Florida Vacation!

Hey Happy Tummies!

What an amazing weekend! I hope you all had a beautiful spring weekend! I know I did! I spent a long weekend with my mom and two sisters-in-law in Florida!!

Yep, we went on a girl's "babymoon!" My sister-in-law is expecting a little girl in July, and so we had one last "hurrah" trip just us girls to celebrate her! 

I am seriously so lucky. I have 2 of the best sisters-in-law ever. They're 2 of my best friends...Like the sisters I always wanted:)

We had such a fun trip relaxing on the beach, riding around the island in golf carts, and....having one of the best GF dinner experiences EVER!

We ate at this gorgeous hotel one night, and when we made reservations, THEY asked if there were any food allergies! I didn't even have to bring it up! So we were able to tell the chef about both my sister-in-law's and my allergies. How accommodating!

SO, when we got there the next night, the first thing they said to us was that they remembered our food allergies and that the chef would be able to modify any item on the menu for us!

If that wasn't amazing enough, they had special GF rolls waiting and ready for us that came out warm with the regular bread basket!

They also served a veggie crudites plate with the bread! How incredible!

SO, what did I order? I started with a mixed greens salad with balsamic vinaigrette...

and a pan seared grouper filet with lump crab and sauteed veggies with a coconut cream sauce! Talk about amazing! 

And for dessert, I had a bowl of fresh berries!

Some of the other dishes were a wedge salad,

steak with mashed potatoes and asparagus; 

and my other sister-in-law had seared scallops with a pea risotto. 

They all shared a chocolate torte for dessert.

It was truly a meal that I will remember for a longggg time. 

I felt so cared for :) haha 

The other night we went out to dinner, I had broiled grouper over greens. Basic yet delicious. 

Now, when you're on a special diet like the Specific Carb Diet, going to a restaurant can be a daunting and even scary idea. But Happy Tummies, here are some tips for going out to eat. It can be done!! You CAN still have a social life! You just need to take control. 

• BEFRIEND YOUR SERVER — they are your link to the kitchen — if they are on your side, your meal will be safe and done correctly.
• CALL AHEAD IF YOU CAN — call ahead and let them know about your dietary restrictions. If the chef knows ahead of time, they will have time to think about alternative dishes for you!
• COMMUNICATE — you are your own advocate — I know it can be embarrassing, and you can feel like you’re being a bother. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to stick up for your delicate tummy. Be clear, polite, and appreciative.
• LOOK FOR FOODS YOU CAN EAT— skim all the options on the menu — is there a protein you can eat? A side dish on another entrée that is legal? Do you notice that they have asparagus in their salad, or roasted potatoes with the steak? Ask your server to “pick and choose” what’s on your plate from what they offer on the menu.
• SHOW APPRECIATION — not only should you thank your server, and let them know you will be back, but also, tip your server well! They went above and beyond to make your dining experience safe and healthy — show ‘em some love!

What I usually do is say, "I have some severe food allergies. Can I just tell you what I want?" And then I'll say, "Can I please have a piece of plain broiled fish and vegetables with olive oil?" The server usually is appreciative that they don't have to figure out what/how to cook you something. If you're confident about it, they will be too! :)

OK, time to go unpack from an incredible trip! I hope your Monday's off to a great start!

Big announcement coming up this week!