Anyone Game? It’s my Sep 2013 Blog! I'm home; with a TR link in #1189, 10/14

[PrincessInOz]

ok Chocolate Cake anytime you want it and it does not go stale is awesome!

Problem is my muffin top and hips do not think it's so awesome to have chocolate cake in the micro cosmos!

 

[dgbg100106]

Problem is my muffin top and hips do not think it's so awesome to have chocolate cake in the micro cosmos!

I am sure mine will not like it either, I will have to figure out the calories and make sure I can fit it into my daily count.

But I did have martinis last night and stay within my numbers... I exercise for adult beverages and dessert.

 

[PrincessInOz]

I am sure mine will not like it either, I will have to figure out the calories and make sure I can fit it into my daily count.

But I did have martinis last night and stay within my numbers... I exercise for adult beverages and dessert.

I'm in awe at how you've managed to change your food, increased your exercising and drop weight.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Mufasa....Driving Mrs Potts


Sometime in October last year, tickets went on sale for what was an "Unmissable" play in Melbourne. And as soon as I got the pre-sale notice, my credit card went into overdrive and I snagged some seats for DH and myself. I even justified it by calling it a Christmas present from DH to me.

The play is Driving Miss Daisy. Yes, that movie that starred Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman.



The Melbourne production stars?






None other than Mrs Potts and Mufasa themselves! It's not everyday that we have American movie stars come down to take lead roles in Australian productions so tickets for this particular season have been snapped up all over the country.


Our showtime came up at the weekend and I was really excited to go see it. Afterall, I've been a fan of Angela Lansbury since the days of Dorian Gray and who can forget the Star Wars chills that James Earl Jones created when he voiced Darth Vader!


I did try to keep a lid on the excitement factor because I wasn't sure if both of them were going to be on stage for this particular show....they are entitled to rest days and I didn't want to be too disappointed if their understudies were stepping in.


The theatre is a strictly no photography policy; so I only have my smart phone pics and this one and the previous one were all that I took.







I was completely delighted when I found out that there were no understudies in play for this performance.




It was a very simple set.
A couch with a coffee table in one section.
A staircase to nowhere.
A park bench, that doubled up as the backseat of a car.
Two bentwood chairs that doubled up as the driver seat.
An office table.
All items rotated on/off the stage.


Mrs Potts was resplendent in a stylish purple dress.
Simple costume changes; a fur stole, a matching jacket and a purple coat
Provided impressions of winter, going to the shop, opulence and wealth
Contrasts against the chauffeur suit of Mufasa
As different from the pride of the lion’s mane
The constant suit that was worn day in day out over time
A simple production in set and costume


Tears gently falling at the end
Not because of the storyline but for a dream fulfilled
To have the opportunity to be in the same theatre
Seeing the two superstars, both showing their age
But master craftspeople still in their actor’s skill
Portraying strangers becoming friends
That twenty years and circumstance can forge
On stage for all; but yet so personal – for the individual audience – to experience.



We had seats 8 rows from the front and I will always remember this experience of seeing Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones on stage.

 

[zanzibar138]

That is awesome PIO! How did I not know about this production Your poem nearly made me start crying at my desk

 

[dgbg100106]

Beautiful....




Your poem is amazing, and ow wonderful Yu were able to see theses two an enjoy all hat they can provide...

 

[Aussie Wendy]

After the wonderful prose of PIO back to earth...

I also saw Driving Miss Daisy in Brisbane-it was overwhelmingly amazing to watch such legends -and I couldn't get over how wonderful they both were especially given their ages-not the least Angela Lansbury's repetitive entrances down those stairs without looking at her feet-I'd go head over foot now. Also for them both to hold the stage with just one other for the entire performance with no intermission. I don't think I know anyone at 87 who would be that capable.

Onto cake (mm could have some just now but jeans for trip already getting tight..) DD makes herself chocolate cake in a cup all the time when she wants cake and the cupboard is bare. I find it a bit dry though-have you improved it with your tweaks-cook extraordinaire that you are?

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Hi Pio,

As discussed over on the tripod thread, here is my Epcot and DHS itinerary as it stands.

30th Sep - Epcot from late avo. This includes a 6:30 ADR at Biergarten.
1 Oct - Epcot all day, but probably with an afternoon break. 11:30 lunch ADR at San Angel.
2 Oct - DHS for the first half of the day. Need to fit in TSM, Jedi Training and 50's Primetime lunch. Dinner snacking around Epcot.

And besides another afternoon/evening at DHS on the day before you arrive, that's probably it for our Epcot and DHS time. I'm secretly hoping my son will pick Epcot to return to on his birthday choice day, but I'm not holding my breath. On the 3rd we move from the Boardwalk to the AKV so will use the rest of our time to do activities such as the AK park, MK, and shopping.

Anyway, do any of those 3 days coincide with days/times you'll be in the parks? Even if we can at least manage a time to catch up for a drink, that would be cool.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Hi Pio,

As discussed over on the tripod thread, here is my Epcot and DHS itinerary as it stands.

30th Sep - Epcot from late avo. This includes a 6:30 ADR at Biergarten.
1 Oct - Epcot all day, but probably with an afternoon break. 11:30 lunch ADR at San Angel.
2 Oct - DHS for the first half of the day. Need to fit in TSM, Jedi Training and 50's Primetime lunch. Dinner snacking around Epcot.

And besides another afternoon/evening at DHS on the day before you arrive, that's probably it for our Epcot and DHS time. I'm secretly hoping my son will pick Epcot to return to on his birthday choice day, but I'm not holding my breath. On the 3rd we move from the Boardwalk to the AKV so will use the rest of our time to do activities such as the AK park, MK, and shopping.

Anyway, do any of those 3 days coincide with days/times you'll be in the parks? Even if we can at least manage a time to catch up for a drink, that would be cool.

I think I'm planning on being in Epcot on the 1st October to enjoy the Blissful Bites. I haven't booked any ADRs for this day; as I'm pretty sure we'll be more than happy to sample the various blissful bites. Seems like a good day to catch up. I

I hope Jade+3 stops in and we can see if we can tee up possible times; if her schedule suits being at Epcot on the 1st as well. We had thought of being at DHS on the 3rd; but that's your resort transfer day.

If we can't find a time to suit all 3 of us, then I guess we can do separate meets. But it seems a shame to be at WDW at the same time and not have a proper ANZAC DisMeet.

 

[PrincessInOz]

That is awesome PIO! How did I not know about this production Your poem nearly made me start crying at my desk

Not sure why you didn't know about the production.

I think Melbourne is the last city to see it. Its been in Brisbane and Sydney already.

Beautiful....



Your poem is amazing, and ow wonderful Yu were able to see theses two an enjoy all hat they can provide...

Thank you.

After the wonderful prose of PIO back to earth...

I also saw Driving Miss Daisy in Brisbane-it was overwhelmingly amazing to watch such legends -and I couldn't get over how wonderful they both were especially given their ages-not the least Angela Lansbury's repetitive entrances down those stairs without looking at her feet-I'd go head over foot now. Also for them both to hold the stage with just one other for the entire performance with no intermission. I don't think I know anyone at 87 who would be that capable.

Onto cake (mm could have some just now but jeans for trip already getting tight..) DD makes herself chocolate cake in a cup all the time when she wants cake and the cupboard is bare. I find it a bit dry though-have you improved it with your tweaks-cook extraordinaire that you are?

They were both great, weren't they? And when I saw her heading down the stairs the first time, I was just petrified she might trip. Amazing for her age.


Cake....

I wasn't entirely happy with the original recipe; so I had another go. This time, I was less exuberant with my spoon quantities.

I still followed the same basic recipe; but I did tweak the order of mixing.






I decided to cream the butter and sugar together, and then add the egg and vanilla....as you would for a conventional cake.







I then added the flour and cocoa powder and mixed it in; with the milk. I did add a little bit more milk (just an extra bit) so that the mix was a little bit more 'wet' than for a cake baked in the oven.






The mix came up to about 1/3 - 1/2 of the cup size. I zapped the mix for 3 minutes. With less mix, the cake didn't explode out of the cup too much.








After a couple of minutes, I ran a knife around the inside edge of the cup and upended the cake.







With that little bit of extra milk in it, the cake was quite moist.






Enjoy! Just get your daughter to add a bit more milk to it.




I didn't have any chocolate chip left for the second run-through; and next time, I would add an additional 1-part sugar to substitute. It was a little bit better cake than the last one; just not quite sweet enough for my tastes. I'm still wondering if I want to try to add a chocolate fudge to the centre; and have it oozing out like a lava cake.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Putting something in middle to ooze sounds a good idea...thanks-will pass on & try your suggested alterations next time too. Have you ever made Chocolate Orgasmic Muffins (from Kerry Greenwood murder mystery series? - ones with Corinne as the baker which have recipes at the back of each book)-freshly made they are delicious with lovely oozing creamy chocolate centres.

 

[Fairy Floss]

That is awesome PIO! How did I not know about this production Your poem nearly made me start crying at my desk

Check out travelzoo
They have a deal $72 tix for shows 1-3 & 8-10. Gotta buy before 2/5

 

[Fairy Floss]

PIO - you are truly brilliant!

Wonderful ideas

 

[WanderlustNZ]

I think I'm planning on being in Epcot on the 1st October to enjoy the Blissful Bites. I haven't booked any ADRs for this day; as I'm pretty sure we'll be more than happy to sample the various blissful bites. Seems like a good day to catch up. I

I hope Jade+3 stops in and we can see if we can tee up possible times; if her schedule suits being at Epcot on the 1st as well. We had thought of being at DHS on the 3rd; but that's your resort transfer day.

If we can't find a time to suit all 3 of us, then I guess we can do separate meets. But it seems a shame to be at WDW at the same time and not have a proper ANZAC DisMeet.

The 1st sounds great. Hopefully it also works for Jade.

On the 3rd my family are going to the AK while we wait for our new room to be ready. I have a Yak and Yeti lunch ADR and am already holding out for one of those Dim Sum baskets. Have been craving Dim Sum ever since I saw the pics of your Aussie Dismeet.

 

[zanzibar138]

Check out travelzoo
They have a deal $72 tix for shows 1-3 & 8-10. Gotta buy before 2/5

Thanks Fairy Floss! Will check it out

 

[franandaj]

What a great production you got to see! I would have loved to see those two on stage!

Your cakes are looking quite nice! I hope you might share...

One thing you need to consider is that at most DVC properties they do not have proper sized coffee cups. They are closer to a cappuccino cup size, so you might want to pick up a souvenir or two your jaunt across the country so that you have the proper sized mug to make them. I have seriously considered buying a coffee mug for my Owner's Locker so that I don't have to drink 4-5 cups in the morning and can just have one big cup of coffee.

 

[Jade+3]

Hi Pio,

As discussed over on the tripod thread, here is my Epcot and DHS itinerary as it stands.

30th Sep - Epcot from late avo. This includes a 6:30 ADR at Biergarten.
1 Oct - Epcot all day, but probably with an afternoon break. 11:30 lunch ADR at San Angel.
2 Oct - DHS for the first half of the day. Need to fit in TSM, Jedi Training and 50's Primetime lunch. Dinner snacking around Epcot.

And besides another afternoon/evening at DHS on the day before you arrive, that's probably it for our Epcot and DHS time. I'm secretly hoping my son will pick Epcot to return to on his birthday choice day, but I'm not holding my breath. On the 3rd we move from the Boardwalk to the AKV so will use the rest of our time to do activities such as the AK park, MK, and shopping.

Anyway, do any of those 3 days coincide with days/times you'll be in the parks? Even if we can at least manage a time to catch up for a drink, that would be cool.

I think I'm planning on being in Epcot on the 1st October to enjoy the Blissful Bites. I haven't booked any ADRs for this day; as I'm pretty sure we'll be more than happy to sample the various blissful bites. Seems like a good day to catch up. I

I hope Jade+3 stops in and we can see if we can tee up possible times; if her schedule suits being at Epcot on the 1st as well. We had thought of being at DHS on the 3rd; but that's your resort transfer day.

If we can't find a time to suit all 3 of us, then I guess we can do separate meets. But it seems a shame to be at WDW at the same time and not have a proper ANZAC DisMeet.

The 1st sounds great. Hopefully it also works for Jade.

On the 3rd my family are going to the AK while we wait for our new room to be ready. I have a Yak and Yeti lunch ADR and am already holding out for one of those Dim Sum baskets. Have been craving Dim Sum ever since I saw the pics of your Aussie Dismeet.

The 1st at Epcot works for me. Have an ADR at Liberty Tree Tavern for dinner, then going to try some firework photo's with my new tripod.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

The 1st at Epcot works for me. Have an ADR at Liberty Tree Tavern for dinner, then going to try some firework photo's with my new tripod.

Yay for a new tripod! That means all 3 of us have just bought one. What tripod did you just buy Jade?

I can't wait to start trying to take fireworks pics. I was having a play around tonight and put a good quality fireworks You Tube video up on the TV. I set my camera up facing the TV, turned all the lights off, and then started playing around with shutter speed. It probably sounds really silly, but I actually learnt quite a lot.

Am I right to assume your fireworks on the 1st will be at MK? If so, perhaps we could catch up early avo after my lunch ADR?
Because of all the tempting sweet treats around Epcot, my family will probably only get an entree at San Angel, so we should be finished with lunch by 1. Perhaps we could meet around then for dessert and/or a drink?

Karina

 

[PrincessInOz]

The 1st at Epcot works for me. Have an ADR at Liberty Tree Tavern for dinner, then going to try some firework photo's with my new tripod.

I think there will be 3 bright shiny new tripods, all different colours at WDW in September.


Okay. So Epcot on the 1st is a go. After lunch sounds good. I'm planning on enjoying Blissful Bites at Epcot; so I can meet up whenever.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Putting something in middle to ooze sounds a good idea...thanks-will pass on & try your suggested alterations next time too. Have you ever made Chocolate Orgasmic Muffins (from Kerry Greenwood murder mystery series? - ones with Corinne as the baker which have recipes at the back of each book)-freshly made they are delicious with lovely oozing creamy chocolate centres.

I enjoyed Phryne Fisher Murder Mysteries on the ABC last year and am eagerly awaiting a second season. But I haven't really gotten through the books. That chocolate orgasmic muffin sounds devilish! I checked it out and noticed that it added a choc/cream ganache in the middle. I was thinking of something even more easy for the centre - apparently, you can freeze Lindt balls and pop them in the middle of the mix. They will just be runny when you micro it. I was thinking of trying a mint ball.

PIO - you are truly brilliant!

Wonderful ideas

Thanks FairyFloss!

What a great production you got to see! I would have loved to see those two on stage!

Your cakes are looking quite nice! I hope you might share...

One thing you need to consider is that at most DVC properties they do not have proper sized coffee cups. They are closer to a cappuccino cup size, so you might want to pick up a souvenir or two your jaunt across the country so that you have the proper sized mug to make them. I have seriously considered buying a coffee mug for my Owner's Locker so that I don't have to drink 4-5 cups in the morning and can just have one big cup of coffee.

I'm thinking of making a batch up and having a proper cake cooked in the micro.

The other alternative is to make a batch up and cook up smaller sized cakes in my souffle ramekins. I think I have cappuccino size cups; but can't seem to find them. So the souffle ramekins will probably be about the same size.

If I do the smaller size ones, I'll try putting in a lindor ball in the middle. Might need to 'borrow' your freezer.

ALWAYS happy to share cake with you and Fran in 3D.