Burton's Grill

You might not be able to tell from the picture, but this was a momentous occasion for Sabrina. When we went to Burton's Grill on February 12th, she got to experience eating a hamburger in a bun for the first time. I've made hamburgers at home a lot, but I've never given her a bun because the gluten-free buns I can find are quite large. However, Burton's Grill has smaller gluten-free buns, so Sabrina could have one with her child-size hamburger. She was thrilled with the whole thing and ate every bite.

Needless to say, this restaurant is great about serving people with food allergies and intolerances. Just mention what foods you can't eat, and your waiter and the manager will take great care of you. The manager even let Michael bring his own hamburger bun and ketchup from home, since their buns and ketchup contain corn. So Michael got to enjoy his gluten-free hamburger and French fries just the way he wanted them, something he hasn't been able to do at a restaurant in a long time.

Michael and I liked the restaurant so much that we went back just the two of us for a belated Valentine's Day dinner. I ordered a pasta dish, and since I had told them that I was avoiding dairy products, the waitress said that she would make sure the pasta was tossed with olive oil instead of butter. I was impressed that she was so attentive and careful about our food needs. The cherry on top was that, since we went on a Sunday evening, they were offering bottles of wine for half price. How could we resist? -- the price was right, and neither of us is at all allergic to a bottle of red wine.

Apple Baked Oatmeal and Michael Timothy's

Apple Baked Oatmeal

My parents came to visit us for the Columbus Day weekend. We had a great time enjoying the warm weather -- going to the playground, playing in the pool in the backyard, and visiting Parlee Farms to go apple and pumpkin-picking. Since we now have a lot of apples to eat up, I decided to add apples to our maple baked oatmeal this morning. Wow! It was so good that I think I'm going to make the same thing for breakfast tomorrow. I peeled one medium apple and cut it into 1/8" slices. Then I cut those slices into small 1/2-inch squares and put between 1/4 and 1/3 cup of apple squares into the bottom of each ramekin. Next I poured the oatmeal mixture on top of the apple pieces and put the ramekins in the oven, following the instructions from the original recipe.


Michael Timothy's

Michael and I also had the special treat of going out to eat while my parents babysat the girls. We decided to try out what used to be Michael Timothy's, which they're now calling MT's Local. We hadn't been in years, but I thought we'd try it since the online menu looked promising. Michael and I were impressed with the new decor, menu options, and food. The waitress was very aware of food allergies and intolerances, and the chefs were able to cater easily to our requests. What Michael and I enjoyed just as much as the food, though, was their weekly wine flight. Each week they have a flight of three 2-ounce servings of wine. If you prefer, you can create your own flight from any of the wines they offer by the glass. The wines were quite good, and it was a fun way to combine dinner with some wine-tasting. We look forward to going back to try more items off of their food menu and to try a different wine flight.