What I Ate on my Interview Trip

I want to start off by first thanking everyone for their comments on my WIAW and Currently #2 posts last week. They were so kind and much appreciated as always!

Second, I want to make a disclaimer. I have no idea what will come of this interview, and even if I am offered the position, I’m not sure that I’ll take it. Either way, it was a great opportunity and I definitely do not regret going.

—————————————————————————————–

And now, for a recap of the trip!

Many meteorologists and weather stations predicted that our area would be hit with a snow storm on Tuesday night. The night my dad and I were planning on leaving. So… I got ready early and drove to my dad’s college so that we could beat the storm. I picked him up around 8:30 PM and we left straight from there.

I was pretty beat from all of the stuff that I had to do Friday and I was so grateful that my dad offered to drive the whole three hours (I was in and out of sleep for much of the time). We got to our hotel around 11:30 PM without any snow troubles, checked into our room settled down for the night. Of course, I had to take pictures of the room to show you all.

Television and Fridge (<<< very excited about the unexpected fridge!). Unfortunately our television only let us watch one channel. The front desk offered to move us to a new room, but it was late and we decided to stay put. On the plus side, we got a nice little discount because of the error!

Closet:

Note from housekeepers:

Sink and mirror:

Telephone:

After checking the room out, I got ready for bed and worked on my WIAW post. Soon after that I went to bed.

The next morning at about 6:00 I woke up to find my dad heading downstairs to the lobby for breakfast (hard boiled eggs and fruit). Afterwards he went to a local health clinic to get checked out because he was coughing up a storm and didn’t feel well. With a prescription from a nurse practioner, and some Halls cough drops, he was good to go!

I slept for another hour and a half after he left and proceeded to make myself breakfast.

Then I took a shower and got dressed.

By that time my dad was back, he took a short nap, and then we both went on a little adventure to Whole Foods.

We picked up a ton of organic food for my mom (nuts/seeds, raisins, beans, tomato puree, coconut flour). I went there hoping to get some winter squash, but the produce man said that they didn’t carry any because winter squash is out of season.

Meijer begs to differ (as does Wal-Mart, Krogers and the Whole Foods that my aunt just went to).

After our Whole Foods excursion we went back to the hotel to pack and I made myself some lunch.

How many people do you know who cut zucchini in hotel bathrooms?

Not much later I got dressed up in my interview clothes.

After I was ready we checked out and headed to the business park where the company was that I would interview at.

The Internship Interview:

First was a tour of the building- so many rooms and cubicles! They also had a few kitchens and one even included an oven! Next I job shadowed a customer service phone operator who was trained on a few of the company’s accounting software programs. Lastly I had two separate interviews. I felt that both went rather well, but we’ll see!

After the interview concluded around 3:30 my dad picked me up and we headed home. About an hour in we stopped for me to change into some more comfortable clothes. I also picked up my dad a decaf coffee at Burger King and I pulled out my thermos of soup that I cooked in my electric kettle before leaving the hotel.

On the way home we had a minor setback when we encountered a super long train. We sat there for what seemed like forever!

We finally got home around 8:00 PM, almost a full 24 hours since I had left the previous day. My dad headed straight to bed, but I got some more food and settled down in the living room to tell my mom all about the internship interview.

Thanks to Jenn for hosting this wonderful link-up party and allowing me to share my trip eats!

—————————————————————————————-

Now, as promised, here are two of the recipes that I taunted you all with last week.

First up are these crackers, which both of my parents just gobbled down. My dad especially was a huge cracker fiend before going GAPS, so I wanted to make him a cracker recipe that would fulfill his snacking needs. My goal was to make something sort of like a wheat thin, and thus these suckers were made:

Grain-Free Crispy Cracker Thins

Grain/Gluten/Wheat-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free Option, GAPS/Paleo Friendly

Adapted from Caveman Food

Ingredients:

• 1 cup seed/nut flour (I used sunflour)
• 1 egg white
• 1/8-1/4 tsp sea salt
• More salt for sprinkling 
• Optional: herbs, spices, etc.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, egg white and sea salt to form a dough.
3. Put a piece of parchment paper down on a cookie sheet. Place the dough in the middle. Place another piece of parchment paper on top. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough very very thin. When you think it’s thin enough, roll it out some more (you want it super thin for a crispy cracker. I also had to use my hands to spread out the dough).
4. Remove the top parchment paper carefully.
5. Use a knife to score the crackers to the size that you want. Sprinkle with additional sea salt and other toppings to your liking.
6. Bake in the oven for approximately 18 minutes. You may want to check at 10 minutes and two minute intervals thereafter; however, to make sure that they don’t burn (oven temps differ greatly). 
7. Let cool for a few minutes and then carefully break off the crackers. 
8. Enjoy!

Recipe shared on: Thank Goodness It’s Monday, Fat Tuesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Allergy-Free Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, and Wheat-Free Wednesday.

Next is my healthified take on the McDonald’s classic: The McGriddle. Sorry for the less than stellar pictures, but I made these at night for my mom and dad. AKA- horrible lighting! Anyways, this recipe makes 4 medium-sized McGriddle sandwiches, but be prepared to freeze extras, because just one is plenty filling for a whole meal!

Paleo McGriddles

Makes 4 McGriddle Sandwiches

Grain/Gluten/Wheat-Free, Nut-Free, Dairy-Free Option, GAPS/Paleo Friendly

Ingredients:

• 8 pancakes
• 4 sausage patties
• 2 eggs, cooked as desired
• honey (optional)

Pancake Ingredients:

Adapted from A Mom on a Mission

• 4 eggs
• 2/3 cup mashed acorn squash (any winter squash, pumpkin or banana puree would work)
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp sea salt (optional)
• Ghee or coconut oil

Directions:

1. Heat a skillet on medium heat. 
2. Combine all of the ingredients except for the ghee/coconut oil. 
3. Coat the pan in the ghee/coconut oil to prevent sticking. 
4. Use slightly under a 1/3 cup (or 1/4 cup, but you don’t want to waste another measuring cup, right? 😉 ) and pour onto the hot skillet to form pancakes. Spread out with the cup or a spoon if necessary.
5. Cook for approximately 3 minutes then flip. Cook for another two minutes and then remove to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter.

Sausage Ingredients:

Adapted from Autoimmune Paleo

• 1 pound grass-fed ground beef
• 2 tsp of fresh or 1/2 tsp of dried rosemary, thyme, sage, garlic/onion powder (whatever herbs you have on hand. Cayenne or cinnamon would add a nice kick too)
• Ghee/Coconut Oil 

Directions:

1. Heat a skillet on medium-high.
2. Combine the beef with the seasonings in a bowl. Form into four patties.
3. Coat the pan in the ghee/coconut oil to prevent sticking. 
4. Place all four patties into the skillet. Cover if able and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Uncover and flip the patties. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Check for doneness.

McGriddle Directions:

Set out four pancakes. Top with one sausage patty, then 1/4 of the cooked eggs. Drizzle on honey if desired. Put on remaining pancake tops. Enjoy!

And don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten the other recipe that I posted a picture of during my Friday post. All of the chocolatey and peanut-buttery (or nut butter substitute for those of us with allergies 😉 ) will be coming at you soon enough!

Have a fantastic and veggie-filled Wednesday!

—————————————————————————————–

Did you get hit with any snow this past week? 

When was the last time that you stayed at a hotel?

Did you love McGriddles and Wheat Thins growing up?