Discovering Another Mad Dash (Oct 14): Heading Home and Finally finishing this TR #1523 (05/03)

[mvf-m11c]

It was nice to watch WoC from that spot that night and your pictures turned out really well with the Sigma lens that night. Mine were okay but I didn't go with the f/1.8 aperture where I went with f/4

It was a good idea to go to Pizza Press on Harbor Blvd that night since there weren't any restaurants opened that late that night. The prices were very nice and not that super expensive when eating on property.

We had a blast spending time with you, DH and DS for the one and a half days at the park.

 

[ACDSNY]

Great ending to a wonderful day, Fantasmic and Electrical Light Parade do the same to me.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

In all, it looks like a very special day.

Love the pics of your DS photobombing the frozen toys. Such a great smile.

 

[franandaj]

I really need to get myself out there to see WoC again!

That was a great deal you got on the pizza!

I'll be curious to see the shots you got at the house. At least this one, you can post anything rather than hide the mess like at the last house!

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Enjoying looking at your WOC pics as not got there yet either. Persuading DH to do another trip to DL might take a while though. 3 days chilling at friends and doing some local sightseeing sounds like a nice way to end this 'Mad Dash'.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Wow, that World of Color show looks amazing! Love all the character images (although Buzz might have been a bit too larger-than-life!!).

Cars Land at night IS gorgeous!! I've never seen anything look so much like its inspiration film! Walt would be proud.....talk about being in the movie!

.

IMO, Carsland was a game-changer for DCA. It turned it into a bonafide Disney park for me. Not that there was anything wrong with it before, but it just lacked something.

Hope you're doing okay.

Awesome last night at DL. You got some great pictures of WoC! That pizza looks delicious! Non-Disney prices are a nice change after the bubble.

Yay for staying a Casa Neuva.

Jill in CO

Thanks. It was a great way to finish up at Disney.

It was nice to watch WoC from that spot that night and your pictures turned out really well with the Sigma lens that night. Mine were okay but I didn't go with the f/1.8 aperture where I went with f/4

It was a good idea to go to Pizza Press on Harbor Blvd that night since there weren't any restaurants opened that late that night. The prices were very nice and not that super expensive when eating on property.

We had a blast spending time with you, DH and DS for the one and a half days at the park.

I think this is where I could see some benefit for that Sigma lens.

It was a great idea to go to Pizza Press. Thanks for the suggestion!

Great ending to a wonderful day, Fantasmic and Electrical Light Parade do the same to me.

I understand that Disneyland might be getting that night parade they opened in Hong Kong Disney for the 60th. I've seen bits of that HK parade and it looks spectacular! Perhaps you'll get to add to that list.

In all, it looks like a very special day.

Love the pics of your DS photobombing the frozen toys. Such a great smile.

He was rather cheeky, wasn't he?

I really need to get myself out there to see WoC again!

That was a great deal you got on the pizza!

I'll be curious to see the shots you got at the house. At least this one, you can post anything rather than hide the mess like at the last house!

Great I'll post some....and can I post your art pieces as well?

Enjoying looking at your WOC pics as not got there yet either. Persuading DH to do another trip to DL might take a while though. 3 days chilling at friends and doing some local sightseeing sounds like a nice way to end this 'Mad Dash'.

Maybe you'll have an unexpected opportunity to go.

Yes. We had a nice chilling time the next couple of days.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Day 7: Hanging around Casa Nueva, Long Beach


Shopping for a Bit of Home Cooking


Discovery #64. Asian groceries are the same the world over.



We got up a little later on our first morning at Casa Nueva than we had been all week. The long day at Disneyland the day before had taken a toll on us and we just seemed to take longer to get ready. Our slowness meant that we had to rush out the door rather than grab a bite to eat.


In planning for this part of the trip, Alison had asked if I would cook something Asian for her. I jumped at the opportunity; and when we figured Bret and DAF were able to drop in at Casa Nueva....well, let's just say it was meant to be. But it meant that we needed to do a spot of Asian grocery shopping early in the morning so that we could get lunch ready in time.

We had been busy looking up various stores online to hit in Long Beach and after a couple of names being tossed back and forth, Alison and I finally found one that Alison thought might have the groceries I was seeking.






Alison can provide her side of the story; but I believe that this was the first time she had walked into this Asian grocery.

I walked round as quickly as I could to grab the items I needed to put lunch together. I discovered that Asian grocery stores are the same the world over. Would you believe that even the placements of items are grouped together in a similar way? The items might be located in different shelves relative to another family group; but by and large, it was pretty simple to work out where an item would be once I figured out where the family of products were placed.


One thing that Alison and I agreed on before we even got to Long Beach....we were going to buy our seafood/proteins from the Western supermarket. I'm a bit pedantic where my seafood comes from; and so is Alison. I have to admit that I stay clear of seafood farmed in Asia and then exported frozen.


We had to run to the Lazy Acres only to find that they didn't have the shrimp I was looking for. And then we had to run to the Ralph's before we were able to finalise all items. DH and I had been to a Ralph's before; but it was our first time at a Lazy Acres.

O.M.G. DH and I were in organic food heaven!
Whilst driving there, Alison said that the prices at Lazy Acres were expensive. She didn't figure on the Aussie connection. The organic food pricing at Lazy Acres is about what we would pay for (or maybe a little cheaper) conventional food in Australia. I've always said that anyone wanting to visit Australia.....think Disney sticker shock and then some. *sigh*



During the shopping run, we also picked these up along the way.







Breakfast!







There were cronuts in the mix; which got eaten pretty quick. Whilst I liked the cronuts, I think I prefer my pastry groups kept distinctively separate. Afterall, a doughnut is near perfect and a croissant is flaky heaven. Why mix two great things?






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[PrincessInOz]

(Continued from Next Post)


Brunch with Friends



Discovery #65. Asian noodles can be a hit and miss thing.


We got back to Casa Nueva much later than planned. Whilst we were still out shopping, we got a message that Bret and DAF had arrived and we hightailed it back as quickly as possible.


I did stress a little about getting lunch ready and then was reminded that many hands make light work! Both Alison and DAF volunteered to help so I put them to work on helping me prepare everything. With their help, lunch got prep-ed and ready in less time than I thought!

Thanks for this picture, Bret. In all the rush to get lunch ready, I didn't end up taking a single picture of this morning!






I knew Bret and DAF still had the long drive back to NorCal and I hope that despite getting lunch on the table later than planned that it was still within their schedule.







So what did I make?

This was the Char Kway Teow. Roughly translated, it means Fried Rice Noodles.






I also make some Tom Yum Noodles. It's made with Tom Yum paste, rice vermicelli, bean sprouts, shrimp and egg. I would normally put cilantro on top as a garnish; but Alison doesn't like cilantro so we served it on the side.






It was a hit and a miss for me. The Char Kway Teow was of a standard that I was happy with but I could have done a bit better with the Tom Yum noodles. I did tone down the seasoning a little as the Tom Yum paste can be a bit spicy. I thought I toned it down a little too much. Oh well! It still got eaten.




Fran had one surprise for me.






Turns out you can get Butter(scotch) beer in selected grocery stores in California. I LOVED it!










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[PrincessInOz]

(Continued from Next Post)


What's For Lunch? Char Kway Teow


Discovery #66. There are a lot of home cooks on the Dis.



Char kway teow, literally "stir-fried rice noodle strips", is a popular noodle dish in the South-East Asian countries of Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia. I've cooked it and posted the recipe on the What's For Dinner thread on the Community Board section of the Dis enough times that when I suggested it for lunch, Alison was more than happy with the menu.


Turns out that there are a number of home cooks on the Dis....when Bret and Alison updated their TRs on this lunch, we had a few requests for the recipe. So, for all the home cooks on the Dis reading, here's the recipe again. For the lunch with Alison and Bret, I forgot to get the Chinese sausage or Lap Cheong when we were shopping; but you can really substitute this with any protein you like or make this ingredient optional.


My starting ingredients:

• 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tsp Garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Ginger, finely chopped
• 400 g Green prawns or shrimp, cleaned and peeled, tails intact
• 200 g fishcake, sliced
• 3 strips Chinese sausage (lap cheong), thinly sliced
• 250 - 300 g fresh flat rice noodles, separated
• ½ bunch spring onions, cut into 5 cm lengths
• 2 decent handfuls of bean sprouts
• 3 Eggs
• 3 tbs light soy sauce
• 2 tbs dark soy sauce or Kecap Manis

Mix the light soy and kecap manis together.


Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. Once it is hot, add the garlic, ginger and ½ of the spring onions. Toss quickly for about 20 - 30 seconds until fragrant.






Add the Chinese sausage and the fish cake. Stir fry for a minute.







Add the prawns or shrimp to the wok. Quickly toss until the prawns/shrimp start to curl up and change colour.







Add one handful of the bean shoots, the rice noodles and about 2/3 of the soya sauce mix.






Toss everything together and keep tossing for 2 - 3 minutes. If the dish looks too dry, add more of the soya sauce mix but you don't want this dish to be too liquid-y at the bottom of the wok. Once the soya sauce has evenly coated the noodles, form a few hollows and crack the eggs into the wok.






Add the rest of the bean shoots and then gently turn everything over a couple of times to incorporate the egg. Once the eggs and bean shoots are mixed in, remove from heat.






Transfer to individual plates or serve this family style.







Enjoy!

 

[jedijill]

Mmmmm, lunch looks amazing!

Jill in CO

 

[mvf-m11c]

Lunch that afternoon at Casa Nueva was great and I enjoyed the Char Kway Teow the most. DAF enjoyed your cooking as well. Thank you once again for cooking a great lunch PiO.

 

[rentayenta]

Not sure which shots are more gorgeous; your WoC or the ones of lunch at Casa Nueva? What a meal!

We saw Pizza Press and hopefully next time we'll try it. Naples was still open when we tried, about 7, so we ate there. I agree their prices are high. The pizza was HUGE and fabulous but expensive for pizza.

Those donuts looks yum too. Maybe not the best thread to be reading when I am trying to watch what I eat.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

Yum! Haven't made Char Kway Teow for ages. You are reminding me its time to buy some more noodles and seafood and make it again.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Mmmmm, lunch looks amazing!

Jill in CO

Thanks. Feel free to put in an order WHEN you come to visit.

Lunch that afternoon at Casa Nueva was great and I enjoyed the Char Kway Teow the most. DAF enjoyed your cooking as well. Thank you once again for cooking a great lunch PiO.

Glad you and DAF enjoyed lunch. We should definitely do it again.

Not sure which shots are more gorgeous; your WoC or the ones of lunch at Casa Nueva? What a meal!

We saw Pizza Press and hopefully next time we'll try it. Naples was still open when we tried, about 7, so we ate there. I agree their prices are high. The pizza was HUGE and fabulous but expensive for pizza.

Those donuts looks yum too. Maybe not the best thread to be reading when I am trying to watch what I eat.

The donuts and the croissants were very nice.

Naples pizzas are huge and very tasty. It really is hard to go past them.

Yum! Haven't made Char Kway Teow for ages. You are reminding me its time to buy some more noodles and seafood and make it again.

Did you make some?

 

[jedijill]

Thanks. Feel free to put in an order WHEN you come to visit.

Noted!

Jill in CO

 

[franandaj]

Great I'll post some....and can I post your art pieces as well?

Sure! Post away!

That lunch was so good! I have to make that Char Kway Teow someday, it was very good. A lot like Pad See Ew

 

[Leshaface]

World of Color I'm listening to my Disney list on iTunes and immediately selected the WoC music to accompany my reading Beautiful photos and you got great shots of the couples!

Good call on the pizza. Looks good!

Ugggh...your cooking. Thanks for the recipe! What exactly is fish cakes?? And is that something I could only find in an asian grocery store?

I have a question about how you make your shrimp. Do you cut both the veins out are just the one running along the top? I've heard you don't need to cut the one underneath, just the one on top, but i'm a little leery so i've always cut both out.

 

[franandaj]

I have a question about how you make your shrimp. Do you cut both the veins out are just the one running along the top? I've heard you don't need to cut the one underneath, just the one on top, but i'm a little leery so i've always cut both out.

I'll answer this. Keep doing what you're doing. One is the poop vein, you don't want to eat that. It's the one on the back. I'm not sure what the one on the other side it, but you don't want to eat it either. I learned to properly clean shrimp (from my Sunset cookbook 30 years ago) to cut the veins out of both sides). I've also found that lots of shrimp nowadays come cleaned. I think the processes on the ships that harvest them also clean them. I always double check just to be sure.

 

[Leshaface]

I'll answer this. Keep doing what you're doing. One is the poop vein, you don't want to eat that. It's the one on the back. I'm not sure what the one on the other side it, but you don't want to eat it either. I learned to properly clean shrimp (from my Sunset cookbook 30 years ago) to cut the veins out of both sides). I've also found that lots of shrimp nowadays come cleaned. I think the processes on the ships that harvest them also clean them. I always double check just to be sure.

Thanks Alison. I was reading online that it wasn't necessary to cut the underside vein, but thought it would leave a gritty a taste But I didn't want to chance it.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Noted!

Jill in CO

I'm definitely good for cooking a DisMeet dinner or lunch when you do.

Sure! Post away!

That lunch was so good! I have to make that Char Kway Teow someday, it was very good. A lot like Pad See Ew

Thanks!

A lot of noodle dishes from that part of the world use a similar sauce combination. It's the protein that differs.

World of Color I'm listening to my Disney list on iTunes and immediately selected the WoC music to accompany my reading Beautiful photos and you got great shots of the couples!

Good call on the pizza. Looks good!

Ugggh...your cooking. Thanks for the recipe! What exactly is fish cakes?? And is that something I could only find in an asian grocery store?

I have a question about how you make your shrimp. Do you cut both the veins out are just the one running along the top? I've heard you don't need to cut the one underneath, just the one on top, but i'm a little leery so i've always cut both out.

Thanks!

Fish cakes is something that I buy at an asian grocery store. It isn't necessary to add this to your dish. It's made from white fish meat that has been finely ground up and formed into a patty. The asian groceries will sell fish balls and fish cake. It's all the same.

Like Alison, I cut both veins out of my shrimp. The other one is the central nervous system.