I had the great fortune this last weekend to attend the Food Blog Forum again.  The conference is kept small in amount of  attendees to keep in more intimate and really provide an educational, networking conference.  In fact, the registration was full and wait listing bloggers within 10 minutes of the start time.  The fact that the event was being hosted at Walt Disney World made it even more valuable to me.  The technical and creative tips that came from such a talented group and the friendships that were made and deepened, made the Food Blog Forum were a huge payoff to my blog, but the excellent guest service provided by Walt Disney World gave back tenfold to my professional work.  Very reaffirming to be a guest experiencing the magic you try to provide daily.

The conference was produced by Food Blog Forum with Jaden & Scott Hair of Steamy Kitchen, Todd & Diane of White On Rice Couple, Julie Deily of The Little Kitchen and Lindsay Landis of Love & Olive Oil and sponsored by Walt Disney World, Florida Milk, KitchenAid, and OXO.  Without these organizers and sponsors the community would not exist- Thank you to all!!

The opening reception was held at the Grand Floridian Convention Center- I knew it would be top notch- with the Grand Difference! My husband, who works at this convention center was super excited for us to see the creativity and mouth watering dishes being offered at the reception.  Chef Larry and his team did an amazing job, presentations were gorgeous.  If only there was more time to try it all.

I love the detail of these spheres- truly represent the detail that the Grand Floridian offers!  The next morning started off with a light continental, light enough the lobby was glowing with the fruit! Elegance upon arrival!

The lunch was a combination of decadence and Mickey Check items- a great idea to showcase the well balance offerings of the Walt Disney World Resorts.  The chefs were all great, happy to engage and discuss the items they were showcasing, as well as the idea and development behind them.

Here is what the Disney Parks Blog says about the new Mickey Check Initiative-

Part of the Disney Magic of Healthy Living initiative, the tool was created to make it easier to identify nutritious choices that address family needs.   In order to receive the Mickey Check, kids’ meals and other items must meet Disney Nutrition Guidelines. The Disney Nutrition Guidelines align to the  U. S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans and focus on contributing to a nutritious diet,  encouraging kid appropriate portions (with calorie criteria) and  limiting nutrients to avoid (e.g. sodium, sugar, saturated fat, trans fat).

This definitely the way to make fish sticks! Fresh from Florida! And if you don’t want to make them, try the Flying Fish Café instead!

The Chefs were excited to be there, happy to talk about their offering.  The Walt Disney World Chefs I know and work with love engaging with guests, in particular the guests that love food as much as we do!  Never hesitate approaching a Disney Chef, we love to talk about our passion!

The conference was full of inspirational speakers, and overloaded with tips and tricks to work on in our blogs and life.  Pam, Karen, Marisa and all the magical Cast Members were wonderful, providing an experience that makes dreams come true!

The closing dessert reception was held at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, at overlooking the Fantasmic show.  The show is always a hit, but the food was what I was loving!  The team was exceptional- I loved being at this event, seeing our team showcase a well balanced, highly creative and impressively decadent dessert menu.

Was super proud to be on this team- from the collaboration of menu writing to the planning and execution the team out did themselves.

The Nitro Smorespheres was an idea we took a chance on that came out fabulous and are just at the beginning of there journey.

It was a weekend to go down on the books, filled with learning’s, friendships and great food, all defining the community that comes from this group!!

Thank you to all!