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The Santa Clause Themed Dinner
This week, we put on our Santa hats and enjoyed a themed dinner to the Christmas classic – The Santa Clause! In The Santa Clause, Scott Calvin finds himself taking over the boots (literally) of Santa Claus after inadvertently startling him off his rooftop on Christmas Eve. Scott teams up with his son, Charlie, to deliver the remaining presents and return to the North Pole. Upon his return, however, the elves inform Scott he is now the new Santa (per the “Santa Clause”) and must resume his role next Christmas. For our Santa Clause themed dinner menu, I took inspiration from several food references and characters in the film. So,…
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Under Wraps: A Mummy Themed Dinner
We kicked off spooky season with a viewing of Disney’s Under Wraps accompanied by a mummy themed dinner! Released in 1997, Under Wraps was the first ever Disney Channel Original Movie. The story follows an Egyptian mummy who is brought back to life by a mystical amulet. He is discovered by three children who befriend him and give him the nickname, Harold. Crazy antics ensue while Harold attempts to navigate the modern world and reunite with his lost love. I think most Disney-loving 90s kids can agree – Under Wraps is one of the best Disney Channel Original Movies. So, it’s no surprise it’s the first original movie to be…
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Raya and the Last Dragon Themed Dinner
This week, we sampled Southeast Asian cuisine during our Raya and the Last Dragon themed dinner! Raya and the Last Dragon takes place in the fictional land of Kumandra. Once prosperous and protected by dragons, Kumandra falls into disarray when set upon by a plague known as the Druun. The land is broken into five warring factions where the people mistrust and betray one another. In order to defeat the Druun, Raya journeys to find the fabled last dragon and reunite Kumandra once again. Although Kumandra is a fictional land, the culture depicted is influenced by several Southeast Asian countries. This is particularly true with the food! The menu for…
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Aladdin Themed Dinner
This week, our family set off on a magic carpet ride while enjoying an Aladdin themed dinner! Aladdin was the first Disney movie I remember seeing in a theater, and a childhood staple growing up. I’ve been wanting to do an Aladdin themed dinner for so long, but I’ve held off because I wanted to make sure to get it just right. Well, this week I finally put in the work and completed all my research and planning. And now, I’m thrilled to share our Aladdin themed dinner! Our menu was inspired by the film’s setting in Agrabah. Despite Agrabah being a fictional city, we know it’s somewhere in the…
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The Emperor’s New Groove Themed Dinner
This week, we enjoyed a special dinner themed to The Emperor’s New Groove! In this Disney comedy, arrogant Emperor Kuzco is transformed into a llama by his devious advisor, Yzma, in her attempt to usurp the throne. Lost and alone in the jungle, Kuzco is forced to team up with a kind peasant named Pacha to reclaim his throne. The Emperor’s New Groove is one of my favorite Disney films. When it first came out, I was at an age where I thought I was too cool for Disney (shocking, I know!). I eventually ended up watching it with extended family, and I couldn’t stop laughing! The cast of…
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Dumbo Themed Dinner
This week, we partied under the big top with a Dumbo themed dinner! Dumbo has been capturing the hearts of audiences for over 80 years. The film is the fourth feature in Disney Animated Canon, and a personal favorite of Walt Disney. Dumbo even has his own high-flying attraction in Disney theme parks across the globe! The inspiration for our Dumbo themed dinner came from a lucky find I came across on Marketplace. Someone in our area was giving away a circus play tent, and I knew we had to have it! Not only would this tent provide hours of fun for the kids, but it would also be the…
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Halloweentown Themed Dinner
This week, we’re kicking off the spooky season with a special Halloweentown themed dinner! Halloween starts early in our house – too early some may say. But the way I see it, if Halloween parties are taking place at Disney, then we should be celebrating too! So, to kick-start the Halloween season, we enjoyed a themed dinner to the Disney Channel Original Movie – Halloweentown! To create our Halloweentown dinner menu, I took inspiration from the characters and fun food references in the film. So, grab your broomstick and a witch’s brew as we share our Halloweentown dinner and movie night! Town Square Jack-O’-Lantern Cheeseball The giant jack-o’-lantern in the…
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Brave Themed Dinner
This week, we sampled some traditional Scottish dishes for our Brave themed dinner! I’ve been wanting to do a Brave themed dinner for quite some time as it is one of my favorite Pixar movies. To create our menu, I considered using various food references straight from the film (roasted fish, apples, and spell cakes came to mind). But ultimately, I decided to use traditional dishes from the film’s setting in Scotland. Prior to our Brave themed dinner, I didn’t know much about Scottish cuisine. So, this was a great learning opportunity for me! And during our Brave themed dinner I was able to share my new knowledge with my…
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Enchanted Themed Dinner and Movie Night
This week we enjoyed a special dinner and movie night themed to the Disney motion picture, Enchanted! On the surface, Enchanted seems like a run-of-the-mill fairytale featuring an evil queen attempting to curse an innocent maiden. But as the story unfolds, viewers learn this fairytale is anything but ordinary. Giselle is a maiden living in a fairytale land who dreams of finding her soulmate to share true love’s kiss with. And when she meets Prince Edward, they happily set off to be married. But Edward’s evil stepmother, Narissa, rules as queen, and Edward’s marriage will depose her from her standing. So, she uses magic to send Giselle where “there are…
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Nightmare Before Christmas Themed Dinner and Recipes
This week, we had a spooky and merry time enjoying a Nightmare Before Christmas themed dinner! The Nightmare Before Christmas is the perfect mashup of Halloween and Christmas spirit. There is a hot debate as to whether it’s considered a Halloween or Christmas movie, but I personally believe it’s a Christmas movie for the following reasons: It’s our family tradition to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas after a night of trick-or-treating to conclude Halloween and welcome the Christmas season! (Yes, I’m that person that jumps right into Christmas in November). But while considering the food references in the film, I decided the menu had a much more *Halloween* feel. So,…
