The Disney Pantry: My favorite recipes! Bacardi Mojito

I'm a big fan of Mojitos! This minty-lime concoction is just so refreshing, especially on a hot summer day! The crisp bite of the club soda and the hint of rum, muddled with the fresh mint and lime juice really gets you in to a relaxing mood. After all, isn't that what a vacation is all about? During my latest stay at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, I took a moment between hopping parks to sit down and soak up one of my favorite drinks, the Bacardi Mojito at the Laguna Bar. I've shared the recipe for this tasty treat for your mixing pleasure. Enjoy! 

Ingredients:

5 to 6 fresh mint leaves

4 to 5 fresh lime wedges

Appx. 1 to 2 tablespoons agave nectar or simple syrup

Club Soda or Soda Water

Bacardi Rum

Directions:

1. Place 5 to 6 fresh mint leaves and 3 lime wedges in the bottom of the glass. 

2. Add a good drizzle of agave nectar and gently muddle for a few seconds. 

*Don't mash the mint to a pulp, the key is to gently bruise the leaves to allow the mint to release it's essential oils. If you don't have a muddling stick, simply squeeze the mint leaves in your hand and tear each leaf into a few large pieces, and give the limes a squeeze before you drop them in for a similar effect.* 

3. Add ice and then pour in; 1 part Bacardi rum, 3 parts soda water.

The Disney Pantry: My favorite recipes! Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup

During last year’s Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, I had the pleasure of sampling some wildly delicious dishes from around the world and one of my absolute favorites was from my sampling at the Canada Pavilion. The Canadian Cheddar Cheese soup was to die for! The day was a bit chilly and the warm, velvety goodness of the soup really hit the spot. Below is the recipe for this hearty soup that is sure to satisfy! Enjoy!

   

Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup

Serves 8

Ingredients:

5 cups milk, warmed

½ pound bacon

10 tablespoons butter

1 cup celery

2 each red onions, finely chopped

1 ½ cups flour

1 quart chicken stock

1 pound cheddar cheese, shredded

1 ½ teaspoons Tabasco sauce

3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

12 ounces slightly warm ale

kosher salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Slowly heat milk.

2. Brown the bacon first, then render until crisp.

3. Add the butter and melt.

4. Add celery and onions, cook until translucent.

5. Add flour and mix thoroughly to form a roux.

6. Add chicken stock and simmer for three minutes.

7. Add warm milk and stir vigorously to thicken.

8. Cook out roux until thickened (it should not have a starchy taste).

9. Reduce heat to low, add cheese, and stir until melted.

10. Season with kosher salt, pepper, Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce.

11. Just prior to serving, add warm ale.

12. Garnish with cooked bacon and fresh chives.

Cook's note: When re-heating soup, do not bring to a boil, as it will break down.

*Photo above: Two of Canada's three offerings: Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup and Chicken Chipotle Sausage with Sweet Corn Polenta and "Minus 8" Onion Jam ( INCREDIBLE FLAVOR!!!)

The Disney Pantry: My favorite recipes! Key Lime Pie Martini

One of my favorite drinks at the Walt Disney World Resort is the Key Lime Pie Martini. I first indulged myself on this deliciously decadent drink while having dinner at Kona Cafe at the Polynesian Resort. I LOVE PIE and what could be better than a eating nice slice of key lime pie? Well, how 'bout adding a touch of alcohol and drinking it!? Yes, please! 

Key Lime Pie Martini Recipe

Ingredients:
1 part Midori Melon Liqueur
1 part Stoli Vanil Vodka
3 parts Pina Colada Mix (3 parts pineapple juice, 1 part Coco Lopez, blended together before adding to the drink)
1 part pineapple juice

Directions:
1. Pour into a shaker over ice and add the juice of one half lemon (mind the seeds).
2. Shake and strain into a chilled, graham cracker crust rimmed martini glass.
3. Garnish with a slice of fresh lime.
4. ENJOY!

WARNING: This drink is addictively delicious! It's difficult to stop at just one. Indulge at your own risk.

The Disney Pantry, My favorite recipes! Classic Scones

One of my favorite places to visit at the Walt Disney World Resort is The Garden View Tea Room at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. The Tea Room offers traditional afternoon tea from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm, seven days a week. You can order various tea sandwiches, cakes, tarts to accompany your tea selection; however, my favorite menu item are the Classic Scones! They're served warm with Devonshire cream and jam on the side. I pair these scones with the Vanilla Earl Grey tea that is part of Disney's own collection.

Below is the recipe for the Classic Scones created by Chef Erich Herbitschek:

To make 24 Scones:

Ingredients:
4 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons shortening
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cup milk
1 cup golden raisins

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Rub the margarine and shortening into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine the eggs and milk and stir them into the flour mixture, just until the dough comes together. Fold in the raisins.

3. roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness on a lightly-floured surface. With a 2-inch round cutter, stamp out 24 scones and transfer them to a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake the scones for 10 to 15 minutes or until they are lightly browned.

4. Serve at once with Devonshire cream or butter and jam. Enjoy!

I highly recommend taking an afternoon out of your busy vacation to stop in and enjoy this delightful experience. And believe me, advanced reservations are strongly recommended! 

Making the most of your Disney Day

For many of us, it's the world class attractions that call us to the Walt Disney World Resort. Whether you're a big thrill seeker or prefer a more gentle ride experience, waiting in a long line effects us all the same way. As guests, we expect to have to wait for our fair share of experiences in the parks. From character meet and greets to queuing for Space Mountain, the wait times are always a major factor in how much we get to experience in our magical Disney Day. For the most part, the "crowd factor" in the parks fluctuates depending on the season; peak, regular, value or holiday, with holiday traditionally being the most crowded season.

So how does one get around to all their favorite rides, shows and attractions and have time to sit down and enjoy a meal before it's time to leave? I'm here to tell you friends, it's all in the magic of the Disney Fastpass reservation system. On the Disney website the Fastpass is explained like this, "Disney's FASTPASS Reservation System reduces time spent in line at popular attractions at Disney Theme Parks. To use the FASTPASS system, simply slip your Park Pass into the FASTPASS machine to receive a ticket with an assigned return time and enjoy the rest of the Park while Disney's FASTPASS service saves your place in line." Sounds easy enough, right? Well, yes it really is just as simple as placing your park ticket into the fast pass machine and "reserving" your time at that particular attraction. Now, say you missed your allotted fastpass time for Space Mountain because you were having such an awesome adventure in Frontierland exploring Tom Sawyer Island that you just lost track of time. Did you lose out on experiencing the pulse-pounding hyperspace adventure that is Space Mountain? Well, in a word, nope. You see, your fastpass reservation works like this: you can enter the fastpass return queue anytime after your originally reserved time. For example, say your fastpass reservation time is 2:20 pm - 3:20 pm, even if you miss that one hour time slot and it's now 4:00 pm, it's still valid! Another little known "secret" to using the Disney Fastpass System is that you don't have to wait until you've used your existing fastpass reservation to make another one. Usually, you only have to wait about one hour before you can get another fastpass for another attraction. Look on your fastpass ticket for the time at which you can get your next one. There are lot's of options with this perk, so ride on my friends, ride on!

The fastpass, while magical, isn't the "end all be all" of choices available to you when it comes to the experiencing the all the rides, shows and attractions on your "must-do" list. Another tip is knowing when to ride the more popular rides such as Splash Mountain in Frontierland compared to the less trafficked (but not necessarily less beloved) attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean in Adventureland. It's smart to take advantage of the parades and live shows, and the shorter ride wait times when they're running. In the park, these events attract guests (especially those with small children) like moths to a flame. Check out your Times Guide so you know when the parades and shows run in the park. This is a great time to ride one of the more popular rides as the queues should be less busy.

Another option, is to stay on property at one of the Disney Resorts and take advantage of the Extra Magic Hours. The Disney website offers the following information regarding this perk, "Extended Disney park hours, known as Extra Magic Hours, offer a rare and unique opportunity to enjoy additional time in Walt Disney World parks—above and beyond the standard operating schedule - at no extra charge. This special perk is offered to Guests of select Walt Disney World Resort hotels, and Residents and Guests of Golden Oak. Each day, one of the 4 Walt Disney World theme parks opens one hour early or remains open up to 3 hours after regular closing time. Additionally, Disney Water Parks offer Extra Magic Hours during select times of year."

Lastly, for those families visiting the parks with small children there is the Rider Swap option offered at all four of the Disney parks. Rider Swap works like this: when you have a child too small to ride an attraction, one adult waits with that child while the rest of the party rides then they swap with another adult so that they can experience the ride without having to wait in line twice. Easy peasy!

Remember, these tips apply to all four of the parks at the Walt Disney World Resort, not just in the Magic Kingdom park. It is best to plan your day prior to going to the park so you can more effectively prioritize your experiences. Now, with all these options, you should be able to get the most out of your Disney Day! So get going!

Welcome to The Runaway Mouse!

Welcome to The Runaway Mouse Blog! Here you will find a plethora of information, including photos, news, advice, and reviews on all things Walt Disney World. From the world renowned resorts to the themed resort pools, from the exciting fireworks displays to the energetic parades, from the Magic Kingdom to Disney's Animal Kingdom; you'll find it all (and then some) here. So with a little sprinkling of pixie dust.... away we go!