Bites of My Life

It's the countdown to the big day. My favorite holiday is just 3 days away! I'm getting anxious and can't wait much longer. I can't wait for family to get into town, to make pies on pies on pies, to drown myself in dressing and creamed corn and spend the rest of the weekend with a massive food baby. This truly is the best time of the year.

I skipped ahead a bit and let myself start listening to Christmas music last Friday! It's all apart of the season in my mind. And last night I had a taste of Thanksgiving with my 2nd annual Friendsgiving. You can see bites from the night down below, and read about the 1st annual here. 

-Shared my tips last week on how I stay hydrated during the winter.
-My favorite salad in the city, is the grilled shrimp salad from Republic! Second location now open in Chisholm Creek!
-Loved have Madison & Peyton, formerly from Identical Ideals, soon to be from The Honeypot, here guest posting last week. Make sure to read their Book Club and Season for Senses posts!
-If you are in OKC, go try out the Provision Kitchen hot bar at lunch. It's so good and fueled mom and I all day while we started in on our Thanksgiving grocery shopping.
-Another spot you need to try is Goro Ramen + Izakaya (meaning Japanese pub). Their steamed buns and spicy miso ramen are phenom. 
-I posted about it last week, but I can't get enough. I had the other half of my Burrata, Prosciutto, Arugula Trader Joe's flatbread and it's too good. Make sure to add some maldon salt and thinly sliced apples on top!
-We last minute needed another dessert on our Friendsgiving table, so instead of pie, I made my Pecan Pie Bars, a delicious recipe from the TAB archives. 
-One of my contributions to Friendsgiving was the dressing. I love that this is a chance to venture out from our classic recipes a bit and try something new. I used this Barre3 recipe and LOVED it. I used their recipe for cranberry sauce too!
-Friendsgiving is starting to rival the real deal!

Annie

Guest Post: Season for the Senses

Peyton and Madison are back for guest post round two! See yesterday's "book club" post here. Today brings some sense appeal featuring my favorite season-fall!  -Annie

We spent most of our childhood in Asheville, North Carolina, home to some of the most beautiful fall foliage due to its location among the Appalachian Mountains. Some of our fondest memories are of around this time of year.

Touch – We went for more of a "wear" theme here! Autumnal temperatures, thus dressing, is our favorite. A lovely coat and scarf combination is always welcome this time of year. If the weather isn't quite cool enough for a scarf, we are both big fans of hats. A wool fedora style being the favorite for this time of year, such.

See – No trip to Asheville is complete without a trip to the Biltmore Estate. We go almost every time we're in town. If not to see the house itself, to run the miles and miles of trails or visit the winery.

Taste – While the area is known for its microbreweries, the city was just featured in the Wall Street Journal as the next wine destination. Full article here. There is a wonderful wine bar located on the ground floor of the Battery Park Hotel downtown. Also on our list is Rhubarb, owned and operated by Chef Fleer formerly of Blackberry Farm in Tennessee.

Hear – We've been listening to the new Johnnyswim album on repeat for the last week or so. 

Smell – The most prominent smell of the season is probably pumpkin, but for us the fall smells outside top the pumpkin baking inside. The light this time of year shines a little differently and the leaves changing makes for a smell that can't really be described.

A season for the senses indeed.

Peyton + Madison

Flavor of the Month: Figs

Duh. If you follow me on instagram, I'm clearly having a fig moment. I think July was the month of matcha, but August is the month of figs. Figs have come a long way since the fig newton days. Nothing against fig newtons, but fresh figs are like little culinary gems these days. 

Fresh figs peak about this time, but snatch up these little beauties while you can, they are only good through early fall. Don't worry, dried figs can carry us through the dark months. Some tips on buying figs: look for ones that are plump, not mushy and rich in color. Black Mission and Turkey figs are probably the most common found in stores, they are the dark purple ones. If you can find them, I really love the calimyrna or kadota figs, bright green in color and bright pink on the inside. Figs are easily perishable so eat them within at least 2-3 days of purchasing. Keep them refrigerated. To prepare: run them under water and remove the stem. Keep scrolling for eye candy fig dishes that I'm coveting! 

Roasted Cauliflower with Figs and Olives from Brooklyn Supper

Fig Scones from Making Today Beautiful 

Beef, Fig, & Red Onion Balsamic Skewers from Every Last Bite

Pizza with Figs, Honey, Ricotta and Thyme from Whole Living

Salted Caramel Fig Blondies from Take A Bite

Strawberry Fig and Almond Butter Smoothie from Take A Bite

Fig and Tomato Orzo Salad from Take A Bite

Fall Cheese Board from Honestly Yum

Cardamom Layer Cake with Salted Caramel and Figs from Erin Made This

Are you feeling my fig moment too? What's your current flavor of the month? 

Annie

Spring TDL

These seasonal to-do lists are starting to become some of my favorite posts to come up with. Cue Summer TDL and Fall TDL. Sorry winter, you got left out. Some of the things on my list I've been holding to out to do, but others I had to think about. These posts let me sit down and think on what I want to enjoy in the coming months. I'm a planner as I've shared before, so it also gives me a plan on what the spring season may look like. Also, there really is no better feeling than crossing things off your to-do list. And when everything on your TDL is fun, why not strive to get them done!

1. Host a spring dinner party

2. Attend the Oklahoma City Arts Festival.

Because as much as it's about the art, it's really more about the food.

3. Take some kind of cooking, pastry or coffee and latte making class.

4. Go to a crawfish boil/convince a friend to have one.

5. Eat outside as much as possible.

6. Cheer on the OKC Thunder at a playoff game.

7. Make this Coconut Carrot Cake Cheesecake.

8. Perfect how to poach an egg.

9. Host a Cinco De Mayo taco party.

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Anything on your spring to-do list this season?

Annie

Fall TDL

New season, new TDL. I had a more than perfect summer, but I wasn't very accomplishing at checking things off my summer to-do list. Fall is always bit more productive, so I have high hopes of checking everything off this season's TDL. I'm printing it off and putting a copy where I can see it. Everything on the list are things I really want to do. Some I've wanted to do for a while, some that go with the season and some that have carried over from summer. Ready, set, lets do things!

1. Make unconventional pumpkin recipes. Like this, this, this and this.

2. Have a fall themed cookout outside by the chiminea. S'mores and hot chocolate must be included. 

3. Rent bikes and ride around town. We have this little bike rental program in OKC and I have yet to take advantage of it! ( I stole this from my summer TDL because I still haven't made it happen).

4. Make at least three cookbook recipes.

5. Have a full-fledge Thursday night Scandal watch party. Lots of popcorn and lots of red wine. 

6. Finish a book. I've been reading the same book since February...

7. Plan a friendsgiving!

8. Take a day trip to Tulsa. A city just an hour and a half a way with tons of hidden gems.

9. Take a food photography class. 
Brit+Co has one for $20! (I also stole this one from my Summer TDL because it needs to happen).

10. Cozy up in a cabin for a weekend. 

Annie