See, Touch and ...Taste Mickey !

Disneyland smells like candy, looks like candy and... Guess what? Has tons of candy to sell. Meet Mickey, the frozen chocolate cream bar. Buy Mickey, a strawberry lollipop. Have a Matterhorn Sundae, sprinkled with Mickey shapes. So, in three days we saw and tried lots of food. For the good and healthy eaters, not so tasty salad with not so many calories. For the average hungry eaters, there were not so creative sandwiches with obvious chips on the side. For those who can eat it all,  some unforgettable providers of energy and sugar highs were all there: from nice-looking fruit boxes to unbelievable magic desserts that looked like animated characters.

Here are some tips on what to choose and, of course, one recipe inspired on one of the best surprised I could ever imagine eating at dreamland: funnel cake.

Healthy Disneyland trip: Almost all corners have a fruit stand where you can buy cups filled with fresh fruit. Or perhaps a wholesome fruit? Good-looking bananas and apples are all there. At Toontown Mickey you can even buy a yogurt parfait with granola, fresh berries and yogurt.

Salad Bar Trip: Believe me, even with different names they are all basically the same. Lettuce, ham, boiled egg, smoked turkey, some tomatoes and carrots are the options for those not willing to surrender to wonderland food.

Magic Sweet Disneyland Experience: Go for the Matterhorn Sundae at Carnation Cafe. Don't hesitate to visit the Mint Julep Cafe Bar at the French Market (close to the Pirates of the Caribbean Ride) and order a funnel cake with brownies, chocolate fudge and cream on the top. Absolutely heavenly!!! And of course, walk all two parks six times to spend all those calories quickly.

Coffee Lover: If craving a strong espresso go for Carnation Coffee, right on Main Street. They have a nice one, served in charming pots. Also Mint Julep's little coffee shop has a good and strong one, comme il faut.

Pirate Experience: We wanted badly but finally could not make it: The Blue Bayou Restaurant is dark and cozy inside the Pirates of the Caribbean Ride and was mentioned in many places as the best place to eat a Monte Cristo Sandwich. I thought this was amazing: deep-fried club sandwich?

Primate Earthy-Looking Experience: Just not good-looking, but very popular whole legs of smoked turkey were happily devoured around the grounds of the Matterhorn ride. I later found that some people go crazy about it. I just didn't have the courage after Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving Dinner: Yes, you can have it all. They have a kid's portion and it is all there. I promise you that the mashed potatoes were the best ever.

So, here is a recipe compiled from about three sources of well-known chefs.

Funnel Cake

Most important of all: check if you have the necessary amount of oil in your pantry before beginning!

2 cups canola oil
2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups milk
2 eggs
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon baking powder
Powdered sugar to dust the cake

In a bowl mix eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla. When smooth add gradually flour and baking powder. Heat oil to a frying point in a deep skillet. Add 1/2 of the batter in a funnel and pour it over the hot oil in circular movements. Fry each side up to when golden and use tongs to turn it. When ready put it on a kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil. The Rachel Ray solution to pour the batter is to use a plastic food bag and cut one of its tips to imitate the funnel.