Regarding her process , Turney explained , “ We work to select dishes that reflect the setting and characters of the film . For example , when we planned Luca , we served trenette al pesto and gelato , because they are dishes Luca enjoyed when visiting Portorosso . Because Luca ’ s family and home are important elements in the film , we also wanted our menu to reflect Luca ’ s underwater habitat . We created a coral reef crudités platter as well as white chocolate sea horses and signature sea-themed cupcakes that were decorated with shells and seaweed . Our specialty drink was a three-layer frozen lemonade that mirrored the colors of the sea monsters .”
Another favorite was the Monsters , Inc . movie night , for which the family put together a Mike Wazowski fruit plate and a George Sanderson-inspired macaron ice cream sandwich . “ It was so cute and fun to serve !”
The education can go far beyond the kitchen , however . For the Ratatouille dinner , Turney took her kids to the farmer ’ s market “ to select fresh local ingredients for our dinner ,” an easy way to teach about sustainable farming and the importance of healthy fruits and vegetables . “ The kids experienced a true farm-to-table meal and loved all the new foods they tried .”
Mike and Sulley are wonderful dinner guests . PHOTO COURTESY OF PIXIE DUST AND POSIES
DESIGNING YOUR OWN DISNEY DINNERS Turney hopes that her themed dinners and other Disney lesson plans inspire parents to try new things with their kids , whether homeschooled or not . “ Memories are the sweetest things we can give those we love , and we want each day with our kids to be filled with joy , intentionality , and quality time together . Our weekly Disney theme dinners have fulfilled that desire but have offered even more ,” said Turney .
CREATING THE ATMOSPHERE What makes Turney ’ s lesson plans so exciting is that her family goes all in . The tablescapes , as you can see , are elegant and beautiful — a great way to engage kids artistically without just giving them crayons and a sheet of paper . Turney ’ s daughter , Anna , has turned out to be quite the graphic designer and has put her skills to good use for these dinner nights .
“ The tablescape needn ’ t be complicated either ,” Turney said . “ Consider picking up disposable partyware in your color scheme . One of our favorite tablescapes was UP . We used a simple light blue tablecloth and disposable white dishes . We created a quick no-sew cloud table runner out of felt we got from the craft store . For our centerpiece , we assembled an UP house from a printable template and added some helium balloons . It was simple , fun , and affordable .”
If you ’ re thinking of attempting a themed Disney dinner at home , Turney recommends keeping it simple at first ( don ’ t get too ambitious that first time through ). Spread the preparations out over several days ( try doing one dinner at the end of the month , for starters , and spend that month doing prep work as time allows ). Get the kids involved in any way you can : Teach them how to safely cut veggies , have them craft a centerpiece , or encourage them to do an oral report on the culture represented in your menu .
But most of all , Turney says you should just have fun . And when you ’ re designing a dinner based on your favorite Disney flicks , how could you not ?
Check out more of Turney ’ s dinners at pixiedustandposies . com .
GREEN ALIEN MOCHI AT TOKYO DISNEYLAND
Ooooh , we have been chosen . There are a lot of delicious — and adorable — treats to choose from when you visit Tokyo Disneyland , but if you had to choose just one , you can ’ t go wrong with the everpopular Green Alien Mochi .
Mochi , for the uninitiated , is a pounded rice cake with a chewy and slightly sticky texture . It features regularly in Japanese cuisine with both sweet and savory applications . The mochi itself does not have a strong flavor but adds a unique texture and absorbs the other flavors you prepare it with . The Green Alien Mochi you ' ll find at TDR is the sweet variety ; your order will include one each of strawberry- , custard- , and chocolate-filled mochi .
PHOTO BY TDR EXPLORER