creative jewish mom

Beets: Helpful Hints For Pesach Or Anytime!

I'm really glad that I'm giving away a copy of Tamar Ansh's Pesach Anything's Possible,  because the information she has graciously shared with us, below is so useful! I never knew that one can freeze beets! Here's what Tamar has to say about this:

"Beets are one of those foods that for literally generations, has been associated with Pesach. Beets keep well for longer periods of time, are full of healthy vitamins, and have so many varied uses. Instead of just average borscht or chrein, why not try something new this year? Another great beet tip that I've discovered: you can freeze cooked beets and when they are defrosted, they are just as good as the day they were cooked. This is a GREAT time saver. I buy a lot of beets at one time, and then peel, check and boil them all on the same day. After they are cooled, since they shred and/or chop nicest when they are cold, I cut/shred/slice them into whatever form I want to store away. Then I pack them into disposable plastic containers, label what they will be for, and freeze them. This saves tons of time during the holiday, and also saves me some valuable fridge space. Plus, I do not have to worry about the beets going bad in the fridge, nor wilting or going moldy in storage before they are even cooked."

Thanks so much Tamar! I'm going to be using this amazing time saving tip year round for my Moroccan Beet Salad here, which you could also make for Pesach if you eat kitniot. If not, so omit the cumin, and use more garlic and lemon juice.

Great Pesach Recipes From "Pesach, Anything's Possible" by Tamar Ansh

It's Pesach! I hope all of you are enjoying the holiday. I just love Pesach and the food associated with the holiday. And let me tell you, food is a big deal for us on Pesach, and there are many different customs from family to family associated with the holiday. For those of us who keep kosher, this is the time of year to be especially strict about our observances of the laws and for some this may translate into buying only the minimum of prepared or canned foods for the holiday. That being said, Tamar Ansh's cookbook Pesach, Anything's Possible has recipes that will suit the customs of every family, and can be used during the year for a gluten-free diet. I have yet to see the actual cookbook myself (it's still in the mail!) but many of my readers raved about it!

Tamar was kind enough to share with us three recipes, Butternut Squash Kugel, Manderine Orange & Beet Salad, and Chocolate Sponge Cake, which you can find here. 

Enjoy your holiday and don't forget to enter the Pesach giveaway— you might win a copy of Tamar's cookbook!

Am I Crafty Enough? Vote!

I'm auditioning along with 21 other great crafty bloggers for a place in the next "So You Think You're Crafty?" competition. Go on over to the site here and vote, it's fun to see all the entries! I can't tell you which project is mine, but I'd say that it's better to see who is ahead and then vote for the project that you like that hasn't gotten a lot of votes! Am I crafty enough to make it into the competition? We'll see!

Make Your Own Wall Decals From Fabric!

Today I am not at the computer, I am celebrating and observing the first day of Pesach! Of course that doesn't mean that I'll be abandoning the blog, I've got a whole series of posts lined up that will automatically post even though I'm enjoying the holiday!

This is not my project (You'll forgive me right? I'm a little pressed for time preparing for Pesach!) though I'm going to try it out the first chance I get. Just arranging the photos to make a pretty collage was fun! This project was actually posted on my Craft Schooling Sunday blog party last week, but it is so brilliant I just had to give it its' own post so that my readers wouldn't miss it.

I'm sure you're familiar with the very popular vinyl wall decals, that can look great but can be expensive and a little flat looking for some. Here's a really great option that I think could be even cuter and easy to make yourself. Using fabric and double-sided fusible web you can make decals like these that will not damage the walls! For a complete tutorial, please visit sewingforscarlet. And do thank her for giving me permission to post this on my blog!

Enjoy and let me know if you try this out, I'd love to hear about your successes or any other results! Wishing everyone a wonderful Pesach. Seven (or eight) days of matzo is a great thing!

Are You A Slave To Something?

During my Pesach cleaning I found this tiny challah that I'd been saving to photograph for the blog, hiding inside this Moroccan dish! And the matzo is something my 6 yr old son made on a class trip to a matzo bakery last week.

Tonight is the first night of Pesach! And that means that this morning around 9am we will be eating our final bites of anything bread related and then burning the leftovers in a communal bonfire! Many of us have worked very very hard to rid out homes of every last trace of anything leavened, and you probably wouldn't believe how many loads of laundry I did today alone! We lock up all the dishes and kitchen items that we've used all year, and bring out our special Pesach dishes which we use only for the holiday. It's so much work and yet so very rewarding when you are finally standing in your home ready to usher in the holiday and to taste freedom! Every year we retell the story of our deliverance from slavery, and every year we try to examine our current lives and leave behind those things that we are slaves to. I highly recommend this for everyone, regardless of whether you celebrate Pesach!

I have to be honest, I am a slave to this blog! Hmmm. But don't worry, I'm not planning on leaving it behind as it gives me just too much satisfaction to have met you all! That said, for the next 7 days or so I will be ignoring the blog just a tiny bit, but I'll be back in full force after the holiday.

Wishing you all a very Happy Passover, a Pesach Kasher V'Sameach!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

 

Sundays at creativejewishmom.com are devoted to my crafty readers around the world who drop by to share what they've been up to! It's really so inspiring to take a peek at such a variety of interesting projects every week, and I'm so excited to welcome some new participants this week from India, the Netherlands and Ireland! I just love the fact that we can all get together here! 

Last weeks links were super and it's always such a challenge to pick which projects to feature!  Here's a sampling from the party of some of the projects that inspired me!

I just love this hand-painted bean inspired bathroom from masteringeverydaycrafts. The color combination is perfect, and it really looks like wall paper! I don't know if I have the guts to do something like that, but I may just surprise you all soon! This matza vase from would be great for a modern and spare looking Passover table, and you can't get much simpler than gluing together some sheets of matzo! Okay, I have to be honest, Risa of jewishgiftplace didn't actually make it to the party on time, but since it's my party I decided to let her in very late in order to share this with my readers who will be celebrating Passover starting Monday night!

Mus from the Netherlands dropped by and shared this idea for a memory game made using colored pencils in a pot of sand! (I know, they look like cigarettes, but it's just a visual coincidence.) What really struck me about the photo on the left are the wooden picture dominos attached to the wall in the shape of a house, brilliant! And while I was visiting her blog I also wanted to share the photo on the right of this colorful artwork. Can you make a few pictures taped to the wall look this good? Don't worry, I can't either!

Amy over at modegepodgerocks is one of my sweetest friends in blogland, and I just love this card she made to welcome a new neighbor! You see, I told you she was sweet! And Sonja of craft-werk from Dublin,Ireland made this great chalkboard mug, don't you just love it?

I just love this flowered headband and hair clip from creation corner! And this sweet and simple flannel baby blanket also from creation corner would make a great present, for your own baby or someone elses!

Did you know that there's a holiday in Luxembourg where people give pretzels to one another? I'm so happy that sycamorestirrings dropped by to share this with us! Isn't this collage of letters from organizeyourstuff a great way to decorate the wall of a stairway? Start collecting the initials of all the members of your family, and make your own collage!

Flowers made from fabric are all the rage, and I think along for the ride did a great job with these little circles topped with a pearl! Last but not least, we have food art from of India! Littlefoodjunction does amazing things with food, and this would be a great way to present a meal for a birthday party don't you think?

Inspired? Me too! Now how about sharing what you've been up to! Feel free to link to anything remotely creative that you've posted on your blog! Please put the country you're from in capital letters first, and don't forget to link back to the party, with a text link or a button! Thanks for stopping by!

Spring Decor: A Two Minute Decorating Idea For Your Sparkling Home!

Hopefully at this point those of you who are celebrating Pesach have finished most of the rigorous cleaning and are now preparing for the festivities! I don't know about you, but I try to make my house look bare for Pesach, as it somehow looks cleaner and fresher that way! Nonetheless, a bit of color here and there and a touch of something new is always fun. So I came up with this almost instant decorating trick: tie a beautiful ribbon around a frame! And if you don't have a beautiful ribbon, so tie a strip of beautiful fabric around a frame! And if you don't have a frame, well that might be a problem! (But you could probably make a cute one fromm cardboard?)

How's that for a quick decorating trick? I just love how mine looks! And if you want to get a little more crafty, so buy some birdhouses from the dollar store and paint them in pastel colors, or give my felt rosebud bouquet a try, tutorial here.

Okay, you're right there's one more secret I have yet to reveal, the frame itself! This was something bound for the garbage by my neighbor, and I just loved the shape. I painted it light blue and then glued beautiful sheer beaded ribbon around the edge. Truthfully it's so beautiful I've been enjoying it empty! The combination of the sparkling lavender beads and the light blue frame is etherial and spring-like. Especially now, with it's new floral ribbon bow!

So, in conclusion, tie some ribbons around some empty frames and make some beautiful spring vignettes!
Decorating really can be that simple! And now, if you'll excuse me, I've still got lots to do for Pesach! Yawn. Whoops no time for dozing. All the best!

A Cozy & Classy Afikomen Bag From Fleece: Great For Jewelry Too!

Ever thought of using fleece for an afikomen bag? Me neither! That's why I just love Rivky Koenig's book Crafting Jewish, for it's simple yet creative ideas. Rivky was kind enough to share this project from the pages of her book, and so here it is! If you'll be doing some last minute sewing before Pesach, so maybe you could squeeze one of these in too! And if you don't sew but happen to have some fleece hanging around begging to be made into an afikomen bag, so why not try making one with my no-sew fleece method here? Just tie knots for the side seams and follow Rivky's instructions for the rest! This could be a great project for the kids too!

Quick! Hide the afikomen!
At the seder, it’s traditional for a piece of the middle matzo, called the afikomen, to be hidden by either the head of the seder or by the children participating. In either case, when the matzo is found or returned, the children receive (or are promised) a gift. This is all done in good spirits, to keep the children interested in the seder until the end, when the afikomen is eaten. Hide the afikomen in this beautiful bag and let the fun begin!

You'll Need:
- ¼-yard polar fleece
- tape measure
- pencil
- pinking shears
- needle and thread
- sharp scissors
- 26" length of ½"-wide ribbon
- 2 tassels
- sequins or rhinestones, optional
- craft or fabric glue, optional

How To:
 1.   Measure and mark a 9"x22" rectangle on the back of the fleece. Cut out with pinking shears.
 2.   Fold the fleece in the middle, lengthwise, with the right side facing in. (If you are using fleece without a pattern, there is no right or wrong side; just make sure that the pencil marks are on the outside.) It should form a 9"x11" pouch.
 3.   With the needle and thread, or sewing machine, stitch the fleece together to form a pouch, leaving the top open.
 4.   Fold the top of the fleece pouch down so that there is a 1" cuff around the top.
 5.   Use your sharp scissors to cut ¼"-deep slits into the fold of the cuff, cutting through both layers at the same time. Cut 9 slits spaced 1" apart around the top of the pouch. Unfold the cuff.
 6.   Turn the pouch right-side-out. Thread the ribbon through the slits. Knot a tassel to each of the ribbon ends.

Optional: Decorate the front of the bag by gluing on rhinestones and/or sequins with craft glue or fabric glue.
Estimated time: 30 minutes – 45 minutes
Note from CJM: I think you could do this in more like 15 minutes if using a sewing machine!

I just spotted some orange fleece hanging out in my studio, I think it just might make it to the Seder!

Make Embossed Tin Decorations For Pesach!

 

Last week I promised a few specific Pesach projects, so here finally is the last of them! Despite mountains of work still to do over at my place, I took a few moments to make this because I know that many of you could really use some craft projects right about now to keep the kids busy while you finish all the preparations! And if you're like me, you may just have found some aluminum baking trays that have seen better days, and can be recycled for this fun project!

You'll Need:

• heavy aluminum foil, the thickness of baking trays or aluminum foil used to cover things for Pesach
• permanent markers in fun colors
• a ball point pen
• ribbon, both narrow curling ribbon and wide wired ribbon for bow
• a little bird (optional!)

How To:

1. Cut silhouettes of cups, flowers, leaves or just about anything from aluminum foil.
2. Using a ball point pen, and pressing down, draw details onto your shapes, such that the details will be raised when you turn the item over.
3. Color your silhouettes with bright permanent markers
4. Tie pieces together with ribbon to make a collage of shapes, and hang!
5. Be creative, as you can see I used part of the rim to form the the top piece of my door hangin.

Safety Note: Aluminum foil edges can cut fingers easily, so adults should cut out the shapes for young children, and instruct older ones on the handling of the aluminum foil.

Some More Ideas For Using This Technique:

1. Make many small shapes and lace together as a banner!
2. Make a large footed cup as a chair decoration: make one for each chair and tie on the back of the chair for the Seder.
3. Hang clusters of these shapes on cabinet door handles, especially those cabinets closed for Pesach!

Enjoy this project and don't forget to drink plenty of water and stay relaxed! If you saw the condition of some areas in my house right now you'd feel really good about your situation, really! The good news for me is that this is not a "reality blog", so I will not be showing pictures of these troubled areas! All the best!

Lunchbox Matching Game For Pesach!

This great project is excerpted from Rivky Koenig's Crafting Jewish, which will be given away to one lucky winner in my Pesach Giveaway. Don't forget to leave a comment in the giveaway post to qualify! Thanks Rivky for letting me share this with my readers! I just love the idea of using a cute little vintage-look lunchbox for storing the game!

Rivky says:
This fun matching game will help children remember the names of the ten plagues
It is is quick and easy to make as well as to play. Laminating the cards
will make them more durable; this can be done at a local copy shop.

What you will need:
- 3 (8½"x11") sheets white cardstock or thick paper
- 3 (12"x12") sheets colored cardstock or scrapbook paper
- scissors
- markers
- glue stick
 
How To:
 1.   Fold one sheet of white paper in half. Then fold the paper in half and then in half again. Unfold the paper. The folds will have divided the paper into 8 equal rectangles.
 2.   Repeat step one with the other two papers. Cut out the rectangles; you will only need 20, so there will be four extra.
 3.   Draw a picture of a different makah on ten of the rectangles or download a clip art picture from your computer and glue to rectangles.
 4.   Write or print the Hebrew and English names of each makah on the other ten rectangles.
 5.   Fold the 12"x12" papers in the same manner that you did the white paper. Cut out the colored rectangles.
 6.   Center each white rectangle on each colored rectangle and glue into place, centering the white rectangles so that a colored border is visible.
Optional: Have the cards laminated at a copy shop or office center. Punch a hole in the top right corner of each card and place on a metal ring for storage.
Note: The makot cards pictured here were made using color copies of illustrations in the ArtScroll Children's Haggadah; used with permission.
Estimated time: 45 minutes

And guess what? Just because I love you I've assembled clip art of the 10 plagues for you to drag onto your desktop from the blog! And as a bonus because I really really love you, I've assembled another page of ten more images, so that you'll have 20 images in all. I'm planning to make a memory matching game with these . I'll keep my kids busy coloring two sets of each page, then I'll make cards from the images, either by laminating them or by gluing them to larger cardstock rectangles. To save time I may just print the images on full sheet sticker paper and then mounting them onto something heavier will be a breeze! I'll mount them first and then trim with a craft knife and a metal ruler! I'm sure everyone would love a new game for Pesach, so just a little bit of extra effort at this very busy time will be so greatly appreciated and enhance the holiday for your family! After all they really don't care how clean the house is!

Note: The images below were taken from an educational website, chinuch.org.Please do not reproduce in any commercial way without permission. If you have a question about this, please ask!