Bites of My Life

I was in Oklahoma City for the second half of the week. It was a quick work filled trip, but great to see friends, fam, and co-workers. I turned right back around once Saturday hit to get back to Dallas. I gushed on it a little in my last bites post, but Dallas just feels really right lately. That being said, I’m hoping to be back in Oklahoma this coming weekend for the 4th, but fingers crossed their rain holds off so I can have a fun lake weekend, and not a wash out. Keep scrolling to the end of this post if you need some holiday recipe inspo!

-Easy and delicious summer dinner: TJ’s Chili Lime Chicken Burger topped with chunks of avocado and tomatoes, pickled red onion, mustard for dipping (always), and a quick pickled Asian cucumber salad.
-Pulled into OKC and quickly found myself taking sips of all the new coffees on The Jones’ summer menu rollout.
-Mom and dad’s new house is IT! My trip was fast and furious, but I can’t wait to be back in Oklahoma soon to spend an extended amount of time in that pool.
-Morning walk with these OKC besties!
-After dinner Homemade Brandy Ices !!
-Trips down I-35 deserve SNACKS! A mix of skinny pop, cheddar bunnies, and almonds did the trick.
-Back in Dallas, for a Bridgeton-themed birthday tea for the queen, Ellie!
-Bonded by espresso martinis and being Dallas transplants.
-End of an era as Royal Blue Grocery closes. So many coffee dates, afternoon work sessions, friend meetups, and bible studies on the patio. Going to miss it, but excited for what the RBG team has up their sleeve.

Annie

My 4th of July recipe roundup from last year still holds strong. Take a peek at the post for some inspo for your holiday weekend. God Bless America!

Bites of My Life

Happy first day of summer! I made a huge bowl of this red lentil pasta salad yesterday. Pasta salad screams summer for me! My mom used to make this bow tie pasta salad to have in the fridge during the summer when my sisters and I were out of school. Nostalgia at it’s finest.

I’m coming off a truly superb weekend with newer and some older Dallas friends that has me so confident of my location. In the benediction from church yesterday, the pastor said “ You go nowhere by accident.” I know it’s been two years, but I still hear and feel this reminder often that I am where I am supposed to be.

-Summer means copious amounts of salads, smoothies, watermelon, ice cream, and anything cold. Made my Del Corazon salad for dinners this past week.
-Sungold watermelons! They taste the same as a normal watermelon but are more fun to eat because yellow!!
-Started Stephanie May Wilson’s new prayer journal last week. Already so encouraging.
-Happy hour at Jordan’s to kick off the weekend! She’s the best host in the biz.
-Ellie and I took ourselves out for a boozy belated and early birthday lunch. We were there for almost three hours and could have stayed longer! I love this friend so much!
-Because the natural progression after a sushi and martini dinner is a late-night chips, salsa, churros, and Modelo move.
-Got to break out my new hat twice over the weekend. I’m obsessed with the monogrammed bandanna.
-Got into too much trouble with this girl gang over the weekend. See you all in Vegas ;) !
-Trendy martini but make it decaf!

Annie

Bites of My Life

Happy two years in Dallas to me! Can you believe? I actually can. I feels like it’s been 5+. I mean that in a good way. I feel rooted and established in Dallas, something I really strived to feel after initially moving.

It’s also mid June already. How? It is summer, like summer summer. And the temperatures are to show for it. I felt like this weekend was a constant state of sweat, shower, sweat, shower, sweat, shower. I went on a walk with two newer friends that I adore, on Sunday. We stopped for ice coffee first, then walked the Katy Trail in Dallas. By the end of the walk we were 1. sweaty messes and 2. famished. We stopped for lunch and I think everyone in the restaurant thought we had just jumped in a pool! Dog days are here.

-One of my go-to dinners in the ole single girl recipe bag. Just a Trader Joe’s Turkey burger salad. Pretty crave worth in the summer.
-I’ve been in a routine of buying a rotisserie chicken at the store to start the week to have for meals. I decided to try my hand at making homemade bone broth with the leftover chicken carcass. It’s so easy to make, and it yielded about a week’s worth of broth that I sipped on mid-morning. Bone broth has some great health benefits, but it really just made me feel like I was doing something good and healthy for myself!
-700 printed photos later and my photo albums are now up to date to document the past two years.
-Ventured to work outside on Friday, and was quickly reminded that it’s officially the dead heat of the summer. I lasted about 10 minutes working in the 95 degree heat.
-Bestie Taylor drove down from OKC for a quick 24 hour trip. We had dinner at Encina in the bishop Arts district and had the most delicious “Mokonuts” cocktail.
-Ordered about every app on the menu at Encina. The vibes, the food, the drinks were all good.
-Our favorite visitor!
-Prettier the cheeseboard, the easier it is to play mah jongg…or so they say!
-Spent Saturday afternoon learning the game of Mah Jongg from one of my good friend’s moms. What was supposed to be a 2-4pm lesson turned into hours of playing the game, talking, eating copious amounts of chocolate-covered almonds, and just an overall great day.

Annie

Bites of My Life

Such a fun week back in OKC. I had plans to be in town at the end of the week for a wedding, but snuck up early to surprise my dad for father’s day and his birthday. Got to catch of with some of my best friends and family, and it was all around just a great little trip. Back in Dallas and looking forward to a low key holiday weekend.

-Parmesan risotto with bacon-wrapped shrimp and crispy brussels for dad’s 62nd birthday dinner.
-Sweet-home Okra-homa! Sweet home Jones Assembly (is back open!!).
-Snuck in some QT with one of my most special friends. My Lex girl and I are the kind of friends that spill our guts to each other every time we are together. The best!
-Post-work day pool time with these little fishies.
-First wedding post quarantine. Everyone was a little anxious, but only my happiest friend could pull it off!
-Saw my friend Maddi post about these litte ice cream cone scoopers and had to get them for Elle and Hallie. Needless to say, they loved them.
-This Seven 11 themed shower for a July 11th wedding had details on point. Even down to the fact that it last minute turned into a “slurp and see” drive-by shower.
-Slurpies in cookie form can’t get any cuter.
-She’s getting married in a few weeks one way or another!

Annie

Bites of My

I’ve started reading White Fragility, I’ve attended a protest, I’ve signed a few petitions, followed black influencers (some favorites include Oh Happy Dani and Anna Mae Groves), but I know it is not enough. How is everyone doing?

-Daily 3:00pm snack of GG pizzas are on a serious rotation around here. I’ve been reading a lot about fiber and how beneficial it can be in our diet. GG crackers are very bland fiber-filled crackers, but once they are topped with marinara, almond milk cheese, and pepperoni, they are basically pizza Lunchables.
-I wish you could see the full glamour that is this WFH outfit, but what you are missing with this midi dress, cardigan situation is my running shoes to top it off. G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S.
-Protein pancakes are easily one of my favorite breakfasts!
-An easy and cheap Trader Joe’s cheeseboard using a few of my staples: Spanish cheese tapas sampler, crispbreads, pepperoni, with some berries and then basil from my porch herbs!
-A baby strawberry sheet cake for a little birthday celebration for my bestie girl Jordan!
-Espresso Martinis for Tini Tuesday!! Recipe getting shared Thursday!
-I attended a Black Lives Matter protest last week. The protest was based on prayer and was led by a local church group. We sang hymns and attendees gave their testimony. We then joined in on a march from City Hall through downtown. It was slightly out of my comfort zone but encouraging to see so many people gathered together to fight for a change.
-Sharing the recipe for this salad tomorrow because I cant.stop.making.it.
-This picture doesn’t do it justice, but I’ve been bitten by the @isaacboots bug and I can’t get enough. I found him from doing Obe workouts and now I strictly do only his sculpt classes. however, he also does an IG live that is 50 minutes everyday and I’ve been tuning in when time permits. They are killer but SO fun.

Annie