Bites of My Life

Point blank last week was an unexpected whirlwind of sadness, busyness, then heading straight to the airport to hop on a plane for an equally busy (but extremely fun) wedding weekend.

-Really savoring my new morning routine. It goes something like this: a super early workout, hot tea, breakfast, time with the big man and taking at least 30 minutes to get my mind right before the madness of the day. Sometimes I only get 5 minutes, but I’m trying to make this routine a habit.
-My beautiful, always polished, and put together Gaga. I don’t even know who these two babies are, but I love this photo of her!
-Christmas time at my favorite place!
-Going going gone for #GoingGoingVaughan.
-Loving on my London gal this weekend!
-Another addition to my friends and I’s collection of matching pajamas from all these weddings!
-My first college friend is now a married woman!
-Fun fact: one of my mom’s besties, introduced me to my bestie, Margaret, before we even got to college. 7 years later and here we are at her wedding!
-Sunday night weekend detox = bone broth with leftover shredded chicken, clove of garlic, squeeze of lemon, turmeric, black pepper, red pepper flakes and pinch of salt. Read more about bone broth and it’s benefits here.

Annie

Cookie bite: In honor of #NationalCookieDay today, I’m dreaming of these Christmas Cookies from last year!

Big Bites of My Life

Heyyyyy. It's been a minute since we took a bite, so not only are we double dipping we are triple dipping for a big bite to recap the past ocuple of weeks!

-Meal prepped this stuffed acorn squash for lunches and dinners and really really liked it. The caramelized onions made it! 
-The Bon Appetit's subscriber bonus issue deserves to be framed.
-I strive to turn Elle into my mini me on a daily basis. Safe to say that it's working. #chachamatcha
-My friend Maddie and I had an idea for a Christmas cookie decorating party and it was more fun and cute than we could of thought. Easily becoming a tradition! 
-Love what I do, but love who I work with even more!
-Santa slid down the chimney at The Jones!
-Brunch at home with mom and dad! 
-Christmas bites and sips Pre-Christmas Eve service. 
-Tucker traditional Christmas morning breakfast of stuffed sausage crescents.

-It's not Christmas without dad and I straining our backs hunched over a 1,000 piece puzzle. 
-I love my family of foodies and good eaters. Makes holidays that much more delicious!
-Two days after Christmas my parents and I left for Tennessee for my cousin's wedding. It was nice to get out of OKC for a couple days, and to visit some places I've been coveting. Like Pinewood Social. Great coffee, horrible waitress unfortunately. Which ruins it sometimes.
-Showed up to our hotel in Nashville to see a Caviar & Bananas next to our hotel. I fell in love with this specialty market when we went to Charleston. The turmeric milk overnight oats must be recreated! 
-LOL. 
-If only you could grasp how big the cookies were at C&B. I'm talking bigger than my face. 
-New Year's Eve at The Jones Assembly was just how I wanted to end such an amazing year!
-The night was worth the mess. 
-Black eyed peas for luck! Happy 2018!

-Protein shakes are back starting with this Mint Chocolate Chip Protein Shake overflowing with goodness, literally and figuratively.  
-Cherry Vanilla Protein Shake shared in a lite bite recipe posted here. 
-Couldn't drink this anti-inflammatory smoothie fast enough. Recipe by my friend @veggiebellie. 
-Prettiest and tastiest Thai Chicken and Broccoli Curry, also last week's recipe post!
-Lot's of protein shakes and detox smoothies balanced by devouring a good portion of the most addicting popcorn ever. 
-Had to do a double take passing this pink beetle! NEED. 
-Birthday salads and huge catch up session with my Lex!
-The birthday diva herself who is too great not to celebrate!
-Elle Frances looking cute as always. 

Annie

Visions of Sugar Plums and Cookies and Candy

Christmas is less than a week away, so let's cut to the chase and get baking. Whether you are making cookies for Santa, creating something to give as gifts or just wanting another excuse to eat all the Christmas treats possible, let me be your guide to some of my fave seasonal sweets.

My Signature Sugar Cookies were the first thing I remember learning how to bake. They get made for various events throughout the year, but always get made on Christmas Eve and set out for Santa. 

White Chocolate & Cranberry Christmas Cookies need I say more? Mom made these a couple weeks ago for a cookie exchange party and I'll go out on a limb and guess they were a hit;)

Peppermint Bark is so Christamsy and what I have made the past two years for co-worker gifts!

Cookie Butter Rice Krispies get a festive flair added to them by using red and green sprinkles to decorate. Also great for co-worker gifts or work pot-luck parties.

This post has me questioning why I haven't made my White Chocolate Dipped Oatmeal Ginger Cookies this season yet? These suckers are BOMB for lack of a better word.

Christmas Crack courtesy of my blogger bestie Molly! Need a last minute gift idea? Here you go, and yes it's crack. "Say crack again."

Dreaming of a white Christmas? These Snowball Cookies help make dreams come true!

Homemade Turtles are the least scary homemade candy you can make. Because when else, but at Christmas do you make homemade candy?

Merry Berry Scones are perfect for Christmas morning.

Lastly, Perfect CCCs - Christmafied! I made a massive batch this year to give as gifts! Packaged them in Chinese take-out boxes, and tied with a red bow! 

Merry Christmas from Take A Bite!

Annie

Bites of My Life

One week 'till Christmas! I've really loved this Christmas season. It seems to me the older you get the more holiday parties and Christmas celebrations there are. I must mention that all the events can sometimes be exhausting, but I've really enjoyed all the reasons to be together with various groups of people who mean the most to me. This past week including various meals in bowls (LOL, but really see below), a concert, a catering(!!!), a floral arranging class, best friends Christmas party, a visit to see my sweet Gaga, a visit from cousins I haven't seen in forever, precious time with my Elle girl and playing Mrs. Claus delivering fresh baked cookies to my besties. 

-Turmeric smoothie bowl made with the help of these and this.
-Robert Earl Keen with my Fam-O-Lee made for my 4th time seeing REK, but this time at The Jones Assembly!
-While battling a nasty cold at the beginning of the week, I had a major craving for some healing oatmeal. I made a big batch of steel-cut oats and ate them various ways through the week. Seen here as a savory version served with a sunny-side up egg and avo for lunch. 
-Bowls, bowls, all type of bowls. I prefer to eat smoothies and protein shakes from a bowl.
-Oats appearing again with cinnamon apples!
-Peppermint Mocha Protein Shake, bowl style.
-Take A Bite caters! Loved getting ask to make the food for a friend's company Christmas party! 
-Donut dreams came true thanks to Holey Rollers. 
-What breakfast looks like most days. Shoveled in to my mouth with one hand while applying mascara with the other. 
-Dancer, Prancer, Comet, Cupid, Elle and Annie!
-Special day at Elle's baptism. 
-Perfect CCCs decked for Christmas made for the best edible gift for my besties.

Bites of My Life

Currently sitting on the floor of my living with a tissue stuffed in each nostril (TMI?) watching the new episode of KUWTK. Christmas cold you are not invited and can leave now. My head is in a fog so enough of this, keep scrolling for more interesting life happenings!

-Pressed stop instead of snooze on my alarm for sister's early morning Barre3 class, but woke up late/just early enough to make it to Beyond pilates as self redemption. #mondays.
-Cherry Vanilla Almond shake to kick off the week. Frozen cherries, vanilla Arbonne protein, almond extract, ice and almond milk. 
-6:00 AM flow to celebrate my favorite studio's 6th year! Congrats Soul!
-Verde Turkey Chili on repeat last week. Loved seeing so many others doing the same. (here's looking at you Lexie, Madeline, Whitney and sis).
-Golden Milk and not pictured, copious amounts of chocolate chips (my current dessert of choice) were Wednesday's "bite while I watched" during Riverdale. Did you see last week's post??
-Too close for comfort one-on-one time with #GabetheBabe this weekend. 
-Yolk porn atop a smashed avo on rice cake for Saturday brekkie. 
-New yoga find this weekend. Come flow with me at 405 Yoga, it's the real deal! 
-Made Rachael's Good Eats raw chocolate bark to have as a dessert option this week instead of my current chocolate chip obsession. 

Annie