The Food And Wine Festival

The day is finally here. For me to avenge my previous experiences at the food and wine festival. I have a long list, an empty stomach and friends to share with.

Let the eating begin.

And how fitting that the Food and Wine Festival was celebrating it's FIFTEENTH anniversary. Guess who else is....

Well, actually it is almost SIXTEEN years. But who is counting. We are still in the fifteenth year which is pretty darn cool. And it gave us lots of opportunities for prom like pictures....

We ( me and Kev) had already decided that this special event was NOT a day for rides. It was strictly food and festivus. And we definitely followed that plan. THE ENTIRE DAY. With family members coming and going depending on their level of hungry. I even took a mini nap in front of Mexico. Yes, I am very cool like that.

And I've decided the best way to tell our story is to list every single thing that went in to my families' mouths. By country, of course. And with some pictures. ( I had planned to take a pic of every morsel of food... but alas, a couple of bites in and I had already forgotten) And just so you know what I actually ate - in case you are keeping track of my eating abilities- I will put a "star" next to the things I tried. It is pretty impressive if I do say so myself.

So, we started off in Mexico.

*A bowl of guacamole and chips. Plus two strawberry lime margaritas.

( This was only the beginning and Kev proclaimed " I am so happy right now. I have a bowl of guacamole and a margarita". And I knew then that it was gonna be a great day.)

There was a little bit of nacho cheese left in the cup - and I knew my Dad- who believes that wasting food is right up there with murder- would finish it off. And he did. With a straw because we didn't have any utensils.... ( I heard banjos playing in the back ground)

Then China...

* pork pot stickers

*xinjiang bbq chicken stick.

green tea plum wine cooler

The pot stickers were fabulous. And Kev says that anything on a stick is fun to eat. They also had black pepper shrimp with noodles. My Dad tried that and allowed me to try a smidge of noodle. It is my one regret of the day that I did not go back and get my own plate of this stuff. It was wonderful.

South Korea -

*barbecue short rib with steamed rice and cucumber kimchi. ( Kev's fave)

lettuce wraps with roast pork and kimchi slaw

herbal rice wine

black raspberry rice wine

Poland -

Kielbasa and Potato Pierogie with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream

Pork Stuffed Cabbage

Chile-

Pastel de Choclo ( beef and corn pie)

Argentina-

grilled beef skewer with chimichurri sauce

roasted corn and cheese empanada

Singapore -

* Coconut braised beef rendang with jasmine rice

* Singapore Sling ( WOWZA! way too strong for my liking - but one of Dave's faves)

U.S.A-

*New England Lobster Roll ( my fave - so yummy and I've already found the recipe)

*Bison chili with cabernet and wild mushrooms ( take it or leave it - tasted just like any other chili)

Morocco-

*Hummus and crispy pita. WE HAD THIS TWICE!! Yum!

France-

*Parisian Cosmo Slush

I wanted someone to try the escargot - but couldn't get any one to do it. :(

We took a break here for a little while. And just let our stomachs chill....

And then went to Ireland-

*Fisherman's Pie ( lobster and scallop in a pot pie - YUM CITY!)

Warm chocolate lava cake

Things got a little rowdy after we discovered the PASSIONFRUIT margaritas. Back in Mexico. And yes it was a long walk back- but worth it. Multiple times. One of my favorite drinks ever.

Another visit to France for the Parisian Cosmo Slush...

Then Canada-

Chicken Chipotle Sausage with Sweet Corn ( Dad's fave)

The Meat plate - applewood smoked beef, duck and ham

Cheese Fondue with croutons and roasted potatoes

Greece-

Spanakopita

Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki

Baklava

And yes, we loitered around a trash can for an hour or so. That way we didn't have to walk so far to throw our trash away. Pretty classy.

All of that food and we didn't even make it to the following countries...

Brazil

Puerto Rico

South Africa

Germany

Italy

Japan

Australia

Belgium

Spain

Nor did we even try all of the offerings at the countries we did make it to.

This festival deserves two to three days of dedication.

But we couldn't stop there. Nope. It was 8:40pm. The park closed at 9pm. And I had already made reservations for the NEW Italian restaurant - JUST IN CASE we were still hungry.

Which we weren't. But who cares. Because it was out of this world!!

It is a new pizzeria. One where they make the mozzarella cheese home made. And cook the pizzas in fancy pizza ovens...

So, we ordered bread. Chicken parmesan. A pitcher of beer. And two pizzas - pepperoni and four cheese....

The pizzas were heaven on a plate. So delicious that words cannot describe. If Kev didn't mind, I would move to Orlando and live inside the pizza oven and just eat pizzas all day. It would be hot - but worth it.

At this point. My body was numb with food. And the park was completely closed and dark. We were some of the last people there. So, what do you do when you are EXTREMELY full and tired. Well, you head out of the back of the park to The Boardwalk ( where we hung out the night before) and go to Jellyrolls - the Piano Bar. And then you attempt to dance off some calories but instead just lean up against the wall hoping that your extreme participation in the festival does not do damage to internal organs.

If you are a foodie. And a festival fan. Then this is truly a great event for you to experience. I loved every second of it. AND we even got to see/hear NIGHT RANGER in concert.

You know. Night Ranger. The eighties band that was a one hit wonder. "Sister Christian.. oh the time has come". Look it up.

I just went back to read over the post and feel like I didn't really eat all that much compared to how much food was there. But believe me. I was walking with a limp and had slurred speech. And not because of the eleventy billion passionfruit margaritas I had. It was because of the food.

Anyway, next year my SIL Laura and I are going to run the Food and Wine half marathon. In October. And then we get to join our families at the festival for an "after run celebration". Maybe I won't feel so guilty about eating so much if I have just run my tail off.

Food and Wine Festival - I heart you!

Coming Soon..... Our Not So Scary Mickey's Halloween EXTRAVAGANZA!! SO.MUCH.FUN!

The Big Fat Greek Dinner

The first day of our Disney trip started out with a lot of driving. And music, and bathroom breaks, and sleeping.

And for the record - only the passenger was sleeping. I think. I seem to have forgotten a couple of hours of the trip.

I had been planning this trip FOR.EV.ER and was really looking forward to it - so the fact that Kev was able to go last minute really blew my skirt up. And in addition to Kev going - we were rooming with the newlyweds Dave and Laura ( all the way down from Syracuse) AND spending an ENTIRE day at the Food and Wine Festival.

This was my third visit to the F & W Festival. And this time I was finally ready to take on the challenge. For my first visit, I was too overwhelmed and didn't eat a thing from it. ( Weird - I know) My second visit, we got there kind of late and I ate as much as I could before they closed. But this time, I had a list. I had a plan. And it started at 10 am and lasted until 10pm. All food all the time.

Does any thing get better than that?

But this post is NOT about the F&W. ( Believe me - I have a long detailed post about that) And this post is NOT about the super fun Halloween party that we attended ( again... totally deserves a separate post). It is just about the first day. The low key "let's chill out, get caught up, and enjoy a great meal" day.

And that is just what we did.

We met up at the Disney All Star Sports Hotel. Bethany, Laura, Dave, Kev and myself just hung out in the room for a little bit - telling tall tales, laughing, and fighting over how we were going to sleep. ( Rooming with newlyweds can potentially be a nuisance)

Then we hopped on a bus and headed over to our dinner reservations....

Now, we strategically chose the reservations based on a couple of things..

1. It is a fairly new restaurant that none of us had eaten at yet. ( which is rare as we are all fanatics)
2. It is owned by Cat Cora - star of Iron Chef.
3. It is located at one of our favorite spots - The Boardwalk.
4. It is GREEK food.
5. Does it get much better than that?


I had researched the menu about 71 times. I had already chosen exactly what I wanted to eat - but was worried about the portion sizes. Which is weird for me, I know. But my issue was this: I had been eating much lighter meals for the past month and we were spending the ENTIRE next day eating at the festival.

Always the perfect dining companion, Kev agreed to share a couple of things with me. Luckily we have very similar tastes in food so it works out well.

We started off with some amazing fresh bread and butter. Sangria and a margarita.

Then came our main course - in small appetizer size bites. Perfect.

It was so absolutely delicious that I forgot to take a picture and was eating away when Kev reminded me. We ordered the spanokopita and the lamb sliders. Now I have had spanokopita before. But this stuff was incredible. Flaky and flavorful. Yum! But then I tried a bite of the lamb slider. And I could hear little songbirds singing in my ears. I am officially in love. Never having had a lamb burger before, I didn't know what to expect. But it was spicy, tender, and perfect in every bite.

As a side we shared some sweet potato fries..... ( my eyes just rolled back in my head just thinking about them)

And then came dessert. Again, something completely new to us. I even used to work in a Greek restaurant and NEVER had this dessert. Baklava. It just never looked appealing to me.

But I could seriously eat this dish a thousand times over and be content and happy for the rest of my life. I can't even explain how delish it was. Except for that I will. It was nutty, and honeyly, and flaky, and flawless. And the pistachio gelato was the PERFECT side for this delight.

For goodness sakes alive!! IT.WAS.SO.GOOD!!

The entire meal was out of this world. Definitely exceeded my expectations. And the company was pretty amazing as well.

We tried to hang out on The Boardwalk for a little bit. But ended up heading back to the hotel to get rested up for THE BIG DAY.

We had some stomach stretching to do.

And just wait until you see every thing that our stomachs had to stretch for...

Failures And Successes

I am coming up on another birthday - 30 days to be exact. Which is why I have spent most of my vacation deep in thought.

Deep in thought about my life. Where it is going. What I am doing. What makes me happy. I have had some MAJOR failures this year. And some MAJOR learnings and successes. This year has been quite a turning point for me. And I have realized that ultimately you cannot depend on any one else to make you happy. IT IS ALL UP TO YOU! And then I randomly came across this manifesto for life. And it made so much sense....


I think I might get this tattooed on my back. Except in sharpie. Because I don't really care much for real tattoos.

Reaching "mid-life" has been hard. But I realized that I'm smarter, stronger, and more in control of my destiny than the silly little 18 year old girl in the framed photo on Kev's nightstand. So what if I'm covered in wrinkles and haven't been carded since I was five years old - it is all about the experiences and the laughter and the tears ( both good and bad) and .. you know I have to mention... the food.

I sure do love some food.

And speaking of failures and food..... I actually made a pretty disgusting dinner this week. I envisioned such a delicious, healthy meal and ended up with a bucket of slop. It all started with these....


Parsnips. Which we had never eaten before. They are FULL of nutrients and goodness and supposedly taste good baked in the oven with olive oil and salt.

Well, actually I thought they were pretty good. Drenched in ketchup. They have an interesting taste - and when you have in your mind that they will taste like fries. And they don't. Well, it's not so fun.

But then the real kicker was the portobello mushroom sandwich. GAAA- ROOOSSS. I grilled a big mushroom. And put it on a sandwich thin with a huge roasted red pepper, spinach leaves, tomato and mustard. Some thing was off about it. Like maybe too much liquid from the mushroom and the pepper. And it just was one big mushy wet sandwich. I HAD to throw the other two away...

And apologized under my breath to my Dad for throwing out good food. Except for it wasn't good.

And then I had to bake a quiche for Kev's lunch the next day - because I was planning on him taking leftovers.

Oh well... you live and you learn. Tonight I am making two vegan Thanksgiving side dishes with a honey roasted turkey breast. I guess that is kind of rude to serve turkey with vegan side dishes. But that's how we roll.

After proof reading this post I believe that I may win an award for "most random mish-mosh of thoughts" ever. But, like I said, I've been doing a lot of thinking and just needed to clean out my brain files... if ya know what I mean.

Hopefully coming soon.... A Disney trip recap. ( Still waiting on family pics) and of course, OUR HALLOWEEN/HOUSEIVERSARY EXTRAVAGANZA

Facing My Fears

I have a lot of fears. From seeing Jason Vorhees walking around my back yard to thinking that someone is hiding in my spare tire hole in my trunk just waiting to crawl out and scare me while I am driving.



I've seen it happen before. On t.v. Which means it is a possibility.



( And yes, I have started checking my trunk before I get in the car. And just in case you were wondering - if I open the trunk and see him in there, I will just yell at him to get out while I hit him over and over again with my purse)



I have a WILD imagination, folks. It keeps me awake at night.



But today's focus was conquering my fear of the dam. The Lake Murray dam. I will go out of my way to not have to drive over it. And if I do go over it, then I spend the entire 2 minute drive picturing the dam crumbling beneath my car OR me just driving right over the side. I have a plan to escape in the case of either of those things happening. Kev even bought me a special tool to break my windshield and we have practice drills every Sunday afternoon.



Once, Kev's Mom told me that if the dam broke - it would wash away the entire city of Columbia. Which is why we keep moving farther and farther away. And why I keep a wet suit with an oxygen tank under my bed. I will swim to safety.

Or become a mermaid. Which ever is easiest.

So, now that I have made my insane behavior completely clear to you - that is, if I already hadn't- I will tell you about my quest to conquer the dam.

It all started with me having the day off and wanting to try something new. I've been going to the gym pretty regularly and while I loveitmorethancheese - I wanted to expand my horizons. Running the dam seemed like the perfect thing to do.

It was rainy in the morning which gave me time to get myself motivated for the task at hand. I truly believe that food is the best motivation ( except for money. That would be the best motivation but since no one has EVER offered me money to do something, I will have to stick with food) so I mixed up a delicious bowl of oatmeal....





Except for this was no ordinary oatmeal. It was whipped banana. With a scoop of fresh pumpkin. Some walnuts. And a drizzle of honey.

Basically it was Fall in a bowl. And boy, was it scrumptious!

With a full belly, Kev's miniature Ipod, and a bottle of water... I made the 30 minute drive to the dam.


It was such a gloomy day. But that meant it was peaceful with hardly any one on the sidewalk. If you look closely at the picture - you can see the dam off in the distance. The ominous 1.7 mile walk across the lake.

I was so ready for this. Except for I already had to pee. And this is where another one of my fears comes in. Some times when I am outside or going to a place that I don't know much about.. I start to worry about being able to find a bathroom. And because I start to worry - it makes me have to go that much more. To the point where I often contemplate just squatting where I stand. Most of the time, I quickly realize that I am in Walmart and I make my way up to the front. But times like last week when I went to the fair, I didn't drink any liquids all day for fear of the bathroom sitch. And it resulted in me looking like shriveled prune by the end of the day.

I was determined to run the pee right out of my mind. Maybe I would sweat it out. But once I made it to the other side, I was beginning to panic. I had two options. I could run across the street to my parent's house. Break in. Use the bathroom. And then get arrested for setting off their alarm. OR I could take a deep breath and walk down the docks and hope for a bathroom. Or large shrub.

And now for facing fear #3. I found a bathroom! ( Hooray!) BUT it was straight out of the horror movie "Sleep away Camp". The movie that I watched with my best friend sitting nose to tv screen in case her mom came in to see what we were watching. ( For you young uns - we didn't have remotes back then which meant you had to sit close to the tv to change the channel) That movie scared me for life.

But having to go to the bathroom out weighs being murdered by an insane preteen. So, I took a deep breath and went in. The whole time I was "going" I had to look up to make sure that no one was climbing over the top of the shed or looking at me through the skylight, or waiting for just the right moment to hit me over the head. It made me dizzy. But I survived. Only because my awareness skills scare off predators.

So, having conquered THREE fears in one day makes a person feel very empowered. Which meant I ended up crossing the dam a total of FOUR times. That is 6.8 miles. Half of a half marathon. It was awesome.

And it felt soooo good to actually use my inner thighs for something more than cracking open nuts for family members during the holidays and opening the occasional jar of pickles.

I even prevailed over the vulture/hawk/crow that was circling over my head the entire time. Just waiting for me to fail. I laughed in the face of that crazy bird that I had no idea what it actually was.

I made it back to my car in one piece. Sweaty and sore - but still one.


And look what was waiting for me. My scrumptious after workout snack of a Kashi pumpkin pecan pie bar and a Honeycrisp apple....

Speaking of honeycrisp apples - UM! THEY ARE INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS! This was the first time I had had one. And I will NEVER eat another type of apple as long as I live.

Unless it is free. Or the last thing to eat on Earth.

My Favorite Things

Remember this? A post about my favorite things. I used to do it weekly. Now I'm lucky if I blog weekly. But I figured that I would start sharing again - just in case you are dying to try some new things.

And the fact that I still haven't compiled all of my Disney World pictures from my amazing trip. Or should I say AH-MAZ-ING! Because it was. I'm still recuperating.

I will start off with the Triscuits. Cracked Pepper and Olive Oil.


Now I have always loved triscuits. They are my go to cracker. So, you can imagine my delight when I saw they have added the flavor of cracked pepper. And this "cracked pepper" is also one of my new favorite things. I have never cared for pepper until the day that I realized how close I was to 40 - and then suddenly we became best friends. It is something about keeping my taste buds alive and kicking.

But the crackers - they are perfect with a small piece of mozzarella cheese - or some sort of light cheese- to offset the "spiciness" of the pepper. Putting cottage cheese on them is another delight of mine.

Then there is the Chobani Greek Yogurt.....

Seriously, where has this been all of my life? It is so rich and thick and stocked full of protein. It is the perfect snack. I have to admit that my first try of Greek yogurt left me with a yucky taste in my mouth - but once I tried a couple of flavors and a couple of brands... I fell in love. The pineapple is the absolute best ( in my opinion) and I also just bought some vanilla and honey flavored that I cannot wait to try.

And last but not least..... The Kashi pumpkin granola bars.

These are limited edition for the season. Which means that I stocked up. Because that is just what I do. If you love pumpkin ( yes, please) and granola ( yum!) and nuts ( holy goodness) then you will be just as thrilled as me to open one of the babies up. The one on the right is almost like eating a pumpkin pecan pie.

Eating healthy has become SO.MUCH.FUN!

Just wait until you see what I've been cooking this week.... all super healthy and nutritious - especially after every thing that I ate and drank at the Food and Wine Festival.

And now I am off for a run. And to pick out some pumpkins for our pumpkin carving contest this weekend. ( the one between me and Kev )

If only the weather felt like Fall.....

A Little Of This... A Little Of That.....

I've just got a couple of things to tell you. Random bits of information that probably do not deserve their own post.

1. I finally scored on finding some canned pumpkin!!


So, I bought as much as I could carry. Because I'm a hoarder like that. This stuff is elusive. I had to go to three stores to find it - and ended up getting it from Walmart. My nemesis. I've got big plans for this pumpkin. BIG PLANS! And you better believe you will be a part of them - even if all you get to do is experience them through reading.

2. Apparently I wrote about my love for Slim Jims in a recent post. A post that I cannot seem to find now - nor do I remember writing about. It is a true story that some times I go back and read a post and am just as surprised as you are as to what comes out of my mouth/hands/head (?). Anyway, he came home the other day after catching up on my millions of posts ( five) from the summer and was so intrigued that he did not know this piece of info about me. I guess that makes me a closet Slim Jim eater. Because Kev pretty much knows every thing - I mean I talk about myself constantly and all. So, then I confessed that my Dad used to buy them for me when we would go fishing or on road trips. And I grew to absolutely love them. So, when I'm on the road - I get myself one. Every once in a while. A Slim Jim and a diet Dr. Pepper. Excellent combo! And I would really rather not know what they are made of because oddly enough I have a very strange aversion to meat - and am picky about what kind and how much I eat. So, I'm sure that Slim Jim's don't really have a place in my life.

3. And speaking of road trips. I'm going on one. TOMORROW! I am going to the Food and Wine Festival in EPCOT. And let me just shout it from the rooftops that I CANNOT WAIT! I've got plans. Big plans. And I've got to pace myself because there is so much food that I want to try. Don't worry - there will be pictures. And commentary. And a detailed re enactment of my adventure. And I can't leave out that I will be attending the Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom. In costume of course. With a huge group that I call my family.

4. And that about wraps up my little tidbits of information. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. And if you come across some canned pumpkin. You better grab it. There is a shortage, ya know.

The Week's Cooking Review

I believe I promised you a weekly review. A review of how my menu tasted. The highs and the lows.

So here goes...

This was my weekly menu:


For starters, my menu got a little out of whack. I have stuck to it this entire time that no one has been watching. But the minute I put it out there for the world to see - I have a crazy week and rearrange my plans at the last minute.

The layered salad came first. It is a good ole Southern potluck recipe. Lettuce, peas, cucumbers, eggs, bacon, onions and cheese. In between the layers is a simple sour cream, mayo, salt and pepper dressing. Kev loves it. It is something different and refreshing. Also it is easy to pack for lunch. I threw some Texas Toast croutons on the top and it was complete.

Next up: Onion Souffle.

I had never made this before. It was basically tons of Vidalia onions cut up in a sourdough bread mix with parmesan cheese. It was an excellent side dish. Definitely deserves a place on your Thanksgiving table. And the fact that it is healthy makes it so much better. I served it with beef tenderloin and the leftover peas from the layered salad.

Breakfast Casserole. You have to make this ahead of time because it has to sit overnight. It seems like a lot of work the night you make it because you probably also just finished cooking and cleaning up another supper. But on the actual night you serve it - EASY PEASY!

This is a picture of the mini casseroles hanging out in the fridge. I used turkey sausage ( DELISH), whole grain bread, low fat cheese, and eggs. This way we had individual servings ( no overeating) and it was easy to pack for a lunch. I just added some pineapple to the meal to make it a little heartier.

Then there is the chicken lombardy. Let me just warn you that my "new to me" camera and I aren't getting along so well. I can't seem to adjust the flash or bright light settings - so the chicken looks pretty scary even though it was great.

The chicken is cooked in white wine and chicken stock with mushrooms and a tiny bit of mozzarella. It is served over whole wheat angel hair pasta. With a side of brussel sprouts. I'm sure that I've mentioned that Kev and brussels must stay separated at all times. Due to their dislike of each other. But since I happened to get brussels ON SALE and the fact that I love to push Kev to try new things... I added them to the meal. BUT I cooked them in the same white wine broth and roasted them in the oven. They were pretty darn good. I only made Kev eat three of them and he said he liked them. ( Of course, that may be because I threatened him with more if he complained about eating them)

And then there is the buttermilk chicken which did not make it on the camera. We seriously ate it soooo fast before I could even think about it. It was scrumptious. The sauce on the chicken was made with fat free buttermilk and fat free cream of mushroom soup ( plus a couple of different spices). You pour it over the chicken and brown rice. Throw a couple of fresh green beans that I sauteed in olive oil and garlic and you are all set.

Oh - and the lasagna was a Stouffer's. I make those for Kev from time to time if I am working a lot so he can eat it for a couple of lunches at work.

All of the recipes for the week came from Southern Livings Greatest Recipes magazine that I acquired a couple of years ago.

And I think I just won the award for the least entertaining post ever. Unless you like food and cooking and stuff. Then maybe you enjoyed it.

Just wait until you see the next week's menu. It's gonna get crazy!