31 Days: Disney's Advanced Dining Reservations

Hi all!

Today I'll be discussing Disney's Advanced Dining Reservations (ADRs)- aka. how to book a meal at Disney World! If you're planning on eating at a table service (or traditional sit down) restaurant, it's pretty straight forward, but below are some useful tips! Check out the {Dining} Series, from my previous Disney 31 Days series to see my personal favorite places to dine!

180 (or 190!) Days

If you're staying in a Disney resort, you can make your ADRs 180 days in advance, as well as up to 10 days of your trip. So you can make all of your reservations starting 180 days out from the FIRST day of your trip. If you're staying off property, you can make your reservations 180 days in advance as well, but need to come back each day to make reservations for subsequent days of your trips. This is REALLY important, as some restaurants will book up very very quickly.

Type, Tap, or Telephone

There's three easy ways to make a dining reservation- the Disney website, the My Disney Experience app, or by telephone. No way is necessarily easier than another, but the best way is probably the website. Certain restaurants can only be reserved on the website or telephone. By phone is pretty easy too, but it can often be a bit of a wait to talk to a customer service rep.

Large Groups

I'm currently planning a family reunion for 19 people. I've learned that if you can't get reservations online or on the app, just give a call to the restaurant directly! Check out some of the lesser-demand restaurants too. 

Think Outside the Park

Restaurants in the parks are typically always in high-demand, some more than others. Don't forget about all of the fabulous restaurants located within easy access of the parks! If you're in the Magic Kingdom or Epcot, check out restaurants that are in the hotels on the monorail line- The Grand Floridian, Polynesian Village Resort, and The Contemporary. If you're in Epcot or Hollywood Studios, check out The Boardwalk- just a boat ride or 5-10 minute walk away! Even if you don't have a park-hopper ticket, you can leave the park and return to the same park as much as you need on any given day! If you have a down day, or feel like driving yourself over, definitely check out Disney Springs for a ton of fabulous restaurants!!! There is no Disney transportation directly between Disney Springs and the parks (in an effort to prevent people from parking at DS, which is currently free, and popping over to the parks where parking is currently $20 a day!). 

Kid-Friendly

Which restaurants are kid-friendly, you ask? Well, it's Disney. So pretty much all of them. Take a peek at the Disney website, as there are a handful that have dress codes. Those might be the restaurants to avoid if you have a rowdy gang! Beyond that, if you're really concerned, try dining outside of the busiest meal times, which are between 11:30-2:00 for lunch and 6:00-8:00 for dinner. Beyond that, just relax and enjoy! 

Quick & Healthy Kid-Friendly Snacks

(links found in this article are Affiliate Links, which means a small percentage of your purchase helps support our family!)

Hi lovelies!
I'm stopping in here today to share some of our family's favorite kid-friendly snacks that are QUICK to prepare! With two kids under three, a home-based business, and a husband in the military, I know a few things about being strapped for time! Hehe. Really, any mama out there can relate!

Anyhoo, with time being a factor, I know how easy it is to reach for a bag of chips instead of something more nutritious for the wee ones. We've all been there, to be sure! So here are a few tips, tricks, and ideas that might help you get some extra healthy options on the table for our little ones! When you're done here, take a look over at Nuts.com for a great collection of healthy snacking ideas, and a great place to buy your snacks too!

Quick, Cheap, & Easy DIY Patriotic Decor & Entertaining Tips

Hey all!! So, this year I'll be decorating vicariously through these patriotic photos... our Independence Day decor is all packed in boxes (from our PCS last July!) in the storage unit- boo! Anyways, so here I've gathered up photos from our previous years' celebrations to share with everyone! Included are some tips for decorating & entertaining on the cheap- hope you enjoy!

A few tips & ideas for quick, cheap, and easy patriotic decor...

(1) Medallion stars- 

Just 1-2 pieces of scrapbook paper, some adhesive and string to hang with, and you've got yourself instant big decor pieces! A simple tutorial is: {here} (in between steps 3&4, snip the one end on an angle to get the more "star" appearance instead of smooth circle edge )

(2) Patriotic candle display- 

Just a mason jar, some colored pebbles or rocks, and a patriotic colored candle! This neat huge mason jar even has an eagle on the front, bought at Michael's a few years back. 

(3) Patriotic signage- 

Print out your favorite patriotic phrase onto vellum paper, attach to some patriotic scrapbook paper and frame. Being a military family, this is a common phrase for us, and perfect for a patriotic mantle: "Keep calm and soldier on!"  

(4) Patriotic yarn balls- 

Wrap up some patriotic-colored yarn into balls! Easy to whip up some of these balls whilst watching your favorite show or while chatting with a friend. 

(5) Star dishes- 

Dishes are great not only for serving with (of course!) but also for mantles! After Independence Day, decor goes on sale super cheap- one of the best times to grab next year's decor pieces! 

(6) Framed banner-  

So easy to change up for different seasons! Simply frame a piece of fabric or patriotic scrapbook paper and adhere a cute banner! Check out my tutorial: {here}

(7) Flag collection- 

It doesn't get much easier and cheaper than this! Pick your favorite pretty bowl and pour in a bag of toothpick flags :)

(8) Patriotic decorative branches- 

Easy to change out decor pieces with each season. For Independence Day, I added some flags, tied on bits of patriotic ribbon and added a tiny wooden sign (from Christmas Tree Shoppe). 

(9) Patriotic wreath (not pictured)- 

Create a wreath where you can change out the decor with each season. You can view my free Wreath Tutorial: {here}

A few tips & ideas for quick, cheap, and easy patriotic hosting and entertaining...

(1) Patriotic utensils- 

Easy way to add a little more patriotism to your cutlery- set them out in a patriotic container! Here I'm using a mug from Disney World's "Liberty Tree Tavern" (featuring Mickey and the gang waving Old Glory).

(2) Patriotic buffet decor- 

Fabric placemats or table runners and a few plastic colored stars strewn about add some patriotic color to your buffet. Again, after Independence Day, decor goes on sale super cheap- one of the best times to grab next year's decor bits & pieces! 

(3) Patriotic buffet signage- 

Add some color to your buffet- layer some colored paper, put a patriotic stamp or sticker on the edge, then write out the name of each dish!   

(4) Drink signage- 

Tie the name signage onto the end of  a wooden spoon and put the spoon in drink pitchers. It's also great if you need to stir up the drinks periodically, like homemade lemonade!

(5) Patriotic drinks- 

An cheap alternative to the cute (but expensive!) paper straws- most standard plastic straw packages include red and blue straws. Just cut them down to size of your cups (if need be) and tie on a bit of ribbon. 

(6) Dessert banner-  

Dress up your cake or pies with a simple banner strung between two skewers. For instructions, check out Step #16 in my Wreath Tutorial: {here}

(7) Patriotic dessert- 

Decorate the top of your cakes or other dessert with colored sprinkles or sugar to get in the Independence Day mood! Blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries also add the perfect red, white, & blue touch!

(8) Fancy dessert dishes- 

If you don't have fancy dessert dishes, improvise! Wine glasses, mason jars, or just standard clear water glasses work just as well to serve up your yummy parfaits or ice cream. 

(9) Patriotic tiered buffet dishes- 

For a great tiered look to your buffet line, purchase some clear box photo frames, cut some scrapbook paper to size and place inside the frame. Stack the frames to create different layers to set out your dishes on! 

linking up here...

Favorite Projects of 2013 @ The CSI Project

Frugal Fridays @ Life As Mom

Mashed Cauliflower

So, better late than never, right?! Well it's been a busy busy past two months between DH's work schedule, birthdays, Easter, etc. and it's another busy two months ahead for the same reason! Little E turned one year old- crazy how fast the time went by! Anyhoo, I figured it's about time I shared the remainder of my St. Patty's Day recipes with you!

Mashed Cauliflower

a staple side dish in our family

prepared much the same as mashed potatoes but with loads of nutrients!

Ingredients
- 2-3 heads of cauliflower (or 2 frozen family-size bags)
- 1/8 c. half and half
- 3 TB butter
- 2 TB Adobo seasoning (or garlic powder)
- salt and pepper to taste

Directions
(1) Place cauliflower in a stockpot and cover with water. If using fresh heads, cut off florets into stockpot and cover with water.
(2) Bring pot to a boil, and cook until cauliflower is very tender and very easily pierced with a fork.
(3) Drain cauliflower and return to pot.
(4) Add remaining ingredients and mash together with a potato masher.
(5) Serve and enjoy!!

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

OK, so I know I totally forgot to finish up my series on our St. Patty's Day dinner. Things got a bit hectic when the lovely in-laws came to visit and then the DH got sent out to the field unexpectedly- I'll finish up that series this week, k? :) For now, I'll share our fabulous dinner from tonight! It was inspired by {this recipe} that I found via Pinterest. 

Serves: 4 (as a side dish) or 1 1/2 (as a main dish)
Recipe is easily doubled, tripled, etc. 

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 of a medium pepper finely chopped
1/2 of a medium cucumber finely chopped
2-3 stalks of green onion diced
2 small tomatoes diced

Cook quinoa according to directions. Generally it's 1 part quinoa, 2 parts water- cooked just like rice, but prewash the quinoa to remove any sediment. Let quinoa cool slightly (I usually turn off the heat and start chopping my veggies while the quinoa cools!). Chop vegetables and add to quinoa, mix, and serve warm or chilled.



Tzatziki Sauce

2/3c plain greek yogurt
1 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 of a medium cucumber, finely grated
1 TB olive oil
dash freshly ground pepper
dash freshly ground sea salt

Mix in a small dish. Adjust spices to taste. We like a heavy garlic influence :) Top your salad with a dollop of sauce and enjoy! This goes great on gyros, a regular lettuce salad, a dip for potato wedges... the possibilities are endless ;)

Brown Sugar Ginger Carrots

So onto the first part of our St Patty's Day spread! Brown sugar ginger carrots are a bit of a staple in our home! They pair well with most any other veggie or meat dish. We've also used maple syrup, sucanat, you could probably even use honey in place of the brown sugar! Feel free to experiment as you wish :)

* Brown Sugar Ginger Carrots *

Ingredients

1 lb. carrots

2 TB brown sugar

1/4 tsp powdered ginger

2 TB of butter

1/2 cup of water (or more)

*NOTE: this recipe easily doubles, triples, etc. So adjust to your family size and tastes!

Directions

(1) Cut carrots into smaller pieces, peeling the carrots if you wish. I usually cut the carrots in half lengthwise and then into thirds (and we leave the peels on for extra nutrients!).

(2) Add carrots to a medium saucepan. Add enough water to generously cover the carrots. In effect you'll be steaming the carrots, so you don't want them all completely submerged. You can always add more water later in the cooking process if they're getting low on liquid!

(3) Add butter, sugar, and ginger to saucepan.

(4) Cook over medium heat for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until carrots are easily pierced with a fork. Cook less if you prefer an al dente finish and/or for even more added nutrients!

Disney Food- Rose & Crown Pub and Dining Room

So we interrupt this week's special of St. Patty's Day food to bring you a brief run down of one of my favorite dining places at Disney World- the Rose & Crown Pub and Dining Room in Epcot's world showcase! Here's a quick overview of what we had on this past trip..

 I made a meal of side dishes- green beans, cauliflower and cheese gratin, and mashed potatoes. I truly cannot tell you which was my favorite dish- they were all fabulous!! And let's not forget my decaf British Breakfast tea in the corner ;) The Twinings Tea Cottage is just across the street from the Rose & Crown- unfortunately they don't have much black decaf tea for sale there, but they have lots of herbal and fruit teas for me to peruse :)

DH got the Cottage Pie (essentially a Shepard's Pie, for those Irish ladies reading!). He's always enjoyed this dish! The last two years the chef made me a vegetarian/gluten-free version- delish!

For dessert, I had the Queen's Cake (hubby had my eggnog shooter though!). Unfortunately, I've had better flourless cakes at other Disney dining establishments, but it will certainly satisfy your chocolate sweet tooth in a pinch! 

DH had the Jaffa Tarts for dessert- orange-cream filled cakes with chocolate ganache. He found them quite tasty! (AJ over at The Disney Food Blog was asking about these today. She has an awesome in-depth article about the Rose & Crown- head on over and check it out!!)

The really neat thing about Rose & Crown is that you can get a great seat for the evening fireworks show, Illuminations (my favorite Disney evening show!). If you get the coveted outdoor patio dining location, you're set! If you're inside, or in a less perfect outdoor seat, we've had the waiters hold our food for us so we could scoot outside and stand on the patio to view the show! So fabulous!!

I'll come back and edit this post later to add on some more dishes we've had in past years ;)

St. Patty's Day flag spread

Happy Saint Patrick's Day 

So last night we started our St. Patrick's Day celebrating by hosting dinner for some wonderful friends! Throughout the upcoming week I'll share the recipes that we created, including:
- baked asparagus with smoked cheddar {recipe}
- mashed cauliflower {recipe}
- brown sugar ginger carrots {recipe}
- potato leek crockpot soup {recipe}
- Irish soda bread {recipe}

For today though, I'll just leave you with a photo of our St. Patty's Day flag spread! Yummm-mmmy!!! Come on back tomorrow for our first recipe- Brown Sugar Ginger Carrots :)

Menu Plan Monday:: 04 Nov

So we recently started menu planning (and actually sticking with it!), so I figured I'd start sharing them! Generally I'll plan out one meal for each dinner. However, we're flexible- if we notice an abundance of leftovers, or we're just tired/busy one night, we'll nix the originally planned meal and instead have leftovers or a super easy 10-minute dinner of some sort.

Here is our menu plan from the past week! We tried a few new things and were pleasantly surprised! These recipes are all vegetarian (my carnivorous hubby had some crock pot meat with his meals) and are gluten-free, or I adapted them to be GF :) I added comments about what I did differently, if anything, when I made these... enjoy!

• scrambled egg beaters with shredded cheese
• Greek yogurt & apple slices
• Refrigerator Maple Blueberry Oatmeal
• Change Ups: substituted 1 1/2 tsp agave syrup for the maple syrup, used whole milk, upped the blueberries since I use a larger container, added some nuts upon consumption :) I also started doubling the recipe so its a more substantial meal.

• leftovers
• pasta
• salad
• ... anything quick I can throw together during the baby's nap!

.: Sunday :.
Broccoli Cheese & Rice Casserole
Notes... This is a new go-to recipe for us! Pretty easy to throw together and yummy! We plan on trying different cheeses to see if we can get an even better flavor. Also plan to add some cauliflower next time!
Change Ups...

• doubled the broccoli, which I also chopped up so you'd get bits of broccoli in every bite!
• upped the parm to ~1/2c.
• used GF flour
• substituted paprika for the mustard
• we too used brown rice

.: Monday :.
Black Bean Burgers

Notes... This is a staple in our family's "Fav Recipes." Easy to whip together, nutritious, and you can add toppings or spices to tailor this to your own family's likings!! You can see how I switched things up a bit below- I usually try something new with the spices every time!

Change Ups...

• substituted 1 whole chopped green onion (green and white parts) instead of the pureed onion
• used 2 cans of black beans, rinsed
• used GF flour (I've also used cornstarch instead)
• used Ezekiel bread (ran out of GF bread)
• used garlic powder instead of fresh (we were on a time crunch!)
• added ~1 tsp smoked paprika (we LOVE us some paprika in the SK household)
• added 1/4 tsp dried oregano

.: Tuesday :.
Quinoa Veggie Mac N Cheese

Notes... This is pretty similar to the Broccoli & Cheese Rice Casserole from Sunday. DH liked this quinoa version better, but I preferred the Rice version. Might try and combine the two next time!!

Change Ups... 

• used ~3c. broccoli & cauliflower for our "veggie," which I also chopped up so you'd get bits of veggie in every bite! 
• added Adobo seasoning
• used whole milk instead of soy/non-fat
• skipped the optional items and toppings

.: Wednesday :.
Smashed Cauliflower
leftover Quinoa Veggie Mac N Cheese
Baked Potato Fans

Notes... Being a vegetarian, I often create meals out of a few side dishes- tonight was one of those nights! I'll be posting the cauliflower recipe in the near future, so stay tuned ;)

Change Ups (to Baked Potato Fans)...

• left the skins on the potatoes, just took the eyes out
• poked holes in potatoes with a fork, then just popped them in the microwave on "potato" setting, no added water
• sprinkled potatoes with salt along with the olive oil before baking

.: Thursday :.
Leftovers
Green Monster Smoothies

Notes... The green monster smoothie ended up being Baby E's first food that she really enjoyed!! Go figure, but at least she's getting her leafy greens, hehe. 

.: Friday :.
Red Beans and Rice
Green Monster Smoothies
Notes... I'll get ya the link to the red beans & rice when DH gets home (he made them!).


.: Saturday :.
Leftovers



{linking up here...}
Homemaking Link Up @ Raising Homemakers
Gluten Free Weds @ Gluten Free Homemaker
EOA Link Up @ Deep Roots At Home

31 Days:: Planning your Meals

{Dining Series}

Welcome to today's topic: Planning your Meals! Now that you have a little more info about bringing vs. buying your meals at WDW, here is how I go about pre-planning everything. I explained a bit {here} in my Budget Planning post, but I'll elaborate today!

incredible zucchini fries at Portobello's at Downtown Disney

Step 1: Worksheets & Lists
Grab your Meal Planner worksheet {from this post}, your Budget Worksheet {from this post}, and your Shopping List from {this post}. Meals are where you can really make or break a budget.

Step 2: Restaurants
Check out my previous posts about different places to eat in each park (Magic, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom), as well as places to eat at {Disney's Boardwalk} and {Downtown Disney}. Don't forget any offsite locations, like {Sea World or Universal Studios} and don't forget even your resort's restaurant(s). See if any of those restaurants strike your fancy, or check out more restaurants on Disney's website {here} and AllEar's website {here}. Narrow it down to one restaurant per meal, just a few of your top picks, or skip this step all together if you want to bring all your meals! Don't forget to make your ADRs as soon as possible- check out my previous post {here} for more details. Plug in your restaurants and confirmation numbers on your Budget Worksheet and Meal Planner.

If you know you'll be back again soon, perhaps leave some restaurants to try on your next trip. Since we've been able to visit yearly, our restaurant choices are generally a few favorites, a few new choices, and a few brought meals. This helps cut costs, and we always have something to look forward to next trip- either some favorites we didn't get to go to this year and/or some new ones to try!

Step 3: Restaurant Menus

(Skip if you're bringing all meals!) Check out the menu for each restaurant you've chosen, and guestimate what you and your family will likely eat. I generally chose the highest priced item, if I'm not sure if we'll feel like splurging that night or not. Total up all the meal choices, add an extra $5-10 (in case you want another coffee or soda!), add Florida's 6.5% sales tax, and add your 10-20% tip for the waiter. This should give you an upper-ended estimate for what the meal will cost. Hopefully you'll come in under budget this way, but you'll have padded the budget just in case. Plug in these costs to your Budget Worksheet.

Step 4: Meal Planning

(Skip if you're eating out all meals!) Check out my previous post about {Bringing Your Meals}, and decide what you'll have for each of your meals that you plan to pack yourself. Whether it's granola for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, or staying in and cooking rice and beans for dinner, figure out what you'll be having! Plug that into your Meal Planner and fill out your Shopping List accordingly. For meals that I'm bringing, I plug in the total amount for the groceries into one of the rows on my Budget Worksheet (or you can divide the total grocery cost by the number of meals you bring and plug that total into each row where you're bringing that meal... you're call!). 

Step 5: Cutting Costs

A few ideas to cut costs down during your trip...

• bring your own snacks to the park 
• bring a reusable non-glass water bottle and refill it at the water fountains
• skip the sodas at meals and opt for water (which is generally free of charge, or at least cheaper)
• skip desserts and appetizers, or share one amongst the whole table
• Quick Service restaurants will be cheaper than Table Service restaurants, and no tip needed!
• lunch at Table Service restaurants will be cheaper than dinner (and often the same or similar menus)

Nothing too complicated here today, but I wanted to show you step by step how I figure out where to eat our meals! Hope this helped a bit :) Check back tomorrow when I'll be starting my Insider Info mini series and sharing transportation tips about getting around WDW once you're there!

31 Days:: Dining at Animal Kingdom

{Dining Series}

Welcome to today's topic: Dining at the Animal Kingdom! Animal Kingdom has the fewest number of dining options out of all the Disney parks. That doesn't mean they're any less wonderful! In fact, since Animal Kingdom has the different themed countries, they have authentic cuisine from those countries! So let's get started with breakfast...

lunch at Yak & Yeti

Breakfast at Animal Kingdom
We usually grab breakfast before we come to the park, but I know there's a character breakfast with Donald and friends at the Tusker House, located in Africa, if you want to give it a try! It's a flat rate, all you can eat buffet.

Lunch at Animal Kingdom
Our favorite, hands down, for lunch (or dinner) is definitely Yak & Yeti! Located in Asia, it's Pan-Asian, so think of Chinese or Thai food, stir fry, tempura... we've always gotten something different there and it's always amazing! If you can get an upstairs seat by the window, it can be a great place to watch the afternoon parade from too!

Dinner at Animal Kingdom
Since the park can close early, a great option for dinner is the Rainforest Cafe, located right at the entrance to the park. It's hours I believe operate slightly independently of the park, so even if Animal Kingdom is closed for the day, you can still get a seating there.

Snacks at Animal Kingdom
Our go-to place to stop for a quick beverage or pastry is Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery, located in Africa. Another place we may stop this year is Restaurantosaurus, located in DinoLand- they look to have some yummy sounding quick service meals there. There's tons of carts around the park where you can grab fruit, water, or an ice cream bar! Another place that typically gets rave reviews is Flame Tree BBQ, located on Discovery Island (we just haven't been there since I'm vegetarian- not much for me to snack on!!).

As I mentioned, Animal Kingdom doesn't have as many sit down restaurants here, so I'm about done for today's post! Check back tomorrow where I'll share how I use my meal planning trackers and go about choosing where/what we're eating throughout our trip!

31 Days:: Dining at Hollywood Studios

{Dining Series}

Welcome to today's topic: Dining at the Hollywood Studios! There are fewer restaurant options here, but they're some really good ones! So let's start with where we like to eat for breakfast...

gluten-free pizzas at Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano

Breakfast at Hollywood Studios
We like to keep it lighter for breakfast, so we head to our favorite little bakery, Starring Rolls Cafe, at the corner of Hollywood and Sunset Blvd. It has coffee, pastries, fruit, sandwiches, pastries, muffins, pastries.. you get the gist ;) Perfect place to grab a quick bit before heading off to see the shows and rides!

Lunch/Dinner at Hollywood Studios
There's a few fabulous places that we like to grab either lunch or dinner at here!

• The Hollywood Brown Derby- an old favorite of ours located on Hollywood Blvd near the big sorcerer's hat. If you've ever been to the original in California, this is nearly an exact replica! Very neat place, and often a line, so make reservations in advance. The food is super top-notch from appetizers to main course to dessert. The desserts can be quite elaborate, and their grapefruit cake is legendary! I'll admit, unfortunately we had a lackluster chef the last time, so my vegetarian gluten-free meal was a little bland, so we're shelving this restaurant to revisit later. In the past though, my vegetarian meals (pre-gluten-free days) were spectacular! 
• Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano- located on the far side of the Streets of America, fantastic Italian fare, some of the best gluten-free pizza I've ever had, this is our new go-to eatery at the park!

signature grapefruit cake at the Hollywood Brown Derby

Snacking at Hollywood Studios

If you're walking down Sunset Blvd, down towards Tower of Terror, the whole left-hand side of the street is like a street market, with tons of little quick service eateries and tons of tables- with foods ranging from fruit and turkey legs to veggie burgers and margaritas. Back near the Studio Backlot Tour at the end of Streets of America, there's Studio Catering which is a fine quick service eatery with your standard salads, wraps, and sandwiches and an abundance of tables. Min and Bill's Dockside Diner located on Echo Lake is a great place to get a milkshake!

That's all that I can think of for today, so come on back tomorrow when we'll be dining at the Animal Kingdom! :)

31 Days:: Dining at Epcot

{Dining Series}

Welcome to today's topic: Dining at Epcot! There are a myriad of delicious restaurants at Epcot! The countries in the World Showcase are home to authentic cuisine from their respective countries. So let's just jump right in with where we like to eat for breakfast...

sushi at Tokyo Dining 

Breakfast at Epcot
We haven't eaten breakfast at Epcot before, but we've eaten near Epcot, hehe! As you enter into Epcot, right after you get through the security lines, hang a left and hop the monorail line that goes to the resorts. We take that to the Polynesian Resort and eat at Kona Cafe. It's slightly Polynesian themed food (go figure!) and super amazing! DH loves their french press Kona coffee and I love the pineapple macadamia nut pancakes! Another place we like to grab breakfast is at Kouzinna on the Boardwalk. To get there, you head into the World Showcase to the International Gateway. From there you can walk or catch a water taxi over to the Boardwalk. Kouzinna is Cat Cora's restaurant, the Iron Chef from Food Network! It's Greek/Mediterranean themed food with beautiful atmosphere. Wether you're in your Sunday best or coming in flip flops and shorts from the park, you'll be welcomed and find yourself amidst some fabulous food!


Lunch at Epcot
Keeping things light at lunch, we like to hit up Sunshine Seasons, located in The Land pavilion in Future World. There are a wide range of food offered here at this quick service location- from mongolian grill to fresh soups and salads, from sandwiches to stir fry! Try to hit an early or late lunch here as the foot traffic can get pretty hectic at prime eating hours.

Dinner at Epcot
We are really looking forward to eating at the Coral Reef Restaurant in The Seas pavilion in Future World. One wall is a beautiful salt water reef tank with tropical fish! No surprise, it specializes in seafood :) Another neat eatery is The Garden Grill in The Land pavilion in Future World. It is a rotating restaurant that overlooks part of Living with the Land ride! It's a flat rate buffet featuring a Thanksgiving dinner meal served family style at your table. Much of the food is grown right there in The Land pavilion!
Heading over to the World Showcase, there are a number of great places to eat as well! Tokyo Dining was a favorite before I went gluten-free. They have wonderful sushi, tempura, and hibachi. A current favorite is the Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room located in the UK pavilion. You can only make reservations for the dining room there the day of, and it is usually only open for dinner. You can make reservations around opening time in the evening by going to the booth located to the left of the pub. The dining room has indoor and outdoor seating, but they do not take requests at the time of booking. If you're lucky enough to be eating when the evening Illuminations show is occurring, they usually hold your food so you can watch the show (if you're indoors) or you have a front row seat if you're seated outdoors! Truly one of the best places to view the show in all the park! Tutto Italia Ristorante was another amazing eatery, located in the Italy pavilion. True fine dining, you'll get the white glove treatment regardless if you come in your Sunday best or flip flop and shorts. Fabulous food from appetizers through dessert and coffee!

Werther's Karamell-Kuche treats

Snacks and Dessert at Epcot
Stop by Tangierine Cafe in Morocco for some quick service snacks or coffee. In Germany, you can grab a bratwurst to-go at Sommerfest. Our two favorite places to grab a pastry are Boulangerie Patisserie in the France pavilion and Werther's Karamell-Kuche inside Germany's shops!

So those are my top picks for eating at Epcot! Tomorrow I'll be back to talk about food at Hollywood Studios, so I hope to see you then!

31 Days:: Dining at the Magic Kingdom

{Dining Series}

Welcome to today's topic: Dining at the Magic Kingdom! Our family's two favorite restaurants are in the Magic Kingdom- The Crystal Palace and Liberty Tree Tavern. Yum yum yum! So with that said, let's start with where we like to eat for breakfast...

full plate at Liberty Tree Tavern

Breakfast at Magic
The Crystal Palace! This is a flat rate, all you can eat buffet, complete with characters- Winnie the Pooh and crew :) They come around to each table and you can take photos and interact with them, and I believe there was even a "conga line" with them last time we visited!

Lunch at Magic
We usually hit up a quick serve place for a light lunch. We liked Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe- just your standard burgers, wraps, and salads- but they have a top notch fixin's bar.

Dinner at Magic
Liberty Tree Tavern! Oh. My. Word. Delish! It's a flat fee, all you can eat "Thanksgiving-ish" dinner. It's served family style at your table, so you can help yourself to however much you'd like of each dish. You start off with rolls and amazing honey butter, followed by a salad with the most amazing berry vinaigrette. During one visit, I actually had a whole meal of just the salad and gluten-free rolls with honey butter! The main meal is turkey, beef, pork, veggies, mac n cheese- yum! The traditional dessert is a craisin/apple pie a'la mode.

Snacks and Dessert at Magic
Ah! There's two great places here that come to mind! Main Street Bakery has a whole buffet line of treats to choose from, including the piled-high-with-icing cupcakes that you'll find all over WDW. Also there's Plaza Ice Cream Parlor which has fabulous ice cream. You'll find both of these places nestled in along Main Street. And if you want to experience a signature Disney treat, hit up Aloha Isle in Adventureland for some Dole Whips!

So those are my top picks for eating at the Magic Kingdom! Tomorrow I'll be back to talk about food at Epcot- one of the best places for dining!

31 Days:: Bringing your Meals

{Dining Series}

Welcome to today's topic: Bringing your Meals! When bringing your meals to the parks, take a look first {here on the Disney website} at their official policy on food brought with you. Let's start off with a free shopping list printable, decked out just for Disney!

{printable list here}

There's a few ideas for bringing food with you down to Disney...

• driving: bring cooler of your own food
• plane/train/shuttles: bring pre-made non-refridgerator foods in your luggage
• drive/car rental: head to the supermarket once you arrive (and meal plan ahead of time!) 

We like to bring food in our checked bags, and this trip we'll have a rental car and there's a supermarket right next to our resort, so we'll meal plan before we head down and purchase foods there. If you buy food there, I'd strongly recommend meal planning ahead of time- we winged it our first trip and ended up throwing away a lot of food.

If you bring your meals to the park, there are locker rentals located near the entrance to each park where you could leave your cooler until meal time. One less thing to lug around the parks all day, but factor in enough time to head to the front of the park to grab your meals (not ideal if you're tight on time because you want to catch the afternoon parade!).

What to Eat? 

Where you'll be staying and what type of kitchen facilities (or lack thereof) that you'll have access to, that will mostly determine what foods you might bring with you to Disney. Here are some ideas for different types of foods that could travel well...

Easy To Prepare In A Standard Hotel Room

• granola
• trail mix or GORP
• oatmeal packets
• grits packets
• dry cereals
• apples, oranges, and other non-refrigerator-necessary fruits
• PB&J fixins
• bread (just surround it with clothes or put it in a box to cushion it during travels)
• nutella
• tomatoes, bananas, and some other softer fruits (I'd put them in a container to protect them from bruising and contain any juice leakage!)

If You Have A Kitchenette

• rice
• quinoa
• canned veggies, fruits, soups, etc
• beans (canned or dry)

Supermarket Shopping Upon Arrival
Again, I'd recommend menu planning ahead of time so that you don't over buy food like we did! Some items you could pre-package and bring with you to avoid buying a large container at the supermarket and throw away much of it at the end of your trip! Here are some ideas...

• spice packets- put together all of the spices you'll need for each meal in a baggie, this way you're not buying a bunch of spice containers there just to use for a week, and you also don't have to skip adding spices to your meals and have bland meals all week!
• bring half, buy half- for example, if you're making rice & beans, bring the pre-measured rice in a baggie with you, but save space in your suitcase by buying the beans at the supermarket
• condiments- sugar, salt, and any other items that you use in smaller quantities
• water bottle- if you don't like tap water, bring a reusable water bottle and buy jugs of water at the supermarket to refill your bottle, cheaper than buying a flat of disposable water bottles
• extra water bottles- leave the ice packs at home, instead fill up a spare water bottle or two and pop it in the freezer overnight, when you head to the parks the following day use the frozen water bottle for an ice pack, it will keep your meal cold but be melted enough to provide a nice cold beverage with lunch!
• tea & coffee- bring a few tea bags, pre-measure loose leaf tea into a baggie and toss in a measuring spoon along with some loose leaf tea bags, pre-grind your coffee and toss in a baggie with a measuring spoon, and bring your own coffee filters! 

Where to Eat? 
Below, I'll suggest some options for each meal. You can, of course, bring every meal to the parks or eat every meal back at the resort. In our opinion, we like to mix and match- bring some meals and buy some meals! That's just us, so here are some other options we'd recommend for each meal!

BREAKFAST suggestions....

• at the resort before you leave for the parks
• at a park restaurant, many of the breakfasts are buffet-style and feature characters!

LUNCH suggestions...

• brought with you and enjoyed in one of the Quiet Places I'll share later in the month, if you eat at non-peak lunch time, you could always grab a free table at any of the quick service eateries too
• enjoyed back at your resort for a mid-day break from the parks
• "on-the-go" as some light snacks or snacking throughout the day
• park restaurant (often the same menu as dinner, but cheaper)
• grab a seat for the afternoon parade about 30-45 minutes early, you'll have a prime viewing location and finish up eating just in time to enjoy the entertainment!

DINNER suggestions...

• park restaurant (if you don't mind the cost), we like to take a break after a long day on our feet and have dinner as a sit down meal. Especially if this is the only meal we eat at the parks that day, we think it's worth the slightly higher cost.
• at the resort after you leave the parks, and you can always return to the parks for the evening shows or parades
• brought with you and enjoyed in one of the Quiet Places I'll share later in the month, if you eat at non-peak dinner time, you could always grab a free table at any of the quick service eateries too

I hope these suggestions and ideas help you consider what to do if you plan to bring your own food either to Florida and/or to the parks! Check back in tomorrow when I talk about our favorite meal places at Magic Kingdom! Hope to see you then :)

31 Days :: day 13, 14, 15- Autumn Projects, Thanksgiving Menu & Shopping List

Hey all!!

So I've been a bit of a 31 Day delinquent... sorry :( I hope you'll forgive me! This is apparently also my "31 days of getting better with blogging!" Bear with me though, today I come bearing THREE (3) great Autumn lists :)

Day 13:: Autumn Project Tracker

So autumn is a time of change around the house... some people opt to take screens out of their windows and store them away during cooler weather, you've got autumn decor to set out, perhaps do some "autumn cleaning" {like spring cleaning... but in autumn!} hehe... you know the drill. Or maybe your kids have a new fall sport and you've taken to volunteering to bring refreshments or help out at school... regardless of what your autumn looks like, it's bound to have a few projects to keep track of- so here's a little tracker for ya :) Super simple and super festive!

{printable here}

Day 14:: Thanksgiving Menu

So if you're like me, you like to have everything in a list... including large meals you may be hosting for Thanksgiving! I even used this list recently for an Autumn Feast we had with friends :) I find it very useful to plan what should be cooked when {ie. if two dishes cook at the same temperature, I can put them in at the same time} and how far in advance I need to start cooking everything! I also use the notes section to list out the order I'm going to cook everything in... I'll be putting out a new version of this soon that includes a slot for "temperature" and "#" for listing out what order to cook the dishes in :)

• category- main dish, side dish, dessert, etc.
• recipe- the name of the dish
• source- cookbook name, magazine name, recipe binder name, or simply "recipe card"
• pg- page number in the designated source
• time- time to prep/ cook (I usually jot down the cooking temperature in this section too)
• serves- how many does the recipe serve? this is useful so you know if you should double, triple, half the recipe

{printable here}

Day 15:: Thanksgiving Grocery List

And here's the final list list for today's autumn-themed group post- Thanksgiving Grocery List! While I'm putting together the Thanksgiving Menu {above}, I jot down what ingredients I need on the grocery list. I've included the major categories where I shop (ie. being a vegetarian, I don't have a "meat" category here)... I group in any oddball ingredients at the bottom of a section or just put a star next to it, so I know to look in another section of the store for it. If you'd like a customized grocery list, just send me an email! I could tailor this to include your major shopping categories :D

{printable here}