Hey y’all! For those of you who don’t know, I have to eat gluten free. Five years ago, we found out about my gluten allergy. About three years ago, I saw a doctor who completely changed my life and finally diagnosed me allergic to gluten AND yeast. Seemingly simple diagnosis, right? Except growing up 15+ years ago, doctors only diagnosed Celiac Disease. I had an allergy, so all the blood-work they knew to do always came back “negative.” This left me for years undiagnosed, frustrated, and hurt by so many doctors turning me away. I would literally come in with lists of “weird things that happen to me”… and they would all count me out. I started to believe I was crazy. But nope. Just allergic to things. By the time I was diagnosed, my brain was swollen, I had yeast growth all over my back, and I couldn’t remember anything. Like, legit I thought I had Alzheimer’s at 22.

All that to say, I had to make a drastic change when I found out about my allergies. And for someone who’s ideal date is a fun new restaurant and a cupcake afterward… this sucked. It sucked BIG TIME. I have spent the last five years discovering restaurants that are tasty AND gluten free friendly. There are so many options, and I wanted to share some of my faves with you!

1. HG Sply Co.: In the heart of Dallas, this one remains one of my all-time favorite restaurants. We used to go almost every single week when we lived just down the road from it.
2. Mi Cocina: Fajitas are almost ALWAYS a go for GF! Just ask for corn tortillas!
3. Mesero’s at Legacy West: They have quite a few options for you and are INCREDIBLY accommodating to allergies. We love Mesero’s! I usually order the brisket tacos or Carne Asada (+ corn tortillas for my own fajitas!)
4. Del Frisco’s: Arguably the MOST accommodating incredible restaurant we’ve been to for allergies. They even have allergy free bread (dairy free, gluten free, corn free!). This is of course a very nice steakhouse… and it costs that. But it’s our favorite fancy date night spot.
5. True Food Kitchen: THE BEST. We love True Food! I get their Spaghetti Squash Casserole or Teriyaki Quinoa Bowl. But… you pretty much can’t go wrong with anything on this menu.
6. Fireside Pies: Favorite GF pizza place!! The burrata pizza pie has my whole heart.
7. Chipotle: Okay okay, yes. This is on the list because it’s one of my best fast food options. There are a ton of GF options! I do a bowl with brown rice + carnitas or steak usually!
8. Freshii: This place is SO DELISH and …well… fresh. But seriously. I feel healthy when I leave here. I always order the Bamboo Bowl! It’s a green curry sauce. Oh my word… I want this now after typing it out.
9. Butcher Board: This one is in downtown Mckinney! It’s tasty BBQ. I order their bowl (aka… a salad haha) with the Lemonette Dressing. I have tried it with pulled pork and brisket, and the pulled pork is my favorite thus far! Their potato salad is also out of this world.
10. Mod Market Eatery: This is a not quite fast food but not quite nice type of restaurant. They have a great pizza, but my favorite thing they make is an incredible sweet potato hash!
11. Up Inspired: This is in Frisco, and is one of Paul’s and my favorite places to go. I love breakfast! I order a Hash Bowl or the Acai Bowl with GF Granola from here usually. They also have gf biscuits and gravy called Biscuits and Groovy… and it’s amazing!
12. Tupelo Honey: SO.GOOD. I order the Sweet Tea Brined Chicken! And… Their drinks are equally as amazing.
13. PeiWei: Another “fast food” fave. They just expanded their gluten free options ten-fold, and I about lost my mind! The cauliflower fried rice is so good, and the ginger chicken and broccoli!
14. In-n-Out: Yup it’s on my list! I love In-n-Out (haters gonna hate, Whataburger ain’t that great). I love that I can eat a burger (protein style- without a bun!) and fries with a shake… and I don’t feel like I might die. The calorie counts aren’t atrocious and the grease is almost non-existent. If I want a true fast food fix… In-n-Out is it.
15. Patina on the Green: Another Downtown McKinney favorite! These sandwiches are THE BEST. I order their ham and peach jalapeño jam sandwich. This sandwich also happened to be my #1 craving during pregnancy.

Alright, so today’s post was between my new robo vac (don’t worry I will still be reviewing it!) and a week of meals. I let YOU guys vote for what you wanted, and majority rules- You want a week of meals!

You may remember, I shared our entire Costco haul a while back and basically all of those items are what made up this week of meals. I have a few new faves at Costco that are part of this week, but overall it’s the same things! Now listen. Don’t be too impressed with me… I don’t meal plan all of my meals every week, though I have every intention to ha. Mondays I go to the grocery store, and get my same list pretty much every week. But, having that set grocery list that I know has a wide variety of options as well as a fully stocked spice cabinet makes it really easy to do just about anything I want when dinner time rolls around. I often will go to Pinterest for inspiration, and then run wild with it. I use recipes as a “guide” more than anything. 😉

A Week of Meals

Breakfast:

2 eggs every morning + half an avocado with chili powder OR 2×2 inch oat protein bar

Lunch Options:

1. Left overs from night before
2. Veggie Burger Patty (Costco) + half an avocado + spinach & balsamic vinaigrette
3. 2 Veggie Cakes (Costco) + Kale Turkey Patty (Costco)

Dinner:

Monday, Chicken Soup: 2 cans black beans, 2 cans Rotel and Green Chilis, 1 can corn, 4 chicken breast, 2 tomato sauce, chicken broth, chopped peppers, 1 c. green chili tomatillo salsa (combine all ingredients into one pot and simmer until chicken is fully cooked- shred chicken and serve!)

Tuesday, Cauli Bowl: Adielle Pineapple and Bacon Sausage (cook and slice), riced cauliflower with 1 tbsp. ricotta cheese and 1 tbsp. butter, fresh garlic, roasted asparagus + peppers

Wednesday, Southwest Ragu: Chickpea Bananza Pasta + one can corn, one can Rotel, 2 bell peppers chopped, salt and pepper, ground turkey (basically like Chili on pasta)

Thursday, Simple Night: Baked chicken breast, green beans with brown sugar, veggie cakes

Friday, Baked Potato: Roasted sweet potato (poke holes on top, place in oven at 425 with oil), top with leftover southwest ragu

Saturday, Simple Night 2: Chicken and diced sweet potato (same pan- 425), brown sugar and bacon brussel sprouts (in pan- chop bacon and sautee, add in brussel sprouts and 1 tbsp. brown sugar when bacon is about half way done)

Sunday, Free for all or Go Out