Disney's Flower & Garden Festival 2015: Let the Fun Begin

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN.

After missing Disney's Food & Wine Festival for the first time in forever (it still haunts me), I swore that nothing on this planet would stop me from attending Epcot's other annual festival: Disney's International Flower & Garden Festival.

This is not my favorite festival of the two. March is usually sweltering, and it certainly is again this year. Right on time. Also, my mom is notorious for jumping and screaming at the mere wing-beat of a bee or wasp - they are very, very attracted to her (she's like a Bella Swan for devilish insects). So all the beautiful flowers can be a (funny) obstacle course at times.

But in recent years, Disney has added a few irresistible new features, including food booths. Ooooooh yes.

I was so prepared this year to kick foodie butt with my passport and gift card loaded with money for eats (the gift cards are WAY easier to use that juggling cash, and way prettier too).

The new design for the festival too? Cute. I love the icons growing from the vines.

With only one day to spare this spring for the festival, I studied the menus ahead of time and planned what I was going to try from the booths. Some old favorites and new ones. What I hadn't expected was to be wowed by the gardens set up around Epcot. They are, as usual, very beautiful, but I lingered in some of the gardens and took too many pictures.

Both of my favorite gardens were in England. The first was the Shakespeare Garden. Be still, my English major heart! The Shakespeare bust in the back was charming, and I loved reading the quotes Disney had chosen to plant among the flora.

The other garden is the classic English Tea Garden, where you can wander in a maze of flowers and Twinnings tea, looking for your favorite among the bunch.

During the Flower & Garden Festival, you can get stamps from not only the food booths, but also the gardens around Epcot. So of course I got my stamp in this lovely garden as well:

I always have to stop at my favorite little German village, especially when there is a festival afoot. Quite the celebration, it looks like:

Eats:

Then, there was the food. From left to right:

Teriyaki Curry Bun, from Hanami, the Japan Booth. 

(Totally delicious, but then, I have a weak spot for curry.)

"Piggylicious" Bacon Cupcake with Maple Frosting and Pretzel Crunch, from The Smokehouse: Barbecue and Brews, the America Booth

(This could have easily been a disaster. I wasn't brave enough to try it last year, but... wow. I was wrong. The flavor combinations strangely worked well together. I really enjoyed it.)

Pulled Pig Slider with Cole Slaw, from The Smokehouse: Barbecue and Brews, the America Booth

(Nothing fancy but... you can't go wrong with pulled pork.)

Oolong Peach Bubble Tea and Beijing Style Candied Strawberries, from Lotus House, the China Booth

(Okay, two different items here. I've had bubble tea before, and I love it, and it was THE perfect drink to have when walking in the 88-degree heat back to the car. So... thank you. 

I have two old favorites that made triumphant returns to the festival this year, and the candied strawberries are one of them. I LOVE THEM. I think the sesame seeds in the sugar is what makes this dessert so wonderful. And without fail, people always ask us where we got it. Usually with drool glistening on their chins, haha.)

Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade, Pineapple Promenade

(My other favorite oldie. Violet flavoring in anything is delicious.) 

Macaron Guimauve a la Fraise (large strawberry macaron), Fleur De Lys, France Booth

(I love it when Disney makes macarons, and this new one was fantastic. Marshmallow with strawberry jam packed into the middle? WRAPPED IN FRENCH NEWSPAPER. Perfection.)

The strawberries and bubble tea were the last items I ordered before going home. I missed a few of the foods that did not make it back this year (Oooh, how I loved thee, Hamani Sushi, with your violet sauce), but even if I had wanted to try a few more, my stomach was like, "Noooo, it's too hot outside, Kim. I can't." 

So I called it a day. 

Have you had any early springtime adventures or are you still stuck in the snow? No matter the weather, it's ALWAYS a good time to try new food and have fun. 

Disney's Flower & Garden Festival 2014

There's nothing more rewarding after finishing a big project than celebrating its completion in style. Thankfully, Disney always has something fun planned this time of year: Epcot's Flower & Garden Festival.

Epcot typically has a lot of flowers all year round, but the festival paints the entire park in vibrant colors (and mosquitoes, due to the sudden change to hot weather).

The topiaries are the stars of the festival, though they usually remain the same every year (which is why I only have the Muppets one pictured here - in honor of the epic movie that just came out, Muppets Most Wanted).

The newest addition to the festival is multiple tiny gardens throughout Epcot, each with a different theme - either from a Disney / Pixar movie or learning experience. I took a photo of the Gardener's Palette on the bottom left, focusing on color theories and language. It was probably my favorite of the gardens.

The Festival Center was abuzz with presentations from gardeners and plant life geniuses, including HGTV stars (in theory. I wasn't there on those days, haha). The four photos on the right were taken in the Festival Center; in the space where the Food & Wine Festival shows off chocolate sculptures, this festival presents a pint-sized history of Disney Horticulture. Not as interesting as chocolate, but still pretty cool.

Another new thing: the Flower & Garden Festival has FOOD. Guys. Guys. Guys. Instead of booths, they're called "Outdoor Kitchens." And the food, as a whole, was fantastic. Apparently, Disney started the outdoor kitchens last year... and I somehow missed it. WHAT. I chalk it up the stress of my impending graduation last year. March-May is always a weird time.

And where there are booths / outdoor kitchens, there will be passport stamps. And I collected them all! HERE WE GO:

(Left to Right: Festival Center; Gardener's Palette; Mater's Parts, Plants & Play Garden; Garden Retreat; Mike & Sulley's Monstrous Garden; Water Wise Herbs and Vegetables; Pineapple Promenade; Merry Meadows Outpost; Buttercup Cottage; English Tea Garden; Fleur de Lys; Backyard Play Garden; Taste of Marrakesh, Hanami; The Smokehouse: Barbecue and Brews; Primavera Kitchen; Florida Fresh; Lotus House; Jardin de Fiestas; Urban Farm EATS) 

Food I Ate:

The food was great for the strange fluctuating weather as Florida jerkily transitions into its usual intense hot weather. The food offered stayed on the cool size, either chilled or naturally refreshing with fruits and veggies. Ever since I heard about the outdoor kitchens, I'd been dying for violet lemonade - I can't describe how perfect it was. The candied strawberries peppered with sesame seeds made candy apples pale in comparison. And the Shiso violet sauce used with the Hanami sushi is divine. To the point where I'd fight an army of bridge trolls for a bottle (ohhhh, I hope Disney sells it someday. It seems to be an exclusive festival creation).

The only real disappointment was the Caprese push-up pop... because it was tiny/ Even Oleander from Flour House wouldn't be able to make a meal of it. Yikes. 

Ghost Pepper-Dusted Tilapia with Crisp Winter Melon Slaw and Mint Oil

Urban Farm EATS

Shrimp and Stone Ground Grits with Andouille Sausage, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, and Cilantro

Florida Fresh

Beijing-Style Candied Strawberries

Lotus House

*My Favorite*

Hanami Sushi (A flavorful combination of salmon, scallop, and beef topped rice balls served with a Shiso Violet Sauce)

Hanami

*My Favorite*

Popped Rice Cakes (Japanese puffed rice cakes with green tea whipped cream and azuki)

Hanami

Freshly Baked Potato and Cheddar Cheese Biscuit with Smoked Salmon Tartare

Buttercup Cottage

*My Favorite*

Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade

Pineapple Promenade

*My Favorite*

Caprese Push-Up Pop (Tomato, mozzarella, and balsamic)

Intermissions Cafe, Festival Center

Pork and Apple Sausage Roll with House-Made Piccalilli 

Buttercup Cottage

Macaron a la Fleur d'Oranger (Orange blossom macaron with white chocolate ganache)

Fleur de Lys

*My Favorite*

Little German Village:

German's little train village is usually decorated a bit for each festival, and the Flower & Garden Festival is no different. The main area has lampposts with festival banners hanging from them.

You can see the flower stands and people either relaxing on benches or busy doing... things. Like walking. 

Okay. So not as exciting as the mini booths during the Food & Wine Festival. BUT I'm sure that the decorations will be expanded in the future. I expect to see a lot more little flowers and gardens throughout the village next year. 

I keep a special eye on one corner of the village, where a church sits on top of a hill. The figurines throughout the village do change from time to time, but I've grown attached to the characters in this section because they've changed the most over the years I've gone to Disney. So imagine my surprise when I saw the nun, fallen on the pathway still in her sitting position! She's never been dislodged before. Which led me to wonder exactly what devilish thing has caused her to collapse (maybe the push-up pop, haha!). 

Crepes, Please. Arigatō: Ninja Ice's Desserts

I watched many cartoons as a kid, but one of them was certainly Sailor Moon. I remember getting home from school, plopping down on the couch, and ignoring my homework in order to watch Serena, Amy, and the other Sailor Scouts kick the Negaverse's butt. That was back when Toonami was a thing and finding manga in stores was impossible (so suck it up and convince your parents to order it on... Amazon.com. What's that?).

I also recall many an episode where the girls chowed down on desserts, including crepes. And man, did they ever look delicious.

The 'rents and I decided to use Labor Day as an excuse to go outside.... temporarily... in order to walk into the Westfield Brandon Mall (and yet I have sunburn. Hmm). While perusing the shops and grabbing lunch, I discovered Ninja Ice.

When I saw that Ninja Ice was selling legit Japanese Desserts, including crepes and kakigori, I had to rub my eyes to know I wasn't dreaming! After scrutinizing the menu, trying to narrow down our order to merely two things (which was hard, because every dessert looked intricate and fun to try), we ended up going with the Orchid Passion kakigori and the Matsuri (festival) crepe.

The Matsuri (festival) crepe was almost like having a meal! The crepe was nice and thick, slightly sweet, and folded snugly within the container. We watched the owner, Ric, make it step by step, and I couldn't help but admire how smoothly he handled crafting the crepe (as a queen of microwaving, I doubt I could ever make a successful crepe).

I chose green tea ice cream for the filling - a-mazing. Ric said that his green tea ice cream was made locally; it had a strong flavor, much tastier than any other green tea ice cream I've had in the past. The crepe also had a kind of vanilla custardy filling drizzled in (as you can see by the photo), along with mochi balls and strawberries. The combination of flavors was excellent!

The other item we ordered was the Orchid Passion kakigori. Sorry for the photo - we already tucked into it before I fumbled for my camera, haha. Image that it was a lot rounder, with many little Mochi balls (pounded sticky rice) around the outside.

Ninja Ice uses a shaved ice machine that hails straight from Japan, so you'll notice that the texture is a lot different. It almost looks like cotton candy.

The best part about this treat was the syrup flavor: as the name implies, it's a orchid vanilla cream syrup! Exciting, right? Sure beats the usual cherry or lime flavors. You know that I've been on a huge flower-flavored foods kick, so this discovery was very exciting, haha. Because the syrup is made with a dairy component, the syrup tastes milky and delicate. The mochi balls have a dull sweetness that complimented the syrup.

Eating at Ninja Ice was a great experience. I loved watching the desserts being made, as well as listening to Ric tell us about the different ingredients, machines, and methods that work together to create authentic and tasty Japanese desserts. I wish all the best to Ninja Ice - I hope they'll be sticking around for a long time!

I feel energized to continue working on my revisions and plotting out my next writing project (My lips are sealed, mwahaha). Good dessert will do that for you!

I think Tuxedo Mask would agree.

Grapples

My sudden and rather tiny goal in 2013 has been to try flavor-infused apples. Unfortunately, none of the supermarkets where I live carry any of these delightfully weird apples, so I've been pretty bummed out. Until today.

Passing through the fruits and veggies while grocery shopping, I discovered something new: a case of four grape-flavored apples.

Grapples.

Can you believe it?

I've only recently heard of flavored apples and, since I've always been a (probably unhealthy) fan of flavored things, I got really excited. A friend of mine, via Twitter, assured me that bubblegum-flavored apples are real - calling them "abomination apples." I see her point. In theory, it sounds like adding any foreign flavoring to fruits and veggies would be unhealthy.

I can't speak for the bubblegum ones, but these grape-flavored apples are apparently just as healthy as normal apples. On their highly information website, Grapple says this about the healthy quality of its apples:

"Our process does not add one bit of extra sugar, calories, carbs, etc. The apple still maintains its great natural supply of vitamins, minerals, nutrients & fiber. It's as healthy as if you just picked an apple off a tree."

Well, hey.

The packaging made me smile too; the little character on the front reminds me a bit of Grape Ape, from an old Hanna-Barbera cartoon in the late 1970's. You'll also notice that type of apple is Fuji - a pretty good type, though not my favorite. My blog tends to love apples, because I've done other posts on apples here and here.

P.S. Ironically enough, apples aren't my favorite fruit. Nowhere close. It's a tie between plums and mangoes. And strawberries come in third.

Even through the packaging, the grapples had a strong scent - it was delightful, like candy-sweet grapes. I hoped that my whole car would smell like grabbles by the time I made it home, but that didn't happen.

I felt it necessary to make a comparison between a grapple and another normal apple. So here they are, side by side:

The one on the left is the grapple and the one of the right is a Pink Lady (my favorite!). The grapple has a more rotund look. However, I was disappointed to learn that Grapples are only infused with grape flavor after arriving at the factory.... so that means that they are completely average Fuji apples. Nothing weird about them. I guess that's why they blend in so well with the other apples. 

The grapple was easy to cut through. I'm terrible with cutting things neatly, so it was a relief to almost effortlessly crack open the apple down the center. Doesn't that look neat? (I think so). As you can see, there's no alien markings or purple apple flesh in there. Boo. Well, I still have to taste it, right?

So, the taste. 

It's grape, man. But only a little bit. When I took the first bite, I got a splash of grape - kind of floral, actually - and then as I chewed, it tasted like a normal apple again. Rinse. Repeat. I'm surprised that the grape flavor isn't that strong, considering how grapey it smells through the packaging. Not that I'm disappointed. I feel like I really am eating something healthy that way - it's just got a grape kick to it at the very beginning, adding some spice to the apple-a-day regimen. 

I really really wanted to embed the clip from the Food Network show Unwrapped where Marc Summers explores the Grapple factory... but there's no "share" buttons. So if you'd like to know more about Grapples, demystifying them and all, please follow the link and watch the clip on the Grapple website HERE.

AWP 2012: Chicago

Before going to AWP, I had never been to the Midwest. 

My traveling experiences had been severely limited to the East Coast, more specifically New York, Jew Jersey, and Pennsylvania - all places where my family is. I have been to England and, for a day and a half, France, but for the most part, America has been largely unexplored for me. As a family, we never went on road trips. We never drove for hours in one direction, not really caring where we ended up. Everything was planned down to the smallest detail. In my family, the familiar is good. Safe. 

However, as sick as I am of Florida weather, I was ecstatic to have found out that the conference was in Chicago. I had it on good authority it would likely snow while I was there. I hadn't played in the snow since I was a little girl. I couldn't wait to have my hair blown about in the windy city, to feel my bones ache from the cold, to feel tingly when stepping inside a warm building. Yes, I'm weird like that. I practically daydreamed about the horrors of winter with a big smile on my face. 

Prepping for Chicago was another ball game. Because it doesn't get cold here, stores don't sell winter gear. I spent hours in shoe stores (so not kidding) trying to find boots. It was January and flip-flops and sandals were already pushing out the fleeting Florida shopping season of boots. I stared in horror at the boots with high heels - instant death for me, I imagined. Finally I found a pair of plain black boots. I remember telling my mom that the tops of the boots were tight  - not very comfortable. She laughed at me and said, "You really don't remember, do you? They have to be tight to keep the snow out." 

Well, not my fault. I was a kid when I had been bundled up in boots and jackets and rolled around in the snow like a careless puppy. It's been so long. 

EXCLUSIVE SCANNED PHOTO of me as a wee one, rolling around in the snow like a carefree puppy. I actually went looking for the photo after writing that simile... and I'm happy that this photo actually fit.

Looking for a coat... well, that was something. My dad tried to get me to wear his old winter jacket that he still had from when we lived in New York. I put it on and my arms were lost in the sleeves. The jacket went down to my knees. There was no way I was wearing that to Chicago - I had to look "cool," haha. I ended up going with a bright blue pea coat from Forever 21 that my parents were skeptical about. They said that there was no way it would keep me warm... but I remained firm. "If I'm going to freeze," I had said, "I'm going to look good turning into an icicle." I also packed my dad's jacket just to make them feel better.

Chicago

I'm glad I made that decision because in Chicago, everyone looked very comfortable and stylish in their winter garb. There were pea coats everywhere! (A rare find in any Florida stores, trust me). I proudly held my head high against the tear-inducing winds and almost skipped down the street in pure happiness. I hadn't been bluffing. I felt at home in the cold weather. My body may not have remembered the feel of boots or the stuffiness of many layers, but it remembered cold. And I adjusted pretty quickly to it even with my thinned-out blood.

Interestingly enough, the people of Chicago were fascinating - so much different than the way Floridians are. The people I met seemed genuinely friendly, eager to help, and had all around warm personalities. It feels strange to type such a statement, almost as if I had dreamed the whole thing up. I remember being surrounded by those smiles and cheerfulness in Chicago, and being so stunned that I apologized for little things like not putting my train ticket in the scanner correctly. I actually felt worse that I usually did about not knowing something - being a tourist - because people were so quick to help me. It's an odd feeling that sticks with me still.

I didn't get to see snow until the morning I headed back to the airport. I was walking over to the train station, lugging my suitcase behind me, when all of a sudden I noticed a flurry of white stuff drifting down from the sky. I wasn't sure what it was at first, and turned to my mother and said, "Did a bird just smash into something? Look at the feathers."

Yeah, I said that.

In Florida, birds smashing into walls is a regular occurrence. So much so that some glass walls have stickers on them so that birds will be able to recognize the walls before they try to fly right through them. Don't even get me started on the hawk that broke through the mesh in my backyard last summer. Yep. So I thought, at first, that was I saw was the last remains of a recently squashed bird.

My mom gave me an odd look and said, "No, Kim. It's actually snow."

I looked up with my mouth hanging open as the flurry rained down, light as soap bubbles. Some snowflakes landed on my coat and melted right away. We waited for the train for at least fifteen minutes and, the entire time, I kept my eyes on the falling snow. "It's beautiful," I said.

My mom burrowed deeper into her scarf and replied, "It'd better stop before we get snowed in at the airport."

Ah, ever so practical. We were fine. The snow melted long before our plane even arrived. A safe flight home.

Because of the conference, I hadn't been able to sight-see. Mainly I stuck to the streets in the area where the two major conference hotels were. As I mentioned in my last post, I did wander around the eight-floor Macy's after a long day at the conference. The most amazing floor was the dishware one, ironically enough. The displays were just pretty. Very much like the tourist I was, I took pictures of the displays and dodged the employees. I also ate a lot of delicious food and saw some wonderful paintings.

Kim's Mini-Food Adventure

My first legit deep dish pizza. It was outstanding! We put olives, tomatoes, and peppers on it - a bit of an odd mix, but it worked well in the end. The pizza was very fluffy and thick; it really was like eating a cake. Now that I'm back in Florida though, I'm dying to have more... but no one makes it here ;_;

Bread Bowls! This was the perfect lunch for my first full day in Chicago - it warmed me up right away.

Pad Thai. 'Nuff said, right? I came back twice because it was so delicious.

Flatbread Pizza! Now, I've had flatbread pizza before, of course, but  eating it in Chicago is different. The bread is thick, soft, and fluffy here, so it makes the pizza taste fresh and full of flavor. I'm used to eating tasteless, cardboard bread - the water and dough don't mix to well in FL (I know I keep bashing Florida, but, well, come eat here and then we'll talk).

Art Institute Chicago

I love museums - even the cruddy, local ones with dubious things encased behind glass. So I had to go to the Art Institute Chicago. The building, while impressive, doesn't look too big until you actually start wandering around inside. I couldn't believe how many rooms there were, all splitting off in different directions, and random hallways that seemed to make sense but then, really didn't. After stomping around at the conference that morning, my feet were aching by the time I trekked through the museum. I had to stop frequently on benches to give my legs a rest while admiring the paintings.

The collection was huge, but my favorite parts were the Impressionists and the Decorative Arts exhibits (a fancy term for beautifully crafted items found in the home). I'll end my post today by sharing some photos from the museum - a great way to end my time at Chicago before the flight home.