Another Mother Runner

I have been running, with varying levels of seriousness, for about eight years. I recently (finally) ran in my very first half marathon, the Smuttynose Rockfest in Hampton, New Hampshire. I went into the race with the attitude of not caring what my finish time was, but just wanting to finish (but secretly had a 2 hour 30 minute hopeful time in my head)

Picking up  my number for the half marathon!

Despite the cold, rainy day, I was able to run the entire race, not stopping to walk (except for a quick pee break in the woods) in 2 hours and 19 minutes!!! I was super proud of myself and am already looking forward to my next half. I already registered for the New Bedford Half Marathon in March, 2013.

 Anyway, I look for running inspiration where ever I can. One of my favorite sites to give me a little push is Another Mother Runner.   Reading about the highs and lows that other women have in not only the running "careers," but in life as well is not only inspirational, but educational as well.  It shows us that we are not unique in our critiques of ourselves as women, but that despite what we perceive as personal flaws, we cannot and should not let that keep us from getting out there and running toward our goals (pun intended).

Even if you are not a runner, check out the Another Mother Runner site. 

Look To The Cookie

Some people call them Half Moons.  Others call them Black and Whites.  Still other have called them Half and Halfs.  But, they are just plain delicious!

I have been wanting to make these for a while; basically, ever since I purchased my copy of Junior's Dessert Cookbook.  I LOVE these tasty treats.  They are not really a cake, nor a cookie, but a scrumptious circle of wonderfulness all their own!  They even had their 15 minutes of fame in a Seinfeld episode.

Anyway, I finally decided to make these yesterday.  While the process of putting them together is a little bit of work, the result is well worth it, as my co-workers can attest to, as I brought some of these in to work today.  Try for yourself!

Junior's Black and White Cookies (from the Junior's Dessert Cookbook)

Cookies

2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2/3 cup heavy cream

Frostings

10 cups confectioners' sugar (2 1/4 pounds)
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 hot water, cup plus
3 tablespoons hot water, plus more as needed
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted (at least 60% cacao) 

 

For the Cookies:

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 

 

Grease 2 baking sheets and line with parchment paper. 

 

Sift both the flours, the baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl. Then, sift the mixture again into another medium bowl.
 

In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium, cream the butter and granulated sugar together until light yellow and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat in the extracts. 

 

Sift about one-third of the flour mixture over the batter and, using a wooden spoon, stir in, then add about one-third of the cream and stir until mixed. Repeat until all the flour and cream is mixed in well. 

 

Using a 1⁄4-cup ice cream scoop or 1/4 measuring cup scoop about 1⁄4 cup batter onto the prepared baking sheets for each cookie. Spread out with a small metal spatula into a 3-inch circle. Space the cookies about 3 inches apart to bake.
 

Bake just until the edges begin to turn light golden and the tops are puffed and spring back when touched, 12 to 13 minutes. The cookies should be only light golden on the bottom, not golden brown. A pick inserted into the center should come out clean. (Do not overbake!) Let the baked cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer, upside down (bottom side up), to wire racks and cool completely. 

 

For the Frosting: 

 

Sift confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl. Stir in the corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, and 1⁄2 cup hot water until smooth. Add more hot water, if needed, a little at a time, until the frosting is spreadable. 

 

Transfer 11⁄4 cups frosting to another bowl; stir in the melted chocolate and the 3 tablespoons hot water. 

 

Cover the frostings with a damp paper towel to keep them fresh and spreadable as you work; if the frostings stiffen too much, stir in a few more drops of hot water.
 

Using a small metal spatula,, spread white frosting over the entire flat bottom side of each cookie. When the frosting feels set, frost half of each cookie a second time, this time with chocolate frosting, layering it on top of the white and making the center line as straight as possible. Let the icing dry until it is no longer soft to the touch, at least 2 hours, and store the cookies, between sheets of parchment or waxed paper, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Do not refrigerate or freeze these cookies.

Obama's Election Night Speech

I certainly don't want to turn this blog into a political one, but I wanted to post President Obama's election night speech.  This is the tone and feeling that he portrayed during his first campaign, and hopefully, can carry through the next four year.

Let's work together!

Vote Vegan Chai Spice Snickerdoodles!

So, since my daughters; elementary school is also a polling location, every year the PTO organizes a bake sale on election day to raise some money for the school.  I always contribute something to the bake sale, and since I am on my vegan baking kick, this year's contribute is also a vegan item.

Thank God (again) for The Post Punk Kitchen and their unbelievable vegan baking recipes!  I chose to make these Chai Spice Snickerdoodles for the bake sale.  These came out so perfectly that it took all my willpower not to eat the entire batch.  The smell was just mouthwatering, and they taste just like chai tea!

OK, I did eat one; I had too, so I could make sure they were OK to sell to the general public!  Again, make these for your family and friends and see if they can even tell they are vegan. 

Chai Spice Snickerdoodles (from The Post Punk Kitchen)

For the topping:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch cloves

For the cookies:
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons non-dairy milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Mix the topping ingredients together on a dinner plate. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork to vigorously mix together oil, sugar, syrup, and milk. Mix for at least a minute, until it resembles applesauce. Then mix in vanilla.

Sift in remaining ingredients, stirring as you add them. Once all ingredients are added mix until you’ve got a pliable dough. Get in there with your hands to mix, it’s the easiest way to get the dough to come together.
With clean, moist hands, roll dough into walnut sized balls. Pat into the sugar topping and flatten into roughly 2 inch discs. Transfer to baking sheet, sugar side up, at least 2 inches apart (they do spread a little). This should be easy as the the bottom of the cookies should just stick to your fingers so you can just flip them over onto the baking sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, they should be a bit browned on the bottoms. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

A Vegan Treat

I have been on a vegan baking kick for the past few weeks, and have had some great successes and some pretty awesome mistakes.  However, thanks to Isa Chandra Moskowitz at The Post Punk Kitchen and her wonderful recipe book "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World," I have found great recipes for vegan chocolate and vanilla cupcakes that no one (and I mean NO ONE!!!!!) has even suspected were vegan.

The chocolate version, with a vegan peanut butter buttercreme.

These have been such a hit that I was even able to send them into my daughter's Halloween party in her school and the kids loved them!

This is the vanilla version with a vanilla buttercreme, decorate for Halloween!

Again, you can feel free to make these cupcakes and give them to anyone with total confidence,  They will never know you are giving them a vegan cupcake (unless you spill the beans, of course).

Vegan Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners. Spray lightly with cooking spray.

Whisk the almond milk and vinegar in a measuring cup and set aside for a few minutes to get good and curdled.

Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and mix.
Beat together the almond milk mixture, oil, sugar, vanilla extract and vanilla bean in a large bowl. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix until no large lumps remain.

Fill cupcake liners two-thirds of the way and bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool.

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract, chocolate extract, or more vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with paper liners.

Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and other extract, if using, to the soy milk mixture and beat until foamy.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are OK).

Lightly spray the liners with cooking spray and pour batter into liners, filling 3/4 of the way. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Get Your Mojo On!

So, my last posting had me singing the praises of a local cupcake establishment, but since then, I have come across another fabulously delicious and sweet cupcake shop right here in Weymouth, Massachusetts:

CUPCAKE MOJO!

My first introduction to the Mojo was when I saw these lovely ladies compete on the Food Network show "Cupcake Wars."  At the time, they did not have a store front, but a few months later I saw in the local newspaper that they had set up shop in my hometown.  Being the baking nerd that I am, I had to check them out.

I am SO glad I did.  From when I first entered the store, Maureen, the owner, made me feel welcome, almost like an old friend!  And on every visit since, she welcomes me by name and knows my girls as well.  The other staff that work there are just as friendly and kind, and have a great rapport with all their customers.

And I haven't even mentioned the star of the show yet...the cupcakes!!

They have a rotating menu of cupcake flavors daily.  Some flavors are more frequent than others, and they also have a great selection of seasonal cupcakes as well.  I have tried many of their flavors so far; their carrot cake is devine.  Many times carrot cake can be dry and mealy or overly spiced, but Cupcake Mojo's carrot cake is perfectly moist with a great carrot flavor and just enough cream cheese frosting to compliment the cake, without overpowering.  I have also especially enjoyed the seasonal Pumpkin Mousse cupcake (pumpkin anything rocks!),  the "Joyous Almond" (their take on the famous candy), and the Apple Cider.  They even recently made a "Hurricane Sandy" cupcake, to commemorate the coming hurricane, by topping a chocolate cupcake with a smooth peanut butter butter creme, covering that with more chocolate butter creme, drizzling it with even MORE peanut butter and chocolate, and topping it off with cut up candy bars!  Needless to say, I had to partake of this creation (what?  I needed the sugar energy to prepare for the storm).  I was not disappointed.

Learning to decorate (and eat!) cupcakes at at Cupcake Mojo in Weymouth, MA.

Cupcake Mojo also caters and has a party room for birthdays and other events.  I even had my daughter's 10th birthday there, where the kids learned how to fill and decorate cupcakes.

So, the next time you are looking for a sweet treat, get your behind over to Weymouth Landing and into Cupcake Mojo!

These Cupcakes are Wicked Good!

Despite my 140 by 40 plan, I do have a major, major sweet tooth.  I find it hard sometimes to resist that old friend of mine when he comes knocking on my door with his decedent, come-hither look.  I have been for the past week pretty good at keeping to my meal plan, avoiding the ice cream and chocolate that are my usual downfalls.  However, the other day I was done in.  Done in by a small, hand held tread wrapped in a pretty little package.  Done in by a Wicked Good Cupcake!

Oh, before you judge me, you need to know all the facts.  This wasn't just any old little  Betty Crocker cupcake with canned frosting.  This was a special, once a year event cupcake.  This was a Chocolate Guinness and Bailey's cupcake made by Wicked Good Cupcakes in Cohasset, Massachusetts in honor of St. Patrick's Day.  A dense, dark and moist chocolate cupcake baked with Guinness Extra Stout and topped with a swirl of Bailey's Irish Cream infused cream cheese buttercream frosting.  Aren't you drooling as we speak (or read, as the case may be?)  Wait, just take a look at this picture:

 

You had me at alcohol!

Yes, that is some stout and Bailey's goodness!


What is best about Wicked Good Cupcakes is that you don't have to live on the South Shore of Boston to get them!  They ship their cupcakes in a cupcake-in-a-jar fashion nationwide!  Holy buttercream!!!  They have a plethora of drool worthy flavors to choose from, like  Natalie's 24 Karat Kake, Hummingbird, Peanut Butter Surprise, and Cuckoo for Coconut.


So, if you have a hankering for a sweet treat, don't delay.  Get your behind to Wicked Good Cupcakes in Cohasset, MA, or order online and have them shipped direct to you.  It's eatin' time!

One Motivation Method

I put this sign on my freezer to try to remind me of my goal, and keep me from sneaking my girls' ice cream!

What do you think?   Does motivational techniques this like work for you?

So Much Food, So Little Time

So, the nutritionist that I am working with gave me a meal plan to follow on my 140 by 40 journey.  It is a 1600 calorie a day plan, spread out over 3 meals and 2 snacks a day.  It should be pretty simple, right.  Wrong!

I am actually kind of overwhelmed by my options and choices at this point.  I don't know which direction to go in.  Who knew that trying to fit it all my meals and snacks would be as difficult as it is turning out to be.  For example, today I got up and made my breakfast: 1 Whole Foods Oat and Flax instant oatmeal packet with 1/4 cup strawberries, 1/4 cup blueberries, and 1 stevia.  Cool.  Then, I was supposed to have a snack in between that and lunch.  However, that never happened.  I ended up jogging 10 miles on the treadmill while watching Celebrity Apprentice on Hulu, and then had to run to the store to get a gift for my niece's birthday.  By the time I got home I still had to take a shower and whip up a batch of veggie curry with bean to have as my dinner for the week (on the plan!).  By the time that was all done it was time for lunch!!!

So, no morning snack.  Lunch however was 1/2 cup egg whites with sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes, green beans, and spinach topped with 4 tablespoons of salsa.  Yummy!  I also threw in an apple to kind of compensate for the lack of morning snack.

Now I just need to make sure to have my afternoon snack (veggies with 2 tablespoons hummus) before my daughter's get home and we go to the gym so I can do my 45 minute weights workout.  Ugh! Oh!  And I did manage to also clean my family room in between all of that.

I am actually doing pretty good with my meals during the day, but I am still having major sweet cravings after dinner.  I have to think that those cravings are more out of habit than need to eat, as most of the time I am not hungry after dinner, but will still give in to the cravings.  I am going to do my best to up my will power to resist the temptation of cookies, chocolate, and mostly ICE CREAM!

Keeping my fingers crossed.....

140 by 40!

Ok, ok,  It has been a little while (well, a few months, actually) since I  have posted on my blog.  As with most people, the holidays derailed me and my regular schedule.  Even after the holidays were over, I had a difficult time getting back into the regular swing of things and kind of forgot about this blog.  Boo hoo!

However, I am back!  And with a purpose!

This year I am turning 40 years old.  While I know 40 is just an arbitrary number, it gets into my mind a little bit that it is still a milestone.  And with any milestone, it begs for a goal to be reached.  So I decided on one -- a goal I have had for a while, but have not had sufficient motivation to really push myself to reach.  And what is that goal you ask?  Well, I kind of dropped a spoiler in this blog's headline, but here it is anyway:

140 by 40!!!

Yes, I want to weigh 140 pound by my 40th birthday (July 19th to be exact).  While that is not far off -- I weight 148 pounds now -- as most people know, especially women, it is those last few pounds that seem impossible to get rid of.  And, especially now since I am getting older, with the inevitable slowing of the metabolism, it is just going to get more and more difficult.

To that end, I have really taken the bull by the horns.  I am upping my workouts and even went to a personal trainer at my gym, The Weymouth Club, to boost my workout intensity.  I am also meeting with the nutritionist at the club to tweak my diet and really try to get my food and nutrition the best it can be.

I have also started using a great tool to track my nutrition and calorie intake:  My Fitness Pal.  I love this tool!  I especially love the mobile app so that I can instantly record what I have eaten instead of trying to remember it later in the day when you can have the tendency to fudge your numbers a little bit.  (By the way, if any of you out there use My Fitness Pal, let me know and we can link our accounts and be fitness friends!).

Anyway, I will keep you posted on my progress, good and bad.  Support is one of the most important things in any weight loss goal, whether it is 8 or 80 pounds you are looking to lose.  And I thank you for your support!

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Counter

Orleans Crawfish, Randolph, MA

Orleans Crawfish at Hearth Stone is a restaurant in Randolph, MA that specialized in what they call "Asian Cajun" food.  This has been a restaurant that has been on both my and my husband's radar for a while, as we are both big fans of Cajun style food (our dream is to eat our way around New Orleans).  A few weeks ago I was able to snag a Groupon to this restaurant, and finally, this past Thursday we grabbed the girls and headed over to Orleans Crawfish for dinner.

We walked in on a Thursday evening about 6:15pm, and were immediately seated in the small dinning room.  There was only one other table occupied, but during our meal there seemed to be a steady stream of take out orders coming in (and going out!).  After checking out the menu, both the girls ordered chicken tenders (a small children's menu, but kids are able to choose a side for their meal from the generous list of sides).  Paul decided on the jambalaya while I ordered crawfish etouffee.  We also decided to order some hushpuppies for the table.

The kid's meals were typical kid's meals.  Nothing special, nothing terrible.  A good portion of chicken and well cooked.  Ellie ordered a side salad and Maggie got garlic bread for her side choice.

The hushpuppies were tasty, but did not come with any kind of dipping sauce, which left them a little dry.  One of them was also undercooked, with raw dough in the middle.

Paul liked his jambalaya, but didn't love it.  He thought the taste veered toward the asian, and not a typical flavor you would find in a traditional jambalaya dish.  Tasty, but not what he was expecting.  My crawfish etouffee however was very good.  The server had warned me upon ordering it that it was quite spicy, and as a spice lover, I was fine with that warning.  The dish did have a great spicy kick to it, but nothing that burned my mouth.  It was loaded with crawfish and came in a thick and flavor filled sauce.  The portion sizes of our meals were perfect, and both Paul and I cleared our plates totally!

While we weren't blown away with the meal, we were satisfied enough to comment we would come back to try other items on the menu.  I look forward to our next outing at Orleans Crawfish!

I Got a Christmas Card!

I did it!  I completed our family's Christmas Card already, using Shutterfly. I absolutely LOVE Shutterfly.  I use their service not only to get prints made but also to make fantastic photo books, cards, stationary, and loads of other fun stuff.  Check them out!  You will be hooked, too!

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

Fabulous Caramel Cake

It has been a while since I have baked anything. Way too long! I used to bake something (anything) at least once a week, but since we moved and I started my job, I just feel like I just haven't had the time or inclination to bake anything.

However, I do love to bake and miss it a lot. So I decided to just jump back in a make something (anything). After perusing my recipe books I decided on this cake from Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott; mostly because I had all the ingredients on hand!

The cake came out very good, but also extremely sweet. But what can you expect when making a cake with "Caramel" in it's name! Although my cake didn't turn out as pretty looking at the one pictured in the book, it didn't deter from the taste. I just didn't get the caramel icing spread as quickly as I needed to -- it hardened up quicker than I expected.

Fabulous Caramel Cake from Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott

Yellow Cake

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 cup milk
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Caramel Icing

One 1-pound box (about 2 2/3 cups) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
7 tablespoons evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Inn at Bay Pointe, Quincy, MA

Last weekend my mother came down to visit us on Saturday.  We had plans to take our girls to see the latest presentation at the Randall T. Boyd Jr. Planetarium in Weymouth that afternoon, and since it was such a nice day, decided to ad in a late lunch/early dinner as well.  We had wanted to try something new, so we decided on a restaurant in Quincy that we had been hearing about for a while and had been wanting to try -- Inn at Bay Pointe.

I had first read about this restaurant from Hidden Boston, and if ever there was a hidden restaurant it would be this one!  It is buried at the end of a dead end residential street Quincy, in a parking lot of a marina.  Luckily, mu husband drives past this street on his way to work every day and had driven down it before, otherwise I may not have found the restaurant!  The owners have, however, placed a large sign on the corner of the street indicating that they are there, so if you do go, keep a lookout for that sign.

We walked and and immediately my husband and I commented that we both liked the look and feel of the restaurant.  It isn't super modern looking or fancy, but it just gave off a comfortable vibe, with nice large windows overlooking the water, and a nice large bar that would be great to check out at some other point (when we were without kids!).  There is also an outdoor seating area on the water that would be a nice place  to have lunch or dinner in the warmer weather.

The menu has a nice mix of seafood, burgers and sandwiches, as well as other classic American dishes.  I ordered the Vegetarian Melt.  It was very good, made with sliced Portabello mushrooms, roasted red peppers, Bermuda onion, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, grilled, almost panini style.  It came with fries, which I normally try to avoid, but these were good as well.  Crispy and not greasy at all.  My mother ordered the Sheppard's Pie, which came in a very large portion.  She proclaimed it "delicious;"  one of the better Sheppard's pies she has eaten.  Paul got a Reuben Burger, which he said was perfectly fine.  Not outstanding  but a good burger nonetheless.  Ellie ordered the Shrimp Scampi special, which to my eye wasn't really scampi, as it came with more of a tomato based sauce instead of the garlic sauce a traditional scampi has.  She ate all of the shrimp, but left the pasta.  My youngest ordered pasta from the kid's menu, and ate the entire plate, which was a good sized child's portion.

All and all, we were pleased with Inn at Bay Point.  I would love to go back soon to try more of the seafood offerings there, and I am told the weekend brunch is excellent.  Give this place a try, if you can find it!

The girls pose on the anchor outside of Inn at Bay Pointe.

Why Am I Paying to Watch Ads?

Last night my family went to the movies to see "Dolphin Tale."  In 3-D no less.  It was a very sweet movie and a nice night, but there was one part of the evening that really got to me.

We got to the theater early (as I am very anal and am always way to early for everything).  We were sitting in the theater waiting for the 5:00pm start time for the movie.  5:00 came, the lights dimmed, and we were treated to 25 minutes of previews, reminders to buy popcorn and turn off our phones and, the worst of all, advertisements. Lots of ads.  Ads as far as the eye can see.  Can you tell me what is up with that?

I understand needed to make money.  That is what a business does; why they exist really.  To make money.  But, if you tell me that a movie starts a 5:00pm and I take my tow children to that movie, they should not have to sit and wait an additional 35 minutes for the movie to start.  A preview or two and maybe one Coke or Ford ad is all I am willing to stand.

So, I am going to try to stick to my local independent theater,  the Cameo Theater in Weymouth, MA.  They have it right!  One or two previews that the main feature.  Plus, it is only $5!  Can't beat that with your fancy 3-D glasses.

One Family's Disney Vacation: Day 6 -- Hollywood Studios

So, here we are on the last full day at Disney.  So far it has been a great trip.  Despite the crazy, jam packed schedule and being with each other non-stop in a small hotel room, we have had a wonderful time and have had really no big fights or meltdowns at all!  Paul and I are very pleased with the girls so far on this trip and only hope it continues at our last park of the trip.  Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Thanks to a great tip we received from the family who was sitting with us for dinner at Tepan Edo in Epcot, we arrived at Hollywood Studios before it opened.  We were told to do this so one member of our party could do the "Disney Dash" to secure Fastpasses to the Toy Story Mania ride. They informed us that if you do not get them first thing, you may not be able to get a Fastpass for this attraction, as they tend to run out very quickly.  This is by far the most popular ride in the park.  So when the park opened, off Paul ran with the rest of the throngs while the girls and I headed over to the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground to wait for his return.

As it was still early in the morning, we were the only people in this playground for a while.  It was pretty fun for both the kids and this adult, too. With monumental movie props and play structures inspired by the Disney movie, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, you get the sense of what it feels like to be shrunk to bug size by Professor Szalinkski's Electromagnetic Shrinking Machine.

We waited there for about 15 minutes before Paul arrived with our treasured Fastpasses.  Apparently it was great advice to get these first, as our passes weren't good until 2:10 pm, and the stand-by line was already a 90 minute wait for the ride!

Our next stop was Muppet*Vision 3-D, a film featuring the Muppets.  This was high on our list of things to see, as all four members of our family are great fans of the Muppets!  Again, being there so early, with most of the crowd either waiting for Toy Story Mania, or at the other side of the park where the Tower of Terror and the Rockin' Roller Coaster with Aerosmith were, there was only a small group waiting to see the film.  It was very cute, with some rather funny parts, but I would still recommend  It's a Bug's Life at Animal Kingdom over Muppet*Vision 3-D.


We then hopped onto the Studio Backlot Tour, a behind-the-scenes guided walk and tram ride showcasing the art of special effects in movies.  This was interesting, but the girls didn't really like this; they found it boring and the portion of the tour where they recreate a movie disaster was scary for Maggie.


Next up on our itinerary was The Great Movie Ride. This attraction takes you on a tram ride through many classic movies, including Casablanca, Indiana Jones, The Wizard of Oz, and Alien.  We all enjoyed this ride, and the girls especially liked The Wizard of Oz portion.  The attraction is housed in a replica of Mann's Chinese Theater, complete with various foot and hand prints of famous actors in front.  It was fun to look at those when entering the building!

 

At this time we were close to our lunch reservations, so we headed over to 50's Prime Time Cafe. This place is a hoot!  It is decorated to look like a kitchen from the 1950s, complete with a waiting room that looks like an old living room!  We were seated at our table and told that the kids had to set the table for us, using the plate, silverware, and napkins left in the center of the table. The menu is classic fare, and perfectly fine, but the vanilla milk shake I ordered was great, super thick and creamy, just the way it should be.  The servers play up the part by reminding you to keep your elbows off the table and to eat all your veggies or no dessert (speaking of dessert, that menu is given to you on a view finder!).  This was a fun lunch.

The waiting area at 50's Prime Time Cafe.

When we were done with lunch we still had some time before our Fasspass time to Toy Story Mania, so we needed to decide what to do next.  For weeks leading up to this trip Maggie was most excited about going on the Tower of Terror.  She had ridden a smaller drop ride many times at Nickelodeon Universe in the Mall of America and insisted she could not wait to tackle the Tower of Terror.  Every day, she would tell us that she could not wait to get to Hollywood Studios to ride the Tower of Terror.  So, of course we thought what a better way to fill the gap until our Fastpass time than to head on over to the Tower of Terror.  Um....not so much.  At that point, Maggie declared she had changed her mind and was not interested in the ride anymore.  So much for that.

We headed in the opposite direction and ended up at the Star Tours ride, which just got an over hall and had just re-opened in May.  This is a 3-D ride where you board a Starspeeder 1000 for a thrilling journey through George Lucas' Star Wars universe.  We were all very happy with this ride.  The cue was very fun (especially for this Star Wars geek)storylines" for the ride, so you can get a different experience during different rides.  We only rode it once though, as it was time for our Fastpass to Toy Story Mania.

Paul meets an Army Man outside the Toy Story Mania ride.

We were told that this was, by far, the best attraction at Hollywood Studios.  We were very curious to find out if this was true.  When we got to the ride, we were very happy that we ended up getting our Fastpasses first thing that morning, as the stand-by line wait was at 120 minutes, and the Fastpasses were gone for the day.  We only had to wait about 15 - 20 minutes with our passes.  Thank goodness!

Toy Story Mania is an interactive, 4D attraction featuring the lovable cast of characters from the Disney·Pixar Toy Story films. You climb aboard a ride vehicle and play through a gallery of midway-style games.  Well, lets just say the ride lived up to its billing.  It was a blast!  Very fun, and for this competitive family, it was fun to play against each other to see who could get the best score for each game (I lost to Paul, unfortunately).  Ellie and Maggie absolutely loved it!  Paul and I could hear them laughing the entire ride.  I don't know if I would wait 2 hours for this (or any) ride, but I am certainly glad we had the chance to ride!

By this point in the day, we were exhausted!  After 5 whirlwind days, the heat and humidity that whole week, and not getting necessarily the best sleep every night, our family was pretty much done with the theme parks.  There was noting in particular left at Hollywood Studios we really wanted to see, so we decided to pack it in and head back to the hotel where we spent the rest of the day hanging by the pool, relaxing before our 5 am departure the next morning.

All in all, we really enjoyed our trip to Walt Disney World.  We are so thankful we were able to go, and know the memories will last for a very long time.  Thank you to Dream Come True Vacations, and especially our travel agent, Kim O., for helping us plan our wonderful, exciting, fun, memorable Disney vacation!

When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true!

Nine Years Ago....

This past week we celebrated my oldest daughter's 9th birthday.  I can't believe that my beautiful baby girl is one year away from "double digits!"

Happy birthday Eleanor Jane.  I love you very much.

One Family's Disney Vacation: Day 5 -- Magic Kingdom!

So this is it.  The day we have all been waiting for.  The reason to even come to Walt Disney World.  What everyone thinks about when they think of Disney.  What the week has been leading up to.  Today we conquer the Magic Kingdom.

We decided to get to the park before opening.  We took the boat there from our resort, which really was a quick and easy trip.  Totally recommend it if you stay at a resort that offers boat service.

We then took our place in the crowd and waited for the park to open.  We were able to catch the little show they have before the park opens, and the girls were thrilled to see the main Disney characters arrive on the train, along with some other characters like Pinocchio, Mary Poppins, and Alice in Wonderland.  Then came the countdown...10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...and off we went!

 

Since we were there during the magic park hours, before the park opened to the general public, the only two "lands" that were open were Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.  So, after a quick first ride on Peter Pan, Paul strode off to get Fastpasses to Space Mountain, while Ellie, Maggie, and I stayed in Fantasyland and rode many of the ride there, like Snow White's Scary Adventure and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

Paul got the Fastpasses and rejoined us in Fantasyland.  We had some time before our window to ride Space Mountain, so we decided to check out a Disney classic, the Mad Hatter Teacups!

After than we headed over to Fantasyland and right onto Astro Orbiter.

Then it was off to Space Mountain!  Again, Paul and I weren't sure how the girls would react to that ride, it being in the dark and all, but we shouldn't have worried.  Another big hit for Ellie and Maggie; so much so, they wanted to do it again!  So Paul and the girls got back in line for Space Mountain while I headed over to Frontierland to get our next batch of Fastpasses for Big Thunder Mountain. 

After their second round on Space Mountain the troops met me in front of The Haunted Mansion.  This ride caused a lot of trepidation with the girls.  They were very afraid that this would be a super scary ride.  We kept on assuring them that it is really more "funny" than scary, so they half-heartedly agreed to go on, especially since Paul and I really wanted to do it.  They got through it, although neither of them enjoyed it too much.

Then it was time for Big Thunder Mountain.  Another big hit with the girls.  I am getting the feeling that they are roller coaster lovers!

We had a little time before our lunch reservations at Cinderella's Royal Table, so we were able to get in another attraction that Paul and I (especially Paul!) wanted to see, The Hall of Presidents.  This is really cool, and the girls also got a kick out of it, as they are usually interested in the Presidents and American history.

Then we were off to our special lunch at Cinderella's Royal Table.  This was really quite a great experience!  In this lunch, you are able to meet Cinderella before you are seated at your table and have your professional photo taken with her, which you get to keep as part of the meal package.  Then, during lunch, four other princesses make appearances in the restaurant and go around from table to table signing autographs and posing for photos.  It was a wonderful way to meet so many of the famous princesses (Snow White, Ariel, Belle, and Sleeping Beauty were there during our lunch) as well as have a pretty good meal.  We were glad we did it and recommend it to any princess fan!

After lunch, we hit many of the other attractions at the Magic Kingdom, did some shopping on Main Street, saw the Flag lowering ceremony, and surprisingly, ended up riding the It's a Small World ride twice, because the girls loved it so much.

Then it was time for dinner at The Crystal Palace.  This is what I had been waiting for all day, as here we have another character meal, this one including the characters from The Hundred Acre Woods!  It worked just like the lunch at Cinderella's Table, where the Winnie-the-Pooh characters move from table to table while you enjoy the buffet.  I LOVE the Winnie-the-Pooh characters, but Eeyore is my all time favorite!

 After dinner, we were pretty much spent, after 4 whirlwind days at the Disney parks, so we decided to head back to Wilderness Lodge and spend the rest of the evening at the pool.  Especially since we had another park to see the next day, which would be our last full day there.  To be continued....

Remembering

From Bishop T.D. Jakes:

Thou who has been our help in ages past, thou who dispenses your comfort to all those who mourn. We seek your grace to strengthen us as we commemorate the lives of loved ones who have been lost on this day of anguish for our country and our world.

Wipe away the blinding tears that plummet down our cheeks like gushing streams of an overflowing riverbank. Our heavy hearts still search for the solace of your guidance through the maze of pain and the myriad of complex issues such tragedy releases.

Though hurt, we are compelled to commemorate those who are fallen on this day. Remember those who may not have lost a life but instead they lost a limb, those who gave their health for our wholeness, those who lost their emotional stability to help us regain our national security.

From first responders to heroic citizens we ask for your grace for these hurting heroes who often suffer in total silence. Fill the arms of mothers left empty and heal the hearts of fathers whose ears strain to remember the sound of fading laughter and frolic of children now gone. Wrap your arms around those who lost wives and husbands, parents, friends and confidantes on this day of terroristic espionage. Let that day which exhibited the worst in man be the catalyst of also revealing the best in our human hearts to love each other.

In spite of such pain we honor you as the God and guide who has enabled us to endure what we thought was impossible. Thank you for your sovereign grace that guides us beyond one moment of terror to a collective and individual destiny beyond that moment. Thank you for the occasional smile, the splendor of sunsets and the brilliance of sunrise. Since then you have granted us new friends and a renewed sense of purpose. Like stars in our night you have given us light in the midst of dark places for which we are so grateful.

Watch over us with your omniscient eye grating us your continued protection. Our enemies remain unrelenting. In the true spirit of our faith, we also pray for our enemies. Let the message of your love and light extend not only to those who mourn but to those who hate, that they might realize that hate will not replace the better choice of debate nor will destruction reconstruct the common chord of our shared brotherhood as human beings. Have mercy on the pain and misguidance that would make them seek the horrific option of destruction. Guide them to the light of your love.

Teach us collectively, the power of that love, the simple riches of your peace. Show us that the indomitable spirit of self-preservation need not lead us to the selfish indulgence of blind devastation and the malicious disregard for each other.

You are the God of all people, the father of every soul. Lord, teach your children to love each other as much as they profess to love you. 

One Family's Disney Vacation: Day 4 -- Epcot

After a successful day at Blizzard Beach, we hit our next Disney theme park, the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, or Epcot for the rest of you!

When we first arrived at Epcot, Ellie and Maggie were very excited to see Spaceship Earth, or as they call it, "the giant golf ball."  They were excited by it's size and were jumping up and down as we entered the park.

The one ride that we were very excited to try was Soarin', however we knew that the line for it would be rather long, so we decided to first get Fast Passes for that ride and then try something else.  So off we went to secure our Fast Passes.  When we got those, we moved on to The Seas with Nemo & Friends ride.

This was a very cute attraction, but the big highlight is the show after the ride called Turtle Talk with Crush.
This is a live show where kids of all ages can have a conversation with the totally tubular turtle from Disney·Pixar's Finding Nemo. After taking your seat, you watch Crush swim to the window from his ocean home and begin taking questions and chatting with audience members.  Ellie was thrilled to have Crush talk to her and answer her question about how long turtles live.

Then it was time to head back to Sorin'.  Soarin' is a multi-sensory attraction that simulates a peaceful hang-gliding flight over the Golden State of California.  An IMAX projection dome wraps 180 degrees around you, so you're engulfed by the impressive scenery.  Wow!  This was quite an incredible ride.  You really do feel as if you are gliding through the air.  The entire family enjoyed the experience.

Next we tackled a character meet and greet where the girls got to meet all the main Disney characters in one nice, air-conditioned building.  So out came the autograph books for Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Donald Duck, and Goofy!

After that it was getting close to our lunch reservations, so we decided to head over to the World Pavilion and check out some of the countries on our way to Germany for our lunch in the Biergarten.  We were also able to meet a couple of princesses in the World Showcase; Mulan in China, and Snow White in Germany.

After our delicious lunch, we headed back to the main center of Epcot to grab Fast Passes for the Test Track. Once we got those we decided to check out Captain EO in 3-D, the classic film starring Michael Jackson.  That was quite a disappointment.  It was so dated and even boring.  The girls didn't really seem to like it either.

When we emerged from Captain EO, it was pouring!!!!  We ended up waiting it out under the canopy there for about 15 minutes before we decided to chance it as our Fast Pass time for Test Track was expiring soon.  However, we ended up getting wet for no good reason, as Test Track was shut down and would not be reopening anytime soon. So we decided to bag it and, after much debate, decided to try out Mission: Space.

Mission: SPACE Attraction is a 5.5-minute motion simulator ride that realistically mimics what an astronaut might experience during a space flight to Mars. I personally, as a space nerd, was kind of excited about trying out this ride, but nervous as well, as I had heard it can be pretty intense, even on the easier, green side of the ride.  After going through the cue and getting to the point where we were just about to enter our seats to start the ride, the non-stop warnings blasted at us all throughout the cue and pre-show about the ride got to Maggie and she declared she was not getting on it. We kind of figured she may do that, so I took Maggie out of the ride and we waited in the pavilion for Ellie and Paul to finish.

When Ellie and Paul emerged from the ride the excitement on Ellie's face told me everything.  "IT WAS AWESOME!" she stated and wanted to go on again right away.  Since the cue was not long at all, I got to go on the ride with Ellie while Paul stayed with Maggie in the pavilion.

When Ellie and I finished the ride I got a text from Paul saying that he and Maggie were across the way in the Innoventions building. This was a pretty cool place, with lots of hands on exhibits for kids to try -- almost like a science museum.  While there, we tried out The Sum of All Thrills. Here you test your imagination by designing a thrill ride using an interactive touch screen that lets you determine height and speed while adding features such as dips and corkscrew turns. Once "built," you climb aboard your very own design in the 4-D robotic simulator that uses sight, sound and movement to give you a realistic experience. Pretty cool!

After that it was time to head back to the World Showcase for our dinner reservations at Tepan Edo in Japan.  We got there a little early and had time to kill, so we wandered around the gift shop in Japan.  While there both Ellie and Maggie were able to try on authentic kimonos with the help of a lovely Japanese girl!

Dinner at Tepan Edo, a teppanyaki restaurant, was delicious, and the family we sat with was able to give us some good advice regarding our upcoming visit to Disney's Hollywood Studios in a couple of days. 

Spaceship Earth. This was another big hit with the girls, especially at the interactive end of the ride, where you are able to see yourself in the future.

That concluded our trip to Epcot.  Despite not being able to ride Test Track, we had a very happy day!