Bites of My Life

There is nothing better than a good fall weekend. The temperatures are still warm during the day, but it’s cooling off in the mornings in evenings in Dallas. Perfect for a walk in the neighborhood to get a decaf almond milk latte and scope out everyone’s pumpkin loot on their porches. Followed by an afternoon of college football and food to match. Last week and weekend were some of those really great fall-filled days.

Upcoming this weekend is one of my favorite fall weekends of the year, OU vs. Texas! Wishing everyone good fall days ahead and boomer sooner.

-Last week’s Weekday Rice Bowl made its way to TAB, did you see it?
-Kiwis and pears are my “it” fruits rn.
-Fresh off my trip to Vail and more importantly Mountain Standard, their insane pimento cheese with bacon jam was still high on my mind. Credit to Peter for opting we try making our own when I suggested buying some. We halved this recipe.
-Packed our bacon jam with Kuby’s pimento cheese and picnicked at the Dallas Arboretum for one of their Cool Thursday concerts.
-After talking about it for months, I finally made it to Il Bracco thanks to my trusty eating partner. Easily slid into my top 5 favorite restaurants in Dallas.
-Skip the last drink, order dessert instead. A trusty new motto that included some delish Italian cheesecake.
-Pigs in a blanket, never not a crowd favorite.
-Smash burgers on the flat top and a revolving door of friends watching football on Saturday, was a Saturday well spent.
-There is no pumpkin bread better than my family’s pumpkin bread, but I had high hopes for The Defined Dish’s grain-free recipe. I was surprisingly able to salvage it from this burnt top, but it was not my fave.

Annie

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!

-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.

Sweets & Snacks:
Dark Chocolate, Orange, and Fig Blondies
Blueberry Cardamon Pop-Tarts
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Almond Butter Blossoms
Pumpkin Pecan White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pumpkin Bread
Cookie Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Bacon-Wrapped Dates
Homemade Almond Butter

Breakfast:
Healthyish Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins
Strawberry, Fig, and Almond Butter Smoothie
Pumpkin Green Smoothie
Pumpkin Spice Bulletproof Coffee

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

What a week in America. This was my first time voting as a Texas resident and my third presidential election to get to vote in. I got to the polls right at 7:00 am to cast my vote Tuesday morning. I left feeling so proud, regardless of the results, to live in this country. I watched church online yesterday morning, and the pastor closed his sermon saying we should all pray by name our new President-elect Joe Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, President Donald Trump, and Vice President-elect Mike Pence. Pray for their work ahead, for peace and healing, and for the future of our country.

I was lucky to pair the heavy week with good food and better friends. Chili night to watch election results, mid-week ramen from my favorite place, lunches with friends, and one of my best friends birthdays. Big week, good week!

-Monday morning matcha ritual. Always tired and always need something good in my body.
-Power blazer for election day. I kept calling this my Annie for VP outfit.
-First time voting in Texas!
-My “co-worker/work bestie” Ellie at my co-working space made homemade hot chocolate and her sister made homemade marshmallows for the election. I was happy to be treated to leftovers on Wednesday!
-Stopped in Flower Child last week for a social media post I’m doing with them and became hooked with this order: grilled chicken, Indian spiced cauliflower, and yuzu Brussels sprouts.
-Leftover Wabi House ramen upgraded with an added soft boiled egg at home.
-I’ve been dressing up as food or drink since forever. It wasn’t Halloween, but in honor of my bestie Margaret’s “M” themed birthday party, I showed up as a Mambo Taxi.
-East Hampton lettuce wraps are all kinds of good. Their November sandwich the Augusta in honor of The Masters is equally good.
-Trader Joe’s did it again. Cauli crisps are my new must buy. They just need to increase the bag size…

Annie

Netflix bite: I was always too young to watch Dawson’s Creek when it first aired, but now that it is on Netflix I spent my low key weekend binging season one. And for a tiny dose of Christmas and a happy-go-lucky movie, Holidate checked both boxes!

Are you joining me in No Spend November this month? It was so interesting and felt rewarding to be extra conscious of my spending last week. Here are the details if you are interested.

Bites of My Life

I scooted home last Monday for a week to work from OKC. We had a week-long event, a new menu launch and various meetings and planning to do. What I intended just to be a Monday and Tuesday trip had me not leaving until Friday. I hadn’t been in Oklahoma City in two months. I know that is not long at all, but for someone who essentially splits her time between there and Dallas, it was the longest I had gone since I moved. A busy week led into a fun weekend watching football and enjoying the cool fall weather all day Saturday with friends. It’s now officially freezing in Dallas and I have chili on deck for all future meals.

-Balloon artist for hire!! Kidding, but my boss and I felt the need to start our own balloon biz after whipping up several displays. It’s not party these days without balloons.
-Love being home and having co-workers IRL. Met up for coffee before work with my work besties Ash and Bailey!
-Goes to a real office for the first time in months, and wears a blazer to really lean into it.
-My work’s annual Jonestoberfest kicked off last week and I was so glad I was home to see it in action, and to model a bratwurst, and then get to eat it…
-I saw Serena make this Smokey Chicken Stew on her IG about a week ago and new it was on the list to make. I made it for my mom and dad while staying with them and it was a hit all around.
-Found a perfect replacement for my favorite slippers that are $24.
-Friday night after a busy week meant staying on the couch all night and watching my people on the Laguna Beach reunion. Do yourself a favor and tune in to see your faves back together.
-Football Saturday with fall temps called for a round of Katy Trail Ice House chili for the table. Legit all 6 of us ordered a cup. With an order of their famous cheese fries too of course!
-Made a batch of my favorite Halloween Candy Compost Cookies on Sunday and just had to take a moment to give Almond Joys the attention they don’t get but deserve.

Annie