Finding Myself Friday: Food for Thought

This past week was very busy and full. It started off with the very first Kosher Cupcake Bake-off, an event that I co-produced with SweetUP partner Abbey Wolin (Not2shabbey.com), Breezy Beckerman (breezyny.com), and Beth Rosen (Chicagonista.com and 4KeysMedia.com). Thank you all for making things happen. Event planning can be very stressful and tiring, especially for parents also working full-time and taking care of young children. Family is first, and being a mother and wife are my top priorities. I am so thankful that my husband and children gave me the extra five minutes, which often became fifty, while working on this event.

Once everything came together at Breezy’s beautiful store in Cedarhurst, NY, and over 100 people from just a few streets away to as far as New Jersey filled the room, I remembered why I work so hard on these events. The end result is always good. This event, an idea that came from the talented Beth Rosen, came to fruition in just five weeks. These things only happen when every member of the team is contributing what little extra time they have to make things happen. All of our time was donated to create this event and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Achiezer Hurricane Sandy Fund.

It was so nice to see the tremendous support from the community, which was a mixture of foodies, friends, and fans of everything cupcakes. Our special MC for the afternoon was Jamie Geller. In addition to being a mom of five children, she is the founder of the Kosher Media Network, Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller Magazine & JoyofKosher.com. Even though Jamie now lives in Israel with her family, she takes frequent trips to the USA for speaking engagements and press events. We were thrilled to have Jamie join our other impressive panel of judges including, Bobbie Lloyd, President and Operating Partner, Magnolia Bakery; Alessandra Rovati, an Italian food writer and lecturer and founder of dinnerinvenice.com; and Tamar Genger MA, RD Director of Digital Media for Kosher Media Network and Executive Editor for JoyofKosher.com. There was no shortage of sweet treats at the event, but I also want to thank Esti from Fruit Platters and More for supplying a beautiful platter of fresh fruit. She also donated the pomegranate seeds that our contestant used during the competition. Also, just as important, was the hip tunes sound system donated by the fab DJ Ben Black.

Check out some of the photos of the event from Lia Jay Photography and Heidi Schwartz.

The contestants were incredibly talented at their trade! They included Melissa Kaye of lilmisscakes.com, Faige Goldner of cupofcakenj.com, Michelle Goodman Frohlich of cakeabite.com, and Shira Perlman of DelightfullySweet.com. They all produced some of the most amazing looking, and tasting cucpakes, I have ever had. All of these cupcakes, from cake to frosting, were dairy free. Part of the fun in this event was the element of surprise. The contestants were sent a box of ingredients to use in their cupcakes earlier in the week. These ingredients included Cherry Heering Liqueur and Coffee Liqueur, King Arthur Flour, Fig Jam, and Balsamic Vinegar. They could either use all of them in one cupcake, or use them in three different cupcakes. For the icing on the cake, literally, the contestants had to pick three of the following ingredients: pomegranate seeds, lavender, cumin, cinnamon maple butter, apricot kernel oil and wild sweet orange Tazo tea. The theme that they had to create in their cupcakes was Purim. They had a total of 45 minutes to create their frosting from scratch and decorate their cupcakes.

Once the clock started, attendees watched as the contestants made their way to great creations. Breezy provided all of the tools and fondant a cupcake designer could desire. When their time was up, the contestants presented their cupcakes, all so inventive and festive. Once the judges had a chance to view and taste the three cupcakes from each contestant, they took a few minutes to make their decision. During this time, the winners of the raffle prizes were announced. The raffle prize sponsors included Joy of Kosher, Earth Balance, KitchenAidUSA, King Arthur Flour, Breezysny.com, Not2Shabbey.com, and Fairway Market.

The winner of the cupcake competition went to Cup of Cake NJ. Faige Goldner, with her baby in tow, created Fig Cupcakes with Pomegranate Cream Cheese Frosting. Faige’s cupcakes and winning recipe will be featured on joyofkosher.com and in the Shavuot issue of Joy of Kosher Magazine with Jamie Geller.
Feeling full from such a tremendous event, but not yet done for the week, I attended the 7th Annual Kosher Food & Wine Experience on Monday evening. This event was sold-out and 1700 people attended. I just loved running into some of the food personalities I met since I started my blog over four years ago. From Chef Jeff Nathan of Abigael’s to Nachum Segal of the Nachum Segal Show, it was an evening full of the leading personalities in the kosher food world. The food at this event was so beyond what most people think a kosher meal should be; move over matzo balls! Kosher food has influences from all of the countries that Jews have lived. We’ve been everywhere! For a complete listing of the food and wine, go to http://www.kfwe2013.com. Who knew?

As I now start my next diet, or is it I am picking up from the last one I was keeping? I am thankful for having a full week. Now, as Shabbos approaches along with a major winter storm named after a fish in a Disney film, #nemo, I am happy to also have a full tank of gas, a refrigerator of food, and a heart full of appreciation of what is on my plate.

Hot Mamalah: The Ultimate Guide for Every Woman of the Tribe Book Review

Ever wanted to know the ultimate pick me up? Sure, a visit to Starbucks, Pandora radio, and scoring a great pair of boots on sale at Macy’s. Those are all good things, but what about something that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own couch in your pjs and slippers? Give yourself, your girlfriend, mom, and sister a copy of Hot Mamalah: The Ultimate Guide for Every Woman of the Tribe (Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC, $18.99, October 2012) by Lisa Alcalay Klug. This is a book every woman can enjoy over and over again. How?

This is just what the doctor ordered and what your therapist can’t tell you. From the moment I opened this book, I was rewarded with a non-stop smorgasbord of the life of a Jewish woman. Even if you are not a member of the tribe (Jewish),  you will still enjoy this book. I just love how Lisa includes everything from the who’s who in Hot Mamalahs to clever cocktails to sip amongst friends. This book is loaded with humorous essays, adorable illustrations, how-to’s and much more. Leave the kvetching behind and do yourself (and your friends a favor), grab a copy of this book today. It is no wonder this book is so “hot”, just look at the author, you could just kvell from her credentials!

About Lisa Klug

Award-winning journalist Lisa Alcalay Klug has reported for a wide variety of media outlets including the New York Times, Jerusalem Post, Shape, Self and many others. Her book, Cool Jew, was a No. 1 Amazon bestseller and National Jewish Book Awards Finalist. A humorist, slam poet, and popular public speaker, Lisa has presented at more than 100 venues throughout North America, Europe, and Israel. !e daughter of an Ashkenazi Holocaust survivor, Lisa’s books express her exuberance, joie de vivre, and passion for Jewish culture http://www.lisaklug.com.

That’s not all. What would a Jewish book be without a rockin’ group giveaway valued at $350! You know your Jewish mother, and friends, never let you go home without something. The Giveaway winner will be announced first day of Chanukah Dec. 3 on FB, Twitter and ModernTribe.com/mamalah.

Where can you buy this book? So glad you asked! November 15th is buy the book on Amazon day (tinyurl.com/mamalah).

Disclaimer. This was not a paid post. I did receive a complimentary copy of this book in order to write this review. The opinions in the post are my own.

Are Pediatric Emergency Rooms Ready For Your Emergency?

If you are a parent, grandparent, mom, step-mom, or sibling, you know what a Pediatric Emergency room is. You may have even been in one recently. I am going to share a true story about what happened when these parents took their prematurely born daughter to the pediatrician and hospital emergency room. The following story was written by the parents.

Our daughter Rebecca was born four weeks early on July 13, 2006. We loved her from the moment of birth and savored every hour with her. She was released from the NICU five days later, supposedly as a healthy baby girl. The next day, Rebecca was severely congested with thick mucus, continuing her slow feedings, and had difficulty breathing. We took her to the pediatrician and the hospital emergency room during each of the following days we had her. Doctors diagnosed her symptoms as a common cold, and she was repeatedly sent home. Unfortunately, Rebecca passed away on the morning of July 21. We later found out that she had contracted an enteroviral infection that can be lifethreatening in babies. Had her symptoms been treated, she may still be here today. As a result of this tragedy with Rebecca, we created the R Baby Foundation. This charity is dedicated to helping newborn babies, primarily those less than a month old suffering from viral infections and other infectious diseases, receive the highest quality of care and service through supporting education, research, training and life-saving equipment.

This story was taken from The R Baby Foundation website. The parents that wrote this story are Phyllis & Andrew Rabinowitz. You can read more about their story here. Their goal is to save as my babies’ lives as possible.

In order to reach as many people as possible, the R Baby Foundation enlisted a very influential list of parent bloggers. I was beyond thrilled and honored to be invited to participate in this initiative. I am happy to support this organization and will attend the 5 Star Gala honoring the amazing Julia Beck in NYC next week.

With a passion and gift of exceptional reach, we all participated in an #rbabyfoundation twitter party. In one hour, we reached almost 10 million impressions and was a topic trending in NYC! The reach was tremendous and the conversations inspirational, emotional, and most importantly, hopeful.

You can help R Baby Foundation accomplish their goal of improving Pediatric Emergency centers around the world. I have included some links below.

Please sign our petition to improve pediatric emergency care http://www.change.org/petitions/improve-pediatric-emergency-care

View and share the R Baby Foundation PSA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f5SBVaLGnk&feature=player_embedded

Share the R Baby ad

Follow R Baby on Twitter

Follow R Baby Facebook

Grab the R Baby Foundation blogger badge
 http://www.rbabyfoundation.org/ 

Read and share tips from R Baby Foundation

Join us for the R Baby Foundation 5 star gala: http://www.rbabyfoundation.org/fivestargala.php

Donate
http://www.rbabyfoundation.org/about-donate.php

Shop with Glassybaby and donate
http://www.glassybaby.com/shop/product_detail/precious.aspx

Volunteer
http://www.rbabyfoundation.org/about-volunteers.php

Share you emergency department story with other parents.

Thank you for making a difference! Follow the conversation about R Baby Foundation and use #rbabyfoundation.

Esti’s Passover Playlist

One of the biggest Jewish holidays, Passover, starts this evening at sundown. What would a celebration be without a playlist.  Enjoy them, share them, and share the Passover story with your friends and families!

A Kosher Conversation Live from Nargila!

If you are interested in kosher cuisine, this is the show you should listen to!  Chaim from The Kosher Scene Radio Show hosted a lovely group of women kosher food bloggers Live from Nargila! yesterday evening.

(1599 York Avenue – between E. 84 and E. 85th Street – New York 10021; Tel: 212.535.3700). At the dinner table: Alessandra Rovati from Dinner in Venice, Amy Chana from The Gluten Free Maven, Esti Berkowitz from Primetime Parenting, Kim Amzallag from Mishpacha Magazine, Marlene Mamiye from The Jewish Hostess and Suzanah Raff from The Kosher Shopaholic. Also with us, will be my dear friend Irving Schild, photographer extraordinaire, and possibly my coblogger SYR. We will talk with each of the mom-bloggers about the particular focus of their individual blogs, about the liberating effect of writing, the new contacts and interaction that have resulted, social media in general and – of course – food. We are all foodies, after all!

If you missed our last show on the Wednesday prior to Shavuos, you can hear the archived recording right here. Our guests included Moshe Vogel from Anderson International Foods in the first half hour and Kim Amzallag from Mishpacha/Kosher Inspired Magazine. In honor of Yom Yerushalayim we started the hour with a piece reading of a very short piece I wrote a few years back (which was reprinted on The Jerusalem Post and on Ynetnews.com). It was about the first Yom Yerushalayim – Jerusalem Day, commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem. I was there when the Old City – Ir Hatika became ours again…

Garret Reisman, A Nice Jewish Boy From America New Jersey Is Off To Space

What does a nice Jewish boy from America take with him into space? TODAY, Friday, May 14, 2010, Jewish astronaut Garrett Reisman will take the original 2006 presidential proclamation declaring May Jewish American Heritage Month to the International Space Station aboard the shuttle Atlantis. When the shuttle returns, Reisman will turn the document over to the National Museum of American Jewish History, where it will be proudly displayed. 

About Garret Reisman
(source NASA )  Born February 10, 1968 in Morristown, New Jersey, but considers Parsippany, New Jersey, to be his hometown.  Recreational interests include flying, skiing and snowboarding, rock climbing, mountaineering, canyoneering, and SCUBA diving.  Dr. Reisman is an FAA Certified Flight Instructor.  His parents are Sheila Reisman (she must be kvelling from such nachus) of Boynton Beach, Florida and the late Robert Reisman.  His sister, Lainie Reisman, is an international youth violence prevention specialist and currently resides in Washington D.C.

EDUCATION:   Parsippany High School, Parsippany, New Jersey, 1986.
B.S., Economics, University of Pennsylvania, 1991.
B.S., Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, 1991.
M.S., Mechanical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1992.
Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1997.

Background: Jewish American Heritage Month has been in existence since Pres. George W. Bush first signed the declaration declaring May as such. This year, 2010, is the first time the event is expected to garner national interest with the celebration expected to be the most comprehensive and widely celebrated to date. Some of the recent events responsible for this include:

• The appointment of the first-ever National Coordinator, Abby Schultz
• Federal funding to support the program
• National broadcast programming on the BIO Channel/A & E Networks during the month of May profiling significant Jewish personalities; outreach to over 250,000 teachers through BIO Channel outreach
• A dedicated website that acts as a clearinghouse for all Jewish American Heritage Month events taking place across the U.S., including educational materials for classroom teachers

Over 100 events planned on behalf of Jewish American Heritage Month throughout the country. Check out JAHM to find out where an event is happening near you. 

The stories of Jewish Americans featured here were selected for their contributions to and impact on the American public. They reflect a broad and eclectic group of achievements in fields ranging from science and medicine to manufacturing and entertainment, and everything in between. New stories will rotate in on a regular basis. Do you have a story about a Jewish American contribution to tell? Click here to submit your story for consideration. (JAHM reserves the right to edit or refuse any submission.)

My Mother’s Day With R Baby Foundation In Central Park, New York

30,000 babies born in the U.S. last year will not make it to this Mother’s Day.

When I first learned about this fact, my eyes swelled up and my heart ached for the mothers’ that had endured such unfortunate circumstances. It is these types of life experiences that bring life to non-profit organizations like R Baby Foundation.

This type of life altering experience was real to Phyllis Rabinowitz. When you meet Phyllis, a gorgeous slender brunette with a resume only the finest companies would consider, you would never imagine that she had lost her own baby at just nine days old. I had the privilege of meeting Phyllis and listened as she gave over her own personal story of loss as if it had just happened. Her and her husband took their unfortunate situation and gave life to a cause that should have been identified years ago. A short but very impressionalbe video about her situation is now available, you will need tissues, trust me. 

Whether your baby is whisked away to the NICU (Neonatol Intensive Care Unit) or you bring your newborn/infant in for fear of an illness or virus, all mothers and their babies depend upon the nearest medical institutions.

 After 13 hours of being hooked up to IV’s, and heart rate monitors, I finally managed to push out my son into the arms of the nurses and staff waiting patiently on the other side. I hadn’t even caught a glimpse of my newborn baby boy when they took him away for some necessary intervention. My husband and I had no idea what was wrong. We waited in silence for somebody to tell us exactly what happened. We feared the worst and prayed for the good. After two hours of waiting for some word on our newborn son, my husband  walked over to the NICU, the scariest steps he had ever taken, in search of news about our newborn son. Thank G-d, he was able to see him beneath the breathing tubes and IVs coming out from his newborn frame. Thank G-d the NICU had the resources and medical technology to help his labored breathing get up to speed with the demands of life outside of the womb.

Even in the constant care of the nurses and rounds of Pediatric specialists, our hearts were heavy with concern and our physical stamina was shot. We visited the NICU every chance we had and took notice of the other newborns in the same room. We thought about them and prayed that they would soon be in the arms of their mothers and fathers.

 Thank G- d, we were able to take our son home with us when I was dispatched from the my two day stay at the hospital. We are forever thankful for the NICU at North Shore University Hospital and the incredible nurses, interns, and physicians that helped us during that time. As I write this post, I know of mothat least one mother that wil spend her Mother’s Day with her premature baby in  the NICU.   I can’t emphasize enough how much it means to me that R Baby Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that babies, including those in the first month of life suffering from viral infections and other infectious diseases, receive the highest quality of care and service through supporting life-saving pediatric training, education, research, treatment and equipment.

I will be walking with R Baby Fondation this Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 9, 2010 (8AM to 11:30AM) in NYC’s Central Park. Even thought registration is now closed, you can still participate as a “Virtual Walker”, make a donation or search for someone who has already registered.

Last year, over 9,000 people participated and helped raise over $750,000 for pediatric emergency care. Help R Baby Foundation increase these numbers for 2010! Click here to view the 2009 website.

Start your Mother’s Day by taking a step towards improving emergency medical care for babies everywhere.

Join R Baby Foundation in the park for:

• Family Activities
• Live Entertainment
• Sports Clinics
• Arts and Crafts by apple seeds
• Snacks
• Giveaways, prizes and much more!

A Shmooz With Jill Zarin, Lisa Wexler, and Gloria Kamen, “Secrets of a Jewish Mother”

 

A Shmooz With Jill Zarin, Lisa Wexler, and Gloria Kamen, “Secrets of a Jewish Mother”.

 

When I heard the title of this book I thought about two things. My own Jewish mother,my sister, and matzo ball soup. That is why I am so excited to interview Jill and Lisa (sisters) and Gloria (their Jewish mother) on Blog Talk Radio. Their book, “Secrets of a Jewish Mother” is flying off the shelves, as moms of all backgrounds can relate to the wisdom of a Jewish mother. What is a Jewish mother, or family get together, without a bowl of fluffy matzo ball soup? Join me and Beth Rosen as we find out what Jill, Lisa, and Gloria serve-up for their regular family get togethers, especially during the High Holidays in the fall and at Passover in the springtime. Book Description: The Jewish Mother knows what she wants. And what you should want too. In Secrets of a Jewish Mother, you’ll learn how to make her methods your very own, and as result you’ll give and get of love and happiness in great amounts. In what could be thought of as the Jewish Mother’s Guide to Life, Jill Zarin, the breakout star of Bravo’s hit series, The Real Housewives of New York, teams up with her sister, Lisa Wexler, award-winning host of daily radio program The Lisa Wexler Show, and her mother, the estimable Gloria Kamen who made a splash on Jill’s series last year. Secrets of a Jewish Mother shows readers that being clear about what you want is the best policy, and standing up for yourself and your family is always the right way to go. Using real life examples, stories from Jill, Lisa and Gloria, this mother/daughter trio reveals their secrets to life, love, and happiness.

And, remember, a lot of love and a little matzoh ball soup never hurt anyone. Happy Early Mother’s Day!

May is Jewish American Heritage Month

When I was at Kosherfest this past year, I met some very interesting people with a passion for what they do. Somebody that I fell in love with immediately was Abby Schwartz. Not only was I impressed with her savvy style, but her passion and love for  www.jewishamericanheritagemonth.us
an online community with press releases, biographies of noted Jewish Americans, and much more!

 I had the opportunity to interview Abby during Kosherfest and you can listen to our shmooz and all the wonderful events and partnerships aligned with this terrific program. If you are wondering why Abby was at Kosherfest, The Manischewitz Company is one of the sponsors of Jewish American Heritage Month.

About JAHM – log onto  www.jahm.us  which serves as an interactive clearinghouse for programs and activities across the country.  Visitors to the site have the opportunity to enter events in their own communities, learn about national programming, download educational materials, and garner ideas for local celebrations.

I had my own personal experience that I shared with Abby, which I posted about on sheitelsandstrollers.wordpress.com. It all happened on a family outing to the Queens Zoo last October. I never knew that one ride on the carousel could unveil so much Jewish American Heritage. There are so many stories and if you have one, be proud and share it on JAHM.us