My Birthday

I had such as fabulous birthday! It is tough getting older and especially this birthday as this is my last birthday in my 20's. Yikes - where did the time go??? Christopher and the boys spoiled me when I woke up and gave me their presents. I received two gorgeous Pandora Disney charms for my bracelet AND a gold Alex & Ani DVC bangle!

Then I met my mom for pizza at Romeo & Juliets. It was so great to see her on my birthday. I do owe it to her for bringing me into this world. Without her - there would be no birthday.

When I got back to my desk at work, I had this plaque and leather notepad on my desk. I had been recognized for contributing to Praxair's safety program!!! I was totally surprised and added to my wonderful day.

Also related to work, that morning I had to move offices! So I got to spend the morning sorting and organizing my new office. Yep - I have TWO windows! I am loving the natural light very much.

Then Christopher spoiled me some more and make reservations for my favorite restaurant - Left Bank. Dinner was absolutely perfect and delicious. Christopher ordered the steak and lobster (and shared both) and I ordered the Pork Tenderloin in the Grand Mariner sauce. My mouth is watering as I am typing this!

We then celebrated with both of my parents on Friday night. We went to Schnitzel's for dinner (also fabulous and highly recommend) and then went back to the house for some homemade dessert.

We then celebrated with the Musialowski's at Chef's for some spaghetti parmesan. And I finished my WHOLE parm that night. No leftovers for the birthday girl. We had a wonderful time laughing and catching up at dinner.

Also one of my best friends, Christine, took me out to lunch this past week too! I am one lucky lady! It is always so much fun catching up with each other. 

Rockin' my new kick ass heels at work today :) Huge thanks to all of my family and friends for wishing me a happy birthday. You all sure know how to make a girl feel special!

Easter Sunday

Christopher and I had a fun Easter Sunday. We continued our tradition of having Easter breakfast at home with the little boys. The pups got a wet breakfast and we had our traditional smoked polish sausage with homemade hash browns. Delicious. 

The Easter bunny also came to our house. He hid Christopher's basket but he left me a scavenger hunt with lots of fun riddles. We must have been good this year ;) After finding our baskets, we went to Easter Sunday mass at St. Mark's and braved the SNOW! Go figure we would have a white Easter and not Christmas!

 We then met the Leutze clan for Easter Brunch at Rizzo's Banchetti's. The food was scrumptious but the company was even better.

We then had dinner with the Musialowski's. Dinner was absolutely fantastic. We had an Easter ham, turkey breast, cheesy potatoes, veggies, dinner rolls, etc. We were so full after both delicious meals. Jonathan was home and my mom and the Kolesnick's joined us this year too. It was an excellent day!

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!

Springtime at the Musialowski Residence

I LOVE spring. One of the many reasons is that I spend more time outside and in my garden.

I also love to garden, including pulling weeds - weird, right? I love the planning, the colors of the flowers, the smells,etc.

Here are a couple pictures of the garden right after we did our spring planting. I hope to post more pictures as the flowers start to really take and bloom all summer long!

Spring Blooms

It is hard to believe that it is already May 1st! And I am wearing a turtleneck! At least my spring time bulbs are breaking through despite the cooler temperatures.

Hopefully in a couple of weeks my irises will bloom.

Happy Spring!

Easter 2014

Another holiday is in the books for the Musialowski family. It was a wonderful day spent with family. Our house was up unusually early to celebrate. EB did not disappoint. The Easter bunny brought little Marv some of his favorite raw hides and bacon treats.

Christopher received a basket with craft beer, a new garden hose, chocolate covered espresso beans, drink mix, jelly beans and some other stuff.

EB remembered me this year! He sent me on a scavenger hunt with lots of clues hidden all over the house. I found my prize in our renovation space! He gave me a HUGE (literally HUGE) blue hydrangea plant for our garden and some of my favorite chocolate Reese's eggs.

We then had our annual breakfast together, including the smoked polish sausage we got from the Broadway Market. After breakfast and some R&R, we headed to Rizzo's Banchetti's meet up with the Leutze clan. We had a wonderful brunch there, filled with lots of laughs and delicious food.

After brunch we went back home and enjoyed some of the wonderful sun. Marv loved being outside and playing around. We then packed up the cheesy potatoes and drove over to the Musialowski's for dinner. Mom Musialowski cooked a fabulous Easter dinner.

It was a lovely day and...I am still full from all of the delicious foods.

Spring in Finally Here :)

Spring is finally here in Buffalo. And little Marv is loving it! He is loving our walks (and so are we) and it is so nice to see everyone coming out of their homes and moving about. It is not quite ready to start planting, but I started to clean up the yard and the garden beds.

This year we are going to see what came back from all of the planting we did last year and probably just plant some annuals here and there to add a bit of color. Looking forward to spending more time outside!