Disneyland, Home Edition: Walt's Chili

Yesterday Thatbaby turned 5.  5!!!!!  He'll always be my baby, but he certainly isn't one anymore. 

All he wanted for his birthday was to go to Disneyland.  He's been talking about it since November.  When we figured out that couldn't happen we decided to bring Disneyland to him the weekend before his birthday. 

We started the morning off with Mickey waffles.

And then we headed to California Adventure.  One of the things we've never done at California Adventure, but I knew the kids would enjoy, was the Animation Academy, where you learn to draw Disney characters.  We worked on a couple different versions of Mickey Mouse.

Thatkid LOVED this, and he spent all of Thatbaby's nap drawing more characters, then got up the next morning and did some more. 

Then we virtually rode some of the California Adventure rides.  Including some Thatbaby would never ride in real life, like Guardians of the Galaxy.

After we rode all our favorite rides, we crossed over to Disneyland park and went on a cruise.  A jungle cruise.

We took a break to watch some parades and eat lunch - Monte Cristo sandwiches!

Next we headed to the Tiki Room (this one was really for me, I love the Tiki Room!).  And you can't go to the Tiki Room without stopping for Dole whip.  I used the "official" recipe posted by Disney, but after several friends passed along their experience I'll give you my super secret tip.  Everyone I know who made it claimed it was more of a smoothie than anything else, so after making it, I threw it in the ice cream maker to process for a couple minutes which gave it that awesome soft serve consistency.

This is the point where Thatbaby went down for his nap and Thatkid spent more time in the Animation academy.  After that, it was all rides for the rest of the afternoon.

We did take a little churro break while we rode the Mark Twain.

And the great thing about virtual rides is that you don't get sick if you eat right before going on them!

For dinner we headed over to the Carnation Cafe for a little chili in a bread bowl while we watched the Disney Family Sing A Longs.

And we watched a little World of Color while having our dessert.

About that chili.  My initial thought was gumbo in a bread bowl.  I love gumbo in a bread bowl at Disney.  But the kids are not gumbo fans.  The sausage is too spicy for them.  Bah.  But chili is something we can all do.  And Disney published the recipe for Walt's Chili served at the Carnation Cafe.

When I actually went to make it, I ran into small problem.  The recipe was a mess.  The ingredients didn't match the instructions.  There were ingredients listed that were never used in the instructions, and the instructions told you to use ingredients that weren't listed.  Not to mention the fact that the ingredients called for canned beans when the first step involved rinsing, sorting, and soaking the beans overnight.  So I don't know how authentic this is, but if you're looking to make Walt's chili, at least know this is going to get you closer than Disney's recipe!

Walt's Chili

1/4 cup olive oil

1 small onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 green pepper, diced

3/4 lb beef stew meat

3 Tbsp tomato paste

1 1/2 Tbsp onion powder

1 Tbsp cumin

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 Tbsp beef broth

1 1/2 cups water

2 plum tomatoes, diced

1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat.  Add onion and garlic and saute until translucent (about 5 minutes).
2. Add beef and green pepper and cook until beef is browned.
3. Add tomato paste, onion powder, cumin, and chili powder and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes, beef broth, and water.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
5. Stir in fresh tomatoes and beans.  Continue cooking until they are heated through.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Disneyland with Kids: Sausage Lasagna

For a number of years, Thatboy and I used to visit Disneyland in January - you miss the holiday crowds, but still get to enjoy all the holiday decor.  Despite this fact, Thatboy was insistent that we had never seen Disney dressed up for the holidays.  And he really wanted to do that this year.  I did a little research and thought that if we went in November, before Thanksgiving, we could probably get the same "holiday decor without the holiday crowds" effect.  But timing wise, the most convenient weekend for us to go was Thatboy's birthday weekend.  I tried to plan around his birthday, but he decided it would actually be fun to spend his birthday at the parks, and so we did an extravagant birthday weekend.  We tried to follow the same rule of thumb as we had at Universal, and it ended up being a great trip.

Where to Stay

This is the first time we've actually stayed at Disneyland.  Usually we stay with Thatmom who lives close enough for us to easily go back and forth.  But because of Thatboy's birthday we decided to do it "right."  There are 3 hotels on property, and after looking at them all, Thatboy picked the Disneyland Hotel.  Mostly because the headboards light up to look like fireworks.  (I know how silly that sounds, but hey, you get what you want on your birthday).  The headboards also play "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes."

Staying on property has a number of really great benefits.  Everything is right there, making it ever so easy.  This is especially nice for getting to the park in the morning, and back at night.  Thatboy loved the convenience of that.  It also meant we could stay at the parks later than we usually do, since we didn't have to worry about driving home.  Guests of the hotel can also get early entry into the parks, which we didn't take advantage of, but would be nice during more crowded periods.

Disney does special deliveries to their hotels, which means if you are celebrating a birthday, like we were, you can have special treats waiting for your birthday celebrant.

The hotel also had a really great pool, which we took advantage of as soon as we got in.  And before we checked out on the last day.  

Where to Eat

• Breakfast - This is the first time we ever did breakfast in the parks, because usually we eat before we head over.  But then of course, we had to figure out when we wanted to do breakfast.  Eat first and then go to the park?  Take advantage of being their early and hit up some of the rides and then go to the park?  We ended up doing the latter.  Most of the rides in Fantasyland don't have fast-passes available, and the lines can get long, so we hit up a couple of them, and then grabbed breakfast at the Red Rose Taverne.  I would highly recommend this because there really was something for everyone.  Mickey Mouse pancakes for my youngest, eggs, bacon and eggs for my oldest, and stuffed french toast for my husband.  I will add there's no kids menu here, but the choices are still kid-friendly.

          We also grabbed breakfast at the coffee shop in the hotel on our last morning which is a great quick service option.  

• Lunch - Because we hit up the pool as soon as we checked in, we grabbed lunch on our first day at Tangaroa Terrace at the hotel  See?  Convenient.  There aren't a ton of kid-friendly items, but if your kids like cheeseburgers, they'll be happy.  And the grownup food like poke bowls and ramen is a nice change from typical theme park food.  

• Dinner - The quick service food is usually our go-to at Disneyland.  It's easy and they're everywhere, but we always try to get reservations for dinner places.  It's nice to be guaranteed a seat with no wait after being on your feet all day.  The first night, on Thatboy's birthday he chose Wine Country Trattoria for dinner.  We knew we wouldn't have to fight with the kids over pizza and pasta for dinner.  I had heard great things about their lasagna, but I was actually disappointed in it.  I was also disappointed in the "surprise cake" I had ordered for Thatboy...which, despite me mentioning it being a surprise moments earlier, multiple times, was announced by the hostess as she sat us.  

          The second night we had a much more enjoyable dinner at Cafe Orleans. It helps that Thatboy and I love creole food.  We had some amazing pomme frites to start, and then split the shrimp and grits and a three cheese monte cristo.  The kids?  They're always happy with macaroni and cheese.

• Snacks - While at Disney we mostly survive on snacks.  As long as we keep a steady stream of them, we can go for long periods of time between meals, even skipping lunch. We especially like to take advantage of the seasonal snacks, like the peppermint beignets, the hot chocolate beignets, and the Christmas tree soft serve.  That last one might be my new favorite - like a shamrock shake in soft serve form!  All mint no chocolate!  And there are always the old standbys like popcorn and dole whips.

California Adventure

Since we're driving distance from Disneyland, anytime we do two days, we start the first day off with California Adventure.  It needs much less time that Disneyland.   We split up here also, with Thatboy and Thatkid heading for Guardians of the Galaxy while Thatbaby and I rode some of the more tame rides. We met up for some family rides and dinner.  After dinner we split up again and the boys and I waited in the Toy Story line while Thatboy ran off to ride the Incredicoaster.  

We stayed to watch the World of Color show.  This was definitely for Thatboy and I.  The kids weren't super interested, or just tired.  It was late.  As a tip, we watched from the "back" of the show, so we could still see the fountains, just not the images projected on them.  It was beautiful and amazing and puts the Bellagio fountain show to shame.

Top (not so) Secret Tip: Let's talk about the Max Pass.  The Max Pass lets you access and get your Fast Passes right from the app on your phone.  More convenience.  But check the wait times before you purchase - we actually didn't need it either day we were there.  On top of that, we rarely use them at California Adventure.  The 2 rides here with the longest lines are Toy Story Mania and Radiator Springs Racers, so if you want to guarantee riding them, without waiting, it's worth it to get the Max Pass.  And Radiator Springs Racer always runs out of Fast Passes so get that one early.

Disneyland

My tip for Disneyland is, as mentioned before, hit up Fantasyland first.  This worked well for us also because it started Thatbaby off on the right foot.  There are still a fair number of rides that are too dark and scary for Thatbaby.

Jungle Cruise, Small World, and Pirates of the Carribean are all rides that have short wait times and lines that move quickly, so we save those for later in the day.  (caveat - Small World Holiday can have really long wait times, but during the rest of the year, it's an easy backup plan.)

Whenever we have some free time between Fast pass times, or dinner reservations, we let the kids run around Mickey's Toon Town.  It's a great place for them to burn off some energy.  

And wait times at night in Tomorrowland are much lower than during the rest of the day.

We got to stay for the holiday firework show this time and it was magical.  If you're going to do this, don't bother trying to get close to the castle.  Main Street is where you want to be.  Images that correlate with the music and fire works are projected on all the buildings and it was just magical.  Plus it "snowed"!

Galaxy's Edge

I'm putting this in it's own category, even though it's part of Disneyland.  Thatboy was really excited to be able to check out Galaxy's Edge while we were there.  

Galaxy's Edge opened earlier this summer and initially required a reservation to get in.  Now anyone can walk right in and explore, which is way easier!  There's not a ton there, although a new ride will be opening next month.  It reminds me a lot of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal - a total immersive experience.  Being there really is like being on another planet.  Every aspect is like a movie set.  It's filled with mostly shops, and a couple places to eat.   Instead of Butterbeer, the draw here is milk - in the blue and green variety.  Of course you need to do a taste test - our family was split pretty much down the middle on this one.

The one ride currently open is the Smugglers' Run where each member of your party is assigned a role in their attempt to shuttle goods on the Millennium Fountain.  There's no fast pass and the lines are long, but it was definitely worth it.  Everyone in the family had a great time.  For us, Thatbaby took a nap while the big boys got in line and when he woke up we joined them, so it worked out pretty well for us.

The food is quick/counter service except for Oga's Cantina, which is definitely more bar and less food.  Oga's does require reservations, so if it's on your list, make sure you get them ahead of time.  I was able to secure them just a couple weeks in advance. When we arrived for our reservation we still had to wait in line, but if you didn't have a reservation you couldn't even wait in line.  Inside continued the immersive experience with so much fun things to look at, from the droid DJ spinning music, to the power blacking out and needing to be restarted.  It's standing room only, which isn't the most fun with kids, but the non-alcoholic drinks are pretty fun for them.

We ended up getting a fuzzy tauntaun (a peach drink with a numbing foam on top reminiscent of szechaun buttons), a jabba juice (orange pineapple juice with blueberry boba), a carbon freeze (lemon lime and strawberry juice with blueberry and green apple boba), and a Dagobah Slug Slinger (a margarita like drink with herbs and ginger).   And we all really enjoyed our drinks.  I definitely see us coming back!

This was definitely one of our most successful weekends at Disneyland, with the exception of Thatboy's birthday dinner.  It's an easy one to make up to him though.  Lasagna is not so hard to make.  Thatboy thinks it is, because TMIL convinced him it's an all day ordeal and so their family only ever has frozen lasagna from a box.  On the other hand, it's one of my easy go-to recipes for company since it serves a lot of people and it's really just about layering ingredients.  This is one of my fancier ones in that I make my own bechamel sauce for it, but that's a lot easier than it sounds.

Sausage Lasagna

1 1/2 lbs Italian sausage

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

2 cups cream

salt and pepper

nutmeg

3 cups tomato meat sauce

1 lb lasagna noodles

1 lb ricotta cheese

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the broiler and then broil the sausages for 8 minutes.  Let cool just until you're able to handle them, and then remove the casings.
2. While the sausages are broiling, make the bechamel: Add the flour and butter to a sauce pan on medium high heat; stir to combine, and keep stirring until it becomes paste-like and bubbly.
3. Slowly add in portions of the milk, stirring constantly while adding and between adding liquid
4. Once all milk has been added, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
5. Preheat the oven to 350.  Spread a layer of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish.  
6. Add a layer of the lasagna noodles, breaking to fit in the dish.
7. Top with a layer of sausage, ricotta cheese, and bechamel.
8. Repeat with another layer of noodles, sausage, ricotta, and bechamel.
9. Continue layering until all the ingredients are used up, ending with bechamel on top.  
10. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Disney on Ice: Jalapeno Bacon Popcorn

Winter sport season has begun! Thatkid is doing baseball again (I know it's a spring sport everyone else, but here in San Diego we start it in January - and then don't play for weeks because YES IT RAINS HERE PEOPLE.)  We thought Thatbaby would want to follow in his brother's footsteps now that he's old enough to play, but he chose a very different path.

Ice skating!  He has really taken to ice skating in a way I never would have imagined.  Thatkid was very timid on the ice at first, but Thatbaby has no fear and jumps (literally) right on. 

In an attempt to try and embrace his newfound love, I got us all tickets to see Disney on Ice - Dare to Dream.  It's the newest Disney on Ice performance, featuring Moana, which both my kids love.

In an attempt to stave off overpriced souvenirs, I ordered some cheaper versions from Amazon that I gave them the morning before the show so they were still shiny and interesting.

The best part of these kind of shows are the light up souvenirs, so I those were the kind I ordered.  These light up Maui hooks cost me $20 from Amazon and they were being sold for $40 at the show.

My second save-some-money move was to get our tickets from Goldstar.   I use Goldstar a lot for tickets because they're usually at least half off.  These seats, right at the front of the section, which gave us an unobstructed view, were $22 a piece, but after I contacted them about the fact that it didn't seem cheaper than regular price, they knocked them down to $17.  Their customer service is fantastic. 

The performance started off with a guest appearance by Miguel and his guitar.  He strummed us "Remember me" before breaking into his acclaimed hit "Poco Loco."  My kids love Coco, so this was a really fun way to start the show.

Of course, Mickey and Minnie and our other costumed friends showed up next.

Disney princesses are a big part of Disney on Ice, and this show is no different.  It began with a condensed retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

Next came Cinderella.

The part I was most looking forward to was Tangled.  Not that I love the movie, but because it promised an amazing aerial performance.  It did not disappoint.

While the boys liked the first act, they are, in general, less interested in the older Disney stories.  They didn't grow up with them and I'm not even positive they've seen Cinderella or Tangled.

Act II however, had them on the edge of their seats, with two of their beloved favorites.  First, Frozen.  Thatbaby since Let It Go on constant repeat.  To be more accurate, he sings the chorus of Let it Go on constant repeat.

And Olaf is one of his all time favorite Disney characters.  Enough that he even has an Olaf costume.

Then came Moana, which might be their current favorite Disney movie. 

They especially loved waving their glowing hooks at Maui.

'

And Shiny was a discoball studded extravaganza.

The show ended with all the characters coming out and dancing together.

Since we saved money on souvenirs and seats, everyone got to pick a special snack for the show.  The fun thing about the snacks at Disney on Ice is that they come with their own souvenirs.  Thatbaby's cotton candy came with a Pua hat.

And Thatkid's snowcone came in a Mickey cup.

As for me, I got popcorn in a souvenir bag.  Because there's nothing like popcorn you get at events - movies, sporting events, Disney on Ice.  It's just so buttery and salty.  Really, there are very few popcorns I don't like.  It is my all time favorite food.  I love it so much that I even made it to eat during the Superbowl.  But rather than buttery saltiness, this one was bacony-jalapenoey.  Seems fitting for a sporting event right?  I actually removed all the seeds from this version, so I could share with the kids, and Thatkid was VERY thankful.  He called it the best popcorn he's ever had.

Honestly, cooking popcorn in bacon?  He's not so far off.

 Jalapeno Bacon Popcorn

5 strips applewood smoked bacon, diced

1 jalapeno sliced (with as many seeds removed as you'd like - remember, the more seeds, the spicier it'll be!)

1/2 cup popcorn kernels

grated parmesan cheese

salt

1. Cook bacon over medium heat in a large pot until crispy.
2. Add jalapeno slices and cook for 2 minutes until soft.  Remove jalapeno and bacon from the pot.
3. Add popcorn kernels and toss to coat.  Cover the pot.  When the popcorn starts popping, shake the pot back and forth until the popcorn is done popping.  Remove from heat.
4. Add the jalapeno and bacon back in to the popcorn.
5. Toss the popcorn with parmesan cheese and salt to taste.

Crave Wednesday: Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

As you may or may not know, it's been awfully rainy here the past few weeks.  Which always seems to surprise everyone but me.  You guys, it rains in Southern California.  It rains all winter.  It rains so much that every year the first few games and practice of baseball season are always cancelled.  You think they'd figure it out, but nope.  Just me.

So in fitting with the theme of the last few weeks here on the blog-o, when Thatkid's baseball game got called for rain a couple weekends ago, we threw our things in the car and headed out on an impromptu weekend getaway to the Happiest Place on Earth.

Because we weren't getting there until afternoon, we decided to spend the first day (or half day) at California Adventure.

As I expected, the rain kept crowds at bay.  That and the later hour had us waltz right through security, onto a tram, and into the park.  We arrived just in time to grab some lunch and take advantage of the Food and Wine Festival.

Thatboy and I each grabbed a flight of beers - hoppy for him, fruity for me, and pork bahn mi.

The boys were happy with their garlic macaroni and cheese.  Very happy.  This is where I confess that they ate macaroni and cheese more often than they didn't this weekend, and Thatkid declared this was the best.

And then it was time to ride the rides!  We rode several together before splitting up so that Thatkid and Thatboy could ride the bigger rides that Thatbaby was too short and too uninterested in.  Instead I brought him over to Ghiradelli and Boudin for chocolate and bread, while I enjoyed one more treat from the Festival - popcorn lemonade.

The big boys headed over to ride the one ride Thatkid was REALLY interested in - Guardians of the Galaxy.  Thatboy was only too happy to join him.

And they had a little celebrity sighting while waiting in line!

Thatkid thought the ride was scary, but still declared it his favorite of the whole weekend.

Meanwhile. Thatbaby and I did a little celebrity stalking of our own.  He REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted to see Mickey, so I brought him over to where he was most likely to be.  He wasn't there, but we did get a chance to see Goofy.

And Minnie!

Minnie's friend told us that Mickey was expected to be arriving within the next 15 minutes (Disney Cast Members are so awesome), so we hung out for a little until we finally got to see the Mouse Himself.

After that, Thatbaby and I went to do our own rides.  Hollywood Studios was up first, and then Bug's Life - where every ride was just his speed.

And of course, Radiator Springs - Carsland!

The Mater ride was his FAVORITE and he couldn't wait to meet back up with the big boys to share it with them.  We traded ride partners for the last ride of the night before dinner and heading back to Thatmom's house for the night.

The next morning we headed over to Disneyland, and with nicer weather and an earlier start, it took a lot longer to get into the park!  It still was a pretty quiet weekend and we were able to jump right on to Haunted Mansion.  Which Thatbaby DID NOT appreciate.  Poor kid.  We headed up to Critter Country for a little Pooh, which was more his speed.  He got a chance to meet Tigger.

And "Seahorse" (which, to be fair, is a more recognizable word to him than Eeyore is) who he said was his favorite character he met.

And "Minnie the Poop" (which, to be fair, he only says to make us laugh)

Next came Pirates of the Carribean, which also failed the Thatbaby test, and we could tell the early morning was getting to him.  We went and grabbed lunch, then I tucked him into his stroller and he was out by the time I crossed the park.

Once again, the big boys went and rode their "big kid" rides.  Last time we went to Disney, Thatkid absolutely, positively, refused to ride Space Mountain.  This time, he was all about it.  And while he is tall enough to ride, he is not tall enough to be caught on camera in the back row. 

We met them over at the Matterhorn where Thatbaby woke up and then we got to ride Buzz Lightyear together before heading over to Toon Town.  Which is always a nice break for the kids to have a little freedom running around.  Thatbaby and I headed over to Small World while Thatboy tried to round up Thatkid, when I got a call that they were in line to see Pluto and we should hurry over.  Carrying Thatbaby, I sprinted over and got there just in time.

After Small World we did one more split up so the big boys could do Indiana Jones, before dinner and heading out of the park.  But not without one more stop to say goodbye to the Mouse behind it all.

It was a quick weekend with a lot crammed in.  Which is pretty much our style.  It was such a whirlwind, that when Thatmom mentioned the date, Thatboy and I realized it was our dating anniversary.  18 years together!  We did a bare bones celebration by doing our Disneyland dinner at the Blue Bayou, where he has always wanted to eat.

Once your're married, dating anniversaries aren't as big of a deal, but it still seems totally crazy that we've been together so long.  And 18 years?  Holy moly!  Sometimes I feel like I'm still a kid, but our relationship is old enough to have a kid of its own!  And that deserves something more than an amusement park with kids.  Something like...cake.  Because cake is what you eat to celebrate.  A great chocolatey cake that represents the sweetness of those years.  A buttermilk chocolate cake, because it takes a little bit of sour to really appreciate the sweet.

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake (From Cooking Light)

2 cups flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 2/3 cup nonfat buttermilk

3 tsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup egg substitute

1/2 cup whipped cream cheese, softened

3 Tbsp skim milk

3 oz semi-sweet chocolate melted

3 cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Coat the bottom of 2 8-inch cake pans with cooking spray and line with wax paper. Spray wax paper with cooking spray.  Combine flour, 3/4 cup  cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended.
2.  Combine buttermilk and 2 tsp vanilla in a 2 cup glass measuring cup.
3. Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.
4. Gradually add egg substitute and beat well.
5. Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
6. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 38 minutes or until cooked through. Invert on wire rack and cool completely.
7. Place cream cheese and milk in an electric mixer and beat at low speed until smooth. Beat at high speed until creamy.
8. Add melted chocolate and beat well.
9. Combine powdered sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa.
10. Gradually add sugar mixture to cheese mixture, beating at low speed until blended.
11. Add 1 tsp vanilla, beat well 1 minute or until very creamy.
12. Remove wax paper from cake.  Place 1 cake layer on a plate and spread with 1/2 cup frosting.  
13. Top with second cake layer and spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.