History of... Crockpots | Kitchen Gadgets: Organize Like a Pro
Recipes
Issue 10
10 Shevat 5777
February 6, 2017
The Pantry Saga Where to Begin: Organizing Tips from Rebekah Saltzman
Artist Spotlight : Yocheved Nadell
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Organized
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Teaching 101
Parenting
Humor
“Easy Crockpot Recipes ”
Table of Contents
28
Kitchen Gadgets
24
In The Kitchen
4 Inspiration
From the Dust of the Earth
6 Parenting
Love Comes First
10 Teaching 101
What is Teaching? Part Two
20 History of...
Crockpots
30 Tips for Healthy Living
Being a Shabbos Guest on a Diet
Where to Begin:
Three Ways to Use the Placebo Effect
34 Serial
Finding Chava: Chapter 10
39 Humor IKEA
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32 Eye on Health
Artist Spotlight: Yocheved Nadell
12
Tips for your Organizing Journey
The Pantry Saga
22
Readers Speak Editor-in-Chief Rabbi Noach Tuchinsky Managing Editor Rena Tuchinsky Proofreader Estee Tannenbaum Contributing Writers Shira Katz, Hadassah Glanz, Rabbi Dr. Yoseif (Jeffrey) Glanz, Yaakov Grossman, Dr. David Tuchinsky, Rebekah Saltzman, Rochie Shapiro Advertising Manager Adam Tuchinsky advertise@bayismagazine.com Bayis Magazine – www.bayismagazine.com Editor@bayismagazine.com Contactus@bayismagazine.com We Look forward to hearing from you! To subscribe via email: subscriptions@bayismagazine.com Bayis Magazine. Published by Bayis Magazine LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form without prior written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The publisher reserves the right to edit all articles for clarity, space and editorial sensitivities. Bayis Magazine assumes no responsibility for the content of the articles or advertisements in the publication, nor for the contents of the books that are referred to or excerpted herein.
Thanks so much for the baked latke recipe! I'm on an extremely low fat diet and was just thinking how much I was going to miss latkes, and your recipe popped into my newsfeed! Hashgacha Pratis! Ella R. After I got a blast about your wig giveaway, I checked out your magazine as I hadn't heard of it. A few things: 1. I looked at your printed edition for Shabbos and was amazed that you'd taken the advertising out. Such attention
to Shmiras and Kavod Shabbos! Kudos to you. 2. I read the humor column from Yaakov Grossman. I liked it. His style is light if a bit conservative, but maybe you don't call it "humor" but rather "something light" or similar. I think it puts too high an expectation when you label something as humor and then people are judging instead of enjoying. 3. So far, from what I saw, it looks well-put together and a nice family affair. Good job. J.G.
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Inspiration
From the Dust of the Earth
R
av Shmuelevitz, the renowned Rosh Yeshiva of the Mir, once remarked, “I know all of Shas, but women are still incomprehensible to me.” Our spouses pose one of the greatest puzzles of our lives; how can we comprehend them and their needs? Rav Moshe Weinberger presents us with a fascinating insight into our spouses and ourselves. He explains that in order to understand their patients, psychologists create a psychological profile. How did their parents, siblings, teachers or neighbor’s cousin’s dog affect them? Through understanding the early influences and from where
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a person comes from, we are able to find what makes a person tick. So, if we want to understand a man and a woman, we need to create a psychological profile of the first man and woman, Adom and Chava. Where did Adom come from? He didn’t have any parents, so we can’t blame them for any of his problems. He had no siblings either. What we do know is that Hashem created him from the dust of the earth. Man’s entire life is spent running away from the nothingness, the dust, from which he was created. He is scared that he is only dust and this is why a man’s greatest vice is his ego. His ingrained desire to avoid nothingness drives him to be something. He strives for
honor, intellect, or wealth in order to feel self-worth. A spouse’s job then is to build him up! If he is scared of being nothing then his wife needs to respect him and show him that he is in fact something! What about Chava? She didn’t come from dust. So she can’t be concerned about being nothing. She knows she is something! So, what is her concern? Chava was created from Adom. A woman is scared that she will not be appreciated. That she will be considered just another part of man and not seen as doing something herself. She knows she is something, but everyone needs to see this something and appreciate it. So what is her husband’s job description? He needs
Rabbi Noach Tuchinsky
L'ilui Nishmas Sarah Raizel bas Zev Volf To sponsor the Dvar Torah or Halacha please email editor@bayismagazine.com
to appreciate all of the things his wife does for him and his children. He needs to compliment her on her appearance and actions. Now that we understand a man and woman, we can see the truth to the Rambam’s perplexing statement. He says that a woman should treat her husband as a king and a husband should buy for his wife presents according to his wealth. At first glance this seems wrong. Shouldn’t the husband treat his wife as a queen? Why is the Rambam’s advice to give presents? But, after understanding the profound yearning of each spouse, we can now see the cleverness of the Rambam’s advice. Of course his wife should be treated as a queen. But, the Rambam is not explaining the needs of each spouse. The husband who is scared of being nothing needs the wife to treat him as a king. And the wife who is scared of being taken for granted needs signs of appreciation and compliments. May we all be zocheh to implement these ideas and have true shalom bayis in our homes.
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Parenting
Love Comes First
R’
Yehuda Adis, a great talmid chacham, relates this story about his father, R’ Ya’akov Adis zt”l, a great tzaddik and kabbalist. It happened once that R’ Yehuda, at 11 years old, didn’t bentch after having bread. His older brother scolded, “Hey, you didn’t bentch!” Young Yehuda shot back, “Oh, yes I did!” “You’re lying.” “No, I’m not. I bentched from this!” And he picked up a machzor… for Yom Kippur. There is no birchas hamazon in a Yom Kippur machzor. At this his brother grabbed his arm and marched him into their father’s study. “He didn’t bentch,” he told his father. “He didn’t bentch, and then he lied about it! He said he bentched from this machzor that doesn’t even have bentching!” R’ Yaakov looked at both of his sons, and he said emphatically, “If he says he bentched,
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then he bentched.” “But, but,” the older boy sputtered. But his father cut him off and again insisted, “If he says he bentched, I believe him.” Another story: A 14-year-old boy was off the derech, and his father would beg him, “Please learn with me.” Many times he asked, and the boy consistently refused. This went on for a long time. One day, the father said, “I love you. I want to spend time with you. What do you want to do? I’ll do whatever you want to do.” The boy looked at his father and said, “Oh, you love me? Ok, let’s learn.” What took place in that study, from a parenting/discipline perspective? The child had clearly lied, and then lied about lying. Why did his father, an extremely righteous man, blatantly ignore this? Wasn’t it his duty as a father to ensure that his son bentched, and that he learned a lesson about telling the truth? The answer is that his father
chose, at that moment, to put discipline and lessons aside and let his son save face. Making sure that his son was not shamed was the most important thing. This is what it means to be on the child’s side. The child comes before the lesson. The child’s feelings come before what he did. The parent’s love for the child is stronger than his need to correct, discipline, or teach. R’ Yehuda Adis concludes by saying that from that moment on, he began to love bentching. And those who know him attest to his scrupulous honesty. In the second case, it was not the learning that was distasteful to the boy. It was the lack of feeling that his father loved him that was pushing him away. Once he heard that “I love you”, there was nothing holding him back and he was happy to learn. If parents are on their child’s side the child will yearn and strive to follow in their ways
Hadassah Glanz
Q
You’ve spoken a lot about being on the child’s side. Can you give suggestions on how to do that practically?`
A
Great question! Below is a list of ways to show your children that you are on their side and that you love them. These things are meant to be done once in a while, not as a rule. • Giving unexpected gifts - small or big with no explanation, just because, or you can say “I was thinking of you.” • Doing unexpected favors - For example, doing a child’s chore for them. • Spending one-on-one time with them. • Spending extra one-on-one time with them - aside from the standard. • Taking them out • Making them a priority - such as not answering the phone while they’re talking to you. • Showing them that you’re making them a priority - If a mother always gets off the phone when the kids want her attention it loses its effect. Doing it once in a while and saying, “I have to go, my son is talking to me” shows him that he is a priority. • Making their things a priority - if they asked you to do something, do it right away, as opposed to “In 2 minutes, after I…”. • Listening to them - sometimes we get caught up with the idea that the child has no right to get involved in a parent’s decision, such as where the younger sibling should go to school. But even if we don’t
and make his parents proud. The teaching and correcting will happen without friction. When the child is sure of his parent’s love and alliance, it is not a struggle to convince him to internalize what we want him to. He will do it naturally
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need their opinion, we should hear them out. Often the child just needs to be heard because he may have had a bad experience. Taking their side in a dispute/sticking up for them. Either with a friend – no need to get involved, just validate him, (“you’re right, that’s so unfair what he did!”) – or even with a teacher. Even if he has to listen to the teacher, he should know that you are on his side. (“We have to listen to him because he’s the teacher, but you’re right that it’s not fair to punish some kids and not all the ones that were at fault.”) Going out of your way for them - bringing their lunch to school when they forgot it. Doing something for them when it’s hard for you - when the baby’s crying and the phone is ringing and they ask you to do something. Honoring them - such as by giving them either set privileges or special, one-time privileges. Asking their opinion - even with things that don’t affect them, such as what color to paint a room. Including them in adult conversations.
Again, please remember that you don’t have to do these things all the time, and in fact you shouldn’t. Good luck!
because a child wants to please his parents, and he trusts them.
Want to get your question answered? Send us your parenting question to parenting@bayismagazine.com
Hadassah Glanz trained under Rabbi Brezak, a worldrenowned expert in parenting and author of the book "Chinuch in Turbulent Times". Most stories told were heard from Rabbi Brezak.
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Teaching 101
WHAT IS TEACHING?
S
Part Two
o, what is teaching? If you listen to a TedTalk, for instance, the presenter presents ideas, but is not teaching. Why? . . . because s/he has not interacted sufficiently with the audience to ensure comprehension. A major premise of this column is that without checking for understanding, and then ensuring understanding by providing feedback, teaching, as a continuous process, has not occurred. One may assert that he encouraged his audience’s interest or they ‘seemed’ motivated by the speech, but without really knowing that he accomplished the goals previously established, he has not taught. He may say, however,
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that he lectured. But to use the term “teach,” one must have a pretty good idea that he effectively communicated with the audience. Without checking for understanding, he has no way to accurately assess his effectiveness or, minimally, that people walked away with any of the information he intended to communicate. Or stated another way, whether or not they achieved his pre-stated objectives. Moreover, the first part of the definition implies that a teacher should create optimal conditions for others to actively interact with the content. We will delve more deeply into the varied ways teachers can actively engage students in the learning process, regardless of the context in which teaching occurs. Although it is possible for a good lecturer to cognitively engage the
listener, a fundamental principle is that the more actively engaged the learner is, the more likely s/he will learn and retain the content taught. Merely presenting information, as the characters in vignettes 1 and 2 abiove, doesn’t ensure that the audience walks away from the experience with any of the deep insights the presenter may have intended. Two reasons for this lack of insight involve the fact that they were not actively engaged with the content during the presentation, and second, that there was no assessment in terms of gauging the extent of the knowledge gained as a result of attending the lecture. Imagine this scenario: Mr. Li comes home after attending Dr. Stevens’ lecture (vignette 2 presented earlier) and his wife asks him, “Hi, how was
By Rabbi Dr. Yoseif (Jeffrey) Glanz
it?” He responds, “It was great. She was a dynamic speaker with lots of stories, . . . and jokes.” “Really?” his wife asks. “Can you tell me one of the stories or jokes?” He hesitates, then says “well, it was about a couple arguing, and in the end they realized that the argument was foolish.” “What does that mean?” Mrs. Li inquires. “Uh, I can’t recall.” He then sheepishly laughs. “Well, I know at least it was a good talk.” Most people who attend lectures, even though the topic is of interest to them (or else, presumably, they wouldn’t have attended in the first place) come away with little, if any, substantive knowledge. They may not even be able to recall a story presented. The net result is that the experience was entertaining at best. Perhaps, inspiring, although there is no way of assessing the effect such inspiration may have on an individual in terms of a true change in behavior. Essentially, no real
learning occurred. Why? No learning occurred because the presenter’s intent was not to teach. Rather, it was merely to present, and perhaps inspire or raise consciousness about a particular issue. Although raising awareness of an issue may be important, I contend that the experience could have been significantly more relevant and meaningful if the presenter employed the teaching. I assert that we must break the taken-for-granted manner in which information is presented, whether it occurs in a place called school, or at a local YMCA, or a community lecture hall. What has prevented the adoption of these techniques I advocate? I believe the prevalence of mediocrity is founded on a pervasive paradigm that has dominated educational discourse in educational events of all kinds. The persistence of recitation has been well documented in the field of education, pervasive in
most classrooms all over the world. The taken-for-granted notion that students can learn only when “teacher talks and students listen” has stifled learning for too many people. Importantly, this definition of teaching has significant implications for k-16 educators as well. I believe the current way teaching, presumably, occurs in many formal school settings needs re-examination. So in conclusion, teaching is not merely presenting information. More in future columns. . . . Rabbi Dr. Glanz earned his Ed.D. degree in education from Teachers College, Columbia University. He taught for 15 years in elementary and middle school classrooms, served as a school administrator for five years, and has taught at the college/university levels for the past thirty years. Currently, he lives in Eretz Yisroel and serves as the Program Head for Michlalah-Jerusalem College's master’s degree in educational administration. He also teaches online for Yeshiva University’s Azrieli Gradaute School of Jewish Education and Administration. He hopes to stimulate dialogue and welcomes your comments. You can contact him at Teaching@bayismagazine.com For the author's latest book that was just published, see http://www.yourlivewebdemo.com/landingpages/ ENGAGE/index.html
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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: YOCHEVED NADELL
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he way we dress speaks volumes about who we are. Our clothes provide the first impression we give to the people around us. It is important for our girls to feel that the way they dress presents them in a way that makes them feel good about themselves. When a young girl is exploring her own style and looking to the world around her for inspiration to express herself in the way she dresses, she finds a lot of conflicting messages out there. While every girl wants to feel pretty when she gets dressed, there are so many messages that we encounter everyday about what pretty means. Some of us may be lucky enough to have had other women as inspiring positive role models, while the rest of us may have just been bombarded with negative messages about fashion and clothing through media, music, toys or peers. Yocheved Nadell, author and illustrator of Adina’s Designs Series, decided to take the task of teaching our young girls modest dress without preaching while still connecting to their youth. Where did you get the idea to create these amazing books? As a mother of two daughters I wanted to give my girls a healthy place to develop their own style and fashion sense. It became clear to me when I was looking for toys that reflected the values I was working so hard to give my girls about tznius dressing that there was very little available that met my requirements. I began creating what has turned into Adina’s Designs to address this void. I designed a series
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of creative workbooks designed to give girls a place to explore their creativity and explore their fashion sense within a wholesome and kosher framework. What kind of response did you get when you were trying to create them? The more I talked to people about the idea of a modest design sketchbook, the more it confirmed the need. People were so happy to give their girls a way to express and develop their creativity and break down some of the negative ideas about tznius. The series was designed without any mussar or talk of halacha, as the girls seem to turn away from that. Instead, the illustrations show styles that are completely within the halacha and deliver a message that empowers girls to see that dressing modestly can be really cool, full of color, personality, individuality and, most importantly, expressive of their own style. So, how did you get started? The first task was to figure out a formula for a product that girls could relate to. It had to be solidly grounded within the halachos of tznius, but it also had to challenge some of the negative misconceptions around tznius. I had heard of too many girls thinking that tznius meant passé, frumpy, and just not cool! The illustrations had to be really cool and stylish, so the girls could relate to them. I spoke to a lot of teenage girls until I started to get an idea of what that meant. My own teenage daughters were there throughout to make sure all the illustrations passed the coolness test.
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How do the books work? Each of the books has lots of different colorful illustrations meant to inspire the girls by giving them a glimpse of the unlimited potential within dressing modestly. They come with tutorials and tips – that are really easy to follow – and will teach drawing and design techniques which will help them create their own beautiful styles. What is the difference between your latest book and the earlier ones? My first books, Adina and Shira, both focus on everyday clothing and Rina, my latest book, is about dressier clothes and the hairstyles to match. Each features a mix of tutorials so the girls will get some design techniques as well as some drawing skills. That way, when the girls start creating their own designs, they already have a direction with which to explore the blank starter figures. What message do you want to leave our readers? My hope is that Adina’s Designs can give a fresh and positive perspective on what dressing modestly can look like and that it can be used as a tool to encourage creative expression. I also see my books as a way of opening up a dialogue between Jewish women and girls challenging negative ideas of tznius, reframing it into something we are really proud of and through which we can express ourselves.
You can see more of her work here, http:// www.adinasdesigns.com/
Los Angeles 323-351-5989 @Miriam_Pesso_Hair www.facebook.com/hairandwigsbymiriam Bayis |
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Where to Begin Tips to Help Jump-Start your Organizing Journey By Rebekah Saltzman
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I
f you find yourself looking around at the clutter and mess of your home, and it eats away at you because it just doesn’t seem like it is a task you can conquer, it is time to reframe your organizational journey and set new goals for yourself.
You may think that all you need to do is go out and buy some new bins or baskets and then you can throw the mess in there and it will all look better. However, going out to buy more stuff is not going to make you more organized. On your organizational journey don’t make being organized your goal. Your goal should be to reduce what you have and use up what you have, before you buy new things and clear up clutter. This will help you from getting back into the mess and make cleaning up in the future easier. There are two primary reasons that you have clutter: 1. You have too much stuff that you don't need, want, or use. 2. The things that you do need, want, and use have no designated places. Why don’t the useful things have designated spaces? Because the useless things you don’t want/need/use are taking up prime real estate in closets, cabinets, and drawers. This means that when you do try to put the essential, useful, necessary things into your closets, cabinets, and drawers there’s simply no room in there! The only way to fix the problem is to identify which items you don’t actually want, and that don’t fulfill a purpose. Get these unnecessary things out of your life: give them away, recycle them, or trash them. That way, you can make room in your life for the things that you love, value, and utilize.
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BONUS TIPS: How do I know what to get rid of? Toss anything t hat is not usef u l anymore. Items that have not been used in 6 months, anything that is expired, has changed colors, doesn’t fit, and anything that is broken, ripped or torn.
I know that this can be challenging, so here are some tips to help get you started on your journey.
Take everything out: Take every single item out of the area wipe down the area so you have a clean and fresh “canvas”.
Start slow and set aside time: Pick an easy area, perhaps a small place that can be done in under an hour, like the cabinet under the sink or the medicine closet. Pick a time of the day when you can dedicate at least an hour to manage the space and when no one will bother you. Don’t answer your phone, emails, or text messages. Turn on some music if it helps you block out all the extra noise.
Put back only things that are useful or important: As you pick up each item to put it back, make a quick choice, keep, toss, or donate. If you can’t make a quick choice, put it at the end of the line and go back to it. When you pick it up the second time, toss it, you didn’t put it into the keep pile right away, so you don’t really need it.
Be prepared: Make sure you have a trash can, recycling bin, and donate/sell bin on hand.
Arrange it nicely: It doesn’t need to look like a magazine photo, but as you put it back, arrange things so they look pleasing to you,
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How much time should I set aside? This depends on how motivated you are, and how quickly you make decisions. In general, most areas take a minimum of four hours but depending on the size of a closet or room, it could take up to eight hours. Basements often take 10-15 hours w ith t wo people. I suggest also getting a friend or an organizer to do all the areas with you, as it will speed things up because they will keep you on task and lend a hand. Do I need to buy baskets, bins, caddies, holders, boxes, bags, and sorters? You may need to buy some, but if you do this should be the last step of organization. First, sort all your things and see what you have, then you can make determinations about your space. For example, if you empty out
your closet and you have found that part of what you are having trouble finding a place for are your hats and scarves on your shelf, since you have no drawers, baskets are the best solution. Go around your house, you can probably find some lovely baskets to repurpose before you go out and buy more. Or if you have lots of loose items all related to nail care or first aid, I bet you could find the free makeup bag you got with a makeup purchase to corral all those items, before you go out to buy a bag. Papers: Papers are always coming into your home, so take a few minutes to go to https:// www.catalogchoice.org/ and unsubscribe from your paper junk mail. Scan whatever you can to reduce the actual footprint of paper in your house. Most documents you don’t need to keep as long as you think you do, so get shredding! Go digital, keep your to do list, contact and calendar on your phone or computer through google or evernote. Or invest in one planner that can keep you organized by week, and also leaves a place for you to write your lists and contacts.
this will help you keep it neat. I like to arrange things in order of height, but you could also arrange it by color, or type of item, like all first aid items on one shelf, all creams on the second, and all toothbrushes and toothpaste on the third. Ta k e pride in your accomplishments: I bet doing this small area was a challenge, but I also bet that you feel great looking at your clean area. Be proud of yourself.
I wish you luck on your organizational journey. It really is a journey, I am
always sorting my things to see how I can reduce and reorganize. The good news is that over time it gets quicker and easier to clean up and stay organized. Rebekah Chaifetz Saltzman holds a degree in fashion design from Parsons School of Design, and for many years worked as a graphic designer. Rebekah’s passion for the environment and helping people improve their lives drove her to change careers and create Balagan Be Gone. By helping her clients streamline everything from clothing to papers to books and household goods, they have found that they get the most out of their possessions and stress less about managing it all. Her experience in moving her own household several times, in combination with her organization planning and doing has led her to specialize in working with clients who are facing a move, whether upsizing or downsizing. She has found that her skills extend to helping others with time management, as well. Get in touch with Rebekah at rebekah@ balaganbegone.com in USA at 917.549.0910 or in Israel at 058.649.2346, to help select the perfect package for your needs.
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History of...
Crock-Pots
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Believe it or not the Crock-Pot was invented for cholent! In 1936, a Jewish man by the name of Irving Naxon created this slow cooking device to replicate the way his Lithuanian mother used to prepare cholent for Shabbos.
The original name for the Crock-Pot was Naxon Beanery, to indicate the main usage of his device; cooking bean cholent!
After Naxon sold his device to Rival Manufacturing they changed the name from Naxon Beanery to CrockPot. They also advertised to working mothers with the slogan “cooks all day while the cook’s away.” The Crock Pot sold by the millions after no longer be marketed for cholent (they don’t know what they’re missing.)
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What do a Kleenex and a Crock-Pot have in common? Both are brand names and refer to a tissue and a slow cooker. There are many different types of slow cookers, but the original company was the Crock Pot.
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If you are cooking raw kidney beans with your Crock-Pot then be sure to soak them over night or boil them for 10-30 minutes. Kidney beans contain a toxin called Phytohaemagglutinin and when slow cooked this toxin increases fivefold.
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The “crock” is the ceramic dish that acts as a heat reservoir.
In 2011, 83 percent of households in America had a slow cooker.
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The Pantry Saga By Rochie Shapiro
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G
rowing up, my house was always in perfect shape. Everything had its place and if it didn’t my mother would find one. Actually, almost everything…in my room I had a chair and to my mother’s dismay I piled that chair high with outfits from the week, papers, bags, you name it, I dumped it. The rest of my room was clean and neat only because my mother would tidy it when I wasn’t home. Suffice it to say, I didn’t get her neat and tidy gene. Fast forward a couple years later and I have my own house to tend after. I was totally lost without mommy picking up after me. Before I knew it my house was out of control. That’s when I started to do a little research on how to become a neat and organized person. I spent hours reading organizing blogs and learned all about labeling, creating a cleaning schedule, and lot’s more that overwhelmed me like none other. I became obsessed with it, I wanted my pantry to have that amazing “after” picture I kept seeing. And so I started where I needed it most, my kitchen pantry. Why is that my most important space to organize? It’s simple, I love to bake and cook, but it stops there. Cleaning up after or keeping my baking supplies neatly lined up are where I am majorly challenged. When you opened my pantry (at your own risk) you were met with boxes of cereal tumbling down onto your head, bags of opened
chips that were most likely stale, and grains of rice all over the shelf due to my talented clumsiness. See how I am writing in past tense, that’s because I did it! I successfully organized my kitchen pantry. I bought boxes and labels and even put up a paper on the inside of my pantry showing what is on each shelf and how much I have of each item. When anyone came over I would casually go into the pantry “just to grab something” and enjoy the ooh’s and aah’s when I revealed its super organized and tidy interior. Remember, I had to teach myself how to organize that space and keep it that way. It didn’t come naturally to me and that’s why at this moment, I do not show off my pantry when guests come. Keeping it up is quite the challenge. It’s not as bad as it originally was, but let’s just say I sneak in there to quickly get what I want (if I can find it) and close it fast. Every now and then I spend time reorganizing it and getting rid of that peanut butter jar with a tablespoon left that I am saving for a famine, but before I know it I am back to square one. I think I should start a group called “ROA,” Reoccurring Organizers Anonymous. That way I’ll at least know I’m not alone in this fight against my pantry. Us messy folk got to stick together, because we all know what it’s like when the Organizing Queen (aka my mother) walks into the kitchen to get the kids the cereal from the pantry…
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in the
Recipes and Photos By Rena Tuchinsky
Kitchen
EASY
CROCKPOT RECIPES Life is hectic, why patchke in the kitchen when you can spend that time relaxing on the couch (ya right, I know, I wish too!) This month’s recipes are dedicated to getting your family delicious meals with no time spent standing over the stove. That’s all thanks to the handy crockpot. It’s not only for your Shabbos cholent so don’t put it away just yet. Once you realize how easy it is to make complete meals in it, you’ll be keeping it on your counter all week long. Enjoy!
CROCKPOT SWEET POTATO CHICKPEA CURRY AND RICE This curry is incredibly flavorful. The sweetness from the sweet potatoes perfectly compliment the dish making a creamy pareve weeknight dinner. The technique of cooking the rice in the crockpot is gold. I can’t get over how perfect the rice turned out and it can be eaten separately for those picky eaters who don’t like when foods touch.
1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, diced 2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed 3 tablespoons yellow curry powder ½ tablespoon tomato paste 1 tablespoons minced or crushed garlic ½ teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 can coconut milk 1 cup water (or more coconut milk) ¼ plus ⅛ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon lime juice
Perfectly Cooked Crockpot Rice 1 slow cooker liner/bag 1½ cups jasmine rice 3 cups water 1 teaspoon salt
1. Add all the ingredients for the curry, except for the lime juice, into the crockpot and stir. 2. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. 3. After that time has passed, mix the rice, water, salt and oil into the cooker bag. 4. Tie the bag securely closed and place on top of the curry, being sure it does not touch the sides of the crockpot. 5. Cook on high for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until all the water in the bag has been absorbed and rice looks fluffy. 6. Remove the bag, add the lime juice into the curry and stir. 7. Open the bag carefully, and serve the rice topped with the curry. Enjoy!
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CROCKPOT HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN WITH POTATOES AND CARROTS Slow cooked chicken is the best. It falls right off the bone and is so juicy. Add in the potatoes and carrots and you are set. They take on lots of flavor as well making this dish one you are sure to add to your dinner rotation.
4 chicken bottoms, leg and thigh separated 3 large potatoes, cut into small cubes 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into slices on a diagonal ¼ teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon black pepper 3-4 cloves garlic, minced ½ cup honey ⅓ cup yellow mustard 1 teaspoon curry powder
1. Place the potatoes on one side of the crockpot and the carrots on the other. Then place the chicken pieces in the middle and on top of the vegetables. 2. Shake on the salt and pepper. 3. Mix together the garlic, honey, mustard, and curry powder and pour evenly over the chicken and vegetables. Use a spoon to mix the sauce through the vegetables a bit. 4. Turn the chicken pieces skin side down.* 5. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8-9 hours. It may still need to go on high for the last hour or so to be sure everything is really nice and soft. (I also like to remove the skin before serving.)
* Putting the chicken skin side down ensures that the chicken will get all the flavor instead of the bones. You may want to push everything down into the sauce during the last hour of cooking as some of the top bits may not be soft enough yet.
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CROCKPOT TURKEY CHILI WITH CORNBREAD I’m sure you know you can make chili in a crockpot, but did you know you can make cornbread too? You simply mix together the cornbread mixture (which is super simple to mix together already) and pour over the chili. It’ll cook right there in the crockpot. All you have to do is scoop and serve. I like using ground turkey here as it is a) healthier and b) does not require you to sauté and drain the fat, making it perfect to throw into the pot and walk away.
500 grams (1 lb) ground turkey 1 can black beans 1 can white beans ½ can corn or ¾ cups frozen corn 1 large can crushed tomatoes 1 tablespoon paprika 1½ teaspoons each of cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder ¼ teaspoon each of allspice, unsweetened cocoa powder, and chili powder 1 teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon black pepper ½ cup water
Cornbread Topping 1 cup flour, (white whole wheat works as well) 1 cup cornmeal 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil 1 cup soymilk 2 eggs 1. Spray the crockpot with some non-stick cooking spray. 2. Press the ground turkey into the bottom of the pot and shake on all the spices. 3. Top with the beans, corn, tomatoes, and water. Stir. 4. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 5 hours. 5. After that time has passed, uncover and mix breaking up the turkey into smaller pieces. 6. Mix together the cornbread topping and pour it evenly over the chili. 7. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour or until fully cooked through. 8. Scoop, serve and enjoy!
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Must-Have Kitchen
Gadgets
COPCO NON-SKID CABINET TURNTABLE
Have a deep kitchen pantry and have a hard time finding the items that are higher up? This turntable is perfect for that space. You can simply spin it around to access everything on that shelf. Click Here
3-TIER SPICE RACK
Though this would be great for spices, we like to use these for cans. With this stadium style “seating� for your cans, you can now easily see everything you have. No more forgetting about the ones hidden way at the back of your pantry. Click Here
STORAGE BASKETS
These baskets are very versatile. Use for toys, hair accessories like headbands, in a closet shelf for smaller items, and much more. Click Here
COSMETIC ORGANIZER TRAY
Lots of clutter on your bathroom counters? These trays still allow you to have the things you need out on your counter, but will make it look much more tidy and organized. They come with different amounts of compartments, for those of us who need many things out on the counter! Click Here
SHOWER CADDY
This is perfect if you need more room in your shower to place soap, shampoo, and bath toys. It does not require wall space and can be easily hung over the shower head or curtain rod. Click Here
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Tips for
Healthy Living
1
Being the Shabbos Guest on a Diet Dieting on Shabbos is hard enough in your own house, going to someone else’s house for the meal can cause even more problems. Therefore, say no to every invite you get. NO! Don’t do that. Say yes and follow these steps to make the meal enjoyable and stress free.
BRING SOMETHING Offer to bring a salad to the meal. That way you are sure there is at least one vegetable that isn’t in kugel form that you can eat plenty of to fill up.
2 SCHMOOZE C’mon us women do it best. We talk and talk and talk and have a hard time stopping. Instead of focusing on eating, focus on the company you are with and schmooze a bit (err-a lot!).
3 LIVE A LITTLE You don’t need to be perfect 100% of the time and no one ever is. Plus, it can actually be beneficial to your weight loss since your body may not be used to unhealthy foods and will get to work burning it off fast. Therefore pick one thing (or two) to “splurge” on. If you know your friend is the dessert queen, let the kugel or second slice of challah slide so you can enjoy the dessert later on.
And…if you say “L’kavod Shabbos,” it may mean the calories don’t even count! 30
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Eye on Health
Three Ways to Make the Placebo Effect Work for you.
T
he placebo effect is a target of ridicule but studies show it has become increasingly effective in recent years, particularly in the United States, where drugs for pain, depression, and anxiety sometimes barely outmatch placebos. Fortunately, researchers have decided to study how and why the placebo effect works. By embracing the mystery of the placebo effect, you can harness its powers to enhance your health protocol or better cope with your ailment. 1: Use belief to enhance placebo effect A person’s beliefs and expectations play a profound role in how their body will respond to something. When subjects are told their pain will drop before receiving a placebo, it does. Likewise, when they are told they will experience more pain, they do, even
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What is the placebo effect?
Researchers give one group of subjects a new drug or procedure and a different group a placebo (for example a pill without the drug), then compare the results. Neither group knows which treatment they received. In some studies, the placebo treatment works as well or even better than the real treatment.
though pain delivery was not increased. Scans during these experiments show brain activity corresponds with the expected outcome, even though neither pain relief nor increased pain was delivered. Scientists have also learned that positive expectations release endorphins and dopamine, the “reward” brain chemical. Endorphins dampen inflammation and both endorphins and dopamine help relieve pain. Spend some time every day reaffirming why you’re on your health journey and the positive things you expect to gain from it. Visualize feeling and functioning better.
2: Receive care and attention to enhance placebo Increased attention, concern, and care are also believed to be why the placebo effect has become much stronger in recent years. When people take part in these studies, they receive an increased level of interaction and care that positively impacts their health. Seek out supportive care and nurturing during your health journey. This can be from a practitioner you work with, through body work appointments, or in the company of a support group or class. Include plenty of in-person social time as it is better for you than online socializing.
Dr. David Tuchinsky
3: Develop a positivity and gratitude practice Negativity is stressful and inflammatory. Doctors report that patients who are angry, don’t believe their treatment will work, or who are not supported by their friends and family in their healing journey may not experience optimal results. However, the person who expects the best from their protocol, learns about their new diet and supplements, and enjoys working with their practitioner experiences less stress and inflammation and better results. Take some time each day to think positive thoughts about your health journey and what it involves. Keep a daily or weekly gratitude journal and make sure to note your progress. These tips really do help your health! Remember, it’s the placebo effect and not superstition Although we’ve all heard miracle healing stories, it’s best not to pin your hopes on one. The placebo effect alone is estimated to work between 18 to 80 percent of the time, which is a wide spread to bank on.
Chapter 10 Chava speaks to Tzippora again. She learns of a car crash and the possibilty that she was adopted. Feeling overwhelmed, she decides to join Evie on her trip to Europe.
I
t was the fifth phone call Chava had rejected in the last three hours. She hadn’t come home last night, as she and Evie had started driving north to Evie’s sister’s house, and this morning both of her parents had called multiple times. She had been rejecting each call with a feeling of guilt mixed with uneasy defiance. Eventually, Evie’s sister gave her a sideways glance as they sat at her table googling tourist sites in Rome. “You need to talk to them, Ava. You don’t want them to call the police.” She smiled. “And I don’t want police knocking at my door.” Ava sighed. She stared at her phone. She twirled it around a few times on the table top. Evie stopped her. “It’ll be okay,” she said. “Will it?” Chava said. “How do either of you know? When was the last time you found out you were adopted?” Evie drew back, and her sister cleared her throat. Chava stood abruptly and wrenched open Evie’s sister’s glass porch door. She closed the door again and stepped into the sunshine as she dialed her mother’s number.
finding chava By: Shira Katz
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“Chava Leah Borden, if you don’t tell me where you are this instant—” There was jostling and static and Chava suddenly heard her father’s voice. “Ava, where are you? What’s going on? This is crazy—” There was another switch. “It isn’t just crazy, Ava! It’s disrespectful, it’s rude, it’s inconsiderate—” “I’m sorry,” Chava said. “Sorry?” Chava had to
“I’ve seen a lot. A lot that you haven’t intended me to see or learn. And now it’s my turn to go on a journey.” hold the phone away from her ear. “You think sorry is good enough?” Chava’s father took the phone. “Chava, look. We’re not happy. We’re scared and upset. Please tell us where you are.” “I’m with Evie,” she said. She swallowed. Telling her parents she was upstate with Evie was different from saying that she had purchased a flight to Rome. “And when are you coming
home?” Her mother asked. “I’m—not.” There was silence. Then her mother started screeching, and Chava removed the phone from her ear. She rested her head against the wooden railing and closed her eyes. She could hear remote sounds coming from her phone. She finally pressed it to her ear once more. “Mom, Dad. This summer has been a long journey. I’ve learned a lot. I’ve seen a lot. A lot that you haven’t intended me to see or learn. And now it’s my turn to go on a journey.” “Ava, you don’t even know what you’re saying. It’s like you’ve been blundering around in the dark, thinking you’re seeing what isn’t there—” “Evie is going to Italy,” Chava said. “I’m going with her.” Her mot her s t a r te d laughing. “Don’t be ridiculous, Ava.” “I’m not being ridiculous. You made me get a job last summer. And now I’m using that money. I already bought a ticket.” “You can’t just leave.” “I can. I’m 18.” “Ava, for the love of—” “I’m not going to argue,” Chava said. “I’ll call you when we land. And I’ll call you when I can. When I get back to America, we can talk again.” Chava hung up and placed her phone on the wooden banister. She
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sat on the porch and looked out into the sun-lit woods behind Evie’s sister’s home. A few weeks ago, her sole goal was to learn as much about religious Judaism as possible. Now her plans were muddled. Now her identity was more muddled than it had ever been. And where had she gotten herself? What was different? She still couldn’t pronounce her own name. She still didn’t understand why her parents had dressed that way at their wedding. All she had gained was a crushing doubt that she had been adopted, and the knowledge that her story was even more confusing, even more hidden and twisted than she had ever imagined. When she had been sitting in that park, shocked with the knowledge that Esther Borden might be her mother, and that Esther Borden was dead, Italy had seemed like the only answer, the only way to be free. Now, Chava wasn’t so sure. She wasn’t sure of anything, except the dull ache of betrayal and sadness in her chest. She heard knocking, and she turned. Evie was standing
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beside the door, knocking from the inside. Chava appreciated the privacy. She stood and brushed herself off, and then pulled open the screen. “Everything okay?” Evie asked. Chava didn’t respond. “Are we getting pizza tonight or what?” She said. ••• At 4am the follow ing Tuesday morning, Evie’s sister drove Evie and Chava to the airport while Chava continued to check her bag for her passport, wallet, and phone every few minutes. Eventually Evie took her bag away from her. “It’s not going to walk away,” she said. Chava leaned her head against the seat back and feigned sleep. All week they had planned, shopped, and giggled about their upcoming trip, excited and looking forward to an amazing experience as best friends. But inside, Chava still felt incredible turmoil. And now, her stomach was roiling. She hadn’t spoken to her parents since that one phone call, and had not done any more research about Esther Borden
or her family, as Evie had tried to encourage her to do. If she was going to go to Italy, she just wanted to get on with it. She wanted to move on from all of this. Evie fell asleep quickly on the plane, despite promising to stay up with Chava and watch movies. Chava had never been good at sleeping on planes, and felt too restless to try. Was she really on a plane to a foreign country against her parents’ wishes? She was shocked she hadn’t been held back at the airport. When she was going through security she half expected someone to say, “excuse me Ms. Borden, but your parents called. You aren’t allowed on this flight.” But she had breezed right through security. Chava had always been the good girl. She had gotten straight As, gotten into Brown University. Her parents may have been distant people but they had always been a more or less happy family. When had she become a rebel? When you found the picture. That was clear—that day she had found the picture was the day she had begun
Rabbi Daniel Glanz
to investigate. But had she noticed anything sooner? She was wracking her brain, trying to remember any weird conversations she had overheard, any strange happenings in her household. But of course, there was nothing. On the surface, her parents were straight-laced, clean, normal people. On the inside, Chava couldn’t even begin to guess. On an impulse, Chava took out a notebook. On the top she wrote her parents names, Emily and Jonathan. Below that, she wrote a single line—Chava/Ava. Off to the side, she wrote Esther and Yaakov. She thought for a moment, tapping the pen against her lip, and then wrote another name next to her mother’s. Tzippora Stein. Chava drew a line from her name to her mother’s name, and then to Esther. Chava put her pen down and stared at her paper. She traced the line with her finger, thinking hard if she had forgotten anyone of importance. The clearest answer here was that Esther
and Yaakov had been her parents, possibly family relatives, as Evie had suggested based on sharing the last name Borden, and that Esther and Yaakov had died in a car crash, as Tzippora had said. Then, Emily and Jonathan must have adopted Chava. It made sense that if Tzippora and Esther had been friends, Tzippora may have kept in contact with Emily to see how her friend’s child was doing. And maybe Chava was given a Hebrew name because her own parents had been religious Jews, with names like Esther and Yaakov. The only piece of the puzzle that did not fit were the photos of her own parents, in religious wedding clothes. Chava drew a small black hat over her father’s name, and filled it in. Then she closed her notebook, shook her head, and closed her eyes. She had told herself she was going to Italy to move on. She turned her head to the side and tried to sleep. •••
Chava was only half-awake, but Evie was bursting with excitement. She gripped Chava’s arm with such force that Chava winced. “We’re finally here! I’ve been waiting so long for this.” They waited a good while to get off the plane, and then even longer to get their bags. When they passed through customs, Evie hopped into the first cab she saw. “Are you sure this is okay?” Chava whispered to Evie. “I got this,” Evie whispered back, and then began speaking to the cab driver in halted Italian. Chava pressed her face against the window as they passed out of the airport and into the lush Roman countryside. The city approached before them, sparkling, ancient, vast, and beautiful. Chava and Evie stepped out of their cab, and Evie grabbed all of their bags. They were standing on cobblestone. Evie pulled her sunglasses over her eyes. “Welcome to Roma, Ava.” to be continued...
When they landed in Rome,
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The Kosher Sofer
Israeli Prices Brought to America Special Deal for Bar Mitzvah Pair of Tefillin Tefillin AA $1000 Tefillin AAA $1500 Mezuzahs $60-$150 38
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Email for deals and pricing: TheKosherSofer@gmail.com Phone: 054-846-6036
Yaakov Grossman
IKEA
R
ecently I came home to a very e xcite d w i fe. “There is a sale in IKEA!” Okay, I think to myself, I can do this. “And it ends tonight, so I got us a babysitter so we can go!” Okay, I think to myself, I can do this. I mean how many people would wait for the last night of the sale when it was going on for two weeks? Lots. I bet in the IKEA in Sweden there’s probably four people in the store during the last few hours of the sale. But Baruch Hashem I live in the Land Of The Jews and there’s probably four people who didn’t wait for the last few hours to go to the store. I didn’t even know so many people lived in Israel. I thought the whole country was only the size of New Jersey? One thing I noticed about IKEA is that there are a lot of smiling women and many very nervous men clutching their wallets. Also, I noticed
that basically the men were standing on the side huddled together for support until one of them is called out by their wife to come help her make a decision. “Does this match our curtains?” “What, we have curtains?” I was wandering around getting pushed around by thousands of people until finally I stumbled into the living room area of IKEA. Lazy Boys! Just as I’m starting to sit down, “Excuse me sir, please no sitting on the chair.” But how am I gonna know if I want to buy it? Apparently my wife has the right to sit down and try out the chair, but not me. Too many men have accidently spent the night in IKEA “testing out” the Lazy Boy. I bet that doesn’t happen in Sweden either. But the worst thing about going to IKEA is somehow everyone finds out that you’re going to IKEA so you get bombarded with phone calls to please pick me up one thing. Well, one thing
times five-thousand is…. a lot. I didn’t even tell anyone I was going, is there a hidden camera in the store like the Kotel Hamaravi camera where people can see if you’re there? No one has ever called me when I was at the Kotel to put in one of those tefilla papers for them into the wall. Well I guess the IKEA sale is a little more important. Finally the store saved the day as an announcement came over the loud speaker, “The store is closing please finish shopping and make your way to the cashiers.” I bet this is what the Jews looked like when they were leaving Mitzrayim, thousands and thousands of people with no less than ten wagons a person. Except in Mitzrayim we didn’t have to pay. Which is a good thing because if we had to wait in line to pay we’d probably have been in Mitzrayim for another four-hundred years. I’m sure I’ll make it out of here one day, hopefully before the next sale starts. Bayis |
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FINALLY DONE ORGANIZING
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