You guys know how much we love making Disney recipes, or copycatting them! Our Tie Dye Cheesecake from Pop Century was a hit, and so were the Banana Split Cupcakes! We've had a few flops along the way, but I'm always up for a Disney recipe! Especially since often, it's the only way my youngest can have a safe Disney dessert with his food allergies. 

Like so many of you I'm sure, the last few months have been filled with baking. Father's Day weekend we decided to make Mr. Disney Magic a batch of cookies from his dream Disney Resort. We've never been there, that's a one day maybe kinda price for us, but we can still enjoy the cookies, right? 

These were the most unusual cookies I've ever made. They didn't call for granulated sugar. Weird, right? We whipped up a batch of these to see how they compare to our usual recipe. The house was divided...my youngest and I said eh, but Mr. Disney Magic and my oldest loved them. 

Want to try for yourself? I prefer a big, chewy cookie myself. 

​The dough mixed up easily, it was very airy. That's what made me nervous. It was a beautiful, soft dough. 

I scooped it onto trays with my usual tablespoon cookie scoop. I wasn't sure how much these would spread, so I didn't crowd the pan, and did 9, instead of my usual 12, because the Disney picture they looked thin and huge. 

They didn't take long to cook, but you can see...the cookies did not spread at all! I know I didn't have too much flour, because I very carefully measured. 

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Next batch, I pressed the cookies down, flattening slightly. It made no difference. The taste was there, but these cookies were more airy, light in your mouth, instead of a dense, chewey cookie. 
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Overall, these weren't bad. Would I gift them? Probably not. I do plan to try these again, substituting half of the powdered sugar for granulated, and see if that helps with the spread, and the chewiness. 

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Want to try these for yourself? This link will take you over to Disney's Blog where you can get the exact recipe for yourself! 

If you make these, stop by on Facebook and tell me how they turned out for you! 

With grocery prices on the rise, this article caught my eye. It states that we throw away 16% of the money we've spend on food, because it doesn't get eaten. Wow. 

Know what, I'm guilty of that, for sure. But, and those are 2016's numbers, not 2020's which are higher, but can you imagine how many hundreds that adds up to? the article says almost $700...and that was four years ago. 

So what would $700 or more, look like in your vacation fund? How many days of a hotel is that? How many park tickets? How many restaurants meals or souvenirs could you buy for that $700?

2020 has been full of insecurity for so many. I know I've lost a gig job, and then substitute teaching, and depending on how school resume, I might not even be able to do that this fall, if the children are learning from home, or on different school/home schedules. It's scary for sure, especially thinking about our budget and how that money was always our vacation and extra expenses money.

So what's the plan? How are we all NOT going to just throw out $700 or more? 

We could: (Click the underlined words to visit blog articles about that topic)

* Re purpose food before we throw it out -- that's how Doritos were made, after all! 
* Make a little less or be more diligent about eating leftovers
* Dine out less, and make copycat restaurant meals from home - there are tons! 
* Use a Disney plan when we go on day trips anywhere and bring our own snacks and drinks 

I bet you've got more ideas too! Hop over to our Facebook page and share them! 

I was absolutely shocked to hear that one of my kid's favorite chips was INVENTED at Disneyland! How amazing is that? 

The story goes that a restaurant had a ton of stale tortillas they had thrown out. A salesman suggested that they fry them and sell them as chips instead of just tossing them. The staff repurposed those throw aways, and the result became so popular, it was eventually snapped up by Frito Lays! 

You can click here to read the whole story while I head to the kitchen to snack on some Disney magic! 

Do you love Goofy's Glaciers? Those tasty frozen icee drinks are a favorite in our family, and we do crave them when we aren't at Disney. Though I've not been able to recreate our favorite flavor, the lime green, just by chance one day I glanced at the back of a Koolaid container and saw a recipe. Less than 2 minutes later we had copycat Goofy's Glaciers. 

Limited only by your choice of flavors at the store, you too can create your own. Pour them into a Disney souvenir cup like we did! 

Here's what you need to make 2 generous servings: 

Blender
3 cups of ice
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of presweetened Koolaid powder

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Put the cup of water, one cup of ice and the 1/2 cup of pre sweetened Koolaid into your blender. Blend until smooth. Add the last 2 cups of ice, blend until smooth. 

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So quick, so easy, so Disney!! Yum!! We make these at least once a week now, they are so simple to do! Grape is my favorite, Cherry is my youngest's. I've not tried lemonade, orange or ice tea yet, I bet those are yummy too!

​Try it today, then let me know how yours turned out! 

There's a new Disney Dining Plan option, and it might be a good fit for some families. 

This new plan is a happy medium between the Standard Disney Dining Plan and the Deluxe. If you'd like a little more flexibility in your dining options, and a little less food, this might be for you! 

Whereas the Deluxe plan is three meals a day, and the Standard one table service and one quick service meal a day, the new Disney Dining Plan Plus, is two meals a day, your choice of quick service or table service.  

Like the other plans, two snacks a day and your refillable resort mug are included. Priced in the middle, this new plan is $94.61 for ages 10 and up per night, and $35.01 for ages 3-9. 

With several new quick services opening with an above average menu, like the Regal Eagle in Epcot, you might might this a good fit for your family. With two meals a day it's easier to space out so you don't feel so full and sluggish, but you can still enjoy two table service meals a day if you like, including the perks that some may have, like meeting characters or special show seating. 

​What do you think? Is this a plan you might try?