Perfect Knaidlach

Week 3 of the Purple Cookbook Challenge.
To those of you who are unaware of what this challenge is: I'm going through the all time basic kosher cookbook, the one that has so many go to recipes, the Spice and Spirit of Kosher cooking aka The Purple Cookbook aka The Kitchen Bible, and correcting the only thing wrong with it.  Ever since the kosher world has been publishing those cookbooks with the gorgeous mouth watering pictures, this awesome cookbook has been pushed aside to those other ones.  Well, I decided, enough with second class status, I will bring this cookbook back to where it deserves to be.  Hense, my Purple Cookbook Challenge was born.  I'm now about to start my 3rd week of cooking and picture taking.  My goal now, is to have at least 100 pictures of foods from this cookbook.
I know Fridays are long these days, but somehow, I always feel that Friday is never long enough.   Regardless of that, I still took an order for 7 cookie bouquet centerpieces, for a Shabbos kiddush.  Well I got back in the kitchen, to start Shabbos, at 1 PM.  Food has to be ready by 5:30, so that my boys can eat, and the house could be cleaned, but I cannot control how much attention will be demanded from my baby and my other 3 boys.  Instead of going through the Purple Cookbook, as I planned  I was stuck doing my regular foods as no extra thought had to be put into it.
Years ago, I made from scratch matza balls, and they feel were not fluffy and good.  Since my husband doesn't like Matza balls, I never attempted them again, (2 of my boys and I love them) and have just been using the mix, which comes out perfect looking all the time (anyone who knows me, would know that I never use mixes, but somehow that became how I do my matza balls)
This past Friday, I decided that was a simple enough recipe to make from the cookbook.  And so I made my first perfect, fluffy matza balls.  They were easy to make and tasted very similar to the mix I came to love.  I don't think I'll even being using the mix again.  Perfect Knaidlach (Spice and Spirit, page 140)

 

This is what I spent my Thursday evening and Friday morning decorating and packaging:

Calculator Cake

A small break from my Purple Cookbook Challenge.  Yesterday, I spent my day
After a nine month break, Sweet Temptations has once again opened for business.  My hobby/small business was temporarily put on hold as my time was divided between renovating my home and having a baby.  But since we're settled in (kind of) and my son is now 5 months old, I decided the time has come to make use of my new, more spacious kitchen.
My first order, was from a woman who wanted a calculator cake for her husband.  He just graduated with a degree in accounting.
You can see my other cakes on my Facebook group.

Preschool Graduation

Last week, my baby graduated from preschool. (Maybe I should stop calling him 'my baby')  His class celebrated by inviting the parents to hear the boys do their daily davening (prayer) followed with the distribution of diplomas.  My son couldn't be prouder! And as a mom, I can say the same as well.
We celebrated his achievement at home as well.  I made cupcakes to serve for dessert after supper.
Cant believe he's going to be in Yeshiva next year...

 

Have an amazing fun filled summer,
Chanie

Purim Theme Ideas - Pirate Theme

Just finished a cake for a customer.  He wanted a cake that wasn't occasion specific, as the party is for 3 different celebrations, 2 birthdays and a Chanukas Habais (housewarming).  This was a specialty cake, as the customers daughter has an egg allergy.

Being that this coming Friday is Purim Katan, this weeks posts will be holiday specific.  I love being creative, and Purim is the perfect time to make your originality flow.  I like to go all out in my themes.  Last year, I sewed pirate costumes.  I'm not a expert at the sewing machine, in fact I'm not even close.
A few years ago (right about the time my 6 year old was born), my husband bought me a sewing machine.  I had no clue how to turn the thing on, much less use it for anything.  I remember the first day I took it out and sat  for an hour trying to thread the machine.  I could not understand the manual at all.  Finally, out of frustration, I called a friend of mine, who had literally just given birth, and asked her to explain to me what to do with the thread.  After that, I spent some time fooling around with the machine, but still haven't figured out how to make anything correctly.  If you've been following my blog, I'm sure you noticed how I can not follow a recipe, I always have to do things my way.  Well, I found the same thing true when it came to following a pattern.
For the shirt of the costume, I made a pullover shirt, but with a non-stretch cotton.  I then made a cut down the center front and sewed it back to make a slight "V".   I bought the eyes from a store then sells all sort of trim, and found it easiest to make a small whole with something sharp and push it through, then turn it over and band down the metal teeth with a hammer or a heavy object.  I then threaded it in a criss cross matter with a thick cord also purchased at a trim store. 

For the belt, I cut out a long sash from yellow fabric.  The pants I sewed as easy pattern, but used elastic on top, around the waist and on the bottom around the ankles. The kerchief hat is red fabric cut into a triangle.  For the eye patch, I took a piece of thick black vinyl, which I cut into the correct shape to which I sewed on elastic to hold in in place on their faces.  The swords (which they insisted on) are a dollar store find.  To keep with the theme, my Meshloach Mones, was a pirate ship in a bottle.  I baked and decorated pirate ship and treasure map cookies and placed them and a small bottle of rum in a glass jar with a big opening along with brown sugar sand, mint chocolate rocks and gold chocolate coins.

 

My boys gave out "loot bags".  In the bags there were some of the regular nosh, and some gold coins, along with a pirate cookie.

Join me tomorrow for another fantastic Purim idea.

Chanie

"To infinity ... and beyond!" - Toy Story Cake

There is an amazing organization here in Montreal run by Rabbi Hoffman.  Don't know if there is an equivalent in other communities to Ezras Cholim.  Everyone has a Bikar Cholim, that helps with food and transportation and such for the sick, but Ezras Cholim goes way beyond that.  R. Hoffman works as a liaison between patients and doctors.  He helps refer people to the proper doctors in a timely matter.  Many people I know talk about how lost they were, and how worried, and Rabbi Hoffman pulled them through.  Its hard to go through all the stories I've heard from people I know who were personally helped by him. 
Well this week the organization had their annual Chinese auction.  It was a beautiful event were they served the most delicious milchig dessert buffet (The chassidish community really puts my baking to shame)  The brought it a singer Glick, not my style, but beautiful none the less.  The also had a mother daughter ballet act.  Very slow classical entertainment.
The best part of the evening is that I came away with a gift certificate for $1400 toward a new Shevy Wig (as I told my husband, I won half a wig, so it'll force him to buy me the other half)  Usually, you have to wait in anticipation if you will win anything, but thanks to some curious girls who were sitting near the computer, I found out I was going to be the winner way earlier.  :-)
Yesterday, I spent the day making a Toy Story cake, for a 5 year old Toy Story fan's birthday.  I think the cake came out cute.  My boys were disappointed that it was picked up before they got home, but they admired the pictures, and started making requests for their birthdays (the next birthday in our house is 5 months away... so I'm sure it will change)

Today's cake has a whole story behind it, basically the recipient is finally allowed in to the US after 5 years, so her Canadian passport is stamped 'Dept. of US Homeland Security - Admitted'.

Now off to make a simple supper.

Have a great day,
Chanie

Fudge Covered Cheesecake... YUM!

My husbands birthday was yesterday, January 9th.  Originally, my idea was to decorate a cake and arrange with his assistant to drop it off for him at work today (since there was obviously no work on his birthday)
Well, you all know my oven story...  hard to bake a cake without an oven.  Not saying it's impossible, just that it's hard (haven't gotten into the whole raw diet thing, yet) 
Yesterday, while my husband spent the day painting the new house, I decided I have to give him something for his birthday.  I do have  a toaster oven, but that's not very ideal for a cake.  However, I have baked cheesecakes in it... and so a cheesecake it is.
I made the Fudge Covered Brownie Cheesecake from the Kosher By Design Entertains cookbook by Susie Fishbein.  Truthfully, I'm the type of person who doesn't follow recipes in cookbooks and use them more for inspiration.  However, this is a recipe that I love, just the way it is and haven't really tweaked it at all (except when I don't have ingredients on hand and look for a similar substitute.) I do love the presentation in the Kosher By Design Series.
I'm not going to post the recipe, for possible copyright infringement, but if you want information on this delicious cheesecake, just post a comment below and I will try to help you out.
You can check out the cookbook on Amazon:
Kosher By Design Entertains: Fabulous Recipes For Parties And Every Day

At home, we celebrate the birthday according to the Hebrew calender.  My husbands birthday (10th of Tevet)  fell out this year on December 17th.  My boys made a banner to hang in the kitchen and I provided the cake.  Put an edible image of 3 of the dearest things my husband has... our boys!  We made the "surprise" party the night before, being that my husbands birthday is a fast day.  (Imagine...never being able to party on your birthday)



The birthday poster my boys made.





Thanks for visiting,

Chanie

The Hunt For Cookies

They say you should find good in every situation.  I'm actually benefiting from the lack of an oven, maybe I should cancel the repairman, who is scheduled to come this morning to look at it.  My freezer is always full of baked goods, and my family is horrible with the FIFO concept (first in, first out).  With the lack of an oven the past 2 weeks, finally my freezer is being emptied out. 

This morning my kids scoured the freezer for something special to put in their lunch boxes.  They found individually wrapped pirate cookies that I cannot put an exact date on.... but I'm sure it wont harm them in anyway.

 

Till later,

Chanie

Disaster Averted

I was hired to bake a cake for a Bat Mitzvah that was to take place last Thursday.  The Bat Mitzvah girl sat with me for some time designing the cake to her specifications.  She wanted the cake to have a globe on it and 2 candles with the line “מעט אור דוחה הרב חושך” “A little light dispels a lot of darkness” Being that I was to be out of town till Wednesday (the day before the event)  I planned to bake the cake in advance of my vacation, freeze and take it out when I get back to decorate it.  I baked the bottom tier but just as I was baking the top globe tier, my oven stopped working.  (At the time I also had challah sitting on my counter waiting its turn in the oven)  I called the mother of the girl and assured that I will figure something out, but I cannot promise what it will be.

I returned from vacation with a whole bunch of sketches but not quite sure what I’d do.  That night the Bat Mitzvah girl and her mom came over and with their help and understanding we created a new design sketch.  Something I could make with cakes I had in my freezer. Thank G-d, the cake came out to their satisfaction. 

I want to give a shout-out to my dear neighbor, CR, whom without her, my challah would not have been baked.

Thanks for stopping by,

Chanie