Lessons I (Unintentionally) Learned from Disney Princesses

Hello Reblog Thursday. Oh, you Disney Princesses…you make every little girl want to be one of you and every little boy want to hook up with Jasmine. Snow White, you really need to work on the hairdo…perhaps something a little more with the times. I have a special place for Cinderella but I think Sleeping Beauty would be the best one to marry. You would have the most freedom to play video games, watch sports, and whatnot due to her chronic sleeping habits. I think Merida would be the worst due to her hair and hard to understand accent…and her love of haggis. Gross.

So Fetch Daily

As a youngster, I recall demanding to wear a big frilly dress and a princess tiara anywhere I went. For my birthday, I wanted a pink unicorn to match my pink poofy dress and rhinestone diadem. Where did all of these silly obsessions and my fascination with all things princess stem from? From Disney movies of course! All little girls (and some little boys) grow up watching Disney movies religiously. The Disney princess stories are romanticized versions of falling in love and living happily ever after. Children (and sometimes adults) wind up dreamily following along as the princesses are swept off of their feet by a knight in shining armor and showered in the kind of wardrobe makeovers that would make a grown woman jealous. Each Disney classic also had a moral to go along with all the love and fashion goodness, and along with a taste for frill I have…

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EPCOT’s Food And Wine Festival 2011

 It’s October, which means it’s time for EPCOT’s International Food and Wine Festival. If you have never been, it’s a celebration of food, wine, and beer from various countries and regions of the world.

This year it runs from September 30 to November 13.

 The world showcase (that’s the part with the countries) is setup with booths featuring two to nine dollar tastings of traditional foods and drinks. In addition there is live cooking demonstrations, wine seminars, multi-course dinners, and live entertainment. This year includes such acts as Gin Blossoms, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and Boys II Men. Ok, maybe not current acts, but hey, it’s free with the price of admission.

Insider tip: Going during the day is usually less crowded.

Countries and Regions represented:

Australia – Brazil – Argentina – Caribbean – Mexico – Scandinavia – China – South Korea – South Africa – Germany – Poland – Italy – Singapore – Japan – New Zealand – Morocco – Portugal – Belgium – France – Ireland – Canada – Greece – Hawaii

The offers are too vast to list everything, but here is a sample of what’s going on this year:

 Carribbean

Food

• Ropa Vieja (slowly braised Beef) with White Rice
• Jerk Spiced Chicken Drumstick with Mango Salsa

Drink

• Frozen Rock Coconut Mojito
• Frozen Dragon Berry Colada

 Ireland

Food

• Lobster and Scallop Fisherman’s Pie
• Kerrygold Cheese Selection (Aged-Irish Cheddar, Dubliner and Ivernia Cheese) with Apple Chutney and Brown Bread
• Warm Chocolate Lava Cake with Baileys Ganache

Drink

• Guinness Draught
• Bunratty Meade Honey Wine

 France

Food

• Escargots Persillade en Brioche (Snails in garlic and Parsely Brioche)
• Coq au Vin sur Gratin de Macaroni (Red Wine Braised Chicken, Mushrooms, Pearl Onions and Macaroni Gratin)
• Creme Brulee au Chocolar au Lait (Chocolate Milk Creme Brulee topped with Caramelized Sugar)

Drink

• Chardonnay, Bouchard Aine & Fils
• Merlot, Chateau de Beauregard-Ducourt, Bordeaux
• Sparkling Pomegranate Kir
• Parisian Cosmo Slush (Ciroc Vodka, Grand Marnier, and Cranberry Juice)

 Belgium

Food

• Steamed Mussels with Roasted Garlic Cream and a Baguette
• Belgian Waffle with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream
• Guylian Belgian Chocolate Seashell Truffles

Drink

• Stella Artois
• Hoegaarden
• Leffe
• Godiva Chocolate Liqueur Iced Coffee

 Portugal

Food

• Linguica Sausage with Onions, Peppers, and Olives
• Calamari Salad with Fennel, Smoked Paprika and Olive Oil
• Pastel de Nata

Drink

• JM Da Fonseca Periquita Moscato
• JM Da Fonseca Periquita
• Fonseca Bin 27 Character Port

Insider Tip: Anyone who has been before will recommend you hit Canada for the Cheese Soup, and my wife recommends the Cosmo Slush from France.

My pick in taste and value ($8) is the beer flight from the Craft Beers pavilion. You get 3 6oz beers from these choices:

• Full Sail IPA
• Sierra Nevada
• Abita – Purple Haze
• Red Hook Pilsner
• Blue Moon
• Leinenkugel’s Berry Weiss
• Key West Sunset Ale
• Widmer Hefeweizen

We chose the Berry Weiss (which tasted more like a wine cooler than a beer, but good), Purple Haze (similar to the Berry Weiss but less sweet, more beer taste), and the Sunset Ale (beer, nothing special).

You’ll need at least $50 to do the Festival right.

Click this link for a comprehensive look at the event: http://www.yesterland.com/wine2011.html