Events & Travel

 This week, I had the pleasure of dining at Kennebec – Orlando’s first multi-night pop-up restaurant by Tony Adams, Chef and Owner of Big Wheel Provisions. Chef Tony and his Big Wheel Truck crew created a wonderful dining experience.

The pop-up is located in Urban ReThink, a creative hub in Thornton Park, for 5 nights and transformed it into a culinary experience. The menu changes nightly and features locally sourced food and craft beverages. Saturday night’s finale will be a prix fixe menu with 2 seatings. If you are interested in dining at Kennebec, you can find information and reservation details here.

I invited two friends of mine, along with M, and we had a cozy table in one corner of Urban ReThink. Even though it was a small menu, we all had a hard time choosing what to order – everything looked good!

We all ordered a different drink – hands down the “Waterville Cola” was the favorite at our table. I will definitely try and re-create it at home.

Chef started us off with an Amuse-bouche – a classic Big Wheel Deviled Egg, turned up a notch.

We shared 3 appetizers, and each of us got different entrees, so we could try them all. We also ordered all three of the desserts. (sorry for the bad lighting, still learning the camera + dimly lit restaurant)

I also had the pleasure of helping Chef Tony with some dessert components. I apparently won him over with my Key Lime Pie Ice Cream I created last summer, and he asked me to make 3 ice creams along with some Pecan Shortbread for a number of the desserts.

I got even more excited when I saw my name on the “special thanks” poster displayed at the pop-up – a little surreal.

LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

A few weekends ago, Thelma and I planned a outing. I had been wanting to go to Lake Meadow Naturals Farm since I tried their fresh eggs last year from Chef Tony Adams, chef and owner of Big Wheel Food Truck & Big Wheel Provisions. I knew that Thelma’s daughter, Little E, would love the adventure, so we set out one Saturday morning, not knowing what to expect, and ended up falling in love with this little farm.

The first time I used Lake Meadow Naturals’ eggs was for my Key Lime Pie Ice Cream. I love the eggs, because they are growth hormone and antibiotic free. All the poultry is fed a vegetarian diet with no animal by-products. They have a farm store where all their products are sold, with fresh eggs always available. You can also wander into the coop and pick your own. There is nothing like a fresh egg!

The farm has a host of different animals. When you go up the drive one of the dogs is sure to greet you. The dirt parking lot is next to the field with the sheep and goats. It was a beautiful day out, so all the animals were enjoying the sunshine.

Aside from the chickens, Lake Meadow Naturals has duck, turkeys, geese, guinea and peafowl. A few cows can be spotted behind the coops, as well as some rabbits.

In the few days after we visited the Farm, Lake Meadow Naturals sent out their weekly newsletter and said that a fox had come and killed their two black swans. We are so grateful we were able to see these beautiful creatures.

The farm store has a great selection of meats, poultry and cheeses. They also have preserves, jams, jellies and honey. The organic produce varies by season. We loaded out little shopping baskets with fingerling potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, green beans, onions, broccoli and, of course, eggs.

If you are in the Orlando area, please don’t hesitate to visit Lake Meadow Naturals.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

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I have had the pleasure of working alongside and becoming friends with Denny Gruendner, a German Master Baker.

 Denny has been a great mentor since the first day I started working with him. If you have visited either the Winter Garden Farmer’s Market (Saturdays 9-1) or the Lake Eola Farmer’s Market (Sundays 10-4) you would have seen him. He still works for a bakery I used to, and I can’t wait for him to own his own bakery someday soon!

Denny makes amazing breads and baked goods, and they are preservative free. In addition to the classic French Baguette, he makes a German Country Loaf, German Country with Swiss Cheese & Onions, Multi-Grain Bread and Ciabatta. He sometimes makes special items like Sourdough, Focaccia, Braided or Tomato & Mozzarella Loaf.

He also does Viennoisserie (baked goods made from a yeast-leavened dough or puff pastry, that has added ingredients to make it richer than regular bread). His variety of croissants can include Plain, Chocolate, Almond, Spinach & Cheese, Ham & Cheese, and Tomato & Mozzarella. He also has Cinnamon Twists, Raspberry Twists and Palmiers (Elephant Ears).

Some of Denny’s signature and authentic items are Pretzels and Strudel. The Pretzels come three ways:  traditional Pretzel, a Pretzel Roll and a Pretzel Roll with Swiss Cheese. The Pretzels are best enjoyed with a cold beer – which you can get from one of the Lake Eola Farmer’s Market vendors. The Apple Strudel is heavenly, especially served warm with some Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

Denny is very knowledgeable and is more than willing to suggest a bread or pastry for your needs. If you stick around his table long enough, you’ll hear him go from speaking English with one customer straight into German with the next. If you happen to go to either of those markets, I highly encourage you to grab a croissant to eat while you walk around and a loaf of bread for later. Tell him Terri sent you.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!

You can view my Food Blog Forum Day 1 post here.

Day 2

I was beyond excited to start day 2 of the Food Blog Forum. Our day started promptly at 8am. We had to take the monorail from the Polynesian resort, transfer at the Ticket & Transportation Center, and then another monorail to Epcot. Our Saturday seminar took place in the Odyssey Pavilion.

Since it was St. Patrick’s Day, a lot of attendees, including myself, were festive and wore green. We had a delicious breakfast and got settled for the seminar. The first presentation was Photography & Styling: Sharing  Your Food Story Through Your Creative Voice by Diane Cu and Todd Porter.

They presented on Focus, Balance, Texture, Color, Lines, Movement & Motion, Height, Moment and Story. Among the great advice Diane and Todd gave, were a few points that I felt were the most valuable.
 – Don’t compare your photographs to others
 – Authenticity is beautiful
 – Don’t be afraid of highlights and shadows
 – Mood, Feel, Voice, Message. Know what you want to say

Another presentation I thought was very valuable was David Leite’s How to Write Bigger, Better, More Badass Food Posts. David focused on twelve points in a “checklist” about how to write a better blog post. I could list them all here and discuss what he discussed, but I’m not going to. Instead, I am going to tell you something he told us, in fact, it is what stood out most from his entire presentation. “Write about life with honesty, authenticity and specificity.” I think that definitely sums up how I want to write and how I want to become a better writer.

Lunch at Epcot was an event in and of itself – Disney really does know how to throw a party!

This is just a sample of the amazing food offered to us…

In addition to the desserts, the Disney Pastry Chefs also had cake and chocolate showpieces decorating the tables.

After lunch, we headed back to the Odyssey Pavilion for our Round Table discussions. I chose Blog Design with Lindsay Landis, Writing Bigger, Better, More Badass Food Posts with David Leite, Photography & Styling Live Demonstration with Diane Cu and Aran Goyoaga, and Recipe Development & Writing with Jennie Perillo and Kelly Senyei.

All the sessions were extremely helpful, but I wish they were more than just 30 minutes each. Lindsay did a question and answer type session and focused on specific blog design questions we had. David did basically the same thing, and went into more detail on helpful writing tips. Diane and Aran styled and shot a salad in front of us, and showed us a little of the process between a food stylist and food photographer. Jennie and Kelly talked to us about the different types of recipe categories for blogs and tips for writing and testing recipes. I’m glad I chose those four round tables, because they are what I am currently focusing on trying to improve at the moment.

Better late than never…

After almost three months of fighting with my computer, I caved and am finally posting from M’s computer. The daunting task of going through a lot of photos and transferring them to his computer has made this more difficult than it should be (besides dealing with the fact that my computer is out of commission for who-knows-what).

In mid-March, I attended the Food Blog Forum in Orlando, FL. After attending last year, I was beyond excited for all the wonderful festivities, speakers and panels that were planned – along with the amazing food, of course.

Julie Deily, of The Little Kitchen, and Dawn Viola had outdone themselves again. This past year, the Food Blog Forum partnered with the Walt Disney World Resort! It was a fabulous and fun-filled weekend for many food bloggers.

DAY 1

A Friday night welcome reception at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa started the weekend off right.

Desserts: Mango Haupia Verrines (top right), Blood Orange Timbale (top left) & Cake Pops

“Sometimes the biggest disaster of your life is actually a moment of even bigger Grace.” – The Daily Love

Of all the things I learned this past weekend, at the Food Blog Forum Orlando, the thing I will always remember is Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen and her spirit of generosity. She said that is one of the most important things we can ever do, and she lived it. Because of her spirit of generosity, I was able to attend an amazing event, when I didn’t think I was able to.

In order to explain the quote above, one of my new favorites, you need to understand that my use of the word disaster is not just a hurricane or an earthquake or terrorism – and please don’t judge me that I think little of natural disasters, am egocentric, etc., which is not the case. I am talking about my own personal disaster – one that not many people will think is that bad, but we each have our own personal disasters, so again, do not judge. My personal disaster was, and still is, my surgery. I have one Carpal Tunnel surgery done and one still left to do. It has been a burden physically, financially, and emotionally, and one that almost didn’t let me go to the Food Blog Forum.

I am still new in the food blog scene. I met some extraordinary people that share my same passion for food and photography. We had different panels throughout the day and the information was priceless. Lindsay Landis of Love & Olive Oil and Purr Design shared information on Blog Design, Optimization and Usability. Dawn Viola of Wicked Good Dinner gave a presentation called, “Just Ask: How to Write for the Big Boys” and helped to organize this entire amazing event. Julie of The Little Kitchen is the other person responsible for making the Food Blog Forum happen.

Two of my favorite presentations during the day were from Helene Dujardin of Tartelette. She presented on, “Find Your Composition and Styling Voice” and “Find Your Light,” two invaluable sessions for any food photographer. I am so glad she shared her expertise with the group and am extremely honored to have met her. She is an inspiration, and as my husband and I lovingly joke, my “food blog idol.” I aspire to become as good at photography as Helene, who is impressively self-taught. Watching her styling and listening to her about composition and lighting and cameras gave me a new optimism in food photography, and taught me to take a step back and really think about the food and the light. She doesn’t have the, “I’ll fix it in Photoshop,” mentality, which I think is great. Do the shot and do not rely on fixing it up later.

The last presentation of the day was from Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen, “Beyond the Banner: Building a Blog Business.” Alliteration, lol, but in all seriousness, it was very informative and opened my eyes to how a blog can really be a business. I am also honored to have met Jaden. Her spirit of generosity was visible to everyone in the room. We have food blogs to share – share our recipes, share our experiences, share our photos, and share ourselves. Out of my disaster I was Graced with this great opportunity, and I won’t let it go to waste.

Thank you to all the organizers, presenters and my new food blog friends: Katie’s Cucina, Cakeb0t, Food + Words, Cook the Story, and Inn the Kitchen just to name a few. 😉

*I didn’t take too many pictures, and the ones I did were not that great. Too busy listening to presenters and meeting new people.

Until next time,
LOVE & CONFECTIONS!