Bites of My Life

Last week looked like breakfast for dinner and chocolate for dinner, combined with busy work days gearing up for a fun weekend. Looking into this week, I think the week may be very similar. Emphasis on the chocolate for dinner with Valentine’s Day being this week. Cue the sweets! I’ve already made a batch of Perfect CCC’s to share at work and at a meeting I have tonight. More cookies and Thin Mint brownies are also on the baking menu for the week.

-S_B is for beauty!
-Fun fact: I highlight my hair about twice a year, but I’ve only professional colored my hair once. Yes that is right, anytime I color my hair, my sister does it. It’s amazing what a $15 platinum highlight kit from Walgreens can do. I wanted a more all over color this time so I used Madison Reed. Anyone heard of it? This was my second time using their at home color kit. It’s extremely easy and foolproof in my opinion, but both times the color has not turned out how i wanted. It’s a little hard to tell but my hair is now taking on more of a strawberry blonde affect. Looks like we need to add some blonde highlights back in after all Kathleen!
-Dinner last week was breakfast for dinner. Sautéed “breakfast” sweet potatoes with 2 scrambled Vital Farm eggs on Siete tortillas with avo, salsa and chives!
-Not lying when I say I genuinely look forward to my morning celery juice. I do 8 oz over ice every morning post-workout, pre-food.
-Any sunbutter fans out there? I have tried but I am not. I wanted to love these sunbutter cups from TJ’s but I took one bite then threw them away. I’ve even bought a jar from TJ’s and returned it because I hated it.
-Year two judging Chocolate Decadence benefiting Automobile Alley with these two OKC foodies.
-Finally got to try Osteria this weekend. I went with the special, but for mainstays I would recommend the octopus, truffle potato skins and lemon and thyme cocktail.
-Leaning tower of tuna for a Saturday sushi lunch.
-Target impulse buy/Saturday snack was this Mint Chocolate Chip Cado ice cream. Texture was on point for being dairy free and vegan but would not buy again.
-Celebrating our Cali couple Oklahoma style.
-What Sunday morning should look like: eggs with a big side of hash browns!
-And what Sunday evening should also look like. I’ve been getting into a self-care routine of taking an epsom salt bath every Sunday night and it truly is the best way to detox from the weekend and start the new week.

Annie

web bite: Seth Meyer’s get’s Ina Garten drunk and it is amazing.

Bites of My Life

Last week deserves more of a spotlight on the weekend! I don’t want to give away full details as I am working on a separate post to fully document the weekend, but Molly came to visit me in OKC! I had a blast crafting our weekend plans, and couldn’t wait to share my city with her! If you know me and Take A Bite, you know Molly and Bridget’s Own Diary. Catch a glimpse in this bites post and a full recap coming soon.

-Easiest way to come off vacation and ease into the week is to keep your food healthy and simple. I always overindulge in my diet and my wallet while on trips. So I kept my post-California dinners simple, cheap and healthy with roasted veggies and chicken sausages (with lots of dijon for dipping). How do you transition after vacations?
-If you love food and romance, I recommend Delicious, but esteemed chef and food writer Ruth Reichl. I was gifted this book by my sister’s mother-in-law, who clearly knows me well! Next up on my 2019 reading list is this one. Shop my reads on amazon.
-MB(now D) made her way to OKC this past weekend and our first stop was rightfully so at The Jones. Dips + Spreads extra dough was the highlight of our girls night dinner!
-A trip to Kitchen at Commonplace for the food and the perfectly styled photos.
-I geek out over a place where the space and food are equally photographable.
-OKC people, have you been to Salt + Water? We popped in on their last day in their temp space, but they are taking residence off Lee Ave downtown and they are your top shop for all things natural beauty.
-I love these wellness shots from KOR. I love to pick one or two up from Whole Foods when I’m feeling sluggish, on the edge of a cold or after eating all the things.
-You may remember this meal when I posted it after the first Sur La Table class I took with my mom and sister. Well, we recreated our ‘Tuscan Kitchen’ meal for family Sunday dinner and it was just as good as when we made it in class.

Annie

Super bite: With the Super Bowl this Sunday, I have agreed to bring Perfect CCC’s and this Bon Appetit French Onion Dip. Are you hosting or attending a SBLIII party? This Onion Souffle Dip or Avocado Verde Dip would be great (hellllllloo post from the archives). And for a sweet treat I recommend this or these.

Bites of My Life

I’m not doing my best at delivery a “bite of my life” so far in 2019. 4 weeks in and only 2 posts to show for it. However despite the lack of posts, there is still plenty to share! The year started with me going through a major rut in my work and kind of in my personal life too. With a little perseverance and prayers and I’m really starting to feel the wind change! Things are looking up.

As far as work, instead taking some work load off my plate, I countered by adding on more. In the form of fun projects, clients (yup!!), grabbing coffee with those who inspire me and taking courses to continue to gain new ideas. As far as personal life goes, I turned to retail and travel therapy. Nothing like a couple new sweaters and a trip out of town that can’t pull you out of a slump!

-Fun project/client #1 has to do with one of the coolest new spots in town.
-Exhibit A of taking a course to help me stay inspired and creative in my field.
-One of my retail therapy purchases includes this headband from H&M that I feel entirely too good in when I wear. It’s the little things people.
-A local beer crawl with all your besties is the perfect way to spend the cold/boring January weekends.
-Whole 30 Chicken Piccata from the Whole30 queen, The Defined Dish on tap for dinners last week. Note, I omitted the chicken stock in the recipe because I was meal prepping and didn’t care to have a sauce.
-Perks of traveling United early in the morning. I love these stroopwafel’s with coffee and tea!
-My travels led me back to the west coast for the second time in the past 3 months! The weekend had big intentions of being a surprise, but life happens and so does the stomach bug, and sometimes you have to tell the birthday boy his friends are showing up in 12 hours and ya got to rally!
-Newport Beach I love you.
-Cliche “best weekend with the best people” kind of feeling.

Annie

Bites of My Life

“Now it’s your turn to say Happy Thanksgiving back.”

“Happy, Thanksgiving, back.”

anyone?

Thanksgiving week is here and I’m giddy. After a weekend of no plans (hallelujah), I’m feeling recharged and ready for the holiday week. We are having a big all-restaurant group Thanksgiving lunch tomorrow and made 3 lbs. of sweet potatoes yesterday to contribute. Hoping the first half of the week goes by quick, so we can skip to the big day!

-Almond Nog > Regular Nog, especially this brand. Packaging on point too.
-Trying to step away from gray and black everyday this time of year, this hot pink sweater is helping!
-Tuesday started off stressful and uneasy. Did my best to take initiative of the day and opted out of going int the office (thankful I have this luxury, I know it’s rare) and working from a cute coffee shop instead. My stress levels have been a bit all over the place lately, but I’m working on managing them. I knew going into my office wouldn’t help, so I chose to work in a peaceful surrounding and with my favorite drink.
-Pie and dressing transporting to Friendsgiving in style. This piece from Scout is one of my favorites. I use mine all the time and I’ve gifted it 3 times!
-I used this recipe for the pie and this one for the dressing, would recommend both.
-Friendsgiving was a raging success. Bonus points to all my friends after tasting their cooking abilities.
-Oklahoma City people, OSO on Paseo is o so delicious! Order the taco salad.
-Welcome Sur la Table, welcome. Kathleen and I, bought our mom a cooking class for her birthday and I literally can’t wait.
-If you like peppermint bark you MUST go but this peppermint bark popcorn from Trader Joe’s ASAP.

Annie

Breakfast bite: Did you miss last week’s recipe post? It’s the perfect thing to make for your family to eat on for breakfast over the holiday. I am!

Bites of My Life

Read, eat, workout, work, more work, staycation post-vacation, and the first of the Halloween celebrations. Keep reading if you want the details of my lazy recap sentence.

-My current lineup. Boom Town, Hey Ladies, and Bread & Wine (for the second time). I’m struggling to get through Boom Town and Hey Ladies so I added in one of my faves to help re-inspire my reading.
-This healthy little tostada stack was actually the victim of a clean out the fridge meal. Crisp 2 Siete tortillas in a little coconut oil. Top each with smashed black beans and some almond milk cheese. Stack the two tortillas and heat in the oven to melt the cheese. Top with tomato, chopped bell pepper, some lettuce, more cheese and salsa.
-After work walk with my best girl!
-One of my favorite events of the year is the chili cook-off that happens downtown OKC every year. Haggled The Jones Assembly into participating this year. We didn’t take a win, but getting to sample multiple chilis for lunch was worth it!
-Checked-in to the Avid and immediately checked out the snack selection. Props to Avid for the great snack options and complimentary chocolate bar.
-Fun little staycation Friday night. More on this coming later this week.
-French toast!
-A batch of Pumpkin Bread to kick off the holiday baking season.

Annie

Web bite: Need a last minute Halloween costume idea? Here’s three!