Playing Catch up

This week I am playing catch up on the blog! Let's see....

On Saturday, March 14th Christine and I had our date night! We went to Providence Social for dinner and then saw Megan Hilty perform at the BPO! Dinner was delicious! It was restaurant week in Buffalo and their menu was awesome. We upgraded, so for $30.15 total (not a piece), we got two cocktails and three small plates. We splurged and got dessert too. All of which was scrumptious. I will definitely be taking Christopher back. We did not even bother to look at the regular menu because the restaurant week one looked amazing.

The BPO performance was great too. Megan Hilty was awesome and funny. We were debating on the drive home who we liked better - Idina Menzel, Matthew Morrison or Megan Hilty and we couldn't really decide!

Then on Sunday we got together at Steve and Sheryl's house for breakfast. It was great to meet little Malcolm and see all of our favorite little girls! It has been so fun watching them grow so quickly this first year. They all have such cute little personalities.

It was a busy week for us with board meetings, committee meetings, etc. But we did a great job managing our schedules so our favorite little pups were never in their kennels for more than 5 hours.

One of Christopher's friends from the CHS Alumni Board asked us to join him at his table for GAMBIT. Soooo we ended up going to GAMBIT this year after all! Since Christopher's parents were not going to be in town and none of our friends were going, we decided to just make a donation and skip out on the formal event. But...we made our donation AND we still got to attend.

We also walked away with a lot of fun auction items!!! See all the pictures below. We are definitely a sucker for auctions. Good thing we left before the live auction items were done because we would have spent more money!

Coming up for us, we are starting to get ready for phase II of our renovation, Disney is in less than 50 days - yippie, and April is our big birthday month and Easter. So needless to say, a lot will be going on! More to come!

Our Upcoming Trips FastPass+ Plan

So excited that our trip is about two months away!!! For all the Disney veterans out there - you know what this means - FastPass+ time, pre-arrival check in, etc. I am sure you will not be surprised when I tell you that we have a FP+ plan before we hit our 60 day mark. I thought I would share it with you all and to cheer us on that we get close to what our wishes are!

Day 1 - we will be in Epcot as it is just a short walk from our villa at the Boardwalk. Although our goal is to try as many different tastings during the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival, we do want to fit in some ride breaks. We are hoping for: Soarin', Mission: SPACE and Spaceship Earth. Mom and I will probably pass on Mission: SPACE, but our parents love Soarin'. And of course we have to hit Spaceship Earth too.

Day 2 - Magic Kingdom Day! FP #1 - Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Our parents have not been on this attraction yet and the lines are usually long. The coaster is cool, but we don't think it is worth the 2 hour wait. Definitely FastPass+ it. Other two rides are Space Mountain and Peter Pan's Flight. Peter Pan's Flight is a slower transfer for guests getting on and off the ride, that is why the wait times soar in the afternoon.

Day 3 - Hollywood Studios Day & Star Wars Weekend! Our FastPass+ plan is to hit Toy Story Midway Mania (a must unless you want to wait in really long lines), Star Tours (because it is Star Wars Weekend) and Tower of Terror - Christopher's favorite.

Day 4 - this is kind of a flex day, but Christopher and I are planning on going back to Epcot to eat at some more marketplaces. So we are planning for Test Track and the Epcot Character Spot - to get our pictures taken with the Fab 5. But this may change - we shall see how the vacation takes us.

Day 5 - Christopher and I's 4-Park Challenge Day. Goodness wish us luck! It was tough trying to pick which park we should use our FastPass+ selections at. Animal Kingdom has early extra magic hours, so we feel we should have no problem hitting three attractions in the early morning. Next we are heading to Magic Kingdom and since there are so many attractions available, we don't think we will have an issue here either. The next park is Hollywood Studios - and this is where we are thinking we should use our FP+ selections because the park doesn't have that many attractions and we will be getting here later in the day. Our plan is Toy Story Midway Mania, Star Tours and Muppet Vision 3D. It may not work out with the times, but if we could at least get Toy Story Midway Mania, we should not have to wait too long for Star Tours and Muppet Vision 3D. Then of course we are heading to Epcot for the last three attractions and our celebratory dinner. We are planning on hitting Captain EO, Journey Into Imagination with Figment and Spaceship Earth.

Day 6 - Since our parents haven't really been to Animal Kingdom, we figured this was a must on this trip. So we are planning to use our FP+ selections on Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris and possibly Mickey & Minnie at the Adventureers Outpost to get some cute family pictures.

Days 7 - 12 we will not have passes, so no need to worry about FP+ selections. We are going to spend the second half of our trip relaxing by the pools, enjoying the fabulous resort fare and shopping.

Travelling to Disney - Pre-Arrival Tips

With our Disney trip almost two months away, I thought I would post some planning tips prior arriving at Disney. I suppose anyone can relate these tips to a vacation anywhere too!

1. Reserve or Confirm your Magical Express Airport Transfer. Disney's Magical Express is a service available to guests who stay on Walt Disney World property at the resorts. This service will pick your family up at the airport to your resort and take you from the resort to the airport for your departure. You can make a reservation either when you book your trip directly through Disney or by submitting a request via an online reservation form up to 10 days before your arrival date. 

Once your request has been confirmed, Disney will send information and luggage tags prior to your arrival. We LOVE using the provided luggage tags as Disney will wait in baggage claim to take your bags for you to your Disney Resort room! Just make sure you do not need anything from inside them as you will not have access to your bags until they are delivered to your room. 

2. Online Check-In Service. Pre-registering online will simplify your arrival at the Disney World Resorts. You can check in online 60 days prior to your arrival. Then, when you arrive at your hotel, simply head to the Online Check-In Desk where your packet/folder will be waiting. You will need to show valid photo ID and you are on your way! Some resorts even have cast members waiting outside the Disney Magical Express stop to speed up your check in process even more!

3. Make Dining Reservations. Popular restaurants fill up quickly, so be sure to make reservations in advance of your arrival. Dining reservations are accepted up to 180 days prior to check-in (6 months). You can book reservations several ways - through your My Disney Experience app or website account, or over the phone directly with Disney (407-939-3463). 

In addition, if you are celebrating a special occasion, call ahead if you would like to have a cake or special arrangement delivered. Most of these special requests require a minimum of 48 hours notice. Call 407-827-2253 to place an order. 

4. Make the Most out of your MyMagic+. Make sure you have an account through My Disney Experience and download the My Disney Experience App. This will allow you to modify any of your Disney reservations, including Dining and FastPass+ experiences. 

Make sure to pre-order your MagicBands. MagicBands are fantastic because you will be able to travel the parks much lighter! MagicBands will act as your room key, theme park & water park pass, your check in for FastPass+, connect all of your families PhotoPass pictures and your room charge so you can charge your meals and merchandise directly to your room. We LOVE the MagicBands and the freedom they offer. 

And you cannot forgot Disney FastPass+ Service. FastPass+ lets you reserve access to select attractions, entertainment, character meet and greets and special viewing areas for parades and fireworks. These reservations can be made up to 60 days prior to your arrival. This way, you can select your family's favorite attractions, times you will be in the park, in order to ensure you will get on the attraction. Up to three attractions maybe selected for one park each day. See the Disney website for choices and attraction tiers. 

5. If you are staying for an extended period or require a lot of hard goods, but do not want to pay airline baggage fees, order groceries and goods ahead of time! Although we have never paid for this service, we have heard excellent feedback, especially for families with babies that require diapers  and wipes. There are several grocery providers that are approved to deliver goods to Walt Disney World Properties. Consult directly with Disney regarding your needs and an approved provider. 

6. Make any equipment reservations necessary for your party. This could include strollers, wagons, oxygen tanks, electric scooters, etc. Similar to the grocery service, there are several service providers that are approved by Disney and will drop off the equipment directly to your resort. This is highly recommended as the Disney rentals are first come, first serve AND cannot be used outside of the location rented. For example, if you rent a scooter from Magic Kingdom Guest Services, you cannot leave the park with it. 

I hope leaving you with these tips will help make your Disney trip planning less stressful! In addition to the above tips, an Ellegant Decor Disney World Vacation planner can also help track all of your reservations, rentals and park planning in one place! Newly released is a special Microsoft Excel file to assist in planning out your Disney Dining Plan credits! Check out all of the planners here!

Buffalo Chicken Wrappers

Last night for dinner I made Buffalo Chicken Wrappers. Or shall I say baked them, because I made them Sunday night during my weekly meal prep. These wrappers are one of Christopher's favorites and very easy to make. Plus you can fill them with whatever you want - add celery, carrots, blue cheese, etc.

Buffalo Chicken Wrappers
Makes 8 rolls or wrappers

8 spring roll wrappers (found in produce)
1 can of chicken, drained
2 tbsp favorite wing or hot sauce
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
(You can also add: ranch or blue cheese dressing, carrots, celery, etc)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl mix together the chicken, wing sauce and cheese. On a clean surface, layout one of the spring roll wrappers. Spoon about 1/8 cup of the chicken mixtures across the middle of the wrapper. Roll from the bottom up, while tucking in the sides of the wrapper, forming the roll. Seal the "flap" with a little bit of water (I usually just wet a finger and press it on the edge to seal). Continue making the rolls. Place all rolls either on parchment paper on a cookie sheet OR on a greased wire rack on a cookie sheet. Spray all sides of the rolls with cooking spray to give the rolls the faux-fried taste. Bake for about 15-18 minutes.

Wonderful Weekend

This past weekend was so much fun and very productive. Friday night Christopher and I had a little date night. I have been craving the Pizza Hut pizza with the triple cheese - cheese topping, stuffed crust and the asiago on top of the crust. So he indulged me and we had dinner there. Perfect Friday dinner in Lent AND it was everything I could have hoped for and then some. But you all know that I am a cheesy chick. Then we went to the golf dome and played miniature golf. Christopher was incredible and got 3 hole in 1's!!! Needless to say he beat me, but only by three :) I am so ready for warmer weather to get outside and play the real thing!

We then relaxed and watched some TV in bed. Christopher left very early Saturday morning with his Dad to visit J and go see Canisius BBall play in the MAAC Tournament. They had a great time but unfortunately Canisius lost to Monmouth. Next year guys!

I on the other hand had a wonderfully productive day AND got to see one of my very close friends Reese. We had lunch together and I made a dairy free cheesy potato recipe. It was one of our favorite dinners we made when we were in college. Yes - we made cheesy potatoes into a main dish. It was so great to see her and catch up. Looking forward to our next girls date soon.

I was pretty pooped by dinner time, so leftover pizza it was! The pups and I then snuggled and watched some TV and had a glass of wine. Sunday was another productive day! I missed Christopher, but man do I get a lot done without him distracting me.

He left Kingston earlier than expected and was home for dinner! It was so great to re-cap the weekend together and I made him his favorite Mini Taco cups. Looking forward to the week ahead!

Making way for Updated WDW Parks Cards!!

I have ONE full deck of Disney Parks Cards in stock and would like to make room for the updated sets I have been working on! To help clear out the last set, I am offering FREE SHIPPING to the customer who purchases the last set.

Have a Disney World vacation coming up? These decks are perfect for your family to use on your vacation and learn more about all of the magic that surrounds you on your trip.

2015 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival

I am so excited that we will be in Florida for the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. I love seeing all of the pretty topiaries, gardens and my favorite – the food marketplaces!!! The festival kicked off this week and I am loving all the posts about it. So, as my favorite part is the food, I thought I would highlight all of the fun choices (and many new items!) and what I am hoping to taste and drink.

Oh and before I forget, if anyone else is going, you can get a FREE (yes – FREE) passport book similar to the FREE one handed out at Food & Wine that lists each marketplace with the food & beverage offered and you can get it stamped too! The passports can be picked up at the festival center.

The brand new marketplace is Botanas Botanico, located between France and Morocco Pavilions and this kiosk will feature: Cachapas (sweet corn cake) served with Farmers Cheese, Seafood Ceviche, White Corn Arepa, La Tizana (fruit punch), Coconut Tres Leches, Polar Beer, Monte Paschoal Reserve Tannat and Monte Paschoal Natural Brut White Sparkling Wine.

Items to try: Cachapas con Queso, White Corn Arepa, and Monte Paschoal Natural Brut White Sparkling Wine

Urban Farm Eats is featuring: Kale Salad, Quinoa Vegetable “Naanwich”, Ghost pepper-dusted tilapia, Urban Bloody Mary, Cucumber Lemon Water, Hess Shirttail Creek Vineyard Chardonnay, King Estate Acrobat Pinot Noir and Crispin Blackberry Pear Cider.

Items to try: Quinoa vegetable “naanwich” with arugula pesto and oven dried tomatoes and the Crispin Blackberry Pear Cider (sounds delish and different)

Pineapple Promenade is featuring: a spicy hot dog with pineapple chutney, pineapple soft-serve (DOLE WHIP), spiked pineapple soft-serve with macadamia nut flavored rum OR Parrot Bay coconut rum, frozen desert violet lemonade, Ace pineapple hard cider, sparking pineapple wine, berry tea cocktail with Twining’s cold-brewed mixed berry tea.

Items to try: Spicy hot dog with pineapple chutney and I am torn between the Ace Pineapple hard cider and sparkling pineapple wine. Maybe both? Hehe. Last year I tried the pineapple soft serve with the coconut rum and it was okay, but I like the non-alcoholic version better.

Fleur de Lys is featuring: Gnocchi dumplings with vegetables and mushrooms, duck confit & potatoes, strawberry marshmallow macaroon, ice pop of iced tea, Grand Marnier, Peach raspberry liqueur and vodka, La Vie en Rose frozen slush, Kir Imperial and Kronenbourg Blanc.

Items to try: I am still dreaming about the duck confit with garlic and parsley potatoes. Even Christopher liked it last year. Looking forward to it. I have never tried a macaroon, and the strawberry marshmallow one sounds delicious. The Ice Pop sounds interesting, but I am not sure I can cheat on my Grand Marnier Grey Goose martini.

Taste of Marrakesh is featuring: falafel pocket, harissa chicken kebob, pistachio baklava, mint iced tea, white sangria, guerrouane red wine and desert rose cocktail.

Items to try: honestly, I tried the chicken kebob last year and it was nothing too spectacular and the baklava from Food & Wine in 2013 has scarred me from trying it again. Soooo if you can’t eat, drink? The desert rose cocktail sounds good - sparkling wine and pomegranate liqueur.

Hanami is featuring: curry bun, salmon sushi, frushi (fruit sushi), Kirin draft beer, Yuzu plum white slush, strawberry nigori and Karatamba sake.

Items to try: I am excited to try the new curry bun and I figured I should give plum wine another shot.

The Smokehouse: Barbecues and Brews is featuring: pulled pork slider, beef brisket hash, smoke Debreziner sausage, bacon cupcake, beer flight (& individual tastings) – Billy’s Chillies, Floridian Hefeweizen, Category 3 IPA and Maple Bacon stout, The Original Rib Shack red wine, frozen lemonade and R.C. Sweet Tea

Items to try: the pictures of the beef brisket burnt ends hash with white cheddar fondue and pickled jalapenos looks delicious. Well – minus the jalapenos, you all know I am baby when it comes to spice.  Last year I tried the bacon cupcake and it was alright, but I think it would be better as a cornbread with bacon in it. It is more like a yellow cake with bacon bits in it. The maple frosting is good though.

Primavera Kitchen is featuring: pinwheel of mozzarella, prosciutto and ciabatta bread, three cheese manicotti, limoncello panna cotta, Placido Pinot Grigio, Placido Chianti, Bosco Del Merlo Prosecco, Corbinello, and a white peach Bellini

Items to try: As I am a cheesy chick, I definitely want to try the pinwheel. The limoncello panna cotta sounds good too, as does the white peach Bellini. I have tried the Placido Chianti and it is really good, but I would like to try something else. It is also featured regularly at Food & Wine in Italy.

Lotus House is featuring: Candied strawberries, Kung Pao chicken bun, vegetable spring roll, oolong peach bubble tea, Kung Fu punch, South Sea Storm cocktail, plum white, Tsing-Tao beer and honey mango wine cooler.

Items to try: I think it would be fun to order a Kung Pao with a Kung Fu lol. So those would be my choices.  

Jardin de Fiestas is featuring: tacos al pastor, vegetable quesadilla, flan de chocolate, Tecate with Patron Citronge, white Mexican sangria, Blueberry pomegranate margarita and a tequila liqueur flight.

Items to try: I did not get a chance to try the tacos al pastor, which is a corn tortilla filled with achiote-marinated pork, garnished with grilled diced pineapple, onions and cilantro. Sounds yummy. The blueberry pomegranate margarita sounds delicious too. I can’t remember off the top of my head, but last year’s featured margarita did not sound good – I think it had a pepper flavor? Anyone remember?

Florida Fresh is featuring: a watermelon salad, shrimp and stone ground grits, Florida blueberry and lemon curd tart, watermelon passion fruit slush, key line sparkling wine, Blonde ale, Channel Marker Red Ale, Feast of Flowers Farmhouse Ale and Jai Alai beer. Of course, you can get a flight of all four too.

Items to try: the shrimp and stone ground grits sounds interesting and includes Andouille sausage, sweet corn, tomatoes and cilantro. I am really interested in trying the Key lime sparkling wine!

Now I am hungry thinking about all of the food! Pictures of this year's tastings are published on the Disney Food Blog - a comprehensive research I use to keep track of all of the happenings with food at Disney! All the pictures (except the cute one of Lady and the Tramp) are from this blog as cited. 

And of course (shameless plug) - you can purchase an Ellegant Decor Disney Vacation planner on my Etsy site to help keep track of all the marketplaces you would like to experience on your next trip!

Today's Lenten Reflection

I really liked this morning's Lenten reflection and I thought I would share it with you.

Noticing God's Presence - Henri J.M.  Nouwen

"Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known." (Jeremiah 33:3)

Every encounter in life involves the spiritual discipline of seeing God in others and making known to others what we have seen. Since our seeing is only partial, we also need other people who will help us to see. Through each encounter, we will come to see more clearly. Everyone is a different refraction of the same love of God, the same light of the world, coming to us. We need a contemplative discipline for seeing this light. If I have discovered God as the center of my being, then the God in me recognizes God in the world. We also then recognize the demons at work in us and the world. The demons are always close, trying to conquer us. The spiritual life requires a constant and vigilant deepening and enlivening of the presence of God in our hearts.

Jesus, help me be more attentive to God's hidden presence in others. 

Zucchini Chicken Bake

Here is the recipe of the bake I made Sunday night. It is a "healthier" take on my families favorite recipe - cheesy potatoes. I had some for lunch yesterday and it was even good re-heated.

Zucchini Chicken Bake
8 oz shredded potatoes (hash browns)
2-3 zucchini's, shredded (I used a cheese grater)
1 can of chicken, liquid drained
1 cup plain, fat free Greek yogurt
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 cup shredded cheese (I used a mixture of mozzarella & cheddar cheeses)
2 cups crushed corn flakes
4 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400. Grease an 8x13 glass pan. In a large bowl, add the shredded (or hash brown) potatoes, shredded zucchini, canned chicken, yogurt, cream of chicken soup, onion powder and shredded cheese. Mix all of these ingredients well. Dump the zucchini and chicken mixture into the prepared 8x13 and spread evenly in the pan. Take the crushed corn flakes and add the melted butter and stir quickly so that the crushed corn flakes are evenly coated in butter. Spread the corn flake mixture evenly over the top of the zucchini bake. Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes. Remove and cool for about 5 minutes before serving (this was piping HOT). Enjoy!

Fun Weekend

Last weekend we had the perfect combo of busy, fun and relaxing. Friday night we met Christopher's parents for a fish fry at Papa Jake's. Boy it was packed! At 5:30, we waited about 40 minutes for a table! But that was okay because we had a lot of catch up on and enjoyed some drinks at the bar. The fish fry was incredible and we could all see why there is such a long wait. And...by 7:30 they were all sold out of fish! Definitely Lent in Buffalo!

Saturday morning I worked on updating my etsy site and listing and ran errands, got my oil changed in my car and meal prepped a little for the week. Then we - all four of us - went over to my parent's house for some lunch, a visit and to show Dad how to use his new tablet! I am so proud of my Dad for trying to learn how to use it. He has never used a computer before and did a great job learning to use the tablet. The pups had a blast playing with Buddy and running around.

Saturday night we had a Netflix marathon of House of Cards - to catch up on Season 2. Yep - we are very behind - no spoilers! This week we are going to start on the newly released Season 3.

Sunday we had church, where we saw some friends and caught up with a former teacher of Christopher's - Fr Tom. I worked on some new merchandise for Ellegant Decor and Christopher is finishing up one of his refinishing projects for a friend of ours. It was a very productive weekend.

Then Sunday night, I played around with one of our families favorite and classic recipes - Cheesy Potatoes! I will have to post the recipe I used, but we swapped out the potatoes for zucchini and the sour cream for Greek yogurt and also added chicken. It came out delicious and even Christopher enjoyed it. It is also very similar to a recipe that one of my best friends Reese created too. I am loving making hearty bakes and casseroles - it has been way too cold out.

Easy Make Ahead Dinners

Last week I made two easy make-ahead dinners for nights where we both had stuff going on post-work. I thought I would share them with you all! You know me and planning :)

Turkey Spinach Meatballs
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 cup spinach (I tore it into smaller pieces and removed the stems)
1/2 cup ground flaxseed (or you can use bread crumbs)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

In a medium bowl, combine the ground turkey, spinach, ground flaxseed, garlic powder and mozzarella well - get those hands dirty! Once well combined, shape into meatballs. I made mine about 1 to 1.5" in diameter. Once all of the meat has been rolled into meatballs, place all of the meatballs into a skillet and cook on medium-high heat, rotating the meatballs so all sides are evenly browned.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Meatballs will keep for up to 3 days OR freeze and use meatballs when needed up to 4 months.

I baked the meatballs for dinner - covered them in sauce and some more cheese and baked until they were heated.

Baked Gnocchi Bacon
1 package store bought gnocchi, cooked
6 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
1 cup favorite tomato sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella

After cooking the gnocchi according to the package directions and cooking up the 6 slices of bacon and chopping it, grease a 9x9 baking dish and add the tomato sauce. Mix in about 3/4 of the chopped bacon. Then add the gnocchi to the baking dish with the sauce and bacon and mix to combine, making sure all of the pasta is coated in the tomato sauce. Sprinkle the mozzarella over all of the gnocchi and then sprinkle the remaining bacon on top of the mozzarella. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook, up to 2 days.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese and nice and bubbly. You will notice in the picture I forgot to sprinkle the bacon on top of the mozzarella. Oops! I used all of the bacon in the sauce mixture, so I quickly cooked up two slices and roughly chopped them up and sprinkled on after I pulled the bake out of the oven. Still delicious!