I chaperoned a youth trip to DC and came back a Vegetarian - Part 2
Hello Beautiful People,
I ended my last post having just had my first meal as a vegetarian. Since I didn't know that was the plan when I woke up I wasn't fully prepared for what was to come. Luckily I had a protein bar in my bag.
The original plan for Monday night was to order pizza for dinner. That would have been easy for me. Unfortunately, we hadn't been given all of the information and instead of our evening activity being close to where we were staying, we had two hours to eat and get 17 people over to Arlington. Um...
Luckily I used to work in Arlington so I suggested that we take the metro over and eat there before getting on the bus the rest of the way. It had been a long time since I worked there, but I knew there were places to eat near the metro. Most of the kids wanted to go to Chipotle. I had a bad reaction to a meal there years ago so that was ruled out for me. I offered that I could just eat my protein bar. Right by Chipotle was a Potbelly. That would do.
I actually got super excited when I saw the menu. I ordered the Mediterranean Flat. It's made with zippy (spicy) hummus, feta cheese, artichoke, cucumbers, roasted red peppers on a multigrain flatbread. It's basically a different form of my Hummus Pita Pizza. It was a tad spicy for me, but it was delicious. Yay!
Tuesday was a little cooler and most of our activities were where we were staying so the kids got to sleep in. I had a mild panic attack thinking that I wouldn't be that active. So I made a plan with Mr. John to join him on his morning walk. We got up and walked up to the Lincoln Memorial and then came back. It was a good 4 mile walk to start the day.
I did stop at Dunkin Donuts on the way back for a large Butter Pecan Iced Latte. It was the BEST!
Since we weren't leaving the building until dinner time, we had planned on making sandwiches for lunch. We bought deli meat, cheese, peanut butter, and jelly. I had originally planned on a turkey and cheese sandwich, but that was no longer an option. We still had bananas so I made a peanut butter and banana sandwich instead. It's one of my favorite sandwiches.
The dinner was a Dollar challenge. We were all given $1 and needed to figure out how to feed all of us. We talked about how important protein was. It became a bit of a challenge because one person was allergic to peanut butter and one person was allergic to eggs. I'll spare you the drama and details, but the kids chose spaghetti with meat sauce. I got to put shredded cheese on mine. My little win was that they did get some whole wheat pasta too.
Wednesday we were back at DC Central Kitchen. I was fully prepared to raise my hand when they asked if anyone had an aversion to working with meat. They didn't ask. I mentioned this and she said that they didn't have meat. They still had lots of corn to shuck. Alright! I'm on board with this.
I was in line to wash my hands when Chef Jonathan called me over. He needed a couple adults because they had some more chicken to cut. It wasn't whole chickens, but my face turned green at the idea. I told him how I felt and he said he understood. I was off the hook. I got put on onion duty instead. Ugh. I want corn! And just like that I cut my finger on the onions. It wasn't a bad cut, but I moved to corn duty quick.
We left at lunchtime and headed over to the holocaust museum. Our timed admission was for 2pm so we ate at the Cafe. I have to say, they had a fantastic menu. I had a hard time choosing what to get. I chose the Tomato and Cheese sandwich (it doesn't sound that exciting, but just look at it!) and a side of a Falafal Salad.
It was another delicious.
Before we went into the museum I got to spend a little time with two of my girls. I just love them.
It was a somber couple of hours going through the Holocaust museum. It's hard to feel good about the food in your belly as you walk through. I'll just leave it at that. Please go visit if you get the chance.
After we were done at the museum I was excited to leave the kids and head out to see my family for dinner. Mom finished up in her classroom that afternoon and this marked the beginning of her retirement. YAY!
While I was home over Memorial Day weekend we talked about where we would go to eat. Once we discovered that one of my favorite places to eat was nearby the decision was made. We were going to Chuy's Tex Mex! Now when this was decided it was with my intention to get the Chuychanga. It had the best roasted chicken in it. Oh it melted in your mouth. Damn it! Why did I have to cut up those chickens?
I stayed strong and went with the cheese quesadilla. I know it's a lot or cheese for the day, but shared a room with 16 other people and really didn't want the black beans. I was trying to be thoughtful.
Thursday was our free day. We had a scavenger hunt around the Monuments and Memorials. Then we would break off into smaller groups to go to some museums. I was really excited because as many times as I have walked around DC, I had never been on the other side of the Tidal Basin. I had never been to many of the memorials.
We talked to the kids the night before to discuss our lunch options. We could make sandwiches and sit under a tree to eat at any time or we could wait until we got to the museums and eat at one of the cafeterias. That's what they chose.
We started off a the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. It was beautiful and incredibly humbling.
I'm not going to lie. I was in a slight panic about this meal. I knew it was coming, but I had been dreading it. I like Chinese food, but I am not adventurous with it and usually stick to my Sesame Chicken or Sweet and Sour Chicken. You get the picture. What could I eat? I scoured the menu and figured I would go safe with some appetizers. I chose the Vegetable Spring Rolls and the Egg Drop Soup. And then I saw Sesame Cold Noodles. I quickly googled them and added that to my order. I was unprepared for how they came: covered in peanut sauce.
It was very thick and didn't really spread out, but it was good. It was also very filling and I couldn't even finish it.
Sadly we didn't have an empty chair and I wasn't able to elevate my knee at this time. When dinner was over we walked around a little more and I was getting extremely irritable and short on patience. And then the tears came. I couldn't stand it any longer. My knee hurt so bad from all of the stairs during the week, standing on it the majority of the day, and all of the walking that it made me cry. I tried to fight it and bite my lip. I didn't want kids to see and scare them, but it didn't work. So we found a spot to sit and I got to elevate. I sat like that for a while and oh it made it so much better. It wasn't all better, but I was done for the night. Two of my kiddos offered to go back with me. We got a little ice cream first. That makes everything better you know. Just that resting time made it easier to walk. We were a little sad with me limping and Abby in her walking boot being pushed in the wheel chair by James. They offered me the chair, but I weigh a bit more than Abby so I declined. These kids are great and we got a little quiet time before everyone came back. It was needed since we were leaving in the morning. That day was 27,305 steps. Every one of them was earned. As painful as it was, it was still a wonderful day.
Friday morning we packed up and headed to Union Station. I needed coffee so badly. So I went back to Pret A Manger. While I was there I decided to look and see if there was anything that I could get for lunch. I hit the jackpot. They had a wrap and immediately caught my attention: Avocado & Toasted Pine Nut. YES! It had avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, spinach, yogurt dressing and pine nuts on a whole grain wrap. It was so tasty that I have recreated it multiple times since I got home. I also grabbed a small salad that had quinoa, spring mix, avocado, tomatoes, and egg. Additional snacks for the train included a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a pack of almonds. I was all set.
I was tired when I got home and I had clients the next morning, but I was overly excited about going grocery shopping and finally having control of this new Vegetarian Lifestyle. I may have gone overboard, but I didn't have much in the fridge and I buy a lot of fresh ingredients.
So here we are. Today is Saturday July 7th and I have been a Vegetarian since Monday June 18th. Today is Day 20th and I haven't looked back. If I could make it work during week 1 while I was out of town and unprepared for this change, then I knew that it was the right decision for me.
Have a Blessed Evening,
Jennie
xoxo
If you feel like you are alone on your journey and you just need some encouragement I am here for you! Shoot me an email and I will do my best to check in on you or give you the words of support you need several times a week. The journey is so much easier if you have support.
jhendersonfit@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/ConfessionsOfAFormerFatGir
yeah, sorry, I messed up and the "l" is missing....I need an assistant :-)
Don't forget to follow me on Twitter: hugsnsmile
Instagram: Jennie5973
I ended my last post having just had my first meal as a vegetarian. Since I didn't know that was the plan when I woke up I wasn't fully prepared for what was to come. Luckily I had a protein bar in my bag.
The original plan for Monday night was to order pizza for dinner. That would have been easy for me. Unfortunately, we hadn't been given all of the information and instead of our evening activity being close to where we were staying, we had two hours to eat and get 17 people over to Arlington. Um...
Luckily I used to work in Arlington so I suggested that we take the metro over and eat there before getting on the bus the rest of the way. It had been a long time since I worked there, but I knew there were places to eat near the metro. Most of the kids wanted to go to Chipotle. I had a bad reaction to a meal there years ago so that was ruled out for me. I offered that I could just eat my protein bar. Right by Chipotle was a Potbelly. That would do.
I actually got super excited when I saw the menu. I ordered the Mediterranean Flat. It's made with zippy (spicy) hummus, feta cheese, artichoke, cucumbers, roasted red peppers on a multigrain flatbread. It's basically a different form of my Hummus Pita Pizza. It was a tad spicy for me, but it was delicious. Yay!
Tuesday was a little cooler and most of our activities were where we were staying so the kids got to sleep in. I had a mild panic attack thinking that I wouldn't be that active. So I made a plan with Mr. John to join him on his morning walk. We got up and walked up to the Lincoln Memorial and then came back. It was a good 4 mile walk to start the day.
I did stop at Dunkin Donuts on the way back for a large Butter Pecan Iced Latte. It was the BEST!
Since we weren't leaving the building until dinner time, we had planned on making sandwiches for lunch. We bought deli meat, cheese, peanut butter, and jelly. I had originally planned on a turkey and cheese sandwich, but that was no longer an option. We still had bananas so I made a peanut butter and banana sandwich instead. It's one of my favorite sandwiches.
The dinner was a Dollar challenge. We were all given $1 and needed to figure out how to feed all of us. We talked about how important protein was. It became a bit of a challenge because one person was allergic to peanut butter and one person was allergic to eggs. I'll spare you the drama and details, but the kids chose spaghetti with meat sauce. I got to put shredded cheese on mine. My little win was that they did get some whole wheat pasta too.
Wednesday we were back at DC Central Kitchen. I was fully prepared to raise my hand when they asked if anyone had an aversion to working with meat. They didn't ask. I mentioned this and she said that they didn't have meat. They still had lots of corn to shuck. Alright! I'm on board with this.
I was in line to wash my hands when Chef Jonathan called me over. He needed a couple adults because they had some more chicken to cut. It wasn't whole chickens, but my face turned green at the idea. I told him how I felt and he said he understood. I was off the hook. I got put on onion duty instead. Ugh. I want corn! And just like that I cut my finger on the onions. It wasn't a bad cut, but I moved to corn duty quick.
We left at lunchtime and headed over to the holocaust museum. Our timed admission was for 2pm so we ate at the Cafe. I have to say, they had a fantastic menu. I had a hard time choosing what to get. I chose the Tomato and Cheese sandwich (it doesn't sound that exciting, but just look at it!) and a side of a Falafal Salad.
Before we went into the museum I got to spend a little time with two of my girls. I just love them.
It was a somber couple of hours going through the Holocaust museum. It's hard to feel good about the food in your belly as you walk through. I'll just leave it at that. Please go visit if you get the chance.
After we were done at the museum I was excited to leave the kids and head out to see my family for dinner. Mom finished up in her classroom that afternoon and this marked the beginning of her retirement. YAY!
While I was home over Memorial Day weekend we talked about where we would go to eat. Once we discovered that one of my favorite places to eat was nearby the decision was made. We were going to Chuy's Tex Mex! Now when this was decided it was with my intention to get the Chuychanga. It had the best roasted chicken in it. Oh it melted in your mouth. Damn it! Why did I have to cut up those chickens?
I stayed strong and went with the cheese quesadilla. I know it's a lot or cheese for the day, but shared a room with 16 other people and really didn't want the black beans. I was trying to be thoughtful.
Thursday was our free day. We had a scavenger hunt around the Monuments and Memorials. Then we would break off into smaller groups to go to some museums. I was really excited because as many times as I have walked around DC, I had never been on the other side of the Tidal Basin. I had never been to many of the memorials.
We talked to the kids the night before to discuss our lunch options. We could make sandwiches and sit under a tree to eat at any time or we could wait until we got to the museums and eat at one of the cafeterias. That's what they chose.
We started off a the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. It was beautiful and incredibly humbling.
Next up was the FDR Memorial. I was unprepared for how much it would affect me. It is a beautiful Memorial for an incredible Man. It quickly became my favorite Memorial and not just because of the lack of stairs.
We had one more Memorial before we stopped for a break. First we were off to see the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
It was another impressive Memorial and I wish that we had more time there and I wish I wasn't so hungry. It was now lunchtime and we still had several places to go before lunch. So we left and headed towards the Lincoln Memorial and stopped at a refreshment stand on the way. I got a refreshing lemonade and ate a protein bar. I needed the strength for the stairs that were to come.
It was later than we had planned so we had decided to head towards the Museum of Natural History and eat there as a group before we split off. We would walk through the Vietnam Memorial and past the World War II Memorial. We really lucked out with the weather. It was hot, but not as hot as previous days. We had some clouds and breeze and that helped with the walk. We had brought water, but not enough.
Eventually we made it to the Natural History Museum. The Cafeteria was under construction so we ate in the temporary cafe that was set up for sandwiches. I struggled at first, but I found a Tomato, Mozzarella, and Pesto sandwich. I also got some fresh fruit and an iced coffee.
It was good, but a little too much bread. The sandwich was a little dry, but I've recreated most of it several times and it's yummy.
The original plan was that half of the group would stay at the Natural History Museum and the other half would go to the National Gallery of Art. We would all meet up at the Air and Space Museum. However, we got a little surprise. We got to go on a behind the scenes tour of the Natural History Museum thanks to a friend of the family of one of our kids. It was cool and the kids really enjoyed it.
Our time was short, but my group still got to go to the National Gallery of Art. We would meet everyone at a Starbucks in Chinatown before dinner. I was so excited. There was a special exhibit of Cezanne's portraits. Impressionism is my favorite period of painting. I had never seen his portrait paintings. It was glorious. However, the stairs to get into the museum and the stairs inside were going to be the end of me. My knee was throbbing.
Sadly the museum closed earlier than we thought. Ack. We had a lot of time to get to Chinatown. It wasn't that far and we all decided to walk the half mile and enjoy our time. We got to Starbucks only to find that the seating area was closed. I wanted to die. I needed to elevate my knee so bad.
Soon we were reunited with everyone and walked around looking for a place to eat. We stumbled upon a little place called Eat First and they had room for us.
It was very thick and didn't really spread out, but it was good. It was also very filling and I couldn't even finish it.
Sadly we didn't have an empty chair and I wasn't able to elevate my knee at this time. When dinner was over we walked around a little more and I was getting extremely irritable and short on patience. And then the tears came. I couldn't stand it any longer. My knee hurt so bad from all of the stairs during the week, standing on it the majority of the day, and all of the walking that it made me cry. I tried to fight it and bite my lip. I didn't want kids to see and scare them, but it didn't work. So we found a spot to sit and I got to elevate. I sat like that for a while and oh it made it so much better. It wasn't all better, but I was done for the night. Two of my kiddos offered to go back with me. We got a little ice cream first. That makes everything better you know. Just that resting time made it easier to walk. We were a little sad with me limping and Abby in her walking boot being pushed in the wheel chair by James. They offered me the chair, but I weigh a bit more than Abby so I declined. These kids are great and we got a little quiet time before everyone came back. It was needed since we were leaving in the morning. That day was 27,305 steps. Every one of them was earned. As painful as it was, it was still a wonderful day.
Friday morning we packed up and headed to Union Station. I needed coffee so badly. So I went back to Pret A Manger. While I was there I decided to look and see if there was anything that I could get for lunch. I hit the jackpot. They had a wrap and immediately caught my attention: Avocado & Toasted Pine Nut. YES! It had avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, spinach, yogurt dressing and pine nuts on a whole grain wrap. It was so tasty that I have recreated it multiple times since I got home. I also grabbed a small salad that had quinoa, spring mix, avocado, tomatoes, and egg. Additional snacks for the train included a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a pack of almonds. I was all set.
I was tired when I got home and I had clients the next morning, but I was overly excited about going grocery shopping and finally having control of this new Vegetarian Lifestyle. I may have gone overboard, but I didn't have much in the fridge and I buy a lot of fresh ingredients.
So here we are. Today is Saturday July 7th and I have been a Vegetarian since Monday June 18th. Today is Day 20th and I haven't looked back. If I could make it work during week 1 while I was out of town and unprepared for this change, then I knew that it was the right decision for me.
Have a Blessed Evening,
Jennie
xoxo
****Please note****
If you feel like you are alone on your journey and you just need some encouragement I am here for you! Shoot me an email and I will do my best to check in on you or give you the words of support you need several times a week. The journey is so much easier if you have support.
jhendersonfit@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/ConfessionsOfAFormerFatGir
yeah, sorry, I messed up and the "l" is missing....I need an assistant :-)
Don't forget to follow me on Twitter: hugsnsmile
Instagram: Jennie5973
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