Cooking Around the World ...

Walt Disney World that is! 

This is my first recipe to cook since I decided to start my adventure of cooking different dishes/desserts from Walt Disney World.  Since our Walt Disney World honeymoon (aka Disneymoon) had to be postponed so we had more time to save up for our trip, I decided to start cooking/baking some Disney recipes until we can enjoy them in the World. 

Our first stop ... one of my favorite restaurants that my son and I ate at during our August 2007 trip.  Le Cellier Steakhouse in Epcot World Showcase, Canada.  It had been recommended that we try the Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup and the pretzel bread.  Our entire meal was wonderful.  I have made the soup at home since our trip.  Definitely going to do that one again in the near future. 


This is the Spicy Sausage with Creamy Sweet Corn Polenta.  I found the recipe here at The Disney Chef.  According to The Disney Chef it was one of the most popular dishes on Le Cellier's appetizer menu.  It was served in a cast iron skillet, designed for family-style sharing.  When the restaurant changed their menu to reflect their new status as a signature dining option, despite its popularity, the dish was retired. Due to its popularity it returned as a menu item in Canada at Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival. 


DELICIOUS!!  I really enjoy eating polenta but have only had it with either Parmesan cheese or marinara sauce.  This had a ton of flavor.  It was sweet which was a great contrast with the spicy sausage.  I did slice the sausage in half to place over the polenta.  I am sad to hear that it is no longer on the Le Cellier menu, but am hoping it will be offered at the 2015 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival to see how it compares.  I did not find the recipe difficult to follow or prepare.  However I've been told I can make anything so I guess it is a matter of perspective :-)  Really ... it wasn't hard at all.

Where Have I Been?

Start a blog and neglect it ... not a good start to the blogging world! In my last post I mentioned I would be working a temp job for at least 4 months.  Well I have been there 6 months and counting!  It is a nice office, nice people.  Not exactly my dream job but it is a good job that definitely pays the bills.  I have been told that they are planning on hiring me in permanently in the near future!  Good news definitely!

In the pastry world I have been pretty busy filling orders, plus making cakes for family members.  I will update the blog with pictures of some of my creations a few at a time.

In the meantime ... my husband and I were planning a honeymoon trip to Walt Disney World in November, but we realized we needed more time to save up money for the trip.  We have rescheduled our trip to the Fall of 2015.  I was pretty disappointed at first, but now that I've had time to think it through, I know we are going to end up with a better trip when it is all said and done.  Details will be shared at a later time :-)  But, for now, I have decided to cook and/or bake Disney recipes and share them here.  This will help with my homesickness for Disney and we can look forward to our trip and enjoy the same food in the World. 

My first Disney food blog post is coming up next!

Where to Begin ... Maybe With a Short Introduction

Pastry Girl was a nickname I earned while working at a large entertainment complex. I worked there as a pastry cook for two years. One of my responsibilities was to arrive at work by 4:00 a.m. so I could have the donuts and other yummy pastries on display in the coffee counter cases by 7:00 a.m.

One of the baristas started calling me Pastry Girl and it just stuck. There was talk of getting me a superhero cape with the letters "PG" on it, but then the discussion lead to what would that do for my reputation :-)

I left my first Pastry Girl assignment to hopefully hone my cake decorating skills at a smaller, family-owned bakery. Unfortunately this job did not turn out as promised. My primary job was baking (which I love), and never really ventured much into the cake decorating side of things. As a matter of fact, I did more cake decorating on my own then I did at the bakery. After a short time there I started noticing small things that gave me the indication that this little establishment may be in trouble. Needless to say I was laid-off in January for what is supposed to be only for one month. However, I do not see myself or the other baker being called back.

I have worked in an office setting since my senior year of high school. Approximately 5 years ago my position was eliminated during a reorganization. I relocated from Michigan to Indiana to hopefully get a fresh start. I was staying with my older sister and through a few twist and turns of fate ended up in the Baking & Pastry Arts program at Ivy Tech Community College. That is where my adventure began.

I will be returning to the office field in a temp position for at least the next 4 months. I don't necessarily want to permanently leave the baking and pastry field, however I need to pay the bills. Currently, I intend to continue to pursue my baking and pastry business on my own. So this is where this adventure starts.

I decided to start blogging after a friend suggested it was a good way to stay in touch with the baking and pastry love as well as a great tool to learn more by experimenting and researching. To get my feet wet I am planning on posting about different recipes that I find on the Internet, mostly through Facebook and Pinterest. I will try them out, post pictures of techniques and my result as well as any suggestions or tips to change or possibly improve the recipe. Once I get going I am hoping to actually take recipes I have tried and turn them into more healthy options either by making them sugar-free, low carb, gluten free, allergen free, etc. So here is to lots of fun and interesting baking! Turn on the oven and get your mixer ready!