Blackout Poetry

Need a rainy day activity? We attended TEDxBirmingham earlier this year. Between sessions and speakers they had a variety of creative and fun experiences to try from yoga to riding in a Tesla. #zoomzoom. They had a little bit of something for everyone.

One super cool thing we did -- which would be very easy for you to do at home -- was called Blackout Poetry.  Have you ever heard of it?

They had tables set up with a huge variety of books. Fiction, non-fiction, romance, suspense... 

Blackout Poetry 101:

• Step One:  Find a book that interests you
• Step Two:  "Randomly" tear out a page
• Step Three:  Black-out certain words on the page
• Step Four: Enjoy your work of art!

That's it! If you are like us, you have plenty of books to choose from. And what's neat is that it's totally different every time or every book you choose!

On this long holiday weekend, and if you just so happen to have a tropical depression heading your way, get those creative juices flowing and make some art!

XO,

"Decoration Day" - A Southern tradition

The month of May starts "decoration" season for us. Growing up, we thought everyone had a decoration day (or at least knew what it was). As we got older, we realized it's primarily a deep South (USA) tradition and even then, not something all Southerners are familiar with. Decoration day is a day full of tradition, service, memories, reunions and yes - decoration. A time when graves are cleaned of old flowers, and new flowers are placed on the grave sites. A time where we pay tribute to the lives and the memories of our loved ones.

We grew up in a very small church, and the whole month was dedicated to decorations at various places every Sunday in May. Traditional church service is cancelled, and people gather to remember their loved ones through songs, poems, memories, music and food. It is something ingrained in us and the others who grew up going to decoration day. No matter where we may be in our lives, there is no doubt where we'll be the third Sunday in May.

Leading up to decoration the graveyard is cleaned, the church and fellowship halls are tidied, the flowers are ordered, and then of course, the FOOD is prepared. Food is as much part of the decoration day as the actual decorating of the graves. If you have ever heard of "dinner-on-the-ground", this literally use to be what would occur. Now, we opt for air conditioned buildings and tables, but it's the same concept. There is always enough food to feed a whole county. And it's the GOOD food. Classic southern dishes that'll make you "slap your Momma". Fried chicken, roast, ham, potato salad, every vegetable you can imagine, strawberry delight, banana pudding,...we could go on &on. #yumyum

Both of our parents played huge parts in the decoration day, as we do today. Dad would always end his "part" with these words, "May the "special-ness" of this day, the memories we hold, the fellowship we enjoy, the hopes and dreams we share, enable us to experience the sacredness, the truth, the "memorialness" of our third Sunday in May".

This tradition always seems to intrigue people who are not familiar with it. For us, it is simply part of who we are and where we came from. And we wouldn't want it any other way.  Now, off to make our menu for Sunday.  :-)

Ave Maria Grotto

We are lucky and sometimes take for granted having a world renowned tourist attraction very close to where we live. The Ave Maria Grotto is part of the the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It is known throughout the world as "Jerusalem in Miniature", and it is a four acre park of miniature reproductions of the most famous historic buildings and shrines in the world. It is really mind-blowing.

These miniature reproductions are made of stone and concrete and are the work of Brother Joseph Zoettl. He is a Benedictine monk that lived at St. Bernard Abbey. He has a fascinating life story you can read about here. The building of these little shrines started as a hobby, but then became the catalyst for what's known as the grotto today.

Ave Maria Grotto is located on the campus of St. Bernard Abbey. The history goes back to 1892 but between then and now, the monks have operated a high school, junior college, four-year college (where our Dad taught!) and seminary. Today it's home to the monastery, the St Bernard Prep School, a retreat/conference center - and of course, the grotto.

The pictures do not do it justice. It's something you just have to see to truly appreciate.

The amount of detail is simply amazing.

The pièce de résistance.

 

They have replicas of famous cathedrals and shrines from all over the world. 

 

It's a quiet place to reflect and mediate in the gardens.

 

If you ever are in the Ave Maria Grotto neck of the woods, you should definitely stop by. Especially if you are local and you haven't been in a while (or ever). It's definitely a MUST-see. There are also two GREAT festivals at St Bernard that you could plan your trip around: the Blooming Festival in April or the Bernard Blues and BBQ Festival in early September. Arts and crafts and music and fun. You can't go wrong with either!

Epcot Flower & Garden Festival 2018 - the FOOD

This year, the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival lasts through the end of May. We happened to be at Disney the day it started back in February! If you've never been to the Flower & Garden Festival, we highly recommend. We enjoy it as much as (if not more than) the Food & Wine Festival. The weather is GREAT, the flowers are beautiful, and the crowds definitely seem a little lower.

If you are lucky enough to be going later this month, we thought we'd share what we ate at the various booths around the world. There was so much we didn't get a chance to try, but definitely some must haves, They have a little "passport" booklet you can pick up that tells you all the food and drinks options being sold at each booth. We had gotten ours earlier in the trip and did some homework to know which spots we wanted to try. We typically do this as our dinner one night. Sorry in advance for the darker pictures.  Let's go!

Rating: MUST STOP, IF YOU HAVE TIME, MOVE ON :-)

Fleur de Lys booth in France:

IF YOU HAVE TIME - "Tarte a la Tomate Provencale".  It was a tomato tart with sauteed onions, thyme, and rosemary on a pastry crust.  We all enjoyed this one. It was light and crisp. Almost like a mini pizza. 

Bauernmarkt: Farmer's Market in Germany:

MUST STOP: Toasted Pretzel Bread with Black Forest Ham and Gruyere Cheese.  This was a consensus favorite.  I mean, bread and cheese -- what's not to love.  Everything we got we split three ways, but I think we would have each devoured one of our own.  

MOVE ON - Potato Pancake with caramelized ham, onions and herb sour cream.  This dish sounded better than it tasted.  The flavors just didn't all seem to gel. It's not very photogenic, but it's nothing to write home about either. We'd cross this one of the list.

Jardin de Fiestas (near Mexico):

MUST STOP: chilaquiles served with chorizo, Mexican cream and cotija cheese.  Isn't this one so pretty? All amazing flavors in a perfect little bite. Creamy, yummy, we loved this one!

The Smokehouse - Barbecue and Brews 

MUST STOP: Beef Brisket Burnt Ends & Smoked Pork Belly Slider with Sausage, Chorizo, Cheddar Fondue and a pickle.  This was probably the longest line of the night, but probably the most "recognizable" dish. The pork was so tender, and you could smell it smoking, "countries" away. It was a very filling dish. We picked up some popcorn to eat with it, and this was a perfect little meal. They also were serving a beer flight of various American beers that helped wash this one down. You can't go wrong with this stop!

Hanami, Japan

IF YOU HAVE TIME: Frushi - pineapple, strawberry, and melon rolled with coconut rice with toasted coconut and whipped cream with raspberry sauce on the side. Whew, that's a mouth full. This was probably the most fun and unique item that I believe was new to the menu this year. It was refreshing and fun to eat. Flavors was good -- but next time, we would opt for some other sweet treats along the way.

Taste of Marrakesh

MUST STOP: Fried Cauliflower with capers, garlic parsley and chili ranch sauce.  This dish was one of, if not the top highlight of our food journey. It was perfectly cooked, amazing flavors, and the perfect little bite. We could have eaten MANY more of these. Make this a definite must stop. I hope this was stays on the menu throughout the festivals!

Lotus House

IF YOU HAVE TIME - Fried Chicken Dumpling with peanut sauce.  There was nothing wrong with this one.  It had good flavors with a fun little sauce on top. And there were three, so if you are sharing, you do get a good little taste. Even if you don't particular like dumplings or have been hesitant to try, this would be a great one to start with. 

Whew! That was a fun journey around the world.  I wish we could go back and try something different from every booth.  There were SO many booths we didn't even have a chance to stop by. Let us know if there's something we need to add to our list for next year!

We definitely agree this is one of our favorites, so if you have never been, we recommend adding it to your "one-day" vacation list. It's full of all the Disney fun & magic with great food, drinks and a perfect atmosphere.

See you real soon :-)