Category Archives: Food, Restaurants

Sep14

Peanut Butter Cookies

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I was in a baking mood today! As I was flipping through some of my favorite recipes, I came across one for Peanut Butter Cookies.  These are the most moist peanut butter cookies I have ever eaten.  I’ve had some in the past that you could use as weapons if you threw them at someone!   My family loves these so much, they never seem to last long once they’ve been made.  Since the holidays are just around the corner, I thought I’d share these with you.

For this recipe you will need:

2 cups All-Purpose Flour

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 Cup Butter

1 Cup Sugar

1 Egg

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter

     

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium sized bowl, mix flour and baking powder and set aside.  In a large bowl, ( I used my Kitchen-Aid mixer here) beat  butter until softened.  Add sugar and beat together until fluffy.

    

Add egg and vanilla, beat well.  Add peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

  

Add flour mixture a little at a time and blend until all of it has been mixed together.  At this point you know to start out using your mixer on low unless you want your kitchen (and yourself) to be covered in flour!

  

Take a tablespoon full of dough and roll into a ball.  Place ball on cookie sheet and use a fork that has been dipped in flour to flatten out the cookie.  I like to make a criss-cross design on mine.  Remember to dip your fork in the flour each time you press your cookie so it won’t stick.  Cook on the top rack until cookies are slightly brown. 

Remove cookies from the oven and let them sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes so they will firm up a bit.  Then remove cookies with a spatula and place them on a cooling rack until thoroughly cooled.  Store in an air tight container.  I like to put a piece of white bread in the container when I store any kind of cookie.  The next day the slice of bread will be hard as a brick, but your cookies will be nice and soft!  You could easily add chopped nuts to this recipe or maybe a few Reese’s Pieces on top if you like.  I hope your family likes these cookies as much as mine does.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

Sep8

Some yummy eats at Disney World

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The yummy eats at Disney World is going to be a tough thing to blog about.  Not because there isn’t enough to choose from, but because there is way too much!!  For any of you that have ever visited that magical place, this is something you know all too well.  Today I’ll just choose a few things that are some family favorites.

  

A must have for my son and myself are the Mickey waffles.  It just isn’t the start of a Disney day for us if we don’t have these wonderfully, yummy Mickey eats before we head into the parks.  Most days we like to do a counter service meal for breakfast.  Disney World does have some fabulous restaurants where you can have a scrumptious  breakfast with your family.  My favorites are the character meals…but that is another post entirely.  My husband usually likes to get an omelet or a platter that comes with scrambled eggs, sausage, a biscuit and fried potatoes, one of his favorite things to eat.  My daughter is just not a breakfast person.  She almost always eats a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast.  Yes, a peanut butter sandwich folks.  I am forced to bring a jar of peanut butter with us on vacation and buy a loaf of bread once we get there.   With all the yummy breakfast foods at Disney I can only think of two she eats, bacon and grits, and she very particular about her grits!  I thought for sure I had more pictures of the breakfasts we ate on our last Disney trip but I can’t seem to find any. Hmm, guess we were in too much of a hurry to eat them!  Okay, moving on…..

   

One of our favorite places to eat lunch is at Flame Tree BBQ in Animal Kingdom.  There we usually get a nice turkey sandwich, crispy french fries, crunchy onion rings (oh, how I love those!) or a barbecue sandwich.  Allison’s favorite meal to eat here is the roasted chicken.  It comes with some  delicious baked beans and creamy coleslaw.   Alas, Allison eats neither of those sides, so we must order some extra french fries for her.   I know, I know…you are glad this picky eater belongs to me and not you, right? 

 Ah, a visitor.  No Disney counter service meal is complete without one.  I love all the different kinds of birds and squirrels that come up to you as you eat.  You  know they are down there thinking, “Please, lady, I’ll take anything you drop!”   There are signs posted everywhere that ask you not to feed the wildlife and we don’t.  Yes, we do drop the occasional fry or bite of something, but not intentionally.  I like the fact that Animal Kingdom doesn’t allow plastic straws in the park.  A sturdy paper straw comes with your drink when you get one there.

 

  Another reason we like to eat at Flame Tree BBQ is the view.  There is a ton of seating for this counter service restaurant, but we usually go all the way to the back so we can watch people ride Expedition Everest.  Oh, and hear them SCREAM!!!  I am a wimp and have never been on that ride.  Just listening to them yell is enough to give me butterflies in my stomach.  My nine year old son keeps telling me, “C’mon Mom, the Yeti isn’t even scary when he jumps out at you!”  Um, no thanks, I’ve seen the part where the track comes to an end on that thing and you go roaring backwards.  I’ll just sit here and enjoy my onion rings while you adventurous folks enjoy the ride.  It does make for a lovely view, though. 

                                                                                                    

I bet you thought I was going to talk next about our dinner at Disney World, didn’t you?  Nah, I’m skipping straight to dessert!  I could do several posts alone about the sweet treats you will find all over Disney property.  Everywhere you turn there is something yummy to be had.  You see my son here trying to tackle a cinnamon roll that is too big to fit in his mouth.  One of my daughter’s favorite thing to eat are chocolate chip cookies and here she has found a winner!  Who wouldn’t like to eat a cookie in the shape of Mickey Mouse?  You  know, when it’s Mickey-shaped it tastes so much better.  For those of you who like rice crispy treats, you can get the mother (or should I say Mouse?) of all rice crispy treats here.  My daughter put her hand next to this one so we could show you how big it is.  Hey…did she coordinate her nail polish with that dessert without me knowing? 

Anyway, I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing a few of the yummy things Disney World has to offer.  If you’ve never been, you have no idea what you’re missing, and I’m not just talking about food.  It truly is a magical place.  Thanks for reading along, you have no idea how much I appreciate it.  I’m thinking somewhere in the near future you may see a blog on another “Magical” place in Florida.  I am afraid to mention it by name in the same post as I believe it will be breaking some sort of Disney law, or close to it.  So, until next time, I’ll just slip on my Invisibility Cloak and disappear. 😉

 

 

 

Sep7

Mickey Mom’s Club Red Box Party/Disney Luau

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Being a member of the Mickey Mom’s Club, I was lucky enough to host one of their Red Box parties in 2010.  As soon as I knew I had been chosen to host this event, I waited every day for Fed Ex to get here with that yummy box of goodies.  I think the Fed Ex delivery man thought I was going to mug him the day it finally came!  I grabbed the box and couldn’t get in the house fast enough to open it.

    

As I dug through the box I found some red Mickey Head balloons, brightly colored confetti, Disney Parks paper plates and napkins to decorate with.  There were also some small Disney totes, magnet boards, magnets and Mickey straws to fill them with.   There were  games for the kids and a trivia game for everyone.  We added our own trivia questions and split the guests up in to teams, guys against the girls.  I had gone out in the weeks before, as I had decided to do my party in a luau theme, and bought Disney and luau themed pencils, coconut mugs, hurricane glasses and toys to give out as prizes.  The girls came out victorious!

My favorite item to give to the lucky attendees was a limited edition, signed print of the Disney Princesses welcoming Princess Tiana to the royal family.   I think that was a very special gift for Disney to put in that box and I truly appreciate mine.

Mickey Mom’s Club also sent me this great little tote as a special gift for hosting the Red Box Party.  I love it!!  Thank You MMC!

      

Decorating for this party was almost as fun as hosting it.  You see, we LOVE to have luau’s.  We had our first one about 5 year ago to celebrate our daughter turning 13 and my husband turning 50.  We enjoyed it so much that we have had several more since then.  The fact that we had tons of luau decorations was another reason why I went with this theme for the Red Box party.  That meant I could spend more money on prizes and food.

     

 Ahhh, the food!!!  The YUMMIEST part of it all!  I had a fabulous time making it.  I had Mickey/Minnie and luau themed candy molds.  The candy and suckers were a big hit with the kids and the adults!  I also found some Mickey sprinkles for the cake, just the right touch for it.

   

I called Disney Shopping and ordered some pretzels that were Mickey heads, some Mickey shortbread cookies and some Mickey pasta.  These were some really fun additions to the food.

   

I used my Mickey egg form to cut out PB&J sandwiches and to make rice crispy treats with.  We left some plain and dipped some in chocolate.  It was just like getting a Disney treat straight from the parks!

  

  Here is a shot of our table top decorated with confetti we cut out with a Mickey punch.  Check out the wonderful picture of my nephew all decked out in his best luau attire.  My niece, who loves sweets, had her eye on the cake! I thoroughly enjoyed hosting this party and I would jump at the chance to host another.  I mean, who doesn’t love Disney???!!!  It is absolutely YUMMY!

Sep5

A few yummy things at World Market

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Oh, the yummy things you can find at World Market!  For those of you not familiar with this store, they sell a unique variety of furniture, home decor, kitchen and dining items, food, wine and much more.  I love to shop there and always come out with some “must have” items.  While browsing the other night I thought I’d take a few pictures of some of things I liked. 

       

They have an awesome selection of candy.  I love these boxes Belgian chocolates.  I don’t know what I liked more, the candy or the yummy polka dot presentation!   Have any favorite candies from your childhood?  You’re sure to find them in these groovy bags that contain a sugar explosion from specific eras.  I was a 70’s kid myself, but I’m sure I could be persuaded to eat any piece (and maybe every piece!) of the sweet treats inside these.  Know someone who is celebrating a birthday?  Why not give them a bag of these mouth-watering goodies to remind them of their youth. 

      

World Market also has a unique selection of food.  I wish I had taken more pictures here, but this blog would go on forever if I showed you everything that they have.  I chose to share their pasta and sauces this time.  They have a good variety of both there, but here are just a couple.  It really makes me want Italian for dinner tonight!

We may as well have something yummy to drink while we are having pasta for dinner!  World Market has a fabulous selection of wine, beer and ale to choose from.  These items could also make a wonderful gift for any occasion.  And speaking of gifts…..

I saw these brightly colored gift bags and had to take a picture of them.  They also carry a neat selection of cards for different occasions.  You could get a unique gift, card and wrapping paper or bag all in one place. 

So, if you are lucky enough to have a World Market near you, spice up your next shopping spree and see what a wonderful selection of YUMMY things they have!

 

Sep2

Yana’s Ye Olde Drugstore Restaurant….it’s YUMMY!!

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I ventured out today in search of something yummy to write about.  My daughter and I headed out to Swansboro, NC.  It’s about a 30 minute ride for us and is one of our favorite places to go and spend time together.  It is full of quaint little shops and very friendly people.  Although there are plenty of places to stop and eat throughout the town, a favorite of ours (and absolutely loads of other people from all over the world) is Yana’s Ye Olde Drugstore Restaurant.  It is located on Front Street and sits friendly and inviting on the banks of the White Oak River. 

The restaurant’s owner is Evelyn Moore.  She is a lovely woman and has such a warm and friendly personality.  You can’t help but be immediately drawn to her. She chose to decorate Yana’s in a 50’s theme.  Cordial and accommodating staff greet you as soon as you enter, making you feel like you’re part of the family. A jukebox stands at the front of the restaurant, belting out your favorite sock-hopping tunes.   There is more memorabilia on the walls than you can take in during one visit.  Marilyn Monroe, Elvis and James Dean, along with many others, are there to welcome you.   Yana’s serves the yummiest, homemade Southern food.  Big, juicy hamburgers, mouth-watering hot dogs, crunchy onion rings,  delicious fries and their wonderfully thick milkshakes.  The vanilla milkshake is a must have for my daughter when we eat there.  The 50’s theme is another reason she likes to go there.  Everything about it appeals to her…the music, the movies, the stars.  Sometimes, I think she was born in the wrong era.

 

Without a doubt, one of their most popular items are the fruit fritters.  When my daughter and I went today, Evelyn had a heaping plate of peach fritters delivered to our table.  They are absolutely a little piece of  Heaven.  One of the yummiest things you will ever put in your mouth.  We brought these home with us and I cannot wait to have them tonight with a fresh cup of coffee.

I asked Evelyn, or YanaMama, as she is affectionately known to her dedicated and faithful staff,  what her favorite thing about her business was.  She said it was definitely her customer base, that they are like family.   I also asked for her best piece of advice about life and she said,  “To always be optimistic.  There is always a bright light and even though there will be ups and downs, the ups are worth way more than the downs.”  She also said you have to treat people right and you will receive that in return.  Lastly, I asked Evelyn what her favorite quote was and she said it was one by James Dean: “Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.”  I like that a lot.  I think that’ll be one of my favorites, too, Miss Evelyn. 

There was a book recently published about YanaMama and her restaurant entitled: Yana’s, A Taste of the Past, Where Goodbyes Never Happen.  It was written by Georgie Stone-Wilson and I picked up a copy of it today at Yana Mama’s Memorabilia Shoppe.  You see, Evelyn has a store  that is attached to the restaurant and it is filled to bursting with 50’s memorabilia.  My daughter loves to buy purses (another favorite thing of hers) at this shop.  Right now I’m kicking myself for not buying that I Love Lucy umbrella I saw today.  I’m thinking one day I need to own that Lucy and Ethel lunchbox, too, and fill it with “Yummy” things! 

So, the next time you are looking for something YUMMY, stop by Yana’s Ye Olde Drugstore Restaurant and have some good, old comfort food.  Then go next-door and get yourself a little piece of the past from Yana Mama’s Memorabilia Shoppe.  I love books and I will cherish the one I bought today as Evelyn was kind enough to sign it for me.  Maybe one day I will meet Georgie Stone-Wilson and get her to sign it, too.

Lisa, Elvis and Evelyn Moore (YanaMama)