Thursday, March 19, 2015

Fun, Laughter and Deliciousness at Our #DisneySide @Home Celebration {Mickey Mouse Monkey Bread Recipe}

I have said it before and I'll say it again, but there is something inherently magical about Disney.

It doesn't matter if you are an über-fan or simply find it difficult to name your child's favorite character without realizing that the car or toy or princess or superhero is connected back to that same mouse, Disney holds a special spot in our lives and our culture.

And, as much as I have always been awed and amazed at the wonder, care and imagination that goes into everything and anything Disney, it has increased infinitely now that I can see it through the eyes of my children. The way that they giggle over photos of our visits to the parks, the way that their eyes light up when they have a chance to meet their favorite characters, the way that they can't wait to see the little bonus clip at the end of the credits of Disney movies...

What can I say? The way that they love Disney touches my heart in its own magical way! Therefore, if we're called upon to...

Disney Side party

...there is never any doubt that we are thrilled to join in and host our own Disney Side @Home Celebration!

If you're somehow unfamiliar with Disney's theme phrase "Disney Side," they define it as that fun-loving adventurous spirit that comes out to play when you're feeling the Disney magic! Whether you show your Disney Side through fashion, food, or your favorite characters, or frequent visits to Disney Parks, it's time to let it shine. Gather your fellow Disney fans, grab your Mickey ears and prepare to sprinkle some pixie dust on those who cross your path as you let your Disney Side take over!

No matter where you search for #DisneySide (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and more) or how many times you visit DisneySide.com, you're sure to love seeing all of the fantastic ways that people near and far are showing off their Disney spirit!

As for us, it didn't matter that we didn't have a specific event in mind to celebrate, we were still more than ready to include some Disney love into an afternoon of fun... and then a box of goodies arrived that took our excitement an entirely new level. You just never know what might be inside a box from Disney and this one was just about overflowing with entertainment!

DisneySide Party Supplies

Food, decorations, invitations, toys, games, activities... what more could we need? It was time to invite some friends over and have some Disney fun!

Disney Party invitations

Although we weren't planning on serving a full spread of food at our party, I still wanted to have snacks for the kids (and their parents) to munch on. Besides, what sort of fun would a Disney Side @Home Celebration be without a sweet treat or two in the shape of the main mouse himself?

Which is why it was time to pull together a few simple ingredients, a little creativity, and a shaped pan to come up with an adorable plate oozing with the delicious flavor and aroma of Mickey Mouse Monkey Bread.

mickey mouse monkey bread

It may not have turned out a mirror image of Mickey, but you can tell it's him if you use your imagination, right?

Here, does this help?

Mickey Mouse monkey bread recipe.jpg

The kids could tell, that's what mattered!

Plus, our Mickey Mouse Monkey Bread not only represented Mickey in its full form, but, as Little Sister B pointed out, looked like mouse ears when pulled apart, too!

mickey mouse bread

So much fun and full of sticky goodness from the first bite to the last! Plus, this Monkey Bread couldn't have been much easier to make. I opted to try a recipe posted from The Pioneer Woman and, as I suspected, it barely took any work before this was in the oven.

Mickey Mouse Monkey Bread

Ingredients

3 cans regular (non-flaky) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 cup sugar
2-3 tsp cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
½ cup brown sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray Mickey Mouse shaped pan with cooking spray.

Open cans of biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters. Set aside.

Combine sugar with cinnamon in a 1 gallon zip bag and shake to mix evenly.

Drop all of the biscuit quarters into the cinnamon-sugar mix, seal closed and shake until all pieces are coated with cinnamon-sugar. Spread evenly in prepared pan.

Melt butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring for a few minutes until the two are thoroughly mixed. Pour mixture over biscuit pieces in pan.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until the crust is a deep dark brown on top. Cool for 15-30 minutes before turning over onto plate to serve.

monkey bread

Mmmmm!

While the Mickey Mouse Monkey Bread was a hit in its own right (obviously!), the kids also had a blast playing all sorts of games and activities throughout the afternoon.

The Disney Trivia cards (did you know that Mickey Mouse was originally voiced by Walt Disney himself? Or that Disneyland Resort is the #1 most-Instagrammed place in the U.S.?) included questions that puzzled even a few adults, Pin The Smile On Mickey brought a whole lot of laughter to the participants...

pin the smile on mickey

...while the Disney Word Searches and Disney Bingo were a blast to return to time and again.

Disney games

We lucked out with a tiny bit of warm weather (you never know what the temperatures will be in the Midwest in early spring!) and the kids were also able to play indoors as well as out.

Between the fun that Disney provided (there are a ton of downloads available for anyone to print off!), the addition of our many princess costumes, Disney tattoos, and the ability to burn a little energy jumping on our trampoline, the afternoon was a complete success!

DisneySide party

As usual, if we had had more time, there were a whole slew of Disney crafts, Disney movies, Disney make-believe and more that we would have enjoyed as well... the options are endless and I have no doubt that we'll be including them into future parties. The love for Disney is universal!

Plus, if we ever manage to get through our own list of ideas, there is no shortage of recipes, activities, themes and more to inspire just about anyone at DisneySideCelebrations.com. There is absolutely something for everyone!

As much fun as our simple (but still completely enjoyable) Disney Side @Home Celebration was, it did have the unfortunate side effect of making us yearn for a bit of the real thing — particularly when a few of the kids stopped to work on their My Family Tree of Life Poster.

family tree

If you've been to Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World, then the amazing tree in the center of this poster will look familiar to you.

This is one place that my kids haven't been to see (actually Big Sister E was there when she was a toddler, so she only remembers the tree from photographs) but, what they don't know is that they are going to be seeing this exact tree in person in just a few weeks... shhh! Can't wait to surprise them!!

family tree of life

In the meantime, as one added bonus to our celebration, our kittens have been in love with the box and packaging from our original Disney Side box.

They play in it, they sleep in it, they run and jump into it, they pull out strands of paper and chase them around the house... there's no explanation other than that they must love Disney just as much as we do!

cats in box

So, we've clearly got Disney on the brain around here. How do you show your Disney Side?

Other than the hostess gift pack I received from Disney Parks and Mom Select in order to facilitate and inspire our party, I was not compensated or enticed to do this post in any way. This post is solely my honest opinion about our #DisneySide!

37 comments:

Jeannette said...

What a fun party and your monkey bread is adorable! My youngest LOVES Mickey and we'll have to try out these ideas!

Couponing Away Debt said...

What a cute party, I LOVE your bread idea! Looks fantastic. We had ours last month my kiddos had such a great time.

raveandreview said...

I so wish we lived closer, because we need to have some more Disney time with our little ones together!

Unknown said...

Oh what total fun. We had a blast at our DisneySide party, as well. Isn't it great how much fun Disney can bring to us all? Thanks for sharing.

Unknown said...

We had our DisneySide party last month. SO much fun, yours looks like a ton of fun. Love your cats!

Karen Glatt said...

I have never made Monkey Bread before and I want to make it and see how it tastes! I love all things Disney and your party looks like so much fun!

Liz Mays said...

I love how you put that Mickey face on your monkey bread. lol The kids had a lot of fun, I can tell! And WHAT is with the kitties growing so big so quickly?!

Unknown said...

Definitely a mickey Face! I absolutely love monkey bread. I have yet to make it on my own though. Thanks for the recipe!

brokenteepee said...

What an amazing party! I adore monkey bread and it's so much fun to eat! I'll bet the kids loved pulling it apart

Cat Davis - Food Family and Finds said...

I wish I had gotten the chance to apply for one of those parties. You guys look like you had so much fun and I adore that Mickey Monkey bread!

Melanie said...

We love throwing parties to spice up the weeks that seem to drag. A Disney-themed party would be a big hit with the kids. I know that they'd be gobbling up that monkey bread. It totally looks like Mickey.

Betsy Barnes said...

Looks so fun and festive! I love the recipe too, very easy! I will be making this soon!

Stefani @ MommyEnterprises.com said...

I love all your pictures. What a FUN party. I am drooling over the Mickey Monkey Bread!

A Time Out for Mommy said...

Looks like such a fun party!

Unknown said...

What a great party! I've never made monkey bread, but we have a Mickey-obsessed toddler and want to try it out!

Thrifty and Chic Mom said...

What a great party, I love the family tree. That Mickey Mouse monkey bread looks delicious, can't wait to try it.

slehan said...

I want some of that monkey bread. Saw Cinderella this week. It was magical. Do stay through the credits to hear a couple of fun songs.

slehan at juno dot com

Jenny @cookeatgo said...

I love finding foods we can make into characters like Mickey Mouse! Looks like a fun party!

Nina Say said...

There is nothing better than Disney. We all could use a little more of it in our lives.

SensiblySara said...

LOVE the Mickey Mouse Monkey Bread!! Such a great idea! Looks like a super fun party, too!

Unknown said...

Everyone looks like they had a great time! I love the idea of Mickey Mouse Monkey Bread! Thats such a cute idea and something I know my family would love!

Avry said...

What a fun party! I've never tried to make monkey bread without it being pre made. You make it look easy! Even better with Mickey involved!

mail4rosey said...

I've never tried monkey bread. I do bet I'd like it though and I know the kids would. :) I like the pin the smile on Mickey game!

Marina@EBMR said...

Monkey bread is a huge favorite in our home. We love showing our Disney Side through sweet treats and movie choices too :)

C (Kid Things) said...

Disney has definitely been with all my kids growing up, from my boys and the Cars franchise to my daughter now and all the various princesses. And of course they all loved Mickey. There's something about that really is magic.

Stefani @ MommyEnterprises.com said...

Looks like a fun time to me. Love all the Disney decorations and the monkey bread!

Unknown said...

What a nice party. I love everything disney. i'm going to make some of the monkey bread .Looks yummy.

lil_lady_dz said...

This home celebration is the perfect way to celebrate your Disney side, love the monkey bread recipe! And the tree of life Is really cool.

Unknown said...

Yum! That Mickey Mouse Monkey Bread looks like something my kids would LOVE! Even hubby, with his morning coffee!

Tiffanie Hope said...

I've never had monkey bread before! Guess I'll have to try it now!!!

Unknown said...

CUTE!!! Monkey bread is always a big hit at our house.

Sandra Watts said...

Great photos and party and that monkey bread looks good too.

tisme143 said...

How awesome is this, and what a fun way to get the children involved in cooking :)

Rose-Marie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fiddlin' Dandi said...

This would be something really fun to make with my son sometime.

Jerry Marquardt said...

This Mickey Mose bread sound and must be very delicious. I would like to try to make this myself.

Unknown said...

I love this idea and it looks soo good, I wish I could eat it!