I am a big fan of stickers for Jewish art projects. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I am not a talented crafts person. But I love to do all kinds of projects with little ones. Coloring. Collage. Cooking. Writing stories. So I'm always on the look-out for simple things that I can use. Stickers are a favorite go-to. When I’m placing an order from places like Current or any of the Judaica shops, or shopping at Target, WalMart, dollar stores, or TJ Maxx, I’ll give a quick check to see if they have stickers that I can pair with holidays, like: Apple stickers for … [Read more...]
Hanukkah Wrap-Up – Aha Moments
I hope you, too, had an extraordinary Hanukkah! For us, we had FOUR nights of lighting candles with family who had come in from around the country. This can only happen when Hanukkah is as late as it was – and we drank in every moment. Here are four of my aha moments: Edible dreidels – 2 thoughts If you want to snap pix of the finished dreidels, best to do that right away, or they will all be munched down. Our dreidel makers this year were pretty experienced, so didn’t need much help. Change for next year: since the Nutella I used this year didn’t “stick” well between … [Read more...]
Taking Hanukkah Outdoors
Sure, we think of Hanukkah as an indoor holiday, where we gather around the menorah to light the candles. But can you imagine taking Hanukkah outdoors this year? I’m a big fan of Wilderness Torah and the activities they do to connect Jewish celebrations with nature. This year, they are planning a Chanukah Maker Faire for grades K-5. Because those encompass the ages of our grands, it spoke to me powerfully. But until I read about their program, I had not imagined outdoor activities as part of our holiday fun. Among other things, they will: Dip beeswax candles Cook applesauce over … [Read more...]
Homemade Hanukkah Gifts - Art
Like many of you, we are an interfaith family – with a rare opportunity this year to weave together our traditions. Hanukkah begins on December 22. When we gather this year, we hope to be together for several nights of Hanukkah, including Christmas. But we want to downplay the gifts. SO – we will follow my daughter’s lead and create themed nights, as they do when they are home for Hanukkah. Games night. Books night. Outside exploring night. And while we have all decided to limit gifts to one per child, we want them to understand the pleasure of giving to others, too. My hope … [Read more...]
TaDa - How to Make a Dreidel Cake
Is a dreidel cake better than any other Hanukkah treat? Not really, but . . . I love all kinds of desserts for Hanukkah – from the cookies I made when I was a kid and that I made with our girls and our niece (with cookie cutters and colored sugar) to jelly-filled doughnuts to chocolate gelt. But there is something truly festive about a cake for a family gathering. This year, why not try making a dreidel-shaped cake? You can use a simple box mix and bake it in a 9” x 13” x 2” pan. Dreidel Cake Directions Cut 2 triangles off the bottom. Then place the … [Read more...]
