Sweet Potato Fries - Various WDW Restaurants

Sweet potato fries is one of those magical dishes - perfect as a side dish, great as a midnight snack, and somewhat acceptable to eat as a meal on its own. Okay, maybe that last one is just for me. But I'm not the only one riding the sweet potato train to yum-yum land - you can also find these beauties at many a WDW eatery. Easy to make, even easier to eat. Also, sweet potatos are a happy food. See?

(actual photo from when I started slicing these guys)

Ingredients:

1 lb of sweet potatoes, washed and sliced into small strips

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 cup salt

To Make:

1. Combine brown sugar, olive oil, and salt in a bowl.

2. Toss potatoes in the mixture to coat. Spread them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

3. Bake at 400 degrees for about 12-15 minutes, or until brown and crispy.

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Related Links:

* Strawberry Banana Bread - Whispering Canyon Cafe, Wilderness Lodge
* Macaroni and Cheese - Jiko, Animal Kingdom Lodge
*Sam Adams Chocolate Cream Stout Cake - Food & Wine Festival

Wordless Wednesday: Zen

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Related Links:

* Wordless Wednesday: Sunset Dinner at the California Grill
* Wordless Wednesday: Waitaminute Waitaminute, I Love That Idea
* Better Know a Disney Fan: Interview with Mouse of Zen

Roasted Garlic and Gruyere Cream Soup - Victoria & Albert's, Grand Floridian

One day, I asked the culinary gods: if there was one invention that would change the way I cooked, what would it be? They answered: the immersion blender. And so I bought one, and now I may be forced to make cream soups like this delicious one from Victoria & Albert's for the rest of my days.

This is a light, airy soup that goes great with a crusty bread and reheats well. And if you don't have an immersion blender, you can always use a regular blender. But for now, say hello to my little friend:

Ingredients
1/8 cup olive oil

10 cloves of garlic

1 small onion, chopped

3 stalks of celery, chopped

1 bottom part of leek, chopped

4 cups of chicken broth*

1 bottle of dark beer (6 oz.)

1 cup of heavy cream

1 cup of grated Gruyere cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

Soup's On!
1. Brown garlic in olive oil, add onions, celery and leeks and saute until tender.

2. Add chicken broth, bring to boil.

3. Reduce heat, add beer and heavy cream.

4. Puree and add cheese. Oh immersion blender, how you amaze me.

5. Strain and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

* to make this soup vegetarian, use vegetable stock instead

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Related Links:

* Cheddar Cheese Soup - Le Cellier
* Macaroni and Cheese - Jiko, Animal Kingdom Lodge
* Guinness Stew - Rose & Crown

Better Know a Disney Fan: Interview with Mouse of Zen

It's rather fitting that I just got out of my weekly meditation class, because my guest today is J.B. Conway, the poet and zen master behind Mouse of Zen, one of my favorite Disney sites.

Mouse of Zen provides daily, Disney-inspired bits of inspiration. I'll confess to being addicted to Mouse of Zen's twitter stream, where you'll find beautiful Disney-inspired haikus - here's a sampling:

himalayan scents\linger in the winter air\thrills, frozen in time

my wine glass explodes\as her fireworks reflect\ from the cali' grill

feeling winter blues\ heart left on monorail loop\ going in circles

And so, I was super excited to connect with J.B. to find out where he gets his ideas, how he stays so zen all the time, and what's next for MoZ:

What inspired you to start Mouse of Zen?

I wrote a book of poetry back in 2002. After it was published, it seemed like a sense of closure and I didn't write anything for a good seven years. In June 2009, I hatched the idea of Mouse Of Zen because I wanted to do something that hasn't been done yet for all the Disney fans craving new content. The itch to write resurfaced as well and off I went. Lou Mongello was the first to do the Disney trivia book. There are countless trip planning/tips book out there. Steven M. Barrett wrote the Hidden Mickey books, which was also one of the more original ideas out there. With Mouse Of Zen, I feel new ground has been struck and the possibility of my kids reading the book to their own kids on their WDW trips one day keeps me writing away!

Where do you get your ideas from?

Ideas for each haiku vary. Most come from personal "snapshots" frozen in time from our family vacations. At times, I put myself in the parks ( in my mind) and write based on the time of the year and try to put the reader at the parks. Certain current events such as the monorail tragedy, spark ideas as I try to honor that moment in time respectfully.

Your haikus always evoke a certain stillness within all the chaos that comes with a day at WDW. What is your favorite spot in WDW for a moment of reflection?

That's a difficult question being that there are probably multiple answers. If I had to choose one, the down time after your Illuminations viewing spot has been secured is quite the spot for reflecting back. The soothing music along with a nice cup of coffee sets the scene for what's the come.

WDW has a fast-paced energy that can be overwhelming at times. Do you have any tips for staying zen in the middle of a crowded theme park?

I think the trick is to try to stay away from the commando approach & try to enjoy the people, castmembers, scenery, music, romance within the parks. Taking a step back and slowing things down a bit might make you appreciate the trip more and who knows? You might discover things that might have been overlooked if you were trying to satisfy your spreadsheets.

You have written hundreds of haikus - do you have a favorite?

That's like having to chose a favorite child! I guess it's safe to say, the ones I write directly based on personal family vacation memories and/or pictures are my favorite.

What's next for Mouse of Zen?

The content for the first Mouse Of Zen book has been completed. I now start the 300 haikus that will make up the next book, tentatively titled- Mouse Of Zen:Chasing Pirates. I hope to have the first book out before March 2010. The official Mouse Of Zen website went live on Christmas day which was very exciting. The content of the second book will be presented there as a fortune from a fortune cookie!

Be sure to check out Mouse of Zen on Twitter and Facebook. Namaste!

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Related Links:

* Wordless Wedneday: Prayer Flags
* 10 WDW Wishes for 2010
* Moving Forward, Sometimes Too Much

Wordless Wednesday: Conservation Station

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Related Links:

* Wordless Wednesday: Follow the Bouncing Figment
* Wordless Wednesday: FastPass Fail
* Wordless Wedneday: Prayer Flags

Up Wins Two Golden Globes - Is an Oscar Next?

Last night, Up continued its surge to Oscar glory by picking up two Golden Globe awards - for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Score. This kind of success isn't anything new - Up has already snagged four Critics' Choice nominations, earned a spot on the AFI list, scored three Grammy nods, and dominated the Annie Awards nominations.

So, is an Oscar next? Sort of. While Up is virtually a lock to take home the gold in the same categories it just won Globes for, this year the Academy has thrown a monkey wrench into the Best Picture race by expanding the category from five films to ten. Which means Up is perfectly positioned to be the first animated film since Beauty and the Beast to be nominated for Best Picture - although it's not quite the same achievement as it once was.

By expanding the category to 10 films, the Academy is trying to get bigger ratings by having the space to include more mainstream films that would otherwise be swallowed by indie darlings and Things Produced by Harvey Weinstein. The problem is - in a year like 2009, it's a stretch to find 10 movies to make up this category in the first place.

Go ahead - name 10 movies that were good in the past year. I've got: Up, Star Trek, Sherlock Holmes, Up in the Air, The Hangover, A Single Man, District 9, Watchmen, Avatar (sort of), and Princess and the Frog (I haven't seen The Blind Side, Invictus, Precious, or The Hurt Locker). Now name five movies that would be Best Picture worthy. I've got Up, Up in the Air, Avatar (solely on the basis of the effects) and ... uh..... that's it. So maybe Up would have scored a Best Picture nod anyway, but we'll never know.

Here's my prediction for our ten contenders:

• Up
• Avatar
• The Hurt Locker
• Precious
• Up in the Air
• 500 Days of Summer
• Nine
• Julie & Julia
• The Blind Side
• Invictus
  

... and then Avatar will probably win, because everyone is either afraid of James Cameron or wants to be in his next movie. The nominations are announced on February 2nd, so stay tuned!

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Related Links:

* Can Wall-E Really Win an Oscar?
* Hollywood Foreign Press Association: Suck-E
* Up Up and Away

Finally! A Princess I Can Get Behind

Regular readers of this blog will remember that there's no love lost between me and the Disney Princess brand. And yet, as I was channel surfing a few weeks ago, I stumbled upon Princess Protection Program on the Disney Channel and was pleasantly surprised. A princess movie with a positive message? What will they think of next?

The basic plot is this: Princess Rosalinda (Demi Lovato) is about to be named queen of Fictional European Country when General Kane, dictator of Neighboring Fictional European Country tries to assassinate her and go all coup d'etat. Zut alors! For her own safety, Princess Rosalinda is taken into the Princess Protection Program, a Fictional Government Agency charged with keeping young princesses safe, because apparently these kinds of hostile takeovers happen all the time. Agent Joe Mason brings the Princess back to his home in Louisiana to keep her safe. Fish-out-of-water story ensues as Princess Rosalinda (now "Rosie") clashes with Joe's daughter Carter (Selena Gomez), confuses the locals, and wins over the entire school.

Unlike the typical Disney princess, Rosalinda inspires more than she annoys. In this movie, it takes more than marrying a prince to become a princess. According to Princess Protection Program, princesses:

• Speak multiple languages
• Are kind to their staff (and address each person in his/her native tongue)
• Can cook complex meals
• Will do menial labor if asked
• Offer free tutoring sessions
• Do not engage in conflict
• Help the less fortunate
• Value the importance of friendship
  

Not bad, right? It's nice to see that at least there's at least one princess out there who's a great role model for young girls. The movie, while nowhere near as good as the Disney Channel films of yesteryear (*cough*JohnnyTsunami*cough*), was one of the best made-for-tv films I've seen in a long time. If you haven't seen it yet, set your DVRs. After reeling in 8.5 million viewers for its June debut, I have to think there's a sequel in the works somewhere. And I for one, am ready for seconds.

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Related Links:

* The Problem with Disney Princesses
* Disney's Real Leading Ladies
* Princess Cake - Akershus, Epcot

Shrimp and Proscuitto Penne Pasta - Grand Floridian Cafe

Hey busy people - looking for an easy, minimal prep, delicious dinner recipe that takes less than 20 minutes to make but tastes like it came straight out of WDW? Look no further!

(Seriously, this is going to become one of my staple meals - it's that simple/yummy).

Ingredients:

1 pound penne pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

10 ounces shrimp

1/2 cup chopped proscuitto

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped basil

1.4 cup diced tomatoes

To Make:

1. Cook pasta according to package; drain and set aside.

2. Warm olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic, shrimp, and proscuitto and saute over medium heat for about three minutes.

3. Add the white wine and simmer for one minute.

4. Stir in cream and cheese. Fold in cooked pasta.

5. Garnish with basil and tomatoes, unless you *cough* forgot to buy them.

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Related Links:

* Macaroni and Cheese - Jiko

* Guinness Stew - Rose & Crown
* Shrimp with Tomato-Feta Compote - Citricos, Grand Floridian

Wordless Wednesday: Merry Un-Birthday

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Related Links:

* Wordless Wednesday: Sunset Dinner at the California Grill

* Wordless Wednesday: Waitaminute Waitaminute, I Love That Idea
* Wordless Wednesday: Ooh La La

Mango Mousse - Food & Wine Festival

Today's recipe is from the India stand at Epcot's Food & Wine Festival. Indian food is one of my favorite types of cuisine, and Epcot is my favorite park, so this seemed like a natural fit. This is a super easy, light dessert that requires less frantic cooking than other mousse recipes.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups heavy cream

1 cup vanilla pudding

1 cup mango puree

¼ cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon lemon juice

To Make:

1. Peel mangos and puree them.

2. In another bowl, whip up heavy cream until firm.

3. Add vanilla pudding, puree, sifted powdered sugar and lemon juice. Mix with spatula.

4. Pour into cups, and garnish with a little mango puree. Chill until ready to serve.

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Related Links:

* Chocolate Cookie Mousse - Cafe May Cafe, Beach Club Resort
* Flourless Hazelnut Chocolate Cake - Food & Wine Festival
* Dulce de Leche - Food & Wine Festival