Christmas dinner at The Hutton Hotel

This year we gave ourselves a present: Christmas day on our own with no dishes, kids or family. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE our family. But things have been so busy and stressful these days that we decided to spend Christmas on our own this year.
I made a reservation on Opentable.com (if you've never done this you're missing out) & made sure to comment that our reservation included a diner with gluten intolerance. They called the day before to confirm and of course I asked if they had gotten my remarks about my dietary needs. The hostess gracious looked in the system and said "yes Mrs. Maglothin, I see the chef has received your information and we'll be ready to take care of your needs without a problem." I love it. I love it love it love

A Matter of Taste takeout - a new gf Nashville staple!

So I was complaining on Facebook the other day about how hard it is to grab a quick dinner when you cant eat gluten, dairy, soy & refined sugar. I love it when a friend can call my bluff and let me know about a new option. She suggested A Matter Of Taste which is a brand new gluten free restaurant on Franklin Rd around the Oak Hill area. Of course I didn't waste any time trying it out. It had been a busy week and my husband was sweet enough to take me to lunch there this past Friday.
It's location was interesting, it's sandwiched between a liquor store and the colonial baking company but once you walk in those doors it's an adorable, funky little store with tons of charm. The owner was at the counter and was so sweet and helpful. Everything they serve is as local and farm raised as possible. She even gets her pasta made fresh locally out of chickpea! It's mainly takeout but they do have three small tables to sit for a spell. My only complaint is that they're only open from 11-4, which makes it a lunch only spot.
They have specials as well as a great full menu of salads, sandwiches, soups and sides. The bread they bake there is all gluten free. They do have non-gf options for sandwiches but that bread is brought in to lessen any

How blogging has changed my quality of life

I don't get to blog often but I always want to... why? I think it's about empowerment & enjoying a community of people I would never have communicated with otherwise.
When I was told I had an ovarian cyst and possibly endometriosis I was really sad. I thought this was going to change everything about having kids and being able to stay off medication. I had been through two other unrelated surgeries by the age of 26. After those procedures I told myself I'd do anything to not go through it again. But then a year later, the pain in my left side started. We monitored the cyst, hoping it would diminish on it's own. It only got bigger. When it started to really affect daily life, I gave in... we scheduled a surgery date.
After the procedure my doctor came out & talked to my husband. She asked him if he was ready to have kids anytime soon. I would have paid to see his face. We had only been married for 4 months. She mentioned

Vegan Pesto

A friend sent me this recipe for Vegan Pesto that tastes amazing! The basil in my garden is dying with the cold weather setting in and I wanted to harvest what I could & put it to good use. There is no dairy in this recipe and of course it's gluten free. Everyone who's tasted it has raved about how they don't even notice the lack of the usual Parmesan cheese!

Vegan Pesto:

1 large bunch of fresh basil, tough stems removed,
1/2 cup cashews
3 garlic heads
1/2 cup olive oil
pinch salt

I whipped this up and then put it in ice cube trays to freeze:

 

I cover it with Press N Seal paper and it's been great. The cube portions are perfect for a single serving when cooking something like salmon or keep the meal vegan & eat it with spaghetti squash.

A late night Favorite Friday!

Whew! Life really can get so busy that you just forget to do some of the things you love.... it's sad really but I guess if we didn't get busy sometimes we wouldn't appreciate relaxation would we?
I realized tonight that I hadn't done a Favorite Friday in several weeks. It took me two seconds to decide what today's item was... spaghetti squash!!!

I don't know what rock I've lived under for almost 30 years but I had NEVER EVER had a spaghetti squash! How is this possible?
As I transition into a diet that loosely follows the SCD diet (Specific Carb Diet),  I've yet again been on the search for healthy alternatives to my favorite foods. When I read at an awesome blog (scdrecipe.com) that spaghetti squash tasted kinda like pasta and not much like squash I was intrigued.
I was instantly on the search for this elusive item I had never heard about. Surely it wasnt just at the grocery store and I've passed it a hundred times? Sure enough... I called Publix and they had one! The produce girl on the phone could tell how strangely excited I was and offered to save the last one for me behind the counter.
The husband and I cooked it up Wednesday night and it was delicious! I wouldnt say it doesnt have a squash taste but it definitely is amazing. Who knew there was a squash that when cooked, would turn all stringy like pasta and taste so great!

Here's how we cooked it:
1) Heat the oven to 375
2) Cut the squash in half with a sharp knife. They're pretty tough so put some muscle into it!