Chemicals vs Oils

First, I am happy to announce today that my rheumatologist says my joints all look good and he gave me permission to try to come off the rasuvo (injectable methotrexate)! I have been wanting to come off of this for a while, being on a cancer drug is scary, no matter how low a dose it is. It is only an experiment to see if I am really going back into remission, hopefully I won't have to go back on it. 

While I rid my body of one chemical, it calls for another; Florida allergy season is upon me. My biggest issue I know is the pollen and orange trees, the bloom and my eyes won't stop itching. 

For the last couple years, I have taken a perscription drug that has worked very well. With being on all the medications I have been on recently, I would like to avoid the extra doses if I can. So, I am trying my essential oils for relief. 

I have made a roller ball of lavender, peppermint and lemon to use and hopefully control my allergies. I am going to put it on my chest and around my head for the next week and see what happens. Hopefully, that will be one less medicine for me to take! 

Living out my daily adventures

Ok, so it is late at night...well, late for me anyway, as I am an early to bed/early to rise person, and I haven't posted in a while, but I had to post.

I have a new evening routine I have gotten into in the last week. I change into my pajamas and brush my teeth. Then I have a small set of exercises I do and use my muscle roller. After this, I put in my new mouth guard (which I am definitely noticing a difference with and am getting more used to) and lay in bed. I send my good night text msg to Mike, get comfortable and then begin my meditation. 

I've started this meditation app in the last week to try to help me cope with the stress and possible anxiety I have been feeling; Stop, Breathe and Think. It is a free app with some upgrades for purchase and, while I am not one to purchase anything on any app, I am thinking about doing it for this one. I am really enjoying the meditations it provides. You first rate how you feel mentally and physically and from there, it picks the meditations that you might most benefit from. 

Today's meditation I chose was Change. It talks about all the changes happening around you and to you every day and how we need to embrace them. It got me thinking about changes and things happening in my life and how, no matter if they seem bad, I have to take those changes and learn from them. Seems like a cheesy deep moment, I know, but I really needed to hear that today. 

In the quiet moments post meditation, my blog tag line came into my head; "every day is an adventure, live it up!" And I thought about how I feel like I haven't been living that mantra lately. Life has gotten me down with all of the drama and monotony that I forgot about living in the moment and really enjoying it. I am going to try to do that more now and in doing so, get back to writing about whatever I want, which is something I have not had a passion for lately. I have no idea what may come out of this, but if nothing else, hopefully some days will end with a mind more at peace. 

Here's to the adventure tomorrow will bring! 

Home Owner Adventures: Adirondack Update

Sanding in the garage 

So I have been working on the Adirondack chairs for a couple weeks now. Last week it had been raining a lot when I came home from school so I was not able to work on them. I decided to bring the pieces of the one chair into the garage to store them and set up a tarp in the dining room for me to start priming the finished pieces on.

The other bolt.....

In the garage I have been finishing sanding the pieces down, first with the coarse and then the fine sand paper to keep it smooth and fix some of the areas that have been worn. Most of the areas have been doing well, but there are these two bolts from the arms that just won't come out!! A friend from work suggested spraying the nuts with WD-40 and after 3 days of wrestling with it, I got one to come off. Still working on the second one.....

Stupid broken screw.....

My other issue has been a broken screw. The head was broken off when I received the chairs and nothing is working to get it to move. I have tried a couple different sets of pliers and tomorrow I am going to try vice grips. I really hope this will work!! If you have any other ideas for me, please do not hesitate to leave a comment below with ideas.

Overall I am very happy with the way the project is going. I have gotten a large amount of the chair done and I am hoping to have the paint purchased this weekend and maybe get one chair finished! Stay Tuned!

Upcoming Adventures: A Taste of St. Augustine

Headed back to my favorite town!

So I was reading the travel section of the paper on Sunday and saw one of my favorite locations being highlighted this week; St. Augustine! This upcoming Saturday, St Augustine's Amphitheater will be home to the 19th Annual Taste of St. Augustine. I was so excited to check it out, so naturally, I googled it.

The first link was Augustine.com's page on the event. It is going to be a 6 hour event, from 11 am until 5 pm and will feature some of the noted restaurants from the area, including The RainTree, San Sebastian Winery and Scarlett O'hara's. There are also discounts available at local attractions for people who attend! See the full link with pictures here.

As I checked Google, I also found a traveler's best friend: Groupon! There is a groupon for the event, getting you discount tickets for groups of 2 or 4 people. Follow this link to the groupon to purchase yours today!

Being a huge fan of St. Augustine, I am super excited to be visiting this outdoor festival on Saturday! Follow my Twitter and Instagram for my adventures there this weekend and let me know if you plan on being there as well!

Home Owner Adventures: The Adirondack Project

New chairs :)

As the outdoors begin growing things and it has gotten less cold outside (yes, I am already acclimated to the weather here!), I have begun venturing outside to make my backyard a fun place to be. My parents have gotten me some lovely patio furniture that I have been working on putting together and will have finished this weekend.

A friend of mine from work who is working on moving has been getting rid of things that will not fit in her new home and gave me a set of lovely Adirondack chairs. As you can see, they need a little TLC. Nothing I can't handle though! Now, as I say that, this is the first time I have done a project like this.

Safety first!

So far, I have wiped the dirt off the chairs and taken one chair apart almost completely.  I have a couple of bolts that seem to be stripped and will have to find new ones. Once the pieces were separated, I began sanding each individual piece to strip the paint and mold. So far, they are coming pretty clean. I did buy new screws for the pieces of wood that will not rust, a type of decking screw.

Top planks sanded

What I have learned so far from this project:

• My elbow can handle only so much sanding a day. 
• Hand Sanders are very difficult to use, especially when the piece of sandpaper keeps coming out from its little tab that is holding it in. 
• Take out more than one bolt to see if they are threaded into the wood or not. Just because it was hard to get one out does not mean that they are threaded.
• It is really hard to find metric bolts

Stay tuned for the finished product over the next couple weeks. 

Break in the Adventure: Fort Myers

I am sitting in the hotel room as Mike works on finishing some homework and thought I would update you on our excursions through Fort Myers! 

So far, we have visited the summer homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, which were absolutely gorgeous! We went from there to the Southwest Florida Museum of History, which has a great Civil War exhibit. We at lunch as The Oasis restaurant, a local diner. Food wasn't to bad there and you could tell it was popular with the locals. Saw some manatees in a park after that, which were so great! I just love manatees! We had a chocolate shop on the list next, but we took a pit stop at a brewery I found on twitter, Fort Myers Brewing company, on twitter at @fmbrew. Got a couple good beers there and picked up a gallon growler for later. We then stopped by Norman Love Chocolate and got some truffles, which look and taste amazing!!! They also had a gelato shop, so why not get some of that.

What's next? An evening at Fort Myers Beach! 

For more up to date info on our travels, follow me on twitter! I am @lady_aurora 

Zoot Suit Riots: That Existed?!

Ok, so I am a history dork and proud of it. Since I got cable (for the first time in over 2 years), I have been enjoying my Military History and History channels. I have watched specials on Sherman's March and Spartans and a Civil War POW camp. While I think all of those are really cool, one thing that stood out to me was on a show called "10 Things You Don't Know: Civil Rights".

One of the 10 things on this show was about something called a Zoot Suit. If you do not know what it is, it is a oversized, multi pieced suit that could be pin striped or very vibrant colors. The outfit also usually included a tie, chain from the belt area and an oversized had, sometimes with a feather.  Some people today may even refer to it as a "Pimp Suit".

This suit was popular during the time of World War 2 and was worn by many different types of people. In the Southern California region, it was seen on a lot of different minorities and became associated with them.

None of this was a problem until some of the first soldiers from the war started coming into that area on their military leaves. The WW2 soldiers were from all areas of the United States, including the south, where suits such as this were not very common. This suit, seen on African-Americans and Hispanics, was seen as wrong to these southern soldiers, along with the intermingling of different minorities in clubs and dance halls.

These soldiers decided they needed to take the "problem" into their own hands and thus began the Zoot Suit Riots. Soldiers would find men dressed this way, usually Hispanic men, beat and strip him of his suit and deface or burn it in front of him. This lasted for a few weeks in Southern California but as the news spread, riots began cropping up in other cities across America, including Philadelphia, New York and Detroit.

It was later determined that these riots were not really about the suit so much as more of a racial issue. Why it took them so long to come to that conclusion, I will never understand, seems kind of obvious to me.

Why was I so interested in this random tid bit of history? Only because of one of my other passions; Music! A group called Cherry Poppin' Daddies (yes, that is their name) made a very catchy swing song called Zoot Suit Riot. I love the song and have known it for a very long time, however I had no idea it has such a historical content until I saw that show the other day!

Here's the beginning lyrics of the song:

Who's that whisperin' in the trees?
It's two sailors and they're on leave
Pipes and chains and swingin' hands
Who's your daddy? Yes I am

Fat cat came to play
Now he can't run fast enough
You'd best stay away
When the pushers come to shove

Zoot suit riot

throw back a bottle of beer
Zoot suit riot

Pull a comb through your coal black hair

source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/onehitwonders/zootsuitriotlyrics.html

Seriously, go listen to the song, it is awesome!!! And click on the links in the article to read more information on the historical event and the song.

Officially a Floridian!

It is now official! As of Friday, I am a full, 100% Floridian! I have lived here for 2 and a half years and for a majority of that time, I have had a FL drivers license, however my car has always had Delaware tags. That all changed on Friday with my visit to the DMV.

For those who are registering a car in FL, here are some tips:

- It does cost about $400 to register, make sure to have that with you. Also, plan on paying in cash or a personal check, those don't cost any fees, unlike credit cards which have 2% added.

- You will have to register every year, however after the first year, you can do it online. It will expire on your birthday each year.

- Make sure you have your proof of FL car insurance with you, you cannot register without it.

- If the car is older than 10 years (like my Wheels), you do not need the VIN and Odometer verification paperwork. If your odometer reading is good for the car's age though, it doesn't hurt to put in on the title.

If you are getting your license done also, don't forget to bring two proofs of your current address. I had almost forgot mine!

Adventure Stays: Days Inn at St. Augustine

To preface this, when Mike and I are looking for hotels for our weekend trips, we are looking for cheap places to pass out after a day of exploring. We would much rather put our money towards experiences in the area and food than towards a fancy place we sleep in. That is not to say we want a junky place either. We basically look for clean hotels with a bed to sleep in and a shower in a decent location for our adventures.

The Days Inn in St. Augustine, while not the most beautiful place, checks off our must haves. We have stayed there on both of our trips and it works for us. It is an easy 10 minute walk from the major attractions and St. George Street. It has beds that have always been clean and provide all the very basic amenities. For food, there is a 24 hour Denny's at the hotel and several other food choices within minutes.

For a more detailed report, see my TripAdvisor Review and continue to look for more information coming soon regarding St. Augustine food and fun.

Save for the Disney Adventure!

For my vacations, I am slowly learning to be spontaneous. Living in the moment, researching what there is to do when we get there. That is not my background though. I come from a family of planners; the vacationers with the spreadsheets and days mapped out to the minute. 

From my two different types of vacationing, I have learned that regardless of how you plan for the time you spend there, you have to prepare in advance for the money you may spend. Calculating the average for transportation, accommodation, tickets, food and souvenirs just so you can have an idea of what you will need. 

Image Copyright DisneyVacationAccount.Disney.Go.Com

This concept has gotten a lot easier when planning for a Disney vacation with the Disney Vacation Account. When you have a Disney vacation coming up, you can use this site to approximate how much you may need for that stay and then see how much you will need to save each week to get to your goal. Once you have set up your vacation details, you can attach a debit or credit card and set up a savings plan that will take out as little or as much money as you want on scheduled times to help you save!

When you have saved some money up and you want to make a payment, you can do that automatically by using your account number as a gift card number. This can be done over the phone also if that is more convenient. 

These accounts can be used for a Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Aulani or Adventures by Disney vacation. 

There are incentives for using this savings program as well, including gift cards after spending so much towards your vacation. 

Decide to use your "Disneyland" account savings for a "Disney Cruise Line" vacation instead? Not a problem, it is your money to use as you wish, this is just a place to store it while you save. 

An emergency comes up and you need to withdraw that money you were saving for something else? Absolutely! Just contact them and they can set that up for you right away. 

For more details about the program, click here and to sign up for a Free account of your own, go to DisneyVacationAccount.com. 

New Year, New Adventures!

Hurray for 2015!! My few week hiatus was for good cause, as I have adventures to tell of and hopefully more planned on the way! Delaware, Walt Disney World, Sea World, St. Augustine were all seen during my trip. I am excited to share the details with you and look forward to sharing not only my travels but my house and life adventures with you!

What is on the plate for me this month? Well besides report cards and Catholic Schools Week at school (gotta plan a lovely prayer service for that), I get to finally register my Wheels (aka my 2002 Ford Escape) as a Florida car! Yes, I have been driving around with a Delaware tag for the last 2 years, but that will all change soon enough! This month, I also get to experience the wonder of HOA fees, cleaning and saying goodbye to my first (and hopefully only) apartment, visiting new doctors, changing banks and starting a new IRA.

Sometimes, being adult is no fun.....I think I am going to go color now and watch a Disney movie.....catch you guys later......

Adventure Stops: Scoops on 5th

On Mike's and my visit to Mount Dora for their Christmas lights display, we walked around their downtown area and absolutely fell in love with it! So many great places to shop and eat, and all so close to home, it is quite exciting!

One particular place that we just had to try was right along the park area where the Light Up Mount Dora celebration was happening. As I have mentioned before, Mike and I are big dessert fans. Mike especially loves ice cream, so how could we say no to a place called Scoops on 5th??

Cookies!

The shop is a small place, which appeals to us also as being a local hangout. It was very colorful with a great sign that beckoned you in. The class display cases are filled with dozens of baked goods and that smell combined with freshly popped popcorn make for an interesting fragrance combination. 

See?! Huge Eclairs!!

I knew that Mike already had his mind decided on ice cream, but my mind wasn't made up until I saw that it was Hershey's Ice Cream! Being born and raised a mere hour and a half from Hershey, Pennsylvania, that name is near and dear to my heart. I love getting that ice cream whenever possible.  Oh, and not to mention the fact that this place has 36 different flavors!

After pain-stakingly deciding on a flavor (Midnight Caramel River for me and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough for Mike), we went to the register to pay. Heading up to the register you get to see all of the amazing baked goods and other treats you can purchase. This place has cookies, cinnamon rolls, mini cakes, unique flavored cupcakes, HUGE eclairs, popcorn, floats, and smoothies. There is also a selection of coffee and fountain beverages.

Price wise, for a small shop, I really thought the prices were reasonable and I look forward to going back soon to try some of their baked goods. 

Some of the basic prices

Scoops on 5th is located at 130 E. 5th Avenue (who would have guessed, right) and is open daily from 12pm to 9pm. 

Have you ever been? What would you try first? Let me know in the comments below and head over to Scoops on 5th's FaceBook page for up-to-date information and pictures. You can also review them on TripAdvisor, which I will be sure to do after another trip there!

Yet Another Potential Reason to Visit the UK

I had to post about this just because I found it VERY interesting...

I am not a huge television watcher. I like watching football, baseball and hockey and around this time of year, I will watch as many Christmas specials as absolutely possible. I used to watch Once Upon a Time, however I fell out of sync with it and just have not been interested enough to pick it back up.

I have recently started watching shows with Mike, ones that he has watched already but thinks I would really enjoy. The first, which we have been watching for probably about a year and a half now is Doctor Who. We finished the whole new series and I am anxiously waiting the Christmas episode. The more recent one is Sherlock, which we are beginning the third season on. Apparently, I really enjoy British shows.

Why do I bring this up and what the heck does this have to do with visiting the UK?!

Well, there have been several articles today that say Paramount is in talks with BBC and that a preliminary contract has been signed to have Doctor Who, Sherlock and Top Gear featured in a theme park.  Paramount is set to open a theme park in Kent in 2020 and would like to have these hit shows featured in attractions.

To read more, here is an article from The Independent in the UK.

Would you go to a theme park with those shows featured? I am picturing a flying TARDIS attraction and some mystery dinner theatre featuring Sherlock. As I said, if this pans out, it just adds another day onto my eventual trip to the UK.

Pixar's Inside Out Trailer: Intrigued

Ok, I have seen these posters for this movie in the Animation building in Hollywood Studios for the last couple years and, I will be honest, I was skeptical. I mean, all it had on it was a colorful face, what on earth were we supposed to get from that?!

Well, we finally know what to expect and I am finally getting excited about it! It also left me with many questions that makes me look forward to the next trailer; what makes different emotions in charge? Do they take different positions permanently or do they move around? Are these the 5 emotions that are always inside us or do they grow as we grow?

What questions does the trailer make you think of? See for yourself and leave your answers below:

Adventure Stops: Mont Dora Brewing

Mike and I went out for an afternoon drive to Mount Dora, which is about a half hour from my house. We were going that way to cross off another lighthouse on our list, the only freshwater one in Florida. On the way there, we heard on the radio about a Christmas light ceremony that was happening that evening, so we decided to stick around and see what it was all about. 

After the lighthouse and this awesome flea and farmers market adventure, we had some time until the lights came on. We did not know what would be in that area, so we decided to stop somewhere to eat.

Enter Mount Dora Brewing. It had brewery in the name, which is always a winner with Mike, and we were just looking for some small local place to eat, we love those! 

The inside just screams local hangout, and not just the fun deco on the walls, but this place was Cheers style, knowing peoples names as they walked in. There is the bar and a stage where local bands play but also a few sets of tables throughout. There is also a dining room in another part of the building that is open different hours, but they serve the same food as on the bar side. 

The first thing Mike and I wanted to try was the Pretzel bread and beer cheese appetizer. They come in a hearty portion and very warm. They have a light pretzel

flavor to them, and are very fluffy on the inside. The cheese is a bit sharp but it was still a great combo, I thought Mike might lick the cheese bowl clean. did have to be asked for. 

We both got burgers for dinner, a BBQ bacon one for Mike and a regular bacon cheddar for me. The bun was toasted, the burger was juicy and the fresh made kettle chips were pretty impressive for such a small place. Silverware and ketchup were not right at the table, those

While we didn't try any beers (it wasn't our cheat day and even with only eating half a burger we weren't doing so hot as it was) but the food and atmosphere was so welcoming and good that I am sure we will be back again to try them. Overall I was very impressed and look forward to finding more fun local joints like this to visit. 

Adventures in the Kitchen: The First Thanksgiving Dinner

Ok, so not THE first Thanksgiving dinner, but certainly our first Thanksgiving dinner. Mike and I took on the foodie's favorite holiday of Thanks and here's how it went:

As Mike is an Italian, every holiday has to incorporate pasta in one form or another, so that was his job in the morning; making a lasagna. As I am slowly learning how to be Italian (absolutely no Italian blood whatsoever), I observed from a close distance. He was nice enough to let me grab pictures of the lasagna process and result, which was quite delicious I must say! What I did not get to snag was the recipe; he throws things in fast and doesn't measure, so I will have to pay closer attention next time.

After the lovely lunch was cleaned up, it was my turn to take over the kitchen! Thanksgiving dinners do not just prep themselves!

Our Thanksgiving menu:

The meal begins!

Turkey Breast (As there is only two of us, there was no point in cooking a huge whole turkey)
Stuffing (family recipe, my first attempt at it)
Mashed potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Broccoli
Green Beans
Gravy
Crescent Rolls (I wanted to make them from scratch, however there was already too much to do and the recipes I kept finding involved the dough rising twice and it was just too much for that day)

The turkey was pretty easy as it was just a breast; clean it up, butter the outside real good (I know that is not what the package says, but I have always seen my mother do it this way and I had always liked her turkeys), toss it in a floured bag and into the oven. For the size we had and since I thawed it out, cooking time was 2 hours.


Stuffing and sweet potatoes were immediately started next. I knew the sweet potatoes would take a while to cook and the stuffing is quite a process. For the stuffing, we use:

• white bread with no crusts
• onions and celery, chopped fine the day before, but not put in a food processor as this makes them soggy and harder to work with
• chicken broth
• butter
• poultry seasoning

Butter, Sausage, Onions and Celery cooking up

Bread is added before the chicken broth to moisten

Ready to go into the oven!

Finished product

And for an extra ingredient this time around, I added some ground smoked sausage for Mike. He would have wanted Italian sausage, but it was quite hard to find. I thought the smoked worked just as well though. 

Once the stuffing was taken care of, I mashed the sweet potatoes and threw them in the oven as well with some brown sugar on top. 

The rest of the food was pretty easy; the veggies just needed to be heated up and the mashed potatoes were pretty basic once the potatoes softened. 

What do you think of my spread?

My thoughts: The turkey was just a tad drier than I would have liked, but came out well for my first time. The stuffing was AWESOME!!! I was so excited with how flavorful that was and how the sausage worked in the mix. The mashed potatoes were pretty good and the sweet potatoes came out well, though I really want to find some kind of topping to put on them next time. 

Not a typical Thanksgiving dessert, but how could you
say no to a deep dish chocolate chip cookie with ice cream?

What are your Thanksgiving traditions? Anything you tried new this year? Any suggestions for me? Please leave me comments below!

I hope that you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that your holiday season will be filled with Adventure!

Today's Adventure: Black Friday

Back up north, my family and I would go to different shopping centers and just walk around on Black Friday. We would look at the people rushing around and take our time looking in shops we were interested in. Since I moved to Florida, I had always been working on Black Friday, so I never got to see what this shopping day is like here.

That all changed today! Mike and I dropped his car off at Firestone (they have some amazing deals this weekend, check them out if you have one nearby! Oil change, new wiper blades and a full inspection plus more for $26.99!) and we ventured to the mall.

My first time in Altamonte Springs Mall was very nice, not crazy crowded as you would assume and there is quite a good selection of stores. It is also far enough out of the tourist bubble in Orlando that you didn't have to worry about being mobbed by tour groups.

Other stores we perused include Michaels, Christmas Tree Shops, Home Depot, Target and Ashley Furniture. They one one of all of these stores that was actually crazy was Target, and that may just be because I live near a very small Target. We picked up small items here and there, saw some good deals but nothing that we really needed...

and then there was Walmart, where Mike and I found the television we have been looking at for weeks!  I haven't really had a television for the last two and a half years. I had an old RCA box television that I plugged my Playstation 2 into (yes, I am that far back in the electronic times), but nothing I could actually use for entertaining.

After doing our research, Mike and I decided on a Samsung 40 inch television and Walmart had it on sale for $297 today! Best buy of the day for us!

My Black Friday treat!

Did you get any great Black Friday buys??? Share with us below!

Throwback Thursday: Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

This week's throwback is in celebration of the holiday today and a reminder of what I was thankful for 5 years ago. Many of these comments still stand now, plus so many more. In a year when I have bought a house and changed careers, I just cannot begin to list all of the wonderful things I am thankful for in my life. Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The True Disney Fan would like to wish all of her American friends a Happy Thanksgiving!

This is what The True Disney Fan is Thankful For:

• Her Mother, Father and little sister
• Her loving boyfriend
• All of her great friends from her University
• Food on the table
• Walt Disney and his many visions
• The opportunity to work with Celebrations Magazine
• The amazing people she has met on Twitter, Facebook, and other awesome Disney sites

Last, but not least, She wants to thank all of the awesome people who read and enjoy her blog posts! If it was not for all of the positive responses she has gotten from her readers, she would not be so enthusiastic about writing!

Have a safe, happy and delicious Thanksgiving!! 

Adventures in the Kitchen: Flourless Fudge Cookies

Mike and I are motivating each other to eat healthy. We find that whenever we are together, we tend to eat whatever we want. We eat out more and eat junk more. Since he left for his core rotations, we have been working together but separately to come up with a healthy eating regimen that way we can stick to it when we visit each other.

Part of our regimen is that we get one day a week to be our "cheat day", meaning that we can go over our calories deliberately and indulge a bit. This may be the day we have a few drinks, eat out or have a little extra dessert.

Entering this past week, I had my meals planned out and knew what I would cook when. After planning everything, I realized I did not really give myself a cheat day. The worst thing I was making was the Corn Chowder, so I decided to make that my cheat day and I would decide how to indulge when the day got there.

The week went by and Friday finally arrived. I made my chowder and it was great, but outside of having some chocolate milk at breakfast and throwing some bacon on my salad, I really would not consider myself having a "cheat day". Heck, I didn't even reach my calorie goal with everything I ate.

I wanted something sweet, but not candy, and I really did not have anything to fill that craving. I also did not have a wide variety of baking ingredients. I searched my Pinterest boards and finally came across a recipe that I had the basic ingredients for. The recipe was from kingarthurflour.com.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cocoa Powder
• 3 large egg whites
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (gluten Free if you are trying to make them that way)

The other ingredient that could have been added was 1 teaspoon of espresso powder, but I did not add this as I really do not like coffee.

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 365. Grease two baking sheets. 
2. Stir the ingredients until smooth, scraping the bowl as you stir. 
3. Drop the soft, batter-like dough onto the baking sheets in 1 1/2 inch circles. 
4. Bake the cookies for 8 minutes. They will spread out, become shiny and some may have a cracked look on top. 
5. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the pans. 

The directions were easy to follow and yielded 16 cookies. They were not too sweet and the chocolate powder that I used really gave them a strong flavor, but as a quick and easy dessert, I was quite pleased.

Flourless Fudge Cookies

Makes 16 3" cookies
Calories: 88 per cookie


Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cocoa Powder
• 3 large egg whites
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (gluten Free if you are trying to make them that way.

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 365. Grease two baking sheets. 
2. Stir the ingredients until smooth, scraping the bowl as you stir. 
3. Drop the soft, batter-like dough onto the baking sheets in 1 1/2 inch circles. 
4. Bake the cookies for 8 minutes. They will spread out, become shiny and some may have a cracked look on top. 
5. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the pans.

Today's Adventure: Sea World's Polar Express

I went to Sea World today to see their Christmas event. What I didn't know, and what is good to reference, is that the majority of their celebration happens after 5pm. It all sounded awesome; the Sea of Trees, the Christmas Marketplace, ice skating, I just was not planning on spending my whole day there today. I am still excited to see everything and will make a trip to see it, just now at a better time. 

The one Christmas attraction I did get to see was what called me to check it out to begin with. The radio commercials last year for The Polar Express had me so excited for it and it was open at 10 am today! I figured I would share my pictures from my Polar adventure. Look for more Sea World fun soon! 

So Excited!!

The pre-show looks like the boy's bedroom. 

It even whistles like the train!

We are loaded onto the train, the ride itself was quite gentle for a motion simulator

Hurray!!!

Gorgeous tree

Santa is even here!!!

The facades in general were not many, but added to the scenery well. They even were playing the music from the soundtrack throughout the entire attraction. 

How could I say no, especially to that price!

The exit, and yes, I do believe!