One Dish Wonder

Beaba Babycook - is now at Williams Sonoma!! $149.95

For those of you unfamiliar with the Babycook, it's a product from France enabling you to make homemade baby food with minimal (and I mean minimal!) work. Steams (in 15 minutes max!) and purées fruit, veggies, fish, meat, and even grains in one dish!! Forget about dealing with pots of water, steaming baskets, strainers, and food processors... This machine leaves you with no excuses!! Take control of what your baby consumes - lose the jarred food preservatives, and produce nutritional meals for your little one. Nix that picky-eating habit right in the bud by giving your baby more menu options straight from the get-go...

(This and the Qubies, and you're totally set!)

Pizza Pizza

I was planning a Sunday-night-in together with my husband (and a old Woody Allen film), and needed a simple not-so-ordinary dinner idea. My sister-in-law (thanks, Rivky!) gave me her always-awesome pizza dough recipe, and within 5 spare minutes- i spruced it up a bit to give Freida a fully nutritionally balanced meal in one slice of pizza, and a comfort-food treat for Manasseh. The Pizza Dough Recipe:

- 2 packets dry Yeast

- 1 cup lukewarm Water

- 2 teaspoons Sugar

- 5 cups Flour (I used 2 regular, 3 whole wheat)

- 1⁄2 teaspoon Salt

- 4 tablespoons Oil

- 1 cup Apple Juice

I used a small bowl to dissolve the yeast in the water, added the sugar, and let that sit and bubble. Meanwhile, I fitted my Mixer with the dough hook, and put together the rest of the ingredients, pouring the apple juice and yeast mixture in together and started the machine. Let it mix until there is no more dry flour, and then let it get kneaded a bit too. Oil a large bowl, put the dough in, and cover with a towel to rise.

When you are ready to make the pizza, cut your dough to separate it (it can make 3 medium pies), stretch the dough, set it onto a baking tray (or whatever you intend to bake it on), and poke holes with a fork. Layer the sauce and cheese, and bake for about 20-30 minutes on °350 (you may want to bake the dough alone for about 5 minutes before topping it if your like crisper pizza).

For Freida I steamed a bag of broccoli, mashed it with a fork, and mixed it up with the pizza sauce. I spread that on the pizza, topped with mozzarella cheese, sprinkled it with some salt and oregano - and she devoured it!! I froze the rest of that great broccoli sauce to use later (over pasta, pizza bagel etc.). You can do this with any vegetable - just steam, puree, and mix with the sauce!

For Manasseh, I cut up some of our favorite pizza veggies, some fresh basil (i had leftover from a pesto for shabbos), and topped with mozzarella, parmesan, salt, oregano, and some crushed red pepper flakes --- totally kicked! Threw together a salad, and viola!

dough after rising...

Broccoli sauce...

Finished pies...

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

While planning Freida's first birthday party, I put together a few different recipes and landed myself with a perfectly delicious dye-free buttercream frosting!

Here's what to do:

Fit your Kitchen Aid mixer with the paddle piece and combine,

1⁄2 cup Shortening

1⁄2 cup Butter/Margarine (room temp.)

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

31⁄2cups Powdered Sugar (sifted)

2 tablespoons Milk/Mocha Mix

4 tablespoons Strawberry Preserves

1⁄8 teaspoon Salt

The frosting should be a good consistency, light pink color, and have specks of strawberry fruit throughout - giving it some rustically homemade character!

For thinner cream add some more milk, for piping decorations gradually add more powdered sugar.

Can be made early and refrigerated, just bring to room temperature and re-beat when ready to use.

Enjoy!

Can't coffee in the function without morning???

For years I had been swinging by java joints early in the a.m to cough up the cash for my daily cup of joe. Never mind the other times: in the afternoon for a little work "pick me up", in the evening to meet a friend, or at night to take advantage of the free wifi that came with my late night latte.

Soon after I was married, my husband and I purchased the KRUPS Combination (model XP2070) Espresso/Coffee Maker. I would say it still weighs in as one of my best buys ever!

And I am proud to say that I have made very minimal coffee shop trips since (I can count them on my fingers)!

This machine enables you to brew up to 10 cups of coffee at a time, make the perfect espresso, and froths milk with the touch of a button. It also runs on an easy-to-use digital programming system that lets you set a time to brew coffee, set espresso size and strength, choose steam or hot water - making your mornings just that much happier!

You can get this machine at Bed Bath & Beyond for $249.99 (It's $379.99 at Crate & Barrel and at Macy's), plus add in a BB&B 20% off coupon (which we all get in the mail by the dozen) for a total of $200.oo.

Now, whoever thinks this is a large sum of money for a cup of coffee - I'd like you to start keeping your Coffee Bean/Starbucks/J&J Iced Cappuccino receipts....

Here's a little coffee 101 (p.s. the KRUPS can produce all of the following)...

Don't be squared!

For those of you who are still tediously spooning specific amounts of pureed food into ice cube trays - STOP, please! As if homemade baby food 'aint task enough.

These Qubies were a Godsend! Just pour the puree inside the container, snap on the lid, and pop in the                                                              freezer - viola!