Category: Recipes
-
What’s in the Name Devorah?
Today is the thirteenth Yarzheit of Devorah bas Yitzchok Aaron, my mother-in-law. It is hard to believe that so many years have passed since her petira (death). While in her life I did not always appreciate her rebuke, as the years go by, I appreciate and hope to internalize the lessons she taught me. Many…
-
Refoel Yisroel Yaakov
Today was one of the happiest days of my life. It was also one of the most difficult days of my life. Today, my newest grandson was named for my father zt’l. The experience of attending the bris and hearing my holy father’s name ascribed to a child of eight days was a bittersweet moment. …
-
Compassion in All the Right Places
רְפָאֵֽנוּ יְהֹוָה וְנֵרָפֵא הוֹשִׁיעֵֽנוּ וְנִוָּשֵֽׁעָה כִּי תְהִלָּתֵֽנוּ אָֽתָּה וְהַעֲלֵה רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה לְכָל מַכּוֹתֵֽינוּ Heal us, Hashem, and we will be healed, support us and we will be saved You are our Praise. And, boost a total healing to all our affliction כִּי אֵל מֶֽלֶךְ רוֹפֵא נֶאֱמָן וְרַחֲמָן אָֽתָּה: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה רוֹפֵא חוֹלֵי עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל:…
-
Restraint: Public and Private
In that brief and touching encounter, I felt Aba’s embrace in his disappointment, his trust in his only daughter overwhelming the anguish. That evening, I learned about standards. In that encounter, I also earned a lifelong lesson about restraint. Had Aba admonished me right away, the reprimand would not have been as effective. Had my…
-
12 Words to Ponder
The two years of mornings took me through hopeful times, stressful times and everything in between. The modeh ani with kavana responsibility empowered me to start each day with the humility to thank G-d for another twenty-four hours, opening my eyes wide to His many kindnesses. The first word מודה challenged me to begin my…
-
A Humble Maestro
So, I believe that my father was the maestro of a symphony of his time and his place, summoning confidence through shyness, creativity with no ego as he coaxed others to make the music of Torah through a melodious conversation with The Creator. His concert hall was the Beis Medrash (Torah study hall) and every…
-
Sara’s Zara Shower and Edible Handbags
I have been trying to accumulate less “stuff” and instead, build more memories. So, instead of getting another gift for Sara, Leah and I decided to go all out and host a memorable shower for Sara.
-
Yisroel Simcha z’L: a Study in Opposites
We spent this past Shabbos at the beautiful home of our cousins who hosted a yahrzheit Shabbos for our dear cousin, Yisroel Simcha. It was an uplifting Shabbos of inspiration, learning, delicious food and ambiance and beautiful Divrei Torah (words of Torah). There was an incredible siyum by family and friends who gathered to spend…
-
Pulled Turkey Pizza
This recipe is simple to prepare and is perfect for those Thanksgiving leftovers. It is a fleishig (meat) version of pizza and is really a cinch to make. The first time that I prepared it, I served it for Shabbos lunch to the rave reviews of my guests.
-
Aufruf Rice Krispies Treat Cake
Candle lighting was at 4:12 PM. And, there was so much to get done. Thankfully, we had an aufruf to look forward to attending Shabbos morning.
-
Tomato Medley with Arugula Pesto
Don loves arugula. He will eat a bag of arugula as a snack. I love tomatoes. In fact, my mother has told me that “tomato” was my first word. I pronounced it as “apimanus” and would do anything for a tomato. I still will. I just think that the juiciness, sweetness and unique character of…
-
Crockpot Pulled Turkey
This morning, I bought half of a turkey breast on the bone. It was the first turkey purchase of the holiday season and I intended to make it memorable. I placed the turkey breast in a crockpot and topped it with sliced Vidalia onions and a handful of garlic cloves. I poured one cup of…
-
Marshmallow Tulips
The flowers were colorful and gorgeous. They piqued my interest because they were so simple and yet so beautiful. Their beauty belies the unity of the ingredients and the simplicity of their design. And, yet, these flowers transport me instantly to that special place in Jerusalem that, for me, represents unity and beauty.
-
Basic Rice Krispies Treats
INGREDIENTS 1 large jar of marshmallow fluff 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 box of Rice Krispies cereal DIRECTIONS Over low heat in a large pot, melt butter or margarine. Add marshmallow fluff and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add Rice Krispies, 2 cups at a time. Using a firm spatula, stir until…
-
A No-Bake Wedding Cake
The task was simple. I repurposed a rose-shaped silicone mold. Davida prepared a batch of Rice Krispies Treats and I packed the batter firmly into the pan. After a short few minutes, I inverted the mold onto some wax paper. I pressed the love birds and the embellshment into the cake and the SimpletoWow wedding cake was…
-
Love Birds Floral Arrangement
Hindy and Yitzchok Aaron’s efforvescence has been infectious and my father called occasionally to provide updates on them, always referring to them as the “love birds”.
-
Creamy Mushroom Tortellini Soup
This blog is about preparing simple things that create a wow. Simplifying recipes and preparations without sacrificing taste and presentation has really become an art form for me. One of the “aha” things that I have discovered is that simple really is better. It really is best to prepare a few delicious signature dishes with…
-
Farro: The New Farfel
A few months ago, I prepared farro with sauteed onions in the rice cooker. After running some errands, I discovered that the farro had been nearly finished. Both Aaron and Leah sheepishly told me that they couldn’t resist “tasting” the farro and that it tasted just like farfel. So, farro has now become the…
-
Pulled Beef Babka
I thought long and hard about how to prepare this simply with minimal cleanup. And, I think I nailed it. Because, it really was simple to prepare. And, it was easy to clean up afterward. Best of all, the pulled beef babka was delicious and gorgeous.
-
Yerushalmi Kugel Reinvented
I reinvented the Yerushalmi Kugel recipe. It is now simpler. It does not use margarine. And, it looks like a challah.
-
Pink Baby Carriage Cookies: Simple to Wow
For Charley’s kiddush, Davida prepared these adorable carriage cookies. They really were Simple to Wow! INGREDIENTS Hadar-Tirosh chocolate half-moon biscuits Paskesz mini Oreo cookies frosting Pink piping or frosting DIRECTIONS Using a small spatula coated with frosting, adhere two half-moon cookies together at right angles to create base of carriage. Since these cookies are double-sided, …
-
Marshmallow Ballerinas for Kiddush
We hope and pray that Charley fulfills the potential in her name. May she steer her own family through life’s travails and dance through life’s simchas (joys). To celebrate this special occasion, I created a stage of spinning ballerinas with the help of June, Scotty’s mother. It was an adorable centerpiece that really was simple to…
-
DIY Sanding Sugar
Sanding sugar adds a wow to so many of my simplest desserts. While some recipes call for sanding sugar in colors that are impossible to find, others call for such minute or such immense quantity that it makes no sense to purchase. And, sanding sugar is so simple to create in exactly the hue that…
-
My Grilled Chicken Mentor
My mother found mentors. And, not just any mentors. She sought out the experts in Cleveland in the areas of law in which she needed help. She called the top Cleveland lawyers in each area of law expertise. She introduced herself, gave a brief description of her background and asked if they would be willing to…
-
Tisha B’Av: The Sour and the Sweet
On Tisha B’Av, we shed tears over what we had and what we have lost. However, we must find hope in our sadness, sweetness in the sourness of the past tragedies. Our tears should not be the pessimistic tears cried by our ancestors on the night the spies returned. They should be meaningful tears based upon…
-
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
-
Crunchy Broccoli Kugel
By the time the three weeks rolls around, you, I no longer want to see bags of leftover Pesach (Passover) products. Even if the bags are sealed. And, especially if they have been flattened. As I’m always trying to upcycle, the bag of Pesach potato sticks offered a new challenge. I needed a way to use…
-
Simplest Friday Ciabatta Ever
For those who have eaten at our home on Friday night, you most likely have tasted Davida’s delicious no-knead ciabatta. Since Davida will be spending the next few weeks in Israel, I decided that it was high time to take the ciabatta preparation back and make it my own. Making something my own usually means…
-
Peach Velvet Salmon
I’ll share a little secret with you. Last week’s leftover homemade dip or dressing becomes this week’s favorite marinade. The reason is simple. Dips have all the components needed in a marinade. They have an oil base for moisture, a flavor profile for taste and usually some acid for tenderizing.
-
Baby Carriage Cookies for a Shalom Zachor
Last week, Michelle’s friend, Daniella, gave birth to an adorable baby boy. To welcome the baby to the world, the family hosted a Shalom Zachor (lit: Peaceful welcome male). Michelle prepared these adorable cookies for the Shalom Zachor, held this past Shabbos. I was sitting next to my friend, Carol, at the Shalom Zachor. She…
-
Leah’s Smelly Drunken Bridesmaid Dress
Who knew that a gown could benefit from a few shots of vodka? Leah was asked to be a bridesmaid recently and she asked my opinion if she should accept. Personally, I am not a fan of bridesmaids for so many reasons. I don’t like the stress, drama, cost and showiness inherent in having bridesmaids…