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jillbcooks 12/30/2008 9:10:00 AM
With most schools still on break until next week, at this point parents could probably use some inspired ideas to keep kids happy and occupied. There are a multitude of activities for kids and families like roller skating or going to an indoor water park. But these activities can cost a lot. Stuffing teddy bears at the mall or playing games at an arcade is fun for maybe one day of winter break, but done repeatedly these activities can break the bank.
A fun alternative is getting kids active in the kitchen. Cooking and baking appeals to toddlers and teens, and it can create memories as meaningful as any that cost many times more money. Who knows?...
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baking, Contest, cookies, recipe, activities, children, cookie mixes
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jillbcooks 12/23/2008 8:33:00 AM
There is a famous and often quoted line said by Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, a famous French food expert from the 18th century that seems especially relevant during the holiday season: “Tell me what you eat and I'll tell you who you are.” Traditional foods that are mainstays of family celebrations often tell us a lot about who we are and where we came from.
What I find very interesting is the way that different cultures sometimes intersect and how the traditions of different groups can sometimes be very similar. The holidays are a great time to share our traditions with other people. I love that my sweet little niece learned about Hanukkah this week ...
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doughnuts, hanukkah, jelly, Jill Bloomfield, pillsbury biscuit
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jillbcooks 12/18/2008 8:52:00 AM
When it comes to Hanukkah and food, the first type of food that comes to mind is anything deep fried, like latkes and Israeli jelly doughnuts. But, also associated with the celebration of Hanukkah is cheese. Like the Hanukkah story of the Maccabees regaining control over the Temple in Jerusalem, Judith is also a figure who strove for freedom from oppression. As the story goes, Judith’s community had come under siege by the Assyrian army and its leader Holofernes. Brave Judith approached Holofernes’ tent and pretended to seduce him, all the while purposely feeding him salty cheese and quenching his thirst with wine. Eventually Holofernes became int...
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party, cheese trays, cheeseball, entertaining, hanukkah
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jillbcooks 12/16/2008 1:05:00 PM
If you have been in the holiday candy aisle of any store, you’ve probably seen chocolate gelt—chocolate disks wrapped in foil to look like coins, usually in a mesh bag. These candies are a fun part of Hanukkah. The word gelt means “money” in the Yiddish language, and at Hanukkah, children traditionally received coins as a gift.
Coins are needed to play dreidel, a game traditionally associated with Hanukkah. A dreidel is a top with four sides, and each side has a Hebrew letter on it. Dreidel is a game of chance played with at least two people. In addition to a dreidel, each player needs 15 coins (at my house we use Cheerios, but...
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chocolate, Cookie, sugar cookie dough, bake, celebration, chanukkah, dreidel, gelt, hanukkah, Jill Bloomfield
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jillbcooks 12/11/2008 7:52:00 AM
Are you like me, and you dread selecting holiday gifts for other people? I enjoy buying and wrapping and giving gifts, but I find that I sometimes second guess myself and, in the process, drive my husband crazy. He is the type of shopper who sees something, thinks that it might be a good gift and buys it on the spot. I, on the other hand, feel a need to shop around to find an improved version or better price.
When it comes to buying gifts, I can’t help but be a little biased. Being a cookbook author, I love all things related to food and I assume everyone else does too! That’s why I love to buy food related things for every occasion....
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holiday, cooking, children, cookie mixes, gifts, presents
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jillbcooks 12/9/2008 8:26:00 AM
Whether you spend your weeks clocking in long hours at work, schlepping the kids to and from soccer practice, or both, the days just seem to fly exhaustingly by. Throw keeping the house clean and getting dinner on the table at a reasonable hour and one thing is certain—time is at a premium. I am always looking for ways to make my life easier; I like to use that extra time I free up doing things I enjoy. Sounds good, right?
Having written a cookbook on Jewish foods and traditions, most people are surprised when I admit that I dread making latkes, the fancy ...
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chanukkah, easy, fry, hanukkah, holidays, Jill Bloomfield, Julienne Potatoes, latkes, oil
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jillbcooks 12/4/2008 8:32:00 AM
I positively adore watching those cake decorating contests on television and just marvel at the ingenuity of the decorators crafting these tall and elaborate masterpieces. A few years ago I took a cake decorating course where I learned the basics. Each week we were to bring a cake to frost and design. My husband, who signed me up for the class as a gift, especially loved when I came home from class, toting along a cake decked out with chrysanthemums, barnyard animals or intricate vines or whatever we learned that week. Though it might be crazy to admit, we found ourselves with too much cake week to week with all this decorating practice, so I decided to make cupcakes and...
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baking, Cupcakes, coconut, decorating, family fun, hanukkah, holidays, latkes
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jillbcooks 12/2/2008 8:03:00 AM
As autumn days grow shorter and night falls earlier, the comfort of a cozy home and a warm dinner makes the transition into winter easier. One way I keep my demeanor cheery in winter is by making plans for entertaining. With Hanukkah just around the corner, I have been experimenting with recipes for gifts from the kitchen.
I have been working on making my infused oil recipe even better, as I love giving this gift to family and friends, especially for Hanukkah. The Hanukkah story tells about how a small amount of oil miraculously burned for eight days in the Temple when the Maccabees reclaimed it. To me, the gift of flavored oil is the perfect way...
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bloomfield, breadad, chanukkah, flavored, food safety, gift, hanukkah, herb, holidays, infused, jill, menorah, oil