by Creative Jewish Mom

Love these? Me too! I’m sure someone else in the world has come up with the same thing, but I was not looking at their idea when I made these. They’re another fun result of sitting down at the dining room table with paper circles! And the good news is you really don’t need any special supplies! As I mentioned with yesterday’s paper ornaments, don’t be afraid to try these in contrasting neutral colors for a more sophisticated look. They could be great wedding decorations too!

You’ll Need:
- colored paper
- a soup bowl to trace
- a glue stick
- a hot glue gun
- fishing line

read complete instructions here

Gorgeous right? These carnation look-alikes made from cupcake liners
are fantastic, even more so in person! And you can whip up a bunch of
bouquets in very little time (and for very little cost!) once you get the hang of it. They’re
delicate and romantic with a tongue in cheek craftyness. And they would
make great centerpieces anytime, but especially for a DIY wedding, a
bridal or baby shower, and of course Shavuos! 

And I just love the idea of using these floral stamens for the little all white flowers, so sweet…..can’t quite believe I made these. Mind you the idea itself is not mine, but I played around with a variety of techniques before coming up with what I think results in the nicest flowers.

You’ll Need:

• cupcake liners in three graduating sizes (small, medium, large) You could certainly try using colored and patterned liners for this project, but there’s something really nice about creating with just the basic creme liners! (And my local store only had creme and blue striped ones……)
• floral wire, around 22 gauge (you can use pipe cleaners for a kid’s project, but not for yours!)
• red craft paint
• floral stamens (even available in Israel at basic craft stores!)

How To:

1. The large flowers are made from 9 total liners, 3 large, 3 medium and 3 small. the small flowers are made from 8 liners, all size small.
2. Stack the liners according to size, one inside the next.
3. With a very large needle, or something else sharp, like possibly a toothpick, poke a hole at the edge of the small liner, such that the hole goes all the way through all the layers. Make sure to keep holding your liners together after you poke the hole!
4. Thread a piece of floral wire through the first hole, and poke a second hole ….

for complete instructions go to www.creativejewishmom.com.

When the story of Purim occurred, it was as if the world was upside-down. Nothing was the way it seemed. We live in a world today that still seems like that – venachafoch hu, upside down. Israel is reviled and the murderers of its citizens applauded. The big picture is hidden from us. Nevertheless we celebrate because we know that just as Hashem’s hidden hand was ultimately revealed and the Jews of Shushan saved, so too will it happen again and we will eventually see the redemption. We will have that clear recognition that everything is from Hashem. The curtains will be pulled back. To help get into the Purim spirit (no pun intended), we offer this Purim meal for you, your family and friends. We hope it will excite your palate and increase your Simcha! No Purim seudah would be complete without some (but not too much) alcohol. This year we’re serving Long Island Iced Tea (no slur on the Five Towns intended)

Pumpkin Challah
Baby Lamb Chops with Chianti Vinaigrette
“Shrimp” Cocktail
Tomatoes with Tequila-Lime Vinaigrette
Green Salad with Champagne Dressing
Jewel Toned Orzo
Macadamia Nut Tarts
Chocolate Bread Pudding with Warm Caramel and Chocolate Sauces
Long Island Iced Tea

Your family is going on an outing. You really want to go with (You really want to get out of the kitchen!) But you know that everyone will be very hungry when they return – especially since you can’t really eat anything substantial outside the Succah. What should you do? This is the time to recognize that crock pots are not just for Shabbos. You can put all the ingredients in at the beginning of the day, turn the crock pot on high, and come home after a day bickering with, I mean enjoying your family, to a nice hot dinner. Here are some suggestions:

White Bean Soup

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Weekday “Cholent”

On Rosh HaShanah, we eat various symbolic foods as omens for the new year. Through them we express our desires for a sweet new year, inscription in the book of life, and the destruction of our enemies among others. While each item can certainly be eaten raw, making unique dishes incorporating those makes each siman a little more special and may bring a greater focus to the activity. The following are just a sampling of the possibilities. Here at Gourmetkoshercooking.com, we wish everyone a sweet and happy new year.

Dip the Apple in the Honey

Apple Cakes

Carrot Soup

Carmelized Leeks

Roasted Beets

Date Bread

Pumpkin Tarts

Ingredients

3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ cups sugar plus 5 tablespoons
4 large eggs
1 cup oil
2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup orange juice
5 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preparation

Preheat oven 350°. Grease a 10-inch tube pan. Combine flour, baking powder, and 1 ½ cups sugar in a mixing bowl. Add eggs and wet ingredients. Mix until batter is smooth and free of lumps. In a separate bowl, combine remaining sugar, apples and cinnamon.
Pour half of batter in pan and then layer with of apples. Repeat. Bake for 60 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Make this 2 days ahead of time. It gets more flavorful after few days

This recipe is courtesy Homemade Goodies by Roz, a delicious gourmet bake shop in the heart of Philadelphia.

Ingredients
12 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, diced
3 boxes Imagine pareve chicken soup
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes

Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a large soup bowl and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about ½ hour until carrots are soft. Allow soup to cool slightly and then purée with hand immersion blender until smooth.

2 medium leeks, washed well and sliced into thin strips
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar.

Heat margarine and olive oil over low eat in a large frying pan. Add leeks and cook slowly, 10 to 15 minutes until leeks start to soften. You do not want them to brown. Sprinkle sugar over leeks and gently mix. Continue to cook for 15 to 20 minutes longer until very soft. Good alone or as a topping on bread or pasta.

2 bunches of beets, washed and sliced as thin as possible
olive oil
kosher salt

Line a low rimmed cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with non stick cooking spray. Put sliced beets in a single layer on the pan (you may need two pans). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle the beets with olive oil and toss the oil and beets together. Roast in the oven until the beets are soft and a little crisp on the edges (the peel will come right off). Sprinkle generously with kosher salt.