God truly blessed us when He created the bond of best friends. Special people who come into your life that you love like family, that in return love you as such. I have been blessed with many special people in my life, from countries all over the world who I've been able to call friend, who have taught me things about myself, who I've been able to touch, but there are also certain people who just stick. Who just get you, who make life lighter, better, funnier, easier, lovelier. I have two of those people in my life outside my immediate family. My Miss Jessica and my Paul. 

Jessica and I met 15 years ago. Woh. That's crazy to type out. Where does time GO?! We bonded over a Britney Spears concert (don't judge, I was a teeny bopper and aspiring popstar. So, you know.) And we have been best friends ever since. Ups, downs. Relationships, oceans between us, and now with her living in Oregon and me in AZ, I miss her like crazy every day. But then... 

Lucky me, she came to visit Mr. Charming and I last week and we found a restaurant I could actually eat at! True Foods, in Scottsdale Arizona has PURE, WHOLE... well, TRUE food. The waiter even steamed FRESH ALMOND MILK for me, instead of coffee. :D Jessica questioned where else I could ask for that and not be seen as crazy? Why No where! Which is why this is officially my new fave place to take company, and Mr. Charming on date night! I also ordered sweet potato hash with onions, organic eggs and red pepper turkey sausage. Mmmm. 

My other bestie celebrates his BIRTHDAY tomorrow and I so wish I could be there to toast him on his special day! Wishing this year brings him more success, love and happiness than he could ever wish for. I met Paul in L.A. when I was 21. He auditioned to be my back-up dancer (and booked, because he's, um, super fabulous and uber talented) but it's his charisma and amazingly kind heart that make you fall in love with him. I am so blessed to have him in my life and can't wait until I can visit him in New York City where he is making his dreams come true dancing his heart out. Miss you Paul! Living out my dreams singing and red carpets are just not the same without you. 

More & more, as I grow, I realize its the LOVE in people, of your relationships that can really make your life happy or bland. I am blessed to have people that make life electrically exciting and wonderous. Make sure you don't get so caught up in life that you miss moments with those that matter most. 

It looks like gluten-free/dairy free/refined sugar free can now add a 4th. I will now be going fully grain free as well. It was a goal I had set, but today my doctor let me know I have to do so to help some of the health stuff going on lately with my gut. So, I guess that's that. haha. I adore eating healthy, I really do. I love inspiring those around me to make good choices, but sometimes its hard to let go of something that I once thought was alright as long as it was organic brown rice, or rice protein used in different foods that gave me a larger array of things to eat. But, alas. we believe I still have some candida issues going on so what do you do? 

I can decide what to do with this. And I decide that I will get more creative in the kitchen. That I will embrace the foods that heal, and I will provide my body with nourishment and nurturing love. I will once again clean out the pantry, pray to God for guidance, and hold on to Mr. Charming's hand as he guides me towards my veggies when I'm having a grain or sugar craving that makes me go looking for a hidden stash of dark chocolate or a rice bowl. 

I'm only human.

So, I will be slowly pulling the grain recipes from the recipe pages, and incorporating more raw and veggie based recipes that are still super yummy. Because this foodie is still striving to find variety and flavor in all the dishes she shares with you! I thank you all for going on this health journey with me. I'm much healthier than I was two years ago, but still have a ways to go. It's been scary, and inspiring, fun and challenging. Hard and healthier all at the same time. 

There is a reason for this season and I'm going to embrace it as I sit by my decorated Christmas tree, with my mug of dairy-free cocoa and cinnamon roasted nuts and toast to this blessed life I get to call my own.

Have a happy Thanksgiving you all. For the next two days I will be sharing some yummy ideas for your Gluten, Dairy and Grain-Free table. I hope you enjoy! 

Tonight we lit our first fire of the season. My friends think I'm crazy, that because I'm living in Arizona I shouldn't be using my heater, or having a fire. It's still hitting high seventies or eighties in the day but at night I get chilly. I naturally get cold. Luckily, Mr. Charming is as random as I am and likes to do all things Christmas super-early too. So, it works. With the tree lit and the log blazing I wanted to make us a cozy dinner that was different. Something we hadn't done before and I didn't feel like eating meat tonight. I am trying to be good, and cut out grain but since I consumed some rice at work today I thought we could make a fried rice and get through some of what we have before I try to, one day, kiss it farewell. 

I've been on a squash kick lately so I knew I wanted to put that in there, we cut it in cubes and tossed it in the wok with some olive oil until it was soft and browned and yummy. And we have gorgeous organic bell peppers from Trader Joes, so Mr. Charming threw those in the wok too. I had originally thought of doing a grain-less "rice" dish tonight made with cauliflower, but we are out of cauliflower, and its cold out, and the fire was so cozy, so. Rice it is. But for some gut-healing goodness we used lots of garlic. 

I'm on an unfamiliar writing break at the moment. All stories have been turned in by my winter deadlines and though I welcome a nice break for some fall season enjoyment, I feel kind of at a loss and want to book another job or dive back into obtaining my creative writing certificate. It's weird not writing for a few days, since I have done so every day of 2013 thus far. 

I'm getting really excited for Thanksgiving. It's just over a week