Bites of My Life

I started Whole30 last week and it’s off to a smashing start. Lots of Defined Dish meals are being made and one week in has me feeling great. My sweet little nephew finally got to go home from the NICU and my nieces came down to Dallas for a visit. Praise! I laid low over the weekend, binging Modern Love season 2 and My Unorthodox Life. I’m looking forward to rolling into Labor Day weekend, the start of football season, and a getaway with my best friends.

-Kicked off Whole30 last Monday! An oldie but goodie W30 approved lunch made its appearance.
-Fleurs! Technically from two weeks ago now, but still looking pretty a week later.
-This Korean Ground Beef and Kimchi meal came together in under 15 minutes and was so satisfying. God bless The Defined Dish while on Whole30.
-Paleo & Whole30 Carne Asada Bowl was excellent and full of protein and greens.
-My nephew is hoooooome! After 7 long weeks in the Nicu, Jack is home with his parents. I can’t wait to get to Austin to hold and squeeze him!!!
-A short visit from this cutie and her little sister.
-Crying pre-bawling at Season 2 Episode 1 of Modern Love. I loved season 1, but this particular episode hit home and absolutely rocked me. Yes I sobbed, but I still recommend it.
-The Defined Dish’s Salsa Verde Shredded Beef Bowls was a wonderful Sunday Whole30 meal that concluded one week down. I did a strip steak in the crock-pot on low all day and it fell apart. Highly rec this meal W30 or not.
-Sunday self-care = an evening foot massage at Dallas’ favorite, Yaya Foot Spa. $30 for a 40-minute incredible massage that then put me into the deepest Sunday night sleep.

Annie

Bites of My Life

I’ve had this discussion with a few friends, and myself, over the past week, but when I’m back home in Oklahoma City, I’m hoooome. And when I’m in Dallas, I present and focused on my life in Dallas. It’s hard for me to combine the two. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing, but if a friend in Dallas messages me about something going on there while I’m in Oklahoma City, it’s hard me for to even respond and visa versa.

I’m not actively trying to block one or the other out while I’m in a certain location, it just is what it is. When I’m home I want to be hanging at home with my parents, cooking dinner, enjoying time in the OKC office, going on walks with friends there. I love love love Dallas, but it was hard coming back this time for some reason.

This lengthy intros purpose was to disclose why there wasn’t a bites post last week. I got home from California late Sunday night and woke up super early to get to Oklahoma for the week. Most personal to-dos fell to the wayside while I was there.

-I love my desk and space at The Slate, but I started off the week (two weeks ago) at an old favorite spot. It felt good to change up the work environment and get creative juices flowing in different surroundings.
-Up bright and early to watch women’s gymnastics live!
-My favorite Obe 10-minute class is this bedtime stretch. I do it right in my bed which is about the most relaxing thing ever.
-Checked in to the cutest Coachman’s Inn in the heart of Carmel. Last fall when I was here, we stayed in a fabulous house in the Pebble Beach area, but I really enjoyed being in Carmel this time. Being able to wake up and walk to get coffee and then to the beach was unmatched. The complimentary breakfast and 4 pm wine and cheese hour at our little inn was also a big seller!
-First night of the Cody wedding festivities was the welcome party at Spanish Bay!
-Scoping out my future Carmel cottage…
-Finally made it to Mission Ranch after not making the cut last fall. They don’t take reservations so you have to get in line early to grab a seat at Clint Eastwood’s restaurant. The food isn’t groundbreaking but it’s a fun experience!
-The most fun weekend with really great friends, all for The Codys!

-After travel delays, I got home from California late Sunday, but arrived to my new Lake PJs! I haven’t taken them off since… I have these from Lake too. I wear a medium but do an extra long in the pant set. I wash them and then stretch and hang them dry to keep the length.
-Mom and dads, where the salted, seasoned, and variety of cocktail nuts never run dry. I posted this on IG and laughed at how many people said the same thing about their parents.
-No Whole Foods compares to the OKC Whole Foods. I will barely step foot in the Dallas WFs.
-Came in town earlier than planned for a funeral :( and stayed the week for work. I quickly got roped into doing press for the new restaurant our group is opening 😂.
-Chef Annie in the house. Check out my recent Instagram for all the eats and dishes I made last week.
-I attempted to recreate a cocktail we had in Austin at Cafe No Se for an early birthday celebration for Kathleen. The Salty Bee: gin, lemon, soda, salted honey.
-Fry Day on steroids at Spark. We had a photoshoot Friday and I ate double my body weight in our addicting crinkly cut fries. Opening sooooo soon.
-Happy hour with some of my besties in mom and dad’s dreamy new backyard.
-Happy 32nd to my sis!

Annie

Podcast bite: I was on Action City OKC last week. Catch my episode about growing up baking, the start of Take A Bite, my career in marketing for restaurants and more!

Bites of My Life

I hadn’t really baked in what felt like forever, and I was itching. I stocked up on butter and sugar and got a surge of creativity in the kitchen. The result were these Blueberry Cardamom Pop-Tarts, Dark Chocolate, Orange, and Fig Blondies and an oldie but goodie recipe for Snickerdoodles. Baking is good for my soul and I’m glad I was reminded of that.

In addition to baking, there was a lot of dog time this past week. If you know me well you know I’m not a huuuuge dog person. I grew up with dogs, but have held strong on the fact that now is not the time to be tied down by the responsibility and cost. Like for a lot of people, once quarantine hit the idea of having a dog became exciting. I’ve had the idea on my mind since. I was around two of my good friends this weekend, one who just got the cutest puppy and the other who has the sweetest 4 year old golden. Granted these are two very well behaved pups, but they are really softening my thoughts around the whole thing…should I do it?

-Gone are the days that yard signs and balloon numbers are enough in Highland Park, TX. Full tree streamers and garland are now the musts when it comes to celebrating birthdays. So over the top, but honestly incredible.
-Blueberry Cardamom Pop-Tarts, the first recipe of the week. Any other cardamom fans out there? It pairs so good with the blueberry and is great for this time of year.
-Some may remember I posted a round up of all of the Trader Joe’s bagged salad mixes. Well they have a few new mixes on the shelves, so I had to update my post with a new fave or two. Check it out here before you go to TJs next!
-Second recipe post of the week, these fig blondies. They took a few tries to get right, but they are worth it for the amount of blondies that filled my kitchen this week.
-Full on Rent the Runway look for a sassy Friday GNO! I’m wildly obsessed with this purse and ended up buying this little black strapless top! If you haven’t already checked it out, I share all of my RTR finds on my new insta account @confessionsofarentaholic.
-Saturday snickerdoodles! Underrated but always good. While often overlooked, who doesn’t love a snickerdoodle?
-Perfect Saturday night with lots of cheese, The Defined Dish watermelon cocktail, and puppy snuggles with little Chica!!
-Sunday was a rainy and moody day, so I treated myself to a lavender matcha from my favorite place and was surprised with the message “we love you!” on my cup sleeve. Just what I needed.
-Ended the weekend with pjs, pancakes and Brinkley on my lap while having a Nora Ephron movie marathon with a few friends. And yes Brinkley is named after Tom Hanks’ dog Brinkley in Nora’s movie You’ve Got Mail.

Annie

Bites of My Life

I feel like I’ve put in more time driving up and down I-35 than my own job these days. All for good reasons, but I’m slightly relieved to be back in Dallas for the foreseeable future. I’ll be forever grateful for my choice to move to Dallas and have close proximity to run home for family, friend and work occasions, but it’s sometimes a strange place to be in going back and forth so much. Beggars can’t be choosers though! You guessed it, but I was in Oklahoma over the weekend for a best friend since 4th grade getting engaged. Another one bites the dust.

-Started the week with sunflowers. Highly recommend.
-Little Monday night creativity turned into my new favorite piece of apartment art work.
-Snacking like it’s my job these days. Anyone else relying on the afternoon snack with working from home.
-Y’all know it, y’all love it. My ultimate single girl meal is Cauliflower Fried Rice using freezer and pantry staples.
-Wine Wednesday feat. rosé, popcorn, and my new coffee table.
-When in Oklahoma City. You can find my favorite Brandy Ice roundup here, and my own recipe here.
-Brunch with MaryKate Saturday, but with an alliterative motive…she just didn’t know yet.
-About an hour later she was engaged! Brunch was a decoy to get her out of the house and looking cute, for her now-fiancé Connor to propose in the house that will be their home!
-Slow Sunday night back in Dallas watching old seasons of The Bachelorette.

Annie

Why, when, and how I started my blog, did you catch it?

Bites of My Life

Last week I was off. I felt unmotivated, lazy, a bottomless pit, the list goes on. These weeks come and go. Unfortunately I feel like I’ve been having more than less of these weeks. Being at home with me, myself, and I is wearing on me. I scroll and scroll on social media to fill the long days and can feel the way it’s affecting me.

However, I’m totally aware of all of this. I’m trying really hard to schedule something each day to look forward to. A walk with a friend, meeting up for drinks, or my favorite - just getting out and going for a drive. I’m feeling really motivated by my new desk set up I got assembled over the weekend and ready for a fresh week’s perspective!

-I made The Defined Dish’s lasagna zucchini boats and they were honestly killer. Don’t let the zucchini scare you away from this Pinterest sounding meal. The flavor of these was next level. The recipe is in her cookbook, which I love but have honestly only used a few times.
-This bike short set, just buy it and don’t overthink it because it’s everything of the sort.
-Friday night in with these three celebrating our girl (pup) Finley Anne turning 5!
-I just love a good salad - sue me!
-Tried my twist on these NYT Tahini Chocolate Chip cookies and my twist failed…I tried to turn them into bars since the dough was so crumbly, but they were actually disgusting. The biggest downside was that I proceeded to eat so much of the dough and baked bars that I spent the rest of Saturday on the couch with a stomach ache - yay!
-A new neighbor left this like-new desk outside for 3 DAYS! And I wanted it. More on how I snatched it in this Instagram Reel I posted.
-Got my desk in place and thrilled about my new work from home set up!
-It’s hatch chili season and I also had these amazing homemade coconut flour tortillas I got from the farmers market (if you are in Dallas you have to check out The Salsa Texan and their 10 calorie tortillas). The combination meant one thing for me - enchiladas. I posted the quick recipe for you here.
-Graham crackers, simply the best after-dinner snack. Two a night on r-e-p-e-a-t!

Annie