Bites of My Life

There is nothing better than a good fall weekend. The temperatures are still warm during the day, but it’s cooling off in the mornings in evenings in Dallas. Perfect for a walk in the neighborhood to get a decaf almond milk latte and scope out everyone’s pumpkin loot on their porches. Followed by an afternoon of college football and food to match. Last week and weekend were some of those really great fall-filled days.

Upcoming this weekend is one of my favorite fall weekends of the year, OU vs. Texas! Wishing everyone good fall days ahead and boomer sooner.

-Last week’s Weekday Rice Bowl made its way to TAB, did you see it?
-Kiwis and pears are my “it” fruits rn.
-Fresh off my trip to Vail and more importantly Mountain Standard, their insane pimento cheese with bacon jam was still high on my mind. Credit to Peter for opting we try making our own when I suggested buying some. We halved this recipe.
-Packed our bacon jam with Kuby’s pimento cheese and picnicked at the Dallas Arboretum for one of their Cool Thursday concerts.
-After talking about it for months, I finally made it to Il Bracco thanks to my trusty eating partner. Easily slid into my top 5 favorite restaurants in Dallas.
-Skip the last drink, order dessert instead. A trusty new motto that included some delish Italian cheesecake.
-Pigs in a blanket, never not a crowd favorite.
-Smash burgers on the flat top and a revolving door of friends watching football on Saturday, was a Saturday well spent.
-There is no pumpkin bread better than my family’s pumpkin bread, but I had high hopes for The Defined Dish’s grain-free recipe. I was surprisingly able to salvage it from this burnt top, but it was not my fave.

Annie

Bites of My Life

One of my favorite weekends of the year…check! I grew up heading to Dallas for OU/Texas weekend, obviously attended in college and now love the reunion with friends year after year. But, getting to host this year took the cake. Now I’m finishing up this post from my parents house for a quick trip back to OKC for work, then a chill weekend ahead.

-Easiest go-to meal = spaghetti squash, marinara with wilted spinach and call it a day. Serve your kombucha out of a wine glass and suddenly Monday isn’t so hard!
-When your juice matches your skirt >
-Kicked off the big weekend with my guy Robert Earl Keen Thursday night benefiting the Rise School of Dallas. This marks #6 seeing REK!
-Mom and dad in town for OU/Texas so we indulged in fried shrimp and gumbo at S&D to celebrate.
-Really love getting to play hostess. My little 1 bedroom became a 5 bed bunkhouse for the weekend and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
-THE best part of OU/Texas weekend is the reunion. One weekend we can always count on to get everyone in the same place.
-Retweet the sentiments from above.
-Hotel Annie had an early morning check-out. After cleaning up the place, I had breakfast on my couch and proceeded to stay there for the following 3 hours.
-Had no choice but to be outside Sunday afternoon. Dallas welcomes you fall with open arms.

Annie

Verde Turkey Chili (updated) and Pumpkin Pecan White Chocolate Cookies hit the blog last week. Two recipes about to fall into serious rotation this season.

Bites of My Life

I mentioned last week that October is going to be a busy but fun month. Kicked off the fall festivities over the weekend with the big annual OU/Texas game. Everyone clears out of Oklahoma to head southbound to battle the Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl which takes place each year during the Texas State Fair. I’ve been going for years, but my friends and I couldn’t help but dwell that the weekend gets better with age. Home from the weekend and ready to tackle another jam packed week and weekend. Less than 3 months left of 2018, here’s to savoring the moments before the year is gone!

-Wine in our grocery baskets: a new site for all Oklahomans. Last Monday marked the change of our alcohol laws in OK. We welcomed wine in grocery stores and cold beer in liquor stores with wide open arms. A stock up of two buck chuck was necessary to celebrate the change!
-Absolutely loved this meal from the Fall Reset I’m doing —> Cider Chicken: Chicken thighs, brussels sprouts and apples with a grainy mustard and apple cider sauce.
-Best day of the month is when my Bon Appetit magazine shows up in my mailbox!
-Homemade Chicken Vermicelli cooked up by my roomie’s boyfriend! We have started a routine of 1 out of the 3 of us cooking dinner once a week and rotating.
-Hey Ladies! I’m still reading over here and I’m really excited about this one I picked up last week!
-Rolled into Dallas for OU/Texas weekend around lunchtime on Friday. Steered my girlfriends to True Food Kitchen for lunch. I love it, they loved it. Antioxidant tea and the Seasonal Ingredient Salad for me!
-Fletcher’s Corny Dog for breakfast is an OU/Texas tradition!
-Corny dogs and fair beers had us tickled apparently.
-Nitrogen Ice Cream? Who’s had it? Cold and sweet finish to a hot (literally) and sour (game loss) day!

Annie

Web bite for the week: read this if you too pretend you are living inside a romantic comedy.

Bites of My Life

My favorite part of early fall is when the afternoon stays warm, but the mornings and evenings are slightly chilly. Perfect early morning walking weather, preferably with a cup of coffee in hand. A walk a day keeps the doctor away!

Last week/weekend was spent snuggling with my niece, embracing football games and food ;), unapologetically getting my first pumpkin spice latte (almond milk + 1 pump PS), seeing Home Again (HIGHLY recommend) and then followed by a Miss America watch party. 

-Officially Pumpkin Green Smoothie time! One of my favorite smoothie recipes ever. 
-A version of my go to "loaded salad." Apple, rotisserie chicken, roasted sweet potato, red onion, mix of lettuce and homemade balsamic dressing. 
-Still working on my spaghetti squash 4-ways post. This week was shrimp scampi spaghetti squash!
-One with the weights and a new personal record!
-Gabe and I still aren't besties but we are pretty good at taking pictures together!
-Mom and dad's equals unlimited homemade lattes with their Nespresso and my new favorite Milkadamia nut milk. 
-A Mexican spread for the OU vs. Ohio State game. Made a big batch of my Crock-Pot Carnitas with all the fixings and tons of chips and dips. 
-Sister Sunday at Midtown's Commonplace Books. 
-A throw whatever is in the fridge into a bowl kind of lunch. Results = leftover cold spaghetti squash, cherry tomatoes, roasted red pepper, parsley, red onion, capers and a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper!

Annie

p.s. don't miss last week's recipe post for my Double Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Cookies! 

Bites of My Life

Today's bites post is stacked with photo bites of last week. A full camera roll of weekly images, typically means it was a great week. I suppose I was trying to squeeze as many memories possible into the last week of summer. I wore white everyday, bought a car (!!!!), finished Whole30, visited a city I've never been to, reunited with college friends, welcomed the start of college football, and sat poolside for probably the last time in 2016.

I breezed through the week quick as quick in anticipation of my trip to Houston for OU's first game of the season. Game outcome aside, the weekend was too good. Molly opened her doors for me to stay at "AirbMB" for the weekend. Unfortunately MB was Austin bound for the weekend, but we got a quick 30 minute catch up sesh to make it count! The weekend also included multiple catch up sesh's with college friends near and far who all came together for the game. Lots of memories made and too much fun had. I'm still exhausted and caught up on a high from the weekend. I'm letting it end graciously though as we say farewell summer/hello fall. Let the best season begin.  

-All white everyday last week before the fashion police say I can't. 
-Shared a few ways I knock pesky morning headaches. 
-Spaghetti squash primavera for the last bites of Whole30.
-Golden Milk. You have to try it if you haven't, perfect way to end the day.
-A somewhat celebratory lunch at Mexican Sugar after purchasing my first car!!! My car accident a few weeks back ended up being a blessing in disguise.
-CCC dough rolled into balls and frozen to save for a rainy day, unexpected guests, or those strong sweet tooth cravings.
-A matcha a week keeps the doctor away...
-A trip to Houston meant a quickie meet up with MB before she headed out of town and finally a visit to her place of work at Biscuit.
-Lunch at Local Foods was suggested on more than one account. It lived up to all the hype!
-All smiles pre OU upset. 
-If only all college football games came equipped with a bloody mary bar. Hello feta stuffed olives. 
-A diner breakfast to round out the Houston bites and to soak up Saturday night. 
-Some rude (smart) person thought it would be a good idea to put a mini Dylan's Candy Bar right next to my Southwest gate. I arrived and left Houston with a big bag of candy store candy. Sour gummies and chocolate covered everything.
-One last dip!
-Labor day steaks and veggies to send off summer!

Annie