Playing with Glass?

Many years ago – okay, I am really dating myself here –  way, way back in the 70′s, there was a little TV show that was just starting out called Saturday Night Live.  Perhaps you’ve heard of it?  I’m talking about the original version with the original cast – specifically,  a show that aired in Season 2, in 1976.  I was a kindergartner about that time so I don’t think I watched this episode live, but I must have seen it later on a “Best of…” type show.   It’s about the holidays and it focuses on a character played by Dan Aykroyd, who is almost always hilarious.  With Hanukkah and Christmas fast approaching, I really wanted to share this with everyone, while introducing a really cool, really fun, awesome new gift we just got at Jewish Gift Place.  So hang in there with me and you’ll see where I’m going with this…

In this episode, Dan Aykroyd plays Irwin Mainway, the sleazy President of Mainway Toys, who is being interviewed by a reporter investigating the safety of Mr. Mainway’s so-called “harmless” toys.  His company is the maker of such wholesome playthings as  Pretty Peggy Ear-Piercing Set, Mr. Skin-Grafter, and Johnny Switchblade.  But the skit got laugh-out-loud funny when the reporter holds up a giant bag of bits and pieces of jagged glass.

Here is an excerpt from the actual skit:

Irwin Mainway: Yeah, right, it’s you know, it’s glass, it’s broken glass, you know? It sells very well, as a matter of fact, you know? It’s just broken glass, you know?

Consumer Reporter: [ laughs ] I don’t understand. I mean, children could seriously cut themselves on any one of these pieces!

Irwin Mainway: Yeah, well, look – you know, the average kid, he picks up, you know, broken glass anywhere, you know? The beach, the street, garbage cans, parking lots, all over the place in any big city. We’re just packaging what the kids want! I mean, it’s a creative toy, you know? If you hold this up, you know, you see colors, every color of the rainbow! I mean, it teaches him about light refraction, you know? Prisms, and that stuff! You know what I mean?

Consumer Reporter: So, you don’t feel that this product is dangerous?

Irwin Mainway: No! Look, we put a label on every bag that says, “Kid! Be careful – broken glass!” I mean, we sell a lot of products in the “Bag O’” line.. like Bag O’ Glass, Bag O’ Nails, Bag O’ Bugs, Bag O’ Vipers, Bag O’ Sulfuric Acid. They’re decent toys, you know what I mean?

The entire skit was just  two characters - it was one of the funniest I have ever seen and you can watch it here at SNL – Irwin Mainway.

My family still jokes around the holidays that if you’re not good, you’ll get a Bag O’ Glass!

So,  when is it okay to play with glass?  When its safely housed inside a kaleidoscope!  We carry some really unique kaleidoscopes that are amazing works of art and we have just added something new to this category - these awesome kaleidoscope necklaces by Healy Designs.  These genuine sterling silver necklaces are superior in their quality and attention to detail.

The pendant is a working kaleidoscope filled with little bits and pieces of beach glass, crystal gems, and dichroic glass, which has a shimmering quality to it.  When you spin the cylinder, tiny mesmorizing patterns and designs of rainbow colors are formed.  What makes the kaleidoscope even more unique is that the pendant is also a mezuzah - with a  Shema on parchment inside -  accented by a Star of David charm dangling on the outside.

I can think of so many occasions that these necklaces would be perfect for – a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, a special birthday, Hanukkah, Mother’s Day, any day you want to celebrate.  I love that the mezuzah kaleidoscope combines faith and fun and can make anyone feel like a kid again.

Deborah and Kevin Healy, the talented artists behind these enchanting pendants, say it best : “The swirling colors and patterns of kaleidoscopes have enabled us to add a new dimension to how our jewelry may be enjoyed.  As artists, we feel fortunate to participate in the revelatory and peaceful world of kaleidoscopes.”

Guaranteed to be so much more fun – and a whole lot safer – than the Bag O’ Glass!

A New Year – New Artists! 2 New Husband and Wife Teams

What better way to celebrate the New Year than to introduce some new artists to Jewish Gift Place?  We have been working hard, adding so many new and  incredible pieces to the site, and we wanted to share the news with everyone.  Two of the newest design studios to join us happen to be husband and wife teams.

First, we are happy to introduce Curtis and Sheron Rowland of Ildanach Studios, who bring us their beautiful, therapeutic copper jewelry all the way from Colorado.  They have provided Jewish Gift Place with exclusive Star of David copper bangles, earrings, and necklaces.  Did I mention these pieces are exclusive to JGP?  Although all the jewelry is amazing in their organic and earthy appeal, I just cannot put down the smokey quartz necklace.  The way the grayish brown hues and copper play off each other is so beautiful, so calming, just such a presence.  I love, love, love gemstones and all kinds of rocks and minerals with their natural, intrinsic colors and hues.  This necklace delivers all that and more, including a Star of David copper pendant and a pure copper clasp.  This necklace is a terrific Hanukkah gift at an even more terrific price.  If you know someone who loves smokey quartz or is a rock hound like me, you will not disappoint them with this gift.  Learn more about the therapeutic benefits of Ildanach Studio’s copper and take a look at our exclusive line when you get a chance.  They get extra kudos because they are a green certified site and utilize recycled materials in all their pieces.

I mentioned that we had another dynamic husband and wife duo.  Meet Howard and Whitney Schwartz, proud parents of three, and owners of Whitney Howard Designs.  Out of their studio in California comes some fun and inspirational heartfelt pewter jewelry that would make great, affordable Hanukkah or anytime gifts.  Their jewelry is made from lead free, recycled pewter, so kudos to Whitney Howard, too!  Another really cool idea is to design and personalize these pieces to create your own custom jewelry for your Bat Mitzvah or Bar Mitzvah party favors.  Completely awesome, totally unique, and earth friendly, imagine giving out blessing ring or story necklaces to your friends and family that you have designed with your own personal stamp on them!  Just give us a call or an email and we will be happy to discuss how we can help make your Bar or Bat Mitzvah an occasion to remember.

The New Year has just begun and already it is sweet for us at Jewish Gift Place and we hope so for you, too!  Please keep checking back as we will be adding even more handmade gifts over the next few weeks in eager anticipation of Hanukkah.  It’s just around the corner…

Shana Tova from Esther Abramowitz in Jerusalem

Yesterday, my brother-in-law, Kenny, who lives in Israel, sent me an email from his friend, Esther Abramowitz. It was so beautiful, I asked him to ask Esther if I can share it with you, and here it is:

Shana Tova from Esther in Jerusalem

Hi! I hope you are having a fabulous day wherever you are!

The Chagim are here! No matter that they are “late” this year- my lists are not finished, my shopping not done and I have not started cooking! Yehiye Tov. It is going to be awesome!  It feels like this whole week is Erev Chag here in Israel! Craziness. I think the entire country is basically obsessed with cleaning, menus and food shopping right now. There are ridiculous lines at every supermarket, awesome pre Chag sales on house wares and clothing, flowers galore, Chag sale ads on the sides of buses, Shana Tova text messages appearing on my cell phone and in my inbox all day, packages of chocolate, baskets of apples and honey and flowers being delivered to our office, and on and on… Everyone seems to be cleaning, shopping, cooking and buying Shana Tova gifts for one another. I love it! I just read that Israelis will consume 1,500 tons of honey this month, valued at NIS 60 million. An average Israeli will eat 300 grams of honey. Yikes!

I am once again reminded of the many brachot in my life, the joy of welcoming people into my home (I wish you could join me at my table though this year you may have to sit on the mirpeset as there may not be room inside!) the power of recognizing and blessing the good in ourselves and in others, the very sweet joy of celebrating, the feeling of fulfillment, awe and occasional “wow” during tefillah, and the painful and powerful beauty of forgiveness and compassion.

Wishing you a wonderful and fulfilling month of Chagim! I hope they are filled with joy, health, yummy food, song, loved ones and laughter!

Shana Tova U’Metuka,

Love, Esther

The poem below was also sent by Esther:

I found this Yehuda Amichai poem that touched me that I wanted to share with you. I so wish I could have a conversation with him.

The Real Hero

The real hero of the Isaac story was the ram,
who didn’t know about the conspiracy between the others.
As if he had volunteered to die instead of Isaac.
I want to sing a song in his memory–
about his curly wool and his human eyes,
and how they made those horns into shofars when he was slaughtered
to sound their battle cries
or to blare out their obscene joy.

I want to remember the last frame
like a photo in an elegant fashion magazine:
the young man tanned and manicured in his jazzy suit
and beside him the angel, dressed for a party
in a long silk gown,
both of them empty-eyed, looking
at two empty places,

And behind them, like a colored backdrop, the ram,
caught in the thicket before the slaughter.
The thicket was his last friend.

The angel went home.
Isaac went home.
Abraham and God had gone long before.

But the real hero of the Isaac story
was the ram.

–Yehuda Amichai, “The Real Hero”

The Selected Poetry of Yehuda Amichai, trans. Chana Bloch & Stephen
Mitchell

(Berkeley: Univ. California Press, 1996)

My Sister, Jenn, the Ultimate ‘Savvy Auntie,’ Becomes a Mom & Great Jewish Baby Gift Ideas

I am SO SO SO happy to announce that my sister, Jenn, and her husband, Rich, have become the parents of a beautiful  little girl!   Sophia Faith was  born on May 17, 2011 weighing 6 lbs. 3 oz.  Little girls do not get any cuter than this!!  And doesn’t Jenn look AMAZING!!  I looked like hell after childbirth and Jenn looks like a glowing model!

I know that Jenn is going to be an awesome mom because she is the most AWESOME aunt!  And now that I just finished reading the book, “Savvy Auntie” by Melanie Notkin, who owns www.SavvyAuntie.com, I realize that Jenn has been a “Savvy Auntie” all along.  She first became an aunt 12 years ago when my nephew, Sky, was born, and then 3 weeks later, my son, Joshua, was born.  She is now the proud aunt of 9 nieces and nephews. She was always a natural at it – the kids absolutely LOVE her! She does the most fun activities with them, like planting flowers and horseback riding,  she gets them the most awesome Hanukkah and birthday gifts, and when the boys are at her house, she shows them the BEST time.  She also knows how to keep them in line, too.

Last month, when she was 8 months pregnant, I thought it might be the last chance for Mike and I to get away for a night and leave the boys with her (I had mercy and only left her 2 out of 3).  She was big and tired all the time so I rented 3 movies and told her to just let the boys watch movies and play video games all day and night and that she shouldn’t leave the house at all.  NOT JENN!!  In all her exhaustion and hugeness, she took the boys to Coney Island for the day where the boys had a BLAST!

Jenn is the epitome of a Savvy Auntie, but if  you’re an aunt, or friend, or mom like me who can use a refresher on little babies, then I highly recommend reading Melanie’s book.  Melanie covers what babies, toddlers, and kids are like, what they like to eat, what toys are appropriate, and what games they like to play, and much, much more.  It’s like the ultimate resource for anything there is to know about the behavior of kids and how to be prepared for them.  And how to be the coolest Aunt ever!

One of the topics Melanie covered in her book are religious rituals and observances that may surround a child’s birth, specifically a bris for a Jewish boy, a simchat bat for a Jewish girl, and a baptism for Christian child.  Since I’m all excited about becoming an aunt again (I now have 10 nieces and nephews!), I’ve been looking through our Jewish baby gift collection for something special for Sophia.  I thought I’d share with you my favorite Jewish baby gifts.

“With Each Child the World Begins Anew”

Gary Rosenthal, a wonderful artist and philanthropist, makes two of my favorite Jewish baby gifts.  He makes a tzedekah box in pink and blue, and a mezuzah in pink and blue, that says, “With each child the world begins anew,” in Hebrew and English.  I love that profound saying.  What makes his pieces even more special is that they can be personalized with the baby’s name printed in gold lettering on the fused glass.

I LOVE Studio Roja’s Noah’s Ark Mezuzah with the beautifully detailed pictures of the animals on the ark.  This is a very popular children’s gift.

Also very popular, and not just for Hanukkah, is Naturally Wood Creation’s personalized name menorah.  You can even put two rows of words to include the baby’s birth date, if you want.   I just filled an order for two of these menorahs for twins with beautiful names, Luca and Mia.

Congrats Jenn and Rich!  You are blessed.

Reflections of My Passover, AWESOME Recipes, and Spring is Here!

MY PASSOVER SEDER

Now that the Passover holiday is over – how was your holiday?  Mine was jam packed with family and lots of good food!  Like everyone who hosts a Passover Seder, I put a lot of time into it – not just preparing the meal, but preparing how I was going to run the Passover Seder.  I had 19 people over at my house for the first night of Passover.  This was the second time I did a Seder and I put my own spin on it, with a heavy emphasis on symbolism and singing.   After sitting through Seders all of my life, there were many parts of the Seder that I, admittedly, really just did not know the meaning of.

I prepared a  Passover Seder agenda (pdf) that I distributed to everyone,  not only to keep me on track and know which page I would ask people to turn to, but so that my guests would know how far along we were as we made our way towards the highly anticipated meal.  Also attached to the agenda were explanations of the symbolism I discussed, some prayers,  and the song sheets of very funny Passover songs(pdf).

THE SYMBOLISM OF THE PASSOVER SEDER

The first thing  I discussed at the Seder was all the symbolism of the Passover Seder Plate.  Next, I discussed who Elijah was and also talked about those four cups of wine I had always wondered about.  When exactly are you supposed to drink them and why does my family never seem to get to all four?  Now I know why!  Because we never continue the Haggadah reading after the meal!  Then the matzot – why are there 3, and why do you break the middle matzah, and what’s the symbolism of the Afikomen?

I explained all of it, as best as I could.  Where some parts of the Haggadah were a little dry or long-winded, I told the story in my own words (using a lot of what I learned from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat).  I told the story of Joseph (sold as a slave by his jealous brothers) and how he eventually became Egypt’s #2, and then the children of Israel moved to Egypt, and the 80 turned into thousands, which is why Ramses enslaved the Jews and ordered the killing of all first born sons.

SYMBOLISM OF MIRIAM’S CUP WITH A NEW RITUAL AND PRAYER

Another symbolic part of my Seder was the “Cup of Miriam.” I had everyone pour a little bit of their water into Miriam’s cup, and it was placed beside the customary “Cup of Elijah,” which was filled with wine. I wrote an extensive article about Miriam’s Cup last year and told the story of  Miriam, Moses’ sister,  and Miriam’s Cup.   One of my cousins said, “Miriam?  She’s someone new I haven’t heard of before!”  Perfect!  This was exactly what I hoped for during the Seder – have everyone learn something new.  Even after the Seder, Joshua remembered the three reasons water is symbolic to Miriam.

1. Miriam saved her brother’s life by placing him in a woven basket in the water of the Nile River.  She followed Moses until he reached the arms of Pharaoh’s daughter, who raised him as her son.
2. She led a victory song and dance after walking through the waters of the Red Sea.
3. She was followed by a continuous well of spring water that sustained the Israelites in the desert.

I ended the Seder with a new ritual that I think is a combination of my own and reading a lot of other rituals.  I explained that Miriam represented the present and Elijah represented the future.  I had everyone pass around Miriam’s Cup and Elijah’s cup and dip their finger into the water of Miriam’s Cup, make a wish for the coming year, and add a drop of water into the wine of Elijah’s cup to mix the present and the future together. We all recited:

“Miriam is beginning; Elijah is end. Miriam is present, Elijah is future. Miriam is place; Elijah is time. Elijah is the mountain, Miriam is the sea. The water of Miriam rises from the earth, the fire of Elijah descends from the sky. Together they are the circle of sunlight and rain, not separate or dissimilar, for both are needed for growth. We must have consciousness of both in order to be free.”

GREAT FUNNY PASSOVER SONGS

Last year, a lady sent me a collection of AWESOME funny Passover songs (pdf).  Whenever appropriate, I substituted a song for the reading from the Haggadah.  I started off with “There’s No Seder Like Our Seder” to the tune of “There’s No Business Like Show Business.”  Then “Take me Out Of Egypt” sung to “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”  We sang, “Moses’ Island” to the tune of Gilligan’s Island, and instead of reading about the Four Sons, we sang the song , “The Ballad of the Four Sons” to the tune of “Clementine.”  A very popular song was “Just a Tad of Charoset” sung to “Just a Spoonful of Sugar,” and then on a slightly more serious note, after the Jews passed through the Red Sea and the Pharaoh’s Army was drowned and the Jews were free, my son, Joshua had queued up on his iPod, “Miriam’s Song,” and with a “5..6..5,6,7,8″ we played “Miriam’s Song” by Debbie Friedman and I passed out tambourines and the little kids danced around the room!  The whole Seder took about 45 minutes, and I know I’m  biased, but I think everyone enjoyed it.

THE PASSOVER MEAL – WHAT I SERVED

Then, onto the meal!!  My 9-months pregnant sister, Jennifer, made the apple kugal and onion and mushroom kugal.  Benjamin, my 6 year old, made the matzah balls.  We learned our lesson from last year and, since we quadrupled the recipe, we DID NOT cook all the matzah balls in the soup at the same time, but cooked them in three batches (if you put them all in at once, there is no room for them to expand and the matzah balls come out small and dense – although they still taste  good!)  I also made an amazing broccoli salad that I got from my sister-in-law Elaine (who got it from someone else).

For the main meal, I cooked a meatloaf from an Ann Lander’s recipe (pdf) from 1959, and turkey teriyaki (my butcher’s recipe), and both came out great.

I made my famous Sweet Potato fries, which just involve microwaving sweet potatoes until almost done, cutting into slices, brushing with olive oil, and baking until the top gets crispy.  Yum!! They taste even better when they are fried in olive oil and the outside gets caramelized. They are delicious!

OMG THE BEST DESSERT EVER!!!  MATZAH CRACK(ERS)!

For dessert, I followed a recipe that Lana read about on the blog Kosher On A Budget for Smitten Kitchen‘s version of Matzah Crack(ers) and here is a link to the Matzah Crack(ers) recipe (pdf).  It was AMAZING!!!   I think it might be one of the best tasting sweets I’ve ever had.  Although, I have to admit, when cooking it, it was so sweet I got a headache, but it was worth it.  One of the steps is making caramel which is melting butter in light brown sugar.  The entire house with filled with sugar fumes.

Daniel helped me out with this recipe and here are photos of him spreading the chocolate chips on the hot caramel.  People could not believe how good it was!! I covered some with almond flakes and coconut flakes.  Some people, like my cousin, said that it was really like crack and she couldn’t stop eating it.  When another cousin dropped a big piece on the floor, I said, “You’re NOT throwing that out!” and she said, “No Way!”  So there you have it with proof – it’s really, really amazing.  Atlhough the recipe says that it can be made on other kinds of crackers, I can’t imagine it tasting better than on matzah because matzah is plain enough to really mix well with the other strong flavors.

JILL ZARIN’S AMAZING CHOCOLATE DIPPED MACAROONS

Another AMAZING dessert I made was Jill Zarin’s Chocolate Dipped Macaroons (pdf).  I was at a doctor’s appointment just a few days before Passover and was reading a People magazine while waiting.  On the last page was this recipe and I asked the receptionist to photocopy it for me (she couldn’t believe I didn’t just swipe the magazine).  Now, as everyone here knows, Lana LOVES Jill Zarin and that whole gang of NY Housewives, and if I had saved just one chocolate covered macaroon for Lana, she’d love Jill even more, but those macaroons are long gone…Check out these photos.  They’re real beauties and even better than what you would buy at the bakery, and pretty simple to make, too.

I didn’t have time to make the Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe (pdf) that Lana wrote about in her blog post, Passover Recipes: Vegetarians, Vegan, Celiac, Dairy-Free and More!, but I bought the Springform pan, so I’m ready for next year!

TIME WITH FAMILY

Although my kids have only been off from school for 11 days, it seems like it was a lot longer.  We did A LOT!  On Tuesday, we celebrated Passover in Stamford, CT at my sister-in-law’s house with her three kids, her in-laws, and my other sister-in-law and brother-in-law drove down from Burlington, VT with their two kids.  My boys saw all of their cousins last week, including two cousins who flew in from England.  My brother and his two beautiful kids flew in from Maine.  We only see them a few times a year but the kids get along so well, it’s like we just saw them yesterday.  We went to the Queens Zoo and also saw a Mets game ($5 a ticket at StubHub!!! – they lost).

RETURN TO THE COVE – A ONE NIGHT STAY AT THE CHAMPAGNE TOWERS BY CLEOPATRA

Mike and I totally imposed on Jenn (she’s very pregnant) and asked her to watch two of our three boys, and went away for the night to the Cove Haven Hotel at Paradise Stream and got upgraded to the Champagne Tower Suite.  Check out the video I took of our Champagne Tower Suite.  You can read about our trip to the Cove Haven Hotel last year for our 20th Anniversary at All About Caesars Cove Haven Hotel in the Poconos (Well…Almost Everything…)

I LOVE SPRING!

Yesterday, the last day off before school, the weather was incredible and I had 7 boys over here playing with the hose, getting soaked and loving life!  Spring is totally in the air and below are some photos I took of the beautiful trees in my backyard, and Bert, the cardinal Joshua named about five years ago who returns every year and has the most distinctive and beautiful bird songs!  We always know when he’s around.

Please share with me your Passover stories!

Our New Passover Knowledge Base!

It’s almost time for Passover! In spirit of the season, we’ve created a new Passover Knowledge Base to explore the special meaning and history of the Passover holiday and the Passover Seder feast. From the Passover Seder Plate, to the table, to the dinner itself, there is so much to know about this special time of year.

Passover (also called Pesach) is held to celebrate the beginning of Exodus on the 15th of Nisan. The holiday celebrates the release of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. With such an enormous significance, it is no wonder that such special care is taken in conduction and arrangement of the beautiful ceremony. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with these traditions and you will certainly be this year’s most interesting Passover host or guest!

Springtime, the Jewish Passover Seder, and the Catholic Passover Seder

Photo by revenante on Flickr

SPRING IS IN THE AIR!!

As you know from my previous blog posts, I love spring and all the new life, new hope, and warmth this season ushers in.  My daughter was born in April and we look forward to celebrating her birthday in the spring.  Special holidays like Passover and Easter take place and this always gets me thinking about family and tradition.  This year, Passover begins at sunset on April 18^th and Easter falls on Sunday, April 24^th.   Even Earth day takes place on April 22^nd, which makes me think about this ever-shrinking planet and the people who dwell on it.

The Internet has brought the world closer than ever.  There are pluses and minuses to this, but for me, the advent of the Internet has been mostly positive.  I love to learn about different cultures and people and languages and the Internet has made that more possible than I could have ever dreamed or imagined.  Personally, I think it is great, because the more knowledge we gain about other people and cultures, the more informed and tolerant our children and we will become.   Living in New York, my family and I are blessed to be surrounded by people from all walks of life.  Nothing is better than when different cultures can strive to live together and to respect each other’s beliefs.

THE CATHOLIC PASSOVER

For the past few years, my daughter has participated in a very interesting and special service in the Catholic school that she attends – a Christian Seder.   Although, of course, theirs differs  from the traditional Jewish Seder, there are many similarities and the children are taught facts from the Jewish Passover.  The idea is to get Catholics to understand, appreciate, and respect the Jewish roots of Christianity, since Jesus was born a Jew.

A CHRISTIAN SEDER MEAL

At the Christian Seder meal, the children learn what matzah is – the unleavened bread the Hebrews took with them from Egypt since there was no time to wait for the dough to rise.  They also learn how this is similar to the unleavened bread the Catholics eat when they receive the Eucharist.  This matzah is placed on a “Seder Plate,” and everyone who participates receives one.  Also on the plate is radish, a reminder of the bitterness of slavery, and lettuce, which is dipped into salt water to remind us of the salty tears the Jews shed while they were slaves and the green shoots of hope they felt as they were freed.

A DISCUSSION OF THE LAST SUPPER

It is important to note that this special Catholic Seder begins with learning the history of Passover and it is a somber and reverent occasion.  The main difference is in how the Seder ends – the Catholic Seder ends with the Last Supper, which actually was prepared by the Apostles as a Seder meal.  During the Seder, the children learn about the Jewish Passover – the night the Israelite first born children were “passed over,” and how our forefathers were brought out of Egypt and freed from slavery.  Half the matzah is eaten to represent the fleeing from Egypt.  The other half is eaten later to represent the Eucharist, as this is when it was first instituted.  One of the most important facts the children and all those who attend learn is that the Passover Seder is a special and traditional meal, marking the Jewish feast of freedom, and how it connects and relates to their lives today.

If you’d like to learn more about the Catholic Passover, Dr. Meredith Gould has written a book, Come to the Table, which discusses the Catholic Seder.  Dr. Gould was inspired to write the book when she converted to Catholicism and saw this as an opportunity to teach Catholics about the origins and connections between the two religions, and foster an understanding between the Jewish Passover Seder and the Last Supper and Holy Communion.

Best Hamentashen Recipe in New York!

Growing up in New York, I have high standards for Jewish hamentashen! For those of you who are unfamiliar with these delicious cookies, a hamentashen (also spelled hamentaschen and hamantaschan) is a traditional triangular cookie with fillings such as apricot, raspberry, prune, chocolate, etc. Popular during Purim, the perfect hamentashen has just the right dough consistency and just the perfect amount of filling.

Growing up on the Lower East Side as a teenager, I worked at Moishe’s Bakery on Second Avenue in New York City.  Those of you who know the area, know that Moishe’s makes some killer hamentashen! Unfortunately, I haven’t had one in a while. That’s why, when I saw our Facebook friend, Shana Gluck, had posted a picture of her beautiful homemade hamentashen, I had to ask her to write about them! Shana made her hamentashen with her adorable children (pictured below) as a way of passing on the importance of Jewish traditions and making special memories with them that will last a lifetime! Thank you, Shana, for taking the time to share this with us at Jewish Gift Place!

Shana’s Mom’s Purim Hamentashen

As a young girl Purim for me would mean one of a the few times that my mom would let us kids in the kitchen. She loves to cook but didn’t love us kids meddling around in her kitchen. It was a huge treat for us that she “let” us rule the kitchen to bake hamantashen for Purim. Baking with my children brings back those wonderful memories that I have as a child with my amazing #1 Mom. May she live and be well.

Here is a fabulous recipe from my Mom

2/3 C. Margarine
1/2 C. Sugar
1 egg
3 T. Water
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 C. Flour
Choice of filling:
Prune
Apricot jam
Raspberry or strawberry jam, chocolate spread or chips–my favorite!

Blend margarine and sugar. Add the rest of ingredients and mix to make a nice dough. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350′. Roll out dough to 1/8′ thick take a glass to cut circles in the dough. Put whatever filling you would like in the center. Pinch the corners to form a triangle. Put on parchment lined paper. Bake for 20 minutes. Enjoy them fresh out of the oven ! Keep fresh in air tight container!!

Passover Recipes: Vegetarians, Vegan, Celiac, Dairy-Free and More!

It seems like not a day goes by that I don’t hear about someone who is dealing with a newly diagnosed food allergy, food intolerance, or auto-immune reaction to food. With this in mind, and with Passover only a little over a month away, I thought it would be a great time to do a little research on vegan Passover recipes, gluten-free Passover recipes, vegetarian Passover recipes, and dairy-free Passover recipes. So often, we have dinner guests who are dealing with food intolerances, or, we are invited to the home of someone who has a food allergy or whose guests may suffer from an auto-immune food reaction. I thought, with a little planning, anyone can make a thoughtful contribution to the Passover Seder.

Gluten-Free Passover Recipes For Celiacs: A Cause For Celebration!

My niece, Rachel, has celiac disease, which is an intolerance to anything containing glutens, a protein found in barley, oats, wheat or rye. (You can read about her Bat Mitzvah on the blog ~ remember her gorgeous gluten-free cake?) Because the basic rule for Passover is no leavened foods, the holiday is actually fantastic for those with celiac disease. Many, though not all, Passover foods are gluten free, with potato flour and nut flours used in place of the usual wheat flours. At Passover, supermarkets and bakeries have a much wider selection of celiac friendly foods than usual. This can be a good time to stock up on gluten- free cakes and mixes, cookies, macaroons, “bread” crumbs, and supplies like potato starch. Look for food labels indicating “Kosher For Passover”, “non-gebrok” (or “non-gebroktz” or “non-grebrochts”) — this means that the foods do not contain grains and, therefore, have no gluten containing ingredients.

My sister, Sandy, (Rachel’s mom), was kind of enough to refer me to this recipe on the Living Without magazine website. She has made these gluten free (and dairy free!) mock matzos and she tells me they are definitely worth a try! (With this and all recipes mentioned in this blog post, make sure your ingredients are Kosher!)

Gluten Free Mock Matzos

⅔ cup potato starch
⅔ cup almond meal or brown rice flour
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter, margarine or vegetable
shortening*
6 tablespoons warm water

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine the dry ingredients. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. Add water, a little bit at a time, combining until dough forms a ball. (Add additional 1 to 2 tablespoons water if using brown rice flour.) Knead well. If dough is sticky, sprinkle with a little more potato starch while kneading.
4. Break off small pieces and place on a sheet of lightly oiled plastic wrap or parchment paper. Press with your fingers or roll until flat and thin. Prick rows of holes in each matzo with a fork.
5. Place matzo on prepared cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Thinner matzo can over-bake quickly so keep an eye on it.

Vegetarian Passover Recipes ~ Is Your Passover A Festival of Meats?

With all the restrictions around Passover regarding eating any bread, cake, muffins, etc., many people turn Passover into a festival of meats and this can be a little tricky for those who are entertaining a vegetarian – someone who does not consume animal flesh. There are so many wonderful vegetarian entrees that would be great for Passover – ones that focus on eggplant or squash come to mind. The recipe I would like to share is one that is inspired by my personal favorite chef, Nigella Lawson, and happens to be gluten-free as well!  The recipe is called Eggplant Involtini with Feta. Translated from Italian, the word ‘involtini’ means “wrapped around something else” and this dish wraps eggplant around a delicious cheese filling. It is great as a Passover leftover the next day too!

Eggplant Involtini with Feta

2-3 large eggplants, cut lengthwise in thin slices
3 cups (about 1 jar) tomato sauce
2 cups crumbled feta cheese plus extra for topping
1 cup grated parmesan plus extra for topping
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup raisins, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes (optional)
1/2 cup black or kalamata olives, sliced
4 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed or finely chopped
zest from 1 lemon
a good pinch of dried mint
2 Tbsp parsley
1 egg

Brush the eggplant slices on both sides with olive oil and grill or roast them in a 400-degree oven until soft, about 10 minutes per side.

Mix all filling ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Put about a tablespoon of filling on each eggplant slice and roll it up firmly. Use a toothpick to hold in place, or just ensure that the edge is tucked underneath the roll to prevent it from coming undone.

Layer the slices in a 9×13 dish, and cover with tomato sauce. Top with any remaining filling, or extra cheese if you have. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. The involtini should be served warm.

Dairy-Free Passover Recipes

My niece, Amy, just had her first baby, Avery, and Amy has adopted a dairy-free diet due to Avery’s issues with dairy being passed through the breast-milk.

Amy’s friend told her about this delicious dairy-free (and gluten-free!) recipe for a  flourless chocolate cake she traditionally serves at Passover. Amy decided to try it out and posted about it on her blog, On Three. Take a look, it’s a beautiful presentation! Thanks Amy!

Flourless Chocolate Cake

1 stick Earth Balance butter replacer (100% vegan, gluten free and certified Kosher)
6 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped (Kosher)
3 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (Kosher)
1/4 cup water
1 cup egg whites (appx 5-7 eggs) and their yolks
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided

Bake cake for 1 hour at 350 degrees in a 9 inch springform, using a bain marie with water about halfway up (this basically means that you put your cake pan in a larger baking pan – like the kind you’d use to roast a turkey – filled with hot water. It’s supposed to distribute the heat better during baking).

Method:
1) Spray your pan and dust it with cocoa and preheat the oven to 350.

2) Pour water and 1 cup of sugar in heavy saucepan, bring to a boil. If you have a candy thermometer, it should get to about 220 degrees. If not, just let it boil and give it a mix until it’s pretty clear.

3) Remove pan from heat and stir in chocolate. When it is combined, start to add butter, 1 tbsp at a time, stir until combined.  Set aside.

4) Beat egg whites, then add their yolks and 1/4 cup of sugar, beat on high until tripled in volume.

5) Turn to low and continue to beat. Add chocolate mixture (which will be a little cool by now). Don’t overbeat.

6) Pour into springform pan, place into larger baking pan, surrounded halfway up with boiling water. Bake for one hour at 350. Top of cake should be firm to back of spoon, toothpick should come out clean. Cool completely on a rack.

7) Coat cake top with chocolate ganache (see recipe below) or dust top with powdered sugar, decorate with raspberries or any fruit you choose!

Chocolate Ganache Icing:

4 oz semisweet chocolate (Kosher)
3 tbsp Earth Balance butter replacer
1 tbsp milk (I used soymilk)
1 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
Melt chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and add milk, honey, and vanilla. Set aside to cool slightly.

When cake has cooled, pour glaze into center. Using a spatula, gently smooth the glaze along the top and sides of the cake. Chill cake, uncovered, for 30 to 60 minutes before serving to set the glaze and make cake easier to slice.

Vegan Passover Recipes ~ Vegetarian Plus A Whole Lot Less!

Vegan foods are those that do not contain animal products. While vegetarians choose not to eat flesh foods, vegans also avoid dairy and eggs. So basically, vegans are vegetarians who take it to a whole other level!

On Passover, there are certain requisite dishes that might leave a vegan feeling left out. One of these is definitely matzo ball soup! After a lot of research, I found a recipe for vegan matzo ball soup that is highly praised online and, they say, comes closest to tasting like real matzo ball soup! Here is the recipe reprinted exactly from the site:

Vegan Matzo Ball Soup

Start with a box of Streits’ or Manischewitz matzo ball mix. For eggs – use egg replacer powder. The matzo ball box comes with two envelopes. For each envelope they ask for 2 eggs however this needs to be tripled….the equivalent egg replacer for 6 eggs per individual package. Whisk the mixture. Add the oil as directed. (do not increase amt. ) Whisk again. Then add the contents of one envelope of matzo ball mix. If the batter seems to be a bit loose, add 1-2 tablespoons of matzo meal. Combine well. Leave the bowl in the fridge for about 15 minutes. Remove – roll into 12-15 balls. Reduce your large pot of boiling water to a simmer. Gently place balls in water and cover tightly. (there must be no rolling boil). Remove with a slotted spoon and let cool. Refrigerate. Reheat in the soup.

The author recommends using vegan chicken soup powder that can be found at Whole Foods or similar stores.

So Much To Know About Passover For Those With Dietary Restrictions!

Of course this little blog post is not comprehensive since many people who are making a Passover Seder are also dealing with other restrictions, such as wheat, lactose, caseine, corn, soy, nuts ~ the list goes on! We can all learn so much by speaking to our doctors or a nutritionist, doing some online research, and, most importantly, by reading food labels! Learn what it means to be Kosher for Passover and how many of these foods may fall in line with a dietary restriction you are dealing with. I suggest a visit to OurKosher.org. It is an amazing resource of information on the meaning of the Kosher certification, as well as its distinction from those foods that are certified as Kosher for Passover. For example, did you know that as an added bonus for people with multiple restrictions, most Kosher for Passover products contain no corn or soy products either? Great to know!

This Passover, you can be prepared in case you are entertaining a loved one who has a restricted diet. Try one or two of these delicious Passover recipes and, just to make it extra special, set a beautiful table or bring a lovely hostess gift! Perhaps you can showcase your traditional Passover foods on a gorgeous Tamara Baskin Seder Plate. Or, fill these gorgeous goblets, the Emily Rosenfeld Miriam’s Cup and the Gary Rosenthal Elijah’s Cup with water and wine. Are you a guest at a special Passover Seder and want to bring a thoughtful meal for the host? There is no doubt that they will appreciate your research and efforts. Pairing it with a lovely bottle of wine and maybe a handmade Jewish wine bottle stopper will make it extra special.

Happy Passover and Bon Appetit!

Our Favorite Valentine’s Day Gifts!

“Judaism loves love” ~ Rabbi Locketz

Every year at Jewish Gift Place, we wonder if it’s appropriate or not to celebrate Valentine’s Day, since the tradition dates back to the Pagan Roman Empire. But, like years past, we believe that through heart shaped candy and red roses, this tradition has all but lost its pagan roots. With the help of Hallmark, Valentine’s Day has become a secular holiday that recognizes, celebrates, and brings joy to those people that we love.

I recently followed a link on Twitter and read a blog post by Rabbi Locketz of the Bet Shalom Congregation entitled, “Valentine’s Day?” This interesting blog post gives a brief history of Valentine’s Day and the Rabbi’s feelings about celebrating it.

I loved the Rabbi’s conclusion: “Judaism loves love….I have become a realist. I have come to the personal determination that like Halloween, there is very little connecting the modern observance of Valentine’s Day to either its pagan origin or to the martyrdom of St. Valentine. So I suggest we observe both the Hallmark celebration of February 14 and our very own Jewish Tu B’Av when it comes around next July 25th. And make every effort on everyday in-between to express your love to everyone in your life”.

We hope you enjoy our selection of heart/love/Judaica themed pieces that we have selected below and on the right.

JEWISH VALENTINE’S DAY GIFTS WE LOVE!

Cynthia Gale Envelope Necklace (See image above) $145

The cool thing about this piece is that you can write a special message and we’ll print it and put it in the envelope – ready to deliver to your mom, dear friend, wife, girlfriend, aunt, grandmother, teacher, or anyone special in your life.

Below are more favorite items that we love. We hope these items below will catch your eye and immediately bring to mind a loved one you’d like to express your love for.

Michal Golan Hamsa Bracelets $35

Emily Rosenfeld Hebrew/English Love Bracelet $35

Tamara Baskin Heart Dreidel $50

Cynthia Gale Sterling Silver Chai Necklace and

Cynthia Gale Sterling Silver Star of David Necklace $75