A couple of weeks ago, I attended a fabulous dinner party for my friend's birthday. My friend's husband and step-dad prepared an incredible 5 course Italian meal for the birthday girl and 10 of her closest friends. Prior to the party I admit that I was feeling a bit anxious. Not only did "5 course meal" sound daunting, but I suspected that a lot of dishes would contain gluten and dairy, neither of which I eat very much of. I couldn't help but notice that several hours before the meal, I was already mentally preparing myself for feeling gross afterward.