Posted in Recipes on January 10, 2012
Mardi Gras season is here! Pensacola kicked off the Mardi Gras celebration this week with Twelfth Night. I love that Pensacola has such a family friendly parade for Mardi Gras. We love to go to the parade but that isn’t until the end of February so we celebrated Mardi Gras this weekend with a homemade King Cake.
The “King’s Cake” represents the three Biblical kings that journeyed to Bethlehem. King cake season goes from the end of Twelfth Night through Mardi Gras Day. The cake is a ring of twisted cinnamon dough with a variety of fillings. The most common is cream cheese but you may also find a variety of fillings like cherry, peach, lemon, rasberry and more. The cake is covered with a sweet icing and then purple, gold and green sugar. Often, there is a baby or a small bean hidden inside the cake but seeing as this presents a choking hazard, we leave it out. Tradition states that whoever finds the hidden bean or baby is the person who brings the next king cake.
This is the first king cake I have ever made and I admit that I totally cheated! We used a can of cinnamon rolls! I might attempt a more difficult recipe.
Ingredients:
1 can of cinnamon rolls and the icing that comes with it
1 cup of sugar divided into 3 bowls
Directions:
Open the can of cinnamon rolls and fold each roll in half to resemble a hot dog bun. Lay the rolls in a circle so that they are barely overlapping.
If you want to add a cream cheese flavor to it you can put a dab of cream cheese frosting in the middle of each roll. In the picture, you will see the cinnamon rolls open facing out. I wish that I had faced the opening towards the inside of the ring.
Bake the rolls according to the directions on the container. My recipe called for 13-17 minutes and they were ready right at 13 minutes. Be sure to watch the oven.
While the cinnamon rolls are baking, make your colored sugars.
Put three to five food coloring drops into the sugar and mix thoroughly. I used this tutorial on how to dye your own sugar.
Take the metal lid off of the icing container, discard, and microwave icing for about 10-15 seconds so the icing is a little runny. Pour the icing over the top of the cinnamon rolls and coat with the colored sugars.
Although we are already a week into 2012, I didn’t want to end the year without sharing our top ten of 2011. This year was an interesting year for us. I started out the year with a broken foot (after just recently healing from breaking the other foot…seriously…I can’t make this stuff up) so we didn’t do too much exploring for the first few months. When the new school year started, Little S entered Pre-K and was gone most of the morning and that cut into our exploring as well. Even though we didn’t get out as often as we wanted to, we still found lots of great things to do in and around town.
There is no scientific data to this post…I just asked my kids and my husband what their favorite activities were throughout the year! Here is our 2011 top ten list of favorite activities in no particular order:
Distinctive Kitchens Kid’s Cooking Classes – This is the only activity that I haven’t written about yet. We were invited to attend (disclosure: our cost was covered) a DK Kid’s cooking class where we made rolled out gingerbread and put together a huge gingerbread house over a two day period. At first glance some of the classes seem a little pricey, but after attending the gingerbread house making class we think that they are worth it. The spring schedule is on the DK calendar where you will find kid’s classes, camps, and preschool mommy and me classes. I am hoping to enroll Big S in the Wintry Breakfast Foods because he loves to eat breakfast foods!
Parks, parks, and more parks – This year, my goal was to visit a new park each week. Well, that didn’t happen but we did visit a lot of new parks around town and found a few new favorites. Our favorite park of the year is Miralla Park. This little neighborhood park is set away from major streets, has a great playground equipment and a large grassy area to run around. Some of the other parks we enjoyed visiting this year were Bryan Park, Beulah Regional Park, Regency Park, and Lions Park.
Frozen Yogurt Shops – Pensacola saw a yogurt shop business boom this year. Frozen yogurt shops opened up all over town and if you read this site regularly it will come as no surprise that we visited every single one (TCBY’s Waffle Cone Wednesday made our 2010 top ten list last year!). TCBY opened up on 9 Mile Road and 32 degrees and Berry Yogurt opened up over by the mall.
Holiday Light Displays – We love to bundle up in blankets and drive around town looking at the lights. This year, my kids were old enough to really love the light displays all over town. We had lots favorites but this one off of Longleaf and Nathan Drive topped them all!
Condor Sailing Adventures – Recently, my children have a new-found love for all things boat. They love to watch the boats, count the boats and sail the boats after our sail with Condor Sailing Adventures (*disclosure: our cost was covered). It was so great to see Pensacola from the water. We got a great view of the Maritime Park construction and enjoyed learning how to sail the boat.
Downtown Trick or Treat – After posting for three years about the Downtown Trick or Treat, we finally made it to the event. We had so much fun! The kids loved collecting candy and I loved wandering in some of the little shops I hadn’t been able to visit yet.
Free Summer Movies - This summer we took advantage of the free summer movies to get out of the heat. Four different theaters participated in a summer movie program and the Silver Screen also had a weekly $1 show. We enjoyed catching up on movies that we missed through the school year and the best part was that it was free! We also took advantage of the Friday Family Flicks downtown. As it gets closer to summertime, check back for the schedules. We update the site as we receive the free summer movie schedule.
Chagall for Children Exhibit – This year, the Pensacola Museum of Art had the Chagall for Children exhibit on loan from the Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago. It was an awesome hands-on experience introducing children to Chagall’s artwork. They don’t currently have a hands-on exhibit for children but I hope that they will continue to welcome them in the future. The museum is free to visit on Tuesdays and they offer children’s art classes and camps.
Festivals of all kinds – This year was the year of the festival for us. We missed a lot of the festivals in 2010 because of my other broken foot (refer to first paragraph…ha!) so we made up for it in 2011. We attended the Gulf Coast Arts Festival, the Seafood Festival, the Festival on the Green, Gallery Night and Mardi Gras and that doesn’t even include half of the festivals Pensacola has to offer. The festivals are great family friendly events because there is usually a children’s arts and crafts area that is free and good for most ages.
Day Trips and Overnighters – Along with exploring Pensacola on the weekends, we also made some day trips and overnighters. We had some great adventures nearby! Our absolute favorite was our visit to LEGOLAND Florida’s opening weekend in Orlando with a visit to Callaway Gardens, Georgia (Did you know you can book a cabin on the grounds?! We didn’t!) and Seaside tying for a close second place.
These were our favorite activities for 2011 but this site wouldn’t be around if it weren’t for all of our great readers. We asked you on our Pensacola with Kids Facebook Page what your favorite activity of 2011 was and this is what you said (listed in no particular order):
Fort Pickens
Snow Cones at Da Girlz Place after Story Time at Big Lagoon State Park
Perdido Key Blue Angel Park
Sunsets at Plaza de Luna
Roger Scott Pool
Perdido Kids Park
TT Wentworth Museum
Navarre Butterfly House and the John Duncan Children’s Park
Fort Barrancas
Naval Air Museum
Do you want to read more about some of our favorite spots and activities in Pensacola? See our Top Ten of 2010 and Top Five of 2009 lists!
Every Monday I am reaching back into the archives to share the learning activities that we did last year when Little S was home with me. Each week, we worked our way through the alphabet and we read stories, did crafts, and played games that helped reinforce the letter we were learning that week. This week we are sharing activities for the Letter K! If you have any activities to go with ours, let us know!
Monday
- Color the Letter K.
- Trace the Letter K.
- Color the hidden picture.
Tuesday
- Read Spot’s Windy Day by Eric Hill and Curious George Flies a Kite by H.A. Rey.
- Color the picture of the kite.
- Fly a kite.
Wednesday
- Read a book about a king. We don’t have any in our home library, but I did a quick search and found one called The Frog Who Would Be King by Kate Walker. I might look for this one at the library or the bookstore.
- Make a crown with construction paper and decorate it with glitter, stickers, etc.
Thursday
- Read Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too?by Eric Carle.
- Color a kangaroo picture.
Friday
- Kangaroo toilet paper roll
*All photographs in this post are courtesy of Paul Portillo Photo. All photographs are property of Paul Portillo Photo.
Please allow me to introduce Pensacola with Kid’s newest sponsor, Paul Portillo Photo. Paul Portillo Photo specializes in unique on-location children and family photography. He will come to your home or a location which you choose and he will customize your session to fit your needs. The sessions are relaxed and Paul captures your family’s personality. They are in the business of capturing emotions, spirits, & phases of life of your family. Paul Portillo Photo also offers newborn and maternity photography.
Visit Paul’s galleries to see the beautiful family photographs. His pictures capture so much love and happiness. Paul Portillo Photo offers different print sizes and packages and there is also the Cutie Patootie Club, which can help save you money in the long run.
Once you have looked at all the family portraits,be sure to take a look at his photographs from Japan. I spent a few weeks in Japan when I was in middle school and seeing his pictures make me want to book a plane ticket to return.
If you are interested in booking Paul Portillo Photo for your next portrait session, please contact Paul! You reach his website or you can click on the ad in the sidebar. You can also email Paul at Paul (at) paulportillophoto (dot) com or call him at 850.501.7908.
*All photographs in this post are courtesy of Paul Portillo Photo. All photographs are property of Paul Portillo Photo.
This month, there will be two family friendly events at the Pensacola Civic Center. Tickets are on sale for both events via Ticketmaster or the Pensacola Civic Center Box Office.
Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus
The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus will present their Barnum Bash on January 12th through the 15th. Showtimes will be as follows: 1/12 7pm; 1/13 7pm; 1/14 2pm and 6pm; 1/15 2pm. Ticket prices begin at $17.
The Original Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters will bring their 2012 World Tour to Pensacola on January 22 at 3pm. Tickets are on sale now and start at $19.
What: Japanese cultural day; When: January 7th; Where: Japan House at UWF; Cost: $5 (Reservations Required)
Pensacola Opera and the Japan House at the University of West Florida will be hosting a Japanese cultural day where the members of the community can engage in a Japanese cultural project centered around Madama Butterfly.
The event will include activities like a tea ceremony, origami making, traditional Japanese dancing, Japanese name translations and more. The event will take place at the Japan House at the University of West Florida on January 7, 2012.
The cost is $5 per person and reservations must be made in advance by calling the Opera Center at 850.433.6737.
While you are looking at the Pensacola Opera site, be sure to mark your calendar for Opera for the Entire Family where you can catch a free performance of the children’s opera, Three Little Pigs. Performances will be held at the UWF Music Hall on March 24 and 25, 2012.
Awhile back, I shared the ice hockey schedule and added a note about public ice skating. If your kids are like mine and are getting restless with the holiday break, ice skating might be a fun activity for your family especially if you are headed to a hockey game.
There is an After Game Skate tonight and Friday, the 30th. The after game skates are held from 10pm to 11pm, immediately after the hockey game. Tickets are $10 for adult/child and includes a skate rental, $7 for an adult/child if you provide your own skates. There are also group ticket options. Be prepared to sign a waiver before you skate!
This New Year’s Eve, I am fairly certain we will be spending it at home. We are exhausted from all of our activities from the month of December. We will be planning a quiet night of games, sparkling apple cider, and family time but if you want to hit the town, here are some New Year’s Eve activities:
New Year’s Eve Fireworks – Ring in the New Year with a fireworks show at midnight at the end of the Gulf Pier.
Pensacola Pelican Drop – Downtown Pensacola – There will be children’s activities beginning at 5pm and ending with a special countdown at 8pm. There will be live music, vendors and more and the pelican will drop at midnight. See the Pensacola Pelican Drop website for parking information, a schedule of events and more.
Unfortunately, I just saw this article in the Santa Rosa Press Gazette that says that First Night Santa Rosa will not happen this year.
Did we miss a New Year’s Eve celebration? If so, leave us a comment.
The Pensacola Deal of the Day brought to you by Groupon is for $15 for a weekday bowling package for four at Oops Alley which includes 2 hours of bowling, valid Sunday through Thursday and shoe rental for four people. The second option is $23 for a weekend bowling package for four (up to $55 value) which includes two hours of bowling valid Friday or Saturday and shoe rental for four people.
Each day, Groupon will list deals from your city with a limited amount of time to purchase. Many times, the deal can sell out before the time is expired.
We love Oops Alley and this is a pretty good deal!
Be sure to read the fine print before you purchase including (but not limited to):
- Expires July 4, 2012
- Limit 10 per person and limit one per visit.
- Valid for option purchased only.
- Subject to availability.
