Kona Kafe at Polynesian Resort - Walt Disney World

Posted by Lori:

(Another Disney World post for those looking for food reviews, or for those who might be looking for some nice people so that they could reward them with a free Disney World vacation.  (Hey! I can dream....can't I??? :)

I thought I had already written about the all of the delicious desserts at the Kona Kafe of the Polynesian Resort at Walt Disney World, but apparently I only reviewed the Kona Kone - HERE.   I did review the whole Kona Cafe on my other blog HERE.  That post will tell you about the all of the food we ate, not just the desserts.  It was all so good!  Worth making time for in your busy schedule while visiting WDW!

So....here is a display of the wonderful looking desserts.  All of these are available on the Disney Dining Plan (DDP). If my daughter or I ate the dessert, I have noted such and given it our personal review. 

Ice Cream Sundae

Chocolate Fondue with cookies and fruit.

Banana - Chocolate Creme Brulee

No Sugar Added - Apple/Caramel Stack

Raspberry Lemonade....Sooooo good!  We both ordered this drink.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

 Kilauea Torte

 White Chocolate Cheesecake -  This was my dessert.  Sure wish I had another one! :)

Oh....the memories!

Untraditional Rolls with Roast and Gravy

One day in August I had made great supper plans:  roast, carrots, potatoes, green beans, corn on the cob, gravy, and rolls.  I just use the Rhodes brand frozen rolls, but about half-way through the afternoon, I realized I had forgotten to set them out!  Thanks to our many, many days of over 100 degree weather, I figured covering the frozen bread and putting it out in the garage would have them rising up in no time.

Well, my plan did work, but the planner didn't work.  She (ME) forgot about those rolls until it was time to bake them!  (OOPS!)  And, when my son, Zachary went out to get them and take of the lid for me, he said, "Mom....I don't think you're going to be very happy!"  Well, I wasn't too happy, but figured what was done, was done, so we baked them.....or I guess I should say we baked 'IT'....since it was just one big thing of dough!

Since it wasn't traditional in shape, we did something untraditional with the serving of the bread.  We made it into an open-faced sandwich with the roast and gravy.  And, guess what?  It was deeee-licious!  Hummmm.....maybe I'll forget the rolls and let them rise too much again?  However, I can do without the over 100 degrees for many, many days for a long time (forever would be okay!).

Mexican Dessert Nachos

Posted by Lori:

I've never actually eaten a churro, but they always smell yummy at Disney World and Rangers' baseball games. I think it's the scent of cinnamon that gets in the air and makes it so appealing.

At Walmart a few days ago, I happened to see a box of churros chips and decided to buy them.  So a few nights later, I made them into a dessert for my family.  They were a HUGE hit and turned out so pretty to be so, so simple!

Mexican Dessert Nachos

1 box churros chips (
Vanilla ice cream
Squirt-type whipped topping
Caramel ice cream topping
Chocolate syrup
Cinnamon/sugar mixture

Spread chips out on a platter.  Top with scoops of vanilla ice cream and whipped topping.  Drizzle caramel topping (I heated it in the microwave to make it thinner.  You could use caramel syrup, but I prefer the ice cream topping.) and chocolate syrup over the top.  Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture over the entire dessert.  Serve immediately.

Fall Decoration

Posted by Donna:

I had so much fun making this for my front door this weekend. I'm not a great decorator, but I get such an enjoyment doing things like this---it's a lot of self satisfaction. Of course, a lot of it, too, is that I can't go out and buy everything I see--I have to make a lot of things myself, but I do love doing it. I should have been cleaning my house, but things like this are so much more fun!!!!! I knew my "dirt" would still be there.


To make this, I sewed a long pocket out of burlap--then folded the top over to make a flap. I probably should have used orange, yellow, and purple for the greenery, but I really liked these "sprigs" from Hobby Lobby. I think the brighter colors would have shown up more from the street, but these look good from the front porch. The netting is a dark purple-y brown that matches the darker sprigs. Larry had to help me get the wire secured the right way. What would we do without our husbands?


Happy Fall!!!!!!

Easy Skillet Apple Pie

Posted by Donna:

If you want to feel like the Pioneer Woman, you must make this pie. This recipe is in the recent issue of Southern Living. It's such a pretty pie, and you really do feel a sense of pride when it comes out of the oven. The fact that it's baked in a cast iron skillet makes it so much fun.

Skillet Apple Pie

2 pounds Granny Smith apples---I used four of these
2 pounds Brae burn apples---four of these also
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 pie crusts, unbaked (I used my recipe that is posted on this site) You can use store bought if you choose.
1 egg white
2 T. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel apples, and cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges. (I just cut mine up to what I thought would work.)
Toss apples with cinnamon and 3/4 cup granulated sugar.

Melt butter in a 10 inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat; add brown sugar, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. (It took the 2 minutes on my stove.) Remove from heat, and place 1 piecrust in skillet over the brown sugar mixture. Spoon apple mixture over the piecrust, and top with the remaining piecrust. Whisk egg white until foamy. Brush the top of the piecrust with egg white; sprinkle with 2 T. granulated sugar. Cut 4 or 5 slits in the top for steam to escape.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. If the pie crust starts to brown too much, place aluminum foil on top of the crust. (As well as I remember, I did use the full hour and 10 minutes in my oven and I did have to put foil on top of my crust. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before serving.

Serve with ice cream.

This fall issue of Southern Living is worth the purchase. The cake on the cover is just as good. I made it, also, a few weeks ago. There are a lot of apple recipes in this issue. Of course, you can go to their website and get some of these as well.

I wish I had a picture to share. I can't wait to make it again.

Broccoli Cornbread

Posted by Donna:


This cornbread recipe is definitely a crowd pleaser. I’m sure there’s someone out there that doesn’t like it; but down here in Southwest Oklahoma, it’s considered “lip-smackin” good.

Broccoli Cornbread

4 eggs
2 sticks butter, melted
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix

Mix all ingredients together. Bake in a 9 x 13 pan at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until browned on top.

It’s very hard to type this recipe without thoughts of pinto beans and fried potatoes coming to mind. Matter of fact, I just added it to my menu for next week!

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Posted by Donna:


I've looked at this Betty Crocker recipe for a long time and finally decided to make it this week. I'm not a huge lasagna fan, but Larry is. I like it; it's just not something I make very often since I can't handle beef very well. Like all lasagna recipes, it makes a large amount---- I told Larry he knows what he'll be eating the rest of this week!!!

Slow Cooker Lasagna

1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
3 cans (15 ounces each) Italian-style tomato sauce (I had to use small 8 oz. cans. They were basil, garlic seasoned tomato sauce. I also added some Prego Spaghetti Sauce to equal the total 45 ounces needed for the lasagna.)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. basil leaves
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese (I substituted with cottage cheese.)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used the Kraft shredded Parmesan)
15 uncooked lasagna noodles (I used the Ronzoni Whole Grain.)

1. Cook sausage and onion in a skillet over medium heat until that sausage is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in tomato sauce, basil and salt.

2. Mix 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses. (Refrigerate remaining mozzarella cheese while the lasagna cooks.)

3. Spoon one-fourth of the sausage mixture into a 6 quart slow cooker; top with 5 noodles, broken into pieces to fit. Spread with half of the cheese mixture and one-fourth of the sausage mixture. Top with 5 noodles and remaining sausage mixture.

4. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or until noodles are tender. (My slow cooker cooks fast; so, it only took mine 4 hours.)

5. Sprinkle top of lasagna with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Cover and let stand about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into pieces.

Larry loved this. It was good. It was nice getting it in the slow cooker about 2:00. My piano lessons started at 3:30 and weren't over until after 6:00; so it was great having supper ready. I had already washed the lettuce earlier for our salad; so our supper was ready in minutes.

This is a keeper recipe.

Raspberry Lemon Punch

Posted by Lori:

This is one of those recipes that you just "know" will be good - without having tasted it before.  I bought a new cookbook at Sam's Club called "Celebrating Party Foods".  It's from Leisure Arts, and it has some great recipes that I am looking forward to trying.  This "Raspberry Lemon Punch" will be one of the first ones to try!

Raspberry Lemon Punch

2 cans (12 ounces each) pink lemonade concentrate, thawed and divided
6 cups water, divided
1 lemon, thinly sliced
6 whole fresh or frozen raspberries
1 half-gallon raspberry sherbet
4 cans (12 ounces each) lemon-lime soda, chilled

NOTE:  PREPARE ICE RING A DAY AHEAD OF TIME.  Recipe doesn't say this, but you could use a Bundt pan if you don't have an ice ring mold.  Other recipes suggest jello molds or other cake pan shapes.  I'll use a Bundt pan because I don't have any other type of mold pan.

For ice ring, combine 1 can pink lemonade concentrate and 3 cups water in a half-gallon container.  Pour 3 1/2 cups lemonade in an 8-cup ring mold; reserve remaining lemonade.  Freeze ice ring 4 hours.

Place lemon slices about 1 inch apart over frozen lemonade. Place raspberries between slices.  Pour remaining 1 cup lemonade over fruit.  Cover and freeze until firm.

To serve, combine remaining can lemonade concentrate and remaining 3 cups water in a half-gallon container.   Pour lemonade into a punch bowl; add spoonfuls of sherbet.  Add lemon-lime soda; stir until blended.  Dip ice mold into warm water 15 seconds.  Place ice ring in punch bowl.  Serve immediately.

Cherry Egg Rolls

Posted by Lori....Made by Zachary :)

When my daughter and I were at Epcot a few weeks ago, we ate apple egg rolls at "China" in the World Showcase.  They were delicious!

Yesterday I suggested that my son should try to make fruit egg rolls.  We only had cherry pie filling in the pantry, but he took me up on the offer!  They aren't the prettiest egg rolls ever, but they sure tasted good!  Zachary baked his egg rolls and said that he didn't do a good job of rolling them up, but I'm not sure how easy it would be to roll them up anyway, with the syrup filling.  (Maybe adding canned cherries to the mixture would help?) Anyway, they tasted great and I told Zachary I would give him the credit when I shared them with you!

Cherry Egg Rolls

12 egg roll wrappers

1 can cherry (peach, apple) pie filling

Butter, melted

Cinnamon/sugar mixture

Lightly grease baking pan.  Lay out egg roll wrappers and spoon pie filling down the middle.  Roll up wrappers according to package directions.  Lightly brush egg rolls with butter and sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture on top.  Bake for 10 - 12 minutes (I think Zachary could have baked his longer than that.).

Tree Swings and Other Comforts

Posted by Donna:

Before our ice storm in 2010, I had a tire swing hanging from one of our pecan trees. When I was a child growing up, we had one just like it. I spent a lot of time in that swing as a child. Needless to say, the ice storm played "havoc" on that tree, and we had to have it cut down, along with three others. I missed that swing so much because it reminded me of childhood. For Mother's Day, I asked Larry to make me a swing for one of my remaining two trees. He asked why I needed a swing, and I told him for decorative purposes!!!! I just love that swing. There's something about a swing---a down-home feeling.

Last week a very special friend of ours came to our house because she was locked out of her house for a while. She and I sat out on the front porch--she in one of the rocking chairs and I in my porch swing(I told you I like swings). We enjoyed homemade ice cream and a great visit. She told me she's ready to come back and swing and rock on my front porch. I don't know what it is about sitting on the front porch and visiting. A front porch brings about the best conversations and feelings!!!! With this hot, hot weather this year, I've really missed my porch time. I can't wait for the cooler weather just for that reason--and of course, other reasons, but this is top on my list. I love to read out there, think out there, and enjoy the surroundings.

Now back to the swing---my next door neighbor wanted to know where I got my swing; so, I told her that Larry made it. She wanted him to make her one, as well as her daughter and daughter-in-law. Larry got busy that day and had all three ready in a couple of days. He's now working on Kimberly's and Lori's--plus he has an extra one made. I think he's done a great job on them.

Isn't it funny how something as simple as a tree swing, a porch swing, or rocking chair can make us so completely happy?

Italian Panko Crusted Chicken

Posted by Lori:

Have you ever tried Panko for coating chicken?  We've actually got a recipe or two on here using it and it's delicious.  However,  now that I've tried it, I think that the Italian-seasoned Panko is even better.  In fact, this crusted chicken was a big hit with all of my family tonight!

I served the chicken on a lightly seasoned bed of thin spaghetti. YUM!

Italian Panko Crusted Chicken

2 1/2 pounds chicken breasts (4-6 breasts)
2 eggs
1 box Italian seasoned Panko (in the baking aisle)
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup olive oil (can use a little more, if desired)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Pour olive oil into 10 x 15 x 1 inch baking dish or pan.  Spread olive oil evenly across bottom.  (I used my Pampered Chef stone dish.) Cut chicken in half, lengthwise.  Place chicken in large, freezer-type zip top bag.  Flatten chicken with meat mallet.  Break two eggs into shallow dish.  Stir eggs with fork to mix whites/yolks together.  In medium bowl, mix together Panko, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Dip chicken into egg, then into Panko mixture, coating both sides well.  Place in oiled baking dish.  Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink inside.

Little Deere Footprint Craft

Posted by Lori:

Little handprint and footprint crafts are just adorable, don't you agree? As a mom, some of my very favorite pictures my children have done are those with their precious little hands and feet. (And those precious little hands and feet really aren't so little any more!)

This past weekend was our county fair.  At the poster contest, one group of posters had a "Little Deere" footprint on them. They were adorable! I thought I took a picture of them, but now I'm not finding it on my SD card. I "googled" the phrase "Little Deere footprint craft" and found a picture of them! Yippee!

Here is the link for this project: http://funhandprintart.blogspot.com/2009/08/farm-craft-footprint-tractor-thumbprint.html.  Be sure to check out this site as it has a lot more cute ideas for hand and footprint crafts.

Walt Disney World - 50's Prime Time Cafe

Posted by Lori:

 What do you think about a restaurant where you must set your own table (good thing I trained Lauren well and she did a great job at setting our table! :) and they get on to you for having your elbows on the table or not cleaning your plate?

 Well, 50's Prime Time Cafe at Disney's Hollywood Studios has all of those requirements and more! 

(Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and carrots (hidden in picture)

However, you won't hear any complaints from the diners.  In fact, it's all part of the fun! 

(Roast beef with carrots and celery on top of mashed potatoes and topped with gravy.)

The delicious home-style meals, fountain drinks, and yummy desserts now make this one of our favorite meals while visiting Walt Disney World. (Reminder:  We used the DDP (Disney Dining Plan) for this quick trip for two.  We haven't eaten there with our family of six.  Makes a big difference feeding two, rather than six!)

Boston Cream Parfait....YUM!

Vanilla milkshake made the old-fashioned way.

What a great place to dine!!  And lots of fun, too!

(Waiter with straws sticking out of both ears! :)

Walt Disney World - Via Napoli

Posted by Lori:

Yesterday I told you I would share more Walt Disney World foods with you.  Today I will feature the Epcot restaurant, Via Napoli, which was our very first meal using the Disney Dining Plan (known as DDP).  We had never used the DDP before because in the past we had stayed in a rental house.  But this time, as part of our surprise trip, my husband got my daughter and I the DDP.  What fun it was to try new foods at Disney World!

Neither my daughter or I were sure what to order from the menu, but we just decided on something that 'sounded' good.  Let me tell you:  It was DELICIOUS!  The pictures don't make a big statement at all....just looks like regular Italian food, but the taste was anything but regular and simple.  So very flavorful!  We both thought the dishes were great!

Lauren got spaghetti and meatballs, which were probably called something else on the menu (pictured below).

I ordered some kind of cream sauce (didn't say Alfredo, but it was close) with Rigatoni and chicken.  YUM!

Dessert was good, as well.  Lauren got a pistachio, lemon gelato with an almond brittle cookie thing.  She really liked it, though it wasn't anything I would have ordered.

My dessert was an Italian cream soda with vanilla gelato.  So delicious!  What a super first meal using the DDP!  We were hooked at the first meal! :)

For our evening meal at Epcot, we ate a quick meal from the China part of the World Showcase.  It was delicious, too, though we forgot to take pictures.  Lauren and I got sweet and sour chicken with rice, plus dessert was an apple/cinnamon egg roll.  I want to try to make those some time!

Tomorrow I'll share foods from Hollywood Studios!

Desserts at Walt Disney World

Posted by Lori:

My daughter and I just returned from a fun Labor Day Weekend trip to Disney World (Read more about our trip HERE) , so I haven't been cooking very much. But, I wanted to share with you some pictures of some of the wonderful Disney desserts and other foods that are available at resorts and restaurants inside the parks.

Here is a picture of one of the cutest desserts I've seen at Walt Disney World!  I'll share even more food and dessert pictures with you tomorrow.

This "Kona Kone" dessert at the Kona Cafe at the Polynesian Resort was so cute!  It featured a sugar cone with a dip of chocolate and a dip of vanilla ice cream, topped with chocolate syrup and Mickey head sprinkles.  Also, a chocolate stamped Mickey face decoration was placed on the very top.  The cone sat in a wire holder on top of a square plate, surrounded by colored M&M's and blue cotton candy.  So cute!  So BIG!  Obviously this dessert could be shared by several people.  And the best part?  It was part of the DDP (Disney Dining Plan)!

Salmon Loaf

Posted by Donna:


My aunt came over last week for a visit, and we ended up talking about food (imagine) and recipes. She began talking about the really good salmon loaf that she had fixed that was a recipe of my other aunt (her sister)---I don't know why I had never heard about this particular recipe before since salmon patties were always a staple at my house when I was growing up--and I still continue to make them. Also, both of these aunts are my mother's sisters and my mother never mentioned it. Anyway, I made this last week and just made it again for us this week. If you're a salmon patty lover, then you'll definitely like this.

Salmon Loaf

1 (18 oz.) can salmon, drained
1 1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup dry bread crumbs ( I used cracker crumbs instead)
3 T. melted butter or margarine
1 T.lemon juice
1/8 tsp. pepper ( I didn't measure this, never do--just do to your liking.)

Mix all the ingredients together. Bake in a well-greased baking dish at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

My aunt wrote to cut this into fingers--which would be pretty to do and serve on a lettuce leaf.

I think onions could be added to this if you choose, and I also think it would be good with crushed potato chips on top. This recipe could be "played with" a lot.

Limeade Pie

Posted by Lori:

A few days ago a retired teacher ate lunch with some of her former colleagues.  On Facebook that evening, many were raving about the pie she had made.  Since you can eavesdrop on Facebook :).....I decided to ask for the recipe and thankfully, Mrs. H obliged!  Now I'm sharing it with you!  I can't wait to try it...sounds delicious!
Limeade Pie

1 graham cracker pie crust (she and her husband actually got 2 pies out of it, so pick up two crusts!)
1 - 10 oz Cool Whip (Her husband actually used more.)
1 can condensed milk (such as Eagle Brand) 
1 - 6 oz. frozen concentrate limeade
4 oz. of cream cheese
Green food coloring, if desired to tint filling

Mix condensed milk and cream cheese until smooth. Mix in limeade juice. Use green food coloring to personal preference, fold in Cool Whip. Put in pie shells and refrigerate.