I'm leaving on a jet plane!

Tomorrow starts our Spring Break sojourn in Washington D.C. I am so excited! I have never been to Washington (or Virginia for that matter) before. We have a huge list of sights to see and things to do and if we end up getting to only half of them we will have an amazing time!

Our hotel has rooms with full kitchens, so on day one we will be going out and getting some groceries and we plan on making all breakfasts and most dinners in our room. Our kids are young so we will be heading home for the night around dinner time. Maybe if I am really ambitious we can pack some lunches too.

Tonight we are trying to leave everything here as clean as possible so in that spirit I can tell you freely and without reservation the BEST dinner to make at home the night before a trip. Frozen pot pies! Think about it, protein and veggies all in one crisp wrapper and they cook in their own plate! You just have to throw the forks in dishwasher and run it.

Next time I update this I will be in Virginia! Have a good weekend everyone!

Back up and punt

I had my week planned. Cooking at my MIL's house and cooking at the rental house until I left Sunday morning and returned home to make a triumphant Sunday dinner at home with my husband. And then... yeah. That didn't happen. My poor MIL's cold turned into something much worse. She couldn't sleep for the terrible coughing and breathlessness and of course I couldn't ask her to watch my energetic children when she clearly needed to rest. So I skipped out on my conference and headed home. I got a late start and so we didn't get home until 10 p.m.

I made cereal for dinner.

At first I felt defeated and sad but then I thought about it. There was cereal in the house, and milk and bread to make sandwiches for my daughter's lunch. There were vegetables in the crisper, potatoes in the bin, and fresh meat in the meat drawer and in the freezer. There was a new case of juice boxes and lunch snacks in the storage over the cabinets.

Who caused this joyous accumulation of well-planned and nutritious foods? My husband. While I was gone he had done our quarterly trek to Costco and bought all of the supplies we were running low on; a chore we normally do together. When I came home the dishes were washed and the kids drawers were stuffed with clean folded laundry.

So even though my plans fell through, I have a partner who keeps things going for me and thinks ahead about my needs and the needs of our family. That is pretty sweet and makes even cereal for dinner feel like a feast.

Amtrak -- what we ate

So the kids had a late lunch/early dinner by having pizza before we got on the train, but I knew they'd be hungry later. Fortunately my Mom and I packed the World's Most Awesome Snack Bag for dinner. I have an insulated tote bag so we froze some water bottles and packed some:

*juice boxes
*yoo-hoo chocolate drinks
*baby bel cheese
*pepperoni slices
*ritz crackers
*small bags of peanuts
*red grapes
*gummi fruit snacks
*Go-gurts (yogurt in a tube)
*toaster pastries
*nutri-grain bars
*cheez-its (individual bags)
and one coca cola for me!!!

The kids ate a good cross-selection of the contents of the bags, especially the grapes which were great. I made sure they had plenty of juice and water as well as their "treat" of Yoo-Hoo Chocolate Drinks because I think children can get dehydrated on trips very easily. I know I do anyway, and if I am cold they have to wear a sweater, and if I am thirsty... well, you get the picture. The food lasted us for our "dinner" as well as a decent breakfast which we ate unbelievably early on the train.

Despite not falling asleep until well after 11 p.m. the kids woke up at 6:30 in the morning (!!!) because they were SO EXCITED to be on the train and heading home. They were up almost an hour before the dining car was even open and they woke up hungry! I woke up craving a large coffee and a voluntary coma, but I made do with a toaster pastry like a champ. Like a champ who's right butt cheek had gone numb or possibly had permanent nerve damage from "sleeping" like a pretzel to accommodate a a grouchy toddler. Seriously, if I were not such a CHAMPION butt-sitter I am sure my tailbone would be permanently fused to the metal bar that separates the two Amtrak seats from each other. OY! On the other hand, if Butt-sitting becomes and Olympic sport, then I am going for the GOLD, for my COUNTRY, for my glorious peasant butt, long may she reign.

What are your road-trip staples? Do you get food on the go or do you pack a hamper or some combination of both?