Bites of My Life

Hi, I had coronavirus over Thanksgiving, how was your holiday? Well, mine kind of sucked. I made it through and I don’t want to throw a pity party because I’m a big girl and it ended up being totally fine. But, coronavirus is the pits in every form and fashion. It’s not lost on me how lucky I was to have mild symptoms and I don’t want my experience to diminish the tragedy it has brought so many.

As I said, I was lucky to have mild symptoms and besides the first two days, I operated at almost full commission the majority of my quarantine. However, being alone on Thanksgiving day (my favorite holiday) is something I wish for no one, and hope to never have to experience again. There was a comfort knowing the majority of America was in a strange situation as well for this holiday. Getting off Instagram for the day really helped too. I’m also thankful for a family who equally loves Thanksgiving as much as I do and decided from day one that we would postpone our big meal until I could be there. So I’m not sure if you heard, but Thanksgiving is December 5th this year, and this past week, well that was just a Thursday.

Below are only a few snapshots of my quarantine. There were tears, laughs, and all the feels over the past two weeks. My apartment is now my second skin, and while I love it I hope to never spend this amount of time alone inside of it ever again ;).

-First Dallas book club in the books (this was before any known symptoms of C-19).
-I didn’t get a bites of my life post out last week, but Bytes 0.2 went up!
-A cozy hot bath set up in an attempt to heal the symptoms that started to come on over two weeks ago.
-Scene from my car waiting for my test results: blanket, breakfast, and a good book to help wait it out. If you know me well, you probably know about my purple sick blanket. I’ve had it since high school graduation and I cling to it anytime I get sick (from a hangover or a virus).
-Within an hour of my positive result, I had chicken noodle soup arriving on my doorstep from one of my best friends. #thankfulgratefulblessed
-Panic ordered a friendship bracelet making kit and made a list of shows to watch and activities to do with the looming two weeks of quarantine ahead of me. Luckily my work was extremely busy leading up to Thanksgiving which kept my mind and days busy and quickly helped pass the time.
-A quarantine pick-me-up came in the form of flowers from the Rent the Runway ambassador team! They sent these beautiful flowers for me getting several referrals over the past couple of months.
-Insta Cart and Favor became incredibly useful during quarantine. I’m wildly thankful for modern technology allowing me to order groceries and some of my favorite meals delivered right to my front door. However, after ordering one of my favorite salads, I quickly realized this was the moment I lost my taste and smell. I kept obsessively over salting it because it was “bland.” Joke was on me.
-A weird but successful quarantine activity resulted in making homemade coconut yogurt. It was incredibly simple and I was shocked at how well it worked. Here is the recipe I used.
-It is simply NOT Thanksgiving, without a viewing of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. I relished in my situation and drank my coffee and ate my breakfast in bed, while I watched the parade all morning.
-A very comforting breakfast that I savored as my taste started to come back over the past weekend. Details: 1/2 baked sweet potato, 1/2 of a banana, a spoonful of my homemade coconut yogurt, lots of pumpkin pie spice, a drizzle of almond butter, and chia seeds.
-Bring on the festive coffee in a festive mug. I bought these last year and they spark immense joy.

Annie

Bites of My Life

Week 7. How are we doing? Enjoying small things like gorgeous weather over the weekend and the sense that things are their way to getting better.

-I kind of love barbecue sauce. This makeshift BBQ chicken salad made a lunch appearance a few times last week. Shredded chicken, bbq sauce, a little dijon mustard, chopped celery, carrots, relish, salt and pepper!
-Got to help deliver meals to healthcare workers with work last week. Our cases are down in Oklahoma but our nurses and doctors are still overwhelmed and they mentioned the food helped lift their spirits!
-Mojito o’clock!
-This last week should have been the Oklahoma City Art’s Festival. Due to Covid-19 it was canceled, but an Indian Taco at home made it feel like I was there.
-Sweet and salty toast is the easiest go-to breakfast or lunch.
-Coffee walks have been a new part of my morning routine a few days a week. Coffee mug yeti, favorite leggings and sneaks are also included.
-This easy cocktail that is on repeat: grapefruit juice, tequila, a splash of lemon juice, rosemary and filled to the top with sparkling water.
-Did you catch my Flow + Glow with my friend and yoga instructor Addie yesterday? We did a 30 minute guided flow followed by a demo of My Perfect Green Smoothie!
-Sunday bike ride with mom!

Annie

Easter Recipe Roundup

When all of this Coronavirus began, I think we can all agree we’d be in the clear by Easter. I already had a couple of dresses hearted on Rent the Runway I planned to wear to church, and was starting to brainstorm what dessert I’d make for Easter brunch. The past few years, my family and my sister’s in-laws (our friends too!!) have gotten together and had brunch at my parent’s house. Ham, cheese grits, deviled eggs, Sue’s strawberry salad, Ingrid’s butterfly rolls and a rotating dessert have always been on the menu. It’s a nice little tradition we had going on.

This year we are putting traditions aside for obvious reasons. I’m still quarantining at my parents, so we ordered an Easter meal for the three of us from a local restaurant, will watch church online and plan to drive by to watch my nieces hunt eggs in their front yard…we’ll be watching from inside our car. It’s going to be weird, no other way to say it, but I think it’s important to still focus on why we celebrate Easter and still treat it like a holiday.

I know I’m very lucky to be with my parents right now, especially over a holiday. However, I know it’s going to be extra tough for those who can’t be with loved ones this weekend. But, like I said I think it’s still important to treat it like a holiday. Make a festive breakfast, put on a dress or just something nicer than leggings and a t-shirt, find an Easter service to watch online, and maybe schedule a Facetime date with family or friends to cook or bake a recipe together! I rounded up 25 Easter recipes from Take A Bite and some trusted sites. Baking has been therapeutic for so many during quarantine, and this weekend is the perfect time to try a new recipe!

Banana Bread
Banana Sheet Cake
Best Breakfast Casserole
Blueberry Banana Streusel Muffins
Creamy Lemon Vegan Bars

Four Layer Coconut Cake

Funfetti Cake
Homemade Oreos (with pastel-colored cream)
Key Lime Pie
Lavender Cupcakes
Lemon Loaf
Orange and Olive Oil Coffee Cake
Signature Sugar Cookies (cut into bunny and egg and cross shapes)

And now a few recipes I’ve made or recommend from sites I trust!

NYT Cooking Almond Cake (this came highly recommended by my sister Claire, only 5 ingredients!)
Cook’s Illustrated Banana Cream Pie
Half Baked Harvest’s Bunny Cookies
Bon Appetit’s Cardamon-Pistachio Carrot Cake
The Pioneer Woman’s Carrot Cake

Half Baked Harvest’s Coconut Carrot Cake Cheesecake (need us not forget the year when two of these cheesecakes showed up at Easter brunch)

The Baker Mama’s Easter Snack Mix
NYTCooking’s Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake
Fiveandspice’s Orange Scented Olive Oil Sticky Buns (this video will make you want to make them!)
Bon Appetit’s Sour Cream and Onion Biscuits
Elisabeth & Butter’s Strawberry Cream Scones
Hummingbird High’s Small Batch Easter Egg Cookies (perfect if it’s just you and a roommate or a small family)

Though it may be different this year, it can still be special. Happy Easter!

Annie

Bites of My Life

A few virtual happy hours, learned a new skill, live streamed workouts, supported local restaurants through take-out, went on about 10 walks and started watching Tiger King. Am I a quarantine queen yet? In all seriousness the gravity of coronavirus gets more real by the day as people nearer and dearer are being effected. It’s looking like the next few weeks/months will be spent at home, and I’m just really thankful for technology, and being under the same roof as loved ones. Staying in and counting my blessings.

-Forever thankful for my wild bunch of Kappa college besties. We are spread out amongst Oklahoma, Texas and London, and it somehow took quarantine to get us to do a group video chat for the first time. Realizing this needs to keep up even after Covid-19.
-When you gave up chips for lent and order tex-mex take out. Cucumbers don’t replace tortilla chips let me tell you that.
-Under-eye patches all morning is a work from home luxury I’m leaning into!
-Spoiled spoiled spoiled by quarantining at my parents! Amazing meals every day.
-Hooked on these protein banana pancakes! Indulgent but healthy and the recipe is saved in my highlights!
-Spent 9 hours on Friday learning how to edit videos. Check out my amateur handy work here.
-Finally got around to making the famous “Clayton’s Margaritas.” Despite adding too much egg white, for not liking margaritas, these were great.
-Prepping for another Instagram LIVE Sunday by flat laying my ingredients, but also taking this as a moment to show off my new leggings that I’m obsessed with (which are giving me Carol Baskin/Tiger King vibes but I’m going with it).
-These IG Lives are just too fun to be honest! Blueberry Banana Muffins were a hit with everyone who tuned in! This recipe is a few years old and I forgot how dang good they are.

Annie

Bites of My Life

How are you doing? How are you holding up? How is working from home? We are now at the start of official self distancing week two. While it feels like we are all falling into a rhythm it’s still just so strange. Conversations I’ve had often go like this, “I just can’t believe this.” or “I feel like we are in a movie.” and the worst “How long is this really going to last?” The truth is we don’t know. We are not in control. We can all do our part to help, but God will get us to the finish line. While I’ve struggled to make that my guiding principle through this, I’m confident it’s the truth.

-Very lucky to be at my parents during all of this. Their stocked fridge has me feeling very thankful.
-Lots of hugs and kisses from my nieces before we all decided it would be best to stay 6 feet apart for a while :(
-Walk then wine with my bestie Maddie. Last week was hard for a gajillion reasons, but especially for Maddie after having to reschedule her wedding.
-Wannabe Bibimbap Bowls being made in the #quarantinedkitchen.
-My go to “quarantini” has been a combo of tequila, lots of lime juice and Le Croix.
-Wondering if wearing plastic gloves at the grocery store will be the new normal even after Covid-19?
-Finished this book last week and highly recommend for a mind escape!
-Sunday morning avocado toast, Pioneer Woman and a side of Calm gummies.
-Perfect CCCs went live on Instagram yesterday, did you watch?