Home Adventures of Epcot Style France

Back in December, my dear friend (and fellow Princess Procrastinator), Holly, decided to take me on a mini French Adventure for my birthday. I have always had a love of anything French, and was drawn in to Paris in Epcot. Holly had found a blog by a woman from France (for those interested in reading French Girl in Seattle) who missed home and was looking for local places to help ease her homesickness.

 The blog provided information about all the places to go to feel as though you truly were in France. So, we set out for the town of Madison (which is in Seattle). We started by eating at the restaurant Voila!. The service was incredible, as was the food. Their menu reminded me of Chefs de France in Epcot, and so did our waiter (a student who had spent a year backpacking through Europe).

Incredible menu from Voila!

Bristo Burger avec Brie, Truffle Oil, and Wild Mushrooms

After lunch we proceeded to go to Ines Patisserie for some wonderfully fresh made hot cocoa and pastries. The way the patisserie is laid out, customers can view all of the delectable sweets as they are being made. There is plenty of seating, and bright, inviting colors to just sit and people/pastry watch (think Boulangerie Patisserie, but even more quaint with a small home town feel). 

Holly and I with our hot cocoa's

Right before leaving Madison

Finally finishing all of our treats, we decided to head to City People's Mercantile for some shopping. The Mercantile is located near the U District, and has a wide variety of souvenir type merchandise with plenty of it being French. They were several sections of Eiffel Towers, Le Chat Noir pictures, French travel books (and information for traveling around the world), candles, and much much more.  

There was so much left in the town of Madison to explore that it would have taken us several days to see everything. For more information on all of the Frenchy things to do in Seattle, please go to the French Girl in Seattle's blog. A huge thank you to her for sharing her knowledge of little known places! The day was perfect, and had me imagining myself back at Paris in Epcot once more.

Disney Junior Treats

One of my wonderful, long time friends (Holly) came into town for a much needed girls day, and also planned a cooking activity for my two kids. It was found on the Disney Junior site, and so cute that I felt I must share it with all you.

The first part of the meal Holly found was a veggie skateboard. According to the website is meant to be made with mini cucumbers, carrots, and Swiss cheese. We couldn't find mini cucumbers and switched things around a bit. So, to make these delightful creations simply clean and cut the largest part of a few carrots (the number of carrots depends on how many skateboards you would

like to make. One carrot can make up to two skateboards), these are the wheels. Then, lengthwise cut a cucumber to make the board. Place the cucumber on top of the carrots, and then cut designs in the Swiss cheese, and place it on top of the board for some extra style. Both of my kids loved these, and they were completely eaten within the first few minutes of them being placed on the table.

Next, we made adorable Mickey Mouses April Fool's Cupcakes. Below are the ingredients:

• 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 1/4 pound lean ground turkey
• 3 large egg whites
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
• 1/4 cup shredded asiago cheese
• 1/4 cup low-sodium tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons fat-free milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees, and lining a cupcake pan with 8 liners (we were actually able to get 9 cupcakes out of this recipe).

Next, place the potatoes in a pan of cool water, and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium high heat and continue cooking until potatoes are soft. Then drain and set aside.

Now it is time to mix the turkey (we used beef), egg whites, bread crumbs, cheese (instead of asiago I used cheddar), tomato sauce, and carrots. Use hands for mixing :)

After everything is mixed, place the meat mixture into the cupcake liners, make sure it mounds over the top so that it is taller than the muffin tin. Bake for about 22 minutes, or until completely cooked.

For the potatoes, use a mixer and add the milk, salt, and pepper until light and fluffy. Once the meat is done cooking (and cooled), scoop mashed potatoes on top for a frosted look, and enjoy!

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Beauty and the Beast 3D - A Review!

Picture from www.imagesdisney.com

This last weekend my family and I decided to go and see Beauty and the Beast 3D while it was still in theaters. Both my husband and I were a little hesitant to go because we felt it would mainly be the original movie with a few effects thrown in; however, it is a classic that we both love so we decided that no matter what it would be worth it.

The short before the film was Pixar's Tangled Ever After, and we loved it. The visuals were stunning, effects fun, and all of the characters were hilarious. It really helped build anticipation for the movie, and easily is one of my new favorites for the shorts.

Once the movie actually started, our initial feelings were confirmed. Though the artistry was stunning (even 20 years later it's still amazing to see all of the details, hidden Mickey's, and rich colors), the effects were few and far between. The 3D was really prominent whenever there was smoke, bubble, or champagne flying, and had a few whimsical moments in the final fight scene between the villagers and the house servants.

On the whole, I would definitely go see the movie again, and recommend it to anyone. Not for its effects, but for the experience of seeing a beautiful classic on a large screen. For me, it was reliving my childhood and sharing it with my children. For my husband (and almost all of the other adults in the theater) it was singing along to every single song, while dancing in their seats. It's a happy movie, well worth the expense of current theater prices!