We Have A Winner!

Please check the comments section of the myheadcoverings.com giveaway post for details. The winner has one week to contact me, at which point if I have not heard back, I will choose another winner.

MyHeadcoverings - A Three Generation Review & Giveaway

You might remember a while back I did a review for myheadcoverings.com
The kind folks over there have offered me the opportunity to do so again - with a twist.

I present to you all a three generation review and giveaway - proving that myheadcoverings.com truly does have something for everyone.

Since the product that I still wear the most from my last review is the pre-tied, I decided to try two of those again. This time I tried a sparkle swirl one, similar to the appliqued one that I own, and an Israeli pre-tied as well. Israeli tichels are all the rage now but tying them can take a small amount of skill and time. I like to be able to "grab and dump" so the idea of an Israeli pre-tied sounded intriguing.

I chose the purple sparkle swirl because the black one was too.... well.... black. And the silver and blue seemed a bit too flashy to me. I think this snood will become my new favorite. It fit snugly and looks so pretty.

Now the Israeli pre-tied will take a bit more finesse... The fabric is INCREDIBLY light, making it a wonderful choice for summer, but figuring out how to create some of those fancier buns and wraps may take me a bit of practice. Good thing it's a pre-tied. Because it looks lovely just as it is, with the tails hanging long. That also fits well with my aforementioned "grab and dump" styling ;) .

My daughter Erica chose the studded beret/short snood in navy which she plans on wearing as a snood. She reports that it’s a very comfortable and light weight knit which should be great for the summer. The studs on the snood give it just the right amount of sparkle - noticeable but not overly flashy. This is definitely a snood that she will wear on a regular basis and she's even considering buying it in another color.

Now little granddaughter Kayla has been wishing for a pretty white headband to go with her summer dresses, and myheadcoverings.com has a lovely assortment of jewelry and hair accessories for the little ones. She settled on the flower headband with sequins and gem and when prompted, said the following about it:
“It’s so pretty and I want to keep it. It’s so sparkly and so shiny. It’s so comfortable and I want to wear it.”

Now once again, what would a review be without a giveaway? We will be giving away a $20 credit towards any item on the site. Many items are less, so you can get them free. If you'd like a more expensive item, simply pay the balance. If you'd like a chance to win, simply visit MyHeadcoverings.com and leave a comment here telling me what your favorite product is, with a link. I will choose one winner at random on Monday June 25th, after 9 pm.

In addition, as an extra gift to all my blog readers, My Headcoverings has set up a coupon code just for the readers of this blog. Simply enter the code "dinner10" at checkout, for 10% off your entire purchase. This code will be valid for the next 14 days.

So go forth and shop! :)

And be sure to share this giveaway with your friends.

Food Photo Friday - Deli Wraps

The Shabbos table in the summer time can get pretty warm.
Especially if you are like us, and serve hot soup 52 weeks a year.
That's why I like to make these appetizers on occasion on Friday nights. They usually make enough for leftovers to double as additions to the main dish of a cold Shabbos lunch meal.
Deli wraps are very versatile with regard to ingredients.
I like to buy two different flavor combinations, more for color than for taste. Pictured here are Sundried Tomato and Spinach Wraps.
I lightly spread a layer of Hellman's Sandwich Spread onto 2/3 of the wrap, then add a mixture consisting of bagged salad mix, slivered sundried tomatoes and smoked turkey slices pulled apart into pieces.
I then roll them tightly and wrap in foil for several hours.
Each full sized wrap is then cut into 4 segments.
As you can see they make a very pretty plated presentation... doggie knife rests are optional ;)

Breuer's In Bloom - An Article In Mishpacha Magazine

I waited the full week, as per Mishpacha Magazine's request and for all those who commented, emailed, Facebooked, what have you - thank you for your patience.
I have embedded the article about Avram's work on the Shavuos flowers at KAJ.
In the lower right of the embed boxes is a small icon that when clicked, will open the document in full screen so that you don't have to scroll around. (You can "right click" and select "open in new tab" if you want to keep this blog post open.)
Enjoy.





... and in this week's issue, this letter to the editor:

Erev Shavuos - In Shul and At Home

Chag Sameach to one and all!

Shavuos Flowers Go Up At KAJ - Repost

Some things bear reposting year after year.
This video is one of them...

Thanks to all the blog readers (and others, of course) who have donated so generously to make this happen. Even those of you who live more than TEN THOUSAND miles away... (you know who you are)

The work commenced last night and will continue until shortly before Yom Tov begins.

{If you happen to be readers of a certain Jewish magazine, you may find an article published there this week about my husband and what he does in this regard for Yom Tov}

Food Photo Friday - Early Edition - Cranberry Cheesecake

I'll do a lot of things for you, my readers.

Cutting into a freshly made cheesecake before Shavuos isn't one of them, so you'll pardon the less than stellar photos.

I will, however, post Food Photo Friday on a Wednesday, to give you all a chance to share the yum.

For many years I made two cheesecakes: the classic fluffy cheesecake with the world's best graham crust that my mother always made, and one "experimental" cheesecake. Chocolate. Peanut Butter. And others (leave it at that, OK....). But once I perfected my Cranberry Cheesecake, there would be no more experimentation. In my opinion, the tangy "bite" of the fresh cranberries, lends the perfect balance to the sweet, dense creaminess of this (2 lbs. [!!!] of cream cheese) cake.

So off I go each year and purchase more cream cheese than should be allowable by law.

This is not even ALL of it - since aside from 2 cheesecakes, I make a sweet dairy noodle kugel.

Then there's the hunt for the ever elusive Cholov Yisroel sweetened condensed milk.... (they call it "cream" here.... just to be "heimishe chic")

What emerges after a fair amount of whipping and folding is my most delicious cranberry cheesecake. (recipe follows)

For The Crust:
1 1/2 cups cinnamon graham cracker crumbs (about 24 squares)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

For The Filling:
4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk or one jar of the "fancy heimishe stuff" shown above
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 large eggs (since the heimishe stuff is 4 oz. smaller, I compensated with extra large eggs)

1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Sugared cranberries and orange peel strips, optional

Instructions:
In a bowl, combine cinnamon graham cracker crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom and slightly up the sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Beat in lemon juice until smooth. Add eggs and sugar; beat on low speed just until combined. Fold in cranberries. Pour over the crust.

Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees F (160 C) for 60-70 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. Remove sides of pan. Garnish with sugared cranberries and orange peel if desired.

My (Grand)Father's Clock.....

"Is your father still alive?", I hear the clock maker say as I stare into the empty cherry wood shell of my father's grandfather clock. I shake my head sadly and he replies, pointing to the casing, "Oh yes, he is!" I smile, because he's right.

Few household purchases are as unusual, and as emotional, as a grandfather clock. Jim Pearl, president of Pearl Grandfather Clocks was quoted as saying, "People don`t buy one because it's a decorative accessory. They buy it because of what it represents--a very strong tie to the past. It is roots... heritage."

My father's grandfather clock commemorated his 60th birthday. He enjoyed it immensely for the next 13 years. It's sonorous chimes marked moments and memories both good and bad over the years, silenced (unlike the song below) only when my dear aunt slept over (or couldn't sleep, as the case turned out....).

Several years following my father's death, the clock was generously gifted to our family and my husband has become a most worthy caretaker of this stately timepiece.

As we have since learned, these clocks, not unlike pianos, require regular professional maintenance for peak performance. Following our recent stint with the painters (shudder), the clock has been losing time at an unacceptable rate (that is to say - as I lie in bed at night with my eyes closed, suffering from insomnia, I'm never quite sure how badly I'm going to feel in the morning.....).

Russell Andrews to the rescue. Russell's family is now THIRD generation clock repair. Russell understands the nostalgic tug elicited by this cherished timepiece. He cradled the inner mechanism that he removed for service as a parent holds a newborn, resting each piece lovingly on a cushioned bed for transport. Russell encouraged me to write down the story of the clock and offered to put it inside when he returns on Erev Yom Tov to restore the mechanism into its housing. I think I may just do that......

.... but for the next few days, the house will be eerily silent.... missing my father's "voice".

Food Photo Friday - Wine Braised Beets

In my ongoing quest for Shabbos salads and sides that don't wilt before the Friday night meal is over (and perhaps can be served again at Shabbos lunch...), I tried this recipe for wine braised beets this week. They tasted so yummy fresh out of the oven, that I highly doubt there will be any leftovers to last past the first meal :)

2 bunches medium beets
8 shallots, peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup dry red wine
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel the beets and cut each one into 8 chunks. Mix the beets and shallots together in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.



Toss the olive oil and red wine and season with salt and pepper. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake until the beets are just tender, about 1 1/4 hours.

Stir in the brown sugar and red wine vinegar. Bake uncovered stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender and glazed with the sauce, about 15 to 20 minutes more.

In Lieu of Food Photo Friday...

Since the stuffed mushrooms are still in the oven, I thought I'd usher you in to Shabbos with another table photo. Fragrant peonies remind us that even though it's been a grey week, spring is here. The Sefiras HaOmer box reminds us.... well.... to Omer.
Wishing every one a peaceful Shabbos.

Scene Around Town - Sunset In Ft. Tryon Park

This is the perfect time of year to head out to Ft. Tryon Park at sunset. As the birds give their final calls for the day and the leaves rustle in the trees, the lamps begin to light as the sun sets over the Hudson River.

If you haven't gone out there yet, I suggest you do.

And don't forget to stop at this sign and smile.

It's meant to keep people from plucking the beautiful array of flowers which include, lilacs, peonies, roses, tulips and much, much more.

I prefer to think of it as a metaphor for life.

Glatt Kosher - Glatt Yoshor! *

This was a very famous quote attributed to Rav Dr. Joseph Breuer, whose 32nd yahrzeit is today.

Isn't it ironic that a website which posted a very lovely article today about this amazing Torah personality, that originally appeared in the Jewish Observer, chose to insert THIS PICTURE, which is in the public domain, yet had the audacity to stamp their own logo on top of it, as if to say that the rights are theirs.

Furthermore, when I submitted a comment questioning the right to this photo, my comment was edited to only show my appreciation of the article, with my question omitted.

Is THIS the type of behavior the Rov stood for??!?

*See "A Unique Perspective", published by The Rabbi Dr. Joseph Breuer Foundation, printed by Feldheim Publishers.

(It might be interesting to note that this website has a history of this type of behavior. They have used photos of MINE in the past without asking permission or at the very least crediting the source)

What Ever Happened to Colored Toilet Paper???

These are the weighty topics that come to mind on nights that I struggle valiantly with insomnia.

And YOU are the beneficiaries! (Don't you feel lucky?)

But seriously... it occurred to me last night that what used to be a staple in households across the country, seems to have disappeared from supermarkets displays with nary a whimper.

I remember way back when.... we had peach toilet paper in our peach bathroom and mint toilet paper in our green bathroom (OK, the fact that green bathrooms have fallen by the wayside.... THAT I get!). 

I tried to remember when this profusion of color - pink, yellow, blue, green, peach - disappeared off store shelves, but try as I might, I could not.  There must not have been a great hue and cry  (pun intended). But why? I LIKED colored toilet paper {she whines some 20 years too late}. Does anyone else remember? Does anyone else care??!?!

I did a quick search on the internet today and was able to find black toilet paper and glow in the dark toilet paper....

NO THANKS.

History Tends to Repeat Itself.....

Those of you who enjoy following Joey's trivia aspirations, may enjoy the next story in his "Road To Jeopardy (one day...) " saga.

Joey applied to be a contestant on a British trivia show entitled The Chase, that is filming a pilot in the United States. Representatives from the show called Joey yesterday. They were interested in bringing him for a final audition for the pilot episode as a contestant. But first, he'd have to pass a trivia speed test. In Joey's words, he "murdered" it. (For those over the age of 25, that seems to be a GOOD thing nowadays..... like saying something is "sick".... Who knew?)

They then told Joey the singular date that they would be in New York to conduct auditions.

Guess what?

It was a Shabbos!

Sound familiar? How 'bout now?

(of course when Anglophile Avram heard that participation in the pilot episode would include an all expenses paid trip for TWO to London, he briefly toyed with the idea of asking a shaaloh {you DO know that was a joke folks, right?!?!?}).

Good Shabbos - Springtime Profusion

As you can see from today's erev Shabbos table photo, springtime has come to the G6 household. Avram brought a lovely, light springtime bouquet which goes perfectly with the ladybug dappled vase that I made years ago at Little Shop of Plaster and Pottery.

You may also note from the picture, that I baked shlussel challah this week, though I must admit that after reading this article (subsequent to baking the challah...), and considering that I am the one that instituted the practice into my family, this may very well be the last year that I in fact partake in this activity.

Thoughts? How many of you know for certain that your grandmothers did it?