This weekend though I will be reunited with my closest friends as we say welcome home and farewell! Everyone has been scattered this summer and we are about to be scattered even farther apart. It will be bites worthy next Monday (well let's hope I can actually get it posted on it's correct day).

-Homemade AB. This recipe is a keeper for sure.

-This is me putting everything in the fridge on a grilled tortilla and pretending its pizza.

-Summer TDL. Time to get crackin'

-Sneak peek at what's coming in a post this week!

-My new favorite granola all packaged up for a freebie snack from Whole Foods after Barre3 on the Lawn!

-Weekends well spent with old and new friends! 

-Pumped to finally try Pump Bar brunch. That is maple blueberry sausage.

-Dad and I whipping up a homemade version of our favorite snack!

-Cliche #Nationalicecreamday at Roxy's.

Annie