Hey, you mothers. I hope you had a fabulous day celebrating your mom-ness. I certainly did as my husband and kids kind of rocked it.  A lot. We also got out of town for some family bizness, and I got to explore Santa Barbara again and its fare for those of us special types. While my mother-in-law always grabs an amazoid gluten-free pie or quiche from Simply Pies, the husband and I enjoy a night out or three when we’re also in the company of a grandma babysitter. So out we went.

It’s always a risk to dig into Southern (American) food when you’re in Southern California. Add that whole gluten thing to the list of requirements, and it’s downright dangerous. Hell, I have a whole cookbook filled with gluten-free Southern food because it’s incredibly difficult to find. Incredibly.

When my husband made a reservation at Tupelo Junction in Santa Barbara I was suspicious. After all, I’d enjoyed some lovely fried chicken there years ago when were visiting from New York and first dating, and long before I was no longer allowed to shove gluten in my fried chicken hole. But guess what? That SoCal gluten-free friendly thing came in very handy as the menu was marked with items that could be made gluten-free! Like that lovely Red Beans and Rice with roasted corn, tomatoes, greens and shallots and Tupelo Honey Vinaigrette Salad w/roasted sunflower seeds pictured above. GF, baby. Also gf?

And then this giant steak. Because you know you can always trust a steak to do you right.

After that delicious meal we got to go meet some friends from out of town, which was super awesome. Even more awesome? I made a discovery when we enjoyed dessert at their pad.

Magic Shell is gluten-free you guys. And as good as I remember it being from my childhood. YUM.

So while I didn’t get authentic Southern fried and gluten-free food (again, it’s a pipe dream, but one that can be made true in your own kitchen, with the help of Gluten Is My Bitch: Rants, Recipes, & Ridiculousness for the Gluten-Free), I did get to chow down at a comfort food joint without fear. Plus, that whole Magic Shell thing at our friend’s house.

Okay, so anyone who wants to hear me gab about gluten-free biz, I’ll be on the radio at HealthyLife.net tomorrow at 2:00 EST/11:00 Pacific tomorrow! Dr. Jane Greer and I will chat it out.