I've been obsessed with carbs lately!  Blame it on the diet or my training for the Wine and Dine Half, but I feel like if I were left to my own devices, I'd snack on pasta all day.  When I went looking for a pasta recipe, I found this one from Biergarten which made me so happy...  Being second generation from Germany and having been to Germany several times, I realized I was also craving some German style food.  Since my reservation at Biergarten is still about 75 days away, I thought this was perfect.

Now, when I was making this, I had the strangest feeling that I've made this recipe before, but I looked and looked and didn't see that I had...  So if I've posted it and it's a repeat I apologize...  At least it's amazing enough to warrant a double-post!

This is super easy to put together (a refreshing change after my birthday recipe...) and it's incredibly kid-friendly.  Honestly, most home cooks probably have a similar recipe stowed away in their back pocket for fast, delicious family dinners.  If not, they should and this is the one to choose!  My only feedback on this recipe is that the quality of the cheese can make-or-break this dish.  I wished after I'd had the first bite that I'd invested in nicer cheese than the generic store brand...  Nicer cheese would have made this dish absolutely sing!  For the caravores out there, you can add bacon or very small diced ham for an extra little something and I bet it would taste fabulous.  Really, this serves as an excellent base for something more complex with meats and different cheeses, or it can be served as-is for a ridiculously hearty meal.

The great thing was this was an amazing reminder of both my time in Germany and the dinner

we had at Biergarten.  The fact it could be served in this huge, family-style casserole dish reminded me of lining up in front of the buffet at Biergarten and trying to restrain myself, but it also reminded me of the very traditional dining we enjoyed all through Germany.  So many of their meals are food-focused family time (we had meals that lasted for hours...  Most of them lasted hours, actually...) and it's not at all difficult to imagine that this easy-to-make dish that serves an army and tastes good warm or cold would be on the table.  Cheesy without being too cheesy, crunchy like chips on the top and sides from that delicious cheese and macaroni "crust," but soft and ooey gooey in the middle...  I'm excited for leftovers and for Biergarten all over again.

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Nudel Gratin

As is served at Biergarten, Germany Pavilion, EPCOT

 

°o°  1 1-pound box of elbow macaroni  
°o°  2 cups heavy cream  

°o°  2 eggs  

°o°  1/4-1/2 teaspoon of salt 

°o°  dash of white pepper  

°o°  dash of nutmeg  

°o°  4-6 ounces of Swiss cheese, shredded  

°o°  4-6 ounces of white cheddar cheese, shredded  

°o°  1/2 cup additional Swiss cheese, shredded  (for topping)
°o°  1/2 cup additional white cheddar, shredded  (for topping)

Preheat oven to 375.

Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions in heavily salted water in a large pot until the pasta is al dente.  Drain, return to the pot it was cooked in, and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, combine heavy cream, 3 eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and the two cheeses (not including the 1/2 cup of each cheese reserved for the topping).  Whisk together until egg is mixed and cheese is evenly distributed in the mixture.  Pour the mixture into the noodles resting in the pot, stirring and folding carefully so that the mixture is evenly distributed with the noodles.  


Pour the mixture into a greased 16x9 baking dish (cream will fall to the bottom of the mixture, this is OK).  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes has passed, remove from the oven and top with the remaining cheese, spreading evenly.  Return the oven and bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Cool slightly before slicing into squares and serving.  

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Unknown

It's my birthday today!  Happy birthday to me!  This one actually kind of snuck up on me...  I had so much going on for the first half of August, it didn't really dawn on me that my birthday was approaching until last Friday.  However, we're celebrating by going on an adults-only daytime date to the nicest movie theater in the area (which is 2 hours away) to FINALLY go see "Guardians of the Galaxy" and then have lunch at a local Mexican restaurant.  I'm so excited!

I figured that, being my birthday and all, it'd be fun to make up a nice little cake or pie for myself.  No big deal, right?  Well, I stumbled on what I thought was the perfect idea...  Passion fruit cheesecake from 'Ohana.  I like tropical things!  I love cheesecake!  The Polynesian is one of my favorite places to stay!  It was a no-brainer...  What a great birthday treat.

Well, being older apparently doesn't make me wiser.  I didn't realize the recipe I had was horribly incomplete until I actually started making it because I didn't actually read past the ingredients section when I was thinking about doing the recipe.  Whoops.  Maybe I should have done so, especially considering the whole recipe is done by weights, not measuring cups.  Whoops again.

I still made a go at it...  I figured as long as the ingredients and their amounts were right, nothing would stop it from coming together...  Right?  I'm not a crummy cook, surely I can figure this out.  And I think I did.  Kinda.  Yes, it took over 1 hour and 45 minutes to bake.  No, I'm not sure this is what it's supposed to look like, taste like, or be.  Yes, it tastes really good.  No, I'm not going to make it again.  Should my readers...  Jury is out.

The problems of this recipe were numerous.  The bake time I was given was 45 minutes.  It

actually took closer to two hours.  There was no directions on how to specifically make the passion fruit sauce.  That took 45 minutes instead of 15 minutes to bake.  I over-beat the snot out of the custards, both of them, because I didn't know not to.  I didn't know I shouldn't have used fat free cream cheese so it didn't incorporate well.  I bought 2 and a half dozen eggs.  It wasn't enough.  So many lessons learned.

I loved the sweet tartness of the passion fruit sauce and the custardy cheesecake actually worked really well for the overall taste.  It was refreshing and exotic, though not as strongly flavored as I'd have hoped.  It was also very dramatic on the plate which is unique for cheesecakes.  But overall it generally wasn't worth the trouble to make, especially using the actual Disney recipe.  It's time consuming, complicated, hard-to-make, and while it's delicious, it's not delicious enough to justify the time, expense, add numerous eggs.  Maybe the complete recipe is, I don't know.  File this under "like the idea, but not what I thought it would be."

I have included the recipe as I did it below, and yes, all of it is by weight.  This can be converted online for those who wish to try making this recipe.  I can say that for the eggs, I didn't buy yolk-only liquid eggs (do they make such a thing?) but if there was ever a time to do so, it'd be for this recipe.  Maybe I had exceptionally small chickens laying exceptionally tiny yolks, but each yolk I got weighed about half an ounce or less.  So yes, I used 24 eggs to make this.  I'm literally swimming in unused egg whites.  I also think the original recipe implied doing this in individual sized containers, which I didn't understand until too late...  And I would have used my springform, however I just moved and I have not a clue where it is.

Keep in mind that this recipe was horribly incomplete and the recipe below is just what I cobbled together to get the final product above.  It tastes great, but it is complicated and time consuming.  If they still serve this at 'Ohana, and I didn't see that they do, whatever they charge for it isn't enough.  It's really hard to make!

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Passion Fruit Cheesecake

As is served at 'Ohana at the Polynesian Village Resort 

Cheesecake Custard  

°o°  2.5 ounces of cream cheese    
°o°  1 1/4 ounces granulated sugar  

°o°  1 1/4 teaspoon whole milk  

°o°  10 ounces butter

°o°  1 3/4 ounces whole eggs

°o°   5 ounces egg yolks

°o°  Premade pie graham cracker crust or a spring-form pan lined on the bottom and slightly up the sides with graham cracker crumbs

Passion Fruit Sauce 

°o°  1 14.5 ounce can of condensed milk  

°o°  7 ounces egg yolks

°o°  2 ounces lemon juice
°o°  8 ounces passion fruit puree 

Preheat oven to 250.

In a saucepan, combine cream cheese, sugar milk, and butter.  Heat until the butter and cream cheese has melted, whisking constantly.  Heat until the liquid is close to boiling; there will be bubbles and a very light foam building around the edge of the liquid on the saucepan.  Remove from heat.

Combine the eggs and the yolks in a large heat tolerant container.  Using about a half of a cup of the heated butter mixture, slowly drizzle the liquid into the eggs while mixing constantly to temper the eggs.  Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and over medium-low heat, cook until it's a thick custard consistency and all the cream cheese is re-melted.  Whisk constantly but not vigorously.  Should only take 5 or so minutes.  Pour into pie shell or graham cracker crumb-lined springform pan (if using a springform, graham crackers should line the bottom and only about an inch up the side of the edge of the pan).  Bake at 250 degrees in a water bath for between 45 minutes and one hour, or until the custard is completely set.

While the cheesecake custard is baking, combine all ingredients for the passion fruit sauce.
 After the cheesecake custard has finished baking (45-60 minutes), top with passion fruit sauce and bake an additional 30-45 minutes until the passion fruit sauce is set.  When set, neither the custard or the passion fruit sauce will appear liquidy and will jiggle like gelatin when shaked.

When done, remove from the oven and allow to cool uncovered until room temperature then refrigerate.  Cut and serve when cooled.  

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Unknown

When I decided to make this recipe, it was only because it has been requested several times in the last few months.  Honesty, I've never had it in the parks and looking at the recipe itself this looked totally unappetizing.  Raisins, sugar, and meat?  I just wasn't seeing the attraction.  It just seemed...  Well...  Gross.  Even my husband, who's usually up for anything Disney food related was making other plans for dinner.  It was just too exotic for him.  I was dreading putting this on the table for dinner.  There was no way this was passing the picky eater kid test.

But this is a signature dish, a classic recipe from Boma and Tusker House.  People rave about it and every time I go to Tusker House, the bobotie pan is completely empty.  "You have to go to Boma" is always paired with "try the bobotie!" on Disney food forums.  Surely, this has to be better than it looks?

I think I started to clue in to just how delicious this recipe was after I sampled while I was cooking.  The smell was certainly enticing (it reminded me of the samosa stand at our local farmer market) and almost exotic...  And when I took a sample spoonful, which shortly turned into a sample serving, I was in love.  Sweet and savory with a great, creamy texture and an unbelievable aroma, I couldn't wait to try it when it was finished with the egg custard topping.  My husband wasn't sold until he saw it come out of the oven and "I can make my own dinner, it's not a problem" turned into a tepid "I guess I'll try it."  But even he, who's a much less adventurous eater than I am, really enjoyed it and that first uneasy bite turned into a request for seconds and I think even thirds.  I'm amazed to say that this even passed the kid test...  Everybody ate their food with a minimum of complaining and truly enjoyed it.  Who knew something with crazy ingredients that I barely wanted to make would turn into a family favorite?  I certainly didn't.

Meat bobotie is an African meat pie dish (introduced to Africa by Dutch traders of all things),

almost like cottage or shepherds pie in England.  However, instead of being topped with potatoes, it's topped with eggs and the meat itself has a sweet, very mild spicy kick with nuts and raisins added for texture and flavor contrast.  It's so hard to describe, but honestly one of the most interesting dishes I've ever eaten and one I can't recommend enough.  Exotic, unique, really flavorful, and fairly easy to make.  A great way to try some new flavors and foods while still using fairly common and "safe" ingredients for picky eaters.

When I made this recipe, I used a meatloaf mix of beef, veal, and pork...  Ground lamb isn't something I can find in the grocery stores around here (not that there is a snowballs chance in summer that anybody here would eat lamb) and I felt that the meatloaf mix would give me meat that easily kept its shape after cutting while staying moist.  While it's been awhile that I used curry in a dish, I was instantly reminded (and thought I should remind readers) that the stuff stains like you wouldn't believe.  Clothes, counter
tops, napkins, you name it.  While a shot of bleach spray gets it out pretty easily, work with it carefully.  My only other note was that this recipe does not call for using a water bath.  However, I think that cooking this in a water bath may be actually better than just putting it in the oven.  Not that going without it will ruin the meal, I think that if I had used it I'd have gotten a more even cook on the custard while reducing the time in the oven.  No big deal.  My most important note on prep for this is to make sure...  Really, really, really, really sure...  That when you drain the meat after it has been cooked on the stovetop, make sure you get as much fat out as absolutely possible.  When it cooks in the oven, the fat actually seeps up around the edges and on to the custard, seriously impacting both cook time and the level of browning on the custard.  If you find that fat has risen during baking onto the custard, gently use a spoon to try to scoop it out...  And be warned again, the only thing that stains worse than curry is curry infused fat.

I know how crazy this recipe sounds.  Even typing it out, I can't believe all of the ingredients came together into something that tastes as wonderful as it did.  But honestly, this is one of my new favorite family meals.  It may even be my new "company is coming over, let's serve something neat" meal.  It's certainly well worth making and I promise, especially for the folks out there who need their Boma fix, this will hit the spot.      

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Meat Bobotie

As is served at Boma, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and Tusker House, Animal Kingdom

Meat filling  

°o°  1 tablespoon oil  
°o°  1 onion, chopped 

°o°  1 teaspoon cinnamon    

°o°  2 teaspoons curry powder 

°o°  2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar  

°o°  2 pounds ground lamb (substitute ground beef or meatloaf mix if desired)  

°o°  3 slices white bread, crumbled into pieces  

°o°  1 cup heavy cream  

°o°  1/4 cup sugar  
°o°  1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (substitute with almonds if desired), sliced  

°o°  1/4 cup seedless raisins  

°o°  1/4 cup golden raisins
°o°  salt to taste

Topping  

°o°  1 cup liquid eggs (whole eggs, not egg whites)  

°o°  1/2 cup heavy cream  

°o°  1/2 cup milk

Heat oil and onions in a large and deep pan, cooking until caramelized over medium or medium high.  Once caramelized, add cinnamon and curry powder.  Mix well.  Using the rice wine vinegar, deglaze the pan and add the meat.  Continue cooking until meat is done.  Curry powder alters the color of the meat, so meat will be done when it is moistened but will not not mash when pressed with a fork, about 10-15 minutes over medium or medium high heat.

When meat is done, remove from heat and drain grease, using a fork or spatula to press as much grease out as possible.  Return meat and pan to medium heat.  Add crumbled bread, cream, and sugar.  Mix well.  Add raisins and almonds.  Adjust seasoning as needed and pour into a casserole dish to cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 325.

In a separate bowl, whisk together liquid eggs, cream, and milk.  When bobotie mixture is

cooled to slightly above room temperature and is no longer steaming, pour the topping over the meat mixture to form the topping. DO NOT MIX.  Bake in preheated oven for 25-40 minutes (cooking time varies significantly depending on container used).  Bobotie is done when the topping is golden brown, egg is cooked and no longer runny, and the temperature at the center of the dish has reached 165.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before cutting and serving (this helps maintain the shape of the bobotie after slicing).    

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This post is featured at A Handful of Everything Linky Party, What's Cooking Love?,

Unknown

Am I the only one who's ever made a recipe and you just know while you're doing it that you're doing it wrong?  That was this recipe for me...  Though I'm not calling it a "recipe blooper" per say, just a case of chef error.  As in, my error.

Allow me to explain.

The recipe for these are actually pretty simple.  Slice, steam, coat, bake, serve. I mean, who can't do that?  Apparently me.  First I over-steamed the potatoes (and the recipe calls for a really long steam to begin with) because I forgot to set the kitchen timer.  That's Ok, it just means the potatoes won't be pretty, not that they're inedible.  Then, while I was making the herb coating for the potatoes, I saw it required one tablespoon of salt.  I knew when I looked at it that it seemed like a lot of salt for only 2.5 pounds of potatoes.  I said to myself, "Self, there's no way this requires 1 full tablespoon of salt. No way."  So what did I do?  I threw in most of a tablespoon of salt anyway.  Why?  I can't even really say.

Then, to top it all off, the recipe called for me to put the potatoes in a bowl and stir them in the marinade.  Again, when I saw that, I thought "wouldn't it be easier if I just put it on the sheet pan and drizzled the coating on, then mixed it?"  Yet, for some reason, I slammed it all in the smallest bowl possible and attempted to stir it...  With a small spoon.  Again, I have no clue why.  I knew when I did it that it was dumb, yet I gave it a shot anyway.

Yes, I did think better of it and I poured the mixture onto the pan to finish tossing it, but the
damage was done. I slightly mashed some of my overly salted, overly steamed potatoes.  My big silver lining was that I looked at the photos of the potatoes I got at Tusker House and I saw that the potatoes as served there when I went were also a little mushed...  So at the very least, some poor sous chef that day tried to make sense of the same recipe I tried and made the same stupid mistakes.  It's nice to feel like some hapless person at the Disney kitchens is prone to the same mistakes I am.

Despite what's clearly chef-error in these potatoes (I blame the recipe a little, but a whole tablespoon of salt? I knew better), I have to say they were still super good.  Yes, they were a bit salty, yes, they were a bit mushed...  But with less salt, less mush, more crunch, I have to say the flavor is almost exactly the same.  For those who are obsessed with finding Disney potato recipes, and there are a lot of people who are, this is a definite must-add to the recipe collection.  And it smells amazing while it's baking!  Even with the salt issue, my mouth did the "oh my goodness, these are Tusker House potatoes" dance...  And a good Disney food memory is one of the best things in the world.

I truly can't wait to take another stab at these because, despite my issues, these are fast, easy, and are one of those wonderful side dishes that dress up for nicer main dishes, but also dress down for the more hearty meals.

Just please, for the love of Mickey, don't add an entire tablespoon of salt.

~~~~  °o°  ~~~~

Roasted Potatoes (Tusker House Version)

As is served at Tusker House, Disney's Animal Kingdom

 

°o°  2.5 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, sliced into wedges  

°o°  3 tablespoons of herb infused olive oil (or regular olive oil)  

°o°  1-2 teaspoons of salt  

°o°  1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

°o°  1/2 teaspoon paprika

°o°  3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine

°o°  1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped fine

Steam potatoes over water for 15-20 minutes.  While the potatoes are steaming, combine the remaining ingredients and preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Remove potatoes from heat and spread on a cookie sheet.  Drizzle with the oil mixture.  Toss potatoes until evenly coated and spread into a single layer.  Bake in oven until golden brown, tossing every 10 minutes or so.  Total baking time will vary between 20-30 minutes depending on individual ovens.

Serve immediately.  Will store in an airtight container but require an oven for re-heating.

~~~~  °o°  ~~~~

Unknown

Nestled in the very back corner of Animal Kingdom with a small, completely missable sign and no fancy building to speak of, it was really easy to pass right by it.  In fact, I remember the first time I went there in September of 2011, it was the only character dining experience I could find on short notice (except for something with Agent Oso at Hollywood Studios...  And that wasn't happening).  I booked my reservation begrudgingly, expecting nothing, and not really looking forward to eating there.  The African themed breakfast was a turn off, Animal Kingdom isn't my favorite park, and if it wasn't for my compulsive need for character dining during a Disney trip, I'd have skipped it all together.  I kept telling myself "at least it has Mickey Waffles."  I expected nothing but utter disappointment in this little restaurant I'd never heard of, that nobody wanted to eat at (why else would I be able to get a reservation two weeks before my trip?), in a park I didn't typically spend a whole day in...

Then I ate there...  And Tusker House instantly went from place I was going to eat at because it had food and characters to a favorite dining experience that was not to be missed.  The weird location in the tucked-away corner of what is arguably Disney's least-favored park and poor signage made this an often overlooked hidden gem, not just at Animal Kingdom, but among all of the character dining experiences.  Featuring Donald, Daisy, Mickey, and Pluto in their safari-finest, this is a very fun, family-focused character meal that I've been to time and time again, both on adults-only trips and family trips with small children.

The check-in process for Tusker can be very lengthy and somewhat confusing, so be sure to arrive there at least 15 minutes before your reservation opens.  Remember, it is in the back of the park and it does take quite the walk to get there from the front gate of Animal Kingdom...

 Once you've arrived, check in with the hostess outside and you will (eventually) be escorted behind the building to take your souvenir picture (remember, PhotoPass Photographers sometimes use your camera too!  If you don't have PhotoPass+ which entitles you to this picture at no charge, hand the photographer your camera too... They may decline, but they may not!) and then into the buffet hall off of which are two dining rooms.  The dining rooms are fairly large, have lots of tables in them (almost bordering on overcrowded), and can be very loud especially as it starts to fill up or during the occasional character/kid parade (the characters lead kids with loud musical instruments in a parade through the dining room...  Cute, but again quite loud and obtrusive...  Who's bright idea was it for the kids to use maracas and tambourines anyway?).    The decor is fantastic...  It reminds me of a train station, only instead of waiting for the train, you're waiting for the safari.  Lots of African-styled props, pictures, and other decor adorn almost every flat surface and wall.  My favorite feature has to be the carpet-draped ceiling which both reminds me of Africa and the beginning to "Aladdin."

As Donald is the host of the breakfast, it goes without saying that he is there to meet and interact with.  He used to be located outside-only as the character you take your souvenir photo with, however the last two times I ate there he had been "promoted" to the dining room and now comes to your table like the rest of the characters.  Along with him is Mickey, Daisy, and Goofy, though occasionally Goofy rotates out in favor of Pluto while Daisy is very rarely replaced with Minnie.  The characters rotate around the separate dining rooms and visit each table for what are actually pretty lengthy interactions.  They will pose for pictures, sign autographs, and engage in that fun horseplay that you'd expect from Donald and the gang.  In fact, one year Goofy walked off with my plate and Mickey pushed my husband out of his chair and sat with me for breakfast.  Things can get pretty wild!  Because they cycle through two dining rooms and have a Cast Member escort who'll give you a heads up when a character is approaching your table, there is still plenty of time to visit the buffet and grab copious amounts of food.  Want a family picture with your favorite character?  See if the Cast Member escort will take a picture for you...  They are usually very happy to do so!

Aside from the coffee, tea, soda, water offerings one would expect, Tusker House serves a specialty juice called "Jungle Juice."  A combination of orange, guava, and passion fruit juice, this stuff is almost worth the price of dinner by itself.  I love, love, love, love this juice and it's my favorite non-alcoholic drink on property.  My brother, who's been to exotic locations like Fiji and Dominica says it reminds him of the drinks they had there with meals.  Your experience at Tusker House isn't complete unless you at least try it.

But really, let's get to the nitty gritty...  The food.  The food selection and quality here is, I think, one of the best of its kind in the parks.  Despite the African theme, everything you could ever imagine is available and even the pickiest eater is sure to find something there.  Safer options include the basics: bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, quite a bakery spread which include donuts, danishes, banana bread, muffins, as well as a wide assortment of whole and cut fruit, and of course, Mickey waffles.  Warm offerings include sausage gravy and biscuits, oven roasted gold potatoes (both my favorites), various frittatas, and carved rotisserie ham.

Among all of those safe, dare I say universally liked options, there are some signature dishes that are nothing short of delicious on their own.  Mealie pap is one of the most talked-about and certainly one of the most popular.  A mix between porridge and corn casserole, sweet but still salty, and judging by the fact almost everybody had at least a spoonful on their plate, a safe option for picky eaters who want to safely wander out of their comfort zone.  Admittedly it's not my favorite, but considering it's one of my most requested and viewed recipes, I'm clearly in the minority.  I personally fell in love with the banana bread bread pudding with vanilla sauce.  I'm almost embarrassed to say how much of it I have to have eaten in my life.  Decadently sweet, moist, with bits of toasty crunch...  Its pretty much the perfect breakfast food and something I still dream about.  The beef bobotie quiche is another very popular signature dish...  But I've yet to try it.  Every time I've gone up, they've been between batches.  I guess that speaks to both how popular, and how good, it really is.

Really, I can't talk about the food at Tusker without having my tummy do a happy-dance.  It's just

so ridiculously good.  Having eaten there in September 2011, January 2012, October 2012, January 2013, and February 2014, I can safely say it's my favorite breakfast and they have maintained the fantastic experience I've come to expect over the years.  The only change I've noticed is that while it once was a hidden gem that was very easy to walk into a reservation for, it has now become increasingly difficult to get reservations and it often fills up during peak season at the 180 day reservation mark.  My last trip, it was the first non-princess character experience to be completely booked months beforehand.

For people who like advantageous dining reservations which help maximize park time and minimize waits, Tusker House is one of the best choices out there for getting a jump on the day.  Located a stone's throw from Kilimanjaro Safaris, one could eat there at 8 and still be out in time to catch one of the first safari jeeps for the day when the park officially opens, saving a time and a Fastpass+ reservation.  We regularly took the first reservation of the day at Tusker, popped out shortly after the park opened to do the safari, then walked onto Everest and Kali River Rapids multiple times...  Though I suggest that for people who have only the strongest of stomachs (yes, a lesson I learned the hard way).

I love Tusker House...  It is the highlight of the character dining experiences at Walt Disney World and a fantastic way to immerse yourself in the richness that is Animal Kingdom.

No, that richness doesn't include my son's Ninja underwear peaking out while riding my husband's shoulders.  Lucky for everybody, I think.

Potatoes, Fritatata, Bacon

Hand-carved Ham

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