Bites of My Life

Twenty-seven, an age I didn’t want to turn. I was pretty vocal about how I did not want to turn 27 last year. There was a list of internal reasons why I didn’t want to get older last year, but add a pandemic on top and I was not in the headspace to “age.” Come this year and I felt confident going into 28. The week shook out a bit different than originally planned, but I’m still holding strong to confidence in year 28. It’s not a novel idea that birthdays make you think and reflect, but this past week was a glaring reminder of how incredible my friends and family are. The people I’ve somehow tricked into my corner of community are the best, bias but very true.

-I don’t have a lot of love languages, but a surprise decaf latte is definitely one of them. Bonus points for a latte that comes in a cheery yellow cup with an uplifting saying.
-I thought Crumbl Cookies were just a Tik Tok trend, but boy was I wrong. These bad boys showed up on my porch and were everything of the sort. I cannot stress enough how yum there were. SB, I owe you!
-Celebrated Mary and Charlie with a send-off party before they are NYC bound. Can’t wait to visit these Upper West Siders!
-The early stages of getting to this final cake masterpiece were documented on Tik Tok by Olivia and now have 2.1 million views….incredible!
-A chill night with a ton of cheese the most epic homemade cake and some of my closest friends, was the best way to enter my 28th year!
-My very own Park Cities Petals :) The best in the Dallas flower game!
-What was meant to be an hour visit while stopping through town, turned into the best 24 hours hanging with my sis and brother-in-law at their new house in Austin, Texas!! #StateMates! Claire has been in New York the past 12 years and by a twisted fate, we are now in Texas together.
-There were some big talks about these breakfast tacos from The Carpenter Hotel. Homemade tortillas, eggs, green chorizo, and housemade tomatillo salsa. The tacos lived up and were the perfect fuel post-Lady Bird Lake trail walk and pre-drive back to DAL.
-Pulled back into Dallas Saturday, just in time for the first pool day of the season!
-Had to cut out a few to make it fit in the square. While I think we may have been the only few in town, just glad it was us. This expanded group of our college besties are just that, the best! Spent the cloudy and cooler Sunday at Katy Trail Ice House, sipping on one too many summer beers and playing an extensive round of Cheers Govna’. that after two hours I’m still not sure we finished.
-A hot dog was 1000% necessary for Memorial Day weekend and the kick-off to summer.
-The Green Goddess Salad with Paleo Popcorn Chicken from Origin Kitchen is the most craveable salad. Made for a happy lunch with my bestie Carol girl!

Annie

Meal prep bites: I made a batch of my Whole 30 Tahini Chicken Salad for lunches this week, and I’m now officially counting down until lunchtime.

Bites of My Life

My apartment feels like the loneliest place ever lately. Is anyone else feeling this? Even after back to back weekends away with friends, the week days are long, boring and isolating. There’s no way else to say it.

My mom and I were talking earlier this morning and the quote unquote good parts of quarantine and coronavirus, like the slow down, the quality time, etc. is fading and the loneliness is creeping back in fast. I’m lucky to be in Dallas which is decently reopened. This week I’m really really trying to plan more reasons to get out. I’m normally a stickler on money during the week but I don’t care if I have to spend $8 on a pricy coffee, I’m getting out and working from a coffee shop at some point everyday this week. Even if it’s still just me going to work alone, I need the social stimulation of other humans around me. If you are feeling the same, I challenge you to actively get out of the house this week. We need it.

-Prettiest spaghetti squash and meat sauce I ever did see.
-I saw Gaby’s customized spatula for the Williams Sonoma/No Kid Hungry campaign and had to have it. It’s covered in CCCs for goodness sake!
-Got to have lunch and tour the new Fuzzy’s Taco Shop corporate office with some friends from the company last week. If you are new here I work remotely for a restaurant group based in OKC, who owns the Oklahoma Fuzzy’s franchise along with a few other restaurants.
-WFH break by working from a favorite coffee shop and getting an afternoon turmeric latte.
-Banana bread baked up for the lake weekend. My tried and true recipe can be found here.
-The South Texas mecca that is H-E-B. We have Central Market in Dallas that is the upscale version, but it’s not the same supermarket goodness that is HEB.
-Got the gang all back together and out on Lake LBJ with thanks to Captain Kirby aka my friend Lauren’s husband!
-My KKG besties in one place is always a treat. We started this reunion trip last year and are hoping for longevity through the years.
-Haven’t had Chipotle in about a year, but the craving hit and needed to be fulfilled.

Annie

Bites of My Life

I stayed in Oklahoma City between wedding #1 and #2. Since my work is based in OKC, I worked in the office during the week, before the festivities for Maddie and Cooper kicked off Thursday night and into Friday. The whole weekend was perfect and too fun from the start. I can’t believe that for what seems like a lifetime of planning, I mean truly have been planning these days since we were little, to then long engagements due to rescheduling, that both weddings for my best friends have already come and gone.

I’m having a little bit of post-wedding depression. I love a good birthday for myself and dream of my own big day, but there is something about celebrating the closest people in my life that truly makes me so happy.

-My co-worker Ashley got me hooked on this Good Culture cottage cheese last time I was in our OKC office. I picked up a few and ate for lunch with some chia seeds, raspberries and fiber cereal. Pro cottage cheese or does it make you gag?
-Chop chop chop! I have been needing to cut my hair for months, but my salon in Dallas is still closed. I booked an appointment in Oklahoma City while I was home and said take it all off! I had this personal crisis that I wanted to look different between the back to back weddings I was in so 4 inches of hair seemed like the only way to achieve that.
-Loved putting together the bridesmaid luncheon to kick off Maddie’s wedding weekend. Mom’s china, her plethora of linens, and my restaurant connections made everything seamless.
-This girl has been my go to since 2015. I’ve only been Maid of Honor for my sisters (which lets be honest I did nothing for, sorry Kat and Claire), so it was so fun to really play into that role for one of my nearest and dearest.
-Maid of honor speeches, check! The best weekend with this trio!
-Emily is Maddie’s best friend from growing up and I can’t imagine navigating post grad without Maddie. We got to share MOH responsibilities over the past year and I highly encourage having two MOHs. Made it sooooo nice.
-A dress too perfect for my Maddie girl, the giant bow is hiding in this pic, but it was everything.
-Look at that Mr. and Mrs (and groomsman and bridesmaid - ha)!
-Bandana masks and massive foam cowboy hats keeping us safe on the dance floor.

Annie

If you know me well you know I love a good wedding dance floor. A new Spotify playlist as a nod to one of my favorite past times seemed necessary.

Bites of My Life

A week at home staying healthy and safe before my best friend’s wedding. Round 1. Did I mention that my two very best friends are getting married back to back in the middle of a pandemic? I have soooo much respect for them for powering through the twists and turns the world has turned to finally get to these two weekends. Wedding #1 for Sarah Beth was all kinds of perfect. And Wedding #2 for Maddie is this weekend and will be equally as wonderful.

It’s not lost on anyone that now isn’t the safest time to get married, but as girls, you wait your whole life to get married and they’ve been through so much over the past few months to get here, it’s the least anyone who feels comfortable enough can do, to be there for them.

Once the wedding weekend kicked off if was party time, and a party it was. I slept on and off all day on Sunday and then all through the night. Beauty sleep is a must this week to gear up for another amazing friend filled wedding weekend. I feel so special to get to be apart of them both.

-Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Thins turned into mini pizzas. So cute and can’t stop making. I load mine up then bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
-Random clean out the fridge lunch deliciousness. Chopped tomatoes, avocado, turkey deli meat, salami, and white cheddar. Topped with salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar.
-Had a head of cauliflower I needed to use up, so I roasted the florets, covered in marinara and almond mozzarella and called it “chicken-less parmesan.”
-In-N-Out protein style burgers are vastly underrated and make for delicious and healthy road trip fuel.
-Monsoon rains and some humid hair, but kicked off the weekend with my Taylor celebrating our best friend SB!
-Rent the Runway was the name of the game for the weekend. Every piece of clothing I wore was RTR! More details on my new Instagram page @confessionsofarentaholic.
-Sarah Beth and I have been dreaming about our weddings since we were 7, so wild seeing those dreams come true for her this weekend.
-Favorite part of the weekend was seeing SB shovel down a burger in her wedding dresses, minutes before the ceremony. Too too good.
-Staying the week with my parents, because my other bestie gets married this weekend. This means cooking in their kitchen again, which is one of my favorite things to do!

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.