To the waitress who made me need to take a breather...

A scale of fakeness from my night at Brandy’s...

 

Your blond hair... probably fake, although you did seem pretty clueless 

The leather on my leggings... most likely fake

The smile on my face... it's probably pretty obviously that that was definitely fake

The sizable tip you would have received had you not been an ignorant and uncaring human being... totally not fake

My dietary needs... most definitely NOT fake

It took me a while to come up with words to address the way you made me feel.  I didn't even want to share any because at first they were way too mean to say, and that’s just not me.  If you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all right?

 

Wrong!

 

 

I'm only speaking a little bit for me.  I have a fabulous tribe of gutsy girl and guy followers, I have kiddos with food allergies, I have a lot of people in my life that share this issue with me... and you better believe my fierce protectiveness over all of them is not at all fake. 

 

I carried my Tito's martini that the super helpful bartender (thank you for being a light in the dark!) mixed me carefully over to our table.  Before my ass hit the chair you judged me.

 

Maybe it was my skinny ass in those fake leather leggings, those super cute shoes I got on clearance, or simply the way I carried myself.  As soon as I opened my mouth you did not take me seriously.  You thought I was one of those girls who fakes food allergies to keep their figure.  Those girls exist, but I’m not one of them.  Do they frustrate me? A little.  You?  I’m sure.  But regardless, you are a waitress, they are the customers, this is your job.  When a person goes into a restaurant they are paying you for a service.  They should get what they want…. Or NEED. 

 

I am as chill as I can possibly be when I go out to eat.  Honestly, you probably have people who can eat like a normal person who are much more difficult than me.  I told you I would eat whatever the chef made me as long as it was carefully made gluten and dairy free, and I meant it.  I don’t complain, I just appreciate being able to eat.  I would eat a plain grilled chicken breast and steamed broccoli and rave about how it’s the most wonderful thing and your restaurant is so good to me.  You are the one who made it harder than it needed to be because you wanted to sell me something expensive.  So you acting like I was a pain in your ass was completely unwarranted.

 

You told me I could have a steak, and I knew you had no clue if that was true or not.  So yes, I had questions.  What’s in the marinade, rub, etc.?  Soy sauce? Worcestershire?  You told me you use Lea & Perrins, but when you went to verify that was not the case.  So yes, I have even more questions.

 

You literally said “Ugh… if I have to keep going back there with these questions he’s going to kill me.”  And for lack of better words…. What the actual fuck?!  If he actually said that then shame on him too, but I don’t know if I believe that.  When I said I wasn’t comfortable eating anything because you and/or the chef weren’t focused on making sure I was safe you didn’t bother to try to fix that. You snipped at me that yes he is focused, he has been doing this for 40 years and he is focused on all THESE tables… a whole ten of them, some of which were vacant.  You probably thought no big deal this girl probably makes a habit of not eating.  Well, in the words of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman… Big Mistake. Big. Huge!

 

 

I eat, well, and a lot.  I am faithful to the restaurants who are faithful to me.  And I have lots of people in my corner.  They are also fiercely loyal to me.  I talk/write and people listen and trust me.  I bring in big parties of big tippers, regularly.   So, yes, big mistake. big. huge!

 

These are some things that I hope you learn from your mistake…

 

1.   People with special dietary needs deserve a social life too, don’t make them feel otherwise.  You must not have had anything like this touch your circle, but if/when you do you will get it.

2.   Use this as a learning experience, it won’t be the last time someone asks you about allergy friendly options, and I can’t really believe I was your first.

3.   Don’t judge a book by the cover.

4.   No, gluten is not “ummmm, like, sugar.”  You sound like an idiot, educate yourself in your field… Food! 

5.   Jack Daniels is not a bourbon and brands matter… a lot.

6.   Celiac disease is not a life threatening food allergy per se, but you will encounter those too.  I hope to God you treat those people better than you treated me.

7.   Customer service is not that hard, just care a little and be kind.

8.   The golden rule says treat others the way you want to be treated.  I wouldn’t treat my worst enemy the way you treated me.  Never have I ever been so disrespected.

     9.   Reminder, you work for tips.  I’m      wondering where you got the money for the fake hair.

10. And finally, karma is a bitch, just like you were.

 

Ok, so apparently my words were still a little mean, but still not as mean as you were.  I sincerely hope that this was just me, I struck a chord in you for some reason, that you don’t make a habit of treating people like this.  I hope you were just having a bad day.  That you are not that unhappy with yourself that you can’t even find it in you to be nice, not even to the people you are working for, and not even when they are clearly dealing with a not so pleasant condition.  I want to remind you that there are kind people in this world, hopefully someday you can be one of them.

 

And finally, I want to remind my readers that despite people like this woman you can still live well and happy with dietary restrictions.  Don’t ever let anyone make you feel otherwise.  For every bad apple there are whole trees full of good ones!  Find the good ones!  Which is just what I did when I finished that cabernet and strutted my skinny, leather-legging-clad ass right on out the door of Brandy’s that night and headed to Mi Margarita! 

My fave holistic nutritionist's Lentil, Sweet Potato, and Swiss Chard Curry Over Quinoa!

 

Guys!!! How good does that look?! 

I am so beyond excited to have a guest blogger today!  Her name is Ariel, and she is quite literally the shit!! 

Not only is she an awesome yogi, but she has a farm where she grows all kinds of organic produce, she is my favorite holistic nutritionist in all the land, AND in addition to all that she is an awesome friend and fab tea and wine tasting sidekick! Can you tell I love her?!  You will too!

 

When she shared that picture of this recipe I was like my gutsy girls and guys NEED this in their lives... So I'm giving her the stage!! 

 

HI, I'm Ariel Zimmerlein!  I'm a holistic nutritionist and farmer/owner of AZ Farm & Wellness. I use my farm and B.S. in Human Nutrition and Dietetics to support, empower, and educate others to build their health and happiness through whole and local foods, while supporting the wellness of the environment and fostering community.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did! 

Lentil, Sweet Potato, and Swiss Chard Curry Over Quinoa

By Ariel Zimmerlein

 

Ingredients:

½ tsp. of onion powder

½ tsp. of garlic powder

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 Tbl curry powder

1 ½ tsp. garam masala*

½ tsp. turmeric

4 cups low- sodium vegetable broth

2 medium sized sweet potatoes, cubed

1 ½ cup red lentils

1 cup quinoa

¾ cup plain vegan yogurt

Juice of 1 lime

2 cups of baby swiss chard and/ or spinach mix, chopped

1 tsp of Pink Himalayan Salt

Black pepper to taste

*** Can’t find garam masala? Make it like this:

Garam Masala

-1 Tbl ground cumin

- 1 ½ tsp ground coriander

- 1 ½ tsp ground cardamom

- 1 ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

- 1 tsp ground cinnamon

- ½ tsp ground cloves

- ½ tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:

• Take a medium sized pot and use just enough water to cover the bottom. Place on medium heat.

• Add ginger, onion powder, garlic powder, curry powder, garam masala, and turmeric. Stir to fully combine and cook for about 2 minutes, only adding water as necessary.

• Add broth, sweet potatoes, and lentils. Stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover again, leaving the lid open a crack. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

• Cook quinoa according to package. Adding 1 to 2 cups more water or broth than recommended to make it a softer more rice-like texture.

• When lentils are tender and the liquid has decreased, add yogurt, lime juice, and chard. Cook chard until the chard is just wilted and remove from heat. Serve warm over quinoa.

Let me know how you guys like this!  Hopefully I can convince her to share more of her magic with us here!  In the meantime check out my gorgeous friend, Ariel, at our website   You can see what she has happening, get her contact info, and schedule a consultation with her too!  

Leprechaun Muffins.... shhhhh, it's spinach!

 

Sneaky little leprechauns putting spinach in the muffins!! 😉

Sharing this recipe again because it is perfect for one of my fave holidays... St. Patrick's Day!!

Kid friendly, naturally GREEN, and full of good stuff, with none of the bad!

Leprechaun Muffins aka Green Hulk Muffins

2 C Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (Sarah's Blend)

¾ cup coconut sugar

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp salt

¼ cup coconut oil

¾ cup coconut milk

1 (6 ounce) bag fresh baby spinach

½ cup mashed banana (from about 1 to 2 bananas)

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare your muffin pans with paper liners or oil.  Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.  In a blender, place everything else and blend until completely puréed.  Pour puréed mixture into dry mixture and fold together with a rubber spatula until completely combined.  Fill muffin cups about ⅔ full and bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Enjoy for a fun and healthy St. Patrick's day breakfast or snack!! 

Be tough enough to accept sometimes you aren't tough at all...

 

They say destroy what destroys you...

But what if what destroys you is yourself?

It is then, more than ever, that you have to find the balance between soft and hard.

 

Develop body awareness, but don't just hear what it's telling you...LISTEN! Move when and how you need to move, breathe when you need to breathe, eat what and when you need eat, cry when you need to cry, and by all means... rest when you need to rest. 

Be tough enough to accept that sometimes you aren't tough at all.  

Because fighting with yourself isn't going to get you anywhere except more exhausted, frustrated, and discouraged.  Who needs that? 

Be on your own team, always! 

Fat Tuesday Crockpot Chicken Jambalaya... gluten and dairy free

Happy Fat Tuesday y'all!!

I'm giving up alcohol for lent... for real!! How about you?? 

Even if you don't believe in that kind of thing, I think lent is a good chance for everyone to give up something that they know could be bringing them down a bit and see what happens.  Or make a commitment to add something that you know you need.  A great kickstart to forming some new kick ass habits or breaking some not so good ones.  Try it with me!

But before all that starts... celebrate Fat Tuesday with this Crock Pot Chicken Jambalaya!  It's not quite traditional, but it's just how I like it!  AND I've included my recipe for Cajun seasoning, which is good on practically anything! 

 

Fat Tuesday Crockpot Chicken Jambalaya 

1 lb chicken breast- cut into bite size pieces 

1 lb andouille sausage

1 onion, chopped

1 cup bell peppers, any color, chopped

3 stalks celery, sliced

5 cloves garlic, minced 

1  (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 bunch green onions, sliced thin

1 or 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped, (optional) 

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped 

1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce- make sure it's GF

Few shakes Hot sauce- I love Cholula

1 tbs. or more Cajun seasoning*

Sea Salt to taste 

1 tsp. dried thyme

2 bay leaves 

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups uncooked brown rice

First chop the veggies and then chop chicken and sausage.  Combine chicken, trinity (onions, celery, & peppers), rice, garlic, chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, jalapenos, and seasonings in 5 quart slow cooker. Mix well, cover,  and cook on low for 5 hours.  Stir well and add parsley, half of the green onions and hot sauce and cook on high for 30 to 40 more minutes. Discard bay leaves and garnish with remaining green onions before serving.

DIY Cajun Seasoning

2 1/2 T Paprika

1 1/2 T Sea Salt

2 T Garlic Powder

1 T Black Pepper

1 T Onion Powder

1 T Cayenne Pepper

1 T Dried Oregano

1 T Dried Thyme

1/2 t Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 t Celery Flakes

1/4 t Dill

Mix everything together and store in a cute little mason jar!

Seriously healthy banana protein pancakes... gluten and dairy free

Somedays you just eat whatever your tummy wants.

Today was one of those days for me... And I wanted pancakes.  But I also knew what I needed.  Luckily I could get both in my belly!

 

1 C oats- make sure they are certified gf

3 eggs

1/2 C almond milk

1 t pure vanilla

1 banana

2 T flax seed meal

2 scoops vanilla protein powder 

4 t baking powder

Pinch sea salt

Pinch cinnamon

Chocolate chips- kinda optional but kinda necessary 😉

Heat a griddle to medium.  Put everything in a blender (except chocolate chips) and blend until smooth.  Add a little more almond milk if the batter needs to be thinner.  Stir in any additions you love (chocolate chips, chopped nuts, chai seeds, blueberries...). Pour about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake.  Let cook about 2-3 minutes, look for the edges to look a little dry.  Then carefully flip and cook the other side for 2-3 minutes. 

Bananas make these sweet enough without any added sugar.  Try not to ruin them by pouring a bunch of sugar syrup on top please and thank you!  I will judge you for the syrup, but I won't judge you for bacon!! Enjoy!! 😉🍌😂 🥓 

Being proud of your body doesn't have to have anything to do with appearances

 

My body image struggle is no secret.  I can't stop the bad thoughts, but I can change them and my own focus.

One of my favorite ideas to ponder...

 

When shit gets real I don't focus on what I look like, I focus on what I do.  

Instead of giving in to the ridiculous voice inside my head that tells me my biceps aren't strong enough one minute and then too strong the next, I focus on what those arms do for me.  The kids they hug, the yoga they teach, the vehicles they clean.  

Instead of worrying about my grey hair or eczema I focus on what's inside my head.  The brilliant ways my brain comes up with to teach children all kinds of things about the world and themselves, the words I write to share with y'all, the ability to change these thoughts, the crazy amount of song lyrics up in there, and all the sciencey knowledge it carries that helps me gain awareness of how incredible the human body really is.  

And finally instead of fretting over what my abs look like on any given day I marvel at how much of a badass my entire core is.  I mean come on, still functioning every single day despite my body trying to make it commit suicide.  All my intestines are still inside of me, still converting food to fuel, still nourishing my entire body, and still kicking autoimmune disease ass! Now that's amazing! That's something to be proud of.  

Buckwheat and Blueberry Banana Bread... gluten and dairy free

BuckWHEAT... are you sure??? 

There is still some confusion in the gluten free circuit about buckwheat.  My friends, it is both delicious and nutritious... and I only know this because it is indeed gluten free!  Trust my gut, it's safe!

Try it yourself...

 

1/3 C coconut oil- melted

1/2 C honey

2 large ripe bananas

2 eggs

1/4 C almond milk

1 t pure vanilla

1/2 t sea salt

1 t baking soda

1/2 t cinnamon

3/4 C oats- make sure they are certified GF!

1 C buckwheat flour

1 C blueberries

Preheat oven to 325 and grease 3 mini loaf pans with coconut oil.  Mash the bananas in a large bowl.  Beat in eggs and honey.  Add the coconut oil, milk, and vanilla.  Stir well.  If the coconut oil solidifies again just microwave it for a few seconds.  Stir in the flour, oats, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Pour a little batter in the bottom of each pan, enough so the bottom in covered.  Gently fold the blueberries into the remaining batter.  Pour the rest of the batter into your pans.  Bake for 45-50 minutes.  

Dairy Free Chocolate Covered Strawberries... just three ingredients!

 

Chocolate covered strawberries are my favorite!  Fruit, antioxidants, all in the form of dessert that can moonlight as healthy! What's not to love?!

 Do you realize how easy they are to make??

Just three ingredients and they are all (mostly) good for you!

Dairy Free Chocolate Covered Strawberries 

3/4 C pure DARK Chocolate- make sure it's pure and dairy free

2 T coconut oil

1 lb of fresh strawberries 

Clean your strawberries and dry them well.  Put the chocolate in a glass measuring cup.  Put the coconut oil on top.  Microwave in 30 second increments, stiring in between, until all the chocolate is melted and smooth.  Hold the green top of a strawberry and dip it in the chocolate.  Let it drip off and then carefully place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Continue with all the berries.  Double dip each one so there is even more chocolate if you want! Place in the fridge until the chocolate hardens.  Enjoy! 

Kick that cold immunity boosting green juice

I always drink real food medicine! Seriously it's very very rare for me to take any kind of pharmaceuticals, ever.  Unless you have some morphine to share... just kidding!! 

I've had lots of kiddos missing school lately, and all the germs finally got me a little. And we all know what it's like when a gutsy girl is down... autoimmune hot mess! I knew I needed to rest or it would be bad.

I took the afternoon off and spent it diffusing onguard, hydrating like nobody's business, napping, watching Bruce Springsteen live, juicing some good stuff, sipping tea, practicing some restorative yoga, making chicken soup, and cuddling my dog.  Perfect day of recovery! 

One of the best things I could do for myself today was legs up the wall with a straw in my mouth sipping this stuff while the boss serenaded me with some acoustic thunder road! 

Try it if you need to kick some tough germ ass too! 

 

1 c Kale

1 c spinach 

1 lime- peeled

1 lemon- peeled

1 carrot- 

2 oranges- peeled 

2 cucumbers

4 in ginger

1/2 t turmeric- if you have fresh 2in is even better! 

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Throw all the fresh stuff in your juicer.  I add the turmeric and cayenne after and then hit it with the hand blender to get it all incorporated.  

I'm warning you this is a should we say "acquired taste"! 😂. Just focus on all the good it's doing inside your body and sing along to the song! 😉🎶

The Power Of Scent...My Favorite Oils For Meditation

I think a sacred space is essential for everyone!  It doesn't have to be elaborate, just a place you can go where you know you can take some deep breathes, quiet your racing mind, and get your shit together.  Just knowing I have that space does wonders for my anxiety.  

My space is all mine and it's full of things I love... A yoga mat, a salt lamp, tons of rocks, card decks, books of all kinds, my stuffed penny su puppy (I'm such a little kid 😂), a cozy blanket, a comfy chair, and a diffuser.  The diffuser really helps me set my intentions when I meditate.  Do you need to be more grounded? energized? Zen?  Creative? Work on a specific Chakra?  The power of scent is crazy effective on the body, especially the nervous system.  If you don't have a diffuser, no worries, just open a bottle of oil and take a big whif, seriously just as effective!  

Here I share a little of my aromatherapy knowledge and tell y'all what my fave oils to use for meditation are... 

 

1. Clary sage: this oil not only cleanses negativity, but it also influences creativity.  It opens your eyes to new possibilities and your imagination.
2. Sandalwood: this is for over thinkers, #soguilty! It is so powerful at calming the mind and thus allowing you to tap into your intuition.  And it simply smells ahhhhmazing!
3. Lavender:  what is this one not good for?! Seriously! This brings serenity, and courage to express yourself and be yourself.
4. Frankincense: this oil smells so amazing and is incredibly calming.  It helps you let go of low vibrations so you can be high vibe.  It also helps shield you from negativity.
5. Ylang ylang: this oil reminds you to be joyful, it helps you remember that it is good to see life through your inner child's eyes.  Children focus on what they want deep down in their hearts and don't give a shit what the stressful world outside will think or expect.  This oil helps you return to that!
6. Lemongrass: this oil is very uplifting to me, it takes me right back to punta Cana because the hotel diffusedit when  we were on our honeymoon.  It cleanses the energy in both your self and your space and gets rid of all the bad vibes and limiting beliefs.  
7. Balance blend:  this oils simply smells fantastic and is very grounding.  
8. Geranium: this one just reminds me of my grandmother.  Scents are so powerful, they can transport you back in time.  I like to connect with my grandma by meditating with this oil.  It is a gentle oil that facilitates all types of emotional healing.
9. Patchouli: I like to blend my yoga and meditation practices together and this is the perfect oil for that.  It gives you an appreciation for your body, which as a gutsy girl and a recovered(ing) anorexic is very helpful.  It always helps me center myself in my body and gives me the body awareness that is so necessary for managing all my physical and mental conditions
10. Bergamot:  this is considered the oil of self acceptance.  (Are you seeing a trend here?!). It is helpful for anyone with self esteem issues.  It is a very hopeful oil that brings about total self acceptance.

Just an FYI... a fabulous resource for some legit aromatherapy info is emotions and essential oils: a modern resource for healing.  You're welcome! 

What the F is nutritional yeast and why should I care?

 

You've probably seen lots of my recipes that call for nutritional yeast, and you may have thought to yourself... what the f nutritional yeast?!  That's what I first thought too! 

I know, yeast doesn't typically sound like a good thing...  but this one is nonpathogenic and way beneficial so just bear with me!

Nutritional yeast, or "nooch" is an inactive yeast that has long been called one of the original "superfoods."  Its fancy science name (the kiddos love to hear me say big science words) is saccharomyces cerevisiae, and it really just looks like fish food.  But it tastes really fantastic!  

It's popular in the dairy free circuit because its nutty flavor let's you pretend you are eating cheese...Not kidding! You can sprinkle it on anything and everything.  Use it like Parmesan! I love to use it make "cheese" sauces, to make seasoning blends with it, put it on pasta, popcorn, pizza... so many ways to use nooch! Add flavor AND good for you goodness?! ... yes please! 

Here's why it's oh so amazing...

1. Chock full of lots of B vitamins. Make sure to get a quality brand that is fortified with B12 and is certified gluten free.  It's one of the few sources of B12.
2. B vitamins give you brains AND beauty, who doesn't want those?!
3. A natural energy booster.
4. Fabulous non-animal source of protein with lots of essential amino acids. 
5. Helps keep a happy habitat of gut flora.
6. Gives your immune system a little extra punch.
7. Antiviral and antimicrobial
8. Fabulous for your digestive system.
9. Promotes a healthy pregnancy and lowers the risk of birth defects.
10. It makes everything taste good! 

Here are some ways to use it..

Vegan sour cream and onion popcorn seasoning

Cashew ricotta

Chunky chicken broccoli and bean chowder

Creamy crockpot lasagna soup 

Chicken cordon blue casserole 

My favorite alfredo sauce

#nutritionalyeast #nutritionista #gutsygirl #celiac #celiaclife #colitis #glutenfree #dairyfree #vitamins #protein #apennyformyglutenfreethoughts

Dairy Free Avocado Tzatziki

 

You're going to want to put this on everything!!

Avocado Tzatziki

1 avocado

1 cucumber

2 garlic cloves

1/2 c dairy free GreekYogurt

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 t Greek seasoning

Dash of hot sauce 

Blend it all up. Done!

blessing? curse? your call...

 

I never looked at any of it as a curse, and that has made all the difference!

If there is only one thing you take away from any of my words let it be this...

Always find the silver lining!! Always!! All the damn time!! 

It is all about perspective baby!  

Your thoughts create your reality, your frequency, your energy.  Your energy attracts like energy.  

Do you want to attract more shit?  Then by all means be more shitty, think shitty thoughts, see the curse and just the clouds.

But if you want to attract more blessings always look for them, find the fucking silver lining, because I promise there is always one there, somewhere!  Some days you may have to look a little harder, but that's ok.

When I'm having a tough day and feeling overwhelmed with gutsy girl life I step back, forget the bad, and simply consider the things that make me grateful for my conditions.  

• made me who I am today.

• gave me insane body awareness

• forced me to overhaul my diet and lifestyle.

• threw my passion hard, right in my face

• allows me to connect with and help others.

• opened my mind when it comes to food and life

• forced me to overcome eating disorders

• learned how to be a bomb ass cook 

• brought yoga into my life

• helps me find out who my friends are

• makes me listen to my body

• tuned me into my inner compass... they don't say "trust your gut" for nothin' 

See?? You can find all kinds of shit to be grateful for!! Shift your thoughts to gratitude and watch the difference it makes in your life!

#trustthejourney #justflow #energy #vibratehigher #perspective #alwaysfindthesilverlining #gutsygirl #nutritionista #yogi #celiaclife #gratitude #truthbomb

I'm thankful for... Gluten Free Stuffing! (Dairy Free too!)

 

Some of you might need this this weekend!

I have soooo much I don't get to share with you all because believe it or not most of the time I don't use recipes at all.  It's all just one big shit show that I hope will work out.  And it always does, so right there my friends is evidence that setting intentions work! 

Ok, somehow this turned into a lesson on manifestation! Keep it between the lines Kat! Anyway... I attempted to write this post as I was cooking (and sipping Cabernet of course) as a guide for y'all! 

Gluten Free Stuffing

1 loaf gf bread (I usually use homemade, but I cheated this year and used live g free- use whatever gf bread is your current fave)

Italian seasoning

1 red onion- diced

1 C celery- diced

1 C carrots- diced

4 garlic cloves- minced

1/4 C Earth Balance

1 egg

1 C vegetable broth

Fresh rosemary

Fresh sage

Preheat oven to 350.  Dice your bread into cubes.  Spread out on a greased baking pan.  Sprinkle with some Italian seasoning.  Bake until the cubes are dried out a bit, so like about 15 minutes while you get the rest of this together.  Melt the butter in a pan.  Add the veggies, garlic, and some Italian seasoning.  Cook until softened, then cook a bit.  Beat the egg in a large bowl.  Add the veggie mix and bread.  Pour the broth over and add the herbs.  Mix it all up and then put it in a greased baking pan.  Bake covered for about 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 5 minutes more if you like the top a bit crispy.  Enjoy and be thankful!  

Also, don't let this gluten filled holiday get you down! Happy Thanksgiving friends!