Brother Bear

We finally were able to have another girl's night and watch our next Disney movie after a few weeks of conflicting schedules. It was held at my (Anna's) house and the movie was Brother Bear. Brother Bear has always been one of my favorites because of the main characters overcoming adversity, so I was pretty glad to see it on our list at number 94. 

Brother Bear starts out with the main character, Kenai, coming of age. Before he can become a man though, he must achieved what his sacred totem symbolizes. Much to Kenai's dismay, his totem happens to be the Bear which symbolizes love. With the help from his brothers and other friendly creatures he finally learns that love is actually all he needs to become a man. It's not that easy and it's a great adventure so you're going to have to watch it to find out.

Since the movie was based in North America, I made our little group a Canadian themed dinner. As an appetizer I made Maple Bread with Soft Cheese. I thought it was a fitting start and pretty delicious too. As our main course I got a recipe from this year's Epcot's Food and Wine Festival cookbook. The recipe came from the Canadian pavilion and I think it turned out better than it was at Epcot (if I do say so myself). If you want to try it yourself (which I highly recommend) the recipe is below. For dessert, we had Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars. These were also delicious, but something Canadians probably only have in the summer. Us Floridians can enjoy it all year long!

Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup

Serves 10

Ingredients:

·         ½ pound bacon, chopped into ½-inch pieces

·         1 medium red onion, finely chopped

·         3 celery ribs, finely chopped

·         4 tablespoons butter

·         1 cup all-purpose flour

·         3 cups chicken stock

·         4 cups milk

·         1 pound grated white cheddar cheese

·         1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce

·         1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

·         Coarse salt, freshly ground pepper to taste

·         ½ cup warm beer

·         Chopped scallion or chives, for garnish

Directions:

1.       Stir bacon over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned, in a 4-or-5quart Dutch oven.

2.       Add onion, celery, and butter and sauté until onion softens, about 5 minutes.

3.       Add flour and stir constantly for about 4 minutes over medium heat. Whisk in chicken stock and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4.       Add milk and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Do not boil after adding milk.

5.       Remove from heat and stir in cheese, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper until cheese is melted and soup is smooth. Stir in warm beer. If soup is too thick, thin with some warm milk.

6.       Serve hot, garnished with chopped scallions or chives.