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

Memorial Day behind us and it’s unofficially officially summer! After a particularly fun week, I headed up to Grand Lake for one of my favorite weekends. A group of some of my best college friends have been hitting the lake for MDW for 4 years now and have deemed it “Lake Ratz.” We joke about how we will be going years from now even if babies are in tow. Since year one we’ve had a wedding and two on the way for members of the group. It’s evolved, yet remained the same. Each year the house gets a little bigger and nicer, we’ve classed up the weekend menu a bit adding smoked pork shoulder in the the mix with our ground beef tacos and burgers. Don’t let me fool you though, it’s pretty easy to revert back to being 22 when you’re at the lake with your college besties!

-Spotted this skirt and had to have it. It was double my normal size but I bought it and belted it with a thick brown belt. Long dresses (like this one) and skirts are all I want to wear right now to keep things breezy for these Dallas temps, yet warm when inside and the AC is blasting.
-Tini Tuesday nourishment in the form of a charcuterie board and this Strawberry Quinoa Salad. I added tomatoes and subbed mozzarella pearls for burrata.
-However, the Mary Martini was the star of #tinituesday. Did you catch last week’s post when my friend Mary guest blogged sharing her new go-to cocktail recipe?
-A batch and a half of Perfect CCC’s to take with me to the lake! I 1 and a 1/2 the recipe and scooped them a little smaller to end up with exactly 60 cookies.
-Pizza on the dock to commence Memorial Day weekend at the lake!
-My birthday has fallen on MDW the past few years, and I love celebrating over the weekend with friends. My birthday is actually tomorrow, but I was still surprised with a cake and Happy Birthday over the speakers on the deck to celebrate a few days early!
-Golden hour with girls of Lake Ratz.
-Closing time feat. this perfect s’more.
-Ended the weekend with a bang being asked to be a bridesmaid in my bestie Jordan’s wedding next spring!

Annie

Song of the week: Thief by Ookay

Bites of My Life

So is it kind of summer now? I know Memorial Day is the unofficial start to summer, but it feels like it’s already here to me. Despite the daze quarantine has put us in, since I’ve been back in Dallas as least, there feels to be a beat in the air that I only feel during the summer. You know; the accidental later nights since it stays light until 9pm, tanner skin, grilling out, laying by the pool, and the overall boost of happiness just because it’s summer? It may be due to the 90 degree temperatures we are having this week, but I’m here for it.

-Sampled Wild By Nature’s CBD sample pack last week. A 6 week starter kit to get your toes wet. They launch this Friday and I can’t wait to get my hands on more.
-Refreshed an old TAB archive post and was quickly reminded how delicious this recipe is.
-5pm topo and grapefruit mocktail is my favorite way to separate the work day to evening.
-Lunch ick-up from a Dallas favorite, Bird Bakery, to meet two friends, one of whom just moved back to Dallas from OKC!
-Team tiny canned fish yes or no? I’m a yes and so was my Trader Joe’s checker. Noticing I had anchovies in my cart, he insisted I had to try the smoked sardines and tossed a tin in my bag for free. TJs you are too good, the sardines on the other hand were fine…
-Mussels - actually incredibly easy to make. I urge you to try if you like mussels.
-A good ole fashioned Friday girls night that consisted of tex-mex, tequila, this guac, my new favorite dress and staying up past midnight talking.
-Teamed up with Wild By Nature (that I mentioned above) to make my Matcha Mint Smoothie inspired by their mint flavor of CBD. I went live from their account Sunday and it was one of the more fun lives I’ve done.
-When you have no patio space at your apartment and take to tanning on truly any public patch of grass you find.

Annie

Bites of My Life

It’s always hard to jump back into the week after a really great weekend. This weekend was a really great one. I spent the past three days at the lake with some of my best college friends. We’ve been "lake ratz” for the past three years, with confident plans to resume next year as well. It’s one of my favorite traditions as well as the perfect way to kick off summer. The weekend has consistently fallen on my birthday which is just an added bonus.

Spent the first day of my 26th year, starting to pack and prep for my move and ended with an impromptu birthday dinner with mom and dad (we are celebrating Friday!). Mom made two of my favorites. This salmon and this salad. Finished the day with The Bachelorette because I am unashamedly loving Alabama Hannah’s season!

-Last Monday was the epitome of living in Oklahoma. The day went something like this: weathermen predicting severe weather, the entire state cleaning out their storm shelters and parking their cars in every open garage, businesses shutting down, all for nothing to happen. Yes after staying home from work and “taking shelter” at my parents, all we got was rain…
-Can’t wait to start Save the Plums. Thanks to Ellen for the early bday gift!
-Shared how I prep then freeze Perfect CCCs when I’m making cookies in advance on instagram stories last week. All the tips are saved in my highlights!
-The Best Breakfast Casserole made it’s appearance at the lake this weekend. Always a crowd pleaser and always great for a bigger crowd.
-Oklahoma has been dumped on the past few weeks. We rolled up to our rental to find a foot of water covering the road leading up to the house and the ramp to the dock halfway under water. Don’t think for a minute this stopped us from wading through it to enjoy time on the dock.
-Coffee (tea) and cards before the days got started.
-Lake food is the best food, but it also makes me not want to eat it for another year. So many chips and beers consumed….
-We had a table on the deck of our rental that fit all 14 of us around it. We spent each night after dinner circled around this table playing rounds of picolo and playing song after song.
-The packing has begun, but first I’m having a garage sale to purge my belongings.

Annie

Bites of My Life

Such a good week and kick off to summer. Two straight days of food photoshoots means a very happy Annie. I love when I get to pause from answer emails to help style food to show off to our guests. Quick/long story...

Then I celebrated my birthday a few days early. Pro tip: don't have your birthday at the restaurant you work at unless you want to be highly embarrassed. Or do..cause it was totally with it. My birthday falls at a busy time of year, growing up it was often the last day of school and now it always falls on Memorial Weekend. No complaints really, but my mom was feeling guilty and had some ideas up her sleeve to make it special. To note, I also hate surprises and no one typically tries to surprise me. Upon arriving to dinner there were extremely large 2-5 mylar balloons attached to my chair. Then instead of a simple dessert, our pastry chefs at The Jones completely outdid themselves creating the most gorgeous three layer cake adorned with flowers and berries. All to be delivered by just about every hostess and server and manager singing happy birthday for the whole restaurant to hear. I was 50 shades of red, but felt extremely loved and celebrate. 

Then it was lake bound for "LAKE RATZ PART II." My friends and I started this tradition last year of renting a big house on Grand Lake for a whole crew of us to stay in. I left the weekend never wanting to eat another potato chip, but realizing how many great friends I have to spend a whole weekend with 15 of still love them all by the end. 

Okay this is literally the longest bites recap ever, but I guess being 25 is making me feel old and sentimental. 

-Food photoshoot days are my favorite!! The summer menu at The Jones Assembly is officially here!
-New favorite drink aka the Fire Emoji (yes that is the name and couldn't be more accurate)
-Best birthday c/o my real fam and my Jones fam. 
-Last week's recipe post: 3-Ingredient Individual Strawberry Trifles. 
-baby backs on the dock. 
-OG Lake Ratz. Been doing Memorial Day at the lake with them since freshman year of college. 
-it's not summer until...
-pretties birthday flowers to come home to from my roommates. 
-Bowl for the week: grilled chicken, sauerkraut, roasted sweet potatoes, vine ripened tomatoes, avocado, fresh basil, green onions on a bed of spinach topped with Malden salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 

Annie