Saturday, January 30, 2016

Dinner on the Disney Fantasy - Part 2

Last week, my family took a seven night Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Disney Fantasy.  This was our 7th time cruising with the Disney Cruise Line, but our first on the Disney Fantasy.  You can read my first three dinner reviews from our latest cruise here.


On the fourth night of our cruise, we dined in Animator's Palate for the second time.  Your first dinner at Animator's Palate on the Disney Fantasy features the Underwater Magic show with characters from Finding Nemo.  The fourth night of our cruise was Pirate night, so all three Main Dining restaurants featured the same menu.


Friday, January 29, 2016

Bella Lucia Gluten Free Pizzelle

Earlier today, my latest order from Vitacost.com arrived, with two packages of Bella Lucia gluten free vanilla pizzelle.  I stumbled across them when searching for some gluten free cookies my daughter Emma wanted me to buy for her.  We have actually tried Bella Lucia gluten free pizzelle before, but I have always had to order them from their website.


Both my husband and I grew up eating the pizzelle our Italian grandmothers made.  As a kid, I loved making ice cream sandwiches with these Italian waffle cookies.


Dinner on the Disney Fantasy - Part 1

Last week, my family took a seven night Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Disney Fantasy.  This was our 7th time cruising with the Disney Cruise Line, but our first on the Disney Fantasy.  You can read about my previous experiences dining gluten free on the Disney Dream and the Disney Magic here.


Every time we have sailed with the Disney Cruise Line, I have had my travel agent note my dietary restrictions on my reservation, so our dining team is prepared when I arrive.  You can also fill out a special services form that notes your food allergies, and submit it to the Disney Cruise Line.


Thursday, January 28, 2016

Remy Champagne Brunch - Disney Fantasy

Last week, my family took a seven night Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Disney Fantasy.  This was our 7th time cruising with the Disney Cruise Line, but our first on the Disney Fantasy.  You can read about my previous experiences dining gluten free on the Disney Dream and the Disney Magic here.


Before we sailed, I made reservations for brunch and dinner at Palo, and brunch at Remy, the two adults only restaurants on the Disney Fantasy.  Palo, which serves Italian cuisine, is on all four Disney Cruise Line ships, while Remy, which features a French-inspired menu, is only on the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy.  Be sure to look up to see Remy, the star of the film Ratatouille, when you enter the restaurant.



Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Broccoli Chicken Pizza and BBQ Chicken Pizza with Udi's Gluten Free Pizza Crust

Last week on our cruise on the Disney Fantasy, I enjoyed a Margherita pizza and herb flatbread made with Udi's gluten free pizza crust.


On Sunday night, I made a Palo-inspired herb bread with Udi's gluten free pizza crust to go with the pasta dish I was making for dinner.  You can view the recipe here.


Palo Brunch - Disney Fantasy

Last week, my family took a seven night Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Disney Fantasy.  This was our 7th time cruising with the Disney Cruise Line, but our first on the Disney Fantasy.  You can read about my previous experiences dining gluten free on the Disney Dream and the Disney Magic here.


Before we sailed, I made reservations for brunch and dinner at Palo, and brunch at Remy, the two adults only restaurants on the Disney Fantasy.  You can read my Palo dinner review here.


Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Lunch on the Disney Fantasy

Last week, we took a seven night Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Disney Fantasy.  This was our 7th time cruising with the Disney Cruise Line, but our first on the Disney Fantasy.  You can read about my previous experiences dining gluten free on the Disney Dream and the Disney Magic, and my breakfast reviews from the Disney Fantasy here.


We have always sailed out of Port Canaveral, which is less than an hour from our house in Orlando.  Being gold Castaway Club members, we were able to sign up for the earliest boarding time on the Disney Cruise Line website, so we were in boarding group two, and headed up to Cabanas for lunch right around noon.


Monday, January 25, 2016

Palo Dinner - Disney Fantasy

My family just got back from a seven night Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Disney Fantasy.  This was our 7th time cruising with the Disney Cruise Line, but our first on the Disney Fantasy.  You can read about my previous experiences dining gluten free on the Disney Dream and the Disney Magic here.


Before we sailed, I made reservations for brunch and dinner at Palo, and brunch at Remy, the two adults only restaurants on the Disney Fantasy.  My daughters don't mind, because we were cruising with my parents and my brother's family, so they had plenty of people to have lunch and dinner with.


Sunday, January 24, 2016

Palo-inspired Herb Bread and Garlic Chicken Flatbread with Udi's Gluten Free Pizza Crust

On Friday night, my husband and I had dinner at Palo on the Disney Fantasy.  For bread, I was served slices of Udi's gluten free pizza crust with herbs on it.  It looked almost exactly like my husband's gluten-filled bread.


I liked it so much, I bought some Udi's pizza crust at Whole Foods today to make bread to go with the pasta dish I made for dinner.


Saturday, January 23, 2016

Breakfast on the Disney Fantasy

We just got back from a seven night Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Disney Fantasy.  This was our 7th time cruising with the Disney Cruise Line, but our first on the Disney Fantasy.  You can read about my previous experiences dining gluten free on the Disney Dream and the Disney Magic here.


Most mornings, we had breakfast at the Royal Court, one of the main dining restaurants on the Disney Fantasy.  My parents enjoy table service dining for breakfast, and I prefer to dine there too, because the other restaurants that are open for breakfast are buffets.  


Thursday, January 14, 2016

Trader Joe's Creme Brulee

Yesterday, I purchased Trader Joe's Creme Brulee because of a recommendation from a blog reader.


It can be found in the freezer section, and is labeled gluten free.  A full list of Trader Joe's gluten free products can be found here.  


Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Brazi Bites

I first tried Brazi Bites at the Gluten-Free Living Conference in Orlando two years ago.  I liked them so much, after the conference, I headed to the Whole Foods on Turkey Lake Road to purchase several bags of Brazi Bites original Brazilian cheese bread.


Brazi Bites are based on a family recipe for Pao de Queijo, which means cheese bread in Portuguese.  They are gluten free, soy free, sugar free, non-GMO, and have no preservatives.  Brazi Bites, which were recently featured on ABC's Shark Tank, come in four flavors - original, garlic asiago, bacon, and jalapeno pepper jack.  All Brazi Bites are manufactured in a dedicated gluten-free facility.


Sunday, January 10, 2016

Beaches & Cream Soda Shop - Disney's Beach Club Resort

Last night, we had dinner at Beaches & Cream Soda Shop at Disney's Beach Club Resort.


The theming of Beaches & Cream, a table service restaurant, is that of an old-fashioned boardwalk-style ice cream shop along the Atlantic seashore.  Beaches & Cream is a popular dining destination and is very small, so be sure to make advance dining reservations.


Saturday, January 9, 2016

Scat Cat's Cafe at Disney's Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter

Over Christmas break, I had dinner at Scat Cat's Cafe at Disney's Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter with my friends Sarah from Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free at WDW and Amanda from Eating Out Without.


Scat Cat's Cafe was a holiday table service restaurant open from December 21st to December 30th.



Friday, January 8, 2016

Trattoria al Forno Dinner - Disney's BoardWalk

On New Year's Day, my family had dinner at Trattoria al Forno on Disney's BoardWalk with one of our school's Chinese international students, and her mom, who was in town for Christmas break.


Trattoria al Forno, a table service restaurant serving Italian cuisine, celebrated their one year anniversary last month.  In the past year, Trattoria al Forno has become one of our favorite restaurants at Disney World for breakfast and dinner.  When we were seated, I was given an allergy-friendly menu that lists options for people with gluten/wheat, milk, egg, soy, fish/shellfish, and peanut/tree nut allergies.



Thursday, January 7, 2016

AMC Dine-In Theatres - Disney Springs

Over Christmas break, we saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens at the AMC Dine-In Theatres in Disney Springs.


Our previous dining experience at Fork & Screen a few years ago was not good, so we did not plan on having dinner there while watching the movie.  I ordered the smoked brisket quesadillas with corn tortillas, but after taking a few bites in the dark movie theater, and finding the taste unpleasant, I took them out in the hall to take a good look at them, and saw that they were more fat than meat, so I sent them back, and did not order anything else.



50's Prime Time Café - Disney's Hollywood Studios

Last Saturday, we had dinner at 50's Prime Time Cafe in Disney's Hollywood Studios.


50's Prime Time Cafe, a table service restaurant, serves up classic American comfort food, and is themed like Mom's kitchen, so your server treats you like family, and you better mind your manners, or you could be in for a scolding.  We were seated at a TV table, so we were able to watch black-and-white clips from popular TV shows from the mid-1950's.



Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Disney's Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show - Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

For three years in a row, we spent New Year's Eve at the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort.  This year, or should I say last year now that it is 2016, we decided to try the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort.


We bought Category 1 seats, hoping to have the best possible view of the stage, which is outdoors.  Disney's website does note that the "show may be cancelled due to severe or inclement weather."



Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Pasta with Sausage, Smashed Peas, and Ricotta Cheese

Last night, I tried a new pasta recipe for dinner.  I was a bit nervous about this one, because my family tends to be a bit picky about ricotta, preferring it in desserts over savory dishes, and I was worried that my daughters would not like me mixing peas in with their pasta.  They prefer to eat their peas in a bowl, separate from the rest of their food.


Well, it turns out that I had nothing to worry about.  My husband and daughters loved my latest pasta creation, and my girls even raved about how great the leftovers were for lunch.  It is not super pretty to look at, but it tasted great, and that is what is most important when I am cooking for my family.


Sanaa's Gluten Free Vegan Naan Recipe

Sanaa, which is located at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village, is one of our favorite table service restaurants at Disney World for lunch and dinner.  In 2014, a pastry chef at Sanaa developed a recipe for gluten free naan, which is an Indian-style flatbread.  The recipe used Cup4Cup original flour blend, which contains dairy.  My entire family loved Sanaa's gluten free naan, which I thought was the best gluten free bread option in Orlando.  You can view the recipe here.



Last year, when Disney introduced allergy-friendly menus, Sanaa changed their naan recipe to make it more allergy friendly.  The new gluten-friendly vegan naan was made with Bob's Red Mill all-purpose baking flour, which made it accessible to more people with special diets, but the texture and taste were disappointing compared to the original recipe.  Thankfully, the chefs at Sanaa are now serving a new and improved gluten-friendly vegan naan made with Cup4Cup Wholesome Flour Blend.  It is safe for people with gluten/wheat, milk, egg, soy, fish/shellfish, and peanut/tree nut allergies.


Monday, January 4, 2016

Best of 2015 - My Favorite Gluten Free Products

For the last three years, I have put together a list of my favorite gluten free products.  In 2013, Cup4Cup original flour blend topped my list, and it still remains my favorite all-purpose gluten free flour.  My Best of 2014 list features favorites like Sweet Note bagels, Le Veneziane pasta, Trader Joe's pumpkin pancake mix, and Williams-Sonoma gingerbread spice quick bread mix.  This year, my top two gluten free products are Cappello's pasta and Luce's OMG Flatbread mix.  


For several years, I have wanted to try Cappello's gluten and grain free pasta, and I finally had the chance this past summer.  My family loved the gnocchi and the fettuccine, but Cappello's tops my list because of their lasagna sheets, which I have used to make beef ravioli and mafalda noodles, two of the best dinners I made in 2015.  Cappello's is not sold in any local stores, but they recently changed their online prices to include shipping.  Ordering online is still pricey, but it is cheaper than eating pasta at a restaurant, and it is worth the occasional splurge.