Thanksgiving + Hanukkah= Thanksgivukkah, a Foodies Dream :)

As you have probably already heard next week is a once in a lifetime event.  Thanksgiving and Hanukkah will be occurring on the same night.  Maybe you have seen the cute Thanksgivukkah t-shirts or turkey menorahs for sale online.  For those of you who celebrate Hanukkah, you know that this Jewish holiday always falls sometime in December, usually around Christmas.  Based on someone's official calculations, this will not happen again for 70,000 years.  How lucky are we?

Like a Kid at the Drawing Board

I love opportunities that provide a chance to be really creative while keeping the tradition.  I couldn't stop thinking about all the ways to combine both of these foodie holidays together.  As a quick review, Hanukkah usually involves frying in oil.  Traditionally, potato latkes served with applesauce and jelly doughnuts will be found at all holiday tables.  With perfect timing, my aunt sent me a great article on this awesome dual holiday from Buzz Feed Food, "How to Celebrate Thanksgivukkah, The Best Holiday of All Time", by Christine Byrne.  Included were some delicious and unique recipes that I knew I would have to try.  I had the perfect event to test run two of these recipes.  I was chairing a Fab Food workshop at my daughter's school and what better theme to work around than this combination holiday?   There are endless opportunities when hosting such a once in a lifetime holiday to impress guests with unique, creative and delicious food offerings.  You know everyone will remember what they ate on "Thanksgivukkah".  No pressure :)

Cranberry Applesauce

The first recipe I thought was a must try was the Cranberry Applesauce.  It combines the traditional cranberry sauce that is usually served with turkey on Thanksgiving and the traditional applesauce that is usually served with potato latkes on Hanukkah.  This delicious hybrid is made with fresh apples and cranberries, sweetened with Manischewitz wine (a sweet traditional Jewish wine that you wouldn't want to drink but is perfect for this recipe) and Thanksgiving-type spices.  The sauce can be made ahead and is delicious with turkey and latkes.  It is a quick, easy and delicious side dish that young and old will enjoy.  My four year old son (and husband) likes to eat the leftovers in a bowl for a snack and I like to add some to my plain Greek yogurt the next day :)



 

Sweet Potato, Pumpkin & Brandy Kugel

The second recipe that sounded too good to be missed was the Sweet Potato, Pumpkin & Brandy Kugel.  I know it's a mouthful.  It actually called for bourbon but I had brandy on hand so I thought why not?  Kugel is a traditional food that is served at many Jewish holidays as a side dish or dessert.  It is egg noodle based and has a base of sweetened dairy and eggs.  My family loves a sweet kugel and what could be bad about adding the traditional flavors of Thanksgiving?  Another plus is that the sweet potato and pumpkin makes me feel better about serving this carb loaded side dish now balanced with all the beta-carotene from the antioxidant-rich vegetables :)  The crunchy topping just makes it totally over the top and dessert-like!

No Doggie Bags Here

As part of the Fab Food Workshop, I did a cooking demonstration, handed out the recipes and had the finished products available for tasting.  Since the workshop was so early in the morning I didn't think many people would be up for trying all the samples as they were just starting on their first cup of morning coffee.  To a testament of how incredibly delicious they were, the entire 16" x 12" pan of kugel was gone before I left the workshop.  Teacher's and school staff continued to stop by and grab "one more small piece".

Cooking Like My Grandmothers for the Holiday

As most of you know, these are not my typical recipes.  They actually include butter and sugar and proudly offer no substitutions.  It just doesn't seem right to be adding stevia, coconut oil or almond milk to such traditional recipes.  If it wasn't in my grandmother's pantry or fridge it is not on my holiday shopping list.  On holidays my motto is "no holds barred".  I always offer some healthier options for balance but some recipes are made not to be changed.  I cook full throttle without hesitation as it is only for one meal.  My friends and family know this and look forward to my traditional, creative and rich-tasting offerings.  Don't worry!  I will be back soon with my more typical health conscious recipes, but for know enjoy without guilt as your New Year's resolutions are soon to be made :)

Cranberry Applesauce (serves 10-12)

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ cup sugar

½ cup Manischewitz Concord grape wine (or any sweet red wine)

½ lemon squeezed (juice only)

4 large Granny Smith apples

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, spices, sugar and wine.  Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.  Peel and core apples, then cut them into large chunks and add to the cranberry mixture.  Cover saucepan and continue to simmer on low for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  If sauce begins to get too thick or stick add water.  Add lemon juice and stir.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before serving.  Applesauce can be served with chicken/turkey or with latkas.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Sweet Potato Brandy Noodle Kugel (serves 10-12)

Ingredients:

Casserole

3 medium sweet potatoes

½ cup canned pumpkin

4 tablespoons brandy or bourbon

One package (1 lb.) wide egg noodles

6 eggs

¼ cup brown sugar

1 ½ lb. cottage cheese

½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick) melted

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Topping

2 cups corn flakes

1 cup pecans (coarsely chopped)

¼ cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

¼ cup brown sugar

 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Wrap sweet potatoes in foil and roast in oven until soft and completely cooked through (about 60 minutes).  Let cool completely and scoop out and put in food processor or blender with brandy and pumpkin.  Puree until completely smooth (should yield about 3 cups).  This step can be done ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Lower oven to 350 degrees F.

In a pot of heavily salted water, cook the egg noodles al dente.  Pour into colander and rinse with cold water.  Drain thoroughly.

In a large bowl beat eggs and brown sugar until combined.  Add cottage cheese, melted butter and puree until combined.  Add the salt and cooked noodles.  Pour mixture into 9” x 13” baking dish and bake uncovered for 50 minutes.

While kugel is baking crush cornflakes in plastic bag and then combine with pecans and sugar.  Melt butter in small pan until brown, take off heat and add topping mixture to butter and stir.  Add the topping to the kugel and bake uncovered for another 30 minutes.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Fighting Childhood Obesity with Jared Fogle and the CATCH Program

It was an exciting morning at my son's preschool.  Jared Fogle ("the Subway Guy") came to talk to the preschool parents about the new program that is being introduced to schools across the country.  The Jared Foundation has paired with The CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) Program which is an evidence-based, coordinated school health program designed to promote physical activity, healthy food choices and the prevention of tobacco use in children. The CATCH Programs cover kids from preschool through 8th grade and has been implemented in thousands of schools and after-school organizations across America and Canada.   By teaching children that eating healthy and being physically active every day can be FUN , the CATCH Programs have proven that establishing healthy habits in childhood can promote behavior changes that can last a lifetime.  Their primary goal is to inform and support communities efforts in combating childhood obesity.

 

Russ Taylor, Executive Director at The JARED Foundation

Jared's Story

Jared Fogle is known to many as the SUBWAY® restaurants guy. His weight struggles began when  he was eight years old.  He has experienced being an obese child, an obese teenager and an obese adult.  At his heaviest he weighed 425 pounds and wore a size 60 inch pair of pants (which he always brings as his visual aid for his audience).  He finally took control of his life and in one year shed 245 pounds.  He became focused, determined and started to believe in himself.  By overhauling his diet and increasing physical activity he achieved his goal of becoming a healthy weight and reclaimed his life.



 

Jared Fogle ("The Subway Guy") and his famous before pants

The Magic of Hindsight

Jared spent his early childhood playing sports and eating the healthy food that his parents provided (his father is a physician).  He remembers being very physically active and being what he calls a "normal kid".  When he thinks back to if there was a defining moment where things started going downhill he describes a present he received when he was eight years old that changed his life,  a game system called Nintendo that was hugely popular in the 80's.  He fell in love with playing video games and he slowly let go of his healthier endeavors.  He stopped participating in his after school sports and instead rushed home to continue playing his video games.  Comfortable with his new home on the couch, he started snacking more.  He explained the more he ate the more he needed to feel satisfied and the more cravings he had.  His healthy afternoon bike rides become just a vehicle to bring him to whatever fast food joint he could physically get to so he could spend whatever little allowance money he had on something to satisfy his craving.  The negative momentum built and his weight continued to increase.  His parents made many attempts to help without success.

 

What is the Answer?
 

After Jared finished sharing his inspiring story, I approached him to thank him for sharing such a personal part of his life, which he claims was no longer personal after his interview with Oprah and then going on to be the spokesperson for Subway.  I also wanted to know if there was anything his parents could have done differently looking back at his story with the clarity that hindsight provides.  Surprisingly, he said he honestly felt that there was nothing they could have done that would have changed his course.  They were good role models, offered healthy food and attempted to keep him involved in physical activity.  The attempts they did make were met with resistance and resulted in pushing him further into the other direction.  What Jared did share is that the earlier kids are shown that physical activity is fun and healthy food choices make you feel good the more likely they are to continue those choices throughout childhood and into adulthood.

 

Jared Fogle and Coach Steve from the Mandel JCC in Palm Beach Gardens, FL

 

Returning to His Roots

Jared created the Jared Foundation to help eliminate childhood obesity so that today's children do not have to experience what he did.  He believes through education and physical activity at a young age we can reverse the epidemic of childhood obesity our country is facing.  Growing up and being part of his local JCC he is excited to now return as a role model and partner with these community centers to ensure that children are given the best chance possible of embracing a healthy lifestyle.  Jared spoke to the 4 years olds about how he changed his life and very bravely answered important 4 year old questions, like "Are you a fighter?" :)  The children embraced their special guest and even played a round of tag with him.

 

 

 

 

 

It's the Small Steps That Lead to Big Change

It is very seldom that one factor is responsible for change.  It is more often the small pieces that create the whole picture.  Every child has a different story, a unique personality, a complex make-up.  It is for this reason that we never know what might be the defining moment for that child or what will provide the spark or experience that creates or supports inspiration and energy.  What we do know is that the more we provide in way of role modeling, education, good experiences and endless opportunities we are building a strong foundation that will hopefully be enough for the child to continue to build upon as they grow.  Thank you Jared for starting this amazing foundation to help support us in taking care of our precious kids!

 

 

For more information or to donate to this awesome cause please visit:  The Jared Foundation

 

For more information or to donate to the CATCH Program please visit:  http://www.catchinfo.org/

 

 

 

 

The Purple People Eater and the Elusive Kale

The number one question I am bombarded with as a dietitian from mom's is, "How do I get my child to eat their vegetables?".  Ah, the age old question that mother's have been asking for generations.  Although I am all for cultivating a love of pure, unadulterated veggies in children (see my post "Growing Up Fruity"), I am also realistic.  I would rather ensure a child consumes healthy food in a sneaky way than not have it a part of their diet at all.  One of the most challenging vegetables to get children to embrace is the all popular, all famous, dark leafy green.  A child's brain and taste buds are not set up to appreciate the texture and bitterness that are inherent in vegetables such as kale and spinach.  As children grow, their taste bud's change and so does their palate and perception of certain foods.  Don't despair, many of the pickiest eaters will grow up and be able to enjoy a delicious spinach salad, but until then we may need to use a little trickery :)

The "Purple People Eater" ingredients

Who Doesn't Like a Shake?

One of my favorite ways to ensure, not only my children, but I get my full range of fruits and veggies is by concocting a smoothie.  Although I usually have one for breakfast, I often offer this treat to my children for an after school snack or even a dessert.  How else can you consume such a variety of fruits and veggies, including all colors of the rainbow with such little prep work and resulting in something so truly delicious?  The key to being able to whip up the most tasty and quick smoothie is to keep frozen fruits on hand. 

Kid's Eat With Their Eyes First

Frozen berries are one of my favorites and is the foundation of most of my shakes, especially when made for children.  Aside from the many health benefits, berries provide the masking of color of the greens in a shake.  Although I find the natural green hue of my morning smoothie appetizing many young children would disagree and turn their nose up to it before even giving it a fair chance.  Blueberries particularly are great coloring agents and work wonders at making my green shake magically turn a lovely shade of purple.  Another important ingredient in a kid-friendly smoothie is a frozen banana.  Not only does it provide a healthy dose of potassium, but it results in a thick and smooth finished product that most kids enjoy.  The natural sweetness is also a plus.  I buy fresh bananas and when they are at their peak of ripeness, I peel them, break them in half and put them in a plastic bag in the freezer so they will be ready to use.

 

Eating the Rainbow

What's great about a smoothie is you can totally customize it based on what's at hand and your own child's preferences.  Other frozen fruit that we typically add is mango, peaches and pineapple.  Since we talk about "eating the rainbow" in our house, I always represent all colors in my kid's shakes (how you can build on that lesson is for another post).  Another great addition for a smoothie is avocado.  Filled with healthy fat (that most people in this country don't get enough of) avocado is easy to cut in half and scoop out.  It provides more silkiness to the shake and will keep them feeling fuller longer.  Lastly, although not necessary, raw honey can be added to ensure adequate sweetness.  Raw local honey has been shown to stimulate the immune system, especially when consumed cold (not heated up by adding to your tea or baking with).

Baby Steps

You know your child best and can decide how much deceit you need to use.  My four year old son loves to help me make the shake, greens and all.  He finds it riveting that when blended all of those different colors turn into a vibrant purple.  He decides what to add to our custom concoction and because of that enjoys it all the more.  My ten year old daughter doesn't want to know what's in it (her words) but once presented, cold, purple, pretty and in a tall glass with a long straw, will drink it without even a nudge.  Whether you call it a placebo effect or not, once the "Purple People Eater" is downed, you and your little ones will feel like you can take on the world :)

 

The Purple People Eater

Servings: 2-4

Ingredients:
2 cups spinach or kale, fresh
1 cup blueberries (frozen)
4 strawberries (frozen)
1 avocado, fresh
1/2 cup pineapple (frozen)
1 banana (frozen)
2 cups almond, soy, or coconut milk
1-2 tablespoons raw local honey

Directions:
Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until fully combined and broken down into a smooth consistency.  Feel free to experiment with the types of produce you use and the amounts.  Once you get your child to embrace this smoothie, you can slowly try adding more greens.  Drink immediately as it will start to separate quickly.

My little smoothie making assistant ready to take on the world......

Growing Up Fruity!

In an effort to serve healthier snacks, my son's preschool announced this week that they are starting "Tuitti Fruity Tuesdays".  Each Tuesday a different parent is assigned to bring in a fresh fruit snack for the entire class.  My son Aiden was so excited as he is proud to be a big fruit and veggie eater :)  As we discussed all of the different fruit ideas he had, it made me reminisce of my growing up and what fruit and vegetable "experiences" stand out in my mind.  What made a positive and lasting impression on me and how did my love affair with fruits and vegetables begin?

Raspberries- Fresh From My Grandmother's Garden



Natures candy!

One of my earliest memories of enjoying fruit was at my savta's house (savta means grandma in Hebrew).  She lived in a small two-family home in Bayside, New York where the only piece of grass she had was a small patch only about 10' x 10' next to her detached garage.  Being that she was a pioneer of a kibbutz in Israel and now lived in the concrete jungle, I am guessing she was missing the agriculture so she planted a small raspberry bush in the corner of her backyard.  We would visit every Sunday and in the summer the first thing we would do is run to the bush to see if the berries were ripe enough to pick.  Although is sounds like a beautiful story, to be honest it did get a little aggressive be that I was up against three brothers and we all had a bit of a competitive nature.  My savta would run outside with little paper cups to put our prized possessions in and when our cups were full she would bring our berries inside to wash.  It might have been the warmth and sweetness of just picked fruit, the victory of gathering the most (sometimes) or the fact that my grandmother grew those delicious little morsels of goodness, but I do know that fruit never tasted so good :)

The paper cup we collected our candy in!

Grapefruit- A Nightly Tradition with My Dad and Brothers

My dad eats like a bird.  I always here myself describing him like that.  I don't mean eats like a bird in terms of quantity, but more a description of his selections.  Fruit, nuts and seeds are the foundation of his diet.  Oh, and dark chocolate which is not so much like a bird.  When we were little, before dinner was even cleaned up, he would have his nightly dessert.  A piece of some stashed chocolate and a bowl of fruit and nuts.  His usual fruit of the night would be a whole grapefruit or a pomegranate.  My three brothers and myself would sit around him on the floor while he would peel and section the grapefruit by hand and crack the whole nuts.  He would put sweet sections of the grapefruit that was all pulp into our mouths.  Without the pith or membrane grapefruit is as sweet as candy and the texture of the pulp is nothing that can be duplicated by man.  Each piece was fully savored as we shared one grapefruit between all of us (which usually meant just two sections each).  I still eat grapefruit like this and always offer these golden juicy pieces to my children's eager mouths.

Honeydew- From My Grandmother's Beautiful Table

 

My maternal grandmother, Bama (our grandmothers silly pet name) is all about presentation.  I guess that is where I get the gene from :)  When a holiday or even a regular dinner was planned the table was set days before the event with every detail considered.  The best china, silverware, candle sticks, flowers, cloth napkins and her signature item, a piece of sliced cantaloupe or honeydew served on top of each setting on a small starter plate.  The melon was placed just before we arrived, inviting us to sit down.  Not only did it look colorful and fresh (of course she alternated the orange and green) but it was such an enticing way to present it.  It would be sliced vertically so you would just have to take the edge of your spoon and scoop out the pieces.  Waiting to be allowed to dig in was difficult as a child.  My family is notorious for making toasts at every gathering.  We don't save them for special events like most normal people.  We easily and eagerly share our hopes, thanks and good wishes whenever there is an opportunity.  Knowing we would have to wait to dig in to our melon until all the yapping was finished just made you want it more.  Today, when I cut my melon like this my kids (and husband) just pick it up and bite the pieces off, no need for the proper spoon.  Bama would be appalled :)

 

Tomatoes- Sweet As Sugar

 

 

 

We lived on a road with only ten houses and all of the families on the block moved in about the same time.  Ringing the door bells those first few days to find out who lived in each house and who our new best friends would be are still precious memories.  Back in those days you were allowed to explore your neighborhood without hesitations or fear.  Directly across the street lived a four-generation family from Greece.  Their daughter and I became good buddies and a lot of our weekends were spent together when we were young.  Their house was always filled with delicious, unknown and enticing smells coming from the kitchen.  They would offer me a taste of whatever was cooking and had me over for dinner all the time.  One warm summer afternoon my friend's mother offered me a tomato from her garden.  I gently refused and explained I didn't like tomatoes.  Any tomato I ever tasted was bland and mushy.  She couldn't believe it and wouldn't take no for an answer.  She finally convinced me to taste this bright red, warm and juicy cherry tomato straight off the vine of her plant in the backyard.  One bite was all it took and she had me sold.  I never tasted anything like that before and that afternoon I became a tomato lover.  Thanks Lalia :)

 

Artichokes- My Mom's Generous Offerings

 

 

Artichokes, not the first vegetable you think of to feed a child.  They are slightly intimidating looking and can cause injury with their sharp pointy leaves if you don't know how to properly handle them.  My mom made these for dinner every once in awhile.  Very simply made by steaming them whole and serving them with a side of melted butter.  We would each get our own whole artichoke which was very exciting in itself.  Growing up in a house with three brothers you become a little possessive about your stuff or else it would a) disappear, b) get ruined c) become someone else's possession.  An entire beautiful artichoke all for myself, no sharing, no rushing.  I would meticulously pull off each leaf, dip it into the melted butter and run the leaf between my teeth to enjoy the edible part of the artichoke.  The pinnacle was the heart which when I finally got to the center would be slowly savored.  If my brother's were in a good mood maybe one of them would even offer me a piece of their heart (no pun intended).  Today, I grill my artichokes for my family and watch my daughter meticulously eat each leaf and savior the heart.  A skill I taught her when she was two-years old and attempted to eat the entire leaf.  Like mother, like daughter!

 

 

Passing the Love On to My Children

When I think back to all of these memorable food experiences two common denominators seem to stand out.  The first is that all of my great memories are tied to connecting with the people I love.  It wasn't necessarily about the grapefruit.  My father could have been feeding us anything and it probably would have left the same positive impression.  It was that he took the time to peel the grapefruit with such care and share it with my brothers and I as a tradition after dinner.  The second theme is that all of these experiences didn't involve some huge time consuming plan or recipe.  It was the simplicity of the food that provided me the opportunity to really appreciate the pure and innocent essence of these natural tastes.  It laid a foundation for my appreciation of real food.  I try and provide my children small pieces of the same throughout their lives.  Whether it be offering them the carefully peeled grapefruit or letting them pick out a new fruit we never tried at the store, cutting it open together, tasting at the same time and watching each other's reactions.  I truly see that both my children have developed a true appreciation for the pure simple tastes of fruits and vegetables.  They might not like everything but I know when they are older they will be able to recall when their love affair of fruits and veggies began :)

 

 

 

The Watermelon Chronicles

It all began when I offered to bring dessert for a holiday get together with our good friends.  I knew it was going to be a big delicious belly-filling meal so I wanted to make something light and refreshing that the kids would still be excited about.  I felt like I needed some inspiration as it was a long week, so I put my 4-year old on my lap and we started searching Pintrest.  He found some awesome cakes covered in gummy bears and filled with M&M's that he made me promise we would try to make one day but it was something else that caught my eye.  A cake that was made out of an entire watermelon!

I Began with High Hopes

The next day I went out and brought all of the needed ingredients, which made for an easy start as the only required items were watermelon, almonds, berries and whipped cream.  My son and daughter sat around my kitchen island as I slowly but forcefully cut the entire watermelon out of it's skin and rind so I was left with just the fruit.  I than forged ahead and started carving it into what looked like the size and shape of a 7-layer cake.  The process was a little messy with all the running juice but the kids enjoyed eating my carvings :)  I put it onto my official cake stand and the kids and I were impressed.

My "cake" ready to be frosted.

Next step was "frosting".  I used a tub of the new Truwhip, a whipped topping that is made with more natural ingredients (found in the freezer section next to all the fake whipped creams).  As soon as I started frosting I knew this was going to be a challenge.  Watermelon is wet and smooth, not great for traction and adherence of frosting.  Since I was in a rush I continued the messy job as my kids laughed and scooped up the sliding cream with their eager fingers.  We negotiated and decided any cream on the counter was fair game :)

The disguise begins......

I quickly put the dripping mess of a cake into the fridge to "set".  After about a half hour, which is all the time I could spare before we had to leave, it seemed to be holding.  I placed my strawberries, blueberries and raspberries on the top and put it back in the fridge.  I crossed my fingers and got the kids ready to go for our dinner party at our friends.

Epic Fail

Right before we left I opened the fridge to retrieve my creation and unfortunately the weight of the berries pushed the cream down the cake.  In superwomen fashion, I quickly threw together a fruit salad so I had something to bring just in case my "cake" we a total loss.  After a little fixing, my husband insisted I bring it as it looked decent enough.  I gave him the task of holding it on his lap in the front seat while I drove.  I guess I didn't want the pressure.  Well the minute we pulled out of the driveway my beautiful mess of a cake was on his lap.  The kids and I couldn't help but crack up laughing as he sat there covered in watermelon and cream in his "fancy" clothes.  If I didn't laugh I would have cried after all of the effort I put into it.

We reversed and pulled back into the driveway.  My husband insisted we can still salvage it to enjoy later.  As he tried to transfer it back into the fridge the whole cake slipped off the cake stand and went head first into the fridge.  We both looked at each other and closed the fridge door.  Already being a half-hour late, we decided we will deal with the mess when we got home.  The kids couldn't wait to tell our friends of the watermelon fiasco.

An Important Lesson

I kind of like when things go wrong in front of the kids.  It can make for an amazing learning experience on how to bounce back from failure and keep things in perspective.  If you take a minute to take a deep breath before you react and realize that your reaction and perspective will be mirrored when your kids face similar life challenges.  We as parents are always trying to teach these things but nothing compares to the natural learning that occurs by role modeling in real situations.  Both my 10-year old and 4-year old witnessed how much time I spent on my creation and how excited I was to share it.  I could have been angry and frustrated at my epic fail (as my daughter would say) but instead I tried to find the humor in it (it was pretty hysterical).  I talked about how I now know what I need to do differently to make it work and how excited I was to try to tackle it again now that I was so experienced :)  Is it not everyday that our children find themselves in similar scenarios?  Block towers that were built with such care and then fall.  Art projects that were going well and than take a turn for the worse.  They will naturally react similar to how they see you react to these challenges.  So remember your yoga breathing, don't take yourself so seriously and dare I say laugh at your self :)

Practice Makes Perfect

A week later we had the same friends over for dinner at our house.  I was obsessed with trying to get this dessert to be a great success this time.  I had a game plan and knew it could be done if I had the time and  a few tricks up my sleeve.  I gathered my ingredients again and started the process in the morning.  Long story short, it worked.  Everyone was super impressed and truly enjoyed this cool cake.  When sliced it looked beautiful and held together perfectly.  Don't be intimidated!  Anyone can do it, although remember it is not made to travel :)

The finished product- it worked!

Watermelon Cake

Ingredients:

1 large whole watermelon

1 tub whipped topping

2 cups almonds (sliced)

1 quart of fresh Strawberries

1 pint of blueberries

1 pint of raspberries

Directions:

1.  Wash and cut all skin and rind off watermelon, so just flesh remains.  The best way to do this is with a large sharp knife.  Cut the top end and bottom end off.  Stand up and start cutting sections down from top to bottom pushing your knife against the flesh and following the natural shape of the melon.

2.  Shape melon into a cake.  The size can be determined, although the larger it is the harder it will be to handle.

3.  Put melon on cake plate and into freezer to firm up (about 30 minutes).  The colder it is the easier the whipped topping will stick to it.

4.  Take the melon out of the freezer and frost it with the whipped topping.  The key is to use whipped topping that was properly defrosted in the fridge, not on the counter.  This will ensure it is firm enough to hold.  Try to do this process fast and put the frosted melon back in the freezer to firm up (about 15-30 minutes).

5.  Cover the sides of the cake with the sliced almonds.  Pushing the nuts gently but firmly into the whipped topping.  Put the cake back into the freezer (about 15-30 minutes).

6.  Decorate the top with whatever fruit you would like.  Remember that the more weight the more likely the topping won't hold up as well.  If found the berries to work well (see above).  Put it back into the freezer for about a half hour.  It can than be transferred to the fridge until you're about to serve.  It can be sliced just like a regular cake and enjoyed!  

A slice of heaven :)

A Sweet New Year- Resolutions for Parents and Children!

Apples and honey for a sweet new year!

Last week was Rosh Hashanah, the celebration of the Jewish New Year.  Although the holiday is a happy one, it begins the 10-day contemplation period that leads to Yom Kippur, also known as the day of atonement.  It is during this time period that you are instructed to assess, focus on, contemplate and review the year as a whole and consider and acknowledge what you could have done differently. It ends with apologizing for the mistakes you have made.

As a child I remember sitting in temple for hours on end and listening to and chanting about how bad we were during the past year.  I always thought, "I don't think I was that bad!" and I would look around at the others faces to see if I could tell if they were thinking the same.  To be honest, I always felt a little offended.  As an adult, I don't look at it as literally as through a child's eyes instead I focus on what I can personally improve in my everyday life.  I take the time during services to try and become re-inspired to make the necessary changes and develop a plan of action.

Growing up Jewish, I remember watching people on T.V going into confessional.  Voicing your guilt anonymously so you can wipe your hands clean and move on.  What a great idea!  I look at this time of the year as a self-confessional.  Taking the time to review and acknowledge how the year went, decisions you made, behaviors you had, mindlessness habits you engaged in.  These are all up for contemplation and a good start for considering what you want to be different in the year ahead.

Some things that came to my mind........

• Keep things in perspective.  When I am having a hard day with the kids remembering how lucky we are that we have our health and each other.
• Save more time and energy for my husband who deserves my love more than anyone in this world and unfortunately who sometimes gets shuffled on my priority list.
• Discover something we can do as a family to give back to the community.
• Make sure I do something that brings me joy everyday so I can be balanced and at my best for the people I love.

This year I took my 10-year old daughter to the full adult services and watched her sit there like a trooper as I quietly hoped she was getting something out of it.  I took the time to talk to her about what the service was about and how she should take the time to think about her past year.  I reminded her it is also about reviewing what she was proud of and how to figure out how she can continue to make those good decisions and have those good behaviors.  She took it a step further and made a list when we got home of what she is sorry for and what she is proud of.  That's so Kaylee :)

We took my 4-year old to the children's service as he isn't capable of sitting for more than an hour.  He was the most well behaved in the congregation only because he fell asleep a few minutes into the service.  No indication of how good the services were, it was just that witching hour of 2:30 in the afternoon.   Although he missed it, I shared this beautiful prayer we said together as parents and children with him when we got home:

Parents:  Sometimes I do things you do not understand.
Children:  Sometimes I do things you do not understand.

Parents:  I will try to listen and not just lecture.
Children:  I will try to listen more than I want to.

Parents:  I hope you will tell me what you're feeling.
Children:  I hope you will try to comprehend what I'm feeling.

Parents:  But I can't always tell you what you want to hear.
Children:  I will try to remember that you have my best interest in mind.

Parents:  I will try not to scold you for small mistakes.
Children:  I will try to be more responsible.

Parents:  I will try not just to teach you but to let you learn for yourself.
Children:  I will try to accept what you want to pass on, while I chart my own path.

Parents:  I will force myself to let you stumble because failure is as valuable as success.
Children:  I will try to remember that I can learn from failure as much as from success.

Parents:  You are important to me and I will try to show you my love every day.  I shall always try to make our time together meaningful.
Children:  You are important to me, and I will search for even more ways to be closer to you and make more room for you in my life.

BOTH:  May this new year be a year in which the hearts of parents will turn toward their children and hearts of children turn towards their parents.

Wishing you a happy, healthy and sweet new year :)

Re-Balancing After An Indulgent Weekend with Veggie Water!

You know those Monday mornings.  The ones when your alarm goes off and you can't believe it's morning already.  An event-filled, schedule-packed, food-indulgent weekend that now hits you hard in every sense of the word.  Well, that's how this Monday morning hit me.  Family and friend get togethers, cooking and eating of holiday meals and the kids being off from school for most of last week has finally caught up to me.  You know it's bad when your 10 year old daughter is telling you to get up before she is late for school.  I got myself together and somehow got out the door with the kids in time.  I don't know how we do it :)

Hydration & Exercise- The Solution..... 

For Monday morning "hangovers" like this, the best thing to do is exactly what you don't feel like doing, working out.  Other than my big cup of hot coffee, what I needed to re-balance was a good long cardio workout and some deep stretching.  Done and done!

Veggie Water to the Rescue

The next thing I knew would make me feel better is some major hydration.  Plain water is great but even better is my "veggie water".  Not only is it more thirst quenching but it provides detoxifying and diuretic properties.  What's awesome is that "veggie water" can be made with whatever is fresh and on-hand at the moment.  I happened to have celery, cucumber, lemon and mint so that was my refreshing winning combination today.


Celery, cucumber, lemon and mint- so refreshing!

Wash and chop all your ingredients.  The size, shape, and uniformity of the ingredients doesn't matter.  Don't make it harder than it has to be!  Who has time for that?



Nothing has to be cut perfect- it's all good!

Add all of your ingredients to a pitcher and fill with filtered water.  Put it in the fridge and let the magic happen.  I always drink a glass right away but the longer you let it sit the more flavorful the water becomes.  Once you have polished off the water you can crunch on the cold wet veggies which are delicious!

I know what you are going to say, who has time to dress up a glass like this?  Actually you do!  It took an extra 30 seconds to put it into a fun nostalgic glass, stick a piece of already cut and washed celery into it and slit the middle of an already cut cucumber and lemon slice down the middle to hang on the glass.  Thirty seconds people!!!!!!!!

How often do we cut corners when it comes to ourselves?  Most parents and caregivers spend hours a week shopping, planning, prepping and cooking for the people we love.  Don't we deserve to take a few extra minutes a day to provide something nice for ourselves.  If we can get into the habit of giving ourselves these little gifts throughout the day it will make us feel like we matter and we deserve the time.  These little acts of self-kindness helps us to ultimately re-balance.  I know everyone can do this- try it this week and feel the love :)

Veggie Water:

Ingredients:

4 stalks of celery
1 large cucumber
1 large lemon
1 handful of fresh mint (basil is also delicious)

Directions:

Clean all vegetables well and cut into large chunks.  Add all to a large pitcher, fill with filtered water and refrigerate.  Veggie water can be enjoyed as soon as it is made although the longer it sits the more flavorful the water will be.  After about 24 hours the veggies will be soggy and you will want to make a fresh batch, although that won't be an issue since all of the water will already be gone!