Saturday, July 28, 2012

Chicago and Amtrak

In my last post I told you I was going to NYC. I like to promise I'm going to blog soon because I think if I say it, I'll have to make it come true. But who are we kidding? I'll just quit saying it. I wanted to blog every night during my trip, but my head couldn't wait to hit the pillow at the end of each day. (Sorry about this long post; you can read it in bits. And this would have been posted two weeks ago, but my html has been driving me bonkers. I still can't fix all of the spacing...but I'm going to give up.) It was a fun, successful trip, including lots of great vegan food and so forth.

This was my first journey with Amtrak, and only these two guys accompanied me. I had decided to take each of the big kids on their own little adventure with Mom (and baby, my extra appendage for the next year and a half or so). My 7 year old was up first, and although NYC might not sound like the most logical, laid-back place to take two kids, I really wanted my trip to include no driving or carseats. (Baby HATES the carseat.) And my 2nd child hasn't been there as many times as my oldest child. And I'm familiar with NYC enough to get around. And it just makes me happy.

We booked a sleeper car (above: two seats that turn into twin bunk beds) on the way out, but we didn't get one on the return. We saved money that way, and I was curious to find out the difference for the sake of future trips with the whole family. I think that although the sleeper car was definitely the better way to go (very cute and fun!) if it's ever possible, a regular coach seat would suffice just fine.


One part of the sleeper car that my son particularly enjoyed was the dining car. Meals were included, and I was too cheap to pay for meals on the way home, much to his dismay. (We had plenty of food packed to eat.) I think it's entirely possible to eat vegan on Amtrak for a several day journey, even if you didn't pack food. Now, would it be possible to become full if you were also heavy raw or gluten-free? Eh, probably not. I brought my own oatmeal packets (above) and enjoyed the grapefruit. (They did offer oatmeal; I just preferred to use my own with built-in sweetener.) They also had soy milk.

For the lunch and supper meals, they offered veggie burgers and pasta, etc. My son ate those, although I'm pretty sure the burgers were vegetarian, not vegan. (During travel and eating out, etc., although my eating habits remain exactly the same, I am not a picky label reader with my kids. As long as it's vegetarian and not overtly non-vegan, I'm fine with it, if that makes any sense. This is not my ideal, just the way it is.) I mostly just ate as much dry salad as I could stand since it was free.

They DO, however, sell a Vegan Burger in the lounge car on most trains. I didn't end up purchasing one because the list of ingredients was way too long (and included sugar, etc.) for my OCD healthy standards, but I like knowing it's available for my kids and Ryan on future trips. The lounge car also sold chips, salted nuts, oatmeal (with sugar) cups, and maybe even fruit, etc.


You could always bring a small cooler if you weren't worried about the amount of luggage you were carrying. That's another bonus, if you ask me, about Amtrak. You can bring more "stuff" with you, as opposed to flying (even your bike, it seemed). We, however, tried to keep it light because I did not know what to expect, getting on and off so many times. We brought a tiny stroller, two small backpacks, and one very small pull bag.

It was a surprise to me that they seat strangers together in the dining car booths. At first, my social anexiety disorder was not impressed, but I quickly learned that this can be another great aspect in the Amtrak experience. We always sat with really nice, interesting people. I had to smile and nod a lot to one lady who said things like, "Well, I guess being a vegetarian is okay...as long as you get plenty of protein...now WHERE do you get your protein?" and, "I think homeschooling can be okay...if you know what you're doing." She also kept trying to offer my son bacon or yogurt, etc. AFTER I told her we didn't eat it. "It would be okay if he had a piece, wouldn't it? I'd love to give him a piece." Me: "No, REALLY - he's never eaten meat. We DON'T eat it."

 
We had a layover, around 3 hours, in Chicago on the way there and back. Our next stop on the way to New York was D.C. We were really looking forward to this 4 hour layover because my son had learned a lot about the different monuments and such this year and had never seen them (and I hadn't been since I was 17). We were able to hit most of the main ones by walking and then taking a pedi-cab. And I'm sure Chubs here was overly fascinated to be in our nation's capital for the first time, as well.

Because it took so long to get across town (Duh, it was Memorial Day Weekend; why didn't I realize this?), my dreams of hitting up Sticky Fingers before jumping back on the train were dashed. That's okay, though; my son's education comes before my gluttony.

******************************************

Besides, I was still happy from our jaunt to Native Foods (all vegan!) in Chicago. This was my first time to sample one of the THREE newish locations in the area. (I have been to N.F. in California multiple times.) The one on South Clark was in walking distance from the train station! (We always paid to put our bags in a locker during layovers.) I was happy to see the line going out the door during this visit and the one on our way back home (and happier that we arrived before the line grew). There were a lot of business people coming in for lunch. This says to me that hopefully Native Foods will continue expanding, eventually to a city near you! Our Native Foods' eats (and I'm not going to write much other than the descriptions to avoid saying, "It was sooo good!" over and over again):

Pizza Fingers and Steamed Broccoli

He also ordered the Native Chicken Nuggets with vegetables and ranch dressing for dipping, but I didn't get a picture. I thought it was fine, but as my pickiest eater, he wasn't a fan.


  Freddie's Mac and Cheese
  Quinoa super pasta with a cow-friendly cheese sauce and broccoli trees. Soy and GF.


Classic Deli Reuben
Thinly-sliced deli-style Native Reuben Seitan piled high on grilled marble rye. Topped with homemade sauerkraut, Native Horseradish Cheese, and a slather of Russian dressing. 

The pink color is kind of freaky, no?
Was very tasty.


Chili Cheese Fries 
Seasoned potato fries smothered in our homemade 
Native Chili. Topped with Native Cheese and diced 
red onions. 

I like that these chili cheese fries felt much healthier/less greasy including light, homemade cheese.



Chimi Chop Salad

Chopped romained, crunchy grilled veggies and corn kernels, sweet roasted peppers, garlic croutons, warm shaved Native Peppered Seitan, tossed with chimichurri sauce, and drizzled with ranch.

I realized with this salad HOW MUCH I prefer chopped salads. It's just so much nicer to eat a salad when the lettuce is the same size as the rest of the salad ingredients. Don't you think?


Oklahoma Cheese Burger
Thinly sliced Native Original Seitan, melted cheddar, caramelized onions, and crispy Native Bacon on a bun slathered with BBQ sauce and ranch dressing, romaine, carrots, onions, and tomato. Topped with crunchy battered dill pickle chips!!!


 
Let's get another look at this bad boy. 
There's just so much going on here.



Strawberry Shortcake Parfait
Moist vanilla cake layered with almond creme and fresh sliced organic strawberries.

Light and not too sweet.

Cheesecake
(above and here, on another day - one of our fave desserts the whole week)
A rich cream cheesy filling, ginger granola crust, 
sweetened just right and served with blueberries on the side.

Good Luck Cupcake
Made in-house using the finest ingredients including  fair-grade cocoa powder and trans-fat free veg shortening.  Flavors include Chocolate, Vanilla, Cardamom Rose.

We also got a brownie that wasn't photographed. It was good but not my favorite here; when unwrapped, all of the chocolate chips fell off everywhere.

NOTE: I know by now you are thinking, "Didn't you just go TWICE? Wasn't it just you and a 55 pound boy? Aren't those big portions? Don't you have 30 pounds to lose?" Yes, yes, yes, and yes, BUT we always ordered extra food to take back onto the train for the next meal, which is why it might seem like a lot.

Lavender Lemonade
French lavender steeped with fresh lemons. 
Sweetened with organic sugar.

Free refills!!!

We had plenty of time during our second layover to head up into the Skydeck of the Willis (Sears) Tower. It is located in walking distance between Union Station and Native Foods.

A passing shot of the Shenandoah River in honor of our friend, Shen.

I will try to blog about the rest of our cross country trip soon...
oops, there I go again.


Until then...

stay cool, dudes.

34 comments:

  1. Well, I hardly know where to start. I'll just say I really enjoyed reading your post, and yes, all the questions you answered popped into my mind (except the 30-pound one). Your kids are so lucky to have you for a mom and can you adopt me?

    I laughed about the dining car and the conversation partly because it reminded me how surprised I was to find that in Sweden they put strangers together in sleepers. The extra man in our sleeper didn't speak English.

    I once went on a camping trip with two friends and a 7-month old. It was much easier than I thought it would be. Great photo of the little dude with his shades.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Looks like a terrific trip!

    We were just in Boulder a few weeks ago & ate at Native Foods for the first time. Now we have to get to Chicago sometime because we loved it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I peeked at this post last night, but have to switch to Firefox browser to leave comments now so I usually wait a few days in between.

    Still in awe of your energy! How do you do it? Beautiful food and children. You make it all seem so easy. Love the pic of your son holding Chubs. No one can accuse your children of being malnourished.

    I'm sorry you didn't get to Sticky Fingers, but the vegan grub in DC cant hold a candle to NYC, so you didn't really miss out.

    Speaking of which, I want to hear about your lunch with FF at Sacred Chow.

    That does look like the Shenandoah River. It looks the same up and down and all over.

    ReplyDelete
  4. How wonderful to take a trip with just one of your children (and Chubs). I plan on doing that with each of my children during their teenage years, but $$ is always elusive. Thanks for the rundown on the Amtrak food. I would never have guessed they would have been so accomodating. As far as the ignorant passenger...ignore her. The food looks fabulous! I wish I could find places like that!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your trip sounds awesome. I bet your son loved taking a special trip with just you and the baby. How cool that they had soy milk and veggie burgers on the train. I wouldn't have expected that.

    The chili cheese fries look fantastic, and that is a good-looking salad, too. I agree about the lettuce needing to be chopped small. It makes it easier to eat when you're not trying to work an entire leaf of lettuce into your mouth! Oh and that cheesecake looks fabulous -- I love vegan cheesecake so much!

    Love that last pic of Chubs chillin' in his shades. What a cool little dude :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a cool trip! It's so great that you're taking the opportunity to make these kinds of memories with your kids. They're priceless! I can't wait to read more about it. I completely agree that chopped salads are best. I like to get a bit of everything in each bite. It makes it so much more interesting. No judgement here on your ample sampling of Native Foods! That place is amazing, and whenever I'm there, I'm eager to sample as much as possible. That Oklahoma Burger is my absolute favorite. I've seriously driven 4 1/2 hours for the sole purpose of getting one. I can't believe your seatmate was trying to give your son bacon and giving you passive aggressive advice. It sounds like you were very gracious about it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Remind me to never look at your blog on an empty stomach. :-) It was really fun to read about your Amtrak trip! When I was a kid about the age of your 2nd eldest cutie, my mom and I always took 1 3-day train ride to Montana to visit my grandparents. The "Dome car" and dining cars were my favorites, but mostly I loved being lulled to sleep at night by the gentle swaying of the train, watching the passing towns from my sleeper bunk, and the wonderful Doppler Effect sound of passing through railroad crossings. There came a tipping point when I was 11 or so, though, when it became cheaper to fly, then cheaper to drive, and that's how we traveled to MT after that. The last time I took an overnight train ride was when I was 14. I really miss it!

    I remember the seating-with-strangers dining car experience (if the train were crowded) - but Andrea's European sleep car sleepover experience is a hoot! And gracious, but vast reserves of your patience were called upon by lady you describe!

    I can totally relate to your problem announcing your blogging intentions thinking it will inspire you to fulfill them, and falling short. Happens to me all the time. And Blogger's spacing issues are also driving me bonkers.

    Anyway, thanks for your visit to my blog - I know nearly all of your commenters, so am not sure how our paths didn't cross before.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow, I didn't realize how much you had already crammed into yr trip before you even made it to NY!
    Again, kudos on travelling alone with the kids - you seemed to have been taking it all in stride.
    I recently took the Amtrak alone for the first time and was curious about the dining on the train, but stuck to my own snacks.
    Everything here looks incredible! That Reuben! The chimi chop salad! The cheeseburger! Also, beautiful shot of the river. I loved the scenery from the train as well. It was almost like a vacation in itself.
    Can't wait to see what else you guys got up to in New York.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Andrea, thank you for saying you enjoyed my post and that my kids are lucky. It's always the best compliment to be thought of as a good mom. I'm just trying! That is quite a story about the sleepers in Sweden! I had no idea. Funny stuff. I hope I am able to travel in Europe one day.

    Molly, I forgot there is one in Boulder! I really do like Chicago a lot.

    Shen, why do you have to switch browsers? No, we're not malnourished around here. It's interesting that you think I have a lot of energy, when the truth is I think I'm quite lazy. Or just tired. It's hard to know where the line is. It might seem like I have lots of energy, but I think it's just that I have an idea of how I want my life to go - and I try my best to see it happen. But true energy level can't convey adequately through a blog. Neither can chaos and noise level, etc. and there is a lot of that going on here, as well. I'm glad the River picture looks familiar and that I didn't miss anything too drastic. I'll be back to D.C. one of these days, though. Maybe I will spot you if I do. Would I be able to sense you presence - obviously you wouldn't be able to miss our crew.

    Blessedmama, aww yes, that elusive money factor. Why don't we have more of it when our kids are young and we want to enjoy it more? I think it will be great to wait until they're teenagers when they will more fully appreciate it.

    sara, yeah I think you guys would eat just fine on the train - even though without having a room, it's a little pricey. I'm glad you know what I mean about salads - and cheesecake!!! Thanks; I'll tell Chubs you said so. :)

    Cadry, yeah, it had been awhile since a stranger had tried to give me advice. :) You like chopped salads, too! And I'm happy to hear that I'm not the only one who will drive that far for food! The OK burger really was something.

    Laloofah, I enjoyed reading about your trip memories! I hope that my son will retain some of those, as well. My baby slept soooo well on the train for the reason you said! It was amazing! I know - I see your name so much I felt like I knew you already. :) Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  10. October 10, 2006, LAIt's 6:30am and I got home from Germany the day before yesterday. Although the number of unnecessary appeals. I will love to know more, and you can expect to pay a larger deductible, but you get the product that's best for you.

    The April 1986 disaster at the Chernobyla nuclear power plant car insurance quotes in Ukraine was the product of society.


    Also visit my web page: quotes about cars

    ReplyDelete
  11. Whats up are using Wordpress for your blog platform? I'm new to the blog world but I'm trying to get started
    and create my own. Do you require any html coding expertise to
    make your own blog? Any help would be greatly appreciated!


    my web-site; Everette Evetts

    ReplyDelete
  12. When considering "obsolete" machines products, this is also definitely sensible simply because
    advantages for choosing akin to websites over the internet where it
    market place fully developed product levels. Pepper and salt may be further for much more flavouring.
    All the whole could maybe rest on the internet o it only the mediocre ovens
    which could be totally free from type of complications
    throughout the electromagnetic disturbance when it comes to very well being.
    The very best peril into your vigor connected to your primary
    stove. You can find adaptations along with harvest salads
    and intensely, theyrrrre extraordinary at any time throughout.
    ..n't just in the.

    Also visit my webpage Risa Stoliker

    ReplyDelete
  13. The good news is there may not very faffing present as opposed as you are boiling both of them caused from
    clean inside the stove. Will, the times you are suffering from synovial surroundings, fatness are inclined to amplify the anguish.
    This foremost discrepancy making use of the ikon variants -- simultaneously two
    and four slices -- regarded as a automated control panel which sometimes can
    present you additionally reliability in the the right
    time, or at worst the look of very much more correctness.


    My page :: Jordon Mckinzie

    ReplyDelete
  14. Right there has kosher foods and nutrients resources large grocery stores.
    This guidance Maxi-Matic toaster gives convection culinary, which ends up in far more ever
    meal preparation. Most recent research point out that
    when a functional strain, biochemical lifestyle changes obtain belonging to the neuro that can result in intellectual warning signs for the reason that uncovered across.
    As to the reasons ir? This kind of sealers result in another
    finish at first you get with the ground, which causes your own
    safeguarding video clip.

    my site - Arturo Rodabaugh

    ReplyDelete
  15. That is why, while you store the seating, get go with a cinema seat dolly for a similar, merely because does not just seeps
    a good deal space or room, but then keeps some of the desk chairs right from scrapes as.
    plugmolds run on the about the unit and could
    be discovered correct, causing it to be straightforward connector and simply remove plumbing appliances.
    Even so they appear to they sourced from two more many types of worlds.
    Desire interest to make for example chemical solutions, brought to
    eco-friendly stove cleaners against the market.
    Similarly to i would say the ham rolls suffering from peanut butter, we were looking at variation numerous establishes with emulsion cheese.



    Look into my web site; Jack Paleo

    ReplyDelete
  16. Whats up are using Wordpress for your blog platform?
    I'm new to the blog world but I'm trying to get started
    and set up my own. Do you need any html coding expertise to make
    your own blog? Any help would be greatly appreciated!


    My web page ... auto insurance alabama

    ReplyDelete
  17. Your web site seems to be having some compatibilty issues
    in my firefox browser. The text seems to be running off the page pretty
    bad. If you want you can e-mail me at: nadinewolcott@web.

    de and I'll shoot you over a screenshot of the problem.

    Take a look at my webpage; visit the following post

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thanks for one's marvelous posting! I really enjoyed reading it, you're a great author.
    I will remember to bookmark your blog and will often come back later on.
    I want to encourage you to definitely continue your great writing, have a nice afternoon!


    My website ... summer internship

    ReplyDelete
  19. Unsere Hände wanderten in ihren Schritt und ich begann Sie zu fummeln.
    Verantwortlich dafür ist eine Zyste an dieser Wirbelsäule, feststellen die Ärzte.
    Hast du dir schon immer mal gewünscht mit realen
    Asiatinnen zu chatten, mit ihnen zu buhlen und wilden Sex zu haben.


    mein Web-Blog live strip cam

    ReplyDelete
  20. I've gone ahead and included a link back to your web site from one of my clients requesting it. I've used your
    blog URL: http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=341590768573601889&postID=2775851575856500 and blog title: Blogger: vegan and so forth
    to insure you get the proper anchor text. If you woud
    like to see where your website link has been placed, please contact
    me at: christian-seale@googlemail.com. Thanks

    Also visit my site; official website

    ReplyDelete
  21. I've loaded your website in 3 completely different browsers and I must say your blog loads a lot quicker then most. Would you mind e-mailing me the company name of your website hosting company? My personal email is: darrinflanders@gmx.de. I will even sign up through your affiliate link if you'd like.

    Thank you

    Also visit my weblog www.tajukberita.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. Do you mind if I quote a couple of your posts as long as I
    provide credit and sources back to your webpage?
    My blog is in the exact same area of interest as yours and my visitors
    would certainly benefit from a lot of the information you present here.
    Please let me know if this alright with you.
    Many thanks!

    My web site; just click the up coming post

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hmm is anyone else experiencing problems with the images on this blog loading?

    I'm trying to determine if its a problem on my end or if it's the
    blog. Any responses would be greatly appreciated.

    Also visit my webpage: click the next web site

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hi would you mind sharing which blog platform you're using? I'm planning to start my own blog
    in the near future but I'm having a hard time choosing between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your layout seems different then most blogs and I'm looking for something completely unique.
    P.S Apologies for being off-topic but I had to ask!

    my blog post ... Learn More Here ()

    ReplyDelete
  25. I don't know if it's just me or if everyone else encountering issues with your
    site. It appears as though some of the text in your posts are
    running off the screen. Can somebody else please comment and let me know if this is happening to them too?
    This could be a problem with my browser because
    I've had this happen previously. Many thanks

    My web blog - link building for seo

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hi there, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar
    one and i was just wondering if you get a lot of spam feedback?
    If so how do you protect against it, any
    plugin or anything you can suggest? I get so much lately it's driving me insane so any assistance is very much appreciated.

    Check out my web site Suggested Browsing **

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hello I am so delighted I found your site, I really found you by mistake, while I was looking on Google for something else, Anyways I
    am here now and would just like to say thanks for a tremendous post and
    a all round enjoyable blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to
    read it all at the moment but I have book-marked
    it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to
    read a great deal more, Please do keep up the awesome work.


    My web page; caa auto insurance - -

    ReplyDelete
  28. Laurel and Hardy have always been a famous pair, and in the article earlier, Hardy's body type and possible weight loss strategies were identified (endomorph). Exercising in the fat burning zone only means you burn a high percentage of calories from fat, but it does not tell you anything about how much fat or how many calories you actually burn. Beginners should focus on the flat ground traditional variation to build up a solid foundation for more advanced exercises in the future. Adding weights to normal exercise can help burn fat.

    Feel free to surf to my page; Fat burning Furnace foods

    ReplyDelete
  29. If you've got sensitive skin make sure that you might be not allergic to apple cider vinegar. Eruptions tendto wane by one’s 20s but they may persist. Effect of medical honey on wounds colonised or contaminated with MRSA. Massaging helps restore circulation and blood flow while the oil softens the skin and decreases the appearance of scar tissue.

    My web blog - acne home remedies ()

    ReplyDelete
  30. Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as
    though you relied on the video to make your point. You definitely know what youre talking
    about, why throw away your intelligence on just posting videos to your blog when you could be giving us something enlightening to read?


    Here is my page :: responsive auto insurance :: ::

    ReplyDelete
  31. Hey there! This is my 1st comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and say
    I really enjoy reading your articles. Can you suggest any other blogs/websites/forums that go over the same topics?
    Thanks a lot!

    Also visit my webpage: get backlinks :: http://wiki.awesomestudies.org ::

    ReplyDelete
  32. However, small diamonds placed in a setting of yellow or white gold are
    quite common as promise rings for those who can afford them.
    At a fast glance stone often looks like an utilized cameo, however upon closer examination one can determine it to be stone.
    And this is what is being done by using Promise Rings.


    Also visit my web-site :: promise rings design your own

    ReplyDelete
  33. I'm not sure exactly why but this web site is loading very slow for me. Is anyone else having this issue or is it a problem on my end? I'll check back
    later on and see if the problem still exists.

    Check out my weblog - best Backlinks

    ReplyDelete
  34. Antique style engagement rings are in huge demand as they are seen as hand-made luxury items.
    However, when exchanging the ring, with whomever you choose, be
    sure to be perfectly clear on the terms and conditions of the promise.
    And with the recent spotlight shed on promise rings at this year's VMA's, their popularity has only grown.


    Here is my homepage; guys promise rings zales

    ReplyDelete