Minnie Ear Collection

 Hello Lovely Readers,

So when I was growing up, Minnie Mouse earbands were not a thing! Of course, the classic cap with ears, on which you can have your name embroidered on the back in yellow. Although I can't remember if I got mine as a child or an adult. I really didn't have a desire to buy them until I became a passholder at Walt Disney World. Now, I feel naked going to the parks without them

And I do know I bought my first Minnie ears in 2024 on my second visit as a passholder. I purchased them at Animal Kingdom. They were less than $20 with any purchase. 

My first pair!

Mickey is embossed on the ears, and the bow is pink snake skin

Borrowed these

& these

Princess Ears

My 2nd pair. 

Their silhouettes are imprinted all over the ears 

Haunted Mansion ears

The Medusa portrait is in the center of the bow

 Cinderella's 70th Anniversary ears

They are SUPER heavy. The ears are hard plastic

These were less than $20, how could I not?

 Red sequin ears

EPCOT ears

The Epcot symbol is the center of the bow, and Mickey is dressed in clothes that match all the pavilions in EPCOT. This is the only selfie, because the Photo Pass photos did not capture enough detail

Yes, I'm eyeing a few more, but I can't have them all!

Do you have Minnie ears? How big is your collection?

Until next time

Festival of the Holidays

Hello Lovely Readers,

Call me spirited. I love the parks at Christmas! This was my first time going to Walt Disney World during the holidays. First Park I visisited was Epcot.

Epcot's Christmas Tree

Chestnuts & Good Cheer Holiday Kitchen

Fire-roasted Chesnuts

Yukon Holiday Kitchen

Canada

Beer Flight

Maple Cookie Blond Ale, Brown Sugar Coffee Porter, Peanut Butter Banana Porter

Los Posadas Holiday Kitchen

Mexico

Tamal de Pollo con Mole

Shredded Chicken and Mole in Corn Massa topped with Mole Negro, Queso Fresco, 

Creama Mexicana, Slivered Almonds & Sesame Seeds

Bavaria Holiday Kitchen

Germany

Cheese Fondue

in a Bread Bowl with Steamed Baby Vegetables and Marble Potatoes

Tuscany Holiday Kitchen

Italy

Montanara

Fried House-made Pizza Dough with Pomodoro Sauce, Parmesan, and Fresh Basil

& Prosecco

Holiday Hearth Desserts

The Odyssey

 Frozen Caramel Hot Chocolate
with Twix & Whipped Cream

Until next time

Cookie Stroll

I went to the Epcot International Festival of Holidays Cookie Stroll for the first time

I missed going last year...so I went on the first day I was not blacked out 

There are 13 cookies on this years stroll, although you only need to buy five cookies to get the festival treat/prize!

My choices...

Maple Leaf Shortbread {my fav}

Yukon Holiday Kitchen

Chocolate Snicker Bar

American Holiday Table

Salted Caramel Spaceship Earth

Experimental Prototype

 Cookies of Tomorrow 

Coffee Mocha

Mele Kalikimaka Holiday Kitchen

Cranberry-Oatmeal

Holiday Hearth Desserts

The prize was a spatula, mini M & M's, and a peanut butter cookie recipie 

I wasn't quite a glutton, I brought baggies so I could savor them later

I hope to go back, there's a couple I still have my eye on, plus Ill probably get another Maple 🍁 Shortbread

HRT

Hello Lovely Readers,

I started HRT last Monday. I have a twice weekly estrogen patch, and I am taking a progesterone capsule nightly

I was a little apprehensive about it, but I've almost gone a year without a period, and I don't really want to go without those ever so important hormones.

While in the throes of perimenopause I was also grieving the loss of my husband, so some things overlapped, and I couldn't really tell you what was what.

It's been almost five years since I lost him. I'm in a much better place emotionally, so some symptoms I've been experiencing I need to chalk it up to me being perimenopausal, and not grief

So let's see if they help with~

• Sleeping better
• Hot flashes
• Hair loss
• Peeing way too much
• A weird smell, like fryer grease
• Brain fog
• Forgetfulness 
• Mood swings
• Dry eyes
• Itchy skin
• Anxiety 
• Runny nose
• It probably won't solve, but I now have a gut

I'll get back to you about it...

xo,

Steph

Beverage Monday/Thanksgiving

Hello Lovely Readers,

The last time I did a Thanksgiving Beverage Monday was way back in 2009~ Link

Here are some newer Thanksgiving dinner-inspired cocktails 

PHOTO: JULIA GARTLAND; 

FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

Turkini

• 1 1/2 oz. bourbon ~ make it Wild Turkey
• 1 oz. cream de cacoa, light
• 1/2 oz. Kahlua
• 1/2 oz. milk 
• chocolate syrup
• 1 1 1/2 oz. Bailey's

Put ice in a shaker and then measure the first five ingredients into the shaker.  Shake and strain into a martini glass drizzled with the chocolate sauce. Garnish with a turkey cookie or candy.

Recipe from Delish, with a little bit of modification from me

Sweet Potato Casserole Old-Fashioned

• 1/2 oz. El Gupao sweet potato syrup
• 3 dashes El Guapo chicory pecan bitters
• orange wheel
• 3 oz. bourbon ~ again why not Wild Turkey or go with Maker's Mark
• roasted mini marshmallows
• Orange twist

Muddle the orange wheel, chickory pecan bitters, and sweet potato syrup at the bottom of a rocks glass, add a large ice cube, and the bourbon. Twist the orange peel over the drink, and garnish with roasted mini marshmallows

Recipe inspiration & photo from Comfort du Jour

Cranberry Mojito 

• 8- 10 fresh cranberries
• 6-7 mint leaves
• 1 oz. simple syrup
• 1 oz. lime juice
• 2 oz. white rum
• cranberry juice
• club soda
• lime, sugared cranberries, and mint to garnish

In a highball glass add the cranberries, mint simple syrup and lime juice; muddle them together gently. Add ice, the rum and cranberry juice lmost to the top of the glass, add a splash of club soda. Garnish with a lime wedge, sugared cranberries and mint. 

My recipe. Image from Canva.

Bonus, I have really been enjoying flavored whiskey/bourbon on the rocks. Try these pecan flavors~

Ole Smoky Pecan Whiskey

Select Club Pecan Praline

Blackland Prarie Texas Pecan Brown Sugar Bourbon

Cheers,

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2025

Hello Lovely Readers,

Well, I only made it to this festival two times again this year 😞

I didn't get to finish Emile's Fomage Montage I  only ate three of the five needed

Nor did I get all the food I planned

& I didn't get all the Magic shots either

But, I did get to eat some fabulous things...

The Alps

Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese

with baby potatoes,cornichons & a baguette

On my snazzy new festival tray

Morocco Pavillion 

Fig Cocktail

Kleiner Feigling fig liqueur & white cranberry juice 

Flavors of America

Gulf Coast-style Seafood Roll

with warm-water lobster, rock shrimp, lobster bisque and sherry-creme franchise on a toasted brioche 

with drawn butter{cropped out}

Hawai'i

Pineapple Cheese Cake

with passion fruit curd & macadamia nuts

Forest & Field

Pumpkin-Mascarpone Ravioli 

with brown butter vinaigrette, pecorino cheese, pomegranate seeds and hazelnut praline

Gyozas of the Galaxy

French Onion Soup-style Dumplings

pork and beef soup dumplings with caramelized onions, sherry-beef broth, onion, and gruyere soubise, parmesan, and micro chives

Coastal Eats

Seaside Pot Pie

with shrimp, scallops, crawfish tails & lobster bisque, topped with puff pastry

Australia 

Mixed Berry Pavlova

with crunchy meringue shell, macerated berries & whipped cream 

I should of also had a frose from The Alps, but I screwed up and didn't put it in my tray correctly and I dropped a perfectly FULL drunk before I had a chance to taste it

On the plus side, I finally saw the photographer by the Mexican Pavillion & got a Miguel shot

Some other fun festival Magic Shots

There's always next year!!!

Stay 🌞