Bites of My Life

/

Colorado in the fall, does it get any better? I’ve been lucky to visit the last weekend of September once before and to be there when the Aspens are turning yellow is truly unbelievable. It’s a scene that I kept finding myself just staring at the trees. I’m not a treehugger by any means, but you can’t help but relish in the serious beauty this time of year.

This Colorado trip was to celebrate my oldest friend marry one of my dear high school friends. They have been together for 10 years and their time finally came! There were a lot of tears, laughs, old memories shared and new memories made. Before dipping out of town I officially added pumpkin flavored things back into my diet, got a baking bug and celebrated two friend’s birthdays! I hope you all had a great week.

Bites 423.png

-First Pumpkin Green Smoothie of the season.
-On that note, you’d think I’d be diving into pumpkin bread, but I had some ripe bananas and a special request for my banana bread!
-Birthday twins (unknowingly by Caroline, planned by Kate - ha).
-Landed in Vail and got to hiking the rocky mountains with my momma. Photo cred/proof he was there: Dad!
-Mountain Standard, more specifically there warm pimento cheese with bacon jam, is a MUST on any trip to Vail.
-Found the bride kicking off the wedding weekend at The Red Lion!
-It’s so weird how life takes you in different directions. This is a reason I love weddings, because it brings so many special people back together, old friends and new friends. I loved getting to form friendships with Anna’s law school and DC friends through her wedding season.
-It doesn’t get more picturesque than this. Wade and Anna knew what they were doing when they chose this late September weekend and Piney River Ranch for their wedding.
-MOH for my bestie since birth.

Bites of My Life

/

Long weekends are just the best. After coming off the most relaxing few days in Broken Bow, I’m thrilled to only have a four-day week. I headed up to BB to meet some of my best friends. We rented the cutest cabin, went horseback riding, and paddleboarding, and just relaxed around the house. It has Colorado vibes near the cabins, and then feels like a cute lake town in some areas. There are a handful of good restaurants. We did pizza out one night and then made most meals at home. I went off Whole30 for some buffalo chicken dip, s’mores, and animal cracker indulgences but held relatively strong most of the trip!

Bites 420.png

-The most yum lamb kofta and chimichurri thanks to Central Market’s prepped options :).
-One of my favorite coffee shops in Dallas just went through some interior updating, but they also added this adaptogen mushroom latte to the menu. If you go to Ascension you have to try it. Tasted like a better turmeric latte.
-Eating out on Whole30 is possible, but tricky. When it came to needing to eat out for a few meals last week, I relied heavily on Cava.
-Last Thursday was a work from the couch in my robe all day kind of day. These type of days happen sporadically and I welcome them with open arms.
-Have you tried gum drop grapes? They are in most stores right now and are deliciously sweet and sour.
-Escaped to Broken Bow for the most relaxing long girls weekend. It’s 3 hours from Dallas and Oklahoma City making it the perfect meeting spot with my best friends from home.
-We played hours of Mexican Train with football in the background all day Saturday. I came in dead last but I’m now obsessed! It is such a good group game.
-Made a riff on Kit Keenan’s egg bake for the girls in Broken Bow. Minus the cheese, it was W30!
-Labor Day flattop cooking of homemade crab cakes and grilled okra, both Whole30 approved! We may have spent an arm and leg on the crab meat but they were worth it!

Annie

Fall bites: did you catch last week’s fall recipe roundup? Read up on it here!

Fall Recipe Round-Up

/

September, hello! Now I’m not going all pumpkin spice insane on you, but I sure am taking the opportunity to refresh some old fall and back-to-school themed recipes. I've been pretty lack luster on the recipe front, but there are some gems in the TAB archives I want to make sure you remember.

Like I mentioned, below you will find some fall sweets and back-to-school treats. Blondies, oatmeal cookie bars, homemade almond butter, a fig smoothie recipe, and more. Now turn on season 3 episode 8 of Gilmore Girls and let fall start to sink in.

fall 2021.png
IMG_7775.jpg
pumpkin+muffins1.jpg
orzo-5.jpg

Entrees & Sides:
Fig & Tomato Orzo Salad
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Figs
Fall Panzanella Salad with Pumpkin Cornbread Croutons
Crock-Pot Verde Turkey Chili

It will be 100 degrees in Dallas for a solid two more months, but here’s to manifesting 65 degree temps!

Annie

Bites of My Life

/

Only three months left of 2020. Weren’t we just three month’s into 2020, like, yesterday? Oh ya, then a pandemic hit, life went numb for a while, life is weird still, but we are pushing through with less than 90 days until 2021. This year. This year. Oh Lordy this year.

Dramas aside, last week was a good little week. Busy with work, busy with friends, and just enough down time to binge the new Netflix show Emily in Paris. I’m trying to be Emily. Move to Paris, work in social media marketing, and fall in love with a hot chef. Yes please!!

bites 374.png

-I was treated to a Defined Dish meal and gluten-free cinnamon cake from the sweetest mother-daughter duo I’ve gotten to meet in Dallas!
-Holiday Nutpods! It’s already becoming the most wonderful time of the year! _ANNIETUCKER for 15% your Nutpods order.
-Run don’t walk to Trader Joe’s asap for their new cassava grain-free chips! While you are there get the truffle potato chips too!
-Found this AHA apple ginger sparkling water at Target. Here for fall-flavored seltzer!
-Sweet Potato Hummus, the recipe is on the blog!
-Played production assistant with Mary and Hannah Saturday morning. Translation: Mary was getting headshots taken by the wonderful Hannah Vista Photo for her budding interior design career and I came along for moral support and to play pump-up jams aka The Parent Trap soundtrack.
-Emily in Paris, who else binged it this weekend? Eagerly awaiting season 2!
-My favorite Dallas house dawned with pumpkins.
-The Defined Dish enchilada soup on deck for this week.

Annie

Bites of My Life

/

Last week was busy and breezed by quickly. Something I was in desperate need of. The quick work week came and went and then I was lake bound for the third weekend in a row to celebrate one of my besties Jordan at her bachelorette. It was a great last September weekend.

bites 373.png

-Half Baked Harvest’s Kale Caesar has been on my list. Finally made it and it was everything and more.
-Healthy-ish Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins. Make them, I dare you!
-I love a behind the scenes moment. AKA baking these muffins at 8:00 in the morning and shooting them in good light next to my trashcan…
-French pastry date with my friend Ellie at Boulangerie.
-Passed through Austin over the weekend, and had to make an important stop to meet one of my best freind’s little guy!
-Weekend at Lake McQueeny to celebrate the cutest and sweetest bride-to-be.
-Just a girl and her HUGE swan.
-Trader Joe’s hearts of palm pasta, kind of weird, kind of great.
-Father of the Bride 3-ish premiered over the weekend. It was short, sweet, and just what I needed.

Annie