creative jewish mom

Moroccan Salad: Fresh Fennel Bulb!

I'm taking a bit of a break from crafting today as I need to be in the kitchen cooking up a storm, but first I wanted to tell you about this very delicious and simple Moroccan salad that's a big hit over at my house. In Israel, fennel is largely a winter vegetable (we mostly eat vegetables in season) so now is the time that you'll find us enjoying this one, as an accompaniment to something warm and hearty.

Now if you're wondering "how does she get her kids to eat that?" Well let me explain one thing, if you and your husband, and any other caregivers or adults in your children's lives eat lots of vegetables and rave about them to no one in particular, then four out of five children will also follow in your footsteps! I can't guarantee anything, but I don't think overcooked peas and carrots are a way to get kids to love vegetables— serve them fresh and let them watch you enjoy eating them! If you don't love vegetables yourself, well then you've definitely got a problem on your hands!

Ingredients:

• fennel bulbs, trimmed to just the bulb, no stalks
• fresh lemon juice
• olive oil
• fresh parsley
• salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Wash fennel well. For those concerned about bugs, separate layers and wash and check. Alternatively, remove all tiny green areas, cut slices as described below and  soak in salt water.
2. The traditional Moroccan way to prepare this salad is to cut  whole slices of the bulb, namely you cut half-moon slices through the bulb vertically, and each slice includes a number of layers and a piece of the heart which holds the layers together.
3. Dress salad with lots of fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add some fresh parsley for added visual appeal, though it's not necessary as far as the taste of the salad is concerned.
5. Enjoy!

No-Sew Fleece: Cozy Ruffled Blanket!

I don't know what's happening in your little corner of the world, but right now it's pouring over here, which is great, because we were suffering from serious drought conditions this summer. The pouring rain makes this blanket look all the more welcoming, and I'm happy to say that I made everyone in the family a blanket like this (I just realized I forgot myself!) for Chanukah last year and it was such a fun gift. Each person got a different color/pattern combination that I chose just for them, and I made them all over the course of two evenings after the children were asleep!

Since then I've also made some smaller versions as baby blankets, a really nice gift that will pair nicely with the hat that I'll post in a few days! As you can probably see by the photo, the blanket consists of two layers of fleece quite simply tied together. You can make these any size you like, the only limits being the size of fleece you choose to work with. If you'd like to make a very large blanket, so rather than buy fleece yardage, try to find a source for inexpensive fleece blankets, which is what I've used. Or, you could join panels with a row of tied ruffles running down the middle as well as on the sides, which would look great too! If you want to get really adventurous you could tie together a number of panels for a textured quilt-like look. Whatever you choose to do, give it a try, it's so simple and such a satisfying gift! Of course some members of the family might like to try something new, like large weighted blankets, and last year I gifted my husband a weighted blanket, for which of course you could make a fleece cover using this same technique and more panels.

No-Sew Fleece: Delicate Ruffled Scarf

I love fleece! I just can't get enough of it when winter arrives. I now have a working sewing machine for the first time in a long time, and am getting into sewing, (whipped up some cute fleece hats for the kids for Chanukah gifts, will show you next week) but I can certainly sympathize with anyone who does not have a sewing machine or who doesn't enjoy sewing. I made these no-sew fleece projects when I did not have a working sewing machine and I was so very happy to be able to work with fabric! And there's something about the simplicity and construction of these tied fleece projects that is just irresistable!

This scarf is another quick project with great results, and very in keeping with the ruffled trend that seems to be popular in both home decor and fashion! As you can see from the photo, the sides of the scarf do not lie flat when finished, but this is part of the charm!

You'll Need:

• fleece in two colors
• masking tape
• good scissors

How-To:

1. Measure an existing scarf whose dimensions you like (or would like to change just a bit). Add 9cm to the width measurement, and divide in half to calculate the width of the panels you'll need to cut.
2. My meduim child-sized scarf has the finished measurements of roughly 22cm  x 160cm (8 3/4" x 24"). I cut 2 panels each measuring 15cm x 160cm. (6" x 24")
3. Measure 5cm (2") from one edge and mark the 5cm (2") width in a few places vertically along the panel. Place a piece (or several pieces) or masking tape vertically along the fleece panel, such that there remains a 5cm (2") wide vertical area of fleece along the entire length.
4. Using a ruler, carefully mark 1.5cm (2/3") intervals along the masking tape.
5. Cut fringe along the 5cm (2") panel using the marks on the masking tape as your guide. Accuracy here will result in a much delicate and beautiful ruffle.
6. Repeat steps 1 through 5 on the second fleece panel
7. Place panels side by side and tie fringe together with a double knot, making sure to use the same knot each time. Trim any ends that are visually longer than the rest.
8. You're finished, wasn't that fun? Think of all the other amazing things you could make using this technique. And if you're just too exhausted to think at this point, don't worry I'll be giving you lots more project ideas in the days to come!

And by the way, please take a few moments to click on the stumbleit button to the right and leave me a comment, I just love hearing from you!

No-Sew Fleece: Color Block Scarf!

In my neck of the woods, winter has arrived, which means it's time to break out the cozy scarves and hats! When it comes to keeping warm, there's nothing quite like fleece. And when it comes to whipping up some quick gifts, well if I were you I'd run out and buy a ton of fleece right now, since I'm going to devote the whole coming week to projects with fleece, most of them no-sew! How lucky are you?

While you can certainly buy fleece by the yard, and there's a mouth-watering selection of amazing patterns at store like JoAnnes (which I saw on a recent trip to the US) my source of fleece is from fleece blankets, which I can find for as little as 10 shekels (about $3) for a 130cm x 60cm size, much cheaper than buying yardage! While I love the patterned fleece, the solid colors look much more elegant and luxurious, and are a safer bet as far as gifts are concerned.

You'll Need:

• fleece in 2 colors
• good scissors
• masking tape
• a tape measure or ruler

How To:

Note: The total length of the scarf shown here is 123cm (50"), enough for a child to wrap around twice, but adult length is generally around 165cm (66"). The width I used is also wider than most scarf widths, but it looks nice with this style to have a bit more width, as the scarf looks particularly great folded over width wise. Measure the length and width of an existing scarf that you love and use that measurement!

1. Cut rectangles of fleece, mine measured 31cm x 37cm.(12.5"x 15")  For this scarf I used two blue rectangles and two lavender rectangles, for an adult size add on panels according to desired length.
2. Place a strip of masking tape across each block 8cm ( 3.25") from the bottom, do this on both ends of block.
3. Using a pen or pencil and a ruler, mark even intervals of roughly 2 cm (3/4") across width of tape.
4. Using the guides you've marked on the tape, cut fringe on each side of block, stopping at the edge of the tape. (One can certainly eyeball this part, but the results will not be nearly as neat, it's worth the few extra minutes to measure!)
5. Now for the fun part, place one blue square next to one lavender square and simply tie the fringe together with double knots, making sure to tie the knot in the same way each time. How easy is that?
6. Join all the squares and you're done. Amazing right?

While this scarf looks decidedly feminine, a male version might use darker colors and have longer rectangles, namely fewer tied spots and thus a bit less "frill". Stay tuned this week and next, for a few more scarf ideas, a hat or two and much more. Stay warm and have fun whipping up some last minute gifts that everyone will be crazy about!

Homemade Sugar-Free Applesauce. Yumm!

Here's another great recipe for Chanukah from my friends over at gourmetkoshercooking.com  I have tried to make my own by throwing some apples in a pot, but I'm guessing that the addition of some pears, cinnamon and some vanilla makes all the difference! And if you're worried that this might be a trend, namely posting lots of recipes, don't worry, I'll be getting back to crafting tomorrow! 

Homemade Applesauce (Great With Latkes)

This is delicious and healthy – no sugar added. My kids love to have this all year round when they come home from school.

• 10 apples (Granny Smith and any others you have lying around), cut into chunks
• 2 pears, cut into chunks
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ½ cup water

Place all ingredients in a large stockpot over a low to medium flame. Simmer for about 2 hours until apples are soft, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from flame and mash with a potato masher. Store in refrigerator.

Potato Latkes For Chanukah!

Above: My children's Chanukiot (menorahs) on Saturday night, the 2nd night of Chanukah

Potato latkes (pancakes) are a classic and delicious Chanukah dish. And since it's now Chanukah I am taking a tiny break from crafting to celebrate the holiday with my family, which involves feeding them! I made latkes tonight, but since I eyeball most of the quantities, my own recipe would be a bit too vague. So thanks to some help from my friends over at gourmetkoshercooking.com here's a few simple recipes with exact measurements:

Classic Potato Latkes

• 10 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 onion, peeled and cut into chunks
• 4 eggs
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• Oil for frying (canola is a good choice)

In a food processor, using the grater blade, (or with a hand grater) grate the potatoes and onions. Pour into a strainer and strain the extra liquid. In a large bowl, mix the potato-onion mixture with the eggs, salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large frying pan. When oil is hot, place large spoonfuls of the potato mixture in the pan and flatten slightly. Cook until crispy (3 to 5 minutes per side) and drain on paper towels. Can be frozen. Serve with homemade applesauce or sour cream.

Note from creativejewishmom: My family prefers Moroccan/Israeli style cooking, so applesauce and latkes is strange to them. They prefer latkes with ketchup, which I then serve accompanied by a nice salad for a smallish meal. Because the latkes are fried, and thus not altogether the kind of thing one should eat in quantity, it's best to serve them as a side dish, with a delicious soup and salad for example.

Sweet Potato Latkes

• 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil

Preparation:
Stir together potatoes, scallions, flour, eggs, salt, and pepper. Heat oil in a deep 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 4, spoon 1/8 cup potato mixture per latke into oil and flatten to 3-inch diameter with a slotted spatula. Reduce heat to moderate and cook until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Transfer latkes with spatula to paper towels to drain.

You can find recipes for a few more varieties of latkes over at gourmetkoshercooking.com, so have fun experimenting, and wishing you a very happy Chanukah!

Felt Dreidel Ornaments For Chanukah!

First of all, in case any of you are wondering "where does one hang Chanukah ornaments?" I will be hanging four of these cute stuffed dreidels from the arms of the wrought iron chandelier over my dining room table. But of course they'd look adorable just about anywhere, on a doorknob, on a banister, around a little child's neck as a necklace? Or make tiny ones, attach a pin back and give as gifts. I like that idea!

Okay, I'll have to admit, I'm running a bit late on all my crafting Chanukah plans, because there's only just so much time in a day. And as you can probably guess, I happen to be a bit over ambitious when it comes to decorating!  And .....it happens to be my husband's birthday the first night of Chanukah as well, which means at least one hand made gift for him, (yes, I'll share it with you!) and some birthday related decorations too! Phew! All of the above ramble is my way of saying I'm sorry for getting this project idea to you so close to Chanukah.

In any case, Chanukah is eight days long so why not create some new decorations during Chanukah! And to make this into a project for the kids, so cut dreidel shapes a bit larger than mine, and let them do the embellishing, with buttons and pom-poms and anything else you can think of. Sounds like a nice Chanukah activity to me!

You'll Need:

• felt
• stuffing of some kind (I used cotton balls)
• sequined trim
• silver wired ribbon

How-To:

1. Cut two identical dreidel shapes. Make a template if you plan to make a few.
2. Do any applique work (either on the sewing machine or with glue) on the individual pieces, such as the purple squares.
3. With right sides out, sew or glue 3 sides, add stuffing and sew closed
4. Apply sequined trim with glue, and a bow from wired ribbon if desired
5. Add a tiny loop of embroidery thread or a loop of felt (not shown) for hanging.

Wishing everyone a very very happy Chanukah! Stay tuned for lots more quick tabletop entertaining ideas and even a fun project or two for the kids to do during the week of Chanukah! And do drop me a line, I'd love to hear from you, really truly!

Recycle Plastic Bags and Make Unique Gift Bows!

 

Wouldn't you like to receive a gift that looks like this? I would, there's something so very crafty and cute about it, and when the recipient discovers that your kids have made the wrapping paper (tutorial on that here) and you've made the bow from plastic bags, well they'll be so bowled over they won't want to open the package! And this idea came about thanks to a very nice reader Lynn that left a comment on my post about making coasters from fused plastic bags (found here), and took the time to explain this project. Of course it sounded great so I had to give it a try!

I was hoping to come up with some other brilliant paper wrapping idea to go with this bow, (I know some of you have seen this paper in a previous post), but nothing else complemented the bow so well.

Though I absolutely love the first one I showed you, these two examples are cute too. Well actually I don't really care for the one on the left so much, it looks a bit too much like pepto bismal pink, but I wanted to show an example of the difference between bows made with thick bags and the beautiful tissue paper like effect you can achieve with thin food bags.

You'll Need:

• plastic bags
• wire kitchen tie or string

 

How To:

1. Cut as many strips from the plastic bag as you can, strips should be about 1/2" wide and the width of the bag, but experiment with strip width to see which look you like best. The pink bow was made from one medium sized heavy weight clothes store bag.
2. Firmly bind your bunch of strips in the middle, I used a wire kitchen tie.(photo above left)
3. Trim you bunch so edges are even (photo above right)
4. Fluff and separate strips from one another, and pull strips up towards center to form a pouf shape
5. That's it! Now experiment with different types of bags, and my reader said that those red and white target bags work really nicely.....happy wrapping!

 

Adorable Felt Change Purses: For Gelt and Treats!

What is gelt you might wonder? Gelt means money in Yiddish, and it is the traditional Chanukah prizefor children. We're not talking about big money, rather a few coins that would bring joy to a small child. Today, while some children do receive small sums of actual money, the tradition has come to mean chocolate money! Yumm. I'm not big on candy, so special treats on holidays are greatly anticipated . On Chanukah I try to be quite generous with the chocolate gelt, and this year I thought it would be fun to make some felt bags for each child to hold his stash. This is my first attempt, a cute little change purse with sequins. And funny enough I just looked at martha stewart's Hanukkah projects, and the very talented folks over there also did a square felt pouch! Just pure coindance, (to my knowledge) if I had been inspired by their project I most certainly would give credit where credit is due!

You'll Need:

• felt
• embroidery thread
• sequins
• a hook and eye, or small snap

I think the directions are self explanatory right? You cut one long piece with a pointed flap, and embroider a blanket stitch around all the edges. If you're in a hurry or don't like sewing, so use glue for the whole shebang! Okay, I've got exactly 30 minutes until the youngest ones arrive home, and I'd like to whip up some different gelt bags....check back tomorrow for the results!

Recycled Cans Make Delightful Cannisters To Hold Edible Gifts!

Wondering how to package those holiday treats you'd like to give as gifts?  Why not recycle cans (and even  boxes or bottles) and transform them into containers that will be enjoyed long after the treats are gone? Your gift will be that much more appreciated, and everyone can surely use an extra container or two around holiday time. 

All you need is some recycled cans from the kitchen, preferably with non-ribbed sides, and some shiny contact paper in a few colors. The cans I've used here are from instant oatmeal, and I've included the plastic top (seen at the base of each can) so that the containers can be used in a number of ways.

You'll Need:

• a can, a box or any strong container, even a clean milk carton or plastic bottle (with the top portion removed) could work nicely
• shiny contact paper in a few colors
• cellophane or tissue paper
• ribbon

How To:

1. Choose a base color, and cut a piece that will cover the container, both in height and width.
2. Apply designs and stripes of other colors on top of this base color
3. Wrap your treat in cellophane, insert into container and tie with a ribbon!

When you start to look at all the food packaging that goes into the garbage or hopefully the recycling bin, you'll realize that many of them can be re-purposed as great gift boxes and containers. Most boxes can be carefully opened and then re-glued inside out, leaving you with a blank brown box that can be decorated or even left as is. So get creative with the gift wrapping this year and have fun!