Last Day of Annual Passes :(

After a fun breakfast at Hollywood Studios, we headed over to the Animal Kingdom for the morning/afternoon. Mom and Dad haven't really spent a lot of time in the park and we thought this would be fun for them to see. 

We are so proud of Mom who rode on Expedition Everest! Got to love the pictures Disney takes. 

We also rode Dinosaur and I still get scared during the ride! You would like after riding this several times that I would know when the dinosaur pops out! Maybe next time. We also rode the Kilimanjaro Safaris ride and walked though the Pangani Forest Exploration.

For lunch we ate at the Flame Tree Barbecue which was so delicious! Christopher and I split a combo platter and it was plenty of food for two.

After lunch we headed back to the resort and relaxed for a bit at the pool. Later in the afternoon we decided to walk over to Epcot and enjoy the night there. We split a fish and chips in England, then walked over to France for a Croque Monsieur, Bordeaux and a coffee flavored mousse. All was delicious.

We then strolled around the entire World Showcase. We rode the Three Caballeros ride once more and Spaceship Earth. Then we caught Illuminations. We could watch it every night and still be impressed! 

We then walked back to the Boardwalk. Christopher enjoyed a cigar and beer and I got a slice of pizza and a margarita. We relaxed and people watched for the rest of the night. It was very special. 

Mom and Dad decided to have dinner at the new Italian restaurant on the Boardwalk and enjoyed it very much. They then met us out afterwards and we hung out with our drinks. A great way to end our stay at the Boardwalk. 

Our First Day in Walt Disney World!

So we flew to Orlando out of the Buffalo airport at 5:30am! It was an early morning flight, but totally worth it so we could have a full day of fun in the sun. We spent our first day in Epcot, which was walking distance from the first resort we stayed at - the Boardwalk Villas. Our room was ready when we arrived, which we were really impressed with considering it was only 9 o'clock in the morning! So we dropped off our carry-ons to the room and got ready to hit the park!

We got to ride Soarin', caught a sneak preview of Tomorrowland, which they were showing in the Captain EO theater (Captain EO was "down" for the special sneak preview) and one of our favorite attractions, Spaceship Earth. We walked around quite a bit to look at all of the gardens and topiaries, since we were able to catch the last week of the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. I even braved going into the Butterfly garden and no - I did not freak out when the butterflies landed on me (like I did last year - people probably thought I was nuts!). We got to see the new Anna & Elsa topiaries, which were quite exquisite. Mom and Dad's favorite topiary was the Lady & the Tramp one located outside of Italy. They said it reminded them of Marv and Jameson.

Speaking of Marv and Jameson, they "vacationed" with my parents, who decided not to join us on this trip. They had a great time and enjoyed chasing Buddy around.

A funny situation did happen while we were walking around World Showcase, Dad was taking a picture of Christopher and I in Japan and a Disney World security officer stopped Dad and gave him a ticket! No worries - it was a citation for him not being in the picture with us. We have never seen this in the parks before. The officer was very nice and funny, he even made Dad a Junior Officer to protect the magic, complete with a badge sticker! Dad was very proud and wore his sticker for the rest of the trip.

As we walked around World Showcase, we also sampled some of the food offerings for the flower & garden festival. We sampled the Crispin' Blackberry Pear cider, a cronut (Christopher's favorite", duck confit with parsley potatoes, smoked debreziner sausage and pineapple sparkling wine. All were yummy!

We had lunch at Via Napoli and split a huge pepperoni and sausage pizza. It was delicious and so fresh. Then we split tiramisu, which was so amazing and authentic. We really liked our experience at this restaurant and hope to return in future trips. For families, this was a very affordable option for dining.

We then took a little break in the afternoon and went back to the resort to unpack and freshen up. Christopher and I then took a little walk around Crescent Lake and he treated me to my pearl for the trip. I ended up picking an oyster with an 8mm pearl! I am one lucky girl!

Dinner was at Le Cellier in the Canadian pavilion. And it was of course fabulous. Our server was pleasant and from Ontario. Christopher and I split the famous beer cheddar soup and we all ordered the filet mignon with wild mushroom risotto (yes, even I ate the risotto - it was worth the headache). Mom and Dad split creamed spinach to pair with their steak and Christopher and I split the mac & cheese. We were too full for dessert (I know - the Maple Creme Brulee - next time!). Since our reservation was late (at 8:50 pm), when we left the restaurant, we were one of the last ones left in the park. Which is an experience in itself since the park is so empty and quiet.

It was such a wonderful first day at Walt Disney World. We all fell right asleep and got to sleep in on Thursday.

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!

Sloppy Joe Bake (or Pizza as Christopher calls it)

One of Christopher's favorite dishes is sloppy joes. I on the other hand do not really prefer it. But happy husband, happy...I guess it doesn't really work like that, but I wanted to make him happy! So I thought I would combine his favorite - the sloppy joe and mine - gobs of cheese and created this. It turned out pretty well, so I thought I would share the recipe.

Sloppy Joe Bake or Pizza
1 ball of dough (store bought or handmade - I handmade mine because I LOVE a homemade dough)
1 lb of ground beef or turkey (I used turkey, but beef is more traditional)
1 can of sloppy joe sauce (I slacked here)
8 oz mixture of shredded cheddar and mozzarella

If you are making the dough, make your dough and let it rise. If you went the store bought option, take the dough out and let is rise for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Oil a 10 or 12 inch cast iron or oven proof skillet and set aside.

Start the sloppy part - brown the ground meat until it is cooked through. Make sure to break up the meat as finely as you can. Drain the meat. Add the can of the sloppy joe sauce or put together your own and add it to the drained, cooked ground meat, stirring it into the meat. Cook for about 10-12 minutes on low, until the sauce is well combined and has thickened a bit.

While the sauced meat is cooking, roll out the dough to the size of your skillet or pan. I made a thicker crust using the whole dough, but if you prefer a thinner crust, cut the dough in half. Form the dough in the skillet and bake in the oven for about 5-7 minutes. After the 5-7 minutes, turn off the oven and turn the oven to broil.

Spread the sloppy joe mixture on top of the pre-cooked dough then cover with the cheese mixture. Place the skillet back in the oven under the broiler until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Remove and let sit for 5 minutes for easier cutting and serve up!

Easy Basic Dough Recipe (this is what I used above)
1 package active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup very warm water
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tbsp olive oil

In a stand mixer bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let stand until the mixture starts to froth, about 10-12 minutes. Slowly add the salt and flour on a slow to medium speed with the dough hook attachment of your stand mixer. Kneed using the mixer, until a dough ball has formed. Drizzle the olive oil over the dough, turning the dough so the oil coats the entire dough. Let rise in a warm place for at least 30 minutes. Use as a pizza dough, garlic bread dough - the possibilities are endless.

Halloween 2014

Halloween 2014 is in the books. Our little Shelties dressed up for the event too. Marv dressed up as Super Dog, complete with a cap and Jameson dressed up as Winnie the Pooh. My favorite part of his costume is a little bee sewn near his butt.

At the office, we celebrated Halloween with a trick or treat parade around our floor. Our pod did a theme this year of Christmas morning, so we pulled out the Christmas tree, wreaths and we all dressed in our xmas pajamas.

Employees are able to bring in their children to trick or treat office to office.

I love seeing all of the kids. We hear so much about them at work, it is so great to meet them and play for a couple hours.

On actual Halloween I tried to wear all the black and orange I own, black I own a lot, orange not so much. But I think I did pretty well.

At home, we got probably 125-140 trick or treaters this year. The weather was pretty crappy out; kudos to the kids who trick or treated in the cold and rain. Our house was giving out several pieces to each kid and glow bracelets. My mom came over again this year to help hand out the candy. She also made dinner - aren't moms the best? She made Bubble Pizza and you can find her recipe here.

And this here is my special video of Little Molly in her cupcake costume. Isn't she the sweetest???

Marv's 3rd Birthday & Jameson at 12 Weeks

Last night we had my family over for dinner to celebrate Marv's 3rd birthday. The adults had pizza and wings and the pups had some Blue Buffalo "Boo" Stew. The pizza, wings and stew went over very well.

Marv and Jameson were very cuddling with everyone. Earlier in the day, they received their next round of shots and booster shots. Needless to say, they wanted to be loved and hugged, which the grandparents had no problem doing.

How funny is the picture below? On our way home from the vet, this is how Jameson layed in the car - on top of Marv! Big brother Marv did not seem to mind at all. Marv is really starting to get into being "big" brother. He is becoming very protective of little Jameson.

Look how big Jameson is getting! 12 weeks old already! The vet said both look very good and healthy! Woo hoo! Jameson will receive his next round of shots in 3 weeks and Marv is not due back until December for his annual physical and tests. 

Day 5 of our 2014 Disney Trip

Sorry for the long break between posts - this month has just gotten away from me!

Our fifth day down at Disney we spent at Magic Kingdom! It was a really, really hot day...like 90+++ degrees. Our Buffalo bodies are not familiar with this kind of sun.

During the day we rode Pirates of the Caribbean (it never gets old!), WEDway Peoplemover, Hall of Presidents, Space Mountain, Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, and Buzz Lightyear Ranger Spin. It was great to ride some of the classics again. It was also our first time doing the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor - OMG what a hoot! It is now on our must do for trips going forward!

We ate lunch at Tortuga Tavern. This was our first visit here and we really enjoyed it. The portions are HUGE. At first I was a little leary about only ordering one burrito, but they were very large. I would say if we had kids, two kids could probably share one burrito and be completely full.

Also on this trip we had a late afternoon snack at Pinocchio's Village Haus. This restaurant was closed for renovation last time we here down at Disney. They serve a bunch of different flatbreads. We tried the BBQ chicken flatbread and it was delicious.

This night was our BIG dinner of the trip. So many friends recommended dinner at 'Ohana so we had to try it out. As I mentioned earlier I LOVE the Poly. It is so beautiful and the hotel's theming is beautiful, so I was excited to be back for dinner here.

Holy smokes that is a lot of food. When our friends recommended 'Ohana for dinner, they talked about all of the meat skewers and how delicious the food is. What they left out was the skewers were only part of the all you can eat meal!

First course - their signature welcome bread. It is a soft bread that is filled with pineapple - so good! Next are the Honey Coriander Chicken Wings - delicious! Then the server brought out our salad - it is a mixed green salad with a mango dressing. Then we were brought vegetarian lettuce wraps. Then we were brought pork fried dumplings (OMG these were amazing and we ordered seconds). Are you full yet? You can't be because next are the skewers - there are three to try! Pork Loin, sirloin steak and shrimp. All were fabulous. Oh and I forgot the sides: you get BOTH asian style egg noodles and stir fried vegetables. And if dinner was not enough (it is all you can eat...you can request more of anything!) there is also dessert. The dessert served is a bread pudding with ice cream and caramel sauce. I did not think I would like it but it was amazing!

We will definitely be going back again! This would be a great place for families because all of the food is served family style and kids will definitely get a kick out of that.

After dinner, we waddled over to the boat launch to get back to the Magic Kingdom. We ended up making it in perfect time to see the Wishes Fireworks show. It was the perfect end to another great day at Disney.

Oh and how could I forget...after Wishes we booked it to our resort bus stop and...a bus was there and we did not have to wait! SCORE!

Fun Take on Bubble Pizza - Buffalo Chicken Bubble Pizza

This past Sunday was a lazy day for us Musialowski's. We slept in, read the newspaper, puttered around the house, did a little shopping and then did a whole lot of resting. Needless to say, I did not feel like cooking anything elaborate for dinner. I had a real craving for pizza, but we did not have  pizza sauce (should have thought of it when I did the shopping...lazy brain too I guess). I did find we had like three bottles of buffalo wing sauce, so I figured something like buffalo chicken will do. That is when I got the crazy idea...why not buffalo chicken bubble pizza. 

My mom's recipe for bubble pizza is pretty amazing and one of the most popular posts on this blog, so why not change out the beef for chicken and pizza sauce for some wing sauce? It was a successful experiment and super easy to put together on our lazy Sunday. I really got lazy and even used canned chicken. 

Buffalo Chicken Bubble Pizza

Serves 3

1 can refrigerated can of biscuits (like Pillsbury)

1 can of chicken breast

1/4 cup hot or buffalo sauce of your choice

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Optional garnish: sliced green onions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Quarter the biscuits. Lightly spray a 8x8 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange the quartered biscuits on the bottom so that the whole bottom of the pan is covered. Strain the canned chicken to remove the water and then dump the chicken into a medium mixing bowl. Combine the buffalo/hot/wing sauce with the chicken in the mixing bowl and mix well until all of the ingredients are combined.  Sprinkle the sauced chicken over the biscuits in the prepared pan. Try to cover the biscuits with the chicken mixer as evenly as possible. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Take the pan out and add the shredded cheddar to the top. Put pan back in the oven for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Let the dish set for about 5 minutes after taking it out so slicing and serving is easier. I added the sliced green onions when the dish was setting.

Our Countdown to Disney Continues - Mickey Shaped Pizzas

As we are getting closer and closer to our trip to Disney World, we are getting more and more excited and we are marching through our Disney Countdown activities.

This past weekend, we decided to make Mickey shaped homemade pizzas. I had excess dough from a recipe I was making for Pretzel Wrapped Hot Dogs and used it to make the pizzas. It was really easy - once the dough was made, I used the leftover dough and formed the following - rolled 4 golf ball sized pieces of dough into a ball shape. Then I split two of the large sized balls into two (four smaller sized balls of dough). The large ball of dough is the "face" and the two smaller balls of dough are the "ears". Next I pulled and rolled the dough balls into a circle shape. Once the dough was rolled and formed into a circle, I placed the smaller circles at the top of the large circle and gently pinched together the edges. I did the same for the other pizza. Then we added the toppings we wanted and baked them at 400 for about 15 minutes. Because of their odd shape, I ended up baking them both on a large cookie sheet instead of a pizza pan.

Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day weekend is always bitter sweet - it means the end of summer and the start of Fall season. I love summer - the warm, the sun, and all the BBqs, but I also like decorating for Fall and the change of seasons.

Yesterday we wrapped up a busy weekend with celebrating my Dad's birthday. In honor of his birthday, we went to Destroyer Park Golf and played 18 holes. It was a blast! Plus we got to meet the Destroyer himself - Dick Beyer! What a nice guy. It was a beautiful day and a great time spent by my Dad, Trev and I.

We then went back to the house to enjoy some pizza and wings for his birthday. Christopher picked up Papa and he came over too. We then ended the celebration with some homemade cream puffs (my mom's recipe is amazing!) and Oreo bomb cake, which I made.

It was a great end to a nice weekend. Now that Labor Day is over, I can finally justify drinking apple cider and pumpkin spice lattes; way too early to start in August right?