Hamantaschen: Reinvented

I have to admit it, I was always quite the Hamantaschen-hater. Never really had digs for this triangular Purim cookie - they always seemed a little stale, or loaded with preservatives to keep them soft... The filling never did it for me either; prune, poppy - and I'm out. This year I decided to get my holiday baking on with Freida, and for educational purposes there would be no skipping the  buttery dough. I searched around a bit for a recipe that appealed to me, but in the end I mixed bits and pieces from a few different places and wound up with a rather bright and fresh tasting dough! I also decided to improve from the inside out, and went with some filling I love - strawberry-rhubarb. Let me tell you, these little cookies came out perfectly buttery, flaky, sweet, and fresh!! Thought I'd share the recipe...

Hamantaschen:

- 1 1/2 sticks butter/margarine, softened

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1 egg

- 1 teaspoon (or more) lemon zest

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 3 cups all purpose flour

I used a mixer to cream the butter with the sugar, added the egg etc. It looks really crumbly at first, so put the mixer on high and let it pund out some good-looking dough. Form the dough into a large disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour. Flour a surface, roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thick, and cut out circles (you can use the lip of a glass) to lay on cookie sheet. Drop a teaspoon of filling in middle of each circle, and pinch 3 corners into a triangle (if it doesn't want to stick - use some water). Bake for 17 minutes on °375. Let cool (lest your scorch your palette with searing jam!).

P.S. I'm currently obsessed with ikat print! I was overjoyed to find these beauties at Marshalls, but can find ikat napkins like that one here.

Holy Blood Stains Sacred Earth

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjK8M4uxcjM&feature=player_embedded#at=287] I know I've been MIA since my return from the desert, but I've simply been too introverted to extrovert any form of thoughts...

The shock and horror that ensued inside my heart, and surely inside the hearts of you all, upon hearing about and seeing this massacre has been much too painful to speak of. What stings even more is tuning in to the news (TV, radio, web) and finding not a mention of the butchering of our brothers. Not a reference to the massacre; nor hint to the monstrosity!

I feel compelled to vent to you readers (even though it is about something that I though was obvious and understood!), and to call upon you... to learn. I have heard many different reactions to the news of this terror, and believe it or not - there are women who think that living in a settlement in Israel with a family is not just "irresponsible", but "wrong". These were words used in a lash of anger these women felt; yet it was vested in the wrong place simply because they didn't know where else to channel it! My advice is to channel this intense anger toward God. But the least you can do is know, and if you don't know - learn. Know that these people, these victims of blood, are heros. And not just to their neighbors, nor solely to Israel, but to each and every one of us! And not just to us, but to the world as a whole who refuses to see the monsters - even when unmasked in attack. Just make sure you know. Know they are fighting, and what they are fighting for. Support them in your heart and in your mind. I was literally blown away to hear girls saying that they think these settlements are filled with those living in unnecessary danger; that they can move out at any given time! It is our obligation, as a part of the Jewish people, to know that we are lazy and selfish. Who do we think we are to sit here in comfort, in safety, and judge the commitment of our superhero brothers?! We are obligated to know we need them! To thank them at every given opportunity for their service - not to their government or their country - but to us! They are providing us with a safe haven. A place of refuge. A holy Land. Know this today, and give thanks. Know this, so we can fight for freedom from evil. So we can teach the world, one at a time... peace is a place in the heart, not a stab in one.

In June 2005 I wrote and recorded a song with my brothers about the Gush Katif expulsion. You can read the lyrics here. That was the beginning of the story, this is the second chapter. What's left is how this will end...

Watch this video, and click here to help the true heros - the settlers.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF-ZfoHNlNM]

I do understand that the media is currently consumed with talk and reports of the devastation in Japan - and I don't want to give the impression that I'm ready to overlook the awful tragedies that have befallen the good people Japan - please click here to donate to Earthquake and Tsunami relief!!

Happy, Happy Weekend!

This weekend will be my first time leaving Freida (aside from my 12 hours in Arizona last week) since she was born!! Not just that, but I'm going to be spending it on a girls weekend...in Vegas!!! (How awesome are those vintage flapper hats??)

My sister-in-law (Happist Birthday Esther!!) has arranged a little "Vegas, baby" getaway for her girlfriends, and while I'm super stoked to spend some time soakin' sun and partying hard with the girls, I can't deny being a tad bit nervous (I think it's even tinged with a little bit of sadness) to leave Freida and the Mr. for a full weekend... I know, I'm totally pathetic. But i guess there's a first for everything! I know the trip will be so incredible, and I'm hoping the kid and the dad will remain safe and sane enough for me to plan many, many more of these mini-vacations in the future!

Thought I'd share these 3 things that are currently making me happy to travel the desert:

DvF luggage - color and convenience (plus a 10 year warranty)!

Fillipo Catarzi Sun Hat - serious ray protection, Italian milliner perfection!

2Bamboo Swimwear - now we can buy a bikini by cup size! Brallelujah!

Here's to the heat!! Happy weekend ya'll!

Purim Shpiel

With Purim around the bend, I thought I'd get Freida familiar with characters from the Magillah and peak her interest with the gist of the story. One morning this week we whipped out some card-stock, markers, and old discarded toilet paper rolls (which made these guys super easy for her little hands to grasp), and got on the Purim-puppets bandwagon (yes, I know Queen Esther looks like a transvestite - it was 7am!!).

She knew a bit about Purim from some songs (and by "a bit" I mean she knew Vashti had pimples and we yell at Haman), so I thought I'd clear a few things up with here. Boy, was I ever in for a surprise... She was so disturbed from the tiniest little hint of hatred in the story. She couldn't handle the fact that we don't like Haman, and she really didn't want to contend with discarding Vashti just because she wasn't all that pretty. She kept going in to grab Haman and give him a big hug! I was so shocked!! Here I thought I was being a good mom and teaching my little love about the Persian miracle, only to wind up feeling like I left her in the wake of utter disturbance...! And believe me, I didn't teach her anything meagerly grave - in our version, Haman was sentenced to a time-out.

After I finished up that awkward little class, she wanted to Skype my mom and do her own puppet show for her. In the middle she started giving Haman and Vashti hugs, so my mom gave the explanation a shot. It came out like this, "Haman was mean to us, that's why we don't like him anymore." Really? Is that what I'm teaching her? I mean I know that concept is important, but should I really be teaching her that at 2 years old? Anyways, the fact that it didn't go down so well taught me a good lesson in parenting... But at least she had fun with these little guys!

For now we'll just have puppet free-play, sing happy songs, and try again next year. :)

Butterflies: An Edgy Effect

I can't imagine I'm the only one out here who swooned over the gorgeous wall behind Serena's college-era bed in Gossip Girl's season 4. It had a beautiful hypnotic vibe, was girly, yet just edgy enough - even to deck out a living room wall!

For those of you sharing my sentiment, I thought I'd share a link to a fantastic Etsy shop I stumbled upon this week. Hip and Clavicle has designed and created a heaping collection of fanciful paper flights, allowing you to create your very own installation of interior whimsy.