Search Results for: blog confessions of a foodie mom food as atmosphere

Alternatives to Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival

If you love the idea of Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival but the high prices and pressing crowds aren’t for you, then Walt Disney World’s still got you covered with a couple similar options. First up, if you’re in town on September 30, when the festival opens, consider purchasing a ticket for the First Bites Opening Reception. Announced Monday on the Disney Parks blog, exactly one month before the festival’s kickoff, the First Bites Opening Reception offers the best of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival in a classier, more intimate setting. The reception, held from 6:30 p.m.-9:00 … Continue reading →

Confessions of a Foodie Mom: Red Lights and Half Doses

“You wouldn’t take only half the medicine your doctor ordered,” said my weight loss book, The Complete Beck Diet Solution. Why, Dr. Judith Beck continues, would you expect to lose weight by doing some of the things you need to do and not others? Well, it seems logical to me that I’m better off implementing some healthy behaviors than none. In fact, Beck herself encourages people to change one habit at a time. Her plan, though, calls for changing several habits before officially entering the weight loss phase of the plan, which does involve carefully sticking to a planned diet … Continue reading →

Confessions of a Foodie Mom: Soup “Cravings” and Cookies by the Fire

I’m not doing terribly well in the weight loss department. After a warm and sunny summer and September, we’ve had some of what Winnie-the-Pooh would definitely call “blustery days”. I just want to curl up by the fireplace and listen to the rain on the roof. It seems like a good time to bake cookies with the kids too. And, I crave chocolate. I’m trying to convince myself that I am actually craving soup. I did make a pretty good-tasting, last-minute improvisation on Campbell’s Tomato Soup. I added a can of whole tomatoes, a can of corn, and rosemary, thyme, … Continue reading →

Confessions of a Foodie Mom: Food as Atmosphere?

Last night I had dinner at my parents’ house, along with my husband and kids, my sister and her husband and kids, and my aunt. There were 13 of us in all. Italian food is Mom’s specialty, what I remember from growing up. I’m allergic to perfumes and fragrances. (This is relevant, really.) My mom was too, so I didn’t grow up with them. Once when I had to leave a party because of heavy fragrance, I wondered aloud to my husband, “Why do people need to use this stuff, anyway?” “Well,” said my husband, “didn’t you ever have a … Continue reading →

Cooking Teaches Your Preschooler Math Skills

Yum, cookies. I am definitely into bribery when it comes to cooking. When I go out for the evening, my husband and my daughter cook up some chocolate chip cookie dough I leave for them. Every Friday night, my daughter and I make some pancake batter so that we can wake up to the smell of cooking pancakes on Saturday morning, courtesy of my husband. In addition to being a yummy bribe to get up in the morning, cooking can help you and your preschooler work on your math skills. Here’s how: 1. Sizes and Shapes When we bring out … Continue reading →