This sauce was really good over linguine with baked, breaded chicken breasts. I love the taste of fresh basil and I have a lot of cherry tomatoes in my garden right now that I am trying to use creatively.
Parmesan Basil Cream Sauce with Cherry Tomatoes
2 cups of chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese
12 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. EVOO
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
In a hot medium skillet pan add the EVOO, garlic, Italian seasoning, pepper, and tomatoes. Toss and coat the tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the chicken broth to the pan and bring it to a boil, stirring and occasionally scraping the sides of the pan to remove and garlic or seasonings. When boiling add the heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Turn the heat to low and let it simmer for 5 minutes to thicken. Add the tomatoes back into the pan and the chopped basil leaves. Let it cook for another 1-2 minutes. Serve over pasta or chicken or both!
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza (makes 2 cookie sheet pizzas)
1 recipe of pizza dough (see below)
3 chicken breasts, seasoned, grilled and diced
8 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup ranch dip (I use Uncle Dan's)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
6 green onions, sliced
12 ounces of shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese
Pizza Dough
1 1/2 cups hot water (105-110 degrees)
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 extra cup flour
In a medium bowl add the water, yeast, and sugar. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom. In another bowl combine the 2 1/2 cups flour, salt, and garlic salt. In a mixing bowl add the bloomed yeast and flour mixture. Turn the mixer on low and with the dough hook and mix for about 5 minutes. Add the extra cup of flour and let it mix in. Turn the mixer up to medium and let it knead the dough for 5 minutes. Take the dough out of the mixing bowl. Lightly oil the mixing bowl, place the dough ball back into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it raise about 10 minutes. (I like to turn my oven on for about 3 minutes and then turn it off and put the bowl in the warmed oven for the raising period. Just don't get it too hot and cook the dough or kill the yeast.) After it has risen, remove the dough from the bowl and cut it in half. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets and sprinkle about 1 Tbsp. of cornmeal onto each cookie sheet. Stretch one of the dough halves onto each sheet. You can roll it out with a rolling pin, or just push the dough out to the corners with you fingers. Bake the dough for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees before adding the toppings.
Topping the pizzas. Add 1/2 cup of the ranch dip and spread it onto the dough. Sprinkle 1/2 of the shredded cheese over the ranch. Next add the chicken, bacon, tomatoes, and green onions, half for each pizza. Place the pizzas bake into the oven and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove, allow to sit and cool for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
1 recipe of pizza dough (see below)
3 chicken breasts, seasoned, grilled and diced
8 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup ranch dip (I use Uncle Dan's)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
6 green onions, sliced
12 ounces of shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese
Pizza Dough
1 1/2 cups hot water (105-110 degrees)
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 extra cup flour
In a medium bowl add the water, yeast, and sugar. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom. In another bowl combine the 2 1/2 cups flour, salt, and garlic salt. In a mixing bowl add the bloomed yeast and flour mixture. Turn the mixer on low and with the dough hook and mix for about 5 minutes. Add the extra cup of flour and let it mix in. Turn the mixer up to medium and let it knead the dough for 5 minutes. Take the dough out of the mixing bowl. Lightly oil the mixing bowl, place the dough ball back into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it raise about 10 minutes. (I like to turn my oven on for about 3 minutes and then turn it off and put the bowl in the warmed oven for the raising period. Just don't get it too hot and cook the dough or kill the yeast.) After it has risen, remove the dough from the bowl and cut it in half. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets and sprinkle about 1 Tbsp. of cornmeal onto each cookie sheet. Stretch one of the dough halves onto each sheet. You can roll it out with a rolling pin, or just push the dough out to the corners with you fingers. Bake the dough for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees before adding the toppings.
Topping the pizzas. Add 1/2 cup of the ranch dip and spread it onto the dough. Sprinkle 1/2 of the shredded cheese over the ranch. Next add the chicken, bacon, tomatoes, and green onions, half for each pizza. Place the pizzas bake into the oven and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove, allow to sit and cool for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Ranch Corn Salad
Ranch Corn Salad
4 ears of corn, shucked and cleaned
2 large Roma tomatoes
1 small red bell pepper
5 green onions
1/2 cup ranch dip (I use Uncle Dan's packets mixed with mayo and sour cream)
Fill a large pot with water and put it over high heat to boil. When it reaches a rolling boil add the ears of corn and cook for 3 minutes. Remove the corn and rinse it in cold water to stop the cooking process. Using a sharp knife cut all of the kernels off of the cob. Add the corn to a medium mixing bowl. Dice the tomatoes and add them to the corn. Remove the seeds from the red bell pepper, dice it and add to the bowl. Slice the green onions and add them as well. Spoon in the ranch and gently stir everything together. Top with green onions and serve or refrigerate and let the flavors all blend together before serving.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Vacation Planning--My Final and Favorite Tip
My favorite vacation planning tip is this: Leave the house clean! I love coming home to my house being clean and ready for another week. Here is the list of things I have done before leaving: Empty all of the garbage cans. Clean out the refrigerator. Clean the floors. Clean the bathroom and wash all the towels. Wash all the bedsheets. Catch up all of the laundry. These things get done a day or two before we leave. The night before we leave I like to get the van/car all packed up and ready to go. Then in the morning before we leave everyone has to make their bed and have their room inspected.
The last thing I do is vacuum. Usually everyone else is buckled up and
ready to go and I am running the vacuum around one last time. I love
the look of freshly vacuumed rugs.
P.S. I do not have OCD. My kids are really good at making messes and some days I feel like I am never going to catch up with the laundry. I love to read and play with my kids and have fun and sometimes I ignore the vacuuming for a few hours. I just really like things neat and orderly and am happier when my home is clean, so I work to keep it that way. Please don't hate me because of it! :)
These cereal containers have small garbage can liners in them and we will use them as garbage cans in our vehicles while we are traveling. I hate driving in a messy car!
One last tip. Everyone has packed enough clothes for the week, but you never know if you might want something washed while you are away. Most hotels have a laundry room available to guests so I like to take a laundry kit with me when I travel. I don't like putting dirty clothes into my bag with my clean clothes so I usually use big garbage bags to hold everybody's dirty clothes. I found these mesh laundry bags at the dollar store, so we'll give them a try this time. Even though everyone has packed enough for the 8 days we'll be gone, I still like to do a few loads of laundry about halfway through the trip or even the night before coming home. It makes it easier for me when we get home if some of the clothes are clean and can be put away instead of everything needing to be washed. I typically wash and dry about 2-3 loads every day at home so multiply that by 8 days and that is a lot of laundry to catch up on. I don't wash everything because the machines are usually small loads and it can be expensive, but even 3-4 loads helps me feel like I have gotten a head start. It also reminds me of how much I should appreciate my large capacity, front loading machines and helps me grumble a little less when I get home and have so much vacation laundry to do.
P.S. I do not have OCD. My kids are really good at making messes and some days I feel like I am never going to catch up with the laundry. I love to read and play with my kids and have fun and sometimes I ignore the vacuuming for a few hours. I just really like things neat and orderly and am happier when my home is clean, so I work to keep it that way. Please don't hate me because of it! :)
These cereal containers have small garbage can liners in them and we will use them as garbage cans in our vehicles while we are traveling. I hate driving in a messy car!
One last tip. Everyone has packed enough clothes for the week, but you never know if you might want something washed while you are away. Most hotels have a laundry room available to guests so I like to take a laundry kit with me when I travel. I don't like putting dirty clothes into my bag with my clean clothes so I usually use big garbage bags to hold everybody's dirty clothes. I found these mesh laundry bags at the dollar store, so we'll give them a try this time. Even though everyone has packed enough for the 8 days we'll be gone, I still like to do a few loads of laundry about halfway through the trip or even the night before coming home. It makes it easier for me when we get home if some of the clothes are clean and can be put away instead of everything needing to be washed. I typically wash and dry about 2-3 loads every day at home so multiply that by 8 days and that is a lot of laundry to catch up on. I don't wash everything because the machines are usually small loads and it can be expensive, but even 3-4 loads helps me feel like I have gotten a head start. It also reminds me of how much I should appreciate my large capacity, front loading machines and helps me grumble a little less when I get home and have so much vacation laundry to do.
Friday, August 8, 2014
Vacation Planning--Souvenirs and Saving Money
About 2 months ago one of my girls, Sarah (15) said, "Mom can we wear matching shirts one day at Disneyland?" I told her I'd think about it and see what I could come up with. I looked up "Disneyland iron transfers in JPEG" on Etsy and found HUNDREDS of designs to choose from. I found the one above for $4. I chose the JPEG format instead of premade transfers so that I could adjust the size. The original print is a large one and I wanted a pocket sized image.
I then went back to Sarah, showed her this design and asked her what color shirts we should put it on. She immediately said, "lime green." I went to the Hanes website and found that they were having a sale, 40% off orders of $100 or more. I also found free shipping code. I started thinking about souvenirs. My kids all love wearing hoodies in the fall and winter and I knew they would love to have one from Disneyland, but my research showed that they cost $60 in the stores at the park. Yikes! I decided to try to make my own. I found another 2 designs on Etsy that I liked and let the kids choose which one they wanted. One had 5 Mickey heads with the traditional characters and the other had 5 Mickey heads with the princesses. They also chose the colors for their hoodies and whether they wanted pullover or zip up. I ordered the 10 t-shirts, the girls got polyester (I love the dri weave!) and the boys got cotton, which is why there is a slight variance in the colors, and 8 hoodies for $151. Way cheaper than buying them at the parks!
We put pocket sized transfers on the front of the zip ups and larger transfers on the front of the pullovers. With the cost of the transfers and transfer paper and hoodie, each was a grand total of $12! The green t-shirts were $4 each. We love the designs too!
The lighter colored shirts and hoodies work the best with the homemade transfers!
I am going to share a few of my ideas for saving money on vacation. Keep in mind that this is all relative to me! Everyone has different ideas on saving money and it is always value based. By that I mean, what is of value to you. I have done vacations on a dime before and they are not my favorite way to travel. I am kind of an "all or nothing" person. I would rather take one really nice vacation every 2-3 years, than a cheap, no frills, skimp by vacation every year. That's just me! I don't really want to cook or eat fast food or sandwiches for every meal and I don't want to cram 10 people into a small hotel room. There are a few ways that I like to save a little money though, so those specific to this vacation I will share. The first one pertains to meals and drinks. I do not buy soda for my kids very often and I rarely have any at the house. I do, myself, like to drink Dr. Pepper, but only from a fountain, so I don't have cans or 2 liters at home. This is my one "do as I say, not as I do rule" for my kids. Bad example, I know. Having said this, for this trip I have purchased about 12- 12 packs of different sodas for the kids to drink. I will keep a cooler full in the van and one in the hotel room. They will be allowed to drink them pretty much whenever they want. Because they will have access to this special treat in the van and hotel I will encourage them to drink water while we are in the parks. The cost of a small soda in Disneyland is $3.19 Yikes! I think the kids will go along with this idea, especially since they will be on a budget, which I will explain later.
Everyone will have a fanny pack, terribly unfashionable, but extremely practical.
We don't need a stroller and I am NOT carrying everybody'scrap stuff all around Disneyland, California Adventure, Sea World and Universal Studios! So everybody will have to wear one of these. They can put their electronics in a plastic bag to keep them dry on the wet rides and still have them to play with during the long line standing we will be doing. Snacks, sunscreen, sanitizer, water bottles and as you can see, a $20 bill. One of the ways we are saving a little money is by staying at a hotel that has a hot breakfast buffet included with the rooms, along with free parking, and it is close enough to walk to Disneyland (2 blocks). We will eat a good breakfast in the morning and then plan to stay open to closing at the parks. Each person will be given a $20 bill for food for the day. The snacks in the fanny packs will help stretch the money and we will encourage the kids to share orders and eat smaller, more frequent meals during the day. $20 is not much per person for 2 meals and snacks in these places! I know, I have all the menus! :) A Dole Pineapple Whip is almost $4 and I plan to eat at least one of those. I feel that $20, along with the snacks they can carry, is a reasonable amount and by giving the kids the money to hold and spend themselves, they will be more responsible in their choices. We can always adjust after the first day if we need to.
These are a couple of creative ways I choose to save money. It may not be a large amount saved, but it is what works for me to still enjoy my vacation!
I then went back to Sarah, showed her this design and asked her what color shirts we should put it on. She immediately said, "lime green." I went to the Hanes website and found that they were having a sale, 40% off orders of $100 or more. I also found free shipping code. I started thinking about souvenirs. My kids all love wearing hoodies in the fall and winter and I knew they would love to have one from Disneyland, but my research showed that they cost $60 in the stores at the park. Yikes! I decided to try to make my own. I found another 2 designs on Etsy that I liked and let the kids choose which one they wanted. One had 5 Mickey heads with the traditional characters and the other had 5 Mickey heads with the princesses. They also chose the colors for their hoodies and whether they wanted pullover or zip up. I ordered the 10 t-shirts, the girls got polyester (I love the dri weave!) and the boys got cotton, which is why there is a slight variance in the colors, and 8 hoodies for $151. Way cheaper than buying them at the parks!
We put pocket sized transfers on the front of the zip ups and larger transfers on the front of the pullovers. With the cost of the transfers and transfer paper and hoodie, each was a grand total of $12! The green t-shirts were $4 each. We love the designs too!
The lighter colored shirts and hoodies work the best with the homemade transfers!
I am going to share a few of my ideas for saving money on vacation. Keep in mind that this is all relative to me! Everyone has different ideas on saving money and it is always value based. By that I mean, what is of value to you. I have done vacations on a dime before and they are not my favorite way to travel. I am kind of an "all or nothing" person. I would rather take one really nice vacation every 2-3 years, than a cheap, no frills, skimp by vacation every year. That's just me! I don't really want to cook or eat fast food or sandwiches for every meal and I don't want to cram 10 people into a small hotel room. There are a few ways that I like to save a little money though, so those specific to this vacation I will share. The first one pertains to meals and drinks. I do not buy soda for my kids very often and I rarely have any at the house. I do, myself, like to drink Dr. Pepper, but only from a fountain, so I don't have cans or 2 liters at home. This is my one "do as I say, not as I do rule" for my kids. Bad example, I know. Having said this, for this trip I have purchased about 12- 12 packs of different sodas for the kids to drink. I will keep a cooler full in the van and one in the hotel room. They will be allowed to drink them pretty much whenever they want. Because they will have access to this special treat in the van and hotel I will encourage them to drink water while we are in the parks. The cost of a small soda in Disneyland is $3.19 Yikes! I think the kids will go along with this idea, especially since they will be on a budget, which I will explain later.
Everyone will have a fanny pack, terribly unfashionable, but extremely practical.
We don't need a stroller and I am NOT carrying everybody's
These are a couple of creative ways I choose to save money. It may not be a large amount saved, but it is what works for me to still enjoy my vacation!
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Vacation Planning--Making the Car Trip Fun!
Instead of dreading a long car trip with kids, why not make the drive a fun part of the vacation? Even teenagers, well mine anyway, like these little special efforts I make to have fun on the way to our destinations. It's an 8 1/2 hour drive from our house to Disneyland. That's not a terribly long trip, especially with ipods and dvd players, but it can still get a little boring. Boredom sets the stage for contention in the car. The pictures above are one fun thing I love to do for car trips. When the kids were little I would have several packages for them to open. I tried to have something for every hour or even 1/2 hour. Coloring books, crayons, treats, toys, etc. It helped keep them occupied and really made the time pass quickly as they waited to open the next little "gift." Now that they are older I don't think we need as many so I chose to do 3 for this trip. It seems like they are always looking for their ear buds, so that is one of the packages they will open. The other is a shuttle pen and the last is the treat. We will stagger them and open them as we stop for breakfast, lunch and gas.
These awesome neck pillows were sewn by my 13 year old daughter, Kaitlin. She drew her own pattern on newspaper and got busy! It took 3 prototypes before she got one she really liked, but then she sewed 8 of them. The fleece and stuffing brought each pillow to a cost of less than $1. Isn't that great? $1. I think she did a fabulous job! They are very comfortable and will be so much easier to use than the big bed pillows and blankies we used to have to take when they were younger.
We always bring games and activity books to play with. For one car trip I had a green container, like the one pictured, for each child. It held snacks and crayons and books and games and activities for each one and they could use the closed container as a desk on their laps. For this trip I decided that we didn't need a container for each child. Instead, I packed games and activities in one container and they can take things out as they want to use them. They all have chapter books and series' that they are reading right now that they will take with them, and everyone has an ipod, so I think the items in this one box will be enough to hold them over in between.
As soon as she finished the neck pillows, I got my seamstress started on another little project for me. These little drawstring bags are part of an incentive game during the drive to California. Each kid will start out with 30 points worth of red, white and blue chips in their bag. If they are causing distress to a sibling or annoying the driver, they will be asked to hand over a chip. The number on the chip they hand over will depend upon the severity of the infraction, as determined by the driver. If they are penalized and lose a chip, they will have the opportunity to earn it back with prolonged good behavior. I am pretty strict about keeping your hands to yourself and not pestering siblings so the possibility of losing chips is pretty high for some of my kids. Parker (12) has already told me, very matter of factly, that he expects to lose about 5 points before we reach the hotel. *sigh* He is one of the main reasons I am putting this game together in the first place. He is a good kid, but he is a brother and he loves to tease his sisters and he gets his little brother to go in on the action with him. Boys!
I have a bag packed with the little portion cups from Costco (love these!) to fill with the unwrapped little treats and candy. These will fit perfectly into the fanny packs that everyone will wear in the parks. Hopefully these snacks and treats will motivate good behavior during the drive so the kids will want to keep their points/chips. I am confident it will! I have chosen some of their favorites.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Vacation Planning--Clothes Packing
This is a simple tip, but it can really help when you are away from home, especially with little children, big children too! Because my children are mostly teenagers who pack for themselves, it is easier if they all have their own bag. These duffel bags are great because even though they are compact, they will easily hold a week's worth of clothes for each person, that is, if you pack them tightly. I think the best way to do that is to roll your clothes.
I have the kids lay out one whole day's outfit like this picture above. Pants/shorts on the bottom, then the shirt, underwear and socks. Start at the waistband and roll everything into a tight roll, just like you would a sleeping bag.
I usually just put the roll into my bag at this point, but it really helps if you add a rubberband around the roll in the middle, especially for kids packing. Then their rolls will stay tight and they can pull out several to decide which outfit they want for the day, without unrolling everything.
I have the kids lay out one whole day's outfit like this picture above. Pants/shorts on the bottom, then the shirt, underwear and socks. Start at the waistband and roll everything into a tight roll, just like you would a sleeping bag.
I usually just put the roll into my bag at this point, but it really helps if you add a rubberband around the roll in the middle, especially for kids packing. Then their rolls will stay tight and they can pull out several to decide which outfit they want for the day, without unrolling everything.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Vacation Planning--Thinking Ahead "Beach Towels and Sand Castles"
I like planning a vacation several months, or years, ahead of time. The anticipation and the building excitement are a big part of the fun for my kids. Countdowns and discussions of what to do and where to eat and will we wear matching shirts one day are some of the things they love to plan. I love the time to think ahead and plan for things we will need or want while away from home. We started planning this coming Disneyland trip back in December. I began looking at options right away and waited until I found the right package and best deals for our family before booking the details. We are taking the kids' favorite uncle with us so there will be a total of 10 people. My 9 year old son is the only one still considered a "child." We are driving 2 cars and need 2 hotel rooms. We decided to stay in a hotel 2 blocks from Disneyland so we could easily walk to the park. We chose one with a hot breakfast buffet, included with the rooms, and free parking. We also chose 2 suites with enough beds for 6 in each room. I was able to purchase the City Pass for less money than the 3 day park hopper tickets and 1 day Universal Studios tickets that we were originally planning, so we got to throw in 1 day in Sea World for free and actually saved an additional $113 by doing so. We booked through GetAwayToday travel. I love this company! I have spent a lot of time putting together packages on my own and have never been able to get the price lower than what they offer. (I am not a paid spokesperson for them.)
$300 + in beach towels for 75 cents plus $10 s/h:
At the beginning of this summer I was thinking of our trip and the beach. I started thinking about how our beach towels are getting a little raggedy and thread bare. I wanted to purchase some new ones, but wanted to find a really good deal and then I remembered Kohl's Cash. We were planning a day in July to take the kids up north to do their school clothes shopping and go to 7 Peaks Water Park, just waiting for a Kohl's sale and coupon to come in the mail. Sure enough, we soon received a 30% off your entire purchase coupon and planned our shopping/swimming day. I received $80 in Kohl's Cash that day, which I could spend the next weekend. The following weekend I looked online at the Kohl's site and was excited to find that their $29.99 beach towels were on clearance for $6.99. I was able to use my Kohl's Cash to buy 11 beach towels for 75 cents total, plus $10 s/h to have them mailed to me. We got a great deal on some of our back to school clothes and free towels!
I like to keep things simple and organized for traveling so I went to the dollar store and bought these colorful drawstring bags for everyone. They will hold a towel, swimsuit, beach shoes, sunscreen and sunglasses for each person. Then when we hit the beach we won't be searching through duffel bags looking for stuff. We'll grab our bags and be ready to go!
I also decided months ago to buy each of the kids a nice, sturdy duffel bag for traveling. For years we have used mismatched, small suitcases and bags that we have accumulated here and there. I have noticed that the favorite bag and the first one chosen each time is an old UDOT duffel bag that Mike received one year from work. I found a style of duffel that I really liked and began to watch for a sale. Sure enough! I found the $39.99 bags on sale a while later for $15.99 with a free shipping code. Each child got to choose their own print for their duffel and I ordered them. I will show a picture of them when I post my "packing tips." The point is to think ahead for what you might want or need and watch for good deals!
One more idea is to plan what activities you will want to do while at your destination. I love making sand castles at the beach! Before a trip we took to Disney back in 2003 I did some research on sand castles and how to build a really great one. I found a company online that sold special castle building tools and a video on how to use them. I spent $25 and ordered the kit. We watched the movie and learned what to do. When we got to Huntington Beach, I built an awesome castle! The tools and kit really helped! It made it a lot of fun. We are taking the bucket and tools again this year and we will try to recreate another great sand castle. We have had a lot of fun watching the how to movie and relearning.
Plan ahead! It's fun and adds to your vacation experience!
$300 + in beach towels for 75 cents plus $10 s/h:
At the beginning of this summer I was thinking of our trip and the beach. I started thinking about how our beach towels are getting a little raggedy and thread bare. I wanted to purchase some new ones, but wanted to find a really good deal and then I remembered Kohl's Cash. We were planning a day in July to take the kids up north to do their school clothes shopping and go to 7 Peaks Water Park, just waiting for a Kohl's sale and coupon to come in the mail. Sure enough, we soon received a 30% off your entire purchase coupon and planned our shopping/swimming day. I received $80 in Kohl's Cash that day, which I could spend the next weekend. The following weekend I looked online at the Kohl's site and was excited to find that their $29.99 beach towels were on clearance for $6.99. I was able to use my Kohl's Cash to buy 11 beach towels for 75 cents total, plus $10 s/h to have them mailed to me. We got a great deal on some of our back to school clothes and free towels!
I like to keep things simple and organized for traveling so I went to the dollar store and bought these colorful drawstring bags for everyone. They will hold a towel, swimsuit, beach shoes, sunscreen and sunglasses for each person. Then when we hit the beach we won't be searching through duffel bags looking for stuff. We'll grab our bags and be ready to go!
I also decided months ago to buy each of the kids a nice, sturdy duffel bag for traveling. For years we have used mismatched, small suitcases and bags that we have accumulated here and there. I have noticed that the favorite bag and the first one chosen each time is an old UDOT duffel bag that Mike received one year from work. I found a style of duffel that I really liked and began to watch for a sale. Sure enough! I found the $39.99 bags on sale a while later for $15.99 with a free shipping code. Each child got to choose their own print for their duffel and I ordered them. I will show a picture of them when I post my "packing tips." The point is to think ahead for what you might want or need and watch for good deals!
One more idea is to plan what activities you will want to do while at your destination. I love making sand castles at the beach! Before a trip we took to Disney back in 2003 I did some research on sand castles and how to build a really great one. I found a company online that sold special castle building tools and a video on how to use them. I spent $25 and ordered the kit. We watched the movie and learned what to do. When we got to Huntington Beach, I built an awesome castle! The tools and kit really helped! It made it a lot of fun. We are taking the bucket and tools again this year and we will try to recreate another great sand castle. We have had a lot of fun watching the how to movie and relearning.
Plan ahead! It's fun and adds to your vacation experience!
Monday, August 4, 2014
Vacation Planning--the Notebook
I am a planner! I love to have things organized and easy. These pictures are of the notebook I put together for my Hawaii trip. I like to have these for every big trip we take. It helps me to have an itinerary and menus and maps and copies of reservations and ticket info. all in one notebook. Now in our digital age I can access most of this online and so I now keep an electronic version for easy phone access, but I also like having a paper version handy just in case of poor cell service. I am in the process of completing our current Disney notebook, so I am showing you my finished Hawaii one as an example for now.
The first section is restaurants and menus. What you can't see in the picture is the second page after each restaurant has a mapquest map from our hotel to the restaurant with "walking" directions. We were on foot in Waikiki so I printed the walking maps. After a few days we had a better feel for the area and didn't rely on the maps as much, but they were really helpful at first.
I had a section for each of the days activities and maps that were relevant. I also kept copies of reservations and payments and wesbite info and contact numbers for the various activities. It was really easy to see where we were going and what was planned for each day with this notebook. As you can see it is super thick and used a lot of paper and ink, but I felt it was worth it! I was able to schedule everything we wanted to do and we were never lost or confused while we were there.
I had a lot of maps! A LOT! I had a map to every destination and a map from every destination to the next until we returned to the hotel. It was great! We were never lost or confused. All of the time I spent in preparation really gave me a good sense of direction before we even arrived and while we were there I had a good idea of street names and positional directions (N,E,S,W) on the island. I felt familiar with placement of our destination spots before even arriving.
To see the whole itinerary of what we saw and did go to this post:Aloha! Itinerary
For the menus pages, go to:Aloha! Restaurants
Both of these pages have links to websites with information. You might find some fun things to plan for your own vacation! They both show you examples of how I like to plan for vacations.
The first section is restaurants and menus. What you can't see in the picture is the second page after each restaurant has a mapquest map from our hotel to the restaurant with "walking" directions. We were on foot in Waikiki so I printed the walking maps. After a few days we had a better feel for the area and didn't rely on the maps as much, but they were really helpful at first.
I had a section for each of the days activities and maps that were relevant. I also kept copies of reservations and payments and wesbite info and contact numbers for the various activities. It was really easy to see where we were going and what was planned for each day with this notebook. As you can see it is super thick and used a lot of paper and ink, but I felt it was worth it! I was able to schedule everything we wanted to do and we were never lost or confused while we were there.
I had a lot of maps! A LOT! I had a map to every destination and a map from every destination to the next until we returned to the hotel. It was great! We were never lost or confused. All of the time I spent in preparation really gave me a good sense of direction before we even arrived and while we were there I had a good idea of street names and positional directions (N,E,S,W) on the island. I felt familiar with placement of our destination spots before even arriving.
To see the whole itinerary of what we saw and did go to this post:Aloha! Itinerary
For the menus pages, go to:Aloha! Restaurants
Both of these pages have links to websites with information. You might find some fun things to plan for your own vacation! They both show you examples of how I like to plan for vacations.
Friday, August 1, 2014
Disneyland/California Adventure Menus
I am a planner and an organizer. I love planning for vacations and making things as simple as possible for them. In March I put together a list of restaurants and menus for my trip to Hawaii. It was so helpful that I decided to do a similar list for our Disneyland trip. I looked through all of the restaurant choices and menus on Disney's website for both parks and chose the ones that I liked the best. I used the cut and paste method to get all the menus onto one document so I can easily see each of them "at a glance." This will make it simple for us to decide where we want to eat and where in the park the restaurant is located.
AWARD
WEINERS – CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE—HOLLYWOOD LAND
Chili Cheese Dog Premium Hot
Dog topped with Chili, Monterey Jack and Cheddar Cheese served with
Sliced Apples or Chips 6.99
Barbecue Hot Link Classic Hot Link,
Grilled Onions and Barbecue Sauce served with Sliced Apples or Chips
7.69
Sicilian Sausage Mild Italian Sausage
topped with Pizza Sauce and Mozzarella Cheese served with Sliced
Apples or Chips 7.69
Vegetarian Portobello-Mushroom Philly
Grilled Portobello, Onions and Bell Peppers sautéed in Karl Strauss
Red Trolley Ale topped with Pepper Jack Cheese served with Sliced
Apples or Chips 7.69
Hot Dog Combo Premium Hot
Dog served with Sliced Apples or Chips 6.29
BENGAL
BARBECUE - DISNEYLAND--ADVENTURELAND
Banyan Beef Skewer Hot &
Spicy 4.29
Chieftain Chicken Skewer in a
Polynesian Sauce 3.89
Outback Vegetable Skewer skewered
fresh Vegetables 3.79
Safari Skewer Bacon-wrapped Asparagus
3.89
Bengal Beef Skewer in a sweet Zulu
Sauce 4.29
Tiger Tails Breadsticks 3.69
Assorted Chips 2.99
Jalapeño Cheese-filled Pretzel 3.79
Mickey Mouse Pretzel 3.79
Fresh Fruit and Nonfat Vanilla Yogurt
Parfait 4.99
Fruit Cup 3.69
CAFE
ORLEANS – DISNEYLAND—NEW ORLEANS SQUARE
French Onion
Soup Sautéed Sweet Onion Medley in traditional Broth with Croutons
and Melted Gruyère 9.49
New Orleans Gumbo - Cup A rich,
flavorful Stew with Chicken, Andouille Sausage, and Tasso Ham served
with Cajun-style "Dirty Rice" 6.49
New Orleans Gumbo - Bowl A rich,
flavorful Stew with Chicken, Andouille Sausage, and Tasso Ham served
with Cajun-style "Dirty Rice" 9.49
Pommes Frites Traditional French Fried
Potatoes tossed with Parmesan, Garlic, and Parsley served with Cajun
Spice Rémoulade 5.99
La Salade de Maison Our Café
Orleans signature House Salad featuring Baby Greens in a Raspberry
Vinaigrette topped with Cherry Tomatoes, Crumbled Goat Cheese, and
Caramelized Pecans. C'est bon! 5.49
Café Orleans Salmon Sandwich
Pan-seared Atlantic Salmon with fresh Cucumber-Tomato Relish, Bacon,
and our Café Rémoulade served on a Multigrain Roll with seasoned
Sweet Potato Fries 19.99
Monte Cristo Sandwich Sliced
Turkey, Ham, and Swiss fried in a light batter and served with Berry
Purée dusted with Powdered Sugar 17.99
Three-Cheese Monte Cristo Swiss,
Mozzarella, and Double Crème Brie fried in a light batter and
served with Berry Purée dusted with Powdered Sugar 17.99
Mardi Gras Chicken Sandwich Blackened
Chicken Breast with Cajun Spices and Avocado Relish served on a
Multigrain Roll with seasoned Sweet Potato Fries 18.99
N'awlins Vegetable Ragoût Vegetable
Ragoût with Eggplant, Red Onions, Bell Peppers, Squash, Zucchini,
and fresh Garlic served with Corn Cakes topped with Grana Padano
Cheese 15.99
N'awlins Vegetable Ragoût
with Blackened Chicken Vegetable Ragoût with Eggplant, Red Onions,
Bell Peppers, Squash, Zucchini, and fresh Garlic served with Corn
Cakes topped with Grana Padano Cheese 17.99
N'awlins Vegetable Ragoût with
Pan-seared Atlantic Salmon Vegetable Ragoût with Eggplant, Red
Onions, Bell Peppers, Squash, Zucchini, and fresh Garlic served with
Corn Cakes topped with Grana Padano Cheese 19.99
"Crescent City" Salad with
Blackened Chicken Served on top of fresh Spinach and Mixed Baby
Greens, tossed with Carmelized Pecans, Red Grapes, Navel Orange
Segments, Caramezlied Onions, Chopped Green Onions, Roasted Sweet
Corn, and Orange-Cilantro Vinaigrette 15.99
"Crescent City"
Salad with Pan-seared Atlantic Salmon Served on top of fresh Spinach
and Mixed Baby Greens, tossed with Carmelized Pecans, Red Grapes,
Navel Orange Segments, Caramezlied Onions, Chopped Green Onions,
Roasted Sweet Corn, and Orange-Cilantro Vinaigrette 17.99
Chicken Gumbo Crêpe Made-to-Order -
Sautéed Chicken, Andouille Sausage, Tasso Ham, and Creole Gumbo
Sauce served with Sautéed Asparagus 19.99
Seafood Herb Crêpe Made-to-Order -
Pan-seared Sustainable Fish, Shrimp, and Scallops in a creamy
Tomato-Fennel Sauce served with Sautéed Asparagus 19.99
Mickey-shaped Beignets
topped with Powdered Sugar served with House-made Fruit Coulis and
Vanilla Bean Crème Anglaise 8.49
Royal Street Bananas Foster Crêpe
Delicate Handmade Crêpe filled with Sautéed Bananas and topped
with Caramelized Bananas and Caramel Rum Sauce 8.49
Seasonal Fruit Crêpe Delicate
Handmade Crêpe filled with Seasonal Fruits and House-made Fruit
Coulis 8.49
Mickey's Cheesy Macaroni
Baked Noodles with creamy Cheddar Cheese Sauce served with Carrots,
Broccoli, and fresh Fruit. Choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small
Dasani® Water, Small Minute Maid® Juice, or Small Nesquik®
Chocolate Milk 8.49
CARNATION
CAFE—DISNEYLAND--MAIN STREET
Walt's Chili
Hearty Chili topped with Cheese, Sour Cream, and fresh Tomatoes 6.99
Fried Pickles with Dipping Sauce Dill
Pickle Spears dipped in Parmesan and Panko, Fried Golden Brown and
served with a House Sauce 5.99
Baked Potato Soup with Bacon, Cheddar,
Monterey Jack, Sour Cream, and Chives 6.49
House Salad Our
Special Lettuce Blend, Cucumbers, and Tomatoes with your choice of
Dressing 5.99
Penne Pasta
with Shrimp Pasta and Sautéed Shrimp with Broccoli and Mushrooms in
a creamy Garlic Sauce 17.99
Main Street Cheeseburger
Angus Chuck Patty, Tillamook Cheddar, Tomatoes, Red Onions, Lettuce,
and House Sauce on Toasted Brioche served with your choice of
fresh Fruit or Seasoned French Fries 12.99
Sourdough Bacon-Cheese Melt Angus
Chuck Patty, Pepper Jack Cheese, Grilled Onions, Hickory-Smoked
Bacon, and Spicy House Sauce on Grilled Sourdough served with your
choice of fresh Fruit or Seasoned French Fries 14.99
Roasted Turkey Sandwich Fresh Sliced
Turkey, Tomatoes, Monterey Jack, Lettuce, and Mustard Aïoli on a
Multigrain Roll served with your choice of fresh Fruit or Seasoned
French Fries 11.99
Homemade
Meatloaf Our special blend of Beef and Pork served with Ketchup
Glaze, Mashed Potatoes, Mushroom Gravy, and Seasonal Vegetables 12.49
Chicken-fried Chicken Buttermilk Fried
Chicken Breast served with Mashed Potatoes, Milk Gravy, and Seasonal
Vegetables 16.49
Chicken Fried
Chicken served with Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli, and fresh Fruit.
Includes choice of Small Lowfat Milk, Small Dasani® Water, Small
Minute Maid® Juice, or Small Nesquik® Chocolate Milk 8.49
Hamburger served with
Multigrain Slider Bun, Broccoli, and fresh Fruit. Includes choice of
Small Lowfat Milk, Small Dasani® Water, Small Minute Maid® Juice,
or Small Nesquik® Chocolate Milk 8.49
Mac & Cheese served with Broccoli
and fresh Fruit. Includes choice of Small Lowfat Milk, Small Dasani®
Water, Small Minute Maid® Juice, or Small Nesquik® Chocolate Milk
8.49
COVE
BAR—CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE—PARADISE PIER
Bayside Fish
Tacos Cajun-seasoned Sustainable Fish topped with Shredded Cabbage,
Pico de Gallo, Radishes, and Chipotle Crema 9.99
Tri-Tip Sliders
Pepper-rubbed and Roasted then topped with a Mojo Criollo Sauce,
crispy Onions, and Toasted Brioche 9.99
Spinach and Artichoke Dip A creamy
blend of Roasted Artichoke Hearts, Sautéed Spinach and Onions with
Romano, Jack, and Cream Cheese served with fresh Tortilla Chips 9.49
Lobster Nachos Tender Lobster Pieces
atop fresh Corn Tortilla Chips, Black Beans, Pico de Gallo, Serrano
Peppers, Cilantro, Chipotle Crema, and Jack and Cheddar Cheeses
13.49
Buffalo Wings A full pound of fiery
Chicken Wings served with Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce 10.49
Barbecue Chicken Pizza Thin-crusted
and topped with Jack and Parmesan Cheese, tender chunks of Roasted
Chicken, Applewood-smoked Bacon, Pepperoncini, Onion, Tomato, and a
hearty Barbecue Sauce 10.99
EARL
OF SANDWICH--DISNEYLAND--
The Original
1762® Roasted beef, sharp cheddar & horseradish sauce 6.99
The Earl's Club
Turkey, bacon, Swiss, sandwich sauce, lettuce & tomato 6.99
All American Turkey, sharp cheddar,
cranberries, lettuce, tomato & ranch dressing 6.99
Italian Salami, capicola, roasted ham,
mortadella, mozzarella, tomato & Italian dressing 6.99
The Full
Montagu® Roasted beef, turkey, Swiss, sharp cheddar, lettuce, tomato
& mustard sauce 6.99
Cannonballs! Meatballs,
mozzarella, Parmesan & marinara sauce 6.99
Tuna Melt Albacore
tuna salad & Swiss 6.99
Chipotle Chicken Avocado Grilled
chicken, bacon, sharp cheddar, avocado, lettuce & chipotle sauce
6.99
Hawaiian BBQ
Grilled chicken, ham, Swiss, pineapple & Hawaiian BBQ sauce 6.99
Ham ‘N’ Swiss
Roasted ham, Swiss & mustard sauce 6.99
Holiday Turkey Turkey, stuffing, gravy
& cranberry 6.99
Caprese Mozzarella, tomato, basil &
balsamic vinaigrette 6.99
Caribbean Jerk
Chicken Grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, banana peppers &
spicy jerk sauce 6.99
Best BLT Bacon, lettuce, tomato &
seasoned mayonnaise 6.99
Earl's Cobb
Field greens, grilled chicken, bacon, Swiss, sharp cheddar, lettuce,
tomato, cucumber, cranberries & ranch dressing 6.99
Baja Chicken
Romaine, grilled chicken, cheddar, cilantro, avocado, tomato,
roasted corn, black beans, tortilla strips & red wine
vinaigrette 6.99
Chicken Caesar Romaine, grilled
chicken, shaved Parmesan cheese, housemade croutons & Caesar
dressing 6.99
Berry, Chicken,
Almond Spinach, grilled chicken, fresh strawberries, fresh
blueberries, almonds & balsamic vinaigrette 6.99
Greek Romaine,
grilled chicken, feta, tomato, kalamata olives, pepperoncini peppers
& zesty Italian dressing 6.99
Asian Romaine, grilled chicken,
Chinese cabbage, Mandarin oranges, almonds, wontons & Pan Asian
dressing 6.99
BBQ Chicken
Field greens, grilled chicken, cheddar, cilantro, tomato, crispy
onions, BBQ sauce & ranch dressing 6.99
Thai Chicken Field greens, grilled
chicken, Chinese cabbage, sweet chili sauce, wontons & Thai
peanut dressing 6.99
House Salad Field greens, lettuce,
tomato, cucumber, croutons & your choice of dressing 6.99
Buffalo
Chicken Wrap Grilled chicken, cheddar, romaine, tomato, buffalo sauce
& ranch dressing in a hand-crafted wrap 6.99
Chicken Bacon Avocado
Wrap Grilled chicken, bacon, romaine, avocado, tomato, cucumber &
balsamic vinaigrette in a hand-crafted wrap 6.99
BBQ Ranch
Chicken Wrap Grilled chicken, cheddar, romaine, cilantro, tomato,
crispy onions, BBQ sauce & ranch dressing in a hand-crafted wrap
6.99
Thai Wrap Grilled chicken, romaine,
Chinese cabbage mix, sweet chili sauce, wontons & Thai peanut
dressing in a hand-crafted wrap 6.99
Chicken Caesar Wrap Grilled chicken,
Parmesan, romaine, housemade croutons & Caesar dressing in a
hand-crafted wrap 6.99
Spicy Tuna Wrap Albacore tuna salad,
romaine, tomato, kalamata olives, pepperoncini peppers, chipotle
sauce & balsamic vinaigrette in a hand-crafted wrap 6.99
Fresh-Baked
Cookies Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin or Sugar 1.99
Cookie Bites Chocolate
Chip, Oatmeal Raisin or Sugar 3.99
Triple Chocolate Brownies 2.29
Triple Chocolate Brownie Bites 2.29
Brownie Créme Sandwiches Vanilla,
Chocolate or Peanut Butter 2.49
Cupcakes 2.49
Bread Pudding 2.49
Strawberry Shortcake 2.99
Chocolate Pudding 2.49
JELL-O® 2.49
Fresh Fruit Cup 2.49
HUNGRY
BEAR RESTAURANT – DISNEYLAND—CRITTER COUNTRY
Fried Green
Tomato Sandwich Cornmeal Crusted Fried Green Tomatoes layered with
two slices of fresh Heirloom Tomatoes, topped with Havarti,
Rémoulade, Jicama-mango Slaw and served on a Multi-Grain Roll 8.79
Crispy Chicken Sandwich
With Lettuce, Tomato and a Honey-Mustard Sauce 9.49
Turkey & Provolone
Sandwich With Lettuce, Tomato and a Basil Mayonnaise on a
Multi-grain Roll 8.99
Pioneer Chili Cheeseburger Angus 1/3
lb. Chuck Burger with Home-style Chili, Cheese and a hand-battered
Onion Ring 11.19
Classic
Cheeseburger Angus 1/3 lb. Chuck Burger with Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato
and our Signature Sauce 9.99
Big Al's Chicken Salad Smoked Chicken
on top of Romaine and Iceberg Lettuce with Watermelon, Candied
Pecans, Dried Cherries, Pickled Red Onions, and Honey-Lime
Vinaigrette - Vegetarian Option Also Available 9.49
Onion Rings
3.49
Sweet Potato Fries 2.99
Kids' Hamburger
with Sliced Apples and Carrots 6.49
Kids' Chicken Breast
Nuggets with Sliced Apples and Carrots 6.49
Lemon "Bumblebee"
Cupcake with Lemon-Cream Filling and Honey-Lemon Frosting 5.49
House-made Funnel Cake with
Strawberry, Chocolate Brownie or Powdered Sugar Topping 5.99
Strawberry Fruit Bar 4.19
Nestlé® Toll House® Ice Cream
Sandwich 4.39
PACIFIC
WHARF CAFE—CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE—PACIFIC WHARF
Turkey Sandwich
with Tomato, Lettuce and Swiss Cheese 8.99
Roast Beef Sandwich with
Tomato, Lettuce and Cheddar Cheese 8.99
Chinese Chicken
Salad Julienne Chicken, Greens, Wontons, Almonds, Carrots, Sesame
Seeds, Scallions with a Cilantro and Soy Ginger Dressing 9.99
Sonoma Chicken & Apple Salad
tender pieces of Chicken Breast with Tart Crisp Apples, Celery and
Walnuts in a Creamy Honey Dressing with a dash of Lemon served atop
a Bed of Garden Fresh Lettuce 9.99
San Francisco Shrimp Louie Chilled Bay
Shrimp on a Bed of Mixed Greens with Hard-boiled Egg, Tomato Wedges,
Olives and a Zesty Louie Dressing 10.49
Clam Chowder
Rich and Creamy Chowder with Diced Potatoes, Celery, Onion and
Peppers 9.59
Broccoli and Cheese Cheesy Soup made
with Cheddar Cheese, fresh Broccoli Florets, Diced Onions and Green
Bell Peppers 9.59
Tomato Bisque a delicious blend of
Tomatoes and Rich Vegetable Stock 9.59
Featured Soup Soup changes daily 9.59
Blueberry
Muffin 2.99
Butter Croissant 2.99
Chocolate Croissant 3.19
Cinnamon Roll 5.29
Mickey-shaped Bread 6.99
Sourdough Loaf 4.99
Sourdough Round
4.99 Chocolate Chip Cookie 3.29
Mickey Cookie 3.59
Mickey Crispy 3.99
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie 3.29
Seasonal Cupcake 5.99
Chocolate Chip
Cookie 3.29
PARADISE
GRILL – CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE—PARADISE PIER
Grilled Steak
Skewer served with Rice Pilaf, Cucumber Salad, Pita Bread and your
choice of sauce: Moroccan Chili, Chimichurri or Tzatziki 11.99
Lemon-Oregano Chicken
Skewer served with Rice Pilaf, Cucumber Salad, Pita Bread and
your choice of sauce: Moroccan Chili, Chimichurri or Tzatziki 11.99
Vegetable and Tofu Skewer served with
Rice Pilaf, Cucumber Salad, Pita Bread and your choice of sauce:
Moroccan Chili, Chimichurri or Tzatziki 11.99
Beef Gyro Platter Sliced Beef with
Cucumber Salad and Tzatziki Sauce rolled in warm Pita Bread and
served with Tabouli 12.49
Greek Salad a
blend of fresh Greens, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Red Onions,
Pepperoncinis, Marinated Olives and Feta with Lemon-Oregano Dressing
and Pita Bread 8.99
Turkey-Beef
Slider served with Sliced Apples, Carrots and choice of small Lowfat
Milk or small Dasani® Water. Meets Disney Nutrition Guidelines for
Complete Meals without substitutions 6.49
Chocolate Brownie
and Strawberry Skewer with Caramel, Chocolate Sauce and Mini
Marshmallows 5.19
Baklava Phyllo Pastry stuffed with
Walnuts and dipped in an Orange-Flower Flavored Syrup 3.69
RANCHO
DEL ZOCALO RESTAURANTE – DISNEYLAND--FRONTIERLAND
Citrus
Fire-grilled Chicken 1/2 Chicken seasoned in a Savory Marinade of
Cumin, Garlic, Cilantro, Lemon and Lime served with Mexican Rice and
Refried Beans 13.99
Red Chile Enchilada
Platter Three Cheese Enchiladas topped with Red Chile Sauce
served with Mexican Rice and Refried Beans 9.99
Carne Asada & Red Chile Enchilada
Platter Succulent Beef cooked to perfection served with two Cheese
Enchiladas, Mexican Rice and Refried Beans 12.99
Pollo en Mole
1/2 Chicken served with a unique Spicy Sauce with a hint of Chocolate
and Peanuts, Mexican Rice and Refried Beans 13.99
Burrito Sonora Marinated
Beef, Chicken or Vegetables with Refried Beans, Rice and Cheese
wrapped in a Flour Tortilla and topped with a traditional Guajillo
Sauce served with Mexican Rice and Refried Beans 10.99
Burrito Guadalajara Slow-cooked
Carnitas with Refried Beans, Rice and Cheese wrapped in a Flour
Tortilla and topped with a traditional Tomatillo Sauce served with
Mexican Rice and Refried Beans 10.99
Soft
Tacos Monterrey Marinated Beef, Chicken, Carnitas or Vegetables
served in Flour Tortillas with Mexican Rice and Refried Beans 10.99
Baked Fish Tacos topped
with Cabbage Slaw and Chipotle-Ranch served with Mexican Rice
and Refried Beans 11.49
Tostada Salad
with Marinated Beef presented in a Crispy Tortilla Shell with Refried
Beans and Chopped Lettuce topped with Cheese 11.49
Tostada Salad with
Chicken presented in a Crispy Tortilla Shell with Refried Beans and
Chopped Lettuce topped with Cheese 11.49
Tostada Salad with Sautéed Vegetables
presented in a Crispy Tortilla Shell with Refried Beans and Chopped
Lettuce topped with Cheese 11.49
Hacienda Caesar Salad with Grilled
Carne Asada Romaine Lettuce, Red Bell Peppers and Cotija Cheese
tossed with our own Zesty Pepitas Caesar Dressing and garnished with
Crisp Tortilla Chips and Radishes 12.49
Hacienda Caesar
Salad with Chicken Romaine Lettuce, Red Bell Peppers and Cotija
Cheese tossed with our own Zesty Pepitas Caesar Dressing and
garnished with Crisp Tortilla Chips and Radishes 12.49
Crispy Chips
con Limón 3.29
Crispy Chips con Limón
with Salsa 4.28
Chicken Tortilla Soup
5.49
Flan 5.19
Tres Leches Cake 5.19
Fresh Tropical Fruit 4.79
Cinnamon Crisps 3.29
Chocolate Cake 5.19
REDD
ROCKETTS PIZZA PORT--DISNEYLAND--TOMORROWLAND
Mars-inara with Meatballs
Spaghetti and meatballs with Celestial tomato sauce and freshly
grated Parmesan cheese 9.49
Mars-inara Spaghetti with Celestial
tomato sauce and freshly grated Parmesan cheese 8.79
Count Down Chicken Fusilli Fusilli
pasta tossed in a garlic-herb oil, topped with seasoned grilled
chicken, a Parmesan-pesto cream sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and
freshly grated Parmesan cheese 9.49
Terra Nova Tomato Basil
Pasta Penne pasta tossed in a garlic-herb oil, with a chunky
tomato-basis sauce and freshly grated Parmesan cheese 8.79
Lunar Cheese - Slice
Celestial tomato sauce with a generous topping of mozzarella cheese
6.49
Lunar Cheese - Whole Pizza Celestial
tomato sauce with a generous topping of mozzarella cheese 32.99
Mega Pepperoni - Slice Celestial
tomato sauce topped with mozzarella cheese and extra large slices of
pepperoni 6.99
Mega Pepperoni - Whole Pizza Celestial
tomato sauce topped with mozzarella cheese and extra large slices of
pepperoni 32.99
Supernova Pizza Special
Please ask about today's specialty pizzas 7.49
Venus Vegetarian - Slice Celestial
tomato sauce with roasted mushrooms, zucchini, red pepper and onion,
topped with mozzarella cheese 6.49
Venus Vegetarian - Whole Pizza
Celestial tomato sauce with roasted mushrooms, zucchini, red pepper
and onion, topped with mozzarella cheese 32.99
Planetary Pizza Salad Crisp
lettuce and pepperoni tossed in an Italian vinaigrette, topped with
tomatoes, mixed olives, pepperoncini and a Parmesan-mozzarella cheese
blend 9.49
Asian Chicken Salad Marinated chicken,
lettuce, cabbage, mandarin oranges and carrots tossed in a
hoisin-soy vinaigrette, topped with sesame seeds, toasted almonds
and won-ton strips 9.49
Celestial Caesar Chicken Salad Grilled
chicken breast atop crisp Romaine lettuce tossed in Caesar dressing,
with croutons and freshly grated Parmesan cheese 9.49
Caesar Salad Crisp Romaine
lettuce tossed in Caesar dressing, with croutons and freshly grated
Parmesan cheese 7.99
Starfield of Greens featuring Ocean
Spray® Craisins® Brand Mixed greens topped with tomatoes, blue
cheese, caramelized walnuts, Craisins® Dried Cranberries and golden
raisins with a basil-vinaigrette dressing 7.99
Bread Sticks served warm
with zesty dipping sauce 4.99
Starfield of Greens Side Salad a great
complement to any pasta or pizza dish 4.39
Large Bag of Chips 2.99
Kids' Pizza Served with
sliced apples, carrots, and choice of small Low-fat milk, small
Low-fat Nesquik® chocolate milk, Minute Maid® juice box or small
Dasani® water. Soda available upon request. 6.49
ROYAL
STREET VERANDAH—DISNEYLAND--NEW ORLEANS SQUARE
Creamy Clam
Chowder Served in a sourdough bread bowl 9.59
Steak Gumbo Served in a sourdough
bread bowl 9.59
Vegetarian Gumbo Served in a sourdough
bread bowl 9.59
STAGE
DOOR CAFE – DISNEYLAND-- FRONTIERLAND
Fish
& Chips with sliced apples or fries 9.49
Chicken Breast Nuggets with sliced
apples or fries, plus one dipping sauce 8.49
Hand-dipped Corn Dog with sliced
apples or fries 7.69
Chicken Breast
Nuggets with sliced apples and carrots 6.49
Fantasy Funnel
Cake with strawberry, chocolate brownie or powdered sugar topping
5.99
TIKI
JUICE BAR—DISNEYLAND—ADVENTURELAND
Pineapple Dole
Whip® Soft-serve 3.79
Dole Whip® Float 5.19
Dole® Fruit Bowl 2.99
Fresh Pineapple Spear 2.99
Tiki Bowl served with Dole Whip® 7.79
TASTE
PILOTS GRILL – CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE—CONDOR FLATS
Grilled Chicken
Sandwich with Chipotle Aïoli and Monterey Jack Cheese served with
Zesty Cole Slaw or French Fries 9.49
Chicken Breast Nuggets
served with Zesty Cole Slaw or French Fries 8.99
Garden Vegetable Burger Brown Rice,
Garden Vegetables and Mushroom Patty topped with Monterrey Jack
Cheese served on a Multigrain Bun served with Zesty Cole Slaw or
French Fries 9.99
Grilled Chicken
Salad Grilled Chicken Breast served on top of Spring Salad Greens
with Diced Tomatoes, Feta Cheese and Crispy Wonton Strips served with
choice of Ranch, Blue Cheese or Fat-free Italian Dressing 9.49
Chili
Cheeseburger with Steak Chili and Cheddar Cheese served with Zesty
Cole Slaw or French Fries 10.99
Blue Cheese and Bacon
Burger with Bacon, Steak Sauce and Creamy Blue Cheese served with
Zesty Cole Slaw or French Fries 10.99
Classic Cheeseburger
served with Zesty Cole Slaw or French Fries 9.99
Chili Cheese
Fries 5.49
Onion Rings 3.49
French Fries 2.99
Kids' Chicken Breast Nuggets
with Sliced Apples, Carrots and choice of small Lowfat Milk or small
Dasani® Water 6.49
Kids' Hamburger with Sliced Apples,
Carrots and choice of small Lowfat Milk or small Dasani® Water 6.49
Chocolate Shake topped with
Whipped Cream 4.29
Vanilla Shake topped with Whipped
Cream 4.29
TOMORROWLAND
TERRACE—DISNEYLAND--TOMORROWLAND
Angus 1/3 lb
BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Angus Chuck Burger with BBQ Sauce, Onion Ring,
Bacon, and Jack Cheese served with fresh Fruit or French Fries. 10.69
Angus 1/3 lb Cheeseburger
Angus Chuck Burger with Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, and Our Signature
Sauce served with fresh Fruit or French Fries 9.49
Chicken Sandwich with Avocado Salsa
Chicken Breast with Lettuce, Tomato, and Avocado Salsa served with
fresh Fruit or French Fries 8.99
Portobello & Vegetable Sandwich
Portobello Mushrooms, Peppers, Zucchini, Onions, Provolone Cheese,
and Basil Aioli served Cold on Multi-Grain Bread with fresh Fruit or
French Fries 8.49
Fish Sandwich
with Chipotle Crema Marinated and Oven-baked Fish with Shredded
Cabbage, Cilantro, Pico de Gallo, and Chipotle Crema served with
fresh Fruit or French Fries 10.49
Grilled Chicken Chop
Salad Chicken Breast with Fresh Greens, Feta Cheese, and Vegetables
served with Roasted Red Pepper Ranch Dressing 9.49
Carrot Cake
5.19
Chocolate Parfait 5.19
Chocolate Chip Cookie 3.29
Nestlé® Mickey's Ice Cream Sandwich
4.19
Strawberry Fruit Bar 4.19
R2-D2 with Chocolate Parfait 9.99
TORTILLA
JO'S (SIT DOWN $$)—DISNEYLAND--DOWNTOWN DISNEY
Nachos Crispy
tortilla chips with Monterey Jack cheese, salsa roja, vegetarian
black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream. (Gluten Free)
10.00
Nachos with Shredded
Chicken Crispy tortilla chips with Monterey Jack cheese, salsa roja,
vegetarian black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream
12.00
Nachos with
Shredded Beef Crispy tortilla chips with Monterey Jack cheese, salsa
roja, vegetarian black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream
12.00
Nachos with Grilled Chicken Crispy
tortilla chips with Monterey Jack cheese, salsa roja, vegetarian
black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream 14.00
Nachos with Grilled Steak Crispy
tortilla chips with Monterey Jack cheese, salsa roja, vegetarian
black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream 14.00
Tostadas
del Mar Seafood mix of shrimp, crab, red snapper, sauteed onions,
cheese and cilantro tossed in an arbol sauce served on a tostada,
topped with tomato, onion, lime aioli, and cilantro. (Gluten Free)
10.00
Jo’s Favorites A large
platter served with Chilmole ribs, camarones cremosas, tinga
taquitos, and rajas con crema bean dip 18.00
Tortilla Soup - Cup Tender chicken and
garden-fresh vegetables in chicken broth, topped with tortilla
strips and cheese. (Gluten Free) 4.00
Tortilla Soup -
Bowl Tender chicken and garden-fresh vegetables in chicken broth,
topped with tortilla strips and cheese. (Gluten Free) 7.00
Sopa del dia - Cup Chef’s
daily selection of soup 4.00
Sopa del dia - Bowl
Chef’s daily selection of soup 7.00
House Salad
Iceberg and Boston lettuce tossed with our cilantro-pepita dressing
with cucumbers, carrots, cherry tomatoes. (Gluten Free) 8.00
TJ’s Caesar Salad Crisp
Romaine lettuce and cherry tomatoes tossed with chipotle caesar
dressing topped with flour tortilla chips and cotija cheese 9.00
TJ’s Caesar Salad with Grilled
Chicken Crisp Romaine lettuce and cherry tomatoes tossed with
chipotle caesar dressing topped with flour tortilla chips and cotija
cheese 16.00
TJ’s Caesar Salad with Grilled Steak
Crisp Romaine lettuce and cherry tomatoes tossed with chipotle
caesar dressing topped with flour tortilla chips and cotija cheese
16.00
TJ’s Caesar
Salad with Pan-seared Shrimp Crisp Romaine lettuce and cherry
tomatoes tossed with chipotle caesar dressing topped with flour
tortilla chips and cotija cheese 18.00
Tostada Salad Your choice of grilled
chicken or steak with refried beans, mixed lettuce, cotija cheese,
pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream in a crispy tortilla bowl
16.00
Grilled Chicken
Fajitas A sizzling skillet of fajitas with sautéed peppers and
onions. Served with your choice of refried beans or vegetarian black
beans, Mexican red rice, guacamole, sour cream and fresh, handmade
corn tortillas. (Gluten Free) 19.00
Grilled Steak Fajitas A sizzling
skillet of fajitas with sautéed peppers and onions. Served with
your choice of refried beans or vegetarian black beans, Mexican red
rice, guacamole, sour cream and fresh, handmade corn tortillas.
(Gluten Free) 21.00
Pan-seared Shrimp Fajitas A sizzling
skillet of fajitas with sautéed peppers and onions. Served with
your choice of refried beans or vegetarian black beans, Mexican red
rice, guacamole, sour cream and fresh, handmade corn tortillas.
(Gluten Free) 22.00
Fajita de Tres
A combination of all three meats: grilled chicken breast, hanger
steak, and sautéed shrimp served on a bed of peppers and onions.
Comes with your choice of refried beans or black beans, Mexican rice,
guacamole, sour cream and fresh tortillas. (Gluten Free) 24.00
Veggie Burrito Large spinach tortilla
filled with seasonal vegetables, cilantro green rice, and vegetarian
black beans and topped with salsa verde. Served with sweet corn mix,
pico de gallo and guacamole 16.00
Garden Enchiladas Two corn tortillas
filled with fresh spinach and seasonal vegetables, topped with salsa
verde and three blend cheese. Served with cilantro green rice and
vegetarian black beans. (Gluten Free) 15.00
Chile Relleno de Lentejas A poblano
chile filled with black lentils, corn, red and green bell peppers,
red onions and white rice. Served with sauteed Mexican cebollitas,
seasonal vegetables and a cilantro cotija pesto. (Gluten Free) 15.00
Tacos de
Pescado Tempura battered mahi mahi with cabbage slaw, jicama, green
papaya chile piquin powder and lime aioli on corn tortillas. Served
with twice crisp potatoes and choice of Mexican red rice or refried
beans. (Gluten Free) 18.00
Steak Ranchera Grilled marinated
hanger steak on a bed of salsa ranchera. Accompanied with Mexican
red rice, vegetarian black beans, guacamole, pico de gallo, chile
torreados, cebollitas and fresh handmade corn tortillas. (Gluten
Free) 22.00
Seafood del Mar
Enchiladas Three corn tortilla filled with a seafood mix of shrimp,
crab, red snapper, sauteed onions, cheese and cilantro. Topped with
suiza sauce, shredded lettuce, red onion, avocado and cotija cheese
21.00
Jo’s Carnitas Tender
citrus-braised pork, served with vegetarian black beans, Mexican red
rice, pico de gallo, guacamole, chile torreados and fresh handmade
corn tortillas. (Gluten Free) 18.50
Market Fish
Estilo Veracruz Pan seared market fish topped with sautéed
mushrooms, tomatoes, capers, and green olives in a tomato sauce.
Served with a watercress salad and arroz blanco. (Gluten Free) 21.00
Taco Suaves Two fresh handmade corn
tortillas filled with choice of grilled chicken, carne asada or
carnitas. Topped with onion and cilantro. Served with Mexican red
rice, refried beans, salsa verde and salsa quemada. (Gluten Free)
16.00
Flautas Platter Crispy rolled flour
tortillas filled with choice of shredded beef or chicken. Served
with refried beans, Mexican red rice and guacamole 16.00
Enchiladas
Suizas Two corn tortillas filled with pasilla chile and cilantro
marinated chicken and cheese. Topped with suiza salsa and 3 blend
cheese. Served with sweet corn, black beans and sour cream. (Gluten
Free) 16.00
Tinga Taquitos Crispy rolled corn
tortillas filled with chicken tinga. Served with arroz blanco, black
beans, and avocado serrano salsa 16.00
Gorditas Stuffed masa shell filled
with your choice of chorizo con papas or vegetarian rajas con crema.
Served with black beans, salsa roja, crema fresca, queso cotija and
citrus lettuce. (Gluten Free) 15.00
House-made
Quesadilla Choice of chicken, pork or beef, made with fresh masa and
filled with shredded lettuce, cotija cheese and crema fresca. Served
with salsa quemada. (Gluten Free) 16.00
Huaraches Sandal-shaped masa boats
with a choice of beef, carnitas or chicken, topped with refried
beans, sour cream, cotija cheese and shredded lettuce. Served with
salsa verde. (Gluten Free) 15.00
Shredded
Chicken Filled with refried beans and cheese, topped with salsa verde
15.00
Shredded Beef Filled with refried
beans and cheese, topped with salsa roja 15.00
Pork Carnitas Filled with refried
beans and cheese, topped with salsa verde 15.00
TORILLA
JO'S TACQUERIA (COUNTER SERVICE $)—DISNEYLAND—DOWNTOWN DISNEY
Tacos Two Soft
Corn or Flour Tortillas with choice of Meat, Salsa, Cheese, Onions,
Cilantro and Lettuce 6.95
Burritos Large Flour Tortilla filled
with choice of Pinto or Vegetarian Black Beans, Meat, Rice, Salsa,
Cheese, and Sour Cream 8.95
Vegetarian Burrito Large Flour
Tortilla with Cilantro-Lime Rice, Vegetarian Black Beans, Pico de
Gallo, Sautéed Vegetables, Jack Cheese and Guacamole 7.49
Nachos Tortilla
Chips, Jo's Cheese Sauce, Choice of Pinto or Black Beans topped with
Pico de Gallo 6.49
Carnitas Nachos Pork Carnitas,
Tortilla Chips, Jo's Cheese Sauce, Choice of Pinto or Black Beans
topped with Pico de Gallo 8.49
Adobo Chicken Nachos Grilled Adobo
Chicken, Tortilla Chips, Jo's Cheese Sauce, Choice of Pinto or Black
Beans topped with Pico de Gallo 8.49
Grilled Steak
Nachos Grilled Steak, Tortilla Chips, Jo's Cheese Sauce, Choice of
Pinto or Black Beans topped with Pico de Gallo 8.49
Chips and Salsa
2.95
Chips and Guacamole 4.95
Pico de Gallo
1.50
Guacamole 2.00
Mexican Brownie
with Chocolate Sauce 3.95
Fresh Fruit Cup 3.95
Cookie 1.95
TROPICAL
IMPORTS—DISNEYLAND--ADVENTURELAND
Whole Fruit
1.99
Pickle 2.99
Pineapple Spear 2.99
Seedless Grapes 2.99
Watermelon 2.99
Mango Slices
3.69
Strawberries with Chocolate Dipping
Sauce 3.69
Apples with Caramel Dipping Sauce 3.69
Fuji Apple Crisps 2.99
Large Bag of Chips 2.99
Veggie Cup with Ranch 3.69
Ocean Spray® Craisins® Dried
Cranberries Fruit & Nut Trail Mix 3.69
Ocean Spray® Craisins® Dried
Cranberries 3.69
Berry Bowl 3.49
Hummus 3.99
TROUBADOR
TAVERN—DISNEYLAND--FANTASYLAND
Bratwurst Sausage in a
Garlic & Herb Brioche with Hickory-smoked Bacon Sauerkraut 7.69
Pretzel Bites with Cheese Sauce 4.99
Apple Slices with Caramel Dipping
Sauce 3.69
Cinnamon-Apple Baton a Flakey Twisted
Pastry filled with Apples and Cinnamon 3.89
Nestlé® Dibs Bite-sized Snacks 5.19
Souvenir Popcorn Bucket includes
Popcorn at time of purchase 5.69