Great Idea for Hanukkah for Kids

I received this the other day from Mindy Kobrin's publicist, and she told me it would be okay to share this with my readers.  This is a great idea for Hanukkah, and fun to do the the kids. Enjoy, and have a very happy Hanukkah!

Here's a new spin on a traditional Hanukkah activity that the whole family can enjoy! Celebrations and entertaining expert; Mindy Kobrin, founder ofMindy’s Meals on Heels (www.mealsonheelsbymindy.com) has created an Incredible Edible Hanukkah Dreidel which will allow kids (and adults) the opportunity to play with their food!

Families can easily create these edible treats together in no time. Marshmallows form the dreidels’ bodies, chocolate kisses serve as the tips, and pretzel sticks act as the knobs (see full recipe below).

Ingredients

12 thin pretzel sticks

12 large marshmallows

8 oz dark chocolate, melted

2 oz white chocolate, melted or white frosting

12 Hershey kisses

Preparation

Dip bottom of chocolate kiss in melted semisweet chocolate

Press onto marshmallow; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet

Repeat to make 12 dreidels. Refrigerate for 10 minutes

Cut a small slit in bottom of each marshmallow; insert 1 thin pretzel stick

 Dip dreidels in chocolate, and return to baking sheet

 Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes

Fill a resealable plastic bag with melted white chocolate; cut a tiny opening in a corner, and pipe 

Hebrew letters onto 3 sides of each dreidel

 Refrigerate at least 5 minutes or up to 8 hours before serving

This is the kind of tie you can sink your teeth into -Happy Father's Day

Father's Day is rapidly approaching and like most of us there will be at least one tie in our gifts for the adoring and wonderful father's in our lives.  I know that when my Dad was alive, I  got a few for him every year.

My tenth birthday with my Dad, Sam Avella

Graduation from Nursing School with my parents
Kay and Sam Avella

Sam and Kay Avella

A few days ago, I received an e-mail from a young college student named Matt who has a blog on Ties - and in honor of Father's Day, his blog was all about Tie Cakes... and he asked if I would link to his site.

I checked out his blog and it is great, so Matt - here goes...

What a fabulous idea, to accompany Dad's material ties with a succulent and sweet version - giving him something to sink his teeth into as well.  This website is absolutely wonderful and so much more than just Cake Ties.  It is a great information site as well - how to tie a tie, ties you can buy, tie stories, you name it - and you'll find it hear.

Matt has designed a really cute site (spoken like the woman I am, i.e. old enough to be his mother) and I think you should all check it out.

Here is the link for Tiepedia - tell Matt that I sent you, and be sure to tell all your friends too!

To all the fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers, fathers-in-law, Uncles, Brother, Cousins, Friends, Godfathers, etc - have the most wonderful Father's Day...

As for me I was blessed with a wonderful father, a wonderful father-in-law and a wonderful husband who is the best father to our four children...lucky me!

Then...

Now...

Love the Lime!

It seems like for the past few days, everything I've made has featured limes in some shape or form.  I made the Vietnamese Lettuce Rolls, and they featured lime as one of the many flavors.  I few days ago, it was guacamole with lime in it.  This morning when I checked my e-mails from one of the Yahoo Groups I belong to, there was a recipe for Cuba Libre Cupcakes posted, that sounded delicious! Carlos, the person who posted it, said they he found it on another website.  Now,  having written a blog for quite some time, I didn't want to post a recipe without given credit to the person who developed the recipe.  I did a little research, and a little googling and came up with a fabulous blog site for all of you to check out.  It is Rachel Rappaport's Coconut & Lime. She originated this recipe and here is the link for all of you to see her posting: Coconut & Lime Blog - Cuba Libre Cupcakes

Please make sure you check out her blog, she has an amazing array of wonderful recipes.  She is also the author of The Everything Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook. She has been named as one of the 50 best food blogs and one of a very few blogs where the recipes are her original creations.

I e-mailed her and got her permission to show a step by step guide to making the cupcakes.

Cuba Libre Cupcakes
Rachel Rappaport

Here is the step by step to making the cupcakes:

You will need the following ingredients:

For the Cupcakes

For the Frosting:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

 Line or grease and flour 1 12 cupcake cupcake pan. 

In a small saucepan, 

heat butter (1/2 cup - 1 stick), 

coca cola (1/2 cup)

and rum (2 tablespoons)

 to boiling. 

Remove from heat and allow to cool. (I put

mine into the refrigerator.)

Mix together lime juice (I used a reamer

and juiced a fresh lime - it took one half of a lime - I used the other 

half to decorate the tops)

I cut the lime in half

put the juice (1 tablespoon lime juice) into a small bowl

measured and added the milk (1/4 cup)

 in a small bowl or measuring cup 

(as Rachel said, you may see some curdling)

and set aside. 

Measure out your flour (1 cup), I use the scoop and level method

and place into a large mixing bowl

Measure the sugar (1 cup) the same way

add the sugar to the flour

Measure the Dutch cocoa (3 tablespoons dutch processed cocoa)

Baking powder (1 teaspoon),

Baking soda (1 teaspoon)

and salt (1/2 teaspoon)

Meanwhile, whisk together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. 

Add the cooled butter/coke mixture 

and beat until well combined. 

Add egg (1 egg), 

beat well,

then pour in the milk. 

Mix until combined.

 The batter will be rather thin. 

Fill each well 2/3 of the way full. 

Put into the preheated oven

Bake 20 minutes 

or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Remove cupcakes to wire racks as soon as possible to cool.

To make the frosting, measure out the confectioners' sugar

(1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar)

and sift (to get a smooth frosting)

measure and sift the Dutch cocoa (1 1/2 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa)

add the cream cheese, at room temperature (1/2 8 ounce package)

and the rum (1 tablespoon good Rum)

Mix well until the frosting is smooth...

 Frost with Chocolate Rum Cream Cheese Frosting 

when cool.

Take the remaining half of the lime and cut into thin slices

and then cut each slice into quarters...

 Garnish with a wedge of lime.

Enjoy!!!!

Thank you Rachel for a fabulous recipe.

The cupcakes were so moist and delicious -

 Steven wanted to eat all the frosting- Yummy!!!!!!

Be sure to visit Rachel's Blog

Coconut & Lime