I used the hand made corn tortillas from Publix. Can’t remember the brand but they say handmade on the front and they look different from the other tortillas. I used yellow corn and the white corn with green chilies, nice little kick to them.
For the Meat
A friend brought marinated flank steak, I marinated chicken tenders (organic vegetarian fed and cage free of course) with a mojo (garlic, lime, grated onion, and olive oil) and shrimp with lime zest and red chili flakes
Tip on the shrimp I learned the hard way don’t put citrus juice on shrimp and let it sit a long time. It cooks it and turns it to mush. Just leave the shrimp alone until you’re ready to grill them or sauté them or whatever. Then sprinkle with zest, chili flakes, salt, and pepper and toss in olive oil. Also, I get the peeled, deveined, tail off raw shrimp in the seafood section. Who wants to pull poop out of 30 little shrimp. I’ll let the nice people at Publix do that for me.
Toppings
I like to take something simple and mess with it. So I bought the Mexican crumbling cheese and added lime zest and crushed pink peppercorns. The shredded cheese is just jalapeno cheddar that I shredded from a block. Instead of sour cream I used non-fat Greek yogurt and added cilantro, lime zest, green onion, and jalapenos (leave in the seeds if you want it to be spicy)
I bought the already shredded cabbage cole slaw mix (with carrots and red cabbage) and added julienned granny smith apples, very thinly sliced radishes, and jalapenos. Used lime, brown sugar, and olive oil for the dressing. If it’s not tangy enough hit it with a little apple cider vinegar. I bought mild pickled okra and julienned them along with grape tomatoes. And made a simple pickling liquid with equal parts brown sugar and apple cider vinegar with a tablespoon or so of anise seed (it has a nice licorice smell) and some salt. Adjust the liquid to make it more sweet or more tangy by adding more sugar or vinegar depending on what you like. Then pour the warm liquid over julienned nectarines and onions.
Store bought high quality fresh salsas in cool containers and you are ready to go.
To make is easy on the day of the cook out so you aren’t messing around in the kitchen when everyone else is outside here’s the game plan.
Day Before
First everything you prepare today you will put in the container you’re going to serve it in and cover it with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you need it for the cookout unless otherwise stated.
Marinate the chicken and the steak
Shred the cheese and mix the crumbling cheese
Mix the cilantro, lime zest, onion, and jalapeno for the yogurt
Mix the cole slaw except for the apple
Prepare the grape tomatoes and the pickled okra
Make the nectarine pickles
Put the prepared salsas in serving containers.
Get everything out that you will need – plates, napkins, cups, bowls for ice, etc.
Day of the Cookout
Set up the area with plates, napkins, etc.
Heat up the grill
Put drinks out and in an ice tub
Take the meat out about 30 minutes before to let it warm up slightly so it’s not ice cold when you throw it on the grill
Toss the shrimp with zest, red pepper flakes, olive oil, salt and pepper and put on aluminum foil to cook on the grill
Julienne the apples and toss them in the cole slaw
Mix the herbs and veggies with the yogurt
And you are good to go.
I like to use containers you wouldn’t usually use for food or that are meant for other purposes for food. I put the pickled stuff in glass containers that are meant for candles. I found these really cool metal tins that have a top and bottom compartment from World Market. I put ice in the bottom compartment to keep the yogurt cool in the top compartment. I save any cool jar that food comes in like pesto or the Vlasic Farmer’s Garden pickle jars (which is great because you don’t have to pay for it again and you’re recycling). I’ll browse around Target, World Market, H&M (yeah they have a home section now and it’s really cute stuff for cheap!), or West Elm and look at anything that could hold food. Vases, glasses, pans, mugs. I just picked up 2 really large pans from Tractor Supply. They are feed pans for animals but I’m going to use them as trays or to hold food. Or I can fill them with ice and put smaller bowls in them to keep the food cold. They were $2 each. Nice!
Top 5 things to would recommend when traveling to France or areas in Europe around France –
1. Bring a damn umbrella it drizzled on and off the whole time.
2. Bring a warm coat/trench coat (for the rain) – it’s really really cold! France is across the ocean from Nova Scotia to give you an idea of how far north it is. Dress like you’re going to Vermont.
3. Wear sneakers – I don’t wear sneakers anywhere except working in the yard and then that’s only when I have to use a shovel otherwise I’m barefoot or I wear them when I’m at the gym. Otherwise I have a butt load of cute sandals and flats. They are all comfortable, I wear them walking around Disney all day. But they are not good enough for walking in cold damp weather on cobbled stone streets. You walk all day long and when you do get to your location it’s usually a museum etc where you stand on your feet. So wear something with cushion for the cobbled stones and the standing and something that doesn’t rub in the wrong places like ballet flats. By the time we got to Loches the first thing I did was go to a shoe store and by sneakers and I loved how much better my feet felt in socks and sneakers! Wear sneakers trust me! They don’t have to be ugly gym shoes they can be cute sneakers there are lots of them out there. Take your time and find a pair that look good with your outfits and feel good.
4. The trains are a headache. Take a train as far as you can then rent a car for the rest of the way. We changed trains twice and then took a bus – the station signs are all in French of course and so are the announcements so you never really know what’s going on. The bus stops at every stop so it’s not very quick and our ticket didn’t allow enough time to get to the train station so we missed our train and had to take a taxi to the next stop. A lot of stress. Next time I’ll take whatever train goes the closest to my destination then rent a car at the train station. So much easier.
5. Get a travel book from Rick Steves. He had really great time saving tips on everything we went to and you can download his tours for everything from Versailles to the Louvre to driving day trips in Provence.
Ok so that’s done. Here’s how I planned this trip. First I have to say – travel agents definitely earn their money because this took a lot of time. I like to have a plan. It should be very flexible but there should still be a plan. From my experience when you just wing it you end up not really doing anything and missing a lot.
Step 1 Once you know where you want to go buy or download a travel book for that country I really like Rick Steves or the DK Eyewitness Travel books. Read about the country, it’s history, all it’s different regions. Make a list of stuff that looks interesting in each region or city you want to visit. If there’s enough stuff in the region to warrant visiting there then keep it on your list. Eventually you’ll have a list of a few areas you want to go to. Then buy or download the specific travel book for that area. For instance first I bought the France travel book. Then when I figured out we would be going to Paris, Loire Valle, and Provence I bought travel books for those regions. Then read about each region and write down what you want to do. Organize the list by days. Like if you see there are 3 towns a few miles from each other with chateaus you want to see obviously you can do those 3 in one day. This way you can figure out how many days you need for each region. Once you have figured out how many days in each region you’ll know how long your trip will be.
Step 2 Now that you know the length of time you’ll be there look in the travel books and online for any festivals for special events that will be happening around the time you’d like to visit. It would suck to go all the way to France and miss your favorite artist’s temporary exhibit by one day. Once you have your dates nailed down. Book your flight. A lot of airlines do a Economy Plus type deal where you pay $60 or so and get a seat with extra leg room. I highly recommend this. Riding for 8 hours on a plane squished into those little seats suck. If you can fly first class – do it! they have their own little cubby and their seats fold down into real beds. But our flight would have been $2,000 more per person for first class and I could think of a lot of other stuff I could spend that $2,000 on.
Step 3 Housing – once I started looking into hotels in Paris I quickly realized I was either going to stay in a dump or pay a crazy amount $750 – $1,000 a night for a decent hotel. So I looked at AirBNB and found amazing apartments for about $74 per person per night. Other sites are HouseTrip and VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner). A couple of tips – you have to sign up and get approved before you can request to stay at any of the places. They want to make sure you aren’t a crazy person. When you type in the location you can zoom in on the map or select specific areas of town so the options are narrowed down. You can also choose a price range, number of bedrooms etc. Skip how the outside or living room looks and go right to the bedrooms. This is where you will spend most of your time while you’re in the apartment anyways. Make sure the bedroom and bathroom are nice. The rest is just gravy. Usually there’s a street view too. Look to make sure the neighborhood is ok. You don’t want to be staying over a XXX theater – or maybe you do? Look for a place that’s centrally located to the areas or cities you want to visit as well. Location is really important. You don’t want to waste time driving for 2 hours every day. Or having to walk halfway across the city because you picked an apartment in the wrong place. Here’s the apartments we rented. We had the whole apartment but you can choose to rent just a room from someone.
Apartment in Loches (Loire Valley) was tiny but homey and the lady who rented it to us lived upstairs. This was the beautiful garden. The tower was had a staircase that took you down to the lower street. The last picture is the view from the garden of the lower street.
Our apartment in Apt was more like a villa. It had it’s own walled garden. It was a full sized house. Just amazing.
Our second apartment in Paris was small but they all are. It had plenty of room for us. 2 bedrooms and a nice bathroom. More then a hotel room would have. But keep in mind with these amazing old buildings – there’s no elevator.
Each place was different with how we “checked in” they text and email you reminders and you can contact the owners directly. They all spoke English and were very prompt answering any of my questions. The 2 Paris apartments had key boxes. The owners emailed or texted me the door code and the key box code. The Loches apartment she actually picked us up from the bus station and was there to say good-bye when we left. The Apt apartment the owner met us there to give us the key and show us the place and then she was there when we left so we could give her the keys back.
Step 4 Booking special tours etc. If you’re going to go to museum’s and various tourist places you probably should look into a museum pass for the town. Not only is it cheaper but we were able to go through a special door and avoid the longs lines because we had a pass. Usually the city’s website will have a link for a pass like this. Order it ahead of time so it’s one less thing to do when you get there. If you want to see a show or ride a hot air balloon that kind of stuff you should book in advance. The travel books will give you ideas and so will the city’s website.
The hot air balloon was really cool. I’m a huge wuss (just realized I have no idea how to spell that and spell check doesn’t either) I don’t like roller coasters or sky diving and white water rafting. But this was so calm and not scary at all. It just feels like you are floating. It’s really quiet and there’s no wind I guess because we’re moving with the wind you don’t feel it. The basket is high so you don’t feel like you’re going to fall out. I would love to do it again on a clearer day.
Step 5 Other transportation like rental cars and trains. Book those ahead of time again so you don’t have to deal with it when you get there. Most of the travel books will have guidelines for this stuff.
Once you have all this done then keep reading about your areas to learn more about what to see and to better understand where you are going. It’s a lot more fun if you understand what you are looking at. Rick Steves was really good at letting you know which museum’s or attractions were worth it and he gave us great tips to avoid long lines. Most travel books though will just list the most visited places and those aren’t always the best places. Sometimes they are just really touristy. Look online at places and people’s reviews. After reading several things you’ll get a better idea if the touristy place is worth it. Like the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre – very touristy but of course you have to see them. And they were totally worth it. Standing next to the Eiffel Tower is kind of surreal.
As far as rudeness goes – because people always say how rude the French are. We didn’t really see that. We would say bonjour and then immediately say Parles-tu Anglais and just about everyone was happy to speak English. Occasionally there was a rude person – but there are rude people in America too. We had 2 taxi drivers that sucked. One acted like he had no idea what I was saying when I asked him to take us to the Eiffel Tower and one drove us out of the way on purpose. And a guy at the train station said he didn’t speak English then looked over my shoulder at the French people behind me and made fun of me in French. But those assholes aside everyone else was really great!
Restaurants
As far as restaurants go most of the places in Paris wanted you to have reservations. But that’s really hard to do because no matter how planned out your day is it won’t go according to plan. Things always take a lot longer then expected. So we figured out that the first seating about 8pm needed reservations but then the second seating about 9:30-10pm you could just come and give them your name and wait for a table. Even in the small places that worked. Don’t go to the obvious restaurants where the tourist go. They will suck. They know you are a tourist so the service will be poor the food mediocre and expensive. Look at Open Table to see what restaurants are on there those are usually good restaurants and you can see the menus and pictures. Ask your Airbnb host where their favorite places are. I don’t really ask the concierges at hotels anymore because they just direct me to the obvious tourist places. For Paris I found a book about the best restaurants in Paris – Food Lover’s Guide to Paris and there’s a Cooking Channel show called Little Paris Kitchen: Cooking with Rachel Khoo that I love. She has a website and a page on her website lists her favorite restaurants in different cities. Both the book and Rachel’s website were so helpful to find really good local places. Watch travel shows or look up the show online and look for restaurant suggestions. Bon Appetite is also a good place to look.
Paris Restaurants We Loved
Le Pain Quotidien
Little chain near our apartment on Rue Marie Stuart, but so cute Le Pain Quotidien – rustic tables, fresh bread and jams, and rich hot chocolate.
Spring
We found this place in the Food Lover’s guide. Spring serves just one 5+ course meal. No menu they just make you dinner. The service and ambience was amazing. The food was ridiculous. This was our first night in Paris and we really needed a great meal by the end of the day. We arrived at 6:30am (12:30am our time) so we had been up for over 24 hours. We had to check our bags in a city locker because it was too early to check into our apartment. It was raining, cold, and really windy. Then we dragged our luggage 4 blocks in the wrong direction because I was reading google maps wrong. So by the end of the day a really good glass of wine and a great meal was really welcomed.
Verjus Wine Bar
The Wine Bars are small local restaurants that serve wine (a little beer and maybe 3 kinds of liquor) which is hilarious what the French think Americans drink. Every menu had Rum Punch and Mojitos on it. The Wine Bars we went to were like our Dally in the Alley – chef owned, unique and innovative food made with local ingredients fresh every day. Verjus Wine Bar was a Rachel Khoo suggestion. We had a great fried chicken and banh mi type slaw sandwich and the best chocolate chip cookie and brownie I’ve ever eaten. And wine of course.
Frenchie
Another Wine Bar and another Rachel Khoo suggestion – Frenchie was a tiny little place that was worth the 30 min wait for a table. As with everywhere the people and service were great. Burrata with fava bean pesto, pate, pulled pork sliders, pot-de-crème, and custard with a graham cracker crumble.
Buvette
This place was in Bon Appetite – Buvette was a sweet little out of the way place we would have never run across if we weren’t looking for it. And they were open all day which was really unique – most restaurants if they were open for lunch were open 12-1:30pm and that’s it. You ate lunch during lunch time or you were SOL. They had desserts on the counter with stacks of white plates. The bathroom was the cutest cleanest bathroom ever. Fresh Ricotta with pea pesto and lemon olive oil on toast, salami and olive oil, croquet monsieur, chocolate mousse, upside down apple cake, and waffles with berries.
Au Passage
Yet another Wine Bar – Au Passage was also Rachel Khoo’s suggestion. Little out of the way place the chefs brought the food to your table and loved describing the ingredients and process. Very cool place. fresh burratta cheese with barley, smoked octopus, asparagus egg and cream, rhubarb crumble, and pistachio cake
Angelina
Rachel Khoo again – she said it’s really touristy but really worth it. She wasn’t kidding. Its a fancy tea room across from the Louvre. Angelina’s has the best hot chocolate in the city. It’s really just melted rich dark chocolate that they serve with whipped cream. Their madeleine’s were really good too. They had a ton of fancy pastries. We stopped there on our way to the Louvre and walked through the Tuileries garden with our hot chocolate and treats. Then we ate at their satellite location in Versailles.
Amorino
Gelato shop on Isle St Louis – they make the gelato look like flower petals on the cone.
Schmucks
We stopped here just to take a picture because the name was funny and accidentally found a great little place. That served liquor!! Schmucks is this really cool eclectic bar/restaurant in St Germain.
Semilla
This was one of the places in Food Lovers Guide. Semilla had great food and great people. Lots of activity. The kitchen was open so it was cool to watch the chefs working.
Loire Valley Restaurants
Cak’t
In Loches’ very quaint ancient village. We arrived late in the day on Sunday and not many places were open for dinner. We stopped into Cak’t they had just one meal for the day. Served by a sweet old man who looked as though he prepared it served it and cleaned up after. Fresh veggies, a meat sauce and puff pastry and of course bread and wine.
L’Etape Gourmade
In Villandry a little farm with a quiet little restaurant. Fire place was burning and after another very chilly day it was so welcomed. Friendly family staff. Rick Steves recommended this place. L’Etape Gourmade
Creperie at Loches Chateau
This little place was part of the Loches Chateau. They had the original Roman keep which was partially in ruins, the royal palace built in the 1200s, a church and in the garden of the church was this little creperie run by two little old men. The view was beautiful and the crepes were delicious. Savory – potato, bacon, and cheese and prosciutto with egg and sweet – banana, hazelnut, and chocolate.
Provence
L’Isle Sur-la-Sorgue Restaurant
I didn’t write down the name of this place, we just happened upon it. Lovely friendly lady. An antipasti plate of all kinds of things, toast with cheese and a salad, fish casserole and veggies, grilled fish and veggies, and escargot
The same town had really cute shops. Olive oils, soaps, and candied fruit – it’s a big deal there. We bought an assortment, not really my thing really sticky and sweet. But they are really pretty.
Apt local boulangerie, boucherie, and farmers market
Had a picnic in our garden
Thym te Voila
In Apt our host suggested this place. Once again really nice people the chef came out to talk to us. Delicious fresh food. Thym te Voila
La Prevote
Another little restaurant on L’Isle Sur-la-Sorgue. La Prevote is a hotel and restaurant. The whole city is an island that has tons of little canals running through it so the buildings are built over the canals. Inside they put glass up so you can see the river running through the building. Delicious lunch.
The Chateaus of the Loire Valley
There are so many to see. Pick a couple each day but really after 5 they start to all blend together. Rick Steves has a list of the top ones you should try to see. Here’s the ones we went to.
This one had furnished rooms and an amazing garden. Still only took us about 2 hours to do the whole house and the gardens. The village was cute but not a lot there.
This one had an audio tour so it took a little longer while you listened to information about each room. The ones with audio tours provide a lot more information.
This was literally at our front door. we parked at the base of the wall to enter our rental house. There was a small village within the chateau’s walls. An ancient roman keep, a 12th century chateau, a church, a creperie, and homes to walk by. One of my favorite. It took several hours to see everything. I don’t think there was an audio tour but on one of the floors of the keep they had a movie that explained a lot about it.
Amazing. They had a village as well but had a lot of restaurants and shops. This chateau is privately owned and you could really tell. Fresh floral arrangements in each room. All the rooms were furnished. They had restaurants, gift shops, a farm, gardens. It was all very tasteful too not too touristy or cheap. Great audio tour.
The Villages We Saw in Provence
The amazing villages some built pre-Roman era up the side of a small mountain with a castle at the top. Most of the castles were in ruin but the villages are still there and most survive now on tourism. Some of the little villages have 35 people living there.
Gordes
This beautiful village started on the hillside – moved down to the valley below during the Roman period when it was safer. Then moved back up to the hillside during the dark ages for protection. They utilized the fields below and thrived agriculturally until World War II then all but about 100 people were left in the village and those were very poor. As tourism flourished did the town and now they have about 300 people living there. It’s amazing how well kept these ancient places are and we can’t even keep a 100 year old home from being torn down for a parking lot.
La Baux en Provence
The town next to Carrieres de Lumieres. Beautiful little streets with a few shops and restaurants with amazing views.
Seguret
This town was on the list of towns to visit on at winery road trip. Unfortunately we tried to do the road trip on a Sunday – pointless, everything is closed. Plan travel days on Sundays because everything is closed anyways and that way you won’t miss anything. But really pretty little town.
You buy your ticket online then you make a reservation. Then you call them the day before to confirm your reservation. It’s a little tricky but really worth it.
Winery in the Loire Valley
Chevalerie Winery, this winery was built in an 11th century limestone quarry. The family that runs it started the winery in 1640 and the lady who gave us the tour is the 14th generation to run it. We also got the name of this winery from Rick Steves.
Carrieres de Lumieres in Les Baux Provence
This is a limestone quarry that they turned into an art museum the art is projected onto the 5 story walls and it moves and changes and is set to music. Carrieres de Lumieres was near the village of Les Baux in Provence. You can buy tickets at the door.
Locks on the Notre Dame bridge
There are several bridges you can do this on. You attach a lock (you can write someone’s name on if you want) then throw the key into the river for unbroken love. There are people selling locks there at the bridge. I brought my own so I don’t know how much they were. There are several bridges you can do this on. The one that recently started to collapse just had the most on it.
Love my crock pot – put random stuff in and I get deliciousness out.
3 – 3 1/2 lb. boneless pork butt 1 -2 sweet onions; cut into large cubes 5 tablespoons minced garlic Zest and juice of 2 limes 2 tablespoons dried oregano 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes Salt and pepper 1 cup olive oil 2 cups orange juice
Place the onion in the crock pot – combine the garlic, lime zest and juice, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a bowl and mix thoroughly
Place the pork butt on top of the onions and rub with the garlic mixture
Pour the orange juice all around the meat, careful not to wash the garlic mixture off – cover and cook on low for 8 hours
When its done shred the meat and store it in its juices in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave.
(this is what the meat looks like before it’s cooked)
The shredded meat is great on the obvious stuff like rolls or in tacos with some slaw but I made a Cuban salad with it.
Mixed greens like baby kale and arugula topped with the shredded pork, rosemary smoked ham from the deli, shredded Swiss cheese, diced avocado, diced mango and a dressing made with
lime olive oil and grapefruit balsamic from the Ancient Olive in Winter Park
(seriously if you haven’t tried this place you have to – they have ridiculous olive oils and balsamic vinegars and you can taste them all and they have tons of other spreads and drink mixers its a really cool place on Park Ave in Winter Park.)
I love Disney – my mom and dad took us to Walt Disney World the month it opened. I went many times every year with my grandmother who took her entire kindergarten class and then as a mom I took my kids. I’ve been there easily more than 100 times. I can tell you where to get the best stuff to eat and the best ways to get around. Now my husband and I love to go to EPCOT and spend the day walking, enjoying the food and drinks and the beautiful landscaping.
Tip #1 – get there at 11 instead of 9am when it opens. Go straight to the World Showcase side. Everyone does all the Future World stuff first in the morning then mid afternoon they head over to the World Showcase side. So if you do the opposite you’ll miss some of the crowds. If you do get there early they have a pretty good breakfast inside The Land at the Sunshine Seasons food court and Starbucks just opened at the Fountainview Cafe. First is was an awesome bakery/coffee shop then they messed it up and turned it into an ice cream parlor and now its a coffee shop again – but it’s to the right of the big fountain as you walk into the park just past the big ball – Spaceship Earth.
Tip #2 – if you want to ride Test Track – it’s fun most of it is silly but the end is great. It goes 65 mph around the track. I know that doesn’t sound that fast when you’re use to driving that in your car. But this is in a little go cart with no roof! Trust me, it’s fast. if you do want to ride it either stop on your way to the World Showcase and get a fast pass or ride single rider later in the day. Single riders get on much faster.
Tip #2a – if you have long hair, tie it back when you ride Test Track. Imagine sticking your head out of the window of a car when it’s going 65 mph – yeah it’s a mess after the ride and most people don’t carry brushes with them at theme parks – at least I don’t.
Tip #3 – if you did stop at Test Track to get a fast pass then walk through the fast pass kiosks and take a left at the Coke station and walk over the bridge towards the very outdated non-descript Odessey Building (I don’t know why they don’t do something with that – it’s so ugly) . You’re going to go around that. You’ll end up at the entrance to
Mexico
Tip #4 – don’t waste your time on the margaritas at the outside stand they are slur-pees with a little bit of booze. Go inside to the awesome Tequila Bar (stop #1 on the drinking around the world tour!) La Cava del Tequila The inside of Mexico looks like you’re in a village market at night – Plaza de los Amigos. When it’s really hot outside (and it’s Florida so it’s hot a lot) This is a great place to go to cool off. They have some pretty cool stuff to buy as well. Silver jewelry, tequila, Kahlua, and Day of the Dead items. Inside the Aztec temple – as soon as you come down the ramp to the right you’ll see a Tequila Bar. Usually you can find a table sometimes there’s a line to get in. But it’s worth it. They have Jalapeno, Blood Orange, Cucumber, and Avocado Margaritas just to name a few. The guacamole and chips are great too. It’s usually busier late in the afternoon. And sometimes you’ll see a line but that’s just to walk in and order a drink. So be sure to check to see if there are any tables even if you see a line.
Here’s some pictures of the inside of the Mexican Pavilion
Tip #5 – the quick service counter outside at Mexico La Cantina de San Angel is good too. It’s better than Taco Bell for sure. The guacamole there is good too and the empanadas.
Tip #6 – the restaurant inside the Aztec temple at the Mexican pavilion, San Angel Inn is nice, it’s dark and quiet. But the one outside just past the quick service place is a good place to watch the fireworks, La Hacienda de San Angel. If you have the My Disney Experience app you can reserve a table, you can also reserve a table by clicking on the links and by calling. Try to get a table at 8:30 pm so you are just finishing as the fireworks start. Inside the restaurant the whole wall along the water is windows so you have a really good view. The other great place is at the Rose and Crown restaurant in England. More on that later.
Tip #7 – the boat ride Gran Fiesta Tour inside of the Aztec temple never has a line and it’s a nice relaxing ride. Part Jungle Cruise and part It’s a Small World. Nothing super exciting but again if you’re hot and tired its a great place to have a little rest. And if you’re with kids they will be entertained.
Norway
Tip #8 – Norway is the next country, there’s a really cool old church, Stave Church Gallery, that has some interesting info about early Viking explorers. I don’t think people realize they can go in the church because no one is ever in there. But now that Frozen has opened they have a Frozen exhibit in there and it’s busier. The gift shop was slammed with kids wanting to meet the 2 princesses in the movie.
Tip #9 – The boat ride at Norway – Maelstrom is about the same as the ride at Mexico. Nothing spectacular but there is a little bit of excitement at the end. Its definitely not worth waiting any longer than 15 minutes for though. Just keep checking back. If you go straight to Norway when you first get there, there probably won’t be a line. It gets longer as more people start to come over to the World Showcase side in the afternoon. The movie is nice and informative but if you’ve already seen it just walk straight through after you get off the ride.
Tip #10 – as you exit the ride and the gift shop they force you to walk through on the right you’ll see the bakery, Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe. It’s pretty good. They have sandwiches and pastries. And the eating area through the bakery is nice. It’s covered and cool. They also have beer and Aquavit (which is disgusting) which makes the Norway bakery #2 on the drinking around the world tour. The main restaurant in Norway is a buffet and has character dining (princesses) I ate there once years ago. I’m just not a buffet fan but here’s the link – Akershus Royal Banquet Hall it would be great for kids who want to eat with princesses.
China
Tip #11 – China is next they have a movie and a reproduction of the Emperor’s Clay Army. The gift shop is kind of obnoxious. The employees are rude and follow you around. If you are looking for a cool Chinese tea pot or dishes they have a lot of that but most of the rest is stupid nick knacky stuff like little jade trees or tiny little statues of stuff. They do have a nice area around the back of the pond that’s pretty and shaded.
Tip #12 – they have a quick serve place with beer (stop #3 on the drink around the world tour)Lotus Blossom Café, or you can eat inside the restaurant Nine Dragons Restaurant . It’s not much more than a typical Chinese restaurant but they really rush you. it’s not very relaxing. I think the little kiosk Joy of Tea on the main path also have beer . They have tea and some Chinese snacks like pork dumplings too. I think the food options at the Lotus Blossom Café look better then the main restaurant and you can carry it over to the quiet spot near the water to enjoy it instead of paying more in the main restaurant to be rushed.
African Outpost
Tip #13 – Over the bridge to the African Outpost. The only thing here really is ice cream. Which is a little hard to find at Epcot. It’s here and at the French Pavilion and I think they have it between the path to the Imagination Pyramid and Canada. The rest are just ice cream carts.
Germany
Tip #14 – the German Pavilion has beer of course (stop #4 on the drink around the world tour) but they also have this amazing apple liqueur and of course lots of wine. You sample wine in Weinkeller and the Sommerfest café has high end brats and beer. Currywurst with paprika chips and Grapefruit beer or German meatloaf, sauerkraut, swiss on rye.
Tip# 15 – They also make caramel popcorn in the Karamell-Kuche . The food inside the Biergarten Restaurant, not so much. Lots of meat and starches and not all that authentic. Which is a shame because the singing and entertainment in the hall is great but you can’t just go in you have to pay the $35 pp for the buffet and I’ve already noted my opinion of buffets.
Tip #16 – the shops are pretty cool at Germany. They have great Christmas ornaments, Coo coo Clocks, lots of soccer items, dolls and bears. Don’t miss the little miniature train as you leave Germany it’s pretty cool and they change it up for different events. For the food and wine festival they have tiny little food booths.
Italy
Tip #17 – the Italian pavilion has several places to eat. A fancier restaurant Tutto Italia Ristorante , which I think is over priced and just ok. A family style place with pizza Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria which is really busy and loud – it’s at the very back of the pavilion. The place I like is the wine cellar next to the fancy restaurant. Walk into the pavilion past the round raised area in the middle, go up the stairs and you’ll see Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar. Really cool place. Its dark and quiet. Ask for one of the couches and go after 4:30pm. After 4:30pm you can order off the menu from the fancy restaurant. They have a really great antipasti platter with a little of everything. But the snacks at the bar are really good and authentic too. Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar is stop #5 on the drink around the world tour. Great wine selection too.
Tip #18 – the gift shop is ok. The one next to the restaurant just has smelly perfume, purses, and scarves – Il Bel Cristallo. The one opposite has wine, pastas, and kitchen type stuff they have some cute things there – La Bottega Italiana . There is no movie or ride in Italy but they have constant street performers. There’s also a Gelati cart. Get the Affogato it’s gelato with coffee poured over it.
America
Tip #19 – the American pavilion movie – The American Adventure is great I definitely recommend it. The food, not so much. It’s everything that’s wrong with American food. The Liberty Inn is quick service burgers, fries, and chicken tenders. Outside is actually funnel cakes! gross! They do have a Sam Adams kiosk (stop #6 drinking around the world) which is great with turkey legs (not so much). I really wish they would have the BBQ they served during the flower festival. It’s amazing, pulled pork with collard greens and corn bread. Why don’t they serve that in the restaurant! That’s real American food. Southern BBQ and greens, Northeastern lobster rolls, Southwestern Tex-Mex, and Cali salads.
Tip #20 – inside the building with the movie they sometimes have exhibits like at Christmas time they have gingerbread house. The gift shop to the right of the building Heritage Manor Gifts his really nice items, last time I was there they had Beekman 1802 products and in the past they’ve carried our local Magnolia Company products.
Japan
Tip #21 – on to Japan, the Koi ponds are really nice. The shops have mostly junk in them but they do have some really crazy Japanese snack food. There’s a cool Anime museum to the left as you walk through the opening to the castle in the back of the pavilion – Bijutsu-kan Gallery. And they have sushi in the little tea house at the top of the Koi pond gardens – Katsura Grill. It’s a really pretty and quiet courtyard with lanterns.
Tip #22 – The sushi bar, Tokyo Dining inside is also a good place to watch the fireworks – and the Sushi Bar is stop #7 on the drink around the world tour – Saki. I like the sushi bar better than the regular restaurant – Teppan-edo. It’s one of those places there they cook the food right in front of you. Then you smell like that the rest of the day. Not a fan.
Morocco
Tip #23 – the quick service restaurant at Morocco – Tangierine Café is really good. They have really authentic and unique plates like the slider trio that has lamb chicken and falafel. They have a salad plate with hummus, pita, tabbouleh, lentil salad, and olive salad that I love. You order at the counter but there are nice places just outside to sit and eat. They also have a coffee bar and serve beer which is #8 on the drink around the world tour. The main restaurant is at the very back of the pavilion you have to meander through the alleys to find it – its kind of cool like if you were there in Morocco. The main restaurant – Restaurant Marrakesh has a belly dancer and the food there is also unique. Its good for kids too the belly dancer will get the kids out on the dance floor.
They are currently working on something pretty big in the Moroccan pavilion I think it might be a restaurant that will be on the water – which would be another place to make reservations for dinner to watch the fireworks. It looked like it was almost done in December 2013.
Tip #24 – you can find rugs and baskets in the gift shops there are several – one right in the front, one just past the quick service place on the right and one on the left they each have slightly different things. Again you kind of meander through the streets. The only entertainment is the band and belly dancer they occasionally play on the stage on the main path.
France
Tip #25 – The bakery has recently been expanded and has great food – Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie. Its quick service and during normal meal times it can get pretty busy. But they have different kinds of sandwiches and salad and of course pastries. The tables inside are crowded and busy and the ones just outside are the same. Instead take your meal through the Arcade hallway into the garden on the other side. It’s always quiet.
Tip #26 – there’s a wine kiosk on the main path in France that’s #9 on the drink around the world tour. They also have a crepe and ice cream kiosk that’s good too. The main restaurant is ok – Chefs de France . I think the food is better at some of the other restaurants. It’s really crowded and you feel rushed but several of the dishes are good.
Tip #27 – the movie is nice this is also a great place to relax, it’s cool and you’re are sitting down for about 30 min. They have several shops – perfume, kitchens items, and now a new ice cream parlor – L’Artisan des Glaces where the bakery used to be.
United Kingdom
Tip #28 – the gardens behind the Twinnings Tea house are really nice and change often. Behind that is where they have free concerts.
Tip #29 – The Rose and Crown Pub is great even though it’s next in line for the drink around the world tour I would save it for last. Go to Canada and have a Moosehead beer from the beer cart then come back to the pub. So the Rose and Crown Pub is actually #11 on the drink around the world tour. The food is really good in the restaurant. Shepherd’s and Fisherman’s pie, cheese and chutney board, potato leek soup. It’s right on the water so ask for a seat outside in the back if the weather is nice. This is a great place to watch the fireworks too. But book it early it’s always booked late in the evening. If you hang out in the pub for a little bit sooner or later a table will open up and you can spend the rest of your drinking tour here.
Tip #30 – There’s a really nice little area with tables next to the pub. We’ll go and get a Moosehead beer from Canada then come back and drink it here. The view of the water is nice. You can people watch. And it’s in the shade. The gift shops are cute soccer, Beatles, Winnie-the-Pooh etc. Plus perfume, tea, and china. They don’t have a movie or ride but they either concerts in the garden or street performers.
Canada
Tip #31 – Moosehead beer – my husband’s favorite. The Canadian Pavillion is kind of small. There’s a gift shop with some cute things and the gardens are really pretty but you see most of it as you walk by on the main path. The movie is similar to China – you stand and watch. But it’s cool. Our favorite spot is under the willow tree in the garden below the beer cart. The Canadian beer cart is #10 on the drink around the world tour.
And now onto Future World
Imagination Pavilion
Tip #32 – Since you’ll be coming from Canada take a left at the little path just after the walk up quick service place and bathrooms. This will take you to the Imagination Pavilion. The ride Journey Into Imagination is cute, again it’s a place to sit down inside for a while when it’s hot outside. Lots of animated characters singing. After the ride the ImageWorks Labs is an interactive play area.
The Land
Tip #33 – For some reason there is always a 90+ minute wait for Soarin‘ – it’s a simulated hang gliding ride. I wasn’t that impressed. But if you do want to ride it on your way into the park get a fast pass because they will be used up by the afternoon if you wait until then to ride it. And it’s not worth a 90 min wait that’s for sure. There’s a pretty cool gift shop next to where you check in for Soarin’ is has garden gifts.
Tip #34 – Living with the Land ride is pretty cool. You take a boat ride through different ecosystems then through their green houses where they grow all kinds of plants. There isn’t usually a long line here. If there’s one when you go by try back another time. It’s usually only 5-10 minutes long. You can also take a tour of the greenhouses – Behind the Seeds click here to find out more about making a reservation and the price. It was very interesting. The Circle of Life movie is depressing. It’s about how we are destroying the Earth.
Tip #35 – The food court in The Land – Sunshine Seasons is good. They have everything from breakfast paninis and Muesli and yogurt to pumpkin squash soup, oak-grilled rotisserie chicken with black beans and rice, roasted pork chop with cheddar mashed potatoes, and spicy cashew chicken with vegetable stir-fry noodles. They also have quick grab items like hummus and veggies, fruit, and cheese and cracker, or desserts and espresso. It’s very noisy and chaotic in the dining area though. We can usually find a little corner somewhere with less people. You might be able to carry the food outside and find a spot to picnic I haven’t ever tried though.
Tip #36 – The sit down restaurant in The Land is The Garden Grill nice place – it rotates as you eat and you have a view of the Living with the Land ride. It’s served family style to your table and is all you can eat. Good home cooking – roast beef, turkey, mashed potatoes, veggies etc. Chip “n” Dale visit as well.
The Living Seas
Tip #37 – You can either enter to the side or through The Seas with Nemo & Friends there isn’t usually a wait for this ride so we usually go in this way. Once you’re inside its a huge aquarium with sharks, turtles, dolphins, manatees, and tons of fish. They do several demonstrations as well. Turtle Talk with Crush is kind of amazing. I have no idea how the cartoon interacts with the audience like that.
Tip #38 – The Coral Reef Restaurant – not a great seafood restaurant but the view is great. You eat in front of the aquarium.
The Breezeway from the West Side of Future World to the Center
Tip #39 – Meet Disney Pals on the right and Innovations West is on the left as you go through the breezeway. Innovations has lots of cool interactive activities that you can participate in or if you just want to sit down and the kids are still ready to go there are places for parents to sit while the kids play.
The Center of Future World
Tip #40 – The Fountain View Café / Starbucks and Club Cool are here. I’ve already talked about Starbucks and really what is there to say – it’s Starbucks. But Club Cool is sponsored by Coca-Cola. They have Coke merchandise but they also have soft drink dispensers so you can sample – for free – different kinds of sodas from different countries. There’s one that is awful and it’s kind of fun to wait and watch the next person taste it and get the same look on their face that you just got. I can’t remember which one it is and even if I did I would tell!
Tip #41 – Spaceship Earth is here. By now the line should have dwindled to nothing. If it’s a really busy time like during the holidays there may still be a 15 min wait. If you’ve waited until the mid afternoon and there’s still a line just suck it up and go. It’s not going to get any shorter if it hasn’t already. It’s a great ride and at the end there’s an interactive program so you can see your face in a funny cartoon. So when they take your picture at the beginning of the ride make a funny face it makes the cartoon funnier. There’s also interactive games to play when you get off the ride as well.
The Breezeway from the Center of Future World to the East Side
Tip #42 – Another Meet the Disney Pals location, a huge gift shop with all kinds of character merchandise, and The Electric Umbrella restaurant is here on the right. Basically your typical fast food restaurant but with some good choices like veggie flat bread. Innovations East is on the left.
Ellen’s Energy Adventure
Tip #43 – Ellen’s Energy Adventure is a really long ride. I think a total of 30 minutes. You wait in a dark room on the floor watching a little movie with Ellen and Bill Nye the Science Guy then get in a moving vehicle and ride through animatronic dinosaurs. Its a great ride but long. Really little kids might be frightened or might get antsy since it’s so long. The elementary school age will love it and the teenagers will fall asleep.
Mission: SPACE
Tip #44 – Mission: Space is amazing but not for a weak stomach. It’s a simulated ride but they get the simulation by spinning around like one of those fair rides that pin you to the wall. It really feels like you are blasting off in a rocket. But about halfway through when you are floating in space if you get motion sickness you will start to feel sick. Fortunately the ride is almost over at that point. It’s worth dealing with the slight nausea to do it once because it’s so amazing.
Test Track
Tip #45 – Test Track – you should have already gotten a fast past for this or you’ll need to ride single rider. Which is really no big deal. You won’t be talking to who ever you’re with while your on the ride and you’ll get through the line in just a few minutes. Like I said earlier – the end is great!
And here you are back where you started this morning.
During the holidays each of the countries has a special stage set up and they have some kind of holiday character telling a story – some you’ll recognize Kris Kringle and St Nicholas and some you won’t The Monkey King. They also have special treats like holiday cookies or gingerbread lattes.
The Candlelight Processional is in the Theater at the American Pavilion. They have the Christmas Story narrated by a Celebrity (big ones) accompanied by a 50 piece orchestra and mass choir. I’m not a church person but I have to say the performance is moving. The line to get a seat starts hours before and goes on forever. But you can watch just from the main path. It’s free. They have a deal where you can do a dinner package and get VIP seating but the line for the VIP seating was just as long as the other line and they got to eat where ever they wanted. I don’t think it’s worth it.
A Gospel group sings next to the fountain several times in Future World. They are great! Really puts you in the holiday spirit.
General Info
So that takes you all the way around the world. To see the menus for all the restaurants and to make reservations go to https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/ you can filter the options to refine your search to just Epcot and then click on the restaurant to see a menu and pictures and make a reservation.
When you are buying tickets really look at all the options. It’s always cheaper to buy for more than one day. If you tack on the Park Hopper option you can go from park to park in the same day. Very handy if you’re done at Epcot and want to take the boat over to see the Osborne Family Lights at Hollywood Studios. They have snow, hot chocolate, and an amazing light show. But don’t get there right when they turn the lights on a huge crowd of people all herd there way onto the street. Once the initial crowd is in it loosens up and you can move around. So just wait about 20 minutes then head over there.
1 bag of mini gold potatoes 6 slices of thick cut bacon 2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 cup chopped chives or green onion 2 cups grape tomatoes 4 oz cream cheese; softened 2 cups non-fat plain greek yogurt 1/4 cup good Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1/4 of a Vidalia onion; grated Salt and pepper
Heat the oven to 475 and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil then spray it with cooking spray
Cut the potatoes into bit sized pieces and spread them out on the baking sheet. Lay the 6 pieces of bacon over the potatoes.
Bake in the oven at 475 for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the bacon is almost cooked. Change the oven to broil and broil the bacon and potatoes until the bacon is crispy – about 8-10 minutes. Then remove the bacon and drain it and continue to broil the potatoes about another 5-10 minutes or until they are browned and crispy.
Remove from the oven and let cool.
Mix the cream cheese, yogurt, mustard, vinegar, grated onion, salt and pepper in a bowl. Taste. If it needs more bite add a little more vinegar.
Cut the grape tomatoes into thirds and combine with the shredded cheese, and chives or green onion in a bowl.
Break the bacon into bite sized pieces and add to the cheese and tomato mixture. Add the potatoes and the dressing. Combine everything.
Chill until ready to serve. The dressing can really thicken up in the fridge so you might want to loosen it a little with a little more yogurt. Let it rest at room temperature about 15 minutes before serving too.
Nice little twist – instead of potatoes use tater tot crowns. Just cook them longer than the package suggests so they are really crispy then toss them with everything else. But mix this and use it. The tater tots will completely lose their crunch if you make it ahead of time and refrigerate it.
I’m really into making some kind of meat on Sunday and using it all week in sandwiches, on salads, in tacos, or on flatbreads. I usually take something like a pork butt and rub down good with some awesome spices and what not then crockpot it for 8 hours. Shred it and use it all week. But I wanted to try something different so I decided to make different kinds of meatballs. These were my favorite.
I used ground turkey for two of them. I didn’t get the super lean 97% kind I got the 94% or something like that. It has to have some fat in it or it won’t have any flavor and will be dry. Then I added all kinds of stuff.
Asian Meatballs – ground turkey, grated onion, shredded carrots finely chopped, yellow bell pepper finely chopped, cilantro finely chopped, minced garlic, grated ginger, and hoisin sauce
Mix all the ingredients for each meatball in separate bowls. Then make golf ball sized meatballs – pack them loosely. Place the balls on an aluminum foiled lined baking sheet that’s been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and bake them for 20-25 min at 375. Until slightly browned. Don’t over do it you don’t want them to be dry.
I stored mine in an airtight container in the fridge for a week. Just zap them in the microwave for about 30 seconds to warm them up and get the juices going again.
For the Asian Salad
Put a pile of mixed greens on a plate – whatever kind you like, I like baby kale or arugula
Add some shredded raw broccoli, avocado, and chopped peanuts
Then top with Chinese Lo Mein Noodles – cooked and drained according to the package that have been tossed with shredded carrots, finely chopped cilantro, red pepper pickles and an Asian dressing (recipes follow).
Add the meatballs and drizzle with a little more dressing.
Red Pepper Pickles:
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon Anise
2 cups julienned red bell pepper, in a heat proof bowl
Heat the sugar and vinegar in a pan over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add the anise and salt, taste to make sure it’s not too sugary not too vinegary – adjust accordingly. Then pour the mixture over the bell peppers in the bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Asian Dressing:
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 heaping tablespoons of peanut butter
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons prepared Ginger Dressing
Combine all of it and toss with the prepared noodles, shredded carrots, cilantro, and red pepper pickles
The beautiful picture above and all those below were taken by my awesome daughter-in-law. Follow her blog at crotchetandcroptops.wordpress.com and on Etsy.
Buying presents for people for the holidays is really hard. I really really believe it’s the thought that counts. When someone takes time to pick out something you love. That they have listened to your ideas and what you like long enough to find something you like. Not something they like. That’s easy and really kind of pointless. If you want to buy something you like then buy it for yourself. Don’t pretend you were thinking of the other person when you bought it. Price isn’t the point either. A really cool $15 multi-colored skull bracelet or super gingery ginger-ale in cool bottles are way more me than diamond earrings. So I try really hard to think of the person I”m buying or making for. Sometimes its easy – a young couple setting up a house for the first time – they need lots of things. But when you’ve been around for 40 or 50 years you kind of have enough stuff. You know.
So I made baskets.
I picked themes I thought each person would like but kept it reasonable. I can sometimes go crazy with details than stress myself out. Well maybe more than sometimes.
So I made a plan.
Wrote down my list of basket recipients then started to list items I thought they would like. I started with making sure each basket had a bread, a cookie, a jam, etc. then tried to use similar ingredients in different ways to keep the cost under control. I made the freezeable items a week ahead the jams a few days ahead and the fresh items then night before (keep those to a minimum you will always have a crap load of stuff to do at the last-minute so don’t over load yourself)
Once the list is done and the grocery list is done. Start saving old jam jars, pesto jars, cool spaghetti sauce jars, really any kind of container you use. If it’s cool remove the label, use goo gone to remove the sticky mess under the label. Run it through the dishwasher to sterilize it then you’re good to go. But keep in mind you have to refrigerate what you make, you can’t re-seal reused jars.
Then assemble baskets, ribbon, swatches of fabric, and tags. You can make your own tags from cool Xmas cards. Buy them after the holidays on sale then cut the front off the card and cut it to form a tag. Add ribbon. Go to a craft store like Micheals and get rolls of real ribbon not the plasticy kind you curl on packages. Real ribbon makes a huge difference and they have every pattern and color you can imagine. Micheals also has cool packaging containers. Little paper cups to hold truffles or cellophane to wrap the whole basket in.
Now make your stuff. Jar it, wrap it, put a ribbon on it. Hand it over with a big smile.
So back to the point… Yuletide Baskets. Here’s what I made.
Italian Basket
Clockwise starting at the star
Apricot and Rosemary Tapenade 2 cups apricots 1 large bunch rosemary salt and pepper 1 clove garlic 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar Olive oil
Put the apricots, rosemary, and garlic in a food processor and process until very small pieces. Add the vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Add enough olive oil to bind it all. Fill 2 jars, cover, and refrigerate.
Marinated mozzarella with peppers and pink pepper berries 3-4 medium fresh mozzarella balls 1 bay leaf 1/2 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves 1 red bird’s-eye chili pepper; sliced in half zest from 1 lemon 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds 1 clove of garlic, peeled and halved 1 teaspoon pink pepper berries Extra virgin olive oil
Combine all in a large jar. Keep refrigerated.
Italian quick bread with prosciutto, parmesan, and Italian herbs 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 eggs; lightly beaten 1 – 8oz carton plain low-fat yogurt 1/2 cup canola oil 1/4 cup milk 2 tablespoons Italian herb mix 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella 4 very thinly sliced pieces of prosciutto
Preheat the oven to 350; grease a loaf pan. Combine the flour, sugar, black pepper, baking powder, baking soda, and Italian herbs in a bowl and make a well in the middle. Combine the eggs, yogurt, oil, and milk; add to the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Stir in the parmesan, mozzarella, and prosciutto. Add to the pan, drizzle the top with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 45-50 minutes until lightly golden.
I don’t make bread – I don’t have the patience to wait for the yeast to rise then knead it and all that. I love this bread because you just mix it and bake it and can change the ingredients to any kind of theme.
Bellini jam with peaches and Prosecco 1 cup sugar 1 cup finely chopped, peeled ripe peaches 1/4 cup Prosecco 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1/8 of a 6oz package of liquid fruit pectin
Combine sugar, peaches, Prosecco, and lemon juice in a medium pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Quickly stir in the pectin and return to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, skim off foam. Add to jar and refrigerate.
Southwestern quick bread with cheddar and jalapeno 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 eggs; lightly beaten 1 – 8oz carton plain low-fat yogurt 1/2 cup canola oil 1/4 cup milk 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 jalapeno finely chopped and seeds removed
Preheat the oven to 350; grease a loaf pan. Combine the flour, sugar, black pepper, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, in a bowl and make a well in the middle. Combine the eggs, yogurt, oil, and milk; add to the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Stir in the cheddar and jalapeno. Add to the pan, drizzle the top with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 45-50 minutes until lightly golden.
Candies jalapeno with blackberries 8 jalapeno; most seeds removed (more seeds more spicy) and chopped 2 cups sugar 1 green apple; shredded juice and zest of 1 lime 1 cup blackberries
Combine the jalapeno, sugar, apple, and lime juice in a medium pan and simmer on medium until the jalapeno start to break down. Add the blackberries and cook until a thin jam consistency. Fill and jar and refrigerate. This is great on cream cheese with crackers or with chicken or on sandwiches.
Coconut and lime macaroons 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk 14 oz bag of coconut; shredded 2 extra-large egg whites; at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla pinch of salt zest from 1 lime 15 dried cranberries (soak in warm water to reconstitute)
Heat oven to 325 and line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. Combine the condensed milk, coconut, vanilla, and zest. Whip the eggs and salt until medium peaks form; fold into the milk mixture. Drop teaspoon sized cookies onto the baking sheet and top each with a cranberry. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
(the chocolate is dark chocolate with chili – the spices are from Spice and Tea Exchange)
Southern Basket
clockwise from star
Brown sugar chocolate chip cookies 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 sticks softened unsalted butter 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 bag Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips
Heat oven to 375 and line a cookie sheet with a silpat or grease. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a stand mixer combine the butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Blend until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture. Using a spoon stir in the chocolate chips. Drop onto the cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool 1 minute then transfer to rack to cool completely.
I learned how to bake from my grandmother Pat “memaw”. She made the nestle toll house cookies from the recipe on the bag. Over the years I’ve messed with it until it came out just the way I like it. The brown sugar gives it a richer flavor. The butter also adds more flavor than the original Crisco. Sometimes I add instant espresso powder (or turkish ground espresso) or cinnamon.
Southern quick bread with cheddar, bacon, and caramelized onion
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 eggs; lightly beaten 1 – 8oz carton plain low-fat yogurt 1/2 cup canola oil 1/4 cup milk 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 4 slices of crisp cooked bacon; chopped 1/2 cup of caramelized onions (chopped then cooked over low heat until golden)
Preheat the oven to 350; grease a loaf pan. Combine the flour, sugar, black pepper, baking powder, and baking soda, in a bowl and make a well in the middle. Combine the eggs, yogurt, oil, and milk; add to the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Stir in the cheddar, bacon, and onion. Add to the pan, drizzle the top with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 45-50 minutes until lightly golden.
Dill and pink pepper berry pickled cucumber, carrots, and peppers
2 cups apple cider vinegar 3 teaspoons pickling salt 8 garlic cloves; peeled 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 4 teaspoons dill seed 2 teaspoons pink pepper berries 2 teaspoon black peppercorns 4 pickle sized cucumbers (I like the english minis); sliced in quarters 8 baby carrots with the tops on; sliced in half lengthwise 8 mini bell peppers in various colors; sliced in half lengthwise
Combine the vinegar, 2 cups water, pickling salt in a pot and boil. Divide the garlic, red pepper flakes, dill seed, pink pepper berries, and black peppercorns among 4 jars. Divide the cucumbers, carrots, and bell peppers among the jars. Allow the brine to cool slightly then pour over each jar until almost full. Cover and refrigerate.
Tomato and onion jam
5 plum tomatoes; diced 1/4 cup Vidalia onion; finely chopped 2 cloves garlic; minced 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup roasted red peppers; drained and chopped
Combine all the ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the liquid is reduced to a syrup. Allow to cool completely then fill 4 jars and refrigerate.
Pimento cheese with bacon and onion
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese 1 – 8 oz block of cream cheese 1/2 onion; grated 4 slices of crisp bacon; chopped 1 teaspoon hot sauce salt and pepper
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl until well blended. If it’s too thick add a little non-fat greek yogurt to thin. Put in 2 jars and refrigerate.
(the spices are from Spice and Tea Exchange – the jar with the tag is local honey)
English Basket
We have afternoon tea every holiday at The Grand Floridian’s Gardenview Tea Room in Walt Disney World. My grandmother, “Rana” had tea in the afternoons it was simple heated sweet tea in a mug and captain wafers with sliced cheddar cheese. Nothing fancy but so awesome. I really miss her. My mom and I really love tea so this was part of a bigger basket. Most of it was purchased. Teas, candies, lemon curd, etc. Here’s what I made…
Cranberry orange scones 3 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter; cold and cut into small pieces 1 1/4 cups buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla zest of 1 orange 1 cup fresh cranberries; chopped heavy cream and sugar
Heat oven to 400 and line the cookie sheet with a silpat. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into the flour. Add the cranberries and orange zest. Add the vanilla and buttermilk. Mix with your hands until blended. Pat onto a floured surface and shape into a long rectangular log. Cut into triangles and place on the cookie sheet. Brush with cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 12 scones.
Combine the almonds, plums, apricots, honey, orange zest, cinnamon, anise, and nutmeg in a food processor and process until a sticky ball forms. Make walnut sizes balls and roll in the coarse sugar. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Makes 20 balls.
These are so cool. Everyone’s heard of sugar plums but have you ever made them or even eaten them? Love the idea of such a traditional sweet for Yule.
I make the cake etc for some of my niece’s and nephew’s birthdays. My niece Alex asked for anything chocolate and strawberry. I don’t have a particular recipe I love for chocolate and strawberries so I Googled it. I found the food babbles – keeping life sweet blog. She had a Chocolate cake with balsamic strawberry whipped cream that used the chocolate cake recipe from Sweetapolita – whipping up a sweet life blog. I took the chocolate cake recipe and made cupcakes then added the dark chocolate ganache to the top of each cupcake using the Barefoot Contessa’s technique of dipping the tops of the cupcakes into the ganache. Much tidier. Then I followed Food Babbles recipe for the balsamic strawberry whipped cream and used an ice cream scoop to top each cupcake with the whipped cream mixture. Topped each with a strawberry and sprinkled with espresso sugar from the Spice and Tea Exchange in Winter Park. Went like hotcakes –
For the cake
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour 2 cups sugar 3/4 cup cocoa powder – extra dark and unsweetened 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten 1 cup strong, hot, black espresso 1 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 F and line 2 cupcake pans with 24 cupcake liners. Brush the top of the pans with oil so the tops of the cupcakes don’t stick if they rise higher then the top of the liner while baking.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; mix just till blended.
While the mixer is running on low add the eggs, espresso, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla; be careful the mixture will be very liquidy.
Pour into the cupcake liners about 2/3 full and bake for 25 minutes; let cool 5 minutes then remove from the pan and cool completely.
For the Ganache:
Ingredients
1 cup heavy cream 8 oz high quality dark chocolate – at least 72% cocao; finely chopped
Instructions:
Heat the cream in the microwave until steaming but not boiling
Put the chopped chocolate in a small mixing bowl; pour the steaming cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth and shinny
For the Whipped Cream
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups strawberries, tops removed and quartered Strawberries for garnish; tops removed and sliced 1/3 cup sugar 2 tablespoons espresso balsamic vinegar (you can buy this at The Ancient Olive ) 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 1/4 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons powdered sugar Espresso sugar (you can find this at Spice and Tea Exchange)
Instructions:
Put 1 1/2 cups strawberries, sugar, balsamic vinegar in a sauce pan and simmer over low heat until the berries start to break down and the mixture becomes thick and syrupy. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. It will thicken even more as it cools
In the bowl of a stand mixer place the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla, whip with the whip attachment until stiff peaks form
Add the strawberry mixtures and whip on low once or twice; then remove the bowl and carefully fold (not stir) in the strawberry mixture until blended
Using a medium sized scoop put a scoop of the whipped cream on each cupcake, top with a strawberry slice and sprinkle with espresso sugar. Voila!
After making the strawberry whipped cream I realized how easy it would be to make any kind of jam-whipped cream combo. You could make your own jam and whip it in or whip in store bought jam. Peach Bellini jam whipped cream on top of a cake with blackberries! Raspberry whipped cream and chocolate orange cake. Blueberry jam whipped cream and lemon poppy seed cake. Orange marmalade whipped cream. And it’s so easy.
Plus you could mix peanut butter with some powdered sugar or Nutella or Biscoff spread then fold them into the whipped cream. Will definitely post something like that soon.
Just got back from our first trip to this lovely city. This is my take on what to expect as a tourist in Boston. Friendly people. Beautiful historic buildings. Amazing food. Lots of great things to do but what ever you do don’t try to drive around! You can walk or take the subway anywhere. Its super friendly and easy to get around (with the gps on your phone of course – because the streets are all a web of confusion) but it’s much easier to navigate a web on foot then at 30 mph with cab drivers honking at you. So if you must drive out of the city rent a car for that day but don’t bother having one for the whole time. It’s crazy expensive to valet it at your hotel – $45 a night! and there are no places to park on the street. So just take a cab from the airport.
First Things First – Getting Around
The North End – the oldest area of the city. There are very old (1700’s) buildings and landmarks like Paul Revere’s house (which was even built in the 1600’s) and the Old North Church scattered in among newer buildings. It’s really hard to see the Boston Paul Revere and Sam Adams lived in here. The streets are tighter and smaller. It’s more of a Little Italy now. Lots of touristy things and the historic pubs are either just the name of an original pub like The Green Dragon Tavern which was completely razed in the 90’s and the place now called The Green Dragon Tavern is just a pub with the same name. It is in an historic building though and right across the street from the “Oldest Tavern” I can’t remember it’s name we didn’t bother to go inside it was just a dirty very plain bar.This area was worth walking around for the afternoon but I wouldn’t pay for a tour. Just start at Faneuil Hall and follow the red line – it’s the Freedom Trail and it will take you past all the historic sights which all have plaques so you can read about each of them. Faneuil Hall is pretty much an information station. Behind it they’ve closed off the street and all the old buildings were converted into a shopping mall. This was the most touristy place in the city. Didn’t really see much of it.
Government Center is exactly that just a bunch of modern government buildings – you have to walk right through this area to get from Back Bay to the North end. Otherwise it’s not worth mentioning.
Boston Common and the Public Gardens – center of everything. Both are beautiful parks filled with active people strolling, playing with their dogs, having a snack on the benches. No matter what time we walked through the park it was full. If you go Memorial Day – Labor Day ride the swan boats in the pond at the Public Gardens. Just like the rest of the city – it felt safe and was clean. But don’t be stupid, it’s still a big city don’t walk through by yourself at 3am waving your wallet around.
Beacon Hill – this area was built by the wealthy in the 1800’s on top of the hill overlooking the Common and the Gardens. The brownstones here are amazing. This area is great to just walk around to see the homes. Beautiful tree lined streets. Quite neighborhood.
Back Bay – this is the only part of the city where it’s easy to navigate. The streets are in a grid and the streets running north and south are in alphabetical order. Commonwealth has a park running down the middle of the street and brownstone homes on either side. Newbury Street has the same beautiful brownstones but the basement and first floors have retail shops everything from Gucci to H&M. Lots of great cafes and coffee shops too.
Kenmore Square is where Fenway Park is – great tour of the park! This area and really every area we went to was clean and friendly.
The rest of the areas we really didn’t venture into. Theater District, Chinatown, South End.
On the other side of the Charles River is Cambridge – MIT and Harvard are there but otherwise not much to see. Same thing for Charlestown the only parts that would be interesting to tourist are too touristy. Take the trolley tour to see Harvard, MIT, and Charlestown but I wouldn’t bother renting a car to go see it.
This is the Bean Town Trolley map. We used them because they were included in the Go Boston card that we purchased. But our concierge recommended Old Town Trolley. Since we didn’t also use Old Town I can’t really say which is better. I’m posting this map so you can see the areas. And the distance is deceiving we were able to easily walk from our hotel which was in Back Bay next to the Public Library to the North End. We never tried the subway because it was just easy to walk and we wanted to see everything.
Where to Stay
We stayed at The Lenox in Back Bay. It was a charming historic boutique hotel. There are a lot to choose from though. Some of the others high on my list when I was searching were The Fairmont Copely Plaza, The Eliot Hotel, and Fifteen Beacon, they were all in the Back Bay area. I would say that was the perfect area to stay. It was near shopping, sites seeing, restaurants, parks, subways, everything. The hotel was very accommodating and friendly. The restaurant was fine – a usual high end hotel restaurant. We had breakfast there one morning but there are so many amazing restaurants in Boston I wouldn’t waste a meal there.
What to Eat
Everything! Really great dining. We ate at everything from a Chocolate Bar to pubs to high end fine dining.
Breakfast
We had coffee at a very nice coffee shop on Newbury – L’ Aroma Cafe. Busy with locals in the late morning. Looked like mom’s that had just dropped of their kids at school or people on their way to open the retail stores on the Newbury. Outside seating, muffins, pastries, quiche nice place. We also ate at Trident Booksellers for breakfast. Crowded local place on Newbury half bookstore half cafe. There are several cramped diner like tables and a counter to sit at. We opted for the counter. The wait staff were friendly artsy type young people. The type you’d except to see in a book store. The food was just as creative. I had the Mega tots that are stuffed with cheddar cheese and the size of chicken eggs Tommy had the homemade granola with very fresh fruit.
Lunch
Eastern Standard is just a few blocks from Fenway. All around Fenway were bars and burger places. Most were closed I’m guessing they are only open for dinner and on game days. Eastern Standard is a refine, turn of the century bar, restaurant and raw bar. Most of the people eating there were locals. Click on the link to see the great lunch menu and pictures of the place. Great service, food, and atmosphere.
The raw bar at Eastern Standard
The bar at Eastern Stanard
Avocado BLT on fresh country white with butternut squash soup – delicious
Parish Cafe was on Boylston Street which is the street The Lenox Hotel is on and 1 block south of Newbury. It also has shopping but it’s not nearly has cute as Newbury. Parish Cafe was a local pub featured on the Cooking Channel’s show Unique Eats. There sandwiches were all created by local chefs. I got the Pudding Portobello by Debra Hughes. Sliced portobello mushrooms on foccacia bread with casio de roma cheese, an onion marmalade, and a walnut parsley pesto. Unfortunately Tommy’s sandwich which included veal was a special and I didn’t write down the whole thing. But here’s the pictures. They were both full of layers of flavor, the bread was perfectly crispy on the outside soft on the inside. The waiter was very helpful – so many great items to pick from. The place was quite (but we were there at 2pm) I imagine it’s slammed during lunch and dinner.
Portobello sandwich
Veal sandwich
Max Brenner Chocolate – we stopped at this place on Boylston in Back Bay for a snack. Amazing hot chocolate with little crunchy balls in it and White corn croquettes with manchego cheese.
White corn and Manchego cheese croquettes
One of the days we drove to Salem (on a scale of 1 – 10 I’d give it a 6) if you have plenty of extra time its ok. I was a long 1 hour drive through congested areas to get to it. The town is not completely ruined by tourism. The museum has a very informative free movie you can watch to learn about the city. There are mostly old buildings in the historic downtown but most of them have tourist shops in them. Crap you don’t want to buy. But take the trolley tour around the city to see it all. The homes are lovey the town is too. Its just all tourism. You really want a mix of reality and tourism. It can’t be all reality because then there’s nothing for the tourist to do. But if it’s all touristy then you can’t really see what the town was like. I would say Salem was 65% touristy / 35% real. tipping a little too much to the touristy side for me. I would have liked to have found one shop selling items that weren’t neon orange or bedazzled with rhinestones that said witchy woman on it. Some cute shop selling tasteful items that reflect the pilgrim era of this town. We were able to find a restaurant that sold more then hamburgers. 43 Church. It was in an old boarding house. Restored true to the era of the building but with some modern touches. We originally planned on having dinner there. The menu looks great, truffled wild mushroom rangoons with roasted garlic aioli and grilled swordfish with lobster butter, arugula salad & tarragon pesto polenta fries. But since the town wasn’t as interesting as I hoped it would be we didn’t stay late enough for dinner so we had lunch instead. The lunch menu looked equally good. Autumn bisque, frisee & poached pear salad with boratta cheese, fresh berries & port wine vinaigrette. I had the house charcuterie with preserved lemon cheddar, brie au poivre, and poached pears.
Charcuterie platter at 43 Church in Salem
Dinner
Bistro du Midi was on Boylston just across from Boston Common. Its on the second floor and the dinning room felt like we were in a swanky uptown apartment. Tommy had the grilled pork chop with lardons, sweet corn, fresh garbanzo, haricots verts, and smoked pork jus. We shared the goat cheese, pine nuts & honey barbajuans. I had the sweet corn soup with chanterelles, ricotta, cream frache, sage, and preserved lemon and we shared the Hazelnut milk chocolate cake with salted caramel ice cream. Amazing every bit of it.
View from the window of Bistro du Midi
Bourbon, lemon, bitters, and pear liqueur
Goat cheese, pine nut, and honey barbajuans
Grilled pork chop with lardons, sweet corn, fresh garbanzo, haricots verts, and smoked pork jus
Hazelnut milk chocolate cake with salted caramel ice cream
Sel de la Terre was a little place next to the hotel. We just ducked in there one night. They were booked upstairs in the restaurant so we ate in the bar. Which had the same menu and great service. They have fresh baked bread and toppings to order for it. We chose the balsamic shallot and roasted garlic and the eggplant and goat cheese spread. I had the mixed green salad with poached egg and Tommy had the Lobster ravioli.
Balsamic shallot and garlic and eggplant and goat cheese spreads for the fresh bread
Mixed green, lardons, and poached egg
Lobster ravioli
One night we drove to Cambridge to see a burlesque show, the Wrathskellar. We ate dinner at Hungry Mother which was also featured on the Cooking Channel’s show Unique Eats. Cute little place tucked in a mostly residential area. Definitely make reservations. We were there early at 6pm because we were seeing a show after but by the time we left at 7pm people were waiting for seats. I had the biscuits, pepper jelly, pimento cheese with house made pickles & pickled beets.
Hungry Mother’s pimento cheese, pepper jelly with biscuits, deviled eggs with house picked beets and cucumbers
Afternoon Tea
The concierge at The Lenox suggested L ‘Espalier for tea its a block away from the hotel. I’ve had tea at the Ritz in Philadelphia, The Plaza in New York, and many many other places this was probably the most elegant tea I’ve ever had. First course of the Little Red Riding Hood was Scottish smoked salmon with creme fraiche and caviar, English cucumber with fines herbs cream cheese and candied lemon, Casco bay lobster profiterole, and Maine crab salad with sauce gribiche on a croissant. Second course – panna cotta with Matcha, earl grey trifle with grapefruit, chai tea cake with passion fruit, pate a choux swan with espresso Chantilly cream, chocolate decadence cake with moro orange, lemon chamomile and cherry crimsonberry scones.
Pastries and scones
Afternoon blend of Darjeeling and Sri Lankan estate teas and Chinese green tea with bergamot and grapefruit peel
Places we didn’t get a chance to eat but wanted to
Citizen Public House – in the Fenway area and Oak Long Bar & Kitchen which is in the Fairmont Copley Hotel. We walked through to see if there were any seats at the bar. Almost waited until 10 pm to get a table but decided to try somewhere else. This place looked great. We did go back the next day for breakfast and it was very good. I had the Vermont goat cheese, egg white, spinach, pepper flat bread on whole wheat crust and Tommy had the Irish whiskey french toast with summer berry relish.
Oak Long Bar & Kitchen at breakfast
What to do while you are there
I recommend the Go Boston card – it was $140 pp for 5 days but when I added up all the places, historic houses, museums, trolley rides, Fenway everything we wanted to see was on it and it cost about 1/2 what it would have if we paid for each thing separately. I’ve already mentioned the trolley. When we go to historic cities I always like to take the trolley or a carriage tour first. It helps you understand the lay of the city, where the important sites are to go back to, and it’s transportation around the city.
Samuel Adams Brewery Tour – it’s free and you get free beer at the end. If that isn’t enough, its a very informative tour given by people who love their jobs and our guide was very entertaining. Its first come first serve. If you can go on a week day. If not get there when they open on Saturday. They only do so many tours a day. At the end of the tour they take you into the tasting room. there are several long tables and bar stools long the walls. Sit at the bar stools in the back of the room away from the bar. They fill up pitchers and pass them out to the tables. As the pitchers are passed along the tables everyone just takes about half a glass (8 oz tasting glass). So the pitcher is still about half full by the time it gets back to you. You know have half a pitcher to drink. You can refill your glass several time. You get 3 different tastings so by the end you can easily have had 4-5 beers instead of 3 tastings. After the tour a party trolley pulls up to take you to Doyles Tavern. One of the oldest taverns in Boston. If you take your tour ticket and order a Sam Adams at Doyles you get to keep the specially designed Sam Adams glass. The guy who drives the trolley is awesome. Thick Boston accent. The trolley is playing KC and the Sunshine Band’s “That’s the Way – I like it” as we pull away with the disco ball and lights going. Doyles was an old tavern. The lobster roll at the top of this blog is from there. Tommy said it was great.
Waiting for the tour to begin
me at Doyles after the tour
Fenway Park – I’ll just post the pictures. You get to see the visitor’s locker room and dugout and sit on the Green Monsta.
in the pressbox
The Green Monster
Old Sturbridge Village – this was about 1 1/2 hours west of Boston. It was an easy drive along a highway that was lined with autumn colored trees. The village is away from everything so while you are there you don’t see any other buildings. They have gathered historic buildings from all over Massachusetts and recreated a town. They have a town square with a tavern, bank, church and faux cemetery grist mill, sawmill, cider mill, school, pottery, working farm and farm house. it was very very well done. All the interpreters are dressed in period clothing and are actively working. They were very knowledgeable about the town and their jobs. After the hectic city it was a really relaxing place.
Other things to do in Boston that we didn’t get around to
This was my first post. Hopefully they get better the more I post. I take a lot of time to research the places I go and I wanted a place to share that research.
DAGNY | the g is silent but I am not 