We returned to the un-magical (albeit snowy) Minnesota yesterday from our lovely honeymoon. The depression has set it for Jim that our vacation at the wonderful Walt Disney World is over, and he has informed me he will need lots of cakes and desserts to fill the void. I am very happy to oblige, especially after drawing inspiration from our travels and the book I read during our trip (Miss Cecily’s Recipes for Exceptional Ladies by Vicky Zimmerman–I can’t recommend it enough).
It was a great trip and our first trip together where we got to learn more about each other’s travel styles. For example, Jim is the type to set an alarm for 5:45 a.m., eat lightly, get on the first bus to the parks, and be in constant pursuit of the next great ride. I, on the other hand, like to sleep until I wake up (whenever that is), have a delicious brunch (Mickey waffles, duh), tan by the pool with a book, then head to the parks to go shopping. We’re totally the same.
Some of the best parts of our trip were in the most unexpected places. It seems that everyone flocks to the allure of Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, but honestly, my favorite rides were spent at Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Because of COVID, all of Disney’s rides and restaurants quickly reach their limited capacities, so we had no hope or expectation of getting in. But through some Mickey magic (and a lot of trial-and-error with the Disney app) we managed to get into the highly coveted Be Our Guest, Beaches & Cream Soda Shoppe, and the new Star Wars Rise of the Resistance ride.
The Magic Kingdom
We went to Magic Kingdom on Monday and Friday because there is so much to see there, and we didn’t get to all of it by Monday.
Some of the highlights were The Carousel of Progress, Big Thunder Mountain, Jungle Cruise, the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, Dumbo, beautiful mosaics in the castle, Hall of Presidents, Be Our Guest, Haunted Mansion, and It’s a Small World.
I also tried my best to dress for the occasion, donning my Ellie pin and my teacup necklace.
Animal Kingdom
We also did mobile ordering at the Satu’li Canteen at Animal Kingdom where Jim got a deliciously grilled chicken and rice bowl, and I got a slow roasted, thinly sliced beef with noodles. Both were garnished with carrot slaw and jelly bursts. Definitely recommend eating here!
Despite getting to Animal Kingdom very early, the line to the newest Avatar ride was already about two hours worth of a wait. So we headed to the Navi River Cruise (which was spectacular in terms of color!) and then on to one of my favorites: the Safari. We also caught an educational bird show, rode Expedition Everest, and watched primates taunt each other while we gobbled up premium ice cream bars.
The dinosaur ride was just the right mix of fun and thrilling. It was a huge delight to see all of the animals in the Maharajah Jungle Trek: a komodo dragon, a bengal tiger, and many colorful birds. Finally, we made it onto the 3D Avatar Pandora ride and it was amazing! The smells were wonderful and the scenery was resplendent.
EPCOT
EPCOT was…truthfully a huge let down. Before meeting Jim, I never knew there were rides at EPCOT, and so from the time the park opened at 11:00 a.m. until about 3:00 p.m., we went through Soarin’, Nemo and Friends, Spaceship Earth, Jim went on Mission: SPACE, and then we got in line for Jim’s favorite ride, Test Track. 45 minutes of waiting in line for test track, we finally got to the front and the overhead speaker announced that inclement weather was forcing them to stop the ride until further notice. We eventually abandoned the ride and it never reopened that day (but it never rained, either).
My favorite part of EPCOT has always been the different countries of World Showcase and the great shops that offer imported products from around the world. Unfortunately, the majority (~80%) of these shops were closed.
We did manage to get a shot of chocolate Mozart liqueur from Germany, Mickey and Minnie pasta-themed dish towels in Italy, and a glimpse at the upcoming restaurant in France called Gusteau’s after Ratatouille.
I would not recommend visiting EPCOT during COVID. It was definitely not worth the full park ticket.
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney’s Hollywood Studios gave us the best day of our trip. Again, we arrived early and only waited about 10 minutes to get onto the Tower of Terror. Things got busier quickly after that and so we pushed off Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster until later in the afternoon. We hit up all three of the Star Wars rides, saw the Muppets in 3D (meh), and played the Toy Story Midway Mania. We also walked through a little museum and show on Walt Disney’s life which was interesting.
Of course, we also had to have another premium Mickey ice cream bar!
If you are headed to Disney any time soon, here are my tips:
1. Make reservations NOW for any restaurants you want to try. Pretty much everything was either booked or was only available for dinner at 8:30 p.m. You can also try to get on the Walk-up list for some restaurants, but you have to do this (A) through the Disney app and (B) immediately after the restaurant opens, and there is no guarantee you will get in. Everything is done through the app now, and you can’t just walk up to the concierge and put your name on the list. This might get better when COVID resolves, but until then bear in mind that the restaurants are operating at less than half capacity.
2. You can also order food through mobile order pick up. It works for some restaurants and is the required process for any fast food restaurants (of which we really liked Pecos Bill’s tacos at Magic Kingdom and Satu’li Canteen at Animal Kingdom).
3. I’d also suggest springing for a room with a view. Unfortunately, regardless of how charming you are or what happy event you are celebrating, Disney simply doesn’t throw in free perks anymore. Of course, you’ll probably spend most of your time at the parks anyway, but it’s nice to open the curtains and not look directly into the fins of an industrial-grade air conditioning unit. The lagoon view we had at the Yacht Club really added to the ambiance that we were on a special vacation.
4. Go mini golfing at Fantasia Gardens! It costs about $15 per person which is a bit pricey for mini golf, but the 18-hole course is very whimsical and fun, and it’s based on the original Fantasia movie.
5. Do eat Mickey waffles, do get a premium Mickey ice cream bar, and skip the Mickey pretzel (it’s a dry disappointment and you’re better off at Auntie Anne’s).
6. Go to Wine Bar George at Disney Springs and get the macaroni and cheese bites, the meatballs, and the grilled romaine. Then go to Amorette’s (also at Disney Springs) and get a salted caramel eclair.
7. The new Star Wars ride Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is THE BEST RIDE YOU WILL EVER GO ON. The virtual queue opens at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. You can bet 100 Imperial Credits that by 10:00:30 a.m. and 2:00:30 p.m. those virtual queues are completely filled. So be that person and stay glued to your phone on the Disney app until the second the clock turns to 10:00 or 2:00 and you just might get on the back-up boarding list.
8. Get to the parks early! The parks might list that they open at 9:00 a.m. but we got into each park at least 30-45 minutes earlier than it officially opened. They do this so people can hop on the big rides that inevitably get crowded throughout the day. We stayed at a Disney resort so a bus took us directly from our hotel to the entrance of Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, and EPCOT and Hollywood Studios were within walking distance.
And while Jim has been lamenting our departure from Disney, (and of course, I have enjoyed the vacation thoroughly but) I am thrilled to return to the kitchen!
Having just finished Miss Cecily’s Recipes for Exceptional Ladies, I thought I would borrow a page from her cook book, Thought for Food, where the cook book is laid out in specific menus instead of a la carte recipes. For example…
Dinner for Returning from Your Honeymoon
Aim: to soften the blow of ending a lovely vacation, to nourish your body after a week of rich and indulgent eating, and to not create a mess in the kitchen when you need to spend time unpacking and lamenting the return to reality. Ultimately, it is the closure to your honeymoon and should be a celebrated occasion. Even more, if your husband’s brother is picking you up from the airport, there is plenty of this meal to share.
Now, your refrigerator is probably empty and you’ll have to hit up the market, but if you are armed with your list before you even step off the plane and you are quick, dinner will be ready in an hour.
It certainly helps to make the potatoes before you depart for your trip and then freeze them in a vacuum sealed bag. When you return from the airport, spread the frozen potatoes out on a parchment paper-lined pan and let them sit in the oven at 275F while you’re at the store. Also leave a cast iron skillet in the oven.
Your grocery list
2-3 Fresh, wild caught salmon filets
1 bag of fresh broccoli florets (preferably not frozen)
Bacon
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
A demi baguette
Fresh dill
2 lemons
3 large Yukon gold potatoes
Fresh garlic cloves
I am assuming you already have…
Kosher salt and sea salt
Butter*
Olive oil
Crushed red pepper flakes
Water
*Soften your butter by microwaving it for about 12 seconds
Le Menu
Broiled Salmon with Lemon, Garlic, and Dill
Roasted Potatoes
Aglio e Olio Broccoli with Bacon
Garlic Bread
THE POTATOES
Do not peel potatoes. Cube them into 1/2″ pieces and spread onto a parchment paper-lined jelly roll pan. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt, a pinch of cayenne pepper, a lot of garlic powder, and grated Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400F for one hour, stirring about half way through to get crisp edges.
Make this before you leave for your trip and once the potatoes have cooled, transfer them to a gallon Ziplock bag, push all the air out, and leave in your freezer.
When you return, spread the potatoes back on to a parchment paper-lined jelly roll pan and warm them at 275F while you head to the store. They should be warm enough after 30 minutes, but you can leave them in for an hour.
THE BROCCOLI
In a medium-sized Corningware or glass Pyrex dish, dump broccoli florets in with 3-4 tbsp of water. Microwave for 3 minutes.
Chop bacon into 1/4″ pieces and fry in a large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon and drain 90% of the grease. Lower the heat and add two cloves worth of minced garlic, sauteeing in bacon fat until slightly golden. Add 2 tbsp of butter and 1/4 tsp red chili flakes and stir for another 30 seconds. Then add in broccoli florets, setting aside the dish you used to microwave for serving later. Stir the broccoli so the garlic, chili flakes, and butter are coating the florets. Lower heat and cover loosely with aluminum foil for 3-4 minutes. When broccoli is tender, remove aluminum cover, add the bacon back in with a quick stir, and transfer back to the Corningware or Pyrex dish. Cover until ready to serve.
THE SALMON
Mash together half a stick of softened butter with 2 tbsp of chopped dill, two cloves of minced garlic, zest of one lemon, and juice from half of the lemon. Add sea salt, about 1/4 tsp, and mix until well combined. Smear over the salmon filets (not the skin side).
Take the pre-heated cast iron skillet out of the oven and arrange filets flat on the skillet, skin side down. Bake on HI broil for about 13 minutes on the middle rack.
THE GARLIC BREAD
Divide the demi loaf into 6-8 pieces. Rub the non-crusted side with a smashed garlic clove. Slather with butter, sprinkle with kosher salt, and broil for 2-3 minutes.
Bonus (but not required...)
I made a chocolate souffle out of sheer curiosity. I had read about one in my book a few days ago and was just itching to try it. I don’t recommend it for the Dinner for Returning from Your Honeymoon because it’s a lot of dishes and it’s putzy. I used the Julia Child recipe and enjoyed the texture of it a lot, but I was longing for something a bit more chocolatey… (really, nothing will fill the emptiness in my heart or stomach the way the Mickey premium ice cream bars did…)
But here is the recipe I used:
7 ounces of semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup strong coffee
Butter for the ramekins (butter these liberally and coat in sugar)
1/3 cup flour
3 tbsp butter
2 cups milk
4 egg yolks
1 tbsp vanilla extract
6 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar
Preheat the oven to 425F and make room to put something on the lowest possible rack.
Butter your ramekins liberally and cover the butter in sugar.
In a sauce pan melt 3 tbsp butter and add 1/3 cup flour. When a thick paste, lower heat and slowly pour in milk, whisking until thickened. Allow to cool for five minutes.
Separate eggs and reserve four egg yolks, adding vanilla extract to them and whisking together. Whip egg whites with cream of tartar and salt until stiff peaks form. Gradually add in 1/2 cup of sugar.
Temper the egg yolk-vanilla mixture into the milk mixture. In a glass bowl microwave chocolate with coffee, about 30 seconds, until melted. Add this to the milk mixture as well.
Finally, fold in a healthy scoop of the egg whites into the milk mixture. Be delicate to maintain the airiness. Fold in the rest of the egg whites until just combined (no streaks).
Fill ramekins to the rim. You should have enough batter for between 6-8 ramekins. Place ramekins on a jelly roll pan and lower the oven temperature to 375F. Bake for 40 minutes. Do not open the oven until the 40 minutes are up.
Serve immediately.