Disney California Adventure : Part 1

 

 

 

Here is part 1 of our Disney trip.

 

I have to warn you that there will be MANY posts about this trip because class, I took about 350 pictures there! My Mom was not too happy with me when I kept doing it but I think that looking back I am so grateful I did it because I have this wonderful documentation of the fun memories.  I hope you enjoy these pictures!

 

 

 

Here is the beautiful entrance to Disney California Adventure.  Recently they just completed a remodel of the park and it is AMAZING! I love the vintage feel of it now.  So charming.

This guy was awesome! That little red trolley would have groups of boys dressed up from the 1930's singing songs and he was dancing right along! It was adorable!

Here is a beautiful view of Grizzly River Run

One of my favorite rides this trip was the Silly Symphony Swings.  It is based off an old Mickey Mouse cartoon and is just good fun.

A surprise this trip was how much my husband and I loved the Jumpin' Jellyfish ride.  I'm embarrassed to admit that since it is a "kids" ride but you get some sweet panoramic views of the park up high like that.

Another great view of the park from Jumpin' Jellyfish.  You can see Tower of Terror in the distance.  Can I just say that I almost broke my Dad's hand when we were on that.  Freaky but fun ride!

Asian Wonton Salad with Sesame Dressing

 

I have been very interested in Asian and tropical cooking lately.  I think it's because it's so bright and cheery outside that it makes me want to cook up those types of foods that are very fresh tasting.

 

In an earlier post I had shared the BBQ Asian Chicken we made and thought this was a great follow-up because I used the leftover chicken in this tasty salad.  Great way to use up your leftovers and roll it over to other meals.  A little bit of planning really can make life easier!

 

This salad is crunchy, sweet, nutty and just plain yummy!

 

I highly recommend this if you are looking for a different salad rather than just the same boring garden salad of tomatoes, cucumber, carrots and lettuce.  This one has chicken, cashews, fried wonton strips and a sesame seed dressing! In yo face garden salad!

 

Seriously amazing amazing-ness going on here folks!

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Asian Wonton Salad:

Recipe from Our Best Bites

 

2 heads romaine lettuce (I HATE washing lettuce - to make my life easier I bought 2 bags pre-washed romaine lettuce)

3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (I used leftover BBQ Asian Chicken but you could use any chicken.  You can get a good size bag of Tyson Pre-Grilled Chicken Strips for $2.50.  Very tasty, yummy and easy!)

Cherry Tomatoes (I used grape because they were on sale)

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 cucumber, sliced

cashews

1 package wontons (typically found in produce section)

vegetable oil for frying

 

Heat about 1 inch of oil to medium heat.  You may have to crank it up a little but you want the oil to be at about 375 degrees.  Using pizza cutter cut wontons into strips choosing whatever sizes you like.  I only used about a 1/4 of a package of wonton sheets but you may want to make more, they are that good! To test oil dip in a wonton strip.  If it bubbles up quickly then you're good to go.  Fry wontons about 5 at a time (be careful not to burn 'em! they cook quickly!).  Drain on paper towels.

 

For salad combine lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, cashews and fried wonton strips.  Drizzle with sesame dressing.

 

Sesame Dressing:

2/3 c. rice vinegar

1 c. canola oil

2 T. sesame oil (typically found in Asian section)

4 cloves garlic, pressed (I'm going to use more next time)

2 T. soy sauce

1/2 c. sugar

4 T. sesame seeds

 

Place all ingredients into a quart jar (or something equivalent) and shake vigorously. 

 

I HIGHLY recommend making the day before to give ample time to chill.  It is sooo much better when it's really cold.  However if that is not possible just try to make as much in advance as you can.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Picture perfect.

Yummy......

And on a more random note, here is a picture of our FINALLY snow free front yard! It looks pretty barren right now but we recently purchased lots of plants and flowers that will help fill in the gaps and make it look lush.  Can't wait!

I also had to share this little beauty.  The other night my husband was making steaks on the grill and the sky was gorgeous! When I saw the moon peaking out from the cloud cover I grabbed my camera.  I thought it turned out kinda cool!

Disneyland Food Review: Hungry Bear & Pooh's Corner

 

I know I mentioned this before but I LOVE DISNEYLAND! It is truly a magical, unique place where you can be silly and just have fun.  Seriously guys, what is there to not love about it?!

 

The hubby and I love it so much in fact that we ended up buying annual passes this trip.  Now don't think we are going to be going all the time! We just realized it would be cheaper for us to buy annual passes if we would be going to Disneyland again in the next year (Which we are.  December here we come! Woot woot! ) You also get discounts at restaurants which really adds up at Disneyland!

 

This first review will be based on our experience with Hungry Bear and Pooh's Corner.

 

The Hungry Bear restaurant is located in Critter Country overlooking the Rivers of America.  It has a rustic, wooden appearance and is very quaint, charming and "down home" feeling. 

 

This is a quick service restaurant so you order your food at the front registers and then take your receipt to the back counter to turn it in and collect your grub!

 

 

 

Here is a pic of the main dish I picked out.  It was called Big Al's Chicken Salad.  I actually had gotten this a couple times before on a previous trip and was surprised that I didn't like it as much as the first time.  I don't know if it was my taste buds or the salad but it definitely tasted different.  All in all it was very good though.  Moist chicken, candied pecans, watermelon and a honey-lime vinaigrette all complement each other and I would say it's a good option if you're looking for something a little more "fresh" to eat.

Here's my Papa at Hungry Bear!

Here's my Mom being...Mom. Such a silly lady.

My hubby picked out the Pioneer Chili Cheeseburger.  I was a bit doubtful on his choice at first but turned out it was very good by my husband's standards! At the table it did look pretty awesome.  I would definitely try this one on a future trip.  It has chili, cheese, chuck burger and an onion ring on it.  The onion rings on the side were also crunchy and tasty as well.

My parent's split a salad and a Turkey and Provolone Sandwich.  I didn't have a bite but it looked like....a turkey and provolone sandwich.  Nothing unique but I'm sure just fine.  The sweet potato fries are also pretty good here as well.

And now to the best part! I picked out a couple desserts to try.  This little pie was amazing! It is a Strawberry Custard pie and man oh man was it good!.  It was the perfect combo of great crust, flavorful filling and fruitiness! Highly recommend.

But if you were to only get ONE dessert at Hungry Bear I would get the Lemon "Bumblebee" Cupcake.  I had been waiting forever to try this! I had read many reviews about how cute and tasty it was and those people did not lie! It was every bit as good as I excpected.  The cake was super moist, the frosting was perfectly whipped and flavored and the lemon custard type center just made it off the chain amazing.  Truly a life changing experience. 

 

A cross section view.

After Hungry Bear you can cruise on over to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride.  This is one of my Hubby's and mine favorites! It is such a simple ride but the cuteness factor is outstanding.  And how cute are my parent's on the ride? Precious.

After you finished The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh you can pick up a treat from Pooh's Corner.  This is by far one of our favorite shops to explore and purchase treats in.  It is on the smaller side and tucked in the very back of Critter Country but  this just makes it feel more quaint! Here is a pic of a gal making some chocolate pretzel rods.

On our trip Ken got a dark chocolate covered pineapple spear and some Mickey Mouse lollipops.  I had a bite of that pineapple and STILL talk about how good it was! The pineapple was super juicy and the chocolate just put it over the top.  Highly recommended treat. 

 

I ended up getting the Mickey Mouse turtle which was really good as well.  Chewy, full of carmel and covered in chocolate.  Need I say more?

To sum up, Critter Country is my favorite land in all of Disneyland.  It is full of trees, bridges, streams and great food and treats.  If you ever go to Disneyland explore all these special places!

Coconut-Lime Cupcakes

 

 

These cupcakes were delish!!  They are filled with coconut, lime and tropical tasting goodness.  Calgon take me away? More like Coconut-Lime Cupcakes take me away!

 

  

Coconut-Lime Cupcakes:
Recipe slightly adapted from Our Best Bites

White cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 c. full fat sour cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. coconut extract
Zest of 1 lime
1 c. coconut

Coconut-Lime Cream Cheese Frosting:
Recipe slightly adapted from Our Best Bites

3 8-ounce packages full-fat cream cheese softened
3/4 c. butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar (cooks note - I had to add in a TON more powdered sugar.  To balance this out I added in a splash more of coconut extract and refrigerated the frosting for a couple hours.  Once I piped it on I refrigerated cupcakes again as they had started to "melt")
Juice of 1 lime
2 tsp. coconut extract

Garnish:
Sweetened toasted coconut
Lime Zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Disregard instructions on cake box.  Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners (white is the prettiest!) and set aside.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, combine all the cake ingredients except coconut.  Mix on low for 30 seconds and then high for 3 minutes.  Fold in coconut.

Evenly distribute batter among cups.  Bake 16-22 minutes (I did mine for 15 1/2-16 minutes) Or until toothpick comes out clean and tops are barely golden.  Be sure not to overbake! You almost want them ever so slightly underbaked as they will continue to set up out of the oven. Cool completely.

To prepare frosting combine cream cheese and butter and whip until light and fluffy.  Add remaining ingredients (please refer to cooks note above about the powdered sugar) and mix until combined.  If frosting is runny and does not look like it could be piped on then refrigerate for a couple hours.  Once solid enough to pipe transfer to a piping bag and swirl on cupcakes.  Garnish with toasted coconut and lime zest.  Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

Cooks Note: to toast coconut toss in desired amount of coconut into pan, heat on medium stirring constantly under lightly browned and fragrant

BBQ Asian Chicken & Sweet and Savory Coconut Rice

 

 

Hello friends! Long time no blog!

 

I am so happy to be back and sharing with you! I have MILLIONS of recipes and tales to tell.  Okay, maybe not MILLIONS but sure close to it.

 

Life has been BUSY.  Work, work, work and Disneyland! Yeah ya heard me! We went to Disneyland a month ago and it was one of the best trips I have ever taken.

 

I am planning a few installments for that blog post as it will consist of fun stories from the trip and best of all food reviews and tips! Have I mentioned that I kind of love Disneyland?

 

Back to the task at hand though.

 

Yesterday I cooked one of the best meals! It was BBQ Asian Chicken and Coconut Rice.  The chicken was SLAMMED with flavor yo! It was beyond delicious. 

 

The rice was such a nice addition to the chicken.  It is regular old white rice but then ya jazz it up with coconut milk, sugar and many other good things and it becomes amazing rice! Super rice! Super hero magical rice! Okay, one too many? I will desist.

 

If you like Asian or tropical food then this meal is for you.  I have one condition though.  You must serve it with freshly cut pineapple.  I'm not talkin' from the jar here folks.  I am talking straight from the source.  If you don't have pineapple with this meal I GUARANTEE you will not love it as much as if you had it.

 

Happy cooking!

 

 

 

BBQ Asian Chicken:

Recipe slightly adapted from Our Best Bites

1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. soy sauce
4 T. lime juice
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. curry powder
6-8 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 tsp. grated, fresh ginger (so amazing smelling!)
5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Put chicken in zip-lock bag.  Whisk together all ingredients and pour all over chicken, reserving a little bit to brush on the chicken later when grilling.  Put bag of chicken on plate to prevent leakage.  Refrigerate overnight.  When ready to cook preheat grill.  Spray with cooking spray and place chicken on.  Cook 5-10 minutes on each side depending on thickness.  During last few minutes brush on reserved marinade.  Garnish with green onions.

Sweet and Savory Coconut Rice:

Recipe from Our Best Bites

2 c. white or jasmine rice
14-ounce can coconut milk (located in Asian food section)
2 c. water
1 tsp. kosher salt
Splash of white vinegar
2-3 tsp. granulated sugar
chopped green onions
salt and pepper to taste

When I make this rice I combine everything except green onions and salt and pepper in my rice cooker, cook till done and then garnish with the green onions and salt and pepper to taste.  If you don't have a rice cooker just toss in everything except the green onions and salt and pepper and bring to boil.  Then turn heat to low and cover for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Garnish with green onions and salt and pepper. 

My Favorite Things

I love being a girl.

Being able to try a new lipstick or hair product just makes me plain happy! The only downside is that some products are crazy expensive.

Sometimes people think that high end names are better but that is not always true.  There are some items you should definitely invest in that are worth every penny and then there are many products available at big box stores that I think are just as good, comparable or even better.

Today I'm going to share some products that are high end names and some that you can find at any 'ol big box store.

The first item is my Cetaphil face wash.  This stuff is a miracle worker! In college I started getting the WORST acne.  Folks, it was bad.  I went on Accutane and although it cleared up my skin beautifully it also left my skin very dry and sensitive.  This stuff cleans my skin without over drying it.  If you have problems with your skin whether it's acne, dryness, sensitivity then you need this in your life.

Olay Original Formula Moisturizer - After I clean my face with Cetaphil I put a heavy dollop of this all over.  If you are looking for a great facial moisturizer then you need this.  I have tried MANY facial moisturizers and this is by far the best.  It moisturizes the skin but isn't heavy so that you can use it at night or in the morning and once soaked in put your make-up right on top of it.  My make-up goes on very smoothly when I apply this product before.  HIGHLY recommend.

Revlon Lip Butter - This little tube contains magical powers.  You can put one swipe on your lips for a sheer color or swipe it a few times to get a darker, richer color.  You decide! It is also very creamy.  The creamiest lipstick I've ever tried.  I feel like I'm just rubbing a stick of butter all over my lips.  The two colors I got are Peach Parfait (a little lighter) and Pink Truffle (a little darker) and I love them both.  I recommend you get a couple colors because you will definitely use them.  I can't wait to try some of the bright reds!

Almay Smart Balance Powder - I have tried a lot of different powders in my life and this is one of my favorites.  It is great because as I mentioned before I have very dry, sensitive skin and the Almay make-up line is made for people like me.  It is fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, oil-free, free of talc and added parabens.  If you have any skin problems this is for you.  It has a myriad of different colors so that when you put it on it matches to your skin flawlessly.  And it really does live up to the "smart balance" part of the name.  I feel like it helps to keep moisture in where it needs and helps to soak up oil as needed too.  Highly recommend!

EOS Chapstick - I went on a chap stick buying rampage for a long time because I couldn't find anything I liked! It was very frustrating.  I stumbled on information about this chap stick and picked up a tube at Wal-Mart.  It is about $3 but totally worth it! My favorite flavor is sweet mint.  So refreshing on the lips!

Physicians Formula Sexy Glow Blush - I just got this at Wal-Mart and am SOOO happy with it.  It is almost $13 but once again, completely worth the price.  When put on this looks like a very expensive blush.  I used to buy those little blush compacts from Cover Girl but found that the color didn't last long.  This stuff lasts ALL day! I am not kidding! It has the most beautiful color and shimmer to it.  It's also scented! I love Almay and Physicians Formula because it is made for sensitive skin.  Ya gotta get this blush.  And as a side note I can't wait to buy some more Physicians Formula products.  I had so much fun browsing through all of their products and felt like they have really stepped up their game and have some high end formulas now.  Can't wait to try more!

Bath & Body Works Shower Gel - I don't need to talk much about this one.  I don't use any other shower gel now. The scents are pure bliss and leave skin clean and moisturized. You can also get excellent prices if you shop their annual sale.  I've been known to get good scented shower gels there for $2.75.  Boo ya home girl!

Kenra 25 Volume Hairspray - I have used a lot of hairsprays in my day and I find that big box brands don't last long.  This hairspray will last all day but without a stiff hold.  It is excellent! I will probably never use another kind again as long as they make this.  This one is a bit pricey (I think about $20-$25) at Ulta but I have had mine for about 8 months and still have a lot left.  Granted I only use it once or twice a week but I would say that's not too bad.  The bottle is also HUGE.  It's the biggest hairspray I've ever bought.  It will last you for-ev-er.  Name that movie kids.

Well that's a wrap.  If you read this far then you deserve a gold star! I know it was a little long winded but these products are really exquisite.  I hope you try some of them and if you do, let me know how you like them!

Coconut Chicken Tenders & Coconut Rice

Recipe from Our Best Bites

I grew to love Thai food when I worked in a small Thai restaurant back in California.  It's my favorite job that I have ever had. I loved how sweet the cooks were, how relaxed the atmosphere was and how delicious the food tasted.  

And although this dish may not be quintessential Thai food it could definitely be served at a Thai restaurant.  The chicken is crispy and sweet, the rice is flavorful and the dipping sauce is pretty much the best thing ever. 

The hubby and I debated going out to dinner tonight but I'm so glad we didn't because this dinner was super yummy, yummy in my tummy.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! It is for sure an absolute favorite of mine now.

The chicken from Our Best Bites can be found here.

The rice from Our Best Bites can be found here.

Crispy Coconut Chicken Tenders:

1 c. sweetened coconut flakes

1 c. panko bread crumbs

1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. curry powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/2 c. flour

2 eggs

12 chicken tenders (I actually used 11 which worked well)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Chop coconut so it's roughly the same size as the bread crumbs.

Combine the coconut, bread crumbs and spices in a shallow dish.  Stir well.

Place the flour in a shallow dish and the eggs in another shallow dish.  Whisk the eggs.

Working with one chicken tender at a time, dredge the chicken in flour, shaking off any excess.  Then dip in the egg, again shaking off any excess.  Roll in the bread crumb/coconut mixture, gently pressing the mixture onto the chicken.  Place on baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining tenders.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until completely cooked and bread crumb/coconut mixture is light golden brown and crispy.  You don't want the bread crumb/coconut mixture to be soggy at all (I baked mine for about 20 minutes and then took off the ones that were well done and then put the others back in for about 5 minutes but keep in mind that your oven may vary - just make sure it's super crispy).

For the dipping sauce whisk together 1 cup apricot -pineapple preserves, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard and 1/8 teaspoon curry powder.

Sweet & Savory Coconut Rice:

2 c. white rice

14-ounce can coconut milk (it will be lumpy - stir before you add in)

2 c. water

1 tsp. kosher salt

splash of white vinegar

2-3 tsp. sugar

1/4 c. chopped green onions, plus more for garnish

salt and pepper to taste

Combine rice, coconut milk, water, kosher salt, vinegar and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Turn heat to low and cover 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Allow to stand 5 minutes.  Add chopped green onions, black pepper and salt to taste.  Garnish with more green onions.  

* Cooks note: I cooked mine in my rice cooker and it turned out great! To do this combine everything in rice cooker except green onions, salt and pepper.  Cook until done and then stir in green onions, salt and pepper to taste. *