When I think of my childhood Christmas, it’s the smell of tea cakes that takes me back to the small-town white 1930s house where I grew up. Of course, they really aren’t cakes at all, but delicate, buttery cookies that aren’t as golly-jolly sweet as a traditional sugar cookie. Continue reading “Old-Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes” →
Oh the faithful decadence of banana bread. Its sweet smell fills a kitchen and its warmth is like forbidden love in the afternoon. Disneyland’s version is as magical as expected and comes to the level of sublime with a pat of butter. It’s honestly one of my favorite banana bread recipes and is crazy reliable. Continue reading “Disneyland Resort Banana Bread – Yes, It’s Delicious!” →
Oh the magical seduction of the Grey Stuff. Such a novel and climactic ending to the hard-to-get lunch at Be My Guest. Back in 2020, Disney shared an elementary version of the recipe (which I’ve based these on). My guess is that the original is more of a true classic mousse, but this one is incredibly similar and yes, it’s delicious. Continue reading “5 Shades of The Grey Stuff: Disney Recipe of the Week” →
Inspired by late summer nights and campfire memories, this double chocolate pie is fool-proof but nostalgically decadent. And absolutely no wandering firepit required.
Of course, there’s no evening campfire show and marshmallow roasting at Fort Wilderness this year. The smells of crackling timbers has been replaced by the occasional whiffs of hand sanitizer. This pie lovingly forgives all of that, without all the messy. Continue reading “Chocolate Chip’ndale S’Mores Pie: Our Favorite Camping Dessert” →
Store-bought frozen bread dough, a butter bath, and thick layers of cinnamon-sugar yielded our family’s greatest indulgence of 2020. I’ve had the original famous Dollywood Cinnamon Bread at the Grist Mill at Pigeon Forge, and never dreamed it could be this good at home. I actually served it after a full meal earlier in the week, and once my son had a bite, he screamed, “Oh my goodness. DAD! DAD! You have to come try this NOW.” With a little bit left by bedtime, we finished it off for breakfast. Continue reading “OMG I Made Dollywood’s Cinnamon Bread and It Was THAT Good” →
My late father was a bit of a cowboy, and had been to the altar three times before he passed away at the age of 38. Now his second wife (my step-mother) was probably the kindest and most traditionally wonderful of the three wives. A school teacher. A Sunday school teacher. A beauty queen. A whole lot like Cinderella herself. Every Christmas she baked dozens of pecan pies, and hand delivered them to everyone she knew. She grew up among pecan orchards in Georgia, and had perfected the art. Yet, no one’s pies could ever measure up to hers. This drove the Third Wife particularly crazy – she was fiercely jealous of the Second Wife and had convinced herself that it that pecan pie that kept Cowboy Daddy looking back over his shoulder. Continue reading “Second Wife’s Southern Pecan Pie” →
This is my slightly-adapted version of my great-aunt’s recipe for Mississippi Mud. We had it so many times at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground that we started calling it Marshmallow Marsh Cake. As you may remember, Marshmallow Marsh was a splendid evening event at the campground where guests paddled canoes to a spot on Bay Lake, roasted marshmallows, watched fireworks and sang old-time ditties. It disappeared some time in the 1980s, along with make-your-own pizza, the trams, and other favorites. Continue reading “70s Recipe Flashback: Marshmallow Marsh Cake” →
No wonder this is one of the most beloved desserts in all of Disney World. There’s enough butter in here to put you in a coma! When you first take a look at the ingredients, all you think of is Paula Deen. Well, that’s because the recipe that is frequently cited on the internet is exactly the same base as her Ooey Gooey bars. Now, the two sticks of butter are spot on. But the amount of confectioner’s sugar is just too much with the addition of chocolate chips and crushed Heath bars. What you end up with is a Ooey Goofy Mess. I have tested, reviewed original St. Louis 1930s Ooey Butter Cake (it’s so hip again), and made some minor changes to Disney copycat recipes that frequent the internet. The result is one far closer to what is served at one of our favorite original Magic Kingdom restaurants – The Liberty Tree Tavern. Continue reading “Perfect Old-Fashioned Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake Recipe – WDW’s Liberty Tree Tavern” →
For all the dads that live for the standard hot-dog, hamburger cookout, I extend my sincere apologies. But a true glamping trip deserves at least one seriously over-the-top, five-star dinner with candlelight and fancy accoutrements. Of course, a Disney theme brings an extra magic and adventure. Robin Hood is an easy one – all it takes is re-imagining a tree-lined campsite as Sherwood Forest and adding a little oo-de-lally ambiance. Because we did this one in summer, we included both some traditional medieval fare as well as some lighter options. Continue reading “Disney Glamping Forest Feast: Robin Hood Theme” →
One of the first things that we did on my first trip to Walt Disney World in 1973 was to visit the Enchanted Tiki Room. As a place where “all the birds sing words and the flowers croon,” I believe this may be the happiest place in the happiest place in the world. Of course, nearby is the legendary Dole Whip, the tropical pineapple delight fairly unknown in its early pre-instagram years. Continue reading “Tiki Tiki Dole Whip Pie” →
