Bites of My Life

Back in OKC again last weekend for work and a wedding. I mentioned it last week, but work and weddings are dictating my life right now. No complaints just dropping facts. Praise be that I’m in Dallas for the foreseeable future. Travel on top of the W/W wheel has me pooped.

-Not one, but two bags of the Trader Joe’s Almond Butter pretzel nuggets. This is a peanut allergist’s dream!
-Molly’s book is out and everything from the recipes to the graphic design are supreme.
-I finished Prolon last Wednesday. While it is efficient at dropping a few lbs. I wouldn’t go suggesting friends do it. It comes at a high cost and you could just eat your own soups and drink your own herbal tea for a similar outcome.
-Back in OKC yet again to celebrate my bestie since 4th grade’s wedding. A big cheers at The Jones Assembly to kick off MaryKate and Connor’s weekend.
-Watermelon eye patches: cute and functional.
-Ranch waters with the bride post-pictures, pre-ceremony. MaryKate is as easygoing as they come.
-The prettiest set up for a rooftop reception.
-Posses outie!
-Peeked in mom and dad’s new digs before heading back to Dallas. I can’t wait to see it furnished.

Annie

Bites of My Life

Work, wedding, work, wedding, repeat. <— This has been and is my schedule for the next few weeks. One wedding and two work trips down, three weddings to go. It’s exhausting being 27 sometimes let me tell you 🤪! Not pictured below: work and wedding…LOL.

-Monday morning ritual always means an errand to return my weekly Rent the Runway picks. If you aren’t renting clothes and aren’t following Confessions, I’m not sure what you’re doing.
-Shrimpy shrimpy! New recipe post went up last week.
-Favorite spot in Dallas. Could eat the kale salad or caesar at Alamo Club once a week. At this rate… I do!
-Now serving, Wednesday tennis! Been saying I’ve wanted to take tennis lessons for the past few years, and thrilled to finally be making it happen.
-TAB turned 8 last week. She’s getting so big!
-Haven’t had protein pancakes in a minute, but they always hit the spot. I have my recipe saved in IG highlights.
-Prolon reached out if I’d be interested in their 5-day fasting-mimicking diet. I’d heard of it before and did a lot of research before starting, but I said sure! I geek out on a challenge when it comes to food. I started Saturday and was ready to throw in the towel. It’s now Monday morning, day 3, and you can call me the Prolon queen.
-Quick stop by Margaritaville on Saturday.
-Sunday funday with my L-drink….

Annie

Eight is Great!

Happy 8 Take A Bite! Eight years of cookies, a lot of Maldon salt, grammar errors, and over sharing bites of my life.

Make yourself a piece of birthday toast, and catch up on the past eight years. A link to each birthday post is below. Thanks for being here!

one/two/three/four/five/six/seven

Annie

photos by Hannah Vista Photography

Cookie Pizza

A nostalgic part of my college years includes cookie pizzas! Not cookie cake, but cookie pizza. You can read more about their origin here. While you’re at it check out my other cookie pizza recipes here, here, and here!

Cookie Pizza

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus a few more for finishing
sprinkles (optional)

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
splash of milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a large mixing bowl or round object, about 10 inches in diameter, trace a circle on the parchment paper. Flip the parchment paper over so you don't get any pencil or pen marks when you spread out the dough.

Cream butter and sugars in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract.  Add flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix on low until the dough comes together. Add chocolate chips, reserving a few. Give it all another stir.

With clean hands spread the dough out on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread the dough out, filling the circle shape you drew. Before baking, press your reserved chocolate chips into the top of the pizza. This ensures an extra pretty cookie! Bake for 10-12 minutes. Start on the low end. The key to yumminess in this cookie pizza is for it to be slightly underdone! You want to take it out just before it starts to brown. Then let it cool completely.

While the pizza cools, make your glaze. Using a hand mixer or whisk, whisk powdered sugar and vanilla, and a splash of milk until smooth and glossy. Add a touch more milk if you need to. It should be the consistency of Elmer’s glue. Drizzle the glaze over the top in a swirly whirly pattern of your choice. Top with sprinkles if you prefer. 

Cut with a pizza cutter and store in a pizza box. 

Annie

Cherry Tomato Shrimp Scampi

I successfully ate shrimp for 7 meals last week. I’m not sure you can constitute that as successful, but regardless I did it. When I tested this shrimp scampi recipe earlier in the week I didn’t think about the fact that I’d be away for the weekend near water aka a surplus and desire to eat as much fish as possible. A spontaneous dinner date to a favorite seafood spot in town didn’t help either. After meal 7 I think I can confidently say I’ll be taking a siesta from shrimp for a bit, but you can bet when I’m ready again this recipe will be the one breaking my shrimp fast.

This recipe comes together so quickly. The white wine butter (I use ghee) sauce is kind of insane. Just hold the pasta, add crusty bread, you’ll be wanting to sop up every last bit. I also added tomatoes for a pop of color and flavor amongst the shrimp. Pair with an easy green salad, I just did butter lettuce, avocado slices, leftover parsley from the shrimp and a vinaigrette, and your meal is done.

Cherry Tomato Shrimp Scampi
yields 3 servings | recipe adapted from BevCooks

Ingredients:
1 lb. large frozen shrimp, thawed, peeled, and deveined
2 Tbsp. ghee (or butter)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ shallot, finely chopped
½ cup white wine (I used sauvignon blanc)
10 oz cherry tomatoes
3 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 lemon, zest and juice
Salt and pepper
Crusty bread and a green salad, for serving

Directions:
Over medium heat, melt the ghee and olive oil in a large pan. Add the garlic, shallot, and tomatoes, and sauté for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the wine and crushed red pepper to the pan, and give it all a stir. Turn the heat to medium-low, put the lid on your pan, and let the tomatoes, garlic, and shallot simmer for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to wilt.

Once the tomatoes are starting to soften, add the shrimp to the pan and season generously with salt and pepper. Squeeze half of the lemon into the pan and let the shrimp cook for about 1-2 minutes per side until pink. Stir in the lemon zest and parsley and give it a taste. Adjust seasoning as needed.

Serve in a low bowl with toasted crusty bread and a green salad!

Annie

This recipe was prepared in the Phantom Chef 11” Deep Fry Pan, a new favorite line of kitchenwares!