~ 1 ~

How has Our Food Revolution project been going now that we’ve gotten into February?

Umm…huh.

Well, we had a really good week and a half, and then it all went horribly, horribly wrong.  My usual attitude would be to just ditch it, but I’m going to try to get back on track now that I’m feeling better after being sick all week.  Wish me luck!

~ 2 ~

We made it through our very first surgery experience (and sedation) for one of the kids.  One of the hardest parts ended up just being the night before the surgery.  (Go figure!)  But, I’m glad to say that after a very sleepless night (for both Noah and Mom, since that’s what happens when one of your kids can’t sleep), he made it through having his very last baby tooth out, as well as four permanent teeth.

They warned us that he would probably want to sleep all day long.

And, if all day was two hours.  Then, yes, he did want to sleep all day.  But, after that day long two hour sleep, he just wanted to eat some ice cream and play video games.  Kids amaze me.

~ 3 ~

This week, I had a post up at The Happy Housewife giving step by step ideas for how to get your loose recipes all organized into one spot.  (It’s my recipe binder, and it helps to save me from having recipes sitting under our wooden chess set.  You know, the one that sits on our kitchen counter for no good reason.  Sigh.)

Anyway, the recipe binder really is one of the organized areas in my life, so go check it out.

~ 4 ~

In what probably cinched that Eric and I are both nerds or geeks or whatever truck we fell off of, we managed to have a whole conversation via text messaging on our iPhone all while typing like we were Jar Jar Binks.

I just felt silly and started a conversation about dinner with him with, “Meesa curious bouts what yousa be wantin’ forsa dinner.”

This conversation managed to go back and forth 10 times.  And, like me tell you, this is some commitment.  The iPhone gets really mad and wants to correct a whole lot of words when you do that.  Well, except for when it finally just decides that maybe you don’t want “meesa” corrected.

My personal favorite part of the conversation came when Eric said, “Meesa think’n that if yousa would bake’n some gobble gobble.  Meesa could be cook’n it over the bombad fire with the bombad Sonny’s sauce.”

It was so time consuming, however, that we did finally have to agree to stop.  Okee-day?

~ 5 ~

Truth be told – we don’t even like Jar Jar Binks.

~ 6 ~

I have been pretty tired this past month, and I know I just haven’t been myself.  This probably accounts for why I haven’t been on my blog in the past week, huh?

One of the things that I did do this past month, however, was to design the cover for the new ebook 28 Day to Hope for Your Home from Nony from A Slob Comes Clean.  I was so excited to do it, and I really loved how it came out:

While I haven’t read the book yet, I have it and I know that I need to read it.  I really, really need to read it.  That girl is one smart cookie, and has worked hard to make some huge changes in her life.

~ 7 ~

My email inboxes are starting to get out of control.  What are some of your best methods for keeping email in check?

This post is linked to 7 Quick Takes and Weekly Wrap Up.

Disclosure Policy

7 Quick Takes: February 3, 2012 (Vol. 111) is a post from: Many Little Blessings

Current Sponsor:

Great Homeschool Conventions - Incredible Speakers and Exhibitors! The Homeschool Event of the Year!

Related posts:

1. 7 Quick Takes: January 13, 2012 (Vol. 108) ~ 1 ~ News flash: I’m short. I never like...
2. 7 Quick Takes: January 28, 2012 (Vol. 110) ~ 1 ~ I’ve been sick all week, and this...
3. 7 Quick Takes: January 21, 2012 (Vol. 109) ~ 1 ~ This week, Molly said, “Let’s push up...

~ 1 ~

I’ve been sick all week, and this has been pretty miserable.  It’s mostly just stuffed up sinuses, along with a headache (because my sinuses are stuffed up) and tiredness (because I’m not sleeping well because, well you know).

I have a sneaky suspicion that having the weather go between warmish to really cold, from raining to snowing, and all kinds of other things is just not conducive to me getting better.

~ 2 ~

Isn’t it funny how when you’ve been sick for several days in a row, you sometimes start to think that you’re never going to be well again.  Even when you know you’ll get better (or you hope, at least!), you just get caught up in the moment of being sick.

~ 3 ~

While our homeschooling has been kind of off and on this week (our attendance sheet looks like we’re just taking random days off, and the house isn’t looking very good either), you can read about a fun project we did when the kids were a bit younger with one of our favorite books – The Missing Piece.

You can read my post, Creative Writing Inspired by Favorite Books, over at The Happy Housewife this week!

~ 4 ~

Despite our very off schedule due to my illness, I must be doing something right.

This week, Molly said to me, “When I’m a Mom, I think I want to homeschool my kids too.  I think they’d like that.”

~ 5 ~

Today is the last day to enter the giveaway at The Homeschool Classroom to win a registration ticket to The 2:1 Conference.  The conference is only 90 days away!

~ 6 ~

Okay, so I always get stuck on #6.  I have no idea why.  The last time that I was working on my seven quick takes and told Eric that I was stuck, he said, “Wait.  I know this.  You’re on number six, right?”

So, after being stuck here for a while, I thought I would share a great $2 personalized t-shirt deal (just the $2 plus shipping):

~ 7 ~

I have a new yum-o snack that I’ve had a few times at night.  I’ve been skipping out on most sweets, so this is a fun sweet to have and I don’t feel bad about it.

I cut up about 8 – 10 strawberries, throw in a teaspoon of sugar, and then a couple of tablespoons of Reddi Whip.  Now that I haven’t really been having desserts much at all, this definitely feels like a wonderful dessert.  Of course, I figure it will be even better once early summer rolls around and we get to go strawberry picking.  (Oh, and then we’ll have to make strawberry freezer jam, of course.)

This post is linked to 7 Quick Takes and Weekly Wrap Up.

Disclosure Policy

7 Quick Takes: January 28, 2012 (Vol. 110) is a post from: Many Little Blessings

Current Sponsor:

Great Homeschool Conventions - Incredible Speakers and Exhibitors! The Homeschool Event of the Year!

Related posts:

1. 7 Quick Takes: January 7, 2012 (Vol. 107) ~ 1 ~ I would say that I held off...
2. 7 Quick Takes: January 21, 2012 (Vol. 109) ~ 1 ~ This week, Molly said, “Let’s push up...
3. 7 Quick Takes: January 13, 2012 (Vol. 108) ~ 1 ~ News flash: I’m short. I never like...

Last night, I felt like I had several epiphanies that kept waking me up…

1. Pinterest is destroying my blog because it’s taking links away from it and putting them in a whole line of waffle irons set up on the counter.

2. I need to sell my house, but I’m afraid that people may notice that there is a giant tree laying right on top of it.  I decide that we should put a “For Sale” sign in front of the house anyway, and we’ll just hope that people don’t notice.

3. I have to figure out a different way to paint because all of my paintings started having paint leak off of them, like they’re crying.

Finally, I had an epiphany that I apparently have some odd side effects from taking a pain reliever before bed that has a “PM” addition to it.

While the Pinterest-waffle iron thing wasn’t the dead giveaway to that epiphany (it made so much sense in the middle of the night), I finally realized it when I couldn’t stop waking up while Eric was getting ready for work and he said, “Are you okay?” and I answered with, “Yeah.  I think.  I don’t know.”  And, each subsequent question he asked me also had to end with me giving and answer and then adding, “I don’t know.”

Happily, I slept it off and was done with crazy epiphanies.  I am also done with taking a medicine with a “PM” after the name.

Middle of the Night Epiphanies is a post from: Many Little Blessings

Current Sponsor:

Great Homeschool Conventions - Incredible Speakers and Exhibitors! The Homeschool Event of the Year!

No related posts.

Just a few random things that I’ve been loving lately…

My New Waffle Maker

Waffles at our house have always meant Eggo’s and a toaster oven.  After having waffles while at Disney World, and reading about the suggestion of using Carbon’s Golden Malted Pancake and Waffle Flour, I decided that maybe we would enjoy having a waffle iron.  I love it!  It heats up in the time that I need to make the mix, and then I can make nice, big waffles in just about two minutes per waffle.  (The kids are thrilled!)

Driving at Night and Listening to Music

Oddly, though I really don’t care for driving at night, there is just something about cruising along and listening to songs like “Under the Milky Way” or “Just Like Heaven.”

My Family

Yeah, I always love them.  It just didn’t seem like it would be a good list without them.  I have a pretty awesome family (both the family that lives here at home with me as well as family members like my parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, etc.).

Being Back at Our Own Parish

After more than a month away, it has been so nice to be back home and attending Mass at our own parish.  It just feels different and smells different and sounds different.  It always feels like home, just like the one time that I wandered in when we kind of randomly decided to become Catholic.

Oh, and can I just say too that I love that my parish has cards in the pews to help with the new Mass wording?  When we were in Florida, I had to learn about to use a Missal and nobody was saying the new words correctly.  It was stressing me out!

Eating Less Sugar

Okay, so maybe I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I’m loving this one.  But, I don’t really mind it too much, and that is what I love about it.  I have still been having some sugary things, but they are not often and I find that I have been craving them less when I’ve been having less.  It’s been easier to say “No thank you” when offered sweets.  Bonus!

Olay Smooth Finish Facial Hair Removal Kit

What can I say?  I come from a family of women that have to worry about these kinds of things.  The problem is, however, my skin is very sensitive.  I tried some wax on my face once and broke out in hives or welts or something.  It was not good.  All other chemical hair removal has fair not quite as bad, but can leave my skin red for days.  (Seriously – that’s so not cool.)  Even too much plucking can make me break out.

So, I didn’t have high hopes for this Olay Facial Hair Removal stuff, but oh my heck — it’s awesome!  It worked really well and my skin didn’t even get slightly red.  I’m hooked.

Ave Maria

Yes, I did just go from facial hair removal to a beautiful song in Latin.  You’ll have to forgive me because I’m sick.

I have had Josh Groban’s version of Ave Maria on my iPod for quite some time, but I normally just listened to a tiny bit and shuffled.  No disrespect to Josh or our Blessed Mother, but I like to sing along to songs (or at least pretend to sing along).  The Latin threw me.  But, when I decided that all of the kids would study Latin recently, I listened to the song and realized that I could say all of those words.  Not only that, but they’re beautiful.  So, I’m hooked on this one too.

The Kind of Cold Medicine that You Have to Buy Behind the Pharmacy Counter

Seriously – these sinuses are killing me.  That stuff behind the counter is just amazing.  It makes me want to stock up on it.  Of course, considering that the police would probably show up then, it helps to deter that urge.

The part I hate the most about buying it, however, is that I have to show my drivers license, which I do not love because I look really angry on it.

Metallic Photo Paper

This just makes colors pop so much.  It’s gorgeous.  I don’t know how many people commented about the prints that I had at the craft shows that I did in November.  It’s just amazing, and I wish that I could show my prints to people in person.  I’ve been thinking of moving all of my prints (the ones for sale, not for my own photo albums) exclusively over to metallic paper.

One of my favorites because of the pop with the metallic paper is the “In Christ Alone” prints that I have in my shop.

2:1 Ticket Giveaway

Just love that I get to give away a ticket to the 2:1 Conference (which will be in April) this week on The Homeschool Classroom!  Fun! (I’ll be speaking at the conference!)

What are some things that you’ve been loving lately?

This post is linked to Top Ten Tuesday.

Disclosure Policy

Things I’m Loving Right Now is a post from: Many Little Blessings

Current Sponsor:

Great Homeschool Conventions - Incredible Speakers and Exhibitors! The Homeschool Event of the Year!

No related posts.

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 package lemon cake mix (my Mom has noted “not Pillsbury” though I’m not really sure why, so feel free to just make note of that)
• 1 small instant lemon pudding
• 1 cup boiling water
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup cooking oil (like vegetable or Canola)
• 1/4 cup poppy seeds

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together until well blended.  Make sure to add the eggs last and one at a time while mixing well.  (Because of the boiling water, you don’t want to take the chance that it may “cook” the eggs some.)

2. Add mixture to greased loaf pans.  (Three small loaf pans or two larger ones)

3. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 35 minutes.  (You know your oven best.  Just make sure to check the bread for a toothpick to come out mostly clean.)

This is a fabulous bread to make when you have to take something to a potluck or other type of gathering, especially if you’re pressed for time.

This post is linked to: Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, and  Works for Me Wednesday.

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread Recipe is a post from: Many Little Blessings

Current Sponsor:

Great Homeschool Conventions - Incredible Speakers and Exhibitors! The Homeschool Event of the Year!

No related posts.

~ 1 ~

This week, Molly said, “Let’s push up the ceiling!”

I had to ask, “Is that like ‘Let’s raise the roof?’”

These kids crack me up!

~ 2 ~

After a lot of thought and trying a couple of languages in our homeschooling, we’ve finally decided to go with the homeschooling cliche and we’re going to begin working on Latin.  It was something that my senior English teacher said on Facebook not too long ago when she said that one of her most useful classes she ever took was some Latin in middle school.

So, I think we’re going to work on Latin for a while, and then when the kids are high school aged, they can decide on whatever language they want.

~ 3 ~

We have now found out that during February, two of the three kids are going to have to have oral surgery.  This also means that it will be the first time that any of my kids have been sedated for any reason.  I told Eric that the whole situation makes me feel a little like I need to be sedated.

~ 4 ~

Have you been hoping to go to the 2:1 Conference in April?  If so, I would keep an eye on The Homeschool Classroom this coming week.

That’s just about all I have to say about that.  But, really – I would watch over there, okay?

~ 5 ~

In the last few weeks, I’ve talked to a couple of people who thought that I went to college for art.  I’ve dug that.

I have, however, stopped myself from saying, “If I went to school for that, they would have kicked me out.”

But, in all seriousness, it’s kind of mind blowing to me that the ways I’m making money these days are writing, art, and graphic design.  I never would have guessed that even a few years ago.  Sure, it’s not like I’m going to go to Paris on the money, but it’s something.

~ 6 ~

Speaking of design projects, I’ve started doing designs for ebooks.  I’m really excited to share some of the designs, but neither of the ebooks have been released yet.  So, that will have to wait.  It’s been a fun change from some of the other design projects that I’ve been working on though.

~ 7 ~

For whatever reason, I clicked to another tab after writing #6 and only remember about an hour later that I hadn’t finished this list.  What the heck?

This post is linked to 7 Quick Takes and Weekly Wrap Up.

Disclosure Policy

7 Quick Takes: January 21, 2012 (Vol. 109) is a post from: Many Little Blessings

Current Sponsor:

Great Homeschool Conventions - Incredible Speakers and Exhibitors! The Homeschool Event of the Year!

Related posts:

1. 7 Quick Takes: January 7, 2012 (Vol. 107) ~ 1 ~ I would say that I held off...
2. 7 Quick Takes: January 13, 2012 (Vol. 108) ~ 1 ~ News flash: I’m short. I never like...
3. Our Curriculum: 2011 – 2012 With our third year of homeschooling under our belts, and...

I have always loved learning new skills.  While I can’t say that I always love the initial starting process, I just love the idea that there are so many things in the world to learn about and to do.  The possibilities are, quite literally, endless.  Of course, it becomes necessary to pick and choose and then devote your time to fewer things.

Here are some things that I would love to learn how to do:

1. Be an Organized, Efficient Homemaker – This is an area that is always a struggle to me.  I would love to learn to do this in a more natural way, without that struggle.

2. Chop Fruits and Vegetables like a Chef – I am in awe when I see the way they chop up veggies, herbs, and the like while watching the Food Network.  I’d love to have some wicked knife skills in the kitchen too.

3. Play the Cello – I have wanted to play the cello since I was in elementary school when there was a strings program for fifth and sixth graders.  It’s just so beautiful (the music and the instrument!).

4. Play the Guitar – Oh yeah, that’s right.  It’s all fair to put on another instrument on the list.  I keep putting guitar starter sets onto my Amazon wish list, but I have yet to break down and buy one.  It’s probably because I know full well that I probably won’t ever learn.  But, it doesn’t stop me from adding them to my wishlist.  (I will skip out on adding play the piano to the list.  We’ll just all know that it would be on there too, if I hadn’t already added two instruments.)

5. Drawing – This is one that I’ve been working on in some of my “free time” in the past eight months or so.  It is definitely not something that comes naturally to me, but it is a challenge that I really enjoy – especially when I can admire a finished project.

6. Hand Lettering – While this has some overlap with drawing, of course, I feel like it’s a different type of thing as well.  I just love projects that I see that have been all hand lettered.  I have never had great handwriting, years of typing almost exclusively have definitely not helped!

7. Say Whole Prayers in Latin – I don’t know…it just seems like a fun, old-school Catholic kind of thing to be able to do.  I have been listening to Josh Groban’s rendition of “Ave Marie,” and it makes me want to be able to say it all in Latin.

8. Speak Another Language Fluently – I have two years of high school French, and then another two semesters of it from college.  What little French I remember is mostly from what I have done with the kids in a very casual way, and then thought, “Oh yeah!  I remember that!”  I think it would be great to speak some other language with some fluency.

9. Be an Awesome Gardner – I have a garden.  I am not, however, an awesome gardener.  I wouldn’t even go so far as to say I’m a decent gardener.  But, we get some food every year, and that’s what I want.  But, I really would love if I could do it more efficiently and with better know-how.

10. Be a Morning Person – I just don’t think I’m wired that way, but I would love to swap my night owl ways to be an early bird.  It just seems like I might get more done in a day.  This, however, is possibly just wishful thinking, and I would get exactly the same amount.  Who knows!

(Oh my! People in the comments made me realize I totally left off something I would love to be able to do!  Learn to sew!  How did I forget that one?)

What would you love to learn how to do?

This post is linked to Top Ten Tuesday.

Disclosure Policy

Things I’d Love to Learn How to Do is a post from: Many Little Blessings

Current Sponsor:

Great Homeschool Conventions - Incredible Speakers and Exhibitors! The Homeschool Event of the Year!

Related posts:

1. 10 Things I Love About Pinterest I have shared my love for Pinterest before.  I can’t...
2. 10 Things We Love About Molly Seven years ago tonight, I was having a hard time...
3. 10 Reasons I Love My Wife (Written By My Husband) A Note From Angie It is not often that I...

Eating Vegan Around the World – The VeganAsana
Having just written up my own food journey around Disney World, it was really interesting to read a post from my sister (who is vegan) about eating at Disney World as a vegan (with one of her kids being vegan and one vegetarian).  This is a good read for anyone planning a trip to Disney who has special dietary restrictions.

Are You an Artist? - Chatting at the Sky
Awesome look at being an artist, and exactly who might be an artist.

How to Teach Descriptive Writing with Show-Me Sentences – Five J’s
Love these ideas for expanding beyond sentences like, “I ate ice cream. It was good.”

The Trouble with Blogging – Blogging with Amy
Fabulous read for any blogger who has even gotten frustrated or burnt out, which I suspect pretty much includes most people blogging.

Cookie Dough Tins: A Simple How-To – Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Love this fun gift idea!  Totally have to try it!

Pinterest and Blogging: The Good, The Bad, and the Huh? – Nesting Place
Obviously, I have already sang my praises of Pinterest over and over.  (You can follow me on Pinterest as well.)  This was a great read for bloggers on how to use Pinterest successfully.

Many Little Links: January 15, 2012 is a post from: Many Little Blessings

Current Sponsor:

Great Homeschool Conventions - Incredible Speakers and Exhibitors! The Homeschool Event of the Year!

Related posts:

1. Many Little Links: January 9, 2012 Troubleshooting Tool: Down for Everyone or Just Me? – Blogging...
2. 7 Quick Takes: January 7, 2012 (Vol. 107) ~ 1 ~ I would say that I held off...
3. 7 Quick Takes: January 13, 2012 (Vol. 108) ~ 1 ~ News flash: I’m short. I never like...

Pam Grace Creations Growth Chart

~ 1 ~

News flash: I’m short.

I never like to think of myself as short, but it’s becoming more and more obvious to me.  You see, once upon a time, I was tall.  For several years in elementary school, I was the tallest person in my class.  I still kind of think of myself like that.  I like to forget that it really just meant that I started growing sooner than most people.  As a matter of fact, I’m not sure that I really grew much taller past finishing elementary school.

This week, I went to the doctor and they measured my height.  I asked what it was, just to verify the number they gave me a few years ago before my kidney stone surgery.  Yep — 5 feet 5-1/4 inches.

For fun, Eric also measured Noah (age 12) and I against the wall to compare our heights.  I’m still taller, but only by about 1/32 of an inch.  Goodness!

~ 2 ~

I overbook my time all the time.  It’s how I roll.  But, all of the sudden this week, I realized that I accidentally did it in kind of a big way.  Oops!

On the up side, I am going to have a little free time this weekend, and I know for sure that I need to be working on design projects the whole time.

Apparently I need to continue with my reading of Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time!  (I’m seriously enjoying it, by the way.  But, haven’t really had time to read, obviously.  Sitting at the doctor’s office for two hours this week bought me some time though.)

~ 3 ~

Yes, that’s right.  I was at the doctor’s office this week for a little over two hours from the time I was told to arrive until I left the lab.  Most of that time was just waiting, although I did spend about 45 minutes with a doctor that I hadn’t seen before.  (Who I really enjoyed, by the way, so then I almost didn’t even mind that I had to wait so long.)

~ 4 ~

Speaking of going to the doctor, can I just tell you how it is kind of disconcerting when you pick up a prescription that the doctor has put you on, you read the literature that you get with it from the pharmacy, and you don’t have any of the conditions that are described in the section of what it’s usually used for?

I mean — not one of them.  In fact, you don’t even have anything similar to anything listed.  As in, for instance, you have excellent blood pressure and the main purpose is high blood pressure.

Thanks to Google, however, I was able to find people talking about using it for the reason the doctor prescribed it.  But, I was worried there for a while.

~ 5 ~

Know what’s coming to theaters today?  Beauty and the Beast, that’s what!

While the theaters near us are offering some times of the 2D version, I’m thinking that we might be daring and go see a full length 3D movie for the first time.  (We’ve seen a couple 3D movies at attractions, such as Mickey’s Philharmagic when we were in Disney World in December.)  I’m not really sure what I’ll think of watching a 3D movie for so long, but hopefully it will be doable.  I guess it just seems that of any movie to see in 3D, Beauty and the Beast is an ideal choice.

Have you been to 3D movies?  Do you like them or not?

~ 6 ~

Another thing that I’m psyched about –

I managed to feed us all a hot breakfast almost all week.  As someone who is known to skip breakfast (or just grab something like a Fiber One bar), I was surprised that I thought I felt more full throughout the day just by eating a fuller, more nutritious breakfast.  I guess breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, huh?

On the learning to cook front, I tackled a meal that was a skill level 3 (the highest skill level) in Anyone Can Cook: Step-by-Step Recipes Just for You.  This involved me making homemade chicken gravy.  Now, I know for all of you out there that know how to properly cook, that’s not a big deal, but I was very pleased with myself.  While I only used a couple of small spoonfuls myself, I was just happy to have done it.

~ 7 ~

Are you interested in attending The 2:1 Conference in April?  This will be a great conference for homeschool bloggers (although there are lots of opportunities to choose what talks you go to, so you don’t really have to be a homeschooler).  You can check out the fab schedule here.

Anyway, through Friday night, you can enter a contest on Raising Arrows to win a free ticket to attend the 2:1 Conference!  Go check it out and enter!

This post is linked to 7 Quick Takes and Weekly Wrap Up.

Disclosure Policy

7 Quick Takes: January 13, 2012 (Vol. 108) is a post from: Many Little Blessings

Current Sponsor:

Great Homeschool Conventions - Incredible Speakers and Exhibitors! The Homeschool Event of the Year!

Related posts:

1. 7 Quick Takes: January 7, 2012 (Vol. 107) ~ 1 ~ I would say that I held off...
2. Our Curriculum: 2011 – 2012 With our third year of homeschooling under our belts, and...

Yesterday, I shared what we ate on the first four days of our stay at Walt Disney World on their Disney Dining Plan.  Now, I’m going to finish up with our last few days.

Day Five on Disney Disney Plan

Park We Visited: Animal Kingdom

Breakfast

Cinnamon Roll

Rix Cafe (Coronado Springs) – We made ourselves get up earlier than we had been doing for the rest of the week, knowing that morning would be the best time to see the animals.  So, we did what became our usual and ordered a couple of muffins, a chocolate croissant, and a cinnamon roll at our resort.  (Snack Credits Used: 4)

Lunch

Tusker House (Animal Kingdom) – Although Tusker House has been having character breakfasts, they only just began character lunches at the very beginning of December.  So, we got to visit when they had only been having the character lunches for a little over a week!

I really liked this African-inspired buffet.  I thought there was a fabulous variety of foods, including many, many things that I had never tried before.  My Mom didn’t really care for Tusker House.  The kids all seemed to like it about as much as the other buffet places, as there were definitely things that they were willing to eat as well (but not as many as at other buffet places).  I would say that if you have a lot of very picky eaters in your party, Tusker House may not be a top pick for you (or you might want to go for breakfast).

Even though the character lunch was a newer feature for Tusker House, it seemed well organized.  (Probably because they were already used to it at breakfast.)  We were able to see all of the characters there – Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, and Goofy.  (Table Service Credits Used: 4)

Dinner

Pepper Market (Coronado Springs Resort) – The kids and I all got cheeseburgers with fries (as well as drinks).  For dessert, I got a strawberry shortcake and the boys got ice cream sundaes.  Molly (the only “child” on our plan) ordered the macaroni and cheese.  In an odd choice on the resort’s part, it automatically came with chips and a prepackaged cookie.  First off — chips with macaroni and cheese?  What the heck?  Second – there were lots of fresh desserts in a bakery area — why make the kids eat an unimpressive pre-packaged cookie?  This was the one time that Molly was very visually not pleased at the discrepancy between a child meal and an adult meal.  (And, I was pretty irritated too.)

We all thought the food was passable, but it seemed to cinch the idea to us that on our next trip to Walt Disney World, we probably wouldn’t be staying at Coronado Springs.  While it was fine, it is really handy to actually like the restaurants at the resort.  (Quick Service Credits Used: 4)

Day Six on Disney Disney Plan

Park We Visited: Epcot

Breakfast

‘Ohana (Polynesian Resort) – I don’t know if it’s just because we had spent a week eating things like muffins and cinnamon rolls for breakfast, but this seemed like the tastiest breakfast that any of us had ever eaten.  Well, maybe not ever.  But, I can’t remember a better breakfast that I’ve had.  In fact, we’ve still been talking about it.

‘Ohana is all you care to eat, but it is served family style.  This was also fun after all the buffet places of having to get up (and having to deal with the kids worrying about missing characters).  There were breakfast rolls, seasonal fruit, Mickey waffles (which are insanely good), scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and fried potatoes.  When various items started running low, our server brought us out an extra order of only the items that we asked for.

We all also enjoyed seeing a few characters that we hadn’t seen yet.  We saw Mickey again, but also got to see Lilo and Stitch!  (Goofy never made it to our table, but we didn’t worry about it, and left without seeing him.)  When Lilo made it to our table a second time, she made hand gestures to say that she had been to our table, made it all the way around the restaurant, and was back to us again.  I was impressed that she remembered!

This is definitely on our list to do again!  (Table Service Credits Used: 4)

Lunch

Okay, so lunch was kind of crazy after our huge breakfast.  I’m going to go with the official stance that we had no lunch, but two snacks.

Snack 1:

Boulangerie Patisserie (Epcot/French Pavilion) – If you pay attention to only one thing I say in this whole two day series, let it be this, “Find this place, and eat there.”  It does involve wandering in to France and going into a little offshoot area on La Petite Rue (“The Little Road”).  There is almost always a line out the door, but the line splits when you enter, offering the same items on both sides.  So, don’t be intimidated.

(Oh, and if the name intimidates you, just call it the French Bakery.)

During Snack 1, we got two orders of chocolate mousse and two strawberry smoothies.  (Silly kids and their dumb orders.  Who wants strawberry smoothies when there are confections of all sorts?)

My Mom also got a chocolate mousse, but didn’t eat it all.  In addition, she got a french baguette pizza (which had a fancy French name), and promptly declared that we would need to eat there again that day.  We tried bites and agreed.

On a second stop for snack one, we went to Fife and Drum in the American Pavilion for an ice cream for Noah, as he didn’t want a French dessert.  (Snack Credits Used: 5.)

Snack Two:

Boulangerie Patisserie (Epcot/French Pavilion) – Yep, we went back several hours later and all got those French baguette pizzas.  Delicious!!!  Seriously – the cheeses they used were just amazing.  (Credits Used: None, we actually went ahead and paid cash for these.)

Dinner

Wolfgang Puck Express (Downtown Disney) – We didn’t end up eating dinner until around 10 pm.  In an unrelated note, I realized that I’m older now because that was just far too late to eat such rich food.  Boo!

My Mom stayed back at the hotel (and ate a ham and cheese sandwich she picked up at Boulangerie Patisserie, which she said was delicious).  We ended up at Wolfgang Puck Express and ate the same things we’d already eaten there — rosemary chicken for me, chicken strip platter for both boys, and cheese pizza for Molly.  (To read more about the total meal we tended to get at Wolfgang Puck Express, check out yesterday’s post, where I went in to more detail.) It’s important to note that Downtown Disney is very busy on Friday nights, and we had to wait in line for quite some time.  (Quick Service Credits Used: 4)

Other

Goofy’s Candy Company (Downtown Disney) – We popped in here and bought one package of candy and a very large Mickey Mouse cookie.  I thought the cookie was a snack option, but it was not.  But, when they rang it up, they accidentally gave it to me as a snack credit anyway.  (The lady helping to train the guy wasn’t happy with him for accidentally having done it, but didn’t reverse it.)  (Snack Credits Used: 2, because we were really starting to worry we wouldn’t use all of our snack credits!)

Day Seven on Disney Disney Plan

Park We Visited: Magic Kingdom

Breakfast

Cafe Rix (Coronado Springs Resort) – Yep, the usual.  (Snack Credits Used: 5)

Dessert at The Crystal Palace

Lunch

The Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom) – I was so psyched when I managed to get reservations here while we were already on site (but several days ahead of time).  This is a buffet that is also a character meal with Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore.

The food was delicious, and the characters were wonderful!  (We’re big Pooh and Friends fans!)  There was a great variety of foods, something I really loved about the Disney buffets.  My favorite though?  The pumpkin cheesecake on the dessert part.  Yum!

We saw all of the characters, and they were wonderful.  Piglet was so cute (in appearance and mannerisms) that I couldn’t help myself but say, “Piglet – you are just too cute!”

I would definitely recommend doing this restaurant!  (Table Service Meals Used: 4)

Dinner

Our view while we were eating at Cosmic Ray's

Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe (Magic Kingdom) – All three adults got Angus Cheeseburgers, fries, a drink, and a triple chocolate cake.   This time, we actually took advantage of the fixings bar that we hadn’t really noticed the first time, and we loaded up some of the burgers with sauteed mushrooms.  Yum!  Molly ordered chicken nuggets, carrots, grapes, and a drink.  (We all shared part of our dessert with her too.)  I really like this quick service restaurant.  (Quick Service Credits Used: 4)

Snacks

Aloha Isle (Magic Kingdom) – We ordered two Dole Whips to share with pineapple ice cream.  While we thought they were nice and refreshing, I wasn’t sure what the big deal was about these.  I would eat one again, but just not sure what the hype is about.  (Snack Credits Used: 2)

Day Eight on Disney Disney Plan

Park We Visited: None (though we did still have one day left on our passes)

Breakfast

Cafe Rix (Coronado Springs Resort) – Some more of the usual.  Well, except we also used the last of our snack credits.  (Snack Credits Used: 2; Paid for Ourselves: 3)

And, sadly, after we ate, we finished packing, called bell services, and drove home, waving to the Disney World sign as we drove past and promising to come back again as soon as we could!

—————-

My sister has recently written about eating at Walt Disney World as a vegan.  If you have special dietary needs, you might want to check out her post.

Tip: One of my favorite resources for menus from all of the restaurants in the parks and resorts (as well as maps, wait times, etc.) is the Disney World Magic Guide app.  I used this about a million times during my planning and during our time at the parks.

What We Ate Using the Walt Disney World Dining Plan (Days 5 – 8) is a post from: Many Little Blessings

Current Sponsor:

Great Homeschool Conventions - Incredible Speakers and Exhibitors! The Homeschool Event of the Year!

Related posts:

1. What We Ate at Walt Disney World on the Standard Disney Dining Plan (Days 1 – 4) I was really intimidated about the Disney Dining Plan before...
2. 10 Things I Learned From Our Trip to Walt Disney World Honestly, I learned so much from our Disney World trip...
3. 10 More Tips I Learned From My Trip to Walt Disney World I can’t help it!  I just learned so much on...