The last 2 weeks of March 2008 hubby and I spent camping at Fort Wilderness Campgrounds (owned by Disney) in Kissimmee Florida. It was fun. Weather was great – mid 70s most days, low 60s most nights. One day was upper 70’s – we went to Typhoon Lagoon. Camping was good. The campgrounds are really nice, we went rollerblading several mornings. Saw lots of deer, ducks, and a few alligators at the campgrounds. Disney transportation can be slow. Monorails rock, buses are boring. Food was awesome – from grilled burgers at campsite to English pub at Epcot we ate well. Memorial was huge – 8 congregations met together at a convention center, attendance over 2500.

Quick Overview:

Favorite ride: Rock-n-Rollin’ Rollercoaster at Hollywood Studios (MGM) just slightly beat out Everest at Animal Kingdom
Favorite park:Epcot, but I really enjoyed all of them.
Latest night: We made it until 2:30 AM at Magic Kingdom.
Earliest morning: got to Hollywood studios before they opened (early day for Disney guests)
Favorite Dinner: Tamarind Chicken at Yak and Yeti in Animal Kingdom
Best dessert: Mickey ice cream cones at the park (I think I had 3 of them)
Best souvenir: 4 small dinosaurs I won in a carnival game at Animal Kingdom.
Best thing about camping: saving money! and fresh air.
Worst thing about camping: having to walk a couple hundred yards in the middle of the night when you have to go to the bathroom.

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This is a first hand account of an armed robbery at Cub on Lake Street. Not really the reason I don’t shop at Cub (cuz I actually do shop at Cub sometimes) but a really good article, with good reminders:

My advice is pretty simple, forego carrying purses if possible. Take only what you need and stay aware of who and what is around you. Don’t leave anything in view in your car. Lock your doors as a habit when getting into or out of your car.

Last night stumbled arcross this blog, Kalyn’s Kitchen, looks like it has lots of great recipes and ideas I would like to try. Starting with this one, although first I will need to make a trip to Penzey’s.

Rosemary Salt
(makes about 4 cups)

3 cups sea salt crystals
1 1/2 cups dried rosemary (cracked rosemary is best)

(If you don’t have cracked rosemary, measure rosemary and put into food processor with steel blade attached. Process about 2 minutes, until rosemary is broken into small bits.)

Combine salt and rosemary in food processor and process with steel blade less than one minute, until salt and rosemary are well combined. Don’t process too long. You want this to still have a slightly chunky texture.

Suggested uses: Use sparingly, as you would regular salt. Sprinkle on fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, or avocado. An excellent seasoning for eggs, potatoes, butternut squash, or chicken. Delicious on any type of roasted or grilled vegetables.

Name: Cline Zinfandel
Type: Red Zinfandel
Country: USA (California)
Year: 2006
Price: $7.99
Worth? $15 ($30 at a restaurant)

Winemaker’s notes

Cline’s California Zinfandel displays a wide array of dark berry fruit including black cherry and raspberry, spice notes and a lasting finish of vanilla from oak aging. Firm, supple tannins add complexity to this wine.

Food Pairings:
Strong, sharp cheeses, beef and lamb, tomato-based pastas.

I liked this wine. Fruity and strong, but not to sharp. A little oakines, but still very smooth. Decanted the wine for about an hour and a half and the flavors really came out. Would go great with a burger fresh off the grill.

Hot Crabmeat Appetizer

Simple, tasty appetizer, great for parties. I have used reduced fat cream cheese (cut back on the milk if you use reduced fat), but would not recommend fat-free. Best at room temperature.

Ingredients

• 8oz. cream cheese
• 2 6oz. cans crab meat
• 2 T finely chopped scallions
• 2 T milk
• 2 T cocktail sauce

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients and spoon into a 9-inch pie plate or similar over safe dish.
3. Bake for 15 minutes or until bubbly.
4. Remove from oven, let cool to room temperature and serve with crackers.

Its been a long time. (the kid isn’t me - its my brother Marty. It is the best picture I have today.)

Call it. My problem is I almost always leave my phone on silent. Very cool service though, and they leave you a nice voice mail.

Got my hair cut yesterday, it ended up a little shorter than I expected. And I have bangs.