Cheesesteak Quesadillas

Last week while planning meals, I asked Sherrie for some suggestions.  She told me that lately her kids only want to eat tacos and spaghetti so she has been coming up with lots of variations on those two things, so she inspired me to change up something that we all love- the Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas.  This recipe combines Philly Cheesesteaks and quesadillas.  YUM

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon A1
• A Pinch of Montreal Steak Seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon of Minced Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 lb of Very Thinly Sliced Beef
• Butter
• 8 Burrito Size Flour Tortillas
• 8 Mushrooms- cut into small pieces
• A Small Onion cut into small slices
• 1 Green Pepper cut into small pieces
• Shredded Cheese- I used a Combination of Pepperjack, Cheddar, and Monterrey Jack
• Whatever topping you would like- Lettuce, Diced Tomatoes, Jalepenos, Sour Cream, Ranch Dressing

Serves 4

I combined the Worcestershire Sauce, A1, Montreal Steak Seasoning, and Olive Oil in a small bowl and whisked together.  I place the beef in a ziploc bag and poured the marinade over it and put it in the fridge for about 1/2 hour.  Then I drizzled a little olive oil in a large skillet and  cooked the meat.  My family requested that the ingredients were cooked separately because not everyone likes everything.  Next, I removed the meat- leaving the juices in the skillet.  I then cooked the green peppers.  When the peppers were almost done, I pushed them over to one side of the skillet.  Then I added the onions and 1/2 tablespoon of butter to the other side of the pan.  I stirred them as they sauteed and added another 1/2 tablespoon of butter.  After the onions softened I added the meat back in (to get it hot again) and then the mushrooms with about a tablespoon of butter.  It would have been much easier to cook it all together, but sometimes I have to do things to make the kiddos happy.

Once it is all cooked you can start building the quesadilla.  First you need to lightly butter one side of the tortillas.  Place butter side down in a hot skillet and add beef, onion, mushrooms, peppers, and top with cheese.  Then place another tortilla on top with butter side up.  Cook for about 1-2 minutes or until the tortilla is a golden brown.  Carefully flip and cook the other side.  Cut with pizza cutter and serve HOT!

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Be Our Guest Review

Be Our Guest is the newest Table Service Restaurant to open inside of Disney's Magic Kingdom.  It is located in the new Fantasyland inside of the Beast's Castle.  There are three dining rooms:  the West Wing, Belle's Library, and the two-story Ballroom.  The restaurant is open as a Quick Service restaurant for Lunch and then at 4:30 pm it switched to a table service restaurant.  Reservations are recommended and due to the newness and high demand of this restaurant the reservations are very difficult to get.  If you are staying at the Disney Resort you can make dining reservations at 180 days prior to arrival.

We didn't book our latest trip to Disney World very far in advance so I didn't have the ability to jump on at 180 days out and try to snag one of the very few dining reservations available.  I had checked a few different times for reservations, but had no luck.  About a week before we were scheduled to arrive I decided to check one more time.  To my amazement there was two time slots available.  I selected 5:00 pm.  My children like to eat dinner early and I figured that we could just grab a Mickey pretzel if we got hungry later.

We arrived at the Beast's Castle about 5 minutes before our reservation.  Stroller parking is available just before the bridge to the castle and is very convenient.  We checked in and they gave us a pager and told us to wait on the bridge.  It was a very pretty view with lots to look at.  The detail is amazing.  The stain glass windows were beautiful.

We only waited a few minutes before our pager started to buzz and blink.  They greeted us with "Bonjour" and escorted us to our table.  We were seated in the Main Ballroom right next to the window.  The window gave the illusion that it was snowing outside which completely amazed my kids.  We were all in awe over the decor and grandness of the restaurant.  It was quite large, but was not loud or crowded.  Besides the snow, the giant chandeliers and ceiling were my favorite part of the main ball room.

I had looked over the menu before we arrived because I wanted to make sure that the French cuisine was a good match for my family.  Our server politely greeted us and took our drink order.  He also told us that Be Our Guest is the only place in Magic Kingdom where you can get an adult beverage.  He then let us look over the wine and beer list.  We chose not to get an adult beverage, it had been a long day and I really just needed some caffeine if I was going to make it to Wishes Fireworks.  When he came back, I explained to him that my children were very picky and he gave us suggestions for both us and the children.  He didn't tell us to avoid the children's meatloaf, but he did name the kids' options and told us we should pick from the the first suggestions.  We all smiled and took the hint.  So even though we didn't personally order the meatloaf, I feel I should pass along that info just in case your server is not as honest.  Here is a link to the dinner menu.

As I said before, my kids are picky.  Both of my kids ordered the same thing- Grilled Chicken Breast with macaroni, marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese.  Both of them got the sauce and cheese on the side.  One kid ate the macaroni with a little sauce on it and the other ate the macaroni with the cheese sprinkled on top.  Both of the kids like the chicken.  The kids' meals both came with a side of broccoli.  My oldest actually tried it!! For the FIRST time EVER he ate broccoli.  He said it was okay, but the fact that he even tried it made the ENTIRE meal a HUGE success for me!  If you can't tell, I was VERY proud.

There were a couple of items on the menu that Scott and I were interested in, but we both went with the server's recommendation of Sauteed Shrimp and Scallops.  It was very good.  The shrimp and scallops were amazing, but I wasn't crazy about the puff pastry that it was served in.  The menu also describes it as served in a creamy lobster sauce, that is not the way I would have described it.  Frankly, I am not sure how to describe it, but it was not creamy in taste or color.  However, you describe it the shrimp and scallops were great, I just felt that it would have been better served with rice or potatoes.

The kids' meals all come with dessert and my husband and I couldn't pass it up.  The options on the dessert cart all looked fantastic!!!

Our server brought the cart right to the table, explained each one, and let us choose are favorite.  My husband chose the Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake, my youngest chose the Triple Chocolate Cupcake and the rest of us chose the "Grey Stuff" and it's delicious!

The Grey Stuff is now permanently on the menu, before you could only get it for special occasions.  The Grey Stuff was really good, but the Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake was OH SO GOOD!  I will get it for sure next time.

After dinner you are welcomed to look around the restaurant and other dining rooms.  The picture to the right is in Belle's Library.  I don't have any pictures but the West Wing is a dimly lit, mysterious room where the rose can be found.

 A couple times during dinner the Beast was formally introduced and made a grand entrance as he walks through all of the dining rooms.  When you are all finished with your meal you can meet the Beast and take a few pictures.  These pictures are not available for direct purchase but can be loaded onto your photopass or Magic Band.  The picture below was taken with our camera FREE of charge.

Disney lists this restaurant as $$ meaning the entrees are from 14.99 to 29.99 for adults, however, there is a steak on the menu that is $32.99.  Our waiter did tell us that the steak is the #1 seller on the menu.  I am not sure if that is because it is so delicious or because it is the most "normal" thing on the menu.  We did not use the dining plan for this trip, we purchased the Tables in Wonderland discount card (I will explain more on that in another post).  The card saves you 20% on your entire check. Our original total was $89.38 to $71.50.  This was our most expensive meal of the trip.  The ambiance, theme, food, and service all contributed to it being well worth the cost.  

People have been asking me two questions 1. Will I go back? and 2. Will I get the same food again?  Yes, I will go back but not right away.  I have lots of places that I want to dine.  My entree was good enough to get again, but not good enough to go there for specifically.  I am sure that the kids would get the same thing again.  The desserts were all good (yes, I tasted all the ones that we ordered), and I would definitely get the Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcake again.  I might even try to get one to go!!!

When we left it was dark outside and I took this photo of Beast's Castle all lit up.  

Our family of 4 ate there in November of 2013

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Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

Yesterday, I was in need of an idea for the bake sale.  I only had a few hours to work with and I did not want to go to the grocery store.  I looked in the pantry and saw that I had a couple of boxes of cake mix and icing.  I wanted to make something a little more fun than regular cupcakes.  I decided to bake the cupcakes in Ice Cream Cones.  I only had 18 ice cream cones on hand so I made a mix of those and regular cupcakes.

Now I will also tell you that I am not perfect.  Sometimes things just don't go as I had planned and yesterday's baking was one of those times.  I wasn't quite sure how long to bake the cupcake cones.  I had made these before but couldn't remember exactly the baking time.  When I took them out of the oven to check them, the cones tipped over.  Clearly they were not done because the batter spilled out of them.  First batch=FAIL! I didn't let it discourage me (mainly because I didn't have any choice this was baking with a purpose not for fun).  I started a new batch.  This time I placed the cones in muffin tin for a little more support.  I also knew that I needed to bake them longer before checking them.  When all was said and done, they were cute!  I had a few less than I had hoped, but all in all it was fine.

Ingredients:

• Box of Favorite Cake Mix prepared according to package
• Favorite Icing
• Sprinkles
• 24 Ice Cream Cones (the flat bottom kind)

Make cake mix according to package.  Place ice cream cones in muffin tin and fill about 2/3 of the way to the top.  Do as I say not as I did in picture.  I filled mine just a little too full.   Bake at 350 for 14-16 mins.  Let them cool completely, add icing, and sprinkles.  

 I needed a way to transport them, so I cut holes in a thick piece of card stock and placed them in a tin plate.  It worked pretty well, but I am still looking for a better method.  Maybe in individual cups?  If you have any ideas let me know.  These were a HUGE hit at the bake sale and I would like to make them again.  

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Hearty Beef Stew

This week the temperatures dropped considerably and we needed something to warm us up.  We were on vacation all last week and this was the perfect recipe to ease back into the cooking routine.  I was spoiled eating at Disney World- NO cooking, but best of all NO CLEANING!  Personally the mushrooms were my favorite part of this stew (but I love mushrooms!!) I am glad that I finally paid attention and wrote down how I made this stew because I always forget what I put in it.

Ingredients:

• Drizzle of Olive Oil
• 1 lb of Cubed Stew Beef
• 4 Carrots- cut into pieces
• 2 Potatoes- cut in to pieces
• 2 Stalks Celery- cut into pieces
• Small Onion- I leave my fairly in fairly large pieces
• 6-8 Whole Mushrooms- cut into thick slices
• 6 Cups of Beef Stock (I use Better than Bouillion- it comes in a jar.  I usually add a little more than the directions say on the jar to give it a little richer flavor.  I added 3 tablespoons for 6 cups of water)
• 3 Tablespoons Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• About three strips of Bacon- cooked and chopped
• 2-3 Tablespoons Red Wine (I used Shiraz because that is what I had open this time)
• A pinch of Steak Seasoning
• A pinch of Dried Rosemary
• 1 1/2 Cloves of Minced Garlic
• 1 Bay Leaf

Serves 4-5

Drizzle Olive Oil in a large skillet.  Add beef.  Sprinkle beef with steak seasoning.  Cook for about two minutes and then add in celery, onion, and carrots.  Cook for additional 3-4 minutes.  Pour meat and veggies into large slow cooker.  Add in potatoes, mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, bay leaf, bacon, and stir together.  

Pour in the wine and beef stock.  I know it looks like a lot of mushrooms in the picture.  Everything else is heavy and sinks to the bottom while the mushrooms float to the top.  Cook on low for about 6 hours.

Mix 2 tablespoons of flour with 1 tablespoon of softened butter to make a paste.  

Remove one cup of broth from the slow cooker and whisk in the flour butter mixture.  Pour back in the slow cooker and mix well.  If this isn't enough to slightly thicken it, remove another cup of hot broth and mix in another another tablespoon of flour.  I didn't want my stew super thick so this was perfect for me.  I then turn slow cooker to high for about 20 mins and served with garlic cheddar biscuits.

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Thankful Tree... We Have So Many Things to be Thankful For

We have so many things to be thankful for, both big and small.  Sometimes you just need to stop and think about all of the amazing things in our lives that we have to be grateful for.  I know a lot of people take part in the Facebook thankful posts, but I wanted ours to be a little more personal and I wanted to get the whole family involved.  One of my Thanksgiving/November projects was this Thankful Tree.  My family wrote some of the sweetest things.  Several of them almost made me cry.
This is an easy and very inexpensive craft.  You probably have all of the materials you need!

Materials:

• Cardstock 
• Hole Punch
• Vase
• Random Tree Branches
• Piece of Ribbon
• Tag Die Cut/Punch
• Pen

We gathered a few random small branches from our backyard and placed them in a vase.  I had some extra ribbon from the Fall Mickey Mouse Wreath so I tied a bow around the vase to make it a little more festive.  I used a die cut punch to create the "leaves" for the tree.  My family then wrote down a few things that they were thankful for on the tags, we punched a hole in it, and then hung it on the branch.  I made lots of tags so we have been adding "leaves" to it and hopefully we will continue over the next few weeks.  

If you don't have a tag punch, you can use a circle, square, or cut them by hand.

Another fall craft made with scraps....
2x4 Pumpkins

and a free printable...
Thanksgiving Invitation

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Russian Chicken with Rice

I got this recipe from a close friend.  When she told me that she had a recipe that her whole family would devour, I told her that she had to share the recipe with me.  She has three growing boys so I trusted her recommendation. The funny thing about this recipe is that I had intended on making it in the crock pot, but at 3:45 I realized that I had forgot to put it together so in the oven it went!  Sometimes I am very organized, other times I think I am losing my mind!!!!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 Cup Apricot Preserves
• 1 Cup Russian Dressing
• 1/2 Packet of Onion Soup Mix
• 3 Chicken Breasts

The original recipe was for double the amount of sauce, but I did't have that much Russian dressing on hand so I decided to cut it in half and see what happened.  I only used 3 chicken breasts.  I pounded them a little bit and cut them in half and it was plenty for feed my family.

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine first three ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.  Place chicken breasts in a baking dish and pour sauce mixture over top.  Bake for about 40 minutes.  This time will vary based on the thickness of the chicken breasts.

I served with Rice and Steamed Broccoli.  I cooked the rice in chicken broth and seasoned with a little bit of salt and pepper.  My family loved drizzling some of the sauce on the rice.

This recipe can also be made in the slow cooker.  Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker.  Combine remaining ingredients and poor over chicken.  Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.

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Did You Know that You Can Mail a Coconut from Disney World?

My dad has worked for the United States Post Office for over 30 years and I had NO idea that you could mail things besides envelops and packages.  When I read online that you could mail a coconut from Walt Disney World I knew I had to add it to my bucket list.  On our most recent trip we stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort.  In the gift shop at Old Port Royale they sell postcard coconuts.  And when I say coconut I mean a REAL coconut.  It does not require any additional packaging or box, it gets shipped as just a whole coconut.  On one side it has a cute "Greetings from Disney World" picture and the other side is painted white rectangle with a place to write your message and addresses.

 My oldest son wanted to bring souvenirs back for his class.  Instead, we decided to mail the class a coconut.  It wasn't cheap, but at $20 with shipping included I thought that the novelty of it would give the class a thrill!  The resort provided the marker to write your message and mailed it for us!  After returning home, I asked my dad about mailing crazy things and he told me that there are lots of things that you can mail without boxes or packages.  Next time I might try a Flip Flop sandal!

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