Overlooking World Showcase Lagoon, the lakeside house or “La Hacienda” is a 250-seat table service restaurant, while La Cantina” is a 150-seat quick service restaurant.

The event started at La Cantina where we were greeted by a lively mariachi band and servers with trays full of food and beverages to sample. We don’t drink alcohol to the endless supply of Margaritas didn’t interest but we did enjoy the fruity agua fresco. We spent about an hour mingling and sampling Mexican delicacies like the Empanadas de Queso, Chiles toreados y chorizitos, Tacos de Camarones, Pedcado a la Talla and Tacos de carne.

My favorites were the Tacos de Camarones (shrimp tacos) pictured above and the Empanadas de Queso which were creamy and cheesy…with a kick. My least favorite was the Tacos de Carne, which were tasy but too dry for my palatte.

We were later led into La Hacienda which is beautifully decorated with a perfect balance of relaxing muted walls and festive accents and lighting fixtures. I love the fact that each room in La Hacienda had a different style of lighting fixture and each was beautiful in its own way.

La Cantina de San Angel, the counter service restaurant, opens daily at 11am and will serve both lunch and dinner. The menu features many traditional favorites including chicken and beef tacos on fresh, handmade corn tortillas, nachos, cheese empanadas, guacamole and chips, with warm churros and Mexican popsicles. La Cantina offers a selection of Margaritas, sodas, agua fresco, jarritos, pink lemonade, water and iced trea to cool you off on a hoy Florida day.

La Hacienda, the table service restaurant, opens daily for dinner at 4pm and accepts Advanced Dining Reservations. The menu features a mixed grill for two with flank steak, chicken, chorizo and vegetables or a seafood version with grouper, shrimp and scallops as well as Tacos de Camarones, Arrachera and more.

Perched on World Showcase Lagoon, the patio of La Cantina is the perfect place to watch Illuminations Reflections of Earth we were able to grab a table and watch the evening’s extravaganza in comfort.

We will definitely return to La Cantina and La Hacienda de San Angel on future trips to Epcot.  I can’t wait to share these traditional Mexican delicacies with the rest of my family.

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“I have always loved the beauty of a simple Neapolitan pizza,” Valenti says.  “It’s a perfect food, something beloved by both Italians and Americans. At Via Napoli we will make pizza the traditional Neapolitan way: with a textured, soft and charred crust. I look forward to bringing it to Walt Disney World, where it should be a welcome addition to guests visiting Epcot.”

The Grand Opening ceremonies were very festive and included speeches by Dan Cockerell, V.P. of Epcot and Nick Valenti, CEO of the Patina Restaurant Group. Mickey and Minnie even helped cut the ribbon, er… grape vine.

Both the interior and exterior of the restaurant are exquisitely detailed in traditional Italian style.

A unique feature at Via Napoli is the wood-burning ovens, which are named after the three active volcanoes in Italy – Mount Etna, Mount Vesuvius and Stromboli. Each oven is sculpted with the “face of the volcano” — reflecting the gods whose mythology surrounds each volcano’s history.

Our meal started with a glass of Mineral Water, sparkling or still and our choice of flavors of Acqua Fresca…I had strawberry and it was a thicker beverage than I expected but it was deliciously refreshing. For appetizers we had Fritto Misto which is an assortment of Italian delicacies including Arancini, Calamari Fritti, Melanzane and more. Next it was on to the pizzas! I love pizza and with out a doubt the best pizza crust I have ever eaten is a Via Napoli. We tried three of the pizzas and they were all amazing but my favorite hands down was the Quattro Formaggi (four cheese) Pizza. We also tried the Margherita Pizza (tomato, mozzarella and basil) which was Aaron’s favorite and the more classic Pepperoni Pizza. The pizzas come in 3 sizes Individual is $16, Large is $27 and 1/2 Meter to Share is $36-yes they are pricier than your local pizzeria but I promise you they are worth it!

For dessert we had Tiramisu, Zeppole di Caterina (ricotta cheese fritters served with whipped cream and chocolate sauce) and Gelato Frizzante (ice cream soda “Italian Style” made with San Pellegrino’s “Aranciata” and vanilla gelato). I am not a big coffee fan but those that are loved the Tiramisu. I enjoyed the Zeppole but my favorite dessert was the Gelato Frizzante.
I have been raving to everyone about Via Napoli and I can’t wait to go back and bring my entire family. Call now to make your ADRs for your next trip. If you are on the Disney Dining Plan Via Napoli uses Table service credits.

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Blue Smoke Salsa is the creamiest salsa we have ever eaten. The folks at Blue Smoke Salsa sent me a beautiful gift basket with Mild Salsa, Peach Salsa, Corn Chips and Guacamole Chips and they are all delicious. Honestly, we were skeptical about Peach Salsa but it is really good! Blue Smoke offers a wide variety of flavors and temperatures in their salsas and other products so there is something for everyone. Blue Smoke has beautiful and affordable gift baskets that make wonderful and unique Christmas gifts!

Visit the Blue Smoke Salsa website and start your Christmas shopping today! You can also follow them on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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We encountered a lot of long lines on Saturday. When we approached Test Track the stand-by wait time was 160 minutes!! We went single rider and that took an hour. Even fastpass holders were being warned that the wait was going to be 30-45 minutes. I’m happy for Disney that business was good on this first cool Saturday of the fall but for those of us spoiled Floridians that never wait for more than 30 minutes for any attraction, we had to practice patience or go without.

After a quick change into our party clothes we headed back to the party which is held in what was the Millennium Pavilion-located between Canada and the U.K. We waited in an ante-room area until the MC announced that the party was beginning and the curtains opened. The musical ensemble was playing wonderful music as people literally ran to get the best tables, not every table had chairs-there were also standing tables. It was a little crazy but @modernmami (Melanie) and her husband Justin successfully secured a table for themselves, Ron & I and @Shash (Shari) and her husband. We took turns holding the table and getting food so that we would have a home base for the evening. We also got to catch up with other #MagicalMoms @MommyMusings (Stefanie), @DrMommy (Daisy), @themeparkmom (Leigh), @Military_Mom (Shellie) and @LauraSpencerOne from Disney.

The pavilion was decorated beautifully and was well organized in stations marked by geometric shapes that matched the menu we were given when we checked in for the event. Some of my favorites were: Citrus BBQ Pork Ribs from Paradiso 37 in Downtown Disney, the Roasted Beef Tenderloin “Diane” from Le Bistro Restaurant in Lighthouse Point, FL, the Cane Braised Short Ribs with Horseradish Cream from Herbsaint Restaurant on New Orleans and the Hot and Hot Creamy Shrimp with Grits from Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham, Alabama. I did try a few things that I did not enjoy but it was fun being able to taste test new items. Since Ron & I do not drink alcohol we downed 2 bottles of Evian Spring Water during the course of the party.

I haven’t mentioned dessert yet. My favorites were all chocolate! The Chocolate Bouchon from Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club were to die for! The assortment of chocolates in the mini-martini glasses from Culinary Source were delish also.

I always recommend that anyone who visits Walt Disney World in the fall check out the International Food and Wine Festival. I will now add that, if you can afford the additional ticket price-and you love good food-check out attending one of the Parties for the Senses.
I want to thank Leanne Jakubowski and Laura Spencer from Walt Disney World’s Social Media Dept. for inviting us to be their guests for these great events.

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I planned on bringing a Sabra dip to my family’s Labor Day gathering. I am not a hummus eater so I was excited to try one of their delicious sounding dips. Unfortunately, both Sweet Bay and Publix in Venice, FL carry the hummus but not the dips. Fortunately, my mom and sister both like hummus so I purchased the Roasted Garlic Hummus and went to the party.

They devoured the dip and described it a full of robust flavor, and delicious. They ate it all during the weekend and said they would be buying it again.

Sabra is generously giving 1 of my readers a party pack which includes 4 free product coupons and a $25 gift certificate!

Mandatory 1st entry Visit Sabra’s Products Page and come back and tell me which product you most want to try.

Bonus Entries: Get 1 entry for completing any/all of the following. Leave a separate comment for each.

• Sign up for the Sabra Newsletter
• Follow @Sabra and @MomMaven on Twitter
• Tweet this ” MMmmm @sabra and @mommaven are giving away delicious hummus at http://bit.ly/11PMZ3 ” you can do this 2x per day, leave the tweet URL in the comment.
• As always subscribers and followers get 1 entry for each. Follow and/or subscribe for your bonus entries!

This giveaway ends on September 26, 2009 at 10:00pm.

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Created by Kraft Foods, the JELL-O JIGGLERS recipe remains a snack time favorite today. The colorful, bite-sized cutouts are easy to make using a pan of any flavor of JELL-O gelatin and seasonal cutters or molds (or everyday household items like cookie cutters or cupcake tins).

To celebrate this special anniversary, there is a special exhibit showcasing JIGGLERS at the JELL-O Museum in LeRoy, New York.The JIGGLERS exhibit reminds visitors of the simple joy and fun JELL-O brings to families. It displays everything from the first JIGGLERS’ cutouts to vintage television spots from the famous Bill Cosby JELL-O JIGGLERS’ commercials. “For the past 20 years, JELL-O JIGGLERS have been one of the most fun ways to snack,” said Lynne Belluscio, Director, JELL-O Museum. “We are so happy to share in the fun by hosting this special exhibit and hope that it reminds people of all the happiness that JELL-O continues to bring to families.”

With over 25 flavors of JELL-O gelatin, Kraft Foods has developed lots of new JELL-O snacking ideas like “Jellin’-Melon” Snacks, a fun-to-make snack using JELL-O and a hollowed out melon. With so many options, the possibilities for creative snacking with the family are endless. To join in the celebration, follow the creative snack time recipes for JIGGLERS and “Jellin’-Melon” Snacks.

For more creative recipe ideas or a coupon for your next JELL-O purchase, visit www.JELLO.com.

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Photo via Photobucket.com

How to Clean Your Plate of Something You Hate

* Sauce it up – Disguise the taste of something disgusting with a generous helping of something tastier. To avoid getting caught, put the condiment on the side of your plate instead of pouring it directly on your food. Use your fork to push bite-sized pieces through the pool of sauce. Now lift that forkful of yuck to your mouth and stay focused on the taste of the sauce—chew quickly, swallow, and repeat.

* Breath to Relieve – Once you start chewing, begin blowing air out of your nose in quick, short bursts. Concentrating on your breathing not only gets you to think less about the food, it prevents you from smelling it. The end result? You’ll barely be able to taste it (because taste and smell are linked).

* Flush it Away – If your meal is so bad that swallowing it is making you gag, then turn to your best ally in this situation: your drink. Chew a small portion of food at a time, and then take a sip of your drink to ease it down.

* Bread it – A simple dinner roll can be a lifesaver when you’re faced with a dreadful dinner. Bread is especially good when you don’t like the texture of your food (like if it’s slimy). Just take a bite of bread with every bite of slime. The blandness of the bread will also help mask bad flavors.

* Practice “Mind Over Meal” – In extreme cases, you may need to call upon your imagination. Consider it a challenge to see if you can imagine that the liver you’re eating is actually a delicious grilled steak.

* Disguise it with Mashed Potatoes – If you really can’t deal with the taste, the thick white-ness of mashed potatoes provides the perfect cover for the horror on your plate. Lift the mashed potatoes with your fork, and slide that unwanted crud under the cloud of mashed mush using your knife. Other useful places to stow food are under a helping of peas or chunky applesauce. Try cutting your food into tiny pieces first—this makes it easier to hide.

Enjoy and have a happy and safe Independence Day!

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From Popchips.com:

all the flavor.
where’s the fat?

Introducing an all-natural chip like you’ve never tasted before. We don’t fry it (unhealthy). We don’t bake it (undelicious). We take the finest ingredients, like wholesome potatoes, apply heat and pressure, and pop! It’s a chip. Then we use an artful blend of natural seasonings for a snack so tasty, crispy and dip-able, you won’t even notice it’s (we hesitate to say) healthier.

What’s out? More than half the fat of fried potato chips, trans fats, and cholesterol. All gone. For good. What’s popped in? Only what’s natural, tons of delicious, and plenty of crunch.

Popchips come in 7 different flavors, the four I mentioned above plus sour cream & onion, cheddar and parmesan & garlic. If you live out west you can find Popchipss in lots of stores like Safeway, Ralphs, Costco and Whole Foods. They are making their way east and I was glad to find out that they are available at my local Good Earth store. You can also get them here Popchips Original Potato Chips, 3.0-Ounce Bags (Pack of 12)

Have you tried Popchips? What flavor interests you the most? Leave me a comment and let me know.

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