creative jewish mom

Use Real Apples For Last Minute Centerpieces!

In need of a last minute centerpiece or something decorative for an entryway or sidetable? Gather up some real apples, a few dried leaves, some gold painted pods, a footed kiddush cup or opaque wine glass and you'll be in business in no time!

Here are a few other ideas you might like which use real apples:

• Buy beautifully colored crab apples, tie small bows to their stems with satin ribbon, and put one on the top salad plate of each place setting.
• Place the largest platter you own in the center of the table and fill it with apples, lots of them! For a modern sleek look, go for apples all in one color.
• Fill the center of your table with all kinds of candlesticks, and place an apple on the top of each one.
• If you have a centerpiece, but suddenly it looks too small, make a circle around it with apples! To preserve the circular shape connect one apple to the next with a toothpick.
• Fill a large very clean glass vase with apples, and add water if you like.

As long as you have some apples on hand, your table can always look great in just a few minutes. Got some more ideas for tabletop decorating with apples? Please share with us in the comments section, I'd love to hear from you!

Delicious and Simple Whole Wheat Apple Cake!

This apple cake recipe is an old favorite of mine that's wonderful any time. I made it one morning for guests as a part of a brunch meal, and the smell of the cake wafting through the house drove them crazy! I once made it for some important guests visiting from Mexico, and they didn't stop talking about the cake for months!

I'm not a big baker, so I like cakes that are simple, delicious and present well. I bake this cake in a round silicon tart pan, and for serving I sprinkle some powdered sugar on top. A nice decorative touch would be to cut an apple shape from paper, place it on top of the cake, sprinkle on the powdered sugar and then remove the paper apple to reveal a beautiful apple shape! But with or without powdered sugar, this cake will be one you'll want to bake time and time again.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 250 sugar (1 3/4 cups)
• 1 cup oil
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 packet baking powder (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 apples, cubed
• 1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Baking Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. cube apples and place in the bottom of pan
3. Mix eggs and sugar in a mixer (if possible) for 15 minutes, or however much time you have, and then add oil slowly
4. Add rest of ingredients and mix
5. Pour batter over apples and bake for roughly 45 minutes, just watch the cake so that it doesn't burn!
6. The top should be lightly brown and cracked, and the apples will remain at the bottom of the cake.

Would be delicious with some vanilla ice cream, and/or a nice cup of hot tea. Enjoy!

Note: American recipes generally use a combination of baking soda and baking powder, whereas Israeli cake recipes generally use baking soda only, as in this recipe. I really have no idea why, but the results seem to be similar!

Draw A Cartoon Faced Cup And You Just Might Save The Day!

Today the little ones started to fight over a special plastic plate with a cute picture on it. There were raised voices (them) and tears (them) and Mom decided to step in before the situation got out of hand. I asked the older little one to give in to the younger one, and I promised that we'd buy some new plastic plates with cute pictures. He somehow understood that I said I'd make him a plate (I guess that sounds more likely around here!) and started calling to me in another room, "where's my plate?"

No disposable plates were to be found, so I whipped out a permanent marker and a disposable cup in order to appease him. My solution was appreciated by the littlest one, and it did at least break the tension. And it gave me an almost instant project to share with you!

Cups decorated with doodles or letters or just about anything would be cute anytime, at a get together for kids, at a birthday party, or even to express your recognition of a special accomplishment or occasion.
A table filled with cups proclaiming Congratulations,Well Done!, Mazal Tov! would be truly touching!

Note: For those of you who just might be smirking over the fact that I'm promoting the use of plastic disposable cups, I'd like to say that we are in the middle of a big drought here in Israel so this may be the lesser of two evils! And next time I'll try to buy the plastic biodegradable cups even though they cost more, I promise.)

Make Cute Doorknob Greetings For The New Year!

Isn't this just the cutest? I really can't take credit for it though, my daughter made this with a friend last week
and inside was a sweet note to her parents, rolled up and wrapped with a piece of rafia. I instantly thought, about you my precious readers, and how you could do this project with your kids! Make unique Rosh Hashana greetings for neighbors and friends, and you can choose to fill the cup with tissue paper and a few treats, or simply place a nicely rolled and bow-tied note inside the empty cup. (And in case you're wondering, this project is not recycled from Valentine's day, we don't have that holiday here, so hearts and the color red have no connotations for my daughter!)

You'll Need:

• Heavy plastic drinking cups (recycle some!)
• Puff paint, glitter glue or any  paint in an applicator bottle
• pipe cleaners or wired ribbon
• stickers or scrapbooking embellishments
• a hot glue gun

How To:

Give kids cups to decorate with paint and stickers. When they're finished use a hot glue gun (without the glue) to make a hole in the cup on each side. Hold the hot glue gun against the cup until you see that a hole has formed. Thread a pipe cleaner or ribbon thtough the holes to make a handle.

Note: Hot glue guns are quite dangerous and should only be used by older responsible children, or adults, who also need to use with care. I have known a few people who have burned themselves seriously with the hot glue itself!

Make Elegant Fall Napkin Rings: Your Holiday Table Will Be Gorgeous!

Here's a really sweet project that's been in my head for quite some time now, and has finally made it into reality just in time for Rosh HaShana, or the holiday celebration of your choice! In just a few minutes you can make a whole set of charming napkin rings to use yourself or give as a gift.

You'll Need:

• miniature apples
• artificial leaves
• ribbon - length required to encircle napkin and tie a nice bow
• sequins
• glue

How To:

1. Glue apple to leaf.
2. Glue ribbon to back of leaf
3. Glue a line of sequins to apple
4. Wasn't that just too easy?

And wouldn't these be just adorable bracelets for flower girls at a fall wedding? Or omit the ribbon, glue a pin back to the back of the leaf and you've got a unique piece of jewelry!

If you can't find small apples, you can certainly create something beautiful with any number of small fruits or flowers. A whole set of napkin rings, each one using a different combination of artificial berries and tiny fruits could be stunning! Give it a try. It's such a great feeling to set a gorgeous table, that it's well worth investing just a little bit more time than usual. I promise!

Make Your Own Stamps From Craft Foam, And Get Stamping!

Above: A tea box is recycled, stamped on the blank side, and then re-glued inside out! You can also purchase blank boxes and make as many as you desire for party favors or small gifts.

Rosh HaShana is in another two weeks, so you still have time to make some handcrafted cards for friends and family, and treat bags for the kids! This project is really simple and with great results considering the minimal time investment. You can make some stamps one day, and the next, spend maybe an hour or so stamping your images on cardstock which you'll use to make beautiful and unique New Year's Greetings cards. Sounds good to me!

A Rosh HaShana card (left) is made from stamped colored paper and embellished with metallic gold contact paper. Gift tags are made by stamping a single image on thin cardboard, punching a hole, and adding a hanging ribbon!

 

Brown paper bags look adorable when stamped with images, especially those done by the kids! My almost 6 year old decided to do his own thing (instead of Rosh HaShana imagery like apples etc.) and drew a man which I then cut out for him, and stamped by brushing paint onto the whole shape. After the paint had dried, my son then went back and added details with a ball point pen. Too cute!

Make Your Own Stamps From Craft Foam Tutorial:

You'll Need:

• Craft Foam
• Glue
• Plastic tops (from spice containers) or other jar or container tops
• Ink Pads and/or paint

How To:

Step 1:  Trace around the perimeter of your spice jar top.

Step 2: Draw the shape you'd like to work with.

Step 3: Cut out foam shape and glue to spice container tops. Set aside to dry. Use double stick tape if you need to use them right away.

Step 4: Press stamp onto stamp pad, or apply paint with a brush

Step 5: Applying light pressure, press stamp onto paper

Above right: the man stamp was used as is, since it's too big to glue to a spice top. One can however glue an oversized shape to a dense sponge to make a large stamp.

And that's it! Can you believe it's so simple?  Enjoy!

Welcome To Creative Jewish Mom!

I am now celebrating the holiday of Succot with my family and friends! I won't be crafting or blogging for seven days, but I've pre-arranged a bunch of great projects that will automatically post. So do stop by!

Wishing  you and your family a very happy, healthy new year, full of creativity and joy!

In My September Container Garden

In the last container gardening post, in which I showed some of my new acquirements, I promised I'd show what was going on in the rest of the garden, so here it is!

After suffering a bit in the August heat, the white and pink climbing roses have charmed us once again with some gorgeous blooms!

The bouganvillea which climbed a story and a half last year is finally in bloom again, but hasn't grown any new shoots this year, zero zilch! I will repot it in a much larger and deeper pot come January when the plant is dormant and hope for better success next year. The bouganvillea is so gorgeous it's worth pampering it a bit if need be!

I just love, love, love my Stephanoitis plant, who only bloomed once in it's shady location last year, but now has been blooming continously on new viny growth all summer, thanks to a new partially sunny location. The fragrant flowers are heavenly! But this is a tropical plant, so if you live in a region with freezes or even lower temps, you'll have to bring this baby inside during the cold months. But this is another plant I'd totally recommend! The sight and smell of those first blooms is something everyone should experience!

The lochroma hasn't grown much this year despite a new large and deep pot, but the hedenbergia, left, has taken off. The man at the nursery was right when he said they are fast growers! I'm now training mine to grow in two directions on this wall, and can't wait till winter when we'll hopefully enjoy it's delicate purple blooms.

Feeling a little light-headed from breathing in too much of our clean and pure mountain air? Take a seat on the bench/folding table that we moved out into the public walkway amidst my container garden. Interesting what a little seating can do for a garden!  It makes my garden really feel like a garden, and from this bench there's an amazing mountain view. As far as I know, no passing stranger has yet to take a seat, but please feel free!

All the best to you and your garden, whether it be actual or in your dreams!

Moroccan Carrot Salad & Moroccan Beet Salad: Great For Your Rosh HaShana Table!

Carrots and beets are traditional foods that we eat each Rosh HaShana, so why not try something a little bit exotic this year? These recipes are classic Moroccan salads that are traditionally served as a salad appetizer course for any festive meal. Moroccans are famous for their salads, so these are just two of many types of salads that appear even on my own table! And don't you just love these small Moroccan covered dishes? They'll make any table look like it's set for a King, perfect for ushering in the New Year!

Moroccan Carrot Salad:

Ingrediants

• 1 kilo carrots (this is for a large group)
• a few sprigs of fresh parsley chopped
• 4 or 5 garlic cloves, chopped very finely
• 1 tblsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp sweet Moroccan paprika
• lemon juice from one large lemon
• a dash of pepper
• salt to taste, roughly 1 tsp

Preparation:

1. Peel and trim carrots, place in pot of water and bring to a boil.
2. Cook until a fork is inserted easily but don't overcook as carrots will be too soft.
3. Slice carrots in thin rounds, or use a corrugated vegetable knife to cut rippled carrots (very professional looking!)
4. Add olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, paprika, a dash of pepper, and salt.
5. Stir well and add chopped parsley.
6. Taste salad, it should have a slightly tart garlic, lemony taste with a slight touch of paprika.  Make sure there's enough salt to bring out the flavor, this is sometimes the difference between a good salad and a perfect one! Add more lemon juice if needed, and refrigerate before serving to allow the carrots to marinate a bit.

Note: In hot summer months this salad does not keep well, so be sure to return it to the refrigerator as soon as possible. Corrogated vegetable knives are available in Israel for 10 shekels at your local souk (shuk).

Moroccan Beet Salad

Ingrediants:

• 4 large beets
• a few sprigs of fresh parsley chopped
  
• 4 or 5 garlic cloves, chopped very finely
  
• 1 tblsp olive oil
• 1 tblsp or more (yes really!) Cumin
• lemon juice from one large lemon
  
• a dash of pepper
• salt to taste, roughly 1 tsp
  

Preparation:

1. Wash beets, but do not remove skin. Cut large beets in half for shorter cooking time.
2. Place in pot, fill pot with water and bring to boil. Simmer until a fork inserts easily into beet.
3. Peel beats by placing in your hand, the skin slips off easily!
4. Cut beets in half moon pieces (our tradition) or small strips, or use a corrugated vegetable knife for professional looking results.
5. Season with oil and lemon juice, add cumin, salt and pepper and stir.
6. Add chopped parsley and stir again.
7. Taste to make sure it's delicious!

Note: The taste of this salad varies greatly depending on the beets. When beets are in season they can be so delicious, and other times of year they can be tasteless. If you happen upon a really tasteless beet, you can improve the taste of your salad by adding a tiny bit of sugar, or even juice concentrate.

Rosh HaShana: Simply Elegant Table Decor For The New Year

Rosh Hashana is less than three weeks away, so it's time to start thinking about how to enhance our family's experience of the holiday with a little bit of creativity!

A beautiful and memorable holiday table can be both inexpensive and simple to set. The key is planning ahead, making a few key purchases, and allowing yourself to be creative! After investing hours and hours on food preparation you will most certainly want to place your delicacies on a elegant table. Convinced? Here's how you can make this year's table look like a bountiful feast befitting royalty:

1. Invest in an assortment of artificial jewel toned fruit— especially apples and pomegranates in all sizes and colors.

The artificial fruit can be used in several ways. First of all, you can assemble a centerpiece, by ideally arranging the fruit on a pedestal of some sort like a cake plate, footed bowl or elevated tray. (You can even make your own pedestal by placing a plate on top of a few overturned wine glasses!) The second way to use the fruit is to scatter it along the length of the table and display single pieces placed in teacups and atop candlesticks.
Note: You'll be able to use these fruit for years to come and they're great to have on hand anytime for an instant centerpiece.

2. Choose a tablecloth that will be a stunning backdrop for your festive table.

For those whose custom is to use a traditional white tablecloth for holidays, a beautiful runner or small square tablecloth placed diagonally in the center can give your New Year's table a special feel.  For those who don't feel the necessity to stick with white, sky's the limit as far as what could work for you! Depending on the depth of your table, you may be able to find some gorgeous fabric by the yard, which can easily be made into a custom tablecloth. (The sides (selvedge) of the fabric are usually finished nicely enough and the ends can be tucked under and hemmed with fusible hem tape and a hot iron.)  Choose fabric colors and patterns carefully such they will be harmonious with the color scheme of your home, and don't be afraid to layer patterns and colors. Before you go shopping for fabric, be sure to measure your table, and consider trying out some different color options by covering your table with any samples of fabric that you may have or even sheets or blankets in colors that might work.

3. Purchase some beautiful satin ribbon that coordinates with your tablecloth.

Tie ribbon around your candlesticks and one other item on the table. (You want the look to be elegant, not overdone.) You can tie a ribbon around each placesetting of silverware, make ribbon napkin rings,  tie a small bow at the foot of each wine glass, or even decorate chairs with a touch of ribbon! There are so many beautiful possibilities.

4. Usher in the New Year with joy, and sit back and gaze upon the  fruits of your labor with a great feeling of satisfaction for having dared to set a spectacular table!