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.

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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.

Recent Restaurant Eats

When I was looking back through my recent pictures, I sort of surprised myself that we've actually traveled so much the past few months. We had promised ourselves we were going to lie low for the first 6 months or so of having four kids. I haven't slowed down too much, though, actually. When Baby was 2 1/2 months old, we headed to Missouri to visit my brother in the southern part and my sister in St. Louis.

My favorite place to eat in St. Louis (beyond my sister's because she is a vegetarian and always has my kind of food around) is Sweet Art on 39th street. I've mentioned going there before. It's a cute little place with great sandwiches, among other things. They are also known for their cupcakes. (Some are vegan; some are not.)

I also made it a point to stop by Trader Joe's since we do not have one in Arkansas. I always think about going after seeing all of your scores. I LOVED these burgers. I think they are similar to Wildwood's version of tofu burgers. Among other things, I also bought the Trader Joe's brand of Hummus Salad Dressing (which I finally found in the refrigerated section) that I had seen on my friend Pam's blog. I really liked it.

About a month ago, we also headed over to Dallas for one night. We were motivated to make some purchases from Ikea to get our life & home organized. (It's a little crazy, folks!) Once I get everything straightened officially, I'll post pictures of our new stuff. Until then, feast your eyes on the desserts we got to share at Spiral Diner: a cinnamon roll, which I would never pass up...

...and bread pudding, also a rare find and so delicious.

I didn't mean to post the dessert pictures first. I meant no disrespect to my Mitch. My beloved Mitch that I order almost everytime I go to Spiral. I asked Ryan if he thought I should order something else, and he said he didn't really think I should. I actually also ordered the Chef Salad to share with everyone, but they never brought it.

One kid ordered the Nachos, even though he won't eat guacamole. His siblings and father helped clear it off of there.

One kid ordered the Tofu Scramble. And another kid ordered Spaghetti & Meatballs.

And Ryan - the Chipotle Quesadillas.

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If you are interested, I am hosting a giveaway on my family blog for 2 loaves of FREE RUDI'S BREAD!!! There are also free art supplies and other items included. Head on over here to sign up. All that is required is a comment/entry - nothing else. You can even enter without having a blog log-in; just comment as Anonymous, but make sure to leave a way I can get a hold of you.

Rudi's is currently offering some fun promotions, so check out their website (where there is a 75 cent off coupon) or facebook page. They are offering a free sandwich box that features your child's own artwork; these look fun!

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I might be blogging more this week, so check back. Also, I'm going to be in NYC next week (I changed my blog background in honor.) so if any of my NY pals are going to be in Manhattan, (or at Dun-Well Donuts because that's where you might find me) let me know!

Frozen Casseroles & the New Man in My Life

I can't show you any new exciting meals I've made recently. I've got nothin'! I'm too busy playing with this little man:

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways!

In the weeks leading up to his birth, I stocked the freezer with as much food as I could. I got some inspiration from one of my Mom's non-vegetarian casserole cookbooks.

Pizza Pasta
(pre-frozen/pre-cooked)

Elbow macaroni with everything I might top a pizza with: garlic stuffed green olives, black olives, tomatoes, bell peppers, chopped soy pepperoni, ground up veggie burgers (Amy's), Italian seasoning, Daiya cheese, and onions. If I would have had shiitakes on hand, I would have added those, as well.

Tater Tot Casserole

First, I made chili using several kinds of beans and carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, etc. I'm lovin' the Eden brand of tomato products minus BPA.

I topped the chili with Daiya and frozen tater tots. 

It was every bit as delicious as I had hoped for.

Kale Tofu Lasagna
(pre-frozen/pre-cooked)

Apparently nothing says casserole to me better than Daiya.

Enchiladas

(pre-frozen/pre-cooked)

Beans, rice, kale, corn tortillas, homemade enchilada suace (using more of Eden's tomato products), and cheezey sauce. I actually made the cheezey sauce primarily because by this point I was thinking, "I can't put Daiya on every one of them!"

And I also made about 16 garbanzo bean/sweet potato/oat/sesame seed veggie burgers to freeze. And finally - a big pot of lentils divided into different containers were added to my frozen stash. I was lucky to be able to spread my loot out a little bit because my mom was super nice about bringing lots of food over, like quinoa, beans, pasta, etc. One of my sweet friends brought over 3 different kinds of salad one night, and another sweet friend made us some healthy muffins. I'm also fortunate that I have a husband who knows his way around the kitchen and doesn't huff if dinner isn't on the table when he walks into the house.

I'm getting nostalgic thinking back to the time I had all of this food ready to eat in my freezer. 

Those were the days.

Closing Up Christmas, Movin' Toward Baby

I wrote on my family blog (when I finally updated the other day) that I have a bad habit of starting posts, then getting sidetracked. I've slowly been catching up on everyone else's blogs (which takes me awhile because I don't want to miss anything). I hadn't been in a blogging mood lately, but I think I'm back. Here is the post I started at the beginning of January.

 

On Christmas Day, Ryan requested fondue. I tried to add a few things this time we don't usually eat with fondue. Here we have: romaine, crusty bread, roasted brussels sprouts, ravioli, roasted potato fingers, Brazil nuts, garlic-stuffed olives, Tofurky kielbasas, and tofu cubes.

We also had our bell pepper/edamame/broccoli, tomato, almond tree to use for dipping.

I used a recipe from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook. We love it.

I can't get enough of roasted brussels sprouts.

I had told my mother we were absolutely not leaving our home on Christmas Day. I was staying put to relax. If she could just remember clearly, this is how she always was when we were growing up. She would not visit any relatives on Christmas Day; it was a day for my parents, siblings, and me. Of course, now she can't stand the thought of us doing the same, ha! (We celebrated Christmas with them and my siblings the weekend before.)

So she goes to Whole Foods and buys A TON of vegan food and prepares it just to try to lure us over (and my youngest vegan sister was going to be there, too). Not that I can be bought or swayed by food (well, sometimes I can), but we did end up going over there for supper. (You're not going to sway me with food again, Mommy! Don't even try it!)

I took this picture only because she had such a overwhelmed, dissatisfied look on her face while asking what she was supposed to do with "the Tofurky." I told her to just cut it like she would anything else, and the "non-vegan" that my mother is, she just kind of hacked into it with her "I can't believe I'm doing this." face. My Mom is funny - she's so sweet to always buy us special food, and if someone criticizes our diet, she turns into Momma Bear in our defense. But I know she can't imagine how she ended up with 3 vegan/vegetarian daughters, a veg son-in-law, and 6 veg grandchildren.

This was my supper plate: Tofurky, homemade apples, brown beans, sweet potato casserole with nut topping, homemade cranberry sauce, a roll, mashed potatoes, and brussels sprouts.

After supper, we had our usual Happy Birthday, Jesus! party.

So...I started this post before baby was here. This was me two days before I went to the hospital. If you blow up this picture, it might show how huge my ankles (along with everything else) had gotten.

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And that's where my post was going to end, but...something came along before I finished typing it...

Introducing Baby Vegan and So Forth! We are having a total blast with this new little guy. I'm seriously in love. I'll give ya more details in my next post!

Merry Christmas!

Can't believe there's only one card left on the Advent Garland. We've enjoyed having a couple of extra days with Daddy at home. (That's Ryan, to you.)

Tonight, for supper, I made Pizza Bagel Wreaths. My sister Cary sent me this link for the idea.


For tomorrow, Ryan has requested cheeze fondue, and we'll eat up our veggie tree tradition, as well.

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I hope that everyone has a wonderful December 25th, whether you celebrate the holiday of Christmas or not! Those of you who do celebrate Christmas, may it be very merry. I hope you all feel very blessed today and every day.