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breakfast at disney’s aulani (honolulu)

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This past February, I finally made it to Hawaii! I didn’t need a gift
for my birthday in March, just a trip with my family. We went to
Honolulu with both sets of parents and had a wonderful time. Although we
didn’t spend our ten days at Aulani, Disney’s resort in Hawaii, we did
manage to go there for breakfast.

After
taking a Disney cruise, we have become fans of  all things Disney so we
were very excited for our morning at the Character Breakfast.

The
Disney Character Breakfast takes place at Makahiki, the restaurant
located on the first floor. Our first stop was a picture with the top
mouse himself, Mickey. He took the time to shake hands with the kids and
give out hugs. We were also given enough time to take pictures with him
as a large group as well as smaller groups. The line wasn’t huge and
this one-on-one was a pleasant surprise.

Makahiki
is all about buffet dining and there was so much variety for breakfast.
They had a little kids station which was stocked with Mickey waffles
(!), scrambled eggs and tater tots.  Breakfast also included an omelet
station, smoked salmon, various meats and cheeses, loads of fruit, eggs,
pastries and dessert. There is definitely something for everyone!

We
had visits from Goofy and Minnie who took the time to come by and take
pictures. Aunty entertained with her ukelele and got the kids to
participate in a little performance around the restaurant.  It was such a
memorable day!

If
you are celebrating a birthday or anniversary, be sure to let them know
when making a reservation. In true Disney style, they really do make
you feel special.

key lime tarts

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Key lime pies are the perfect summer time desserts. Sweet and tart, one bite and I’m reminded of the Florida Keys.

What’s even better than key lime pies? Key lime tarts! Who doesn’t love having their own little dessert? These silky, citrusy bites are made even better topped with whipped cream.

These are great to whip up when you have company coming since they literally take 5 minutes to prepare.

Key Lime Tarts

8-10 frozen tart shells
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
2 small egg yolks or 1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup key lime juice

Combine the condensed milk, egg yolks and key lime juice and mix until well combined. Pour into the prepared crust and bake at 300 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Once cool, refrigerate. Serve with whipping cream. Garnish with key lime zest.

cheesy puff pastry sticks

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Puff pastry is one of those versatile things that are great to have in the freezer.  It’s perfect for desserts or main courses and great for making a range of appetizers.

I had people coming over and needed something to add to the charcuterie board. I was hoping for bread sticks but didn’t have any. I did have puff pastry though so cheese sticks sounded perfect. I had recently found Nigella seeds which added a burst of flavour with every bite. These taste great, and even more so when they are warm.

Cheesy Puff Pastry Sticks

1 sheet puff pastry
1 cup shredded cheddar / marble cheese
2 tsp nigella seeds

Roll out the puff pastry. Sprinkle the cheese on the pastry and fold it in half. Roll it out again so that the cheese gets incorporated into the dough. Sprinkle the seeds on top of the pastry and run the rolling pin over it so that the seeds get embedded into the dough. Cut strips and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, giving them a little twist. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

knafi

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Hope all the moms out there had a great Mother’s Day. I got spoiled by my boys with cards and bath bombs and even made it to the movies!

We had our moms over for lunch on Sunday, celebrating how awesome they are. We had spinach salad, dhokra, barbecued chicken and oven-fried cassava. There was also plenty for dessert – fruit, a bundt and knafi.

I tried Knafi at my aunt’s house a couple years ago and loved it! Shredded phyllo enveloping a sweet ricotta mixture – it was so good, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I finally got the recipe for this Lebanese treat last week and thought it was perfect to try out for Mother’s Day. I was surprised at how easy this dessert was. In fact, Q did all the work. The crunchy phyllo, the warm cheese – it was heaven!

Knafi 

2 lbs. ricotta cheese
1 cup sugar
1 lb shredded phyllo
3/4 cup melted butter

Syrup:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 TB lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine the ricotta with the sugar. Place the shredded phyllo in a large bowl and pour the melted butter on top. Mix until the pastry is coated with the butter.

Spread half the pastry on the bottom of a 9 x 13″ pan. Spread the ricotta mixture on top of the phyllo. Cover the cheese layer with the remaining phyllo.

Bake for 1 hour until golden brown. In the meantime, make the syrup (see below). Remove from the oven and pour cold syrup over top. Serve warm.

Syrup: Combine the sugar and water and stir until dissolved. Boil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and boil for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

ninja coffee bar (product review)

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I love the idea of being a minimalist but that’s just not me. I do love a good appliance and all those kitchen gadgets, so I was excited when the folks at Ninja sent over a Ninja Coffee Bar for me to review.

This machine has some great features! It allows you to do a Classic Brew, for when you just want a plain old cup of coffee. It also lets you do a Rich Brew and a Specialty Brew for a more concentrated brew to make those specialty coffees. My favourite feature is the Over Ice button. I usually prefer a cold drink over a hot one and this button allows you to have an intense iced coffee. It increases the concentration to compensate for the melting ice! See below for a delicious recipe for Thai-Style Iced Coffee!

The Ninja Coffee Bar allows you to choose how much or how little coffee you want it to make. You can make a cup, travel size, a half carafe or a full carafe! This ability to choose how much you want sure does save a lot of wasted coffee but also allows you to serve a crowd.

Other things worth mentioning are the drip stop, so you can enjoy a cup of coffee mid-brew; the programmable delay brew, so you can have your cup of joe waiting for you in the morning; and the clean cycle indicator, so you always know when it’s time to clean the machine.

The machine also comes with the Ninja Easy Frother so that you can froth your milk to make those specialty drinks at home. Add your milk, microwave and pump! This was a fave for hubby.

If you are a coffee-lover, this is definitely a machine that you will love! Don’t forget, coffee is great for desserts too. Just pour some over your favourite ice cream, and you’ve got yourself some affogato. Delish!

This Thai-Style Iced Coffee is so good. Love that it’s icy cold and the addition of condensed milk is a total bonus.

 

Thai-Style Iced Coffee
From ninjakitchen.com

3 Ninja® Single-Serve Scoops (or 3 tablespoons) ground coffee
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup 2% milk
2 cups ice

Instructions
Size: Cup setting
Brew: Over Ice

Following the measurement above, place the ground coffee into the brew basket.
Combine
the sweetened condensed milk and 2% milk in a large plastic cup; stir
to combine. Add the ice to the cup; set cup in place to brew.
Select the Cup size; press the Over Ice Brew button.
When brew is complete, stir to combine.

Disclaimer – Ninja provided the Ninja Coffee Bar for review. All opinions are my own.

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al’s grill at amato gelato (chestermere)

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As great as it was to escape to paradise, it was nice to come home on the weekend. Sure we came back to a little cold and snow but there’s no place like home.

Since we hardly slept on the way home, we were exhausted and all of us had a nice long nap. We were starving when we woke up but had no desire to cook. Amato Gelato to the rescue!

Amato Gelato in Chestermere has opened a side business in their gelato shop, Al’s Grill. Al’s Grill features East African specialties like fried cassava, pili pili fries and chicken poussin.

We ordered the mishkaki chicken combo which came with 3 skewers of marinated chicken, salad, fries and naan. It was delicious! The chicken was flavourful and moist and I loved the skinny fries that it came with. The best part was that Z, who had refused to eat anything for a few meals, loved the chicken and devoured a couple of sticks of chicken. Made this mamma very happy!

We also had the fried cassava which was cooked to perfection. It was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and perfect with the tamarind chutney that it came with.

We can’t wait to go back and enjoy some more of their delicious food. Next time, we will have to leave room for dessert! We are definitely lucky to have this gem in Chestermere. With great service and friendly owners, it’s definitely a business that deserves support.

Amato Gelato Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

nutella pot de creme

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Valentine’s Day is this weekend, and as fun as it is to go out, sometimes it’s nice to have a quiet meal at home…or, a loud and crazy if you have the kids at home with you.

Nutella Pot De Creme is the perfect dessert to celebrate the day of love. It takes minutes to prepare, so you can spend the day with your loved one, and is super easy. The fancy sounding chocolate pudding is mousse-like in texture and is creamy and chocolatey. The fact that it has Nutella makes me love it even more.

These luscious desserts take a couple hours to set so they can easily be made in advance.You can make this in large bowl or make individual desserts by placing them in glasses. Makes it look a little more fancy. Top it with a dollop of whipped cream and you’ve got yourself something to spoil your Valentine.

I’m excited to be participating in a Valentine’s Day Blog Hop with some of my favourite foodies. Check out posts by: Merry About Town, Bakerbeans, Dish N The Kitchen and Edible Life in YYC.

Nutella Pot de Creme

1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup Nutella
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 cup whipping cream

1 cup whipping cream
1 TB icing sugar

In a blender, combine the chocolate chips, Nutella and egg yolks and blend together. Meanwhile, heat up the whipping cream until bubbles start to form but not boiling. Add the whipping cream slowly through the lid of the blender while blending on low. Once combined, pour into some bowls or glasses and place in the fridge to set, approximately 2-3 hours.

Blend the cream and the sugar until whipped. Place a dollop on top of each pot de creme.

nutella ricotta braided pastry

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It’s World Nutella Day so I felt I needed to make you something with Nutella. Okay, fine, I made it for me, but I’m happy to share. This dessert is super simple, takes a couple minutes to put together and bakes for around 15 minutes.

I love the versatility of puff pastry so it’s something I usually have around. I took the pastry and made cuts on two sides so that it could be braided.  I spread about 2TB of Nutella in the middle and topped with about 4 TB of ricotta on top. Braid the pastry, brush with egg whites and top with nuts. Easy peasy. Just put the prepared pastry in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Voila – you have something delicious to celebrate Nutella!

mint chocolate whipped shortbread

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My favourite flavours of the holidays are chocolate and peppermint. Whether it be in the form of a hot drink or a dessert, I’m not picky. One staple during the holidays is whipped shortbread. It’s quick to make and always a hit with family and friends. It was about time the two favourites were combined! I chopped up some mint chocolates and added it to the shortbread batter. The result was a buttery chocolatey minty bite that just melts in your mouth. Perfect for cookie exchanges!

Mint Chocolate Whipped Shortbread

1 cup butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup of mint chocolate or peppermint chocolate chips

Cream the butter and icing sugar together.  Add the flour and beat for 10 minutes.  Stir in the chocolate and make into small balls. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Makes around 40 cookies