creative jewish mom

Make Mini Mosaics With Beads!

I love mosaic anything. And when dishes break around my house I never scream. Infact sometimes I'm downright happy to have some more stash for my upcoming mosaic projects (which have been upcoming for a few years now, but we'll get there, you'll see!) hopefully this summer. That being said, making mosaics with ceramic/glass tile or broken dishes is great, but it's time consuming and messy.

And then it came to me, why not try making mosaics with beads? Not tiny seed beads mind you, something just a bit bigger. The results can be really nice, (and different!) and this technique especially works well as a spot decoration. There are so many possible ways to use this technique: on a glass bottle or vase, on a wooden picture or mirror frame, on a glass or ceramic plate to then hang on the wall, on the top of a wooden box, on a mezuzah, on a name plate for the front door or a child's room, just to give you a few ideas!

HOW-TO:

Materials:

• a base object for your work
• paint for the base object
• an assortment of beads, all one size is preferable
• glue, either PVA white glue (woodworker's glue/devek nagar) or some brand of high-tack craft glue
• powdered grout (roba) that you mix yourself-available in many colors

Instructions:

1. Paint your base object a beautiful color if applicable. Affix any necessary hanging hardware now, as hammering or drilling the object after the mosaic application is risky.
2. Using a pencil or fine permanent marker, sketch your design on the base object
3. Apply a thick layer of glue to the area you'd like to begin working on and start setting beads into glue, one by one. You may find working with tweezers helpful.
4. Finish your design and allow glue to dry overnight.
5. Depending on what type of object you've decorated, for the next step it is wise to mask off the areas of the object that do not have mosaic application. You could do this with aluminum foil, plastic food wrap, or painter's masking tape.
6. Mix a small quantity of grout according to instructions, and smear grout over entire beaded area only. Don't worry if the beads get covered.
7. Allow grout to harden slightly (time is variable, could be as little as 1/2 hour) and using a soft cloth start gently rubbing over the beaded area to remove the grout covering the beads. If necessary, go over beads with a toothpick to further remove grout and reveal a greater portion of each bead.
8. Check to make sure depth of grout is unform over entire surface of beading, and add grout to areas that are lacking.
9. Set aside to admire and let grout dry thoroughly (overnight) before hanging or using.
10. Note: These bead mosaics are rather delicate by nature, so don't use this technique for something that will be handled or potentially dropped!

Wow! This project sure sounds great, wish I had time to do some more. You'll be wanting to see more new projects from the creativejewishmom, so gotta move on! Happy creating! And please leave comments!

Spicy Oven Baked Fries Will Disappear Quickly!

Baked fries before being place in the oven

Yes, I'll agree, there's nothing quite like the taste of deep fried french fries (chips in my part of the world) but I'm sure you know, fried foods are quite unhealthy for everyone, not just those trying to loose weight. A diet of fried foods could eventually take it's toll on your children's health as well. No guilt trips here, just a really easy recipe that your family will love. (And don't tell them it's healthy, just tell them it's a new french fries recipe from Israel that you just discovered!)

This was supposed to be the after photo for the top casserole, but they got eaten so quickly, that the after photo is infact a picture of the second batch that I had to make to feed those who missed out on the first (namely my husband and thosechildren who pretended to still be hungry).

This is a real "after" photo, and I must say, they're looking pretty tasty! Do you think something like this would hang around for long at your house?

You'll Need:
6 peeled, washed and dried potatoes
home-made cooking spray (previous post)
1tsp paprika
1tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
a casserole dish or oven tray

The quantities here are not exact, given the varied sizes of potatoes. Use your judgement depending on your family's love for or dislike of, spicy food! You can omit the spices all together if you have doubts.
Average people will eat at least 2 potatoes per person as a side dish, and don't worry if it looks like a lot,the quantity shrinks considerably in the baking process.

Preparation:

1. Turn oven on to grill, if you don't have a grill option, preheat oven to 400F (200C)
2. Slice potatoes into french-fry style sticks. Try to maintain a uniform thickness, and pieces on the thick side will be better than on the too thin side.
3. Spray casserole or oven tray with oil spray
4. Place potatoes in casserole, spray with oil and mix to distribute oil evenly
5. In a separate bowl mix together paprika, cumin and salt. Pour over potatoes and mix toevenly coat the potatoes. If the spices are barely visible, add a bit more.
6. Place casserole on highest rack just under the grill. Stir often as soon as potatoes begin to brown.
7. Don't forget about them, they burn quickly! (The whole cooking time is about 20 minutes, longer if baked)
8. Remove from oven, let cool before giving to small children, and watch them disappear!

Notes:

• If you don't feel like making the cooking spray, so use regular oil, about 2 tblsp for a casserole.
• Other recipes recommend placing fries in one layer, but you don't have to as long as you stir them often.
• Try using hot paprika for lovers of spicy hot foods.
• For a complete meal combine mostly cooked fries with chopped tomatoes,  olives and yellow cheese. Return to oven until cheese is melted.

Make Your Own Cooking Spray For Healthy Eating!

Cooking spray is a great way to reduce fat for healthier eating, but it's relatively expensive here in Israel, and the aerosol spray brands available here don't appeal to me. Not only that, the cans seem to run out so quickly! This morning as I was doing some research to double check a recipe, I came across this idea of making your own cooking spray! I just had to share it with you!

You'll Need:
Spray Bottle
Oil of your choice (i.e. olive oil or canola oil)
Water

Recipe:
240mls/8.5 oz water
2 Tblsp oil

Place oil in spray bottle and then add water. You may need to use a funnel if your spray bottle has a small mouth, or make the mixture in a small pitcher and then pour into spray bottle. Shake well before use.

Note: Given the water content there is a potential for bacterial growth, so make small quantities and use right away, and/or store what you've made in the refrigerator.

Invite Matryoshka, and Babushka the Russian Nesting Dolls To Your Next Party!

Russian nesting dolls, correctly called matryoshka and NOT babushka, are all the rage right now in the crafting world. There are matryoshka stuffed dolls, matryoshka vinyl wall stickers, matryoshka art prints and even matryoshka patterned fabric. Since I myself am the proud owner of one set of slightly Yemenite looking Russian nesting dolls, it got me thinking as to how I could use them for some decorative purpose other than sitting on a shelf collecting dust.Then the obvious came to me, of course, tie ribbons around their necks and waists and invite them to your next party. That is, use them as table decorations!

It's so cute you'll want to do it for every special occasion. And why not? Interesting traditions that you create for your family are the origins of joyful memories. Your kids might even grow up thinking that everyone puts Russian nesting dolls on the table for birthdays, and that's perfectly okay, because in their homes they'll want to follow in your creative footsteps (hopefully)!

It just so happens that Russian nesting dolls are somewhat expensive, so if you know someone headed to the Ukraine to visit  gravesites of Tzaddikim, ask them to pick up a set (or two, or three) for you! You won't regret having instant table decorations for your next party!

Summer Crafts: Enjoy Making Something Useful From Beads and Lanyard Cord!

For me wooden beads and plastic lanyard cord reminds me of summer camp in the forest. Ahhhh. I can still smell those Eucalyptus leaves! And making something useful brings memories of a joyful summer into the whole year.

The projects here are quick yet satisfying, something to do as a break between other more time consuming activities, or as a great activity to do at a birthday party or barbeque. Your young (and old?) guests will go home with that feeling of satisfaction gained only when one makes something with their own two hands.

Wooden beads are available at dollar stores and craft stores. Lanyard cord is also widely available in the United States, sold generally in spools. In Israel lanyards are made using a round plastic cord which is sold as separate pieces like shoelaces. Jump rings and clips of all kinds can be found at the hardware store as well as the art supply store.

Instructions For Scissors/Key Chain Necklace  (top photo):

You'll Need:

• roughly 20 long wooden beads
• plastic lanyard cord, at least twice as long as the desired finished length
• one jump ring or key clip

How-To:

1. Find the middle point of the cord and attach jump ring or clip to cord with a single knot.
2. Thread both ends of the cord through the bead by inserting the left end through the bead from the left side, and by inserting the right end through the bead from the right. The two ends have now crossed over each other inside the bead. (got it?)
3. Continue as in step 2. with 5 more beads or as many as desired.
4. Attach single long beads at intervals by inserting the cord through the bead, and then bringing cord back down over the bead and re-inserting in the same hole. This way ou have essentially tied a knot around the bead and it stays fixed in place. If you prefer symmetry, try to match the intervals of bead placement on the right and left sides. 
5. When you have reached the desired length tie the two ends together in a tight double knot.
6. Optional: before tying the knot slip on an extra bead and after the knot is tied, slip bead over knot for a nice finishing touch.

Instructions For Double and Single Beaded Key Chain  (bottom photo):

You'll Need:

• 12 square beads for single beaded key chain and 10 square beads plus 4 long wooden beads for double beaded key chain
• plastic lanyard cord, at least four to five times as long as the desired finished length
  
• one jump ring or key clip

Work as in instructions above, and when finished, tie off each cord singly as in project on left, or tie  the two ends together by bringing them back down toward the beaded work and making a knot that will be as least visible as possible.

If you are planning to do this project with group do some examples your self first so you'llnow the length of cord needed for your project, and you'll have some nice examples to get everyone inspired! If you like the look of the items I created then I recommend using either cool colors (blue, green, purple) together, or warm colors (pink, orange, yellow, red) together.

And use your imagination to create something unusual. Think beyond the scope of the projects I've shown you and make something uniquely yours! Most importantly, have fun creating summer memories!

Collecting Seeds For Next Year's Garden

Seed pods collected in late June: Top: hollyhock, Middle: penstemon Bottom: pansies

A well-rounded Jewish mom really benefits from knowing all kinds of interesting things that she can share with her children! How should you go about acquiring this information?
One possible solution is to visit this blog regularly and pay attention! Along with the crafts and the decorating and the gardening and the cooking I'll do my best to impart to you tidbits of valuable information that you can use yourself and pass along to the little ones! Here goes:

Did you know that the seeds for many flowers, especially wild flowers are contained within seed pods which either grow independently of the flower, or are actually the base of the flower?

The reason I'm talking about this now is that, at least in Eretz Israel, all the beautiful spring flowers are dying back and their seed pods are now dried out and ready for harvesting! Collect now and you'll have the main ingrediant  to start a wonderful garden of spring flowers next year.  Take a walk and see what you can find. Collect only those pods that are golden brown and store separately according to species in paper envelopes.

And remember seeds come in all sizes from quite large to tiny, and the search is part of the fun. A few days ago I even discovered seed pods on my snap dragon plants, and the seeds inside the pods are tiny, like poppy seeds. (And then it occurred ot me, oh right poppy seeds are actually seeds! ) Look for the most obvious seed pods on any flowers that you've seen growing wild, like mallow, morning glory, hollyhock, and foxglove just to name the few that I know of. Just make sure to put your seeds in a place you won't forget, because spring will be here quicker than you think!

A Cure For Your Child's Pacifier Obsession?

DISCLAIMER: The following technique may or may not be appropriate for your child! It has not been approved by any psychologist as a good solution for your child's obsession with pacifiers. My intention here is to share with you a funny story that ended well for my daughter, but I am in no way advocating causing trauma to your child! Please take the following with a grain of salt:

My daughter was about to turn four. She had an intense obsession with pacifiers.She would go to sleep with no less than three on a chain, and in her sleep she would not only rotate the pacifier in her mouth, she would also change pacifiers!  Out of concern mostly for her teeth, we decided enough was enough!

My husband heard a Rav (don't know who) speaking about parenting issues on the radio and heard about this course of action: take all the pacifiers (or bottles) in the house, put them in a plastic bag and hang them on a tree. Tell the child that the tree will give them a present for being so brave and giving up their pacifier. Go back in the house, have someone take down the bag and replace it with a large prize, something they've really wanted, like for example a bicycle. That's it!

I must admit, when I heard this story I thought "that's crazy!" but decided to go along with my husband and give it a try. In the meantime my husband went to the store and bought my daughter a shiny new red bike, and I started to prepare her with the idea: if we give the tree all the pacifiers it  will give her a big present in return!  She agreed to give it a try and together we searched he whole house high and low for all the pacifiers. We made a big deal out of this whole process and I photographed the whole thing.

Later on my daughter watched as we pulled a shiny new bike out of the tree and from that day on she was pacifier free. We were very lucky, she took it all in stride and didn't even cry for a pacifier or regret that she'd given them up. She said the first night was a little hard but after that she forgot all about her trusted companions!

Today just three years later we laugh about that fateful day, and I can only hope that all the milestones in her life should pass with such ease!

Simple Birthday Cakes Real Moms Can Make

Birthday cakes are one of those things that are oh so important to your child. Unless you've made a hobby out of learning how to decorate all those fancy cakes with the piped icing and fondant, you're probably left wondering what kind of cake to make each time a birthday rolls around! Now,don't get me wrong,  a flat cake with icing and sprinkles can be just fine, but with just a little extra effort you can make something truly memorable!  And it's such a great feeling to surprise your child with something that makes his eyes pop!

The main point of this birthday cake is the paper cut-outs on skewers, these are what take the cake to another level altogether. And the fact that they are giant makes the wow factor even greater.

The Definative Morrocan Fish In Red Sauce Recipe

Step 3: Before Cooking

When I married my husband and was in the process of learning to cook his favorite family dishes, the big joke was that every recipe his mother ever told me included 1 cup of oil. I used to shriek at the idea, and with some trial and error I learned that the same dishes can be cooked with a third that amount of oil and they are even more delicious. However, it took me 7 years to finally realize that Morrocan fish won't be Morrocan fish without the oil. It might be good, but it won't be the fish my husband knows and loves! So bite the bullet, get out the olive oil and eat small portions of the delicious results.

Morrocan Fish in Red Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

• Fish Steaks: I use nile perch (nilos) or halibut. A meaty fish gives the best results, but you can also use fillet of sole, or probably just about any fish as long as it's not a fishy tasting one
• One large bunch of fresh coriander (cusbara)
• 2 sweet dried red peppers (sold at the spice store in bulk, or possibly at a fish and/or vegetable shop) The peppers come as hot or sweet, you can use some combination of the two. (will add a photo soon, since this is one ingrediant many are not familiar with)
• 1/2 medium sized red pepper (gamba)
• 2 heads of garlic or even more depending on the quantity of fish
• 4 Tblsp sweet paprika (preferably in oil)
• 1/2 cup olive or canola oil
• salt to taste

Step 2: Before cooking

Step 1: Wash fish, cut into serving sized pieces, and if you are using Nile perch soak fish in salted water for several hours (this is a must!)
Step 2: Place in a shallow fish pot:  peeled garlic, 1/2 of the cusbara chopped into 2" sections, 2 Tblsp paprika, two dried peppers cut into a few pieces, slices of red pepper. Add about 1/4 cup of oil and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, checking often and stirring so mixture does not burn.
Step 3: Place the fish steaks on top of the vegetable mixture. Mix 2 Tblspns of paprika into 1/4 cup of oil and add about 1tsp salt (if you did not soak fish in salt water) Pour oil mixture over fish and add rest of coriander. (see first photo of this post)
Step 4: If you are using Nile perch add only enough water such that the level is no higher than half the height of the fish. This is really important. If you are using halibut no water is added!
Step 5: If water was added bring to a boil and cook on very low for roughly 30 minutes. If no water was added, cook on very low for about 40 minutes and baste with liquid which results as fish is cooked.
Step 6: Taste and add salt if necessary. Yummmm.

Note: Fish is best if cooked the same day as it will be served. You can cook it in the morning, refrigerate  and re-heat for serving

Step 3 before addition of spiced oil and coriander

When served as a Shabbos dish, this fish is usually served hot Friday night and cold on Shabbos day.
This recipe is for a first course, if you want to make fish as a main course with larger servings, go lighter on the oil and you can add chopped tomatoes to the pot after the fish is half cooked.

I'm not a professional recipe writer, so let me know if you have any questions! Bon Appetite!

Want Stencil Patterns With Depth? Use Joint Compound!

A post or so ago, I spoke about using stencils to create decorative interest in your home. Now I want to let you in another simple decorating tip that is quite easy to do yet can be stunning. Instead of stenciling flat patterns on your walls, you can stencil something that will have both depth and texture!  This technique used in the wrong way can be really tacky, so just don't go overboard with heavy colors or too much altogether. Think simple and subtle, an artful touch over a sink, a border around a doorway.....

One can purchase stencils on the market designed specifically for this technique, though I have a sneeking suspicion that it will work with most types of plastic stencils, especially the thicker ones available in craft stores (but not the really really thin ones). And in fact this technique can be quicker than stenciling with paint because the join compound (shpachtel in Israel) is applied to the stencil with the sweep of a putty knife (also called a shpachtel!) and that's it!

I have used this technique in two places in my home. As seen above in a Moroccan style niche behind the dining room table, and in arches above 9 windows in my living room, dining room and kitchen. I agonized for months about how to fill the arches over the windows, I was thinking of mosaic, or maybe decorative paintings of the Twelve Tribes, or even depictions of the Seven Species. All of these ideas would have taken possibly months, so I hadn't quite figured it out. One day it came to me to do stenciling with joint compound, (it helped that I'd already purchased the stencils!) and in the course of making dinner I climbed up on a ladder and stenciled all 9 arched niches. I loved it when I did it and two years later I still love it! Lesson learned: very often the simplest solution is the most beautiful!

Joint compound can be colored, as I did in the Moroccan niche, but it makes the whole process much messier. For your first project I honestly recommend using the plain white joint compound, it washes off the stencil easily, and if you make a mistake you can also wipe if off the wall with no marks or color left behind. The interesting thing about these dimensional stencils is that from afar it is very difficult to tell that they are anything but flat, but the dimension gives them a special look that one can not achieve with regular painted stencils.

How-To 

You'll Need:

• joint compound (used for filling holes and repairing imperfections in walls)
• a wide putty knife (or regular sized if designs are small)
• a stencil cut from thick plastic

Instructions:

1. Practice this technique a few times on a hard surface before beginning to work on your walls.
2. Hold stencil in place with your hand or use spray stencil adhesive
3. Load putty knife with joint compound and sweep putty knife across stencil in one swift motion, filling the area of the stencil with joint compound.
4. Carefully lift stencil to view the results. If you used too much joint compound and the results are messy, quickly wipe off and start again! Once you get the hang of this it's simple, so don't give up!