Day 1379: Food & Wine - Part 4

The 2016 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival technically isn't my first. My family attended one many years ago, but I don't remember much of it, and there's no arguing that this festival can get a lot more fun once you're 21 years old. That's actually part of the reason my family went this year, because for me, Food and Wine really does mean Food and wine. 

Having turned 21 in July, I had my sights set on a few alcoholic beverages across the festival, although we only got to try a couple of them due to time (and the intense heat that made you want to drink nothing but water), but they were worth it and definitely got me even more excited about future festivals where I'll be able to try more! 

First, in Ireland we tried the Bunratty Meade Honey Wine, which I liked. I use a notorious amount of honey back home, whether it be in tea or in dishes I make, so having it in a wine was really a different experience!

We also tried the Neige Premiere "Apple Ice Wine" from Quebec at the Canada stand, which sort of just tasted like fancy apple juice to me, but my mom liked. It's not that I disliked it, but more than it was a bit too sweet for my taste. Still, I'd say it's a great wine for someone who hasn't tried much wine before! 

Finally, we made a stop at the Craft Beers stand in the Odyssey Center for the one beer I really wanted to try at the festival - the Two Henrys Blueberry Vanilla American Wheat Ale, which is made in Plant City, FL. None of us are huge beer fans, but I actually really liked this ale, which definitely had a hint of blueberry! 

Otherwise, that was about it. I was finally going to try the dole whip with rum, but the machine was down when I went to go grab one, so that'll just have to wait for another day. Just a bit of a reminder though - as possible as it is to try all the different dishes at the food and wine festival, always remember to drink responsibly. It's impossible to try everything in one day, so split it up, even if the serving sizes are small. It'll make your trip around the showcase easier and you'll feel better because of it! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1378: Food & Wine - Part 3

If I didn't express it enough in my previous posts about the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, this is probably my favorite event at Epcot. No, it is my favorite event at Epcot. There's just something extra spectacular about being able to try foods from all over the world - and have them all be delicious. Of course, since it was one of our top reasons for heading to Florida in October, we made sure to add in an extra afternoon for trying the various cuisines, even with the hurricane! 

Our first stop on Day 2 of our Food and Wine Festival Tour was Greece, where we shared the Loaded Greek "Nachos," Chicken Gyro with Tzatziki Sauce (and Oikos Greek Yogurt) and the Oikos Greek Yogurt Vanilla Cake Soaked in Ouzo with Yogurt Whipped Cream and Pistachios. While all three dishes were absolutely delicious, I do believe it was my least favorite of the booths we were able to stop with, proving that even at Disney there has to be a least favorite. Greek just isn't my thing really, but that didn't stop me from loving the Nachos especially! 

Then it was onto the ever popular Canada, the home of the Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup that I kept hearing about for years prior to actually attending the festival. I'm happy to say that the soup was indeed one of my favorite dishes I had, and I also really enjoyed the "Le Cellier" Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle-Butter Sauce. It wasn't quite as good as the Lamp Chop from Australia, but I still really liked it! I also must say that it was a bit odd to be eating filet mignon from a cardboard plate while sitting with a duck in World Showcase...but when at Disney, right? 

Since we had gone the other direction around World Showcase the day before, we headed off towards England, which brought us to Scotland and some more wonderful food. I wasn't able to fully test out the Fresh Potato Pancake with Scottish Smoked Salmon and Herbed Sour Cream because I'm allergic to salmon, but my parents liked it, and the part of the pancake I had was great! The Traditional Scottish Lamb Stew with Neeps & Tatties was great as well - and I learned what Neeps & Tatties were. Finally, we had the Tipsy Laird: Whiskey-soaked Cake with Lemon Cream and Toasted Oats, which was, surprise surprise, also delicious! 

Then (finally) it was onto Ireland, which I love and adore despite the fact that I've never been there. Lucky for me though, the Food & Wine Festival brings Ireland to me, so we tried everything we could! The Seafood Fisherman's Pie was great, although a bit weird. I've never had fish in a pie before...or a pie made half out of potatoes. Either way, I liked it! The Irish Cheese Selection Plate was a hit with us too, and the Warm Chocolate Pudding with Irish Cream Liqueur Custard was probably my favorite dessert we had! We also got a chance to try the Bunratty Meade Honey Wine, but I'll talk more about that later.

And that concludes the food we were able to try at the 2016 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. I'm all about going back for a second year in 2017 (and hopefully I'll be there on the college program anyway), where I hope to slowly make my way around World Showcase and try all the different dishes (and eat more than my share of lamb chops, sliders, and poke). As you can see, by our second day we got pretty good at how to make the festival work, including my Dad's silverware transportation system and my careful cutting of filet mignon. 

There's more than just delicious dishes at the festival though, and let me tell you, there's more to share about this amazing festival in blog posts ahead! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1374: Food & Wine - Part 2

The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival is filled with glorious food all around World Showcase and throughout part of Future World, but the fun doesn't stop there. In the festival headquarters, located within the old Wonders of Life Pavilion, you can find all sorts of seminars, merchandise, and information...not to mention the wide alcohol selection that you can bring back home. 

On our first day at the festival, we made time to attend not one, but two workshops in the Festival Center. The first was a wine tasting, which was a spectacular way to help me understand the wide arrays of wine that are now available to me. Having just turned 21 in July, wine is a pretty wide spectrum, and as I learn what I prefer in the bottle through a process of trial and error, the tasting was really educational. 

In the matter of an hour or so, we tasted three wines from a Vineyard in California and learned about not only how the wine is made, but about the uniqueness of each variety. In fact, beyond the basic idea that "old wine is better wine," I had no idea why, or that there's actually a sort of "best by" date on each kind of wine. I can't remember all the details off the top of my head, but basically one wine might be best within two or three years of the bottling date, while another might be best after eight. 

Our second workshop was all about crafting mason jar meals, a prominent concern in my everyday college life. We started out the seminar by learning how to create a delicious salmon salad with goat cheese and onions, which I didn't get to eat a lot of because of my allergy to to salmon. Don't fret though, because after that we made Mason Jar salads of our own with fresh strawberries, some more goat cheese, almonds, and plenty of greens, and I must say, it was one of the most delicious Mason Jar salads I've ever had, and it was pretty neat to make it myself at Epcot! 

These workshops and seminars are available throughout the festival for varying costs, but I highly recommend them! They also vary on topic, but there's usually something that might interest you, and some come with food (or wine!), and who doesn't love that? 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1373: Food & Wine - Part 1

If there's one thing I've wanted to do for years, it's attend the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. Seriously, I've been pleading to go for years, which meant that when we made the decision to add a trip in October, Food and Wine was at the top of our list for things to do (along with the Halloween Party and everything else fall at Walt Disney World has to offer). 

And if you think I can sum it all up in one post, you'd be wrong! 

In this first edition of Food and Wine, let's take a closer look at some of the food we tried on our first day at the festival, all of which was amazing. Prior to our trip, we went through the full list of food at Food and Wine to get an idea of what we each might want to try. Ultimately, we knew we wouldn't be able to try everything on our lists, but it gave us a place to start and was actually really helpful as we made our way part way around World Showcase. 

First up on our list: Australia! In the picture above, you'll see the three selections from the country, all of which we wanted to try. First, there's the Grilled Sweet and Spicy Bush Berry Shrimp with Pineapple, Pepper, Onion and Snap Peas, which I thought was pretty great aside from the peas (my least favorite food). The Lamington Yellow Cake Dipped in Chocolate and Shredded Coconut was good, although I also felt like it was something I'd had before, so I didn't find it particularly special. The Grilled Lamp Chop with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies, on the other hand, was a favorite of ours from the entire festival! We actually got another one because we liked it so much! 

From New Zealand we got the Lamb Meatball with Spicy Tomato Chutney, which I definitely enjoyed. I was the one who wanted it, and let me tell you, the tomato chutney was delicious. We also went for the Seared Venison Loin with Wild Mushroom Marsala Sauce and Kumara Dumpling, which was also great! 

From the Islands of the Caribbean kiosk, we settled on everything except for dessert, starting with the Jamaican Beef Patty. That's those little yellow things, which took us forever to figure out. They tasted great, but were definitely one of the more interesting things we ate at Food and Wine. My dad really loved the Pescado con Coco, a Seared Grouper with Pigeon Peas and Rice with Coconut Sauce, which was good, although I preferred the Mojo Pork with Black Beans, Cilantro Rice, and Pickled Red Onions. There was just something about the combo of the pork, beans, and rice that I loved! 

From the Wine & Dine Studio (which got Hamilton stuck in my head more than a few times), we tried the Seared Scallop with Truffled Celery Root Puree, Brussels Sprouts, and Wild Mushrooms as well as the Trio of Artisan Cheese. The cheeses featured a goat cheese with dried cranberry bread, a Karst Cave-aged Cheddar Cheese with Fig Compote and a Blue Cheese served with Spiced Candied Walnuts. Both places were excellent! 

I may have forgotten to take a picture of our plates from the Chocolate Studio until after I started eating them, but pictured above are the Liquid Nitro Chocolate-Almond Truffle with Warm Whiskey-Caramel and the Ghiradelli Chocolate Raspberry Torte. As you can imagine, both were pretty sweet (literally and figuratively)! 

A Favorite of my mom and I from the Flower and Garden Festival in the Spring, we had to have the Taco de Camaron from Mexico again. It's Battered Shrimp served over a flour tortilla with Crispy Purple Cabbage and a Chipolte Mayonnaise. I don't know what it is about this taco, but it's absolutely one of the best things I've ever eaten. 

But my all time favorite dishes from the entirety of the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival have to be the ones from Hawaii. The Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour Dole Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise was my all time favorite dish we had, and I'm looking forward to trying to make it for myself at home just because I would eat it every day for the rest of my life. And the Spicy Tuna Poke with Seaweed Salad and Nori Rice was brilliant as well - definitely something I would love to have for lunch back home! 

And that's what we ate on our first day. We learned very quickly how fast you fill up at this festival, even sharing dishes like we did. Honestly, I feel like it would take weeks to do the whole thing right, since even after a few days like this one, we still only got maybe a third of the way around World Showcase, and we didn't even try every dish from the kiosks we visited! 

Stay tuned for more Food and Wine though, because there's so much more yet to come! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1363: World Market

When one of my friends suggested that we go to World Market on our Saturday off, I agreed right away, despite the fact that 1. I'd never been to World Market before and 2. I really had no idea what World Market even was. She was in Italy last semester though, and from the sounds of a store called "World Market," I figured she knew what she was talking about and that whatever was in the walls of the store, it would be great. 

And it was. 

Basically, the idea of World Market is exactly what it sounds like. It's a store filled with items that are found internationally, and according to my friends recently back from Italy, there are definitely some things you can't find elsewhere. 

Of course, me being me, I took it upon myself to photograph anything that I typically have found at Disney, since that would be the obvious comparison with never having been to Europe (or anywhere else really) before. You can find so many wonderful foods all around World Showcase, and it seems that I can find several of them right in my own backyard! 

The Marzipan is what I found first, and I soon after picked up some to bring home. They actually sell this same brand in the Germany Pavilion at Epcot, and it's been one of my favorite treats to bring home! 

It's not really hard to find Pocky, but I still took a picture of it, and the Green Tea Kit Kats were also something I found in the Japan Pavilion to bring home for my World Showcase Chocolate challenge! 

Those that have been to the Germany Pavilion know that it's riddled with chocolate though. The Milka bars are famous for being simply amazing, and I've brought home chocolates like these for people more than once in the past! 

Even though Germany has a ton of chocolate, some of my favorite treats come from the Tea Store in the United Kingdom Pavilion, including the Aero chocolate, and of course, Twinnings Tea! 

Finally, there was a display of various Japanese items that simply reminded me of the wonderful store in the Japan Pavilion. There were plenty of items like this, that weren't food at all, throughout the store, but it was this one that brought me right back to World Showcase. There were even various different sets of chopsticks! 

So now I've been introduced to World Market, and while I certainly won't be going there all the time, it'll be nice for when I need a pick-me-up in between Disney trips. Whether or not that's the intention of a store like World Market - to provide things I can find at Disney World - I'm not entirely sure, but I'm definitely excited about the prospect! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1307: In Darkness

I think we've all been pretty skeptical of Animal Kingdom at night, especially after the first reviews came back as, more or less, terrible. With Rivers of Light pretty much permanently postponed, the "Awaken Summer" campaign has somewhat fallen through, although I do know that Disney has tried their best to make up for lost time and money. Whether or not "making up for it" works, I'm still not entirely sure, but I can say that what I saw at Animal Kingdom certainly wasn't the worst of what I saw on my most recent trip. 

Let's start with The Jungle Book: Alive With Magic, because the panorama above is nothing short of one of my favorite pictures from this trip. Granted, the view up there is more clouds and natural beauty than beauty of the show, but it does also give you an idea of where I was sitting, and I was in a prime spot too. I used one of my Fastpass+ Selections for the show, which allowed me to enter from the Expedition Everest/Asia side. Since I was alone, I managed to listen to recommendations and make my way down to the fifth row, where I also managed to squeeze in on an isle seat, allowing me a pristine view of the stage in front of me. Since I was on the inner portion, it also gave me a decent view of the main stage that sits in the middle, which I can't imagine is very visible from the outer seats on either side. 

As for the show itself, I actually somewhat enjoyed it. Yes, it's not Rivers of Light, and I'm sure that if you go into the show expecting Rivers of Light, you'll be sorely disappointed. However, if you immediately accept the fact that maybe this isn't Rivers of Light and maybe it won't be the best thing I've ever seen, it may just be better than you expect. The performers do a simply astonishing job, from the live music performers, to the vocalists, and right down to the dancers that bring the show to life, and while the deep neon colors bothered me a bit (largely because my camera hates picking up neon), everything seems bright, colorful, and full of life. Obviously there's still a lot to be worked out before Rivers of Light makes its appearance, but I'm excited for what that show may bring, as I'm positive it will be at least a few steps up from what's in Asia now. 

As for the Nighttime Safari...I'm not really sure. About the only positive thing I could say about this is that it gives the most amazing view of the lions. Since they sleep frequently and are mostly nocturnal, all three lions were up and about when I drove past on my safari around 10 pm. Other than that, we didn't really see much, and the lights, which everyone has mentioned, seemed oddly placed to me. It's obvious which exhibits don't have animals during the nighttime hours, and the lights there are obtrusive and completely unnatural. Granted, I'm not sure how you'd make lights like that natural, but something was still off about the entire thing. And that's about all I have to say about the Nighttime Safari. 

Onto Tiffins, which I was fortunate enough to have dinner at. While extremely expensive, I can't deny that Tiffins had some of the greatest food I've had in a long while. I went with the Curry Lobster Bisque, which I pretty much had finished by the time my server came back to check on me, and the Duck for a main dish, which I had cooked to the chef's recommendation and was absolutely delicious. Also...a note about the iced tea. Get the specialty iced tea. Just do it. More on Tiffins in a few months though! 

And finally, to perhaps my favorite of the new attractions and shows this summer at Walt Disney World: the Tree of Life Awakening. I LOVED this projection show, which obviously uses some of the newest projection technology to bring animals to life. There are multiple different shows you can catch, and they run randomly, so if you want to see all of them, you'll have to sit in the area in front of the Tree of Life for roughly a half hour. I grabbed some food from Starbucks on my way out and waited for all of the shows, and I think I loved each new show more than the previous. There's something incredibly brilliant about taking the animals carved into the tree and bringing them to life in brand new ways, and I'm sure I could sit there for much longer than I did watching what used to be just a simple tree. 

Overall, Animal Kingdom didn't really disappoint me. In comparison to some of the other new offerings across the resort, I feel that what's there was more impressive than what I was led to believe (with the exception, perhaps, of the nighttime safari). If you haven't had a chance to check out the new offerings, I suggest doing so soon, as many of them will cease at the end of the summer, when park hours are shortened and a nighttime safari becomes much less nighttime oriented. I'm excited for what's yet to come for Animal Kingdom, and I can't wait to see what happens next. 

Have a magical day!

Day 1301: Dole Whips in Wisconsin

I may have to drive two hours to get it, but I finally got my Dole Whip outside of Disney! 

I may have mentioned a while back about how there are a couple of locations throughout the country where you can locate a real, authentic dole whip without ever stepping foot on Disney property, but for those like me, these locations are few and far between. The closest Orange Leaf to my home used to be about 20 minutes, but when they still existed in Green Bay and Appleton, I didn't know what was awaiting me there. Now, I have to travel two hours to Waukesha to find the closest store, and that's not exactly worth it...even if I could get all the dole whip I ever wanted. 

Still, when you happen to be passing through the area on your way home from a week and a half long road trip, it makes perfect sense to stop on the way and pick up an extra special treat. Granted, I'll be eating a dole whip at Disney in about week, but the fact that I got it in Wisconsin made the entire experience even more special. 

Will I make the trip all the way to Waukesha just for a dole whip in the future? Probably not. But the next time I'm in the area you'd better believe I'll spend plenty of time at the local Orange Leaf. 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1269: Macaroons

Since I'm lucky enough to not have an extra summer job this summer aside from working on Everyday Disney and making YouTube videos, I've definitely paid attention to the odd collection of goals I'd like to accomplish. I made what I call a "Very Doable Bucket List," which is going pretty well, but aside from that, there's a few projects that have gained my attention.

One of those projects was the crazy idea I had not long ago that I'd like to learn how to make macaroons. Up until this past January, I don't think I'd ever had a macaroon before, and then, of course, I ended up trying one at Epcot and my whole life seemed to change. Suddenly cupcakes seemed much easier than normal, and I felt like I wanted a new challenge. I wanted to learn how to make macaroons.

Honestly, these little cookies seem like they'd be a lot harder to make than they actually are. Over the past couple of weeks I gathered recipes on Pinterest, learning about the two ways to make Macaroons - French and Italian - and contemplated what kind I'd like to make. Of course, because I was inspired by Disney to make these in the first place, it only seemed fair that I took that inspiration one step further.

What you have here is are Strawberries and Cream Macaroons, as is inspired by the Strawberries and Cream Ice Cream Macaroon Sandwich from the France Pavilion. They're much smaller than the ones filled with Ice Cream, but they're definitely delicious and honestly remind me a lot of the ones they serve there. These actually came out pretty perfect for a first try, and I was really keeping my expectations low just in case they burned or completely fell apart or something. Obviously, they didn't, and even my fresh strawberry jam and vanilla bean buttercream came together quickly and easily.

I'd share my recipe, but really I'm not entirely sure I'd be able to figure out exactly what all went into it because I mixed a bunch of recipes and then also changed things to make it my own, meaning that I don't remember precisely what I did. I'm positive this isn't the last time I'll be making macaroons though, so I'll try to include a recipe next time! Now it's off to work on the next project, which I'm sure will appear on the blog soon!

Have a magical day!