Bites of My Life

Another busy pre-Christmas week before heading home for the holiday - I can’t wait! December is flying per usual but only because the days are full of festive festivities. I’m craving a slow down, but I know the time will come.

-Christmas concert with Jordan and Wills.
-Annual Christmas ornament exchange was a success. The theme was food this year and I lucked into this little take-out box that now proudly hangs on my tree.
-Pretty new holiday studs thanks to Made by Maddie!
-This Flower Child menu item leaves their menu tomorrow and I’m so sad. You’ve got to try the Singapore spaghetti squash noodles today!
-Tried the hot new spot Friday. Another lemon drop, please!
-What started as a walk around the hood turned into a pit stop for brunch at one of my favorite spots!
-Ginger cookies were finally made this season and all is right in the world.
-Up early Sunday morning to cheer on our Dallas marathoners.
-Sunday night hibachi turned polaroid photoshoot!

Annie

Bites of My Life

December has really kicked off and started running toward Christmas. So many fun events and parties and dinners on the docket for December. In typical Annie fashion, looking ahead at my calendar I started to get overwhelmed at what the month held. However, I know that it’s a blessing to have a full schedule, especially after last year, and that the memories made and fun times had will outweigh any preconceived stress or worry of not having enough downtime.

I always write the captions for each photo below before I write this opening section. And to my point above this month has already hit the ground running. What a treat to have my Sunday night routine of writing out my bites post and getting to reflect back on the week. Because what a good one it was! And if not for this time, I’d easily have my eyes only turned to what is on tap for this week and forget to say my thanks and prayers for a a great last 7 days.

-I was lucky to get to do a sponsored post with Kodiak Cakes, and boy do I love this brand and these pancakes. More details here.
-Fun evening bopping around the Something Navy pop-up with Jordan and Sarah!
-A Rom Com Holiday! Have you listened to my *perfectly* curated holiday playlist?
-A holiday must if you’re in Dallas is drinks or dinner at Hudson House while they are fully decked!
-ABPA Holiday Home Tour with my festive friend Jordan. Each house was stunning but this one took the cake and the Christmas decor was spot on. You can watch a tour of the house from a few months ago with The Potted Boxwood.
-Friday favorite things party with some of my favorite people! Walked away with some fancy shampoo and conditioner that I used for the first time last night and wow. I took my tried and true lip stain.
-Sweet Green is finally in Dallas. I waited in a line out the door for this Curry Cauliflower Bowl. But worth it!
-First time trying cutie Yo! Lobster in Highland Park Village. After a tour of Christmas lights, Pete and I feasted on oysters, lobster bisque, fish tacos and lobster rolls.
-Started Prolon again yesterday. I was not its #1 fan the first time I did it, mainly because of the price, so I purchased a box on Black Friday to save a few dollars. I’ve been feeling bleh and wanted a jumpstart before I turn into a Christmas cookie.

Annie

Bites of My Life

Unintentionally skipped a week of bites and barely noticed. It was suuuuch a good week and some change at home for Thanksgiving. Can’t wait to do it all again for Christmas. After having Covid over Thanksgiving last year, this year’s holiday was everything.

I’m back in Dallas for the next few weeks, and I know they are going to fly by. Work is always busy this time of year making the workdays quick, and socially things are stacking up. I’m trying to schedule in as many nights at home for cooking and watching holiday movies!

-So many snuggles and kisses and loving on baby Jack. The newest to our crew is cute as ever and growing so big and healthy. I loved his addition to Thanksgiving.
-Once arriving to OKC, a trip to Spark for lunch was an obvious decision.
-Gameday like it was 2014!!
-Pete in OKC! Peter came up on the front end of the trip for a short but really fun visit with the whoooooole fam.
-We’ve turned sporty! A Sunday afternoon pickleball game started off a little dicey, but once we all got the hang of it, it was a really fun day.
-OKC’s favorite drink turned cozy. Thanks to cousin Clay who’s working for Clubby, we got the Cashmere Sweater hookup.
-Almost every evening ended with a round or two of Mexican Train. Such a good game to play with family. It also doesn’t take too much concentration so it’s easy to play while multitasking watching Planes, Trains, and Automobiles and sipping some kind of cocktail or glass of wine.
-Proof of the turkey trot that killed me. We ran 2 miles, yes only 2 miles, but the wind that morning sent my allergies into a spiral that had me napping from all the Benedryl I took the majority of Thanksgiving.
-Look at that plate! So much color, so much yum.
-Rent the Runway head to toe pretty much every day, always. I couldn’t let these split flare jeans and oversized plaid coat go just yet.
-Leftover turkey cooked all day in a smokey tomato sauce for turkey tinga tacos. The best way we’ve ever used up leftover turkey. I used this recipe as a guide minus the corn.
-Claire, Mike, Jack and I headed back to Texas early Sunday morning. We all stopped in Dallas for lunch and a visit to my apartment before the Elmgreen’s kept on to Austin.

Annie

Bites of My Life

I’m full on family and an unhealthy amount of potato chips. But might I say it was just what the doctor ordered. How great has this year been that our holidays have been able to return to normal? Lake time, cookouts, s’mores (and s’more cookies), and fireworks! I hope everyone had a great 4th of July.

I’m equally thankful that this is a short week. Just a few action-packed work days and then I’m headed to OKC for a full week of major Tucker hangs!

-I love to order the California Turkey or Chicken Salad sandwiches “protein style” at Bird Bakery. I recreated the Cali Turkey last week and it was a great weekday lunch. Turkey meat, red onion, tomatoes, avocado, and gluten-free crackers over arugula. I was missing the raspberry chipotle mayo, but made a little mustard dressing to pour over it all.
-After being damaged in the 2019 Dallas tornado, the Preston Royal Central Market reopened last week. A trip to see the new store doubled as a birthday lunch date for my friend Ellie!
-Whizzed up some frozen banana and frozen pineapple in my mini food processor for a crazy good little ice cream situation. It couldn’t have been easier!
-Have you seen the wave of popularity Crumbl Cookie has received from Tik Tok? Whoever their marketing director is must to be laughing all the way to the bank. The lines at some Crumbl locations are wrapped around the building. The flavors rotate weekly and I couldn’t resist treating myself to the fan-favorite Cornbread Cookie that was available last week.
-A Sonic Happy Hour Route 44 water with mango and blackberry has been a mid-afternoon mood lately! It tastes like a snow cone!
-It ain’t a summer holiday without my S’more Cookies. I even made a Tik Tok how-to because I was feeling sassy.
-Lake time with Baby Joe! My honorary nephew looks more like my child than his parents!
-Big holiday people for these two littles who are proud to be Americans!
-Seriously good 4th of July eats.

Annie

Bites of My Life

What a JOY to think how far we’ve come in a year. Putting myself in my shoes at last year’s Easter, it was crazy to imagine that Covid would still be a part of our daily lives, but once that became a reality, it feels good to have had a relatively normal holiday this year. I’m getting my vaccine on Tuesday and I’m psyched. The light at the end of the tunnel is bright!! Thank you Jesus for science.

It was such a great weekend with all of my fam, friends, and multiple Easter egg hunts. Oh and soooo many delicious eats. Birthday cake, brandy ices, truffle potato jackets, cheese grits, smoked ham, and key lime pie to name a few. I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!

-Had a hankering for the Indian Spiced Cauliflower from Flower Child, turns out it’s leaving the menu soon so the craving really set in. Opted for the Mother Earth Bowl, sub sweet potatoes for Indian Spiced cauli and much to my dismay I got home to realize they gave me plain old steamed cauli. Fumes!! But the FC angels credited my account, so you better believe ISC (Indian spiced cauliflower) is happening this week.
-Helen is a hoot! Got to grab coffee with the Blender Bomb founder herself!
-Exhibit A of 80x20. 80% croissant 20% blender bar ;).
-Got to OKC for Easter, and kicked off the weekend checking into the Bradford House to celebrate a very special 30th birthday. HBD Jillian!
-The Texas-based and coveted seltzers, Ranch Riders are offish in the Oklahoma market. Check here to see who is carrying them!
-Bradford House with the sneaky Brandy Ice flex. They were delicious and strong and made me hungover :)
-The whole family got to be in town to witness and endure back-to-back Easter egg hunts. Elle is a hunting professional and I’ve never been more proud.
-Brought veggies to Easter brunch…no one is surprised.
-Also brought my Key Lime Pie that continues to reign supreme!

Annie

Dinner bite for the week!