Bites of My Life

Winding down from a weekend I don't want to end. Nothing crazy happened and that's exactly why it was so great. Started with a solo sesh dinner, just me, my book and my you-pick-two then joined some friends for Girl on The Train. I didn't read the book which consensus says was a good thing; left for more suspense during the movie. 

Saturday woke up for breakfast and barre with Lindsay then football and bowling with friends. Ended the day making loaves of pumpkin bread and settling into the couch for a triple feature of You've Got Mail, Friends With Benefits and A Walk to Remember. 

Today consisted of the new season of Barefoot Contessa starting, a neighborhood kitchen tour, trip to Trader Joe's, walk with my mom, and a delicious dinner cooked not by me, but for me. A weekend of r&r that I want to repeat ASAP!

-New fav snack: handful of TJ's semi-dried frozen figs microwaved for 20 seconds with AB and CB drizzled on top.
-Celebrated the amazing company I work for with killer views and tasty treats. 
-Cheers to The Social Order Dining Collective being offish!
-I love sneaking over to my parent's house for lunch. Even when my mom thinks there is nothing in the fridge I feel like it's always full with the best goods. 
-Shared my go to work week lunch last week, did you catch the post? Another one of last week's posts here.
-Recipe test round one of Carrot Pecan Muffins. First round came out good, but I'm still perfecting the recipe.
-A perfect delivery of Perfect Bars. I'm a Perfect Bar virgin and can't wait to try these! 
-I hadn't had Panera in about a year and the craving came on strong. Pulled up a table for one before joining my friends at Girl on The Train. 
-Saturday gameday went from football to bowling with a gameday brat on the side. 
-No better smell than loaves of pumpkin bread baking in the oven. Made a huge batch of my mom's pumpkin bread this weekend, recipe will be shared this week!
-The dreamiest pantry in one of the houses on the Nichols Hills Kitchen Tour.
-When you and your UT roommate make a bet on the OU/Texas game and you come out the winner! Bet was if Texas lost, Lindsay had to make me dinner, if OU lost...well we don't need to go there. 

Annie

Bites of My Life

Around here kids are already going back to school, and I'm starting to feel a bitten from the fall bug. I came home from work today and lit my pumpkin scented candle, I was was also this close to buying fall decorations at Home Goods. I see a pumpkin recipe in the future...

I'm trying to hold on to every last bit of summer, but I'm slipping into the next season. I've also felt like I've been in a rut recently. A rut in all aspects of life, just a little stagnant. Maybe a new season would change that?

Rut aside, the current state of the union includes helping open a new restaurant, completing week 1, baking up a storm despite it, celebrating 27 years of sister with "white water rafting" and our favorite pie, and of course, the olympics. Gymnastics, synchronized diving, swimming and track and field fire me up, what about you?

-Pop, fizz, clink, champagne emoji, our 5th Oklahoma and 100th location nationwide opened last Monday!
-Bought a filet of smoked salmon last week. Worked it into as many meals as I could!
-Finally found a chia pudding recipe I like. This recipe has you heat the milk and chia together. Can be eaten warm or cold. Topped mine with figs and gogi berries!
-You all know I'm an apple and AB girl through and through, but there is something to be said about a creamy banana and nut butter. These banana coins got a drizzle of cashew butter, almond butter and a sprinkle of Himalayan sea salt!
-Cherry Lime Le Croix. Yes yes yup yup.
-Sometimes work involves gramming gorgeous cocktails, not mad about it. 
-It also includes taste testing the fish dishes for our next concept.  
-Nothing I love making more than my signature sugar cookies!
-Whole 30 has been nothing shy of delish. This was my best (and prettiest) lunch yet!
-Going for the gold with this new cookie pizza recipe, check back tomorrow for the recipe!
-This weekend breakfast on repeat Saturday & Sunday it was so simple and good. Two sunny side eggs cooked and sprinkled with turmeric on top, side of blackberries and broiled grapefruit with cinnamon. 
-Sis requested my Cherry Peach Pie for her birthday, so I through sprinkles in the crust to make it a bit more festive!

Annie

Bites of My Life

I had to dig to pull this bites post together. When I sat down to compile pictures for this post I had about a 100 photos for work and 100 photos of the roasted chicken I made last night. Yet nothing in between. I guess that does go to show a little bit of what my week looked like. I haven't talked much about my job, but I'll tell you it involves a lot of social media, a lot of restaurants, currently a lot of tacos and the past few weeks, a lot of hours. I'm pooped. But today we celebrate, because one corner of my job includes the grand opening of this.

Outside of work and getting as much sleep as I could sneak in, there were fantasy suite dates and men tell all viewing parties, (#teamjordan or #teamrobby? I'm #teamshedoesn'tpickeither), a going away party for my soon to be NYC friend, Jason Bourne and an evening in the kitchen getting ready for this.

-What too many of my meals looked like last week and will most likely be in the coming weeks.
-Killer combo: protein powder, almond milk, drop of vanilla extract, cinnamon and all the frozen berries you have!
-Another aspect of my job includes taste testing for a new gig coming this fall.
-My job sucks if you couldn't tell ;)
-This corn salad. It's everything. Recipe here.
-Haphazard brekkie of sliced apples with cinnamon, cashew butter and tahini drizzled over it.
-I'm not a sandwich gal typically. Yesterday I craved a sandwich. Here's to sandwiches I guess. 
-Can check roasting a whole chicken off my cooking bucket list now!
-Roasted broccolini and sweet potatoes for throwing on salads or eating as sides this week.

Annie

Bites of My Life

Work, work, work, work. All about the hustle this past week and weekend. All work and a little play, but I'm loving it. Just like my blog keeps me creatively stimulated, my day job has been doing the same. 

-Perfecting my poach, one farm fresh egg at a time.
-J.R. Designs made an appearance on the blog last week as well as killing it at her first trunk show. Check out her stuff now, if you haven't. 
-Fun to find out there are a bunch of matcha maniacs out there like myself. Glad I'm not alone. This post stimulated another matcha project I have up my sleeve.
-Working for a restaurant group has seeeeeerious perks. 
-Don't knock it till you try it. Almond butter, avocado slices, drizzle of honey and salt. So darn good I can't even.
-That matcha project I mentioned earlier. Here is a sneak peek. 
-When it's 103 outside, smoothie bowls for dinner are just about the best thing ever. 
-Texas and Oklahoma shaped sugar cookies for sweet Lauren as she makes her exit from OKC to Dallas, we'll miss you!
-Visually stimulating Mexican sodas. Come see them for yourself, starting August 1st ;)

Annie

Bites of My Life

It's the first day of school again! Not really, but today is the first day of my new job. I got a sneak peek last week by getting to help out here and there with a current project. It ended up being way less work and way more fun. All signs are pointing up with this new gig. 

We had our first run in with spring tornado weather last week. But in typical Oklahoma fashion it was all about the hype with little to no action. A total let down for this storm geek. I love a good nader watch! 

I squeezed in just enough to my last week of funemployment. It's been nice, but I'm a little ready to step back into reality. 

-The ethnic food vibes are still going strong after this recipe. 
-Taking my hand at homemade matcha lattes. Still have some work to do, but it will work for now. 
-A sunny green smoothie bowl inspired by my new Lemon Pistachio Michele's granola. 
-Taking bites, on set! The new job is already off to a great start.
-Bring on the summer salads. 
-Y'all I did it! I perfected my CCC recipe!
-On a serious matcha latte kick. 
-Enjoying our city from all perspectives. Like from the middle of the street. 
-Proud Chick-Fil-A card members.

Annie