Menu Planner

Just Spotted a great Menu Planner to make dinner planning a snap.

xoxo, C

OC Dining Deals

image via Flickr

The recession has me watching my wallet like most Americans, but I still cannot give up eating out because I love memorable dining experiences. I have found that restaurants have been really trying to reach out to their patrons by creating OC dining deals. Here are my current favorite recession friendly and foodie pleasing restaurants:

Infusion offers recession specials Wednesday night for 9.99

French 75 is offering a 10.00 menu

Kimera offers 50% off you bill on Mondays

Have you found any great restaurant deals in the OC?

xoxo, C

Eating at Disneyland

Maybe I'm crazy. Maybe I just don't know what good food tastes like. But, I actually think a lot of the food at the Disneyland Resort is quite tasty. Here are some of our family's favorite places & treats to eat within in the parks...

Disneyland Park
* Surprising, I think the Fruit Stands scattered throughout the park always have delicious, fresh & healthy offerings. You can find fruit stands on Main Street, inside Adventureland right next to the Jungle Cruise, & across from Splash Mountain.
* Near the end of Main Street, right by the Plaza Inn, is the Little Red Wagon Corn Dog Cart. My pick? A corn dog & apple slices, but you can also get chips if you'd prefer.
* Bengal BBQ inside Adventureland. My favorites are the Bengal Beef Skewer, the Chieftain Chicken Skewers & those yummy bacon wrapped asparagus skewers.
* River Belle Terrace, also in Adventureland-ish, has a tasty prime rib sandwich if you're in the mood.
* & Quite possibly the most refreshing treat at Disneyland (the Dole Whip & Float) can be found at the Tiki Juice Bar, & fairly cheap too!
* Cafe Orleans in New Orleans Square, has that delicious Monte Cristo Sandwich that the Blue Bayou is famous for, without the reservations.
* Across the way, the Royal Street Veranda has wonderful soup bowls (clam chowder, steak gumbo & vegetarian gumbo) but the fritters are to die for!
* Inside Frontierland, the Stage Door Cafe is our favorite for fried foods. Awesome chicken tenders (they have a really good honey mustard sauce), fish & chips and mozzarella strips. They also serve funnel cake - one of the best desserts ever!
* Also in Frontierland, the Mexican place Rancho del Zocalo Resaurante has a wonderful tostada salad & a great hacienda chicken ceasar salad.
* Redd Rockett's Pizza Port, located in Tomorrowland, has some good (but greasy) pizza, decent pastas (my favorite is the chicken fusilli), & some yummy salads (try the asian chicken salad).
* & You definitely don't want to miss the churros & turkey legs... located throughout the park.

For all of the Disneyland Restaurants "at a glance" go HERE, for entire menus, go HERE.

California Adventure
* Looking for a hot dog? Then Award Wieners, in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot, is your place.
* Another place to find those yummy chicken fingers, fish & chips and mozzarella strips is the Bountiful Valley Farmer's Market, outside "A Bug's Land".
* Right across the way, is the only place inside either of the two parks (to my knowledge) that you can get a milkshake... Sam Andreas Shakes.
* On the Pacific Wharf, my favorite is the Pacific Wharf Cafe. Sandwiches, bread bowls, but I LOVE the Sonoma Chicken & Apple Salad. Yum!
* Craving Corn Dogs? Head on over to the Corn Dog Castle near the Paradise Pier.
* & If you want something cool on a hot summer day, ice cream & homemade waffle cones can be found at Burr-r-r Bank Ice Cream. & The lines aren't usually as long as the ones you'll find at the Main Street Cone Shop.

For all of the California Adventure Restaurants "at a glance" go HERE, for entire menus, go HERE.

Hope I haven't made you too hungry.

xoxo, K

Easter Crafts

Looking for a few quick & easy crafts for the little ones? Check out some of these projects & recipes...

Jelly Bean Carrots
Candy Bunny Racers
Easter Bunny Cupcakes
Pipe Cleaner Finger Puppets
Cadbury Creme Filled Cookies
Easter Egg Stitched Greeting Card
Spring Chick Cupcakes
Melted Crayon Eggs
Window Silhouettes
Fingerprint Bunny's

xoxo, K
image via Skip to my Lou

Easter Brunch

I am making this delicious recipe from the Foley House Inn for Easter Brunch(I had the pleasure of staying their last year). I love overnight French Toast because it is easy and a crowd pleaser.

Tropical French Toast
*1 loaf of Sweet French Bread (1 pound), cut into cubes
*10 eggs
*2 cups milk
*1 can coconut milk
*1 Tablespoon vanilla
*½ teaspoon ground cardamom
*¼ cup sugar


Grease a 13x9x2 inch pan. Spread bread cubes over the bottom of the pan. In a blender combine the eggs, milk, coconut milk, vanilla, cardamom, and sugar. Pour mixture evenly over bread, pressing cubes down to make sure they are soaked. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, preheat oven to 350. Bake for approximately 60 minutes, until puffed and golden and the center is set. Serve with a dollop of Banana Pineapple Syrup or drizzle with Maple Syrup.

Banana Pineapple Syrup:
In a large sauté pan over medium heat, stir together 3 tablespoon unsalted butter, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup maple syrup, 1 tablespoon dark rum (or ¾ teaspoon rum extract), and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. When mixture is syrupy, add 1 ½ cups banana cut into ½"-thick slices, and 1 ½ cups pineapple chunks. Toss fruit in syrup just until heated through, 1 min

If you don't feel like making Easter Brunch, click here for restaurants serving brunch in the OC and Plum's Cafe in Costa Mesa serves yummy coconut french toast all year round.

image via flickr
xoxo, C