I'm 3 Today!

Today is the 3rd anniversary of The Disney Obsession and I thought I'd like to say two things about blogging.

The first is this. Blogging is not easy. I have over the course of these three years come to appreciate the time it takes to compose a blog. There are some who have taken their passion for Disney, placed it into the format of a blog, and then taken it to a level that I can only dream of. This is not me. I do well to have ten items posted each month and maintain that solely because I set myself a goal of doing so. Thankfully my love of photography and giving myself a little latitude on content helps me to do this. But knowing how time consuming the research and writing of a good blog can be, I do wish to commend all those Disney bloggers who make the effort to provide you and me with consistently good content.

The second is this. Blogging has expanded my circle of friends and I know that whenever I find myself in Walt Disney World (which is not as often as I wish), I usually have the opportunity of sharing a few hours with a number of different people. But when I am not there, the friendships continue. In the course of these three years I have developed a few very close friendships and while distance keeps us from visiting often, they are the type of friendships that I feel would develop into the kind of friendship where I could call anytime day or night and they'd be there. I know that I would be there for them. Friends is the best part of working away at The Disney Obsession. It is a way of honoring the friendships that I have gained and have yet to gain by sharing a passion for Disney.

So to my old friends, new friends and friends yet to be made, thanks for reading. I promise to keep working at this and who knows, from time-to-time, I may actually come up with something that will make you stop and say, "Huh!"

Where In The World

Well campers, it's time to update Where In The World. That means we announce the winner of the last contest and post a new photograph for your enjoyment. But first, the congratulations.

On September 7th we reposted a photograph captured from the my new Canon Vixia HF-M31. Dude (that is how the person commenting identified themselves) correctly identified the capture as coming from the Great Movie Ride Gangster Alley scene. What does that mean? Only bragging rights until the next photograph is guessed. And speaking of the next photograph, here it is. Where In The World would you find this?

Something On A Sunday

St. Louis Zoo 10.19.08

And The Survey Says... Dole Whip

Last Saturday we asked the question, "Of these two, which do you prefer?" The choices were the ever popular Mickey Bar and the cold refreshing Dole Whip. Fourteen readers opined this week and the survey says, Dole Whip. Nine people (64%) chose the Dole Whip while the other five (36%) selected the Mickey Bar. Honestly, with these two, they are both winners. Now, to our next poll.

Here is the scenario. You find yourself in the Walt Disney World area and you have one day to go the parks. You can only choose one park. Which one do you go to? Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios or Disney's Animal Kingdom?

The results next Saturday.

A Sign Its Saturday

And while strolling through the France Pavilion, who is it that doesn't enjoy seeing this sign? Ah, vue magnifique!

...if i lived in central florida i'd...

...walk slowly through the soarin' queue (several times) just to listen to background loop. great loop! oh, and i'd soar a few times as well.

Dining With Doc: Walt Disney's Own Chili and Beans

Yesterday marked the first day of Fall. It is time when the mornings and evenings are cooler and our thoughts turn to football, baseball pennant runs and the October classic. It is a time when we clean our fireplaces, stock in the good books and begin to change our wardrobes from Spring and Summer fashions to the treasured sweatshirts and sweaters of the season. We may also begin to relish those warm meals that indicate Fall is upon us. Which leads us to this weeks installment of Dining With Doc.

The week we turn to page 84 in "Cooking with Mickey and the Disney Chefs" and prepare Walt Disney's Own Chili and Beans. Let's start with the ingredients.

2 pounds of pinto beans, dry

2 medium onions, sliced

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, diced

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 cup chopped celery

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 can (28 ounces) chopped tomatoes

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

To prepare the recipe you,

1. Wash and sort beans and soak overnight in cold water.
2. Drain beans and place in a 2-quart saucepan. Add fresh water to cover by 2 inches. Add sliced onion and simmer, covered, for 2 hours, until tender.

3. Heat oil in a large pan and saute garlic. Add beef and celery and cook until lightly browned. Add chili powder, paprika, and thyme. Mix in chopped tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.

4. When beans are tender, combine with meat, stirring gently. Add salt and pepper to taste.

The recipe has a nice flavor but could use a good deal more salt and chili seasoning; at least to be more like how I think chili should taste. Yes, it says to add salt to taste but it is sometimes difficult to tell how much this should be. I was raised with chili carrying bit more spice. Yet, I did find the aroma quite pleasing. It is also quite filling. You'll notice that the recipe did call for 2 pounds of beans and these cook up to what would be a feast of pinto beans. Yet, the recipe says that the whole of the recipe yields 4 servings. Frankly, I am not prepared to, nor do I know many people who, set down to a 1/2 pound of cooked beans in a single setting. Let alone, the other ingredients that accompany such a large quantity of beans. For our family of two, the quantity is enough to enjoy a few evenings of chili and beans and then freeze a couple of containers to thaw and heat later in the season.

As to the seasoning, the recipe does suggest that those who are seeking a more spicy chili may want to consider adding 1/8 teaspoon each of coriander, turmeric, chili seeds, fennel, cloves, cinnamon and ground ginger. Dried hot pepper to taste is also suggested. Though I would prefer more seasoning, I opted to stay with the original recipe for this first sampling. For my future preparations I will spice it up. In fact, once I thaw a container, I may increase the seasoning to see how we like it.

If you're looking for recipe that will provide a few meals, I recommend spending a Saturday or Sunday afternoon preparing Walt Disney's Own Chili and Beans. Eat some once it is ready while watching a favorite Disney film and then save some for an evening when you just don't feel like cooking.

Bon appetite.

And one last thing...

Doc in the Kitchen 09.22.10