A Disney Kind of Birthday

On Thursday night, Carter and I celebrated his first birthday as a Florida resident. So, of course, we partied it up Florida (and more specifically, Disney) style.

The night before his birthday, I baked some key lime muffins for Carter and his co-workers. I made these muffins for the first time last year, and Carter enjoyed them so much that key lime birthday muffins just might be a new tradition. Since key lime pie is one of Carter’s favorite desserts, it seemed appropriate that he start his birthday with a dessert-like breakfast treat.

Carter came home a little early from work so that we could make the 45-minute drive to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, where we had dinner reservations at Jiko: The Cooking Place. I chose this restaurant for its excellent reviews, unique African, Indian and Mediterranean cuisine, and its variety of vegetarian and vegan menu options. Carter loves Indian and vegetarian dishes, so Jiko seemed like a perfect choice for his birthday.

It was!

When we got to the restaurant, we waited in a small sitting area for a few minutes before being ushered to our table. It was a fairly quiet and romantic ambience as far as Disney restaurants go, and the service was out of this world! We were welcomed by a very friendly waitress who gave Carter a birthday pin and a birthday card signed by the restaurant cast members in various languages. It was such a nice touch! (Tip: When making Disney dining reservations, make sure to note any special occasions you are celebrating, because you never know when you might receive a little surprise.)

The waitress brought us regular menus and vegetarian menus when we explained that we are pesce-vegetarians. We had so many great options to choose from!

We were served warm bread with a delicious sweet, butter to start. Our appetizers came out shortly after. We shared the “Taste of Africa” (African-inspired dips with pappadam, whole wheat lavosh and house-made naan) and the “Jiko Salad” with Georgia peaches, crispy plantains, hazelnut praline, honeyed chevre and blood orange vinaigrette. The “Taste of Africa” was very unique and we were glad we tried it (though next time, we’d probably go with one of the flatbreads, which get rave reviews). The salad was sweet, crunchy and delicious.

For dinner, Carter ordered a vegetarian sampler that included a goat cheese cream Ethiopian vegetable stack, a chickpea cake, and a spiced mushroom-spinach roll. It was a beautiful presentation and just the right serving size. He gave me a taste of the mushroom-spinach roll and, wow!, it was divine. I ordered the grilled wild gulf shrimp curry with citrus-coconut basmati, summer vegetables and durban curry sauce. It was a big portion, and I ate almost all of it. I call the “get out of jail free” pregnancy card. Actually, it was just really, really good, (it had a little bit of a spicy kick to it) and I was really, really hungry.

Then, the waitress surprised both of us with a mini creme brulee for Carter’s birthday. It was crunchy, creamy, sweet and perfect.

The whole experience was awesome, and we are eager to go back.

During dinner, it started pouring rain outside, which put a slight dent in the rest of my birthday plans for Carter. We were planning on going to Fantasia Gardens to play Disney-themed miniature golf, but instead, we browsed around the Animal Kingdom Lodge and its shop until the rain let up.

The lodge is beautiful, with gorgeous woodwork and lots of little alcoves where you can sneak off to observe some of the animals that live on the savannas outside the lodge. Unfortunately, most of them were hiding from the rain, but we did catch a glimpse of this guy. Pumba, is that you?

When the rain had eased up a bit, we headed home. Luckily, I came up with a back-up plan earlier in the day, sensing that it just might rain. Carter was thrilled to open up this gift . . .

Nok-Hockey, one of his favorite childhood games. He saw the game a few months ago in a cute toy/kite shop called Lighten Up, located in Winter Park. Well, I never saw his face light up so much at the sight of a toy, and I knew that Nok-Hockey was in his future. We played a few rounds and talked about childhood memories.

And what would a birthday be without cake? I ordered Carter a pina colada cake with pineapple and coconut fillings from a fabulous little bakery called Cut The Cake in Longwood, FL. I love everything about this bakery. I think I searched every nook and cranny of central Florida before I finally found this fantastic place. The flavor combinations are unique and delicious, the cake designs are creative and clean (no sloppy looking cakes here) and the prices are some of the most reasonable I’ve found. And, they let customers come in to taste before they buy — even if it’s not for a wedding! How nice is that?

Carter and I were VERY excited about this cake. Not only was it really fun to look at — the bakery staff came up with the Mickey Mouse sand pit idea — it was absolutely delicious, too. The cake was moist and flavorful, the fillings were exquisite, and the frosting was light and sweet, exactly the way frosting should be. I recommend this bakery to all my central Florida friends and visitors who are looking for the perfect birthday cake!

What a wonderful birthday celebration. Carter and I discovered a fabulous restaurant and bakery, I was introduced to a fun game from Carter’s past, and best of all, my husband didn’t stop smiling all night long.

Advertisement