A Favorite Disney Sweet to Make at Home

One of my favorite places to visit in EPCOT is the Germany pavilion.  In this pavilion sits a small little shop called the Karamell-Kuche. The smell as you enter this little shop is caramel, delicious buttery caramel, Werther's Original caramel.  They have more items that are covered in caramel, and sometimes chocolate, than you can imagine.  There are apples, strawberries, pretzels, cookies, cheesecake and fudge.  Oh, a diabetic could go into sugar-shock just looking into the cases!

There is a portion of one wall that offers nearly every type of Werther's candies.

But my favorite item in the Karamell Kuche is their chocolate drizzled caramel corn.  And I make sure that I bring at least one bag home from each trip.  I've often wanted to try my hand at making this tasty snack here at home, but have never been brave enough.  I have a really easy recipe for Microwave Caramel Corn that I have made for years but I've never tried to drizzle it with chocolate. Today I decided to search Pinterest for a recipe.  Now, let me tell you that the only thing I love more than chocolate drizzled popcorn is chocolate and peanut butter combined.  You know - Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Reese's Pieces, and chocolate peanut butter milkshakes. There's just soething about the chocolate - peanut butter combination that makes me happy.  So today when I found a recipe for Peanut Butter Caramel Corn that is drizzled with chocolate, I thought I'd found paradise! My recipe is made in the microwave, and the one I found is cooked on the stove. I think I'll try it in the microwave also.  What special treats do you make for Christmas?

Gingerbread

Do you remember the story about the Gingerbread Man. You know, run run run as fast as you can.  You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man.  I loved that story, and it may have something to do with my addiction to all things gingerbread.  My granny used to make gingerbread cut out cookies that were (as she put it) "hard as Billy be Damned."  She cut them out in all different shapes at Christmas and rolled them out with the rolling pin and bread board that I was lucky enough to inherit.  My favorite way to eat Granny's gingerbread cookies was to break them up and put them in a bowl of hot, creamy oatmeal.  

If you have never been to Walt Disney World during the holiday season, you don't know what you are missing.  Housed in the lobby of the Grand Floridian resort is a magnificent gingerbread house.  According to Disney, this year’s gingerbread house is made up of 1,050 pounds of honey, 140 pints of egg whites, 600 pounds of powdered sugar, 700 pounds of chocolate, 800 pounds of flour, 35 pounds of spices, and tons of creativity paired with Disney magic and pixie dust.  It is one of my favorite places to visit during the holidays.  The scent of gingerbread greets you as you walk into the lobby.  Just thinking about it makes my mouth water!  The house is a store, there is a window on one side of the house where you can buy gingerbread shingles.  It's a soft gingerbread, and they are coated on the back with chocolate.  I was so excited to learn that this year, they would begin to sell the gingerbread during our trip.  The night we went to the Grand Floridian to buy our gingerbread, I decided to be a "good girl" and buy the sugar free that they showed was available.  They put it into a bag, and I gave it a hug while Rod paid the bill.  You can imagine my disappointment when I got home, opened the bag, and discovered that what they had given me was not gingerbread, but sugar free shortbread.  How could this be??  How could I have missed out on the best gingerbread that I've ever tasted??  I was feeling like I had failed my quest for Disney gingerbread.

But today, I was so excited to see that The Mouse for Less blog had posted the recipe for the Grand Floridian gingerbread.  I had purchased a Mickey Mouse gingerbread cookie cutter with a mix while I was in the park this year, but you can find it here, and you can buy just the cutter.  Guess who plans on making some Mickey gingerbread men - yep ME.

Trip Report on the Magic Scale

I am back from Disney and Thanksgiving has come and gone.  Thought I'd tell you a little bit about our Disney trip.

Most people feel that Disney is "magical", and most times, I would agree.  But some trips are more magical than others.  Such was our trip this year. We stayed at Coronado Springs for the first time.  It is a large resort and very spread out.  Our family had reserved 4 rooms and had requested that we be close to each other.  When we checked in, three rooms were side by side, and the other was in a totally different section - quite a distance from the other three. Two days into our trip, when the temperature dropped into the 40's, the heat in one room didn't work, and so that room was moved into still another section.  On the Magic Scale, we rated this a 5.

When you travel to Florida from cold Pennsylvania, you expect the sun and warm temperatures.  However, for our trip we had cold temps and rain for all but two days.  On the Magic Scale, we rated the weather a 3.

We had booked our trip to include free dining.  Because it was the first trip for two of the grandkids, we booked several buffets that included characters, and one of our favorite non-character buffets, Boma.  What we all agreed was that the buffets had gone downhill.  I don't know if it was the free dining (we've been there before on free-dining and not had any complaints), but we were very disappointed in the buffets.  There were fewer options on each buffet, and the quality was not what we have been accustomed to.  The prime rib was very fatty and tasteless.  The turkey was dry, and most items were very spicy.  Rod and I had a great meal at the Biergarten, which was a buffet.  We also had a great sit down meal at the Captain's Grille and at Be Our Guest.  I chose several sugar-free desserts, which I found to be delicious.  On the Magic Scale, we rated meals at a 6.

The Lion King show in it's new venue was fantastic.  We saw a Turtle Talk with Crush show that we had never seen before, and enjoyed it. All of our counter service meals were delicious, and we may do Quick Service Dining, if we go back in a few years.

We hated the new FastPass system.  We had been told that this week would be a low crowds week, but the wait times for rides was well over an hour on many rides (if you didn't have a fast pass).  Needless to say, I was glad to come back home, and I am a little Disneyed out.

Now, bring on Christmas!

Trick or Treat Sale

Just wanted to remind everyone of our sale tomorrow.

One for the Money . . . Two for the Show

If you remember repeating this as a child, you’ll also remember that it finished “Three to get ready, and Four to go”.  Shortly, my family and I are going to Walt Disney World in celebration of Rod and my 40th anniversary (and just because we love Disney)  Here’s how I’ve applied this little ditty our upcoming trip.

One for the Money - First we decided which days to spend at WDW, and booked our trip with our a travel agent.  It doesn't cost you anything, and she can not only save you money, but also give you some great tips for Disney. Once that was done, we needed to figure out how to save money to pay for the trip.  We started putting loose change in our “jug” bank, to use toward our "Mousekeeping" tips.  Disney recommends $1 per day per person.  It's just easier for us to stick a $5 into each envelope.  I make special envelopes for our tips, and put the money in them before we leave home. This is a sample of one of the envelopes that I have made.

 I’m a pin trader, so I searched out some good values on eBay where I was able to get pins for about $1 each. Free dining helped us save some money, too.  And each pay, we purchased Disney gift cards from a local supermarket that offers fuel perks on groceries and gift cards.   These gift cards and grocery purchases have also earned us discounts on gasoline.  And so, we have these gift cards to use for paying off our trip, use toward our spending money and we saved a little on fuel in the process.

Two for the Show – We looked at our favorite parks, and everyone in the group made a list of have-to-see’s, want-to-see’s, and have-no- interests. Then everyone decided where they would like to eat.  We try to accommodate everyone’s favorite eating spots. Mary, who is our unofficial tour guide, worked with Pam and I to put all these lists together and worked diligently to formulate touring plans for each park on days that were alleged to be less crowded.  After the parks were decided, we discussed our food choices.  Since this will be Izzy and Jake's first trip, we concentrated on chaaracter meals, where they could interact with their favorite characters.  And, at our 180-day window, we worked our magic with our dining reservations.  Some have changed since that day, but we’re all very satisfied with the final results.  We have made reservations for the 4 grandkids to participate in the Pirate's League, where they will be made up to be a pirate.  We made plans to see Fantasmic and booked a dinner package. This gives us preferred seating at the show. Attending the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas is also a definite must.  It even snows on Main Street! We've researched which rides are most handicapped friendly and which rides the kids are all tall enough to ride.  And we set our fast passes for the rides with the longest wait lines.  And we have made a reservation for a Wishes Cruise.  It will be our third, but Kristin's family's first.  A cruise is a great way to experience the fireworks. And, finally, the “show” is set.

Three to get Ready – We’ve gone over our check lists, and are making last minute purchases.  We are all waiting to receive our document packs,  so that we can put everything in a safe place.  Those needing to request time off work have done so, and gotten approval.  I’ve pulled out the quilt blocks that I didn’t get signed on the last trip in the hopes that maybe this trip I’ll get those elusive autographs.  And I've been making lists of what gets packed where. I have made backpacks for the kids and wristlets for the ladies.  Oh yes, we are getting ready. 

And Four to Go – And now we are just 28 days from our trip.  The excitement just keeps building.  Christmas is one of my favorite holidays, and I can’t wait to see all the new decorations.  And I love seeing all the gingerbread creations in the Deluxe resorts, the large house at the Grand Floridian (where I can't resist buying some gingerbread); the carousel in the Beach Club; and, the tree at the Contemporary.  So in less than a month, we will board our flight for Orlando.  We’ll pick up our rental cars and head to our resort, (Coronado Springs, this year), check in, and meet at EPCOT.  And, it’s not four, but 28 and we are ready to go.

Disney With Diabetes. . . It's All About Choice

My name is Linda and I’m a diabetic.  Diabetes hasn’t been easy for me.  I wasn’t born with a sweet tooth . . . I was born with an entire mouthful.  But I’ve learned that living with diabetes is all about choices. 

When I was diagnosed eight years ago, I began keeping a food journal.  Here I recorded what I ate for each meal and my blood sugar levels before and after each meal.  This was a necessary step for me for two reasons – it kept me honest as far as what size portions and what foods I was eating, and it enabled me to learn what foods raised my blood sugar levels.  This might be a good thing to try a month or so before you visit Disney.  You will have some idea as to what foods you should definitely avoid.  Bananas are one of my worst food choices – I love them, but don’t eat them. 

As we planned our first trip to Disney, I worried about how Disney dining would affect my blood sugar levels.  We had elected to pay for the Deluxe Dining Plan, and it was a great choice for me.  It meant that I never had to choose which meal I should skip or have to pay for out-of-pocket.  We decided to do a good breakfast each morning.  Breakfast has always been my favorite meal of the day, and Disney’s breakfast buffets offer something for everyone.  On most days, my breakfast meal consisted of eggs, a breakfast meat, and a fresh fruit.  I’m not a big bread eater, so eliminating bread has many times enabled me to keep my carb levels, and my blood sugar levels, down.  I did splurge at 1900 Park Fare when one of my choices was to eat the lobster eggs Benedict.  Oh, when I close my eyes and think of those eggs, I swear I can still taste them.  And the strawberry soup was also a good choice.  Menus for the various restaurants can be found on several websites. I think it’s a good idea to look them over and get an idea of what you might find appetizing. Lunch choices aren’t difficult for me.  Since I’m not crazy about bread, not eating a sandwich isn’t a sacrifice for me.  Instead I choose a good healthy salad when it’s offered – and most times it’s offered.  However, if sandwiches are your thing, you can always choose to eat it open faced.  It’s your choice.  This year, however, we have opted for Basic Dining, which means we have one table service, one counter service meal, and one snack per day.  That means we haven't scheduled any breakfasts, which makes me sad since I love the scrambled eggs at Disney.  I am considering taking a 6 pack of tomato juice and 6 hard boiled eggs with me.  Another option is to purchase a jumbo breakfast at our resort, and then Rod and I share it - I eat the eggs and sausage and he eats everything else.

Most all of Disney’s dining establishments offer a sugar-free dessert on the menu.  But many times, I chose not to eat the starch portion of my meals and eat a small portion of the dessert that calls my name.  Sharing with a non-diabetic is always a good option, and sometimes just a taste is enough to satisfy me.  I usually try to eat the protein and vegetable portions of my meals first, and save the starches for last.  That way if I’m too full to finish,  I’ve eaten the good things and sent back the not-so-good.  But if you’re concerned, let the restaurant know ahead of time that you have a special food need.  They will do all they can to accommodate you.

One of the most important things to remember is to stay well hydrated.  You will feel better, and you’ll be less apt to overeat if your belly feels full.  And, don’t forget to test.  Keep your monitor with you at all times and test several times during the day.  I find that heat and sun will cause my sugar levels to rise more than normal.  But the best advice I can give you is to remember that no one is cramming the food down your throat.  There are no “food police” at Disney.  What you eat, when you eat, how much you eat, and where you eat are all your choices.  Making smart ones will make your trip more enjoyable.

Packing My Disney Bags

Our next Disney trip is just a little over a month away, so packing is definitely on my mind.  I thought I'd share a few of my tips with you.  Our family has T-shirts for each of the parks.  Most of them we've made with iron-on transfers, but some are handmade tie dyed and some are purchased.  As Hubby and I pack for our trip, we take the slacks or shorts that we are wearing each day and roll the tee shirt, underwear, and socks for that day inside the slacks.  Once we arrive at our resort, we unpack our suitcases and put our clothing in the drawers - Hubby's in one drawer and mine in another.  We then put the largest suitcase into the closet with the top zipper partially open.  Each night as we undress, the dirty clothes are put into that suitcase just as if it were a dirty clothes hamper.

My carry-on bag is a baggallini Message Sling Backpack.  This backpack is just loaded with pockets. I carry my water bottle in the outside pocket made of mesh.  In the other side pocket, I carry flavor packets for the water.  (Disney water doesn't taste magical!)  I carry our medications, a first aid kit, moleskin, my autograph book, my pin lanyard (when I'm not wearing it), the book of touring cards that I make, Hubby's camcorder and antibacterial wipes and hand gels.  (The hand gel size must meet TSA standards and be packed into a zipper bag).

In past years, I wore a neck wallet , like this one in my Etsy store.  But since Disney has replaced the Key to the World card with the Magic Bands, the neck wallet isn't as practical.  So last year I used one of my wristlets, also from my Etsy store.  My cell phone fits into the smaller pocket which is inside the main pocket.  You can also store your credit cards and identification cards in this pocket.  Inside the main pocket, I can carry my hand gel, a comb, my chap stick, and a pen.  The great thing about this bag for me, is that the wrist strap slides right over the tiller of my scooter.  But for the rest of the ladies in our family, they like the fact that when they are going on the rides, they can hook the wristlet to their belt loops with the attached lobster claw hook.

I have a to-buy list, that I have printed and am currently checking off the items as I purchase them.  Then, when it comes time to pack, I have another list (I love lists!) that I check off as the item goes into the suitcase, cosmetic bag, or carry on.

Disappointed and Sad

For the past six years, our family has used the same travel agent for booking our Disney trips.  Our trips have been fantastic, and this agent has been really great.  She has given us tips for touring, making dining reservations, and recommending things we shouldn't miss seeing. Altogether our family has booked a total of 21 trips with this agent. But for some reason, yesterday she turned all our trips over to an associate in her agency.  I was shocked, to say the least.  This trip, we didn't seem to have the communication with her that we had in the past.  Many of our emails from her have seemed short, and she seemed impatient when we asked questions. We are only 46 days out from our trip, and our final payments are due tomorrow.  Yet she hasn't applied our payments to our account, even though she has had our numbers for several days.  I am disappointed in the loss of this travel agent, who has always done a great job.  I can't believe that she has backed out at this late date.  But even greater than the disappointment I feel at the loss of this agent, is the sadness I feel at the loss of friendship that I felt I had with this person.  Goodbye, my friend.

Disney Using an ECV

Lately I have seen a lot of ECV user bashing on various websites and boards.  So many people are complaining about how unfair it is that some people on ECVs get special treatment.  I have visited Walt Disney World each year since 2009, and each trip has been with my ECV.  Yes I am overweight, but that's not why I use an ECV.  I am diabetic, have very bad knees, and difficulty breathing.  I do have a handicapped placard, for which my doctor signed the proper papers.  I do not abuse my handicapped privileges.

When we travel to Disney, it is usually myself with my husband, my oldest daughter and her family (her son uses a wheel chair because of a birth defect), and my younger two daughters.  We used to get a guest assistance card, but those are no longer available for mobility issues.  So we do the best we can.  I have done nearly all the shows, and I can tell you from personal experience that our entire family has never been permitted to sit in the handicapped section.  Generally my husband is permitted to stay with me, and my daughter's family is permitted to stay with my grandson, but never have we all been grouped into one handicapped row.  There are many rides that I have not ridden, Soarin' in particular is a sore spot for me.  I am very short, and could not get onto the seat.  I have a wooden box that I carry in my rear basket, and with that I could probably have gotten onto the ride seat.  But the cast member who was working on that day, told me they could not hold the ride long enough for me to use the box to get onto the seat.  I left in tears while the rest of my family, who were already seated, did the ride.  I have not tried again, I don't enjoy humiliation.

We rent a car each trip now, because on our first trip several bus drivers (and many riders) were rude, impatient, and cruel.  I had one driver tell me that if I was riding his bus, I needed to "turn that damned thing around and back in on".  He had permitted other riders to board the bus before letting the ramp down for me. I had no idea how I was going to back the scooter onto the bus and into the space reserved for wheelchairs and scooters. Needless to say, I didn't ride his bus!  Also on that trip, we were attempting to take a boat from Magic Kingdom to the Wilderness Lodge, and the cast member didn't want to get the ramp for me to board the boat.  He told me to kick it into high gear and just jump it across from the dock to the boat.  The captain intervened and I boarded the boat using the ramp. After that trip,  I wasn't sure that I ever wanted to go back.

Since then, most of our trips have been enjoyable and without incident.  Disney is very handicapped friendly, and the majority of the cast members are kind and helpful.  I have grown accustomed to parents trying to "run" their children across in front of me, rather than waiting for me to pass.  I no longer fume at the people who use the handicapped sidewalk areas because they aren't as crowded.  I keep my scooter at a medium speed, many times going slower than the rest of my family.  I no longer apologize when someone backs up into me because they weren't looking where they were walking.  I've had people end up on my lap because they were talking while backing up.  But I don't apologize for it any longer.  And I no longer hesitate to use my "horn", if you can call it that.  I am polite, and say excuse me, if I am passing between people.  "Pardon me, coming through" has become my most used phrase.  Please, when you are in the parks, be kind and considerate to those in wheelchairs or on scooters.  They would much rather be able to walk the parks like you do than to ride their chairs and scooters.

Happy Dance and Biergarten

Today I am doing a Happy Dance.  We have 60 days until our Disney trip, and it was time to do our Fast Passes.  Daughter Pam took on that task, and did a fine job.  She was able to get us a Fast Pass to meet Anna and Elsa.  Izzy doesn't know, she will be so excited because she has been telling us that of all the characters at Disneyworld, she most wants to meet Anna and Elsa.  Pam was also able to get us a Fast Pass for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.  (if the plural of elf is elves, why doesn't it follow that the plural of dwarf is dwaves?)

Our first day there, we are going to EPCOT.  While the rest of the group will be dining at Via Napoli, Rod and I will be eating at Biergarten.  I was a German major in college, and still love the language, the food, and the music.  The food here is really tasty, sauerbraten, sausages, warm potato salad, and German potato dumplings (which Rod loves), and more.  There are great desserts, but I'm always drawn to the Apple Strudel.  Many people don't like the fact that you are seated with other diners in a family style seating.  We don't seem to mind.  Last year we had dinner with two adorable senior ladies, and it was a very pleasurable experience.  We talked about all our families, and left as friends.  And who can complain about making new friends!  I love the German Oompah band, and always enjoy the Alpen horns.  Rod always orders the Beer Flight, you get a 5 oz, pour of 4 different beers.  I'm not much of a beer drinker, but I always have a sip of each.

The interior of the restaurant is just beautiful.  It gives you the feeling of eating in the outdoors, there's even a water wheel on the left side.  And there's a moon in the starlit sky.  It truly is an Octoberfest experience.  If you haven't eaten at the Biergarten, give it a try - You Gonna Like It.

Trip Planning

This year, all of my kids and grand kids are going to Disney in November to celebrate our 40th anniversary.  Since the rest of the family all work and I'm a stay at home Grammy, I like to try to make things easier for everyone.  Although daughter Mary makes the Fast Pass reservations, I do a lot of record keeping.  I keep track of all the dining reservations, where and when each family is eating and the confirmation numbers.  And I make a card for each day of our trip with these reservations and confirmation numbers.  Previous years we have had the Deluxe Dining Plan; but this year, we are going with the Basic Dining Plan (it was offered FREE for our dates).  So to help everyone out, I have worked cards with the counter service options and snack options in each of the four parks. I also add the Fast Pass times and any special events, such as Candlelight Processional or Fireworks.  Once these cards are finished, I print them out of colored card stock, one color for each park.  Then I purchase a cheap  inexpensive photo album for each family to put their cards in.

This is a sample of one of last year's cards for the meals.  

And here's a sample of the counter service cards

These cards give everyone an idea of what is available in each of the parks for a counter service or snack credit.  Someone in each of the families carries a baggallini bag, so the small photo album with all the information fits quite nicely in one of the pockets.  Although our trip is about 2 months away, I haven't made touring cards yet, as we are still adjusting dining reservations.  But it won't be long now.

Some of My Favorite Characters

I guess you could say that I'm just a kid at heart, but I really love meeting the characters at Walt Disney World.  Each year there seems to be new characters to seek out.  The Princes and the Frog is one of my favorite movies, and I was so happy to meet Tiana.  She was so sweet and just as beautiful as I knew she would be.

While meeting Mickey Mouse, he decided to give me a kiss.  Someone told Minnie, and when we got to meet her, she made she a big point of planting a big kiss on my hubby.  We had a great laugh.  That's one of the things that makes meeting the various characters so special.

I was so thrilled to meet Aladdin, Jasmine and the Genie last year.  I had not been able to find the Genie to sign my quilt block, and told him that I'd been looking for him all my life.

During the Halloween party one year, we got to meet Captain Jack Sparrow.  All the girls were waiting in line and going ga-ga for him.  When I asked him why the rum is always gone, he replied that it's because Elizabeth Swan drinks it all!

 One of my favorite characters is the Mad Hatter.  He is so much fun at 1900 Park Fare.  He was wishing everyone at our table a Happy Un-birthday.  He always makes funny faces for photos, so this year Rod and I decided to make faces, too.

 But, the highlight of last years trip was meeting the Fairy Godmother.  She is my idol.  If you look closely, you can see that my shirt declares that I'm a Fairy Grandmother.  I told her that I got that name because I try to make all the kids and grandkids wishes come true.

Who are your favorite characters to meet in the parks?

Announcing the Good News

We like to make the announcement that we're going to Disney something special.  Usually the moms have taken charge of that time, but two years ago I came up with a good idea.  I used my graphics program and made coupons.  I uploaded them to Costco's website, and had them printed as photos.  Then I put them into  small photo albums. 

These are just a few of the coupons that I made.  There were coupons for popcorn, character meals, and the fireworks cruise that we took that year.  The kids were so surprised, and they have a nice souvenir from that trip.  How have you told your family?  Please share.

Meet and Greet Autograph Ideas

I am a quilter.  So in 2009 when I found out that we were going to Disney, I knew I needed something for autographs.  My daughter Mary makes wonderful autograph books as she is a photographer and scrapbooker.  But I wanted to have something that would say something about me.  I've done several quilts for the grandkids using coloring pages and making appliques from them.  So it made sense that I should do applique blocks for autographs.  I didn't want anything too complicated since I would be doing so many, so I chose to do just "head shots".

These are just some of the blocks I did.  I knew that they would have to be tight for the characters to be able to sign.  So I bought some spring loaded embroidery hoops.  They worked beautifully.  And many of the characters made a big fuss over the blocks.  I still have a few that aren't signed, and for this year I will add Anna, Elsa, and Gaston to my collection.  

What have you done for autographs?

Let Me Introduce Myself. . .

My name is Linda, and I'm legally a senior citizen.  I'm known as "The Frozen Mouse", since when it's cold and snowy here in western Pennsylvania, I dream of my happy place, Walt Disney World.  My husband and I are celebrating our 40th anniversary this year, and we're going to Wald Disney World to do so.  And the best part is that all of our kids, sons-in-laws and grandkids are going, too.  I want to share my thoughts, plans, and what I'm making for my Etsy shop here.  Stop back often to see what's new.