Nancy J. Cohen's Blog: Nancy's Notes from Florida, page 12

Celebrity Apex Review – The Ship Part Two

Each day, our newsletter listed tons of activities that you could do on board Celebrity Apex. But some were lacking that you could find on other ships. There wasn’t any bingo, which is a big draw elsewhere. No cooking classes that we would have enjoyed. You could do arts and crafts, take dance classes, go to the art auctions, or attend various seminars but nothing to do with culture or history. Even the Destination Talk was lacking. It showed the highlights of each port and gave important information but there wasn’t any colorful display of what you could buy with giveaways, shopping recommendations, maps or coupons.

ENTERTAINMENT

The evening entertainment was excellent. We enjoyed the production shows the best. The Tree of Life reminded us of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The theme appeared to be changing seasons. The singers and dancers wore street clothes, which didn’t impress us as much as the spectacular special effects and the huge movie screen with changing scenery in the background.

 

We liked the Crystallize show better with its superb aerialists. The theater itself is in the round, a new concept on a cruise ship. You have a good view from nearly anywhere with no columns obstructing the line of site. However, seating was limited, and you had to arrive at least twenty minutes early to guarantee a space. The second-floor seating, so I was told, was for higher tier guests. Showtimes were 7pm and 9 pm. Being early risers, we never made the additional late-night shows.

   

We particularly enjoyed the pianist who gave a concert one night. Accompanied by the ship’s orchestra, he played variations of popular movie themes. He ended with The Mandalorian, a Star Wars TV show that we watch. There were also a violinist and a guitarist on board, both of them talented professionals.

CAPTAIN’S CLUB

As repeat cruisers at Elite level, we enjoyed certain benefits. Aside from the free bag of laundry and Internet minutes, these included free drinks from 5 to 7 every evening except embarkation.  We could get them at any lounge but not in the restaurants. We shared the same status as our friends, Ann Meier and Pat Babcock, so it was fun to meet them at each event.

The Welcome party at Eden included an aerialist performing a sample of their show. We didn’t sign up in time for the Backstage Tour, so we missed that one. We did attend the Senior Officer’s Party where servers brought around drinks and appetizers. Below is the ship’s captain.

    

The Music & Mixology event was fun and unusual. A talented bartender juggled his wares as he mixed three drinks. If I recall, they were a Manhattan, Mai Tai, and Spiced Pimms.

      

A Wine Tasting was held in the Tuscan Restaurant. I took a photo of the bottles since we were not given printouts of the wines with room for notes as in the past.

In the mornings from 8 to 10am in the Bistro lounge, we could get a free Mimosa, Bloody Mary or Bellini along with a choice of light menu items. I liked the fruit and chocolate croissants.

We appreciated our benefits and felt as though our loyalty was properly recognized. This was a fun part of the trip.

Celebrity Apex Ship Review Part Two #cruising #CelebrityCruises
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Coming Next: The Food and the Ports of Call

Celebrity Apex Review – The Ship Part One

Celebrity Apex has an ultra-modern design with eclectic art works scattered throughout the ship. It has sweeping upward ramps and a movable bar on the side of the ship and potted plants in areas such as the Rooftop Garden and the Eden Lounge. One modern technology I appreciated was the lack of handles on restroom doors that opened with a wave of your hand. Here are random scenes throughout the ship:

 

 

Pools 

Deck 14 holds the main pool and the solarium, which was my favorite since it’s covered. In between the two is a grill where you can get hot dogs, burgers including a turkey burger, and fries. The grill also has a soft ice cream dispenser. The spa café is at the rear of the solarium. Here you can get light snacks and cold drinks or coffee.

    

Shops

If you like expensive brand-name merchandise such as Coach, Cartier, and Mont Blanc, you’ll be happy. Effy Jewelers are on board but there’s no fun selection of fashion jewelry like on other ships or dressy tops or sweaters. The resort clothing is bland and so are the logo souvenirs including tee shirts, hoodies, baseball caps, mugs, etc. We’ve had better shops on other ships. Even the liquor store had big bottles, nothing small, no gift packs of little bottles or even gift boxes or bars of chocolate. There were the usual rum cakes at 2 boxes for $35 and no Caribbean rum balls. So while there were a number of shops to browse in, not many held our interest. There were also no blow-out sales like on other ships.

Bars

We missed having a selection of lounges midship compared to our past cruises. No wine bar, bellini or champagne bar. The martini bar on Deck 3 of the grand plaza had a band or guitarist and was always lively, although the side walls are painted black and there’s no view of the ocean from there. Here’s the sweeping grand chandelier.

 

Midship on Deck 4 is a coffee bar where I believe you could order drinks in the evening. Specialty coffees here cost money, but the pastries are free. This large area has seating with a view. Opposite on Decks 4 and 5 were the Bistro and the Steakhouse, respectively. These specialty (meaning additional cost) restaurants took up space that could have been nice lounges. We missed having a piano bar, a quiet spot where you could sit and get drinks and chat with soft background music.

The Club is on Deck 4 next to the theater. No windows here so you feel closed in. This is the spot for game shows and other special events. The Casino is midship so again you lose space there that could have been a nice lounge. The Craft Social bar is adjacent, between the casino and bistro, but it’s relatively small and more like a sports bar.

Then there’s the bar that goes up and down the ship’s side. This was parked in place for most of the cruise. We were told it would only move twice during the week and you needed a reservation. Otherwise, it served as a lounge with a view if you could find a seat but wasn’t as cozy as other settings.

Celebrity Apex Review - The Ship Part One #cruising #CelebrityCruises
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Coming Next: The Ship Part Two, then Food and Ports of Call

Celebrity Apex Review – Embarkation

We cruised for 7 nights on Celebrity Cruises to Key West, Belize, Cozumel and Grand Cayman Island. The weather in April was perfect and we had smooth sailing.

Let’s start our trip review with the Celebrity Apex. Here we are on the way to Port Everglades from the Park ’N Go lot on Eller Drive. On the same shuttle were our friends, Ann Meier and Pat Babcock. Embarkation went smoothly and soon we could access our cabins to dump our luggage inside.

 

OUR CABIN

We had an Edge Stateroom with Infinite Veranda on Deck 7. The beds were comfortable and so were the bedding and pillows. A wide-screen TV was mounted on the wall opposite our beds. The room also held a good size couch, writing desk with chair, and three-drawer dresser. A mini-fridge held liquor, wine, and Cola available for an extra fee. Large bottles of spring water are also in the room but they cost money. It’s easier to take your own bottle from home and refill it at a water station. You are allowed to bring water bottles or soda cans, however much you can hand carry onto the ship.

A set of double paneled doors pushed open to a patio that was all enclosed. A huge floor to ceiling picture window gives a great view. You can open the top window if you want to hear the swoosh of the waves or catch a sea breeze. We enjoyed the patio with the windows closed, the a/c on, and the panoramic view. Two chairs and a small table completed the décor. A window screen raises or lowers with the push of a button.

The bathroom had adequate storage space. The shower was large enough for us to move around and it had a grab bar. Inside were dispensers with liquid soap, shampoo and conditioner. The soap was somewhat slow to dispense, so I’d suggest bringing your own bar soap and a travel-sized shower gel. Lotion and hand soap were provided. Boxes of tissues are in the bathroom. A nightlight under the counter in the bathroom goes on automatically.

We couldn’t fit our suitcases under the bed, so we stuck one in the closet, another on the patio, and the rest in a niche in the room. There were plenty of hangars in our shared closet. Our cabin steward cleaned the room in the morning and did evening service while we were at dinner. A wrapped chocolate awaited us on our pillow each night, but no fancy towel designs like in the past.

After settling in, we ran up to the buffet on Deck 14 to grab lunch and then explored the ship until we sailed away.

Celebrity Apex Review - Embarkation Day #cruising #Caribbean
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Coming Next: The Ship 

Tea and Murder

In writing a novel, authors research much more material than goes into the story. If we add too much, our editors call it an info dump. But too little, and things might not make sense.

In Star Tangled Murder, hairstylist Marla Vail and her detective husband, Dalton, attend a battle reenactment at a living history village where the town marshal ends up dead. During their investigation, they learn about tea production. I researched the topic and was surprised at the complexity of the process.

Tea bushes first arrived in the United States from China in the 1700s. Attempts to cultivate the camellia sinensis plant in this country failed until a chemist, Dr. Charles Shepard, founded the Pinehurst Tea Plantation in Summerville, South Carolina in the late 1880s. He produced award-winning teas until he died.

Meanwhile, the Lipton Company acquired a farm on Wadmalaw Island in South Carolina. They relocated Shepard’s plants there. William Barclay Hall, a professional tea taster, bought the land in 1987. He converted the farm into a commercial operation, and the Charleston Tea Plantation was born. They renamed it the Charleston Tea Garden when Bigelow took over the property.

After water, tea is the most consumed beverage in the world. Each type of tea requires different processing. You can’t just pluck leaves off a plant and brew a pot. For example, green tea leaves are steamed on arrival to halt oxidation and to preserve their freshness. Black tea requires withering, rolling, and oxidizing. Oolong is a semi-oxidized tea that falls in between the other two. The tea plant grows best in places with high heat, humidity, good rainfall, and acidic soil. China, Sri Lanka, India, and Kenya are the four major suppliers.

Tea is promoted as having various health benefits. In particular, green tea drinkers allegedly have a lower incidence of cancer and cardiovascular disease. This may be related to the high content of polyphenols in green tea. These have antioxidant, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties and may also stimulate the immune system.

Green tea is one of the least processed varieties. Only the top two leaves and a bud from one stem are picked. This is called the flush. During harvesting season, the plant produces a new flush every seven to fifteen days. For black and oolong tea, two to four leaves down from the top are picked. There’s also white tea made from the buds of a plant. The only step for white tea is drying it to reduce moisture.

Yellow tea is similar to green tea in the initial production process, but it requires an additional procedure called sealed yellowing. This removes the grassy scent associated with green tea. Matcha teas are a type of Japanese green tea. The leaves are ground into a fine powder and then whisked into hot water. It has more antioxidants than green tea but also more caffeine.

When writing a book, it’s a fine line between dumping too much info into the story versus sharing this information with readers. I cut out this portion from the final version of Star Tangled Murder:

“Here the leaves for black and oolong teas undergo oxidation on these conveyor belts. This kickstarts the fermentation process. Next is what we call disruption,” he said, gesturing to a rotating tumbler. “Tossing the leaves tears them and allows for oxygen to penetrate the bruised cells. When sufficient oxidation has occurred, the leaves enter a gas-heated dryer for a short period to stop fermentation. This stage is called fixation and is the most critical part because it determines the tea’s taste, aroma, and color.”

“Then it’s ready for consumption?” Marla asked, not seeing anything that would account for the security measures.

“Not yet. The leaves go through a sieve to filter out undesirable particles, such as stems and fibers. Then the tea is shaped into tiny pellets to intensify the flavor. Once this cycle is complete, the tea enters the final firing stage in this oven.”

This would have been too much detail to leave in my story. I might find it fascinating, but readers want to move on to see what happens next regarding the mystery.

Tea and Murder #cozymystery #research
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Do you like learning new topics in a mystery, or do you prefer a story that sticks to the bones of the plot? And what’s your favorite kind of tea?

GIVEAWAY

Enter Here to win a free book from Booklover’s Bench

Your Book Was Reviewed – Now What?

Reviews are an author’s lifeblood. At best, they can strongly influence new readers to buy your book. At worst, a slew of poor reviews or low numbers may lead your publisher to think twice about accepting your option book. The quantity and ratings also affect your promotional opportunities since some ads require at least 10 reviews with a 4.0 or higher average. For a writer, getting reviews is paramount.

When a reader goes to an online bookstore site to scout out a potential new read, she’ll read the story blurb, look inside for a taste of your writing, and then read the customer reviews. Editors and agents may also look at reviews of your prior titles when considering which author to take on. Like with any business, we want to make a good impression.

This discussion does not involve how to get reviews. We’re going to talk about what you can do with a review once you receive one.

Here are some steps to take:

Create a subfolder labeled Reviews under your book title in your word processing program.

Copy and paste the entire review to a blank page and name the file. Put it in the Reviews folder.

Add the reviewer’s social media links.

Pull out several quotes. Add these quotes to your page of Tweets for this book title.

Add the review to your website’s book page.

Make a meme with a quote and for a featured book review. Examples:

   

 

Share the review on your social media sites. Tag the reviewer.

Leave a comment on the reviewer’s site thanking her for the review.

“Like” reviews for your book on Goodreads and BookBub.

Add it to the editorial reviews on Amazon if the reviewer didn’t post there.

If you are self-published, add the quotes elsewhere, such as IngramSpark and Barnes and Noble through their publishing platforms.

If you are trad published, copy the review to your editor.

Keep a personal list or spreadsheet with each reviewer’s name, contact info, social media sites, and links to your reviews. This will give you a head start for your next release. Don’t forget to add how they’ve acquired your book (i.e. you sent them a file/link or they got it on NetGalley) and the dates for all correspondence.

Send out a reminder letter after the book goes live with buy links to reviewers who have downloaded the book but have not yet posted a review.

Send thank you notes to reviewers who have followed through.

Your Book Was Reviewed - Now What? #BookPromotion
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Keeping meticulous records will show you who to approach for your next release. You’ll know who responded and who didn’t and where they posted reviews. This list will be fluid, changing for each book. Just remember to always be courteous, thank the reviewers for their time, and share their posts on your social media sites to show your appreciation.

GIVEAWAY
Enter Here to win a free book from Booklover’s Bench

 

Book Tour Highlights

In case you missed my virtual book tour, here are some of the highlights. Please check out the interviews and guest posts with recipes and research related to my book. Keep reading for more chances to win a copy of Star Tangled Murder.

 

Guest Posts  

March 16 – Carla Loves To Read – “Corn and Crime” with Corn Casserole Recipe

March 16 – Dru’s Book Musings – “A Day in my Life by Marla Vail” 

March 17 –  Jane Reads – “Holidays and Homicide”  

March 19 – Cozy Up With Kathy – “History and Mystery”

March 20 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – “Tales of Lost Treasure” 

March 21 – Cinnamon & Sugar and A Little Bit of Murder – Book Review & Salmon Mini Quiches Recipe  

Interviews

March 1, The Big Thrill – Author Interview

March 18 –  Lisa Ks Book Reviews – Author Interview  

March 21 – Literary Gold – Author Interview

March 23 – Baroness Book Trove – “Interview with Marla Vail”

March 24 –  Ascroft, eh? – Author Interview

April 1 – Dru’s Book Musings – “A Word with the Author”

More Sites

If you want to see the full schedule of stops I made on my tour, go here: https://nancyjcohen.com/star-tangled-murder-complete-book-tour-schedule/

Or here – https://www.escapewithdollycas.com/great-escapes-virtual-book-tours/completed-tours-2023/star-tangled-murder-bad-hair-day-mysteries-by-nancy-j-cohen/

Nancy J. Cohen's Book Tour Highlights #guestposts #authorinterviews
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GIVEAWAYS

March 28 – Denise Swanson’s Mysteries, Romances, and More – A copy of Star Tangled Murder

Congratulations to Julie W. and Rita W. who have won my Rafflecopter contest! They’ve each won a signed copy of STAR TANGLED MURDER and a Box of White Tea.

You have another chance to win a copy of my new release at KRL News & Reviews. Contest is open there until April 8, 2023. 

 

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour

Follow my Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour March 15 – 25 for reviews, spotlights, author interviews, guest posts and giveaways to celebrate the release of STAR TANGLED MURDER, #18 in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries. I will be updating this site with permalinks so stop by here or my Appearances tab for the latest.

March 15 – Fundinmental – REVIEW

March 15 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT

March 16 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT

March 16 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW & GUEST POST

March 17 – Jane Reads – GUEST POST

March 17 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

March 18 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT & EXCERPT

March 18 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 19 – Cozy Up WIth Kathy – GUEST POST

March 19 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

March 20 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – GUEST POST

March 20 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

March 21 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

March 21 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 21 – Cinnamon and Sugar and A Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW & RECIPE

March 22 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

March 22 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

March 23 – Baroness Book Trove – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

March 23 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

March 24 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 24 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 25 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour with Nancy J. Cohen
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Star Tangled Murder New Release

I am excited to announce the release of STAR TANGLED MURDER, #18 in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries.

Published by Orange Grove Press
Digital ISBN: 978-1-952886-24-9
Print ISBN: 978-1-952886-25-6
Edited by Deni Dietz at Stray Cat Productions
Cover Design by The Killion Group, Inc.
Interior Design www.formatting4U.com
Cover Copy by BlurbWriter.com

Join me at TWO Book Launch Parties for Fun & Prizes!

TONIGHT March 14 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm EDT at https://www.facebook.com/NewReleaseParty/

 

Friday, March 17, 7:00 to 8:00 pm EDT at https://www.facebook.com/groups/cozymysteryparty

 

Story Description

Hairstylist Marla Vail and her detective husband Dalton are having a blast visiting a Florida living history village over Fourth of July weekend. But when a Seminole battle reenactment turns up a real dead body, it sets off fireworks among the villagers. One of the cast members has gone off script to murder the town marshal with a tomahawk.

As Dalton gets involved in the investigation, Marla determines to help him solve the case. Her flare for uncovering secrets reveals that everyone in the village is a suspect. Instead of celebrating the holiday with red, white, and barbecues, she discovers secrets, lies, and false avenues. Did the marshal’s murder have anything to do with a lost Confederate payroll, or did his plans to renovate the park light a fuse that he couldn’t snuff out?

In a place where history comes alive, the dead bodies are piling up. Marla would rather be chilling and grilling, but somebody’s mind is on killing. If she’s not careful, her sleuthing could blow up in her face like a faulty firecracker and she’ll become the next victim. Recipes Included!

GET YOUR COPY HERE  

Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQS68WS7
Amazon Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1952886252/
Apple Books: http://books.apple.com/us/book/id6445207585
BN Nook: https://bit.ly/3vuluKN
BN Print: https://bit.ly/3I6HpyU
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=UICjEAAAQBAJ
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/star-tangled-murder
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/StarTangledMurder
Indiebound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781952886256
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1298730

Booksellers & Librarians: This title is also available from Ingram.

STAR TANGLED MURDER is now available in print and ebook formats! #newrelease #cozymystery
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N ote: Contact me for a Reader Discussion Guide 

GREAT ESCAPES VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR March 15 – 25, 2023

Follow my Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for book reviews, spotlights, author interviews, guest posts and giveaways!

 

GIVEAWAYS

Enter Here March 12 – 27 to win a signed copy of “Star Tangled Murder” and a Box of White Tea.

 

Enter Here March 1 – 18 to win a free book at Booklover’s Bench.

 

Star Tangled Murder Complete Book Tour Schedule

Follow my complete virtual book tour to celebrate the release of STAR TANGLED MURDER, #18 in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries. Join in for reviews, spotlights, author interviews, guest posts and giveaways! I will update this as reviews and permalinks come in, so please stop by again either here or at my Appearances tab for the latest.

Wednesday, March 1 – Donovan’s Bookshelf – REVIEW

Wednesday, March 1, The Big Thrill – INTERVIEW

Wednesday, March 1, Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW

March 10 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

Friday, March 11 – Dru’s Book Musing – “Coming Week of March 12, 2023”

Sunday, March 12 – MJB Reviewers – New Releases for the Week of March 12, 2023

Monday, March 13 – The Book Diva’s Reads – BOOK SHOWCASE

Monday, March 13 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – REVIEW

Tuesday, March 14 – Storeybook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

Tuesday, March 14, 7:00 – 8:30 pm EDT – BOOK LAUNCH PARTY
Facebook Party with Fun & Prizes!

March 15 – 25 –  GREAT ESCAPES VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR  

March 15 – Fundinmental – REVIEW

March 15 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT

March 16 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT

March 16 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW & GUEST POST

March 16 – Dru’s Book Musings – “A Day in the Life” GUEST POST

Friday, March 17, 7:00 to 8:00 pm EDT  – AUTHOR TAKEOVER
Facebook Event with Fun & Prizes!

March 17 – Jane Reads – GUEST POST

March 17 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

March 18 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT & EXCERPT

March 18 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 18 – King’s River Life – BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY

March 19 – Cozy Up WIth Kathy – GUEST POST

March 19 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

March 20 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – GUEST POST

March 20 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

March 21 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

March 21 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 21 – Cinnamon and Sugar and A Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW & RECIPE

March 22 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

March 22 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

March 23 – Baroness Book Trove – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

March 23 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

March 24 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 24 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 25 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

April 1 –  Dru’s Book Musings – INTERVIEW “A Word with the Author”

March 28 – Denise Swanson’s Mysteries, Romances, and More – GIVEAWAY

Follow Nancy J. Cohen's Complete Book Tour for STAR TANGLED MURDER
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GIVEAWAYS

Enter Here March 12 – 27 to win a signed copy of “Star Tangled Murder” and a Box of White Tea

 

Enter Here March 1 – 18 to win a free book at Booklover’s Bench

 

Epcot Flower & Garden Festival 2023

This year at the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, many tempting food choices await at the booths around World Showcase. I lucked out this year with all good selections. Accompanying us were Sue and Mark Bernstein and Ann Meier.

 

At World Showcase, we turned left toward Mexico. Our first stop was Lotus House at China. I got the Pan-fried Vegetable Dumplings. They were very tasty and served drizzled with a sweet sauce. I would get these again.

 

At the Refreshment Outpost by Africa, I got an Ice Cream Float with Tangerine soft serve ice cream and Cream Soda. It was a refreshing drink. This is always my husband’s go-to stop for a hot dog.

 

Potato Pancakes with homemade Applesauce were found at Germany’s Bauernmarkt Farmer’s Market stand. I thought I’d get one potato latke and ordered two portions, one for me and one for Richard. It turns out we could have shared. On each plate were two thick potato pancakes. They could have been a bit thinner and crispier, but I liked them nonetheless.

At La Isla Fresca (between France and Morocco), I had the Coconut Tres Leches: Vanilla cake soaked in oat milk, almond milk, and coconut milk with toasted coconut. Custardy taste with whipped topping and toasted coconut melted in my mouth. Oh-so-good! Perfect accompaniment was Florida Orange Groves Winery Tropical Perception White Sangria, a light white wine that wasn’t too fruity.

   

As always, the displays of flowers and topiary were inspiring.

 

 

 

Epcot's Flower & Garden Festival from a Foodie Fan #Disney #Epcot
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SAVE THE DATE!

Tuesday, March 14, 7:00 – 8:30 pm EDT – Book Launch Party with Fun & Prizes!

 

GIVEAWAY

Enter Here March 1-18 to win a free book from Booklover’s Bench in our monthly giveaway.

 

EBOOK SALE

My ebooks are 50% off March 5-11 at Smashwords to celebrate Read an Ebook Week.