Bites of My Life

I’m back in Dallas for a good period of time, and last week felt great getting back into the swing of things. Meeting friends for walks or drinks, hanging by the pool, just letting the days play out as they please. Despite an easy week, I did have some serious anxiety last week. I used my tools, deep breaths, CBD, Calm gummies, devotional, going on walks, little caffeine, etc. but I couldn’t quite kick it, just had to ride it out. Week's like that suck, so I’m reflecting back on the good parts and already feeling better on this new day, new week, and (bah) new month creeping in soon.

-Salmon is something I go in phases with and really do love, but get nervous to make it. I’ve been following Ina Garten’s method and it’s perfect every time. Should I share on TAB?
-Don’t cry over spilled matcha…okay maybe a few tears.
-Ladies lunch with my bestie Jordan to perk up a random Thursday.
-I have found so much encouragement from local Dallas, Tova Sido’s podcast The Remedy. Her story is hard to comprehend, but I’m loving reading how God has carried her through in her book.
-Stuffing salads into whole wheat low carb tortillas was the name of the game last week.
-Summer Fridays mean ending the workday with your best friend by the pool. But make it corporate with branded company koozies.
-Thanks to The Defined Dish these Ranch Rider Spirits are breaking the internet. I had tried the Ranch Water version and didn’t love it TBH, but the famous Lubbock drink, The Chilton went down too easy for a day by the pool.
-Haven’t baked in forever it seemed. Wanted to have a healthy treat around, and Liz Moody’s Twix Protein Bites were it!
-Sunday supper poolside with two of the best girls!

Annie

Bites of My Life

I stayed in Oklahoma City between wedding #1 and #2. Since my work is based in OKC, I worked in the office during the week, before the festivities for Maddie and Cooper kicked off Thursday night and into Friday. The whole weekend was perfect and too fun from the start. I can’t believe that for what seems like a lifetime of planning, I mean truly have been planning these days since we were little, to then long engagements due to rescheduling, that both weddings for my best friends have already come and gone.

I’m having a little bit of post-wedding depression. I love a good birthday for myself and dream of my own big day, but there is something about celebrating the closest people in my life that truly makes me so happy.

-My co-worker Ashley got me hooked on this Good Culture cottage cheese last time I was in our OKC office. I picked up a few and ate for lunch with some chia seeds, raspberries and fiber cereal. Pro cottage cheese or does it make you gag?
-Chop chop chop! I have been needing to cut my hair for months, but my salon in Dallas is still closed. I booked an appointment in Oklahoma City while I was home and said take it all off! I had this personal crisis that I wanted to look different between the back to back weddings I was in so 4 inches of hair seemed like the only way to achieve that.
-Loved putting together the bridesmaid luncheon to kick off Maddie’s wedding weekend. Mom’s china, her plethora of linens, and my restaurant connections made everything seamless.
-This girl has been my go to since 2015. I’ve only been Maid of Honor for my sisters (which lets be honest I did nothing for, sorry Kat and Claire), so it was so fun to really play into that role for one of my nearest and dearest.
-Maid of honor speeches, check! The best weekend with this trio!
-Emily is Maddie’s best friend from growing up and I can’t imagine navigating post grad without Maddie. We got to share MOH responsibilities over the past year and I highly encourage having two MOHs. Made it sooooo nice.
-A dress too perfect for my Maddie girl, the giant bow is hiding in this pic, but it was everything.
-Look at that Mr. and Mrs (and groomsman and bridesmaid - ha)!
-Bandana masks and massive foam cowboy hats keeping us safe on the dance floor.

Annie

If you know me well you know I love a good wedding dance floor. A new Spotify playlist as a nod to one of my favorite past times seemed necessary.

Bites of My Life

A week at home staying healthy and safe before my best friend’s wedding. Round 1. Did I mention that my two very best friends are getting married back to back in the middle of a pandemic? I have soooo much respect for them for powering through the twists and turns the world has turned to finally get to these two weekends. Wedding #1 for Sarah Beth was all kinds of perfect. And Wedding #2 for Maddie is this weekend and will be equally as wonderful.

It’s not lost on anyone that now isn’t the safest time to get married, but as girls, you wait your whole life to get married and they’ve been through so much over the past few months to get here, it’s the least anyone who feels comfortable enough can do, to be there for them.

Once the wedding weekend kicked off if was party time, and a party it was. I slept on and off all day on Sunday and then all through the night. Beauty sleep is a must this week to gear up for another amazing friend filled wedding weekend. I feel so special to get to be apart of them both.

-Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Thins turned into mini pizzas. So cute and can’t stop making. I load mine up then bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
-Random clean out the fridge lunch deliciousness. Chopped tomatoes, avocado, turkey deli meat, salami, and white cheddar. Topped with salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar.
-Had a head of cauliflower I needed to use up, so I roasted the florets, covered in marinara and almond mozzarella and called it “chicken-less parmesan.”
-In-N-Out protein style burgers are vastly underrated and make for delicious and healthy road trip fuel.
-Monsoon rains and some humid hair, but kicked off the weekend with my Taylor celebrating our best friend SB!
-Rent the Runway was the name of the game for the weekend. Every piece of clothing I wore was RTR! More details on my new Instagram page @confessionsofarentaholic.
-Sarah Beth and I have been dreaming about our weddings since we were 7, so wild seeing those dreams come true for her this weekend.
-Favorite part of the weekend was seeing SB shovel down a burger in her wedding dresses, minutes before the ceremony. Too too good.
-Staying the week with my parents, because my other bestie gets married this weekend. This means cooking in their kitchen again, which is one of my favorite things to do!

Annie

Lettuce Wrap Sandwich

Heyyo! These lettuce wrap sandwiches have been rocking my world lately. They are nothing new, but I finally created my own instead of ordering my favorite (for $14) from East Hampton in Dallas. I’m sorry but I can’t pay $14 for vegetables. There is a learning curve on figuring out how to wrap these babies up, so keep scrolling for the ingredients deats and a little vid for the how-to!

Lettuce Wrap Sandwich
serves 1

Ingredients: (use these as a guide but feel free to fill your wrap up with any of your fave sandwich fillers)
3 slices of smoked turkey deli meat
3 slices of salami
2 slices of tomato, cut in half
1 thin slice of red onion, cut in half
2 sandwich pickles, cut down the middle
1/4 of an avocado, thinly sliced
micro greens or sprouts
3-4 leaves of iceberg lettuce
condiment of your choice
salt and pepper
parchment paper

Directions:
Tear off a rectangle shape piece of parchment and lay on a cutting board. Lay your leaves of iceberg onto the parchment, flattening them out and creating a rectangle shape. Overlap them, not leaving any holes. Make sure to leave a border of parchment paper around the lettuce.

Now start to layer the sandwich ingredients. You want to lay the ingredients in the middle of the lettuce and build up. If you are doing mayo or mustard, start with a spread of that on the lettuce. Then turkey, salami, pickles, tomatoes, red onion, avocado, sprouts or microgreens, and finish with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Now it’s time to roll. First, just like a burrito, you will fold in the sides of the lettuce. Then at the side closest to you, using the parchment paper to guide, begin to push everything in and tightly roll. As you make a roll, pull the parchment out so it doens’t get rolled up inside. Keep going, rolling and pulling the parchment out. Once you are almost to the end, fold in the sides of the parchment and then finish your roll. I like to seal it with a piece of tape and then cut in half. Enjoy!

Annie

Bites of My Life

Last week got off on the wrong foot after my car got towed and I accidentally ate a whole protein bar that had peanut butter in it (oops). It turned out OK and thanks to Benadryl I’m all good. After I got over those two bumps the rest of the week turned around. I had a very low maintenance holiday spending the day by the pool with friends. My two very best friends get married this weekend and next, so taking it easy before two packed weekends was just what I needed.

-Kicked off last week with a juice cleanse from The Juice Bar. I’ve done a one day juice cleanse now maybe three times. I was just feeling bleh and this helped get me feeling better inside and outside.
-Dallas marked a city-wide mandate enforcing masks. I upped my blue surgical mask with this pink gingham one from Scout! Only $11.
-Have you tried the cauliflower thins from Trader Joe’s? I turned them into little pizzas for lunch and can’t get enough.
-Wednesday mornings are quickly becoming my favorite day of the week. Two of my best friends and I are going through Jennie Allen’s book, Get Out of Your Head and it’s solicited the best thoughts and conversations.
-Anyone else love seeing all of the flags everywhere?
-Can we talk about the color of this smoothie bowl? Beets and raspberries created this.
-My American flag snack board was a hit at my 4th of July celebration!
-S’mores cookies are always better than I remember.
-Started a new little creative outlet, come hang out here.

Annie