A Little Walt Disney Goes A Long Way, Baby

We just returned (this morning at 8:00 am to be exact) from spending a few days in Florida. I’ve always had a love affair with Florida, ever since I was a kid. The welcome escape to warm temperatures, endless dinner reservations, and catching up on old and new movie releases. I also loved going to the Flea Markets, I always managed to find something or other. 

Today, my trips to Florida are very different. It isn’t all about us any more,  it is about our entire family which includes three kids four and under, you get the picture. 

We drove down from New York and we spent more time on potty breaks than eyeing the snack situation at the rest area. It was well worth it, our girls had no accidents in the car, Thank G-d.

Once we arrived in Florida, we had a very low-key evening and went to bed way early.We stayed in Lake Buena Vista at a very clean and coffee friendly hotel, Springhill Suites by Marriot. We were just minutes from the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, where we spent the first couple of days of our trip. This is a brave task, as most of our friends would not take their children at this age.  The truth is, my husband and I were just as excited if not more than our kids. There is a certain wow to the Walt Disney  World  experience. Everything is executed in the same consistent manner. From the ferry-boat staff to the princess, Cinderella.  There is just good mood vibes going on all over the place. You don’t see that everyday (except at Disney).

Did we enjoy our Walt Disney World experience, even with the multiple potty breaks and long waits for the rides? The answer is yes. We were even able to order kosher food at Cosmic Ray’s and Pizzafari. Sure, it is expensive at $10 per meal, but the convenience is key. A fellow kosher consumer added that you can eat kosher food without calling months in advance or packing a huge cooler and schlepping it around the parks all day. It is a very nice option for us kosher families. I hope that you have as good experiences with the kosher food as my family,  we enjoyed both of our meals.

Muslim, Christian, and Jewish, no matter what your background and religious beliefs, it is obvious that  all of us can use some stress relief these days.  Laugh out loud and get a rush from the 3 D animated movie, It’s Tough To Be A Bug or Mickey’s Philharmagic. Just know that we found both of these shows extremely loud and our kids were scared. We each took them in our arms and let them know it was just a show and it would be over soon.

Whether you go for one day or stay for a week, we could all use a little Disney right this very minute. Get in touch with your laughter, it feels so good.

A Kosher Taste of Walt Disney World

Well, we made it! We started our drive as soon as our road was cleared yesterday afternoon at 4:00 pm and we checked into the Springhill Suites at 1:00 pm  today. This place is gorgeous and our room is huge. They even have a Starbucks within walking distance, woot! The sun and palm trees is much appreciated after several very cold and blizzard like conditions in New York. The kids were fantastic during the road trip, and my husband who drove through the night, a real trooper.

 

We have decided to go to Animal Kingdom tonight and the Magic Kingdom tomorrow and Wednesday. My girls brought their Disney Princesses, yes, all seven of them. They keep saying how princesses will be meeting their cousins tomorrow at the Magic Kingdom, very cute.

 

Kosher Meals are available at several Walt Disney World Resort quick service locations with no advance notice needed. We are looking forward to trying out Pizzafari tonight at the Animal Kingdom tonight and Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe at Magic Kingdom theme park tomorrow. 

There is actually a lot of information available to kosher families.Guests requiring Kosher meals are encouraged to notate their requests during the reservation booking process.  In addition, they must reserve them at least 24 hours ahead and a credit card is necessary to guarantee the order (the card will not be charged unless the reservation is canceled less than 24 hours prior). 

Disney recommends that their Guests go to the following links for helpful information concerning WALT DISNEY WORLD^® Resort special diet policies.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/special-dietary-requests/

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/dining/

 I will be tweeting about my adventures with my family at Walt Disney World as well as our kosher dining experience, so if you follow me on twitter @primetimeparent you can see where we are and what we are doing. What is any adventure without a hashtag, #wdwkosher.

 

Why I’m Having A Latka Fun With These Recipes For Chanukah

Sufganiot

I love Chanukah for so many reasons, however, my top two reasons are self respect and celebration. What would a Jewish event of this kind be without food? I’ll get to that later, but first I wanted to enlighten my readers with some background information about what ignited the war that led to the victory.

Self Respect

While looking for the best way to explain the situation that led to war, I found some very helpful information at chabad.org.The Jews were being denied their religious customs slowly but surely by the Greeks during the 2nd century BCE. To add insult to injury, the Greeks outlawed Shabbos, the celebration of the New Moon, and Torah study. Being the essence of the Jewish people, they hid in caves and continued to observe all three.  The situation became unbearable when the Greek soldiers started assaulting Jewish women. The governor made a decree – unfortunately a common one in ancient cultures – called prima nostra, “first rights.” The governor would kidnap and assault every bride on her wedding night.  One particular Jewish woman stood up at her wedding night and told her brothers, “You cannot let this happen to me.” It was a war, first and foremost, for sanctity – the sanctity of the Temple, the sanctity of Torah, and the sanctity of every human being.

The safety and dignity of Jewish women has always been of utmost importance in Judaism. It is the victory of a small, greatly outnumbered and out-armed army of Jews, known as the “Maccabees,” over the mighty Greek army that occupied the Holy Land. A great miracle inspired by passion and self respect.

When the Maccabees had won the war and finally entered the Holy Temple, they couldn’t wait to finally light the seven-branched Menorah (candelabra). Being an important part of the daily service in the Holy Temple, this did not seem possible as there was only a small cruse of pure and undefiled olive oil. This would not last but one day and it would take eight days to produce more oil. The miracle happened and the small amount of oil lasted eight days.

Putting The “Oy” Into Oil

In today’s world, it is hard to imagine not having enough olive oil, you should see what they’ve got over at National Wholesale Liquidators. That is why it is even more important to celebrate Chanukah with eight nights of eight lights. Not only do we use oil to light our Menorahs, we use oil (canola or vegetable oil) in the well known foods prepared and served at Chanukah celebrations around the globe. My two guilty pleasures in this world involve oil infused and eatable food items: Sufganiot (Jelly Donuts) and Potato Latkas.

Sufganiot

Jelly donuts, let me count the ways I love you. Imagine a crispy exterior followed by heavenly dough and a mouthful of chocolate, vanilla, or jelly filling. Fried in oil, which ties in perfectly with the miracle of the oil that lasted eight days, these Chanukah treats are incredible. You can get them fresh from a number of the bakeries and supermarkets in Queens, New York. It is not easy to eat just one, but it is the best thing because more than one can leave you in a sugar zone. Don’t worry, you could have one for each night of Chanukah if you love them as much as I do. You can also make Sufganiot at home, it can be done. One of my favorite Jewish kosher Foodie Mamales, Jamie Geller, Chief Foodie Officer and VP of Content and Marketing for Kosher.com, has a recipe for Baked Sufganiot that you must try and I’ve included it right here:

Baked Sufganiot

Ingredients:       

1 (1/4 ounce) package, rapid rise dry yeast 
1 Tablespoon sugar 
1/4 cup warm water 
1 egg yolk 
1 egg 
1/4 cup sugar 
1 cup 1% milk warmed 
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
Pinch of salt 
3 tablespoons margarine or butter, cut into 9 pieces 
Cooking spray 
3/ -1 cup strawberry jam 
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting 

Preparation:

1. Dissolve the yeast with the 1 Tablespoon of the sugar in 1/4 cup warm water.
2. In a standing mixer with a paddle, beat egg yolk, egg, yeast mixture, 1/4 cup of sugar and milk.
3. With paddle going, add flour and salt.
4. Add margarine one piece at a time. Dough should be sticky but elastic.
5. Turn out dough onto floured surface. Knead once or twice. Shape into ball. Place in an oiled bowl, cover and place in a warm area for at least an hour or until dough is doubled.
6. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.

Divide dough in half. With lightly oiled hands, take approximately 2 tablespoons of dough and roll int into ball. Place on greased baking sheet.

1. Repeat with remaining dough placing balls 2 inches apart (about 12 balls per baking sheet). Cover with a kitchen or tea towel and let rise 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and let cool.
3. Place jam in a pastry bag fitted with a medium pastry tip or use a small zip lock type of bag fitted with a medium pastry tip. Pastry tips are available at most craft stores.
4. Press tip into doughnut and squeeze at least 1 teaspoon of jam into doughnut, or more if desired.
5. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve.

Tips:

If you don’t have a standing mixer, use a hand mixer for step 2 and beat the egg yolk, egg, yeast mixture, sugar and milk for about 1 minute. Knead the rest of the ingredients together by hand, first flour, then salt and the margarine one piece at a time and proceed with step 5. 

It Takes Alatka!

Latka is not just a potato pancake anymore. Move over matzo meal, everything from spelt flour to parsnip can be part of one of the most popular food items consumed during Chanukah. Who knew? The truth is that I had no idea how much could fit into a potato pancake until I was invited by @NiceJewishGirl to a Tweet Up and Eat Up! with Chef Levana Kirschenbaum. If you haven’t heard of Levana Kirschenbaum or her healthy way of preparing kosher food that will leave you wanting more, you should get to know her. You can find her cooking videos on Youtube.com and see some of her cookbooks at levanacooks.com. Imagine being in a small room with an aroma so powerful it sticks to your hair and clothes days afterwards. Yes, this did happen to me but it was well worth every sizzling skillet of oil. Here is a delicious potato latke recipe that Levana Kirschenbaum prepared for us during the Tweet Up. In fact, Mrs. Kirschenbaum was so inspiring that I made latkas for the first time and they were, even my husband commented, delicious. It’s a miracle that I was even able to prepare them and have them ready when my husband came home from work.

Potato latkas:                                               
Oil for frying
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1 large onion, grated very fine
Salt and pepper to taste
8 large potatoes, grated very thin for smooth texture, or coarser for crunchier texture
 
Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan (about 1/3″) until very hot. Mix all ingredients except potatoes in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add potatoes last, and mix thoroughly without squeezing so as not extract moisture. Work very quickly so they do not get time to get discolored. Form  medium-small patties and throw in hot oil, or drop by tablespoons. Fry until golden, about 3 minutes on each side. Take out and drain on paper towels. Best served immediately after frying, with apple sauce, sour cream or yogurt. If you must make them in advance, reheat uncovered at 300 degrees for about 15mn, till hot and crisp.

 So, it all comes back to self respect, victory, and the little bit of oil that could. May we all learn to fight for our beliefs and appreciate what we have! Happy Chanukah.

Chanukahthon in New York: So Much To Do In Just 8 Days

I recently compiled a list of family friendly activities in the New York area and during my search I felt sad. I wasn’t able to find more than just a few events to celebrate the miracle of Chanukah in of all places, New York. So, I do what every mom would do, more research. I never found an updated list for this year, but I did create a small list of the events that I found that would be ”family friendly” and “affordable”-something that is very much the priority this year.  

If you have an event that fits into the “you can bring  your kids and it won’t cost you a fortune” category, please leave me a comment below or tweet me the link on twitter @primetimeparent.

I did not take this photo

Sunday, December 13

MENORAH MAKING

TIME: 12:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
COST FREE
LOCATION Central Park, Belvedere Castle, Central Park (Located mid-park at 79th Street), Manhattan
PHONE: (212) 772-0210.

ACTIVITIES Let your holiday spirit (and appetite!) grow while creating your very own edible Hanukkah menorah. This program is part of the Central Park Conservancy’s Winter Holiday Program series. For more information and to view the complete Winter Holiday Programs schedule, please visit www.centralparknyc.org/winterholidays.

HANUKKAHTHON

TIME: 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
LOCATION: Children’s Galleries For Jewish Culture, 515 W. 20^th Street, Suite 4E
PHONE: 212-924-4500
COST: $8

ACTIVITIES: Exhibitions, treasure hunt, music, prizes. Make Hanukkah lamps out of clay; create large dreidels; design “stained glass” decorations to hang in the window.
http://www.cgjc.org/

CHANUKAH MENORAH LIGHTING

 TIME: 6:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Bay Terrace Shopping Center (upper level next to entrance to movie theater)
PHONE: 718-279-1457
COST: FREE Sponsored by Chabad of Northeast Queens

ACTIVITIES: Huge 18 foot Menorah * Live Music & Dancing * Sizzling Potato Latkes * Raffle * Edible Chanukah Gelt * Be entertained by Keith Leaf the Amazing Fire Juggler. For more information and for a listing of additional Chabad Chanukah activities go to the Chabad of Northeast Queens website, http://www.chabadnortheastqueens.com

 Wednesday, December 16

CHANUKAH ON ICE NYC  

TIME 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.COST: In Advance $22/Adult; $18/Children 3-13, At the Door 25/Adult; $20/Children 3-13LOCATION: Trump Wollman Rink in Central Park ACTIVITIES: Now in its third year, Chanukah on Ice NYC is fast becoming a New York Chanukah tradition! On Wednesday, December 16th, with the dramatic New York skyline as a backdrop, Jewish families and singles will converge on Trump Wollman Rink in Central Park for a celebration on skates. Chanukah on Ice features Jewish music, traditional Chanukah refreshments and a giant sparkling Ice Menorah which is lit at the start of the program. In attendance this year at the Menorah Lighting is the popular acapella group Six13, who will serenade the audience with their version of Chanukah classics. The Chabad Centers of upper Manhattan are sponsoring this event, which drew close to 1,000 participants last year. CELEBRATE CHANUKAH AT THE JCC TIME:10:30 AM – 12:00 PM COST: Free Member/Free Non-Member LOCATION: 334 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10023 PHONE: (646) 505-4444 ACTIVITIES Celebrate the holidays in the lobby of the JCC. Crafts, stories, and more—a free drop-in program for your little one to enjoy. http://www.jccmanhattan.org

I am Giving Away Four Tickets To Wintuk Cirque du Soleil

 

If you are looking for a family friendly event in Manhattan this holiday season, I am giving away 4 tickets to your choice of select performances of Wintuk and Cirque du Soleil! (which will run until January 3, 2010). You just have to get their on your own since transportation is not part of the giveaway. However, the location of the Madison Square Garden WaMu Theater is conveniently located and in walking distance of the subway, and LIRR.

My girls (four and almost three) had a great time at the show last week and we even took the subway home. For more information about this show you can check out <a href=”http://www.ciruquedusoleil.com/wintuk4kids” target=”_blank”>Wintuk </a>online at http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/wintuk4kids.

1. Visit  http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/wintuk4kids and come back and tell me what character from the show you would want to meet in person.

Additional entries:

2. Join my fan page on facebook here http://tinyurl.com/yfgnc8h

3. Tweet @primetimeparent is giving four tickets to Wintuk Cirque du Soleil enter your chance to win at

This contest will end at 11:59pm, Monday, November 30, 2009.

I did not receive payment for this post. I received tickets to this performance in order to write a review of the show. The opinions and comments are my own.

Bobbi Brown’s Father Joe: A Modern Day Dr. Seuss

When I was invited to join famous makeup artist Bobbi Brown and her dad, Joe Brown at a special reading at the Scholastic Book Store last month, I really wanted to go but it just wasn’t possible.  I never knew that Bobbi Brown’s father was an author, did you?  This event was to launch Joe Brown’s book, The Flights of Marceau:  Race to the Rescue and the further adventures of a character Joe Brown made up when Bobbi and her siblings were young. Called the “modern day Dr. Suess” by his children, this book will take you on an adventure with a cab driver and his efforts to rescue zoo animals from an impending hurricane. Check out this clip from better.tv to see an interview with both Joe and Bobbi about the inspiration behind the book. Personally, I find this type of information very interesting as I love hearing how successful people were raised and how they were inspired to do what they do. It is obvious that Joe is an amazing father and that his grown children love and respect him tremendously. In fact, it was his children that inspired him to go ahead and publish this story after he retired.  

I actually read this book to my three year old playgroup and they loved it. The illustrations are beautiful and the main character Joe is a real mensch. His effort to save the animals from the hurricane as everybody else was worrying about themselves was very honorable.

 Bobbi Brown’s public relations contact was nice enough to fill me in on the event as well as send me four copies of Joe’s book to giveaway on my blog. She also told me that Bobbi would offer me her recommendations for a 1 minute makeup window, which is 59 seconds more than I get right now. However, I was really excited to learn that in exchange for a review of the book, I would receive Bobbi Brown’s Must-Have Palette, as a special gift.  I was really excited about this palette, but how to find the time to apply it?

 This limited edition collection of look-good-on-everyone, can’t-live-without-’em shades has everything you need to look polished in five minutes flat. This palette includes 7-well Lip Palette with Lip Brush, 2 Pan Eye Shadow Palette, a full-size Espresso Ink Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner, mini Black Everything Mascara and a mini dual-ended Eye Shadow/ Ultra Fine Eyeliner Brush.  With three kids that need to be fed, cleaned, and dressed by 8:30 am, there is no time to spare. Nevertheless, I am now inspired to try out the following tips straight from Bobbi’s mouth. The truth is that whenever I do have the chance to put on some make-up, I feel refreshed and energized. So, here are some of Bobbi Brown mommy makeup-in-a hurry tips:

“People are often shocked when I tell them how much time I spend applying makeup—Five minutes!  “Well, that must be because you do makeup for a living,” they say.  They’re partly right…working in the beauty business all of my adult life has certainly given me ample opportunity to hone my skills.  But the truth is that it’s less about being particularly good with my hands, and more about knowing the makeup products and techniques that make a difference and require the least amount of time and effort. 

Five-Minute Makeup: This is the makeup routine you go for when you’re short on time and don’t want to look like you rolled out of bed.  It’s a low-key look that’s perfect when you’re a working mom, taking the kids to school, running errands, or going the gym. Here are some tried and true tips and products that I use on myself, women who visit my counter, and even models and celebrities that are great on-the-go and make you look better…instantly. After all, who has the time or energy to fuss around nowadays?

Here are tips to get you out the door looking polished in 5 minutes or less:

Refresh your eyes with an eye brightener and mascara.  Instantly, you’ll look better rested.    

Use a bright shade of blush just on the apples of your cheeks to instantly give your face a lift.

Lastly, take a brightening gloss and place it in the middle of both top and bottom lips.  Your lips will instantly look fuller…and who doesn’t love that? 

If I could recommend two products, I’d recommend my pot rouge, which can double as blush and lip color, and mascara!”

Now that we know what kind of gifts I love, what types of gifts will you get your children for gifts this year? When I am asked this question, I have two requests: books and clothes.

GIVEAWAY
I am giving away four copies of The Flights of Marceau:  Race to the Rescue. It is so easy, even a very busy like yourself could enter.

1. Visit  http://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com and come back and tell me your must have, out the door make up item.

 2. Subscribe to the Scholastic Store newsletter. (bottom of the page at http://www.store.scholastic.com)

 3. Tweet @primetimeparent is giving away a must have book for your kid this holiday season http://tinyurl.com/o357vt

 This contest will end at 11:59pm, Sunday, December 6, 2009. Please include both your twitter if you have one. 

I did not receive payment for this post. I received the Must Have Palette and four books for conducting this review and giveaway. The opinions and comments are my own.

Our Fun Day in Manhattan And Two Shows With The Girls

Last Sunday I had the most amazing afternoon in Manhattan. I usually shy away from these types of outings because going anywhere with three kids, four and under, is not easy. When I told my husband about the events in store, he was all for it and we jumped in the car with a very well stocked diaper bag and hit the road.

Our first stop was to see phenomamama and author Beth Feldman, at The Living Room on the Lower East Side. Also known as Rolemommy and ultra connector of moms in social media. Beth is on a tour promoting her most recent book See Mom Run, a collection of essays by the nation’s most talented authors, mom bloggers, television producers, parenting experts, entrepreneurs, grandmothers and even a retired senator! From labor pains to potty disasters, weight gain, holiday mayhem, teen angst, empty nest syndrome, home renovations and even colonoscopy exams, See Mom Run is the perfect prescription for today’s harried parents. I couldn’t stop laughing out loud as I read some of the funniest stories about projectile vomit hitting the driver (mom) on a hot summer day. You can imagine the rest of the story, but you’ll just have to find out and read it!

After Beth introduced opened the show, we saw our very first performance of kidrockers. We all loved it. Imagine MTV unplugged meets Yo Gabba Gabba Indie Rock with a room full of kids and their parents. The show was hosted by two very witty fellows that made even a hackler from the audience crack a smile. The hosts had us all laughing when one of them said that our last music show before this was Squeeze.

Some of the members in the audience won copies of See Mom Run, a Swiffer WetJet Swiffer (parents get excited about these things), and Yo Gabba Gabba concert tickets. We actually won and our very own copy of Yo Gabba Gabba: Music Is Awesome CD. My kids have been fans of DJ Lance and his cast of characters since my nephew (now 21 years old) showed them Party in My Tummy on Youtube.com. This nephew of mine is awesome and he and his friend met up with us after kidrockers at Shalom Chai Pizza at 359 Grand Avenue on the Lower East Side. The pizza was delicious, but the floor could have used a serious cleaning with a Swiffer WetJet (sorry guys, you really need to get the floors).

After we met up with my nephew and his friend, my husband drove us over to Madison Square Garden to see Wintuk at the WaMu Theater. None of us had been to a live show at the WaMu, and we certainly hadn’t seen Cirque du Soleil live before. This was very big for all of us! My husband went back home with our 21 month old son because he just can’t sit still anywhere these days.

 We had really great seats and the kids were all smiles and giggles as the lights dimmed. The lighting of the stage sent a feeling of a very cold winter season in front of my eyes. When it started, acrobats flipped, jumped, and danced all flawlessly around the stage. The story is about a little boy in search of snow and the variety of animals and other characters that he sees along the way. The costumes were spectacular and my kids thought for sure that the princess was going to come home with us. Dogs danced, lamp posts swayed and batted their eyes (very clever idea) and a construction worker balanced on top of a very steep pile of moving items. We were all dizzy with amazement at the amount of turns the princess had taken during her performance. I must be honest here about a part of the show that frightened my four and two year old kids. There was a very real stage affect and noise that made them jump out of their seats and on to my lap. With the exception of this very affective prop, they had miles of smiles during the performance.

There are so many surprise animals and characters that join the stage during Wintuk that will intrigue your kids. There is a 20 minute break in between the two performances and a good opportunity for a potty break. Once the lights dimmed again and the curtains opened we were anxious to see if the boy would ever find what the snow. Sure enough, the finale of the show showered the entire stage and WaMu theater in paper snowflakes. I couldn’t believe how many snowflakes fell from the ceiling. I hadn’t been in such awe of a stage affect since Phantom of the Opera. These things were everywhere, even out in the lobby area and in my purse (they fell out when I got home). I couldn’t help but wonder how they cleaned all those pieces of tissue paper up for the next show and clean it up all over again. Impressive.

If you are looking for a family friendly event this holiday season, definitely check out www.cirquedusoleil.com to purchase tickets and catch Wintuk (which will run until January 3, 2010).

 This is not a paid post. This reviews and opinions are my own. I did receive tickets for both of these shows for no charge.

Why I Love Little Music Lovers CD And Giveaway

Growing up, every Sunday morning my father would put on Classical Music as he prepared our weekly “bagel bash” as a family. Smells of fresh coffee, fresh sliced red onion, and scrambled eggs would awaken my appetitie while the melodies of Bach, Beethoven and Mozart would move my mind.

The entire mood of the house would change from chaotic teenage car sharing struggles into a morning of family fuse (a.k.a., bonding).

Fast forward 20 plus years and Classical Music continues to bring calm into my life, however, I listen to it more frequently and my toddlers love it. It was no surprise that I accepted the opportunity to review – Little Music Lovers, a four CD series for children that was released in October by Universal Music Classical. The timing couldn’t have been better with the gift giving season just around the corner. This is definitely one of my top picks as it is both enjoyable for parents and educational for babies and toddlers.

Little Music Lovers contains famous works by renowned composers such as Bach, Beethoven and Mozart along with well-known lullabies that will accompany little ones through all of their daily activities including play time, story time and of course, bed time. I actually tested this out on a very active group of three year olds and the results were priceless. Within a matter of minutes, the play time went from turbulent to smooth sailing.

Classical music is believed by some researchers to cause “The Mozart Effect,” a phenomenon that can potentially aid in the development of math, reasoning and memory skills, while also giving babies and toddlers a head start on learning language.

Here is an overview of the beautiful, thought-provoking music from the famous Decca catalog that you and your toddler will enjoy listening to again and again.

Little Music Lovers: Lullabies
It can be a challenge for your child to take an afternoon nap or sleep soundly through the evening. Little Music Lovers can help with relaxing and soothing music for bed time. Lullabies: Smart Music for Bed Time features timeless melodies that every child will learn and love. Includes “Ave Maria,” “The Cradle Song,” “Beautiful Dreamer,” “When You Wish Upon a Star,” and more… Sweet Dreams!

Little Music Lovers: Bach
Bach: Smart Music for Activity Time brings an assortment of fugues, suites, minuets, sonatas and more from some of the composer’s most recognizable music. These pieces are stimulating, fun, exciting and will help bring a great atmosphere to you and your child’s lively times together! Famous classical pieces include selections from “The Brandenburg Concertos,” “The Little” Fugue in G minor,” “Well-Tempered Clavier,” and much more!

Little Music Lovers: Beethoven
Make the most of Story Time – add a soundtrack to your stories and fairy tales! Stories come alive with the colorful and vibrant melodies of classical music. Beethoven: Smart Music For Story Time will bring wonderful sounds and melodies to the imagery of your child’s most beloved books & tales. Features the world famous “Fur Elise,” “Moonlight Sonata,” “The Last Rose of Summer,” and other distinguished piano sonata’s & symphonies! Your child will learn to appreciate the wonders of story time in a brand new way – with music!

Little Music Lovers: Mozart
Mozart wrote playful & whimsical melodies that are absolutely perfect for a play date. The rhythms and the tempos of these famous concertos & serenades will be the perfect accompaniment for you and your child or for a group of children to enjoy! Mozart: Smart Music for Play Time is the perfect way to enhance the day and bring a smile to your child’s face.

The musical pieces found in the Little Music Lovers collection were carefully selected for their melodic content, as well as their impact in enhancing early childhood development. Children will learn from the series, while parents can enjoy many hours of beautiful music.

WIN A FREE COPY
One of my readers will win one of the four CDs and it is so easy so why not give it a try. Here are the ways to enter.

How to enter:
1. Go to the Little Music Lovers website and tell me which one of the 4 CDs you would love to win. You can let me know by leaving a comment below.

Additional entries:
2. Follow me on twitter @primetimeparent and send out this tweet @primetimeparent is giving away Little Music Lovers CD http://tinyurl.com/o357vt

3. Stumble this giveaway.

This giveaway is now closed. This is not a paid post but I did receive a sampler CD for free from Role Mommy.

Little Music Lovers is available for sale at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders among other participating retailers. For more information regarding this music release, visit www.LittleMusicLovers.com

Want To See What Is Hot This Chanukah? I’m Giving Away Two Tickets To “Chanukah Fever”

MAMA DONI & THE MAMA DONI BAND GO WILD WITH ‘CHANUKAH FEVER’ “FUNKY MUSIC WITH A JEWISH TWIST”

In a spirit of outrageous fun, MAMA DONI & THE MAMA DONI BAND bring their special brand of “funky music with a Jewish twist” to an all-ages family Chanukah show celebrating the release of their new album, Chanukah Fever, at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 22 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place, NYC.

Doni Zasloff Thomas, a.k.a. Mama Doni, is the lead singer/songwriter of The Mama Doni Band. Doni’s “wacky, Jewish indie-rock band for kids” won the Simcha Award for “Inspiring Joy Through Music,” in competition with more than 100 bands from 15 different countries at the 2008 International Jewish Music Festival in Amsterdam. Quirky, zany, offbeat, and unpredictable, The Mama Doni Band expands the horizons of traditional Jewish music with a contagious and unexpected blend of reggae, rock, disco, Latin, klezmer and “Jewgrass” – all woven together with a hip Jewish sensibility and a zany sense of humor.

Getting into the holiday spirit, Mama Doni & The Mama Doni Band will perform favorites from their albums, I Love Herring (& Other Fish Shticks for Kids) and I Love Chanukah!, along with previews of latkelicious new songs from their upcoming release, Chanukah Fever. The Chanukah collection includes a wild mix of musical styles including “Latke Man,” a retro-swing pop song; “The Funky Gold Menorah,” a kid-friendly hip-hop dance tune; “La Vida Dreidel,” a Jewish twist on Latin style; and “I Say Chanukah (You Say Hanukah!),” a quirky steel drum, island-style number. Chanukah will never be the same!

Mama Doni promised plenty of surprises throughout this hip Chanukah concert, including giveaways of chocolate gelt, dreidels, CDs, and t-shirts, and opportunities for kids to boogie like a dreidel, air guitar with the band (“Latke Man” style), join in an applesauce vs. sour cream rock-along, and chime in on the eternal question of “Chanukah” or “Hanukah.”

According to Carrie Stetler in The Star-Ledger, Doni Zasloff Thomas “is proud to have a schtick. And that schtick, she says, is to ‘Jewify’ all forms of music – from country to reggae to holiday songs.” Kids’ media authority Amy Kraft, of Media Macaroni, enthused, “We were all laughing out loud … Listen as Mama Doni spreads around some challah-day spirit in her inimitable cross between Sheryl Crow and Tone Loc.”

Mama Doni, a resident of Montclair, New Jersey, hopes that her music will add some Jewish flavor to the lives of people everywhere. She speaks with great passion about preserving the priceless Yiddish and Jewish spirit by imbuing it with a contemporary vibe that connects to life in our times.

WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS HERE
I am giving away two tickets to this show. Please visit http://www.mamadoni.comand let me know what song you would like to hear her perform live this Sunday. Leave your comment here on metroimma.com by sending me a message. Additional entries include:

1. Join my facebook page, Esti Berkowitz
2. Follow me on twitter @primetimeparent
3. Tweet out the following “Win A Pair Of  Tickets To MAMA DONI & THE MAMA DONI BAND Chanukah show celebrating the release of their new album, Chanukah Fever http://tinyurl.com/o357vt

This giveaway is now closed. I did not receive any payment for this contest.

TICKETS: $15, $7 children 12 and younger
Museum and JCP members: $12, $5 children 12 and younger

Kosher Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas Using Manischewitz All Natural Ready to Serve Broth. No MSG.

Made Like Homemade….Tastes Like Homemade

Manischewitz® the leading brand in specialty kosher foods for over 120 years, brings fresh and exciting news to the broth category with the introduction of their all-natural line of Ready To Serve Broth. Available in three flavors, Chicken, Reduced Sodium Chicken and Beef these delicious broths are debuting just in time for the Fall and Winter Holiday Season.

Produced to meet the needs of consumers who are looking for all natural, high quality products, Manischewitz new line of broths are made from a cherished family recipe that includes real kosher chicken and beef, natural spices and vegetables; then slow cooked in small batches to deliver that homemade taste.

These delicious broths hit the supermarket shelves at the perfect time. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, consumers are planning for gatherings with family and friends. Whether they use Manischewitz ready to serve broth as a base for soups or as a key ingredient in holiday recipe favorites, home cooks will realize that NOT all broths are created equal. If you are preparing a kosher Thanksgiving menu I’d love to hear what you will be serving.

“With the soup category on the rise and the broth category up by 11.4%, Manischewitz is delighted to introduce a kosher broth line that is both healthy and delivers exceptional flavor,” says David Rossi, Vice President of Marketing, for The Manischewitz Company. Additionally, as kosher foods continue to gain momentum, the timing is perfect to introduce our broth nationwide.”

Available in both easy to open 14 ounce cans and easy to pour 32 ounce reusable cartons, these wholesome broths can be found in the kosher and soup section of supermarkets nationwide. Suggested retail price for the everyday can is $1.69 and $2.99 for the carton. You can also find them online at kosher.com, your “one click online shop” for everything kosher.

Also, be sure to enter your favorite recipes for the 4th Annual Man-O-Manischewitz Cook-Off! Entries will be accepted from September 15, 2009 through January 31, 2010 for a chance to win an all expense paid trip to compete live in New York City on March 18, 2010 and $25,000 in prizes including a state of the art GE Appliances. For contest details log on to www.Manischewitz.com.
Try this new and delicious Moroccan Meatballs with Caramelized Honey Onions dish:
Moroccan Meatballs with Caramelized Honey Onions

5 Extra Large White Onions, sliced into thin strips
3 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp. cumin
1tsp. curry powder
1tsp. turmeric
1tsp. ground all spice
Kosher Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp. Manischewitz Clover Honey

For Meatballs
1 lb ground lamb
1 lb ground chicken or beef
1 egg
1/4 cup Manischewitz Italian Herb breadcrumbs
1tsp. cumin
1 tsp. allspice
2 tsp. dried chives
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. kosher salt
Pinch Ground Black pepper
2 cups Manischewitz Beef Broth
¼ cup raisins

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, over med-low flame heat the olive oil. Add the onions and all the spices to the oil and mix well. Sauté the onions for about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the honey and mix well. Adjust the flame to low and cover pot. Mix every minute or two to keep the onions from sticking to bottom of pot.

In a large mixing bowl, add the 2 ground meats, egg, Manischewitz Italian Bread crumbs, and all the spices. Mix well.

Remove cover from onions and using a slotted spoon take half of the onions and place into separate bowl. Start shaping meatballs that are about the size of small golf balls. Place them gently into pot nestling them into the onions. After placing all the meatballs take the remainder of the onions and cover the meat balls.

Increase the flame to medium-low, add the Manischewitz Beef broth and raisins cover pot and cook for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove cover, mix everything gently with a wooden spoon and cook for another 10 minutes or until the broth has reduced to less than a ½ a pot. Remove from flame and let cool slightly before serving meatballs. Serve meatballs over Jasmine rice.

For more recipe ideas from Manischewitz Broth such as Onion-Braised Beef Brisket with Roasted Tomato Gravy, Mushroom Risotto, Baked Turkey Meatloaf, etc. log onto www.manischewitzbroth.com.

About The Manischewitz Company: The Manischewitz Company is a leader in the Kosher Foods category providing delicious, premium specialty ethnic food products ranging from traditional Eastern European selections (Gefilte Fish, Noodles, Matzo Ball Soup, and Borscht) to the most comprehensive Kosher-For-Passover product line globally (Matzos, Cake Mixes, Macaroons, Baking Ingredients to a complete line of grocery products). The company markets well known brands such as, Manischewitz®, Season®, Rokeach®, Guiltless Gourmet®, Horowitz Margareten®, Mishpacha®, Goodman’s®, Mrs. Adler’s®, Mother’s®, Carmel®, Croydon House®, Jason® and Asian Harvest®.