Bites of My Life

I somehow got lucky enough to have two friends cook delicious meals for Peter and I this week. Dinner is such an everyday thing, but to have someone cook for you is special. There were appetizers, drinks, delicious entrees and desserts at both. I was quickly inspired to set a new goal for 2022 to host more people this year. I’ve gotten away from having people over to my place, and I don’t love that. I think I started to feel like my apartment is too small, I don’t live in a house, or my kitchen isn’t big enough, etc. But I’ve had about 5 girls staying in my 800 square foot apartment over a weekend so I’m not sure why i think I can’t have a few friends over for dinner. So here’s to my goal of hosting in some capacity, once a month for the year!

-What says the first Monday of January than a deeply green smoothie.
-January means uggs jeans and shackets as many days in row as possible.
-First meal from The Defined Dish’s new book as her spiced lamb lettuce cups. I’m ready to cook through her book, all of the recipes are amazing.
-Peter and I were treated to a delicious mid-week din by my sweet Morgs.
-Mexican train may not be ideal with just two, but you can only play gin so many times.
-Not sure how I got so lucky to be cooked for by two friends in one week, but the vibes and food were immaculate at the future Wolfe’s place Friday night.
-Why is it that Chinese food is the most crave-able food? Frozen dumplings in my freezer are a must to curb the crave.
-I’ve always been jealous of not getting to have a classic peanut butter cookie, but I’m loving the grain-free almond butter version in Alex’s new book. So easy and good!
-Post church lunch at Loro! I haven’t been since right after they opened and I was quickly reminded how good it is. I got the Curry Chicken Bowl and Peter and I split the salmon dip.

Annie

Bites of My Life

A double bite recap to sum up the last two weeks of the year. It was a really great holiday being together with my whole family. We haven’t had Claire and Mike with us in years on Claire’s birthday and Christmas, so that was a treat. We even had Mike’s parents with us all the way from Australia. The more was definitely merrier.

Now it’s January, how did we get here?? I was struggling to say the least the past two days. The first of the month, first of the year, and first Monday after being gone for two weeks kind of crumbled on me to say the least. After a good therapeutic cry and shifting my calendar to allow for more downtime in January than was initially planned I’m feeling a bit better. I think I mention it every year in my bites post, but the January blues always seem to give me a dose of their medicine. I know a few weeks of calm and routine should help, so here’s to (hopefully) a relaxing start to the new year!

-Got a spat of sickness right before the holiday. There were a lot of tissues, tea and at-home covid tests used. Negativo thank goodness.
-While in OKC, I got to try the cute new Harvey Bakery for a co-worker Christmas lunch.
-So happy to have all of the girls together for cookie decorating. We haven’t all been together on Christmas in years!
-The largest and heaviest piece of lasagna for Claire’s birthday dinner. Mike used Anthony Bourdain’s recipe.
-Tiramisu, the Italian lasagna of desserts made by me!
-Christmas cheers!
-Christmas crescents, a family tradition.
-Traditional Christmas Pudding aka Figgy Pudding (purchased from Central Market 🙃) for Christmas dessert. It’s a dome shaped cake steamed, then set on fire with brandy and served with ice cream.
-All my babies in my arms!

-2022 reading challenge is 24 books! Verity by Colleen Hoover was the last book I read in 2021. If you haven’t yet I highly rec reading Verity. Twisty turns but so good.
-Thoughts are like stars in the firmament. A little message inside my new Aesop candle. An amazing gift from our Australian Christmas visitors!
-Headed to Rosemary Beach, FL for the last week of the year with Peter’s family. It was cuter than I could have imagined.
-Cutie pops of pink spotted in Alys Beach.
-Lots of Rummikub and lots of gin played on this Shaw family vacay. Luckily both are some of my specialties.
-Pete and I on the beach!
-Pete and I on New Year’s Eve!
-New Nap pjs making me feel chic while I sleep.
-A favorite lentil quinoa soup that felt first week of January appropriate.

Annie

New Wine/new worship for the new year.
A Gilmore Girl bite for my fellow obsessed GGs.

Bites of My Life

Christmas week is here! I went out with a bang last week with nights full of fun events capped off with the most beautiful wedding. I’m home for the holiday now and can’t wait to get through the work week and slide into Christmas family traditions. Decorating cookies, a viewing of Eloise at Christmastime, church service, breakfast crescents and Christmas salad are on the docket. Merry Christmas everyone!

-Can’t even with this Christmas spread! Low twins outdid themselves with an over-the-top table and seriously fun White Elephant party.
-Number 7 seeing REK! His Christmas show never disappoints!
-So proud of my little cookie Christmas tags. Do you recognize the cookie from my blog logo?!
-Hot cocoa bar at The Slate. I may or may not have gone overboard on the mint chocolate chips, but….
-Alcohol removed wine, have you tried it? If you know me well you know I said goodbye to wine about two years ago. It makes me feel terrible, but I miss the joy of a good glass of wine. I came to know about Starla wines from foodie extraordinaire @chekmarkeats. It’s a Dallas women-owned brand and I loved it. Purchased at Central Market!
-Special sushi lunch with one of my best friends, her mom, and godmother, all who I LOVE!
-Cute pic of us and a reason to show off one of my favorite purchases of the year :)
-The absolute cutest welcome party post-rehearsal dinner where the family turned the space into a Christmas bar serving beer out of Santa boot mugs and peppermint tinis!!
-Last wedding of 2021. It’s been a packed year, but each wedding couldn’t have been more fun.

Annie

Bites of My Life

December has really kicked off and started running toward Christmas. So many fun events and parties and dinners on the docket for December. In typical Annie fashion, looking ahead at my calendar I started to get overwhelmed at what the month held. However, I know that it’s a blessing to have a full schedule, especially after last year, and that the memories made and fun times had will outweigh any preconceived stress or worry of not having enough downtime.

I always write the captions for each photo below before I write this opening section. And to my point above this month has already hit the ground running. What a treat to have my Sunday night routine of writing out my bites post and getting to reflect back on the week. Because what a good one it was! And if not for this time, I’d easily have my eyes only turned to what is on tap for this week and forget to say my thanks and prayers for a a great last 7 days.

-I was lucky to get to do a sponsored post with Kodiak Cakes, and boy do I love this brand and these pancakes. More details here.
-Fun evening bopping around the Something Navy pop-up with Jordan and Sarah!
-A Rom Com Holiday! Have you listened to my *perfectly* curated holiday playlist?
-A holiday must if you’re in Dallas is drinks or dinner at Hudson House while they are fully decked!
-ABPA Holiday Home Tour with my festive friend Jordan. Each house was stunning but this one took the cake and the Christmas decor was spot on. You can watch a tour of the house from a few months ago with The Potted Boxwood.
-Friday favorite things party with some of my favorite people! Walked away with some fancy shampoo and conditioner that I used for the first time last night and wow. I took my tried and true lip stain.
-Sweet Green is finally in Dallas. I waited in a line out the door for this Curry Cauliflower Bowl. But worth it!
-First time trying cutie Yo! Lobster in Highland Park Village. After a tour of Christmas lights, Pete and I feasted on oysters, lobster bisque, fish tacos and lobster rolls.
-Started Prolon again yesterday. I was not its #1 fan the first time I did it, mainly because of the price, so I purchased a box on Black Friday to save a few dollars. I’ve been feeling bleh and wanted a jumpstart before I turn into a Christmas cookie.

Annie

Bites of My Life

Unintentionally skipped a week of bites and barely noticed. It was suuuuch a good week and some change at home for Thanksgiving. Can’t wait to do it all again for Christmas. After having Covid over Thanksgiving last year, this year’s holiday was everything.

I’m back in Dallas for the next few weeks, and I know they are going to fly by. Work is always busy this time of year making the workdays quick, and socially things are stacking up. I’m trying to schedule in as many nights at home for cooking and watching holiday movies!

-So many snuggles and kisses and loving on baby Jack. The newest to our crew is cute as ever and growing so big and healthy. I loved his addition to Thanksgiving.
-Once arriving to OKC, a trip to Spark for lunch was an obvious decision.
-Gameday like it was 2014!!
-Pete in OKC! Peter came up on the front end of the trip for a short but really fun visit with the whoooooole fam.
-We’ve turned sporty! A Sunday afternoon pickleball game started off a little dicey, but once we all got the hang of it, it was a really fun day.
-OKC’s favorite drink turned cozy. Thanks to cousin Clay who’s working for Clubby, we got the Cashmere Sweater hookup.
-Almost every evening ended with a round or two of Mexican Train. Such a good game to play with family. It also doesn’t take too much concentration so it’s easy to play while multitasking watching Planes, Trains, and Automobiles and sipping some kind of cocktail or glass of wine.
-Proof of the turkey trot that killed me. We ran 2 miles, yes only 2 miles, but the wind that morning sent my allergies into a spiral that had me napping from all the Benedryl I took the majority of Thanksgiving.
-Look at that plate! So much color, so much yum.
-Rent the Runway head to toe pretty much every day, always. I couldn’t let these split flare jeans and oversized plaid coat go just yet.
-Leftover turkey cooked all day in a smokey tomato sauce for turkey tinga tacos. The best way we’ve ever used up leftover turkey. I used this recipe as a guide minus the corn.
-Claire, Mike, Jack and I headed back to Texas early Sunday morning. We all stopped in Dallas for lunch and a visit to my apartment before the Elmgreen’s kept on to Austin.

Annie