Elegant Impressions May 2012 by Amy Oren

Iyar 5772 May 2012

Elegant Impressions

Volume I, Issue V

What’s Inside Entertaining

Designing A Bridal Shower Dessert Table 6 Pretty Pink Dessert Table 8 Ruffled & Romantic Dessert Table 10 Fresh & Bright Brunch/Dessert Table 12 Soft & Sweet Dessert Table 13 Engagement Party Dessert Table 14 King’s Highway Day Out Event 15

Food & Dessert

Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms 16 Artichoke Stuffed Baked Potato Bites 17 Leek & Sesame Bread Swirls 18 Challah Braiding 19 Rosemary Cheese Twists 20 Gougéres (French Cheese Puffs) 20 Mini Caprese Salads 21 Cashew Ice Cream Sandwiches 22 Dulce de Leche Mousse Cheesecake 24 Triple Chocolate Mousse Cakes 26 White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake 28 Cinnamon Buns 30 Cream Puffs 31

Features

Designing a Swanee Table 32 DIY Special Occasion Headband 35 Buying the Perfect Diamond 36 Designing with Color 38 The Professor’s Perspective 42 GPS! Navigation for Your Soul 44 Intuitive Eating 48 You Are What You Eat 48 Floral Inspiration 50

Read the magazine online at ElegantImpressions.com Contact info@elegantimpressions.com 917-830-4262 Editor In Chief Amy Oren Editor Jacob Mograby Contributing Writers Esther Ben-Hamu Julie Esses Avi Fishoff Layla Lax Jordan Leibniz Estreya Mograby Jacob Mograby Margalit Romano Rabbi Yaakov Shain Creative Design Amy Oren Photography Maggie Mograby Ad Sales Barbra Panigel Steven SorscherOne Stop Marketing Group Judith Tobal Betesh Published By Elegant Impressions All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form without prior written consent from the publisher is prohibited. Elegant Impressions Magazine assumes no responsibility for the content of articles or advertisements in the magazine. Elegant Impressions is not responsible for typographical errors. Readers should always verify kashrut status independently.

Dining out need not come with a compromise, neither to health nor to the budget. At the new Olive Café, special emphasis is placed on natural and organic foods. All foods served at the café are free from food chemicals, pesticides and hormones. Only the finest and freshest ingredients are used in preparing the wide range of dishes. Additionally, customers can enjoy a wide array of gluten free, sugar free, wheat free, and spelt dishes from which they can choose to meet their specific dietary needs. Whatever the requirements of your diet, the foods will be prepared for you specific needs. Guests can choose from a delicious selection of wraps, fish, pasta, sushi, salads and desserts as well fresh juices. Prices are reasonable and competitive in contrast to the ordinarily high cost of organic food in today’s market. The café has also opened a healing room featuring nutrition and health classes under the expert guidance of Nina Shapir, who holds a degree in natural healing for over 15 years. Nina is also on hand to answer nutrition related questions, help plan meals, and explain the special cooking methods when using healthful or allergy free substitute ingredients. Olive Café offers an attractive, spacious dining area, making breakfast, lunch or dinner out a most pleasant and comfortable experience. The charming décor of natural stone and slate add to the relaxed, yet elegant atmosphere. The room can comfortably accommodate 80-100 guests for semahot and parties with other additional space for strollers and other paraphernalia. Under the strict supervision of the Vaad Hakashruth of Flatbush and conveniently located at 2 Avenue I, Olive Café is also a great location for any event.

Designing A Bridal Shower Dessert Table Planning a beautiful bridal shower can be overwhelming, but with a little planning, and the use of creative props, you can create a spectacular dessert table! Choose your colors. Your dessert table should complement the color palette you have chosen for your event. Examples include bright citrus hues, pastels, or color combinations such as white and black. After choosing your color palette, choose a matching design theme for your dessert table. Examples include damask, cherry-blossoms, or something whimsical. Coordinate the items on your dessert table with your theme, incorporating the theme into your cookies, your cake design, your background and so on. Once you decide on a theme or color scheme for your event, create a backdrop for your display. A backdrop will draw guests’ attention to the table and ensure it’s the focal point of the room or space where you’re entertaining. Backgrounds can be created using painted canvas, wallpaper, fabric or any other material. Including a three dimensional element brings the scene to life. An easy way to set up the backdrop is by attaching it to a foam core board and placing it on the table, leaning it against the wall. Choose your plates and platters wisely. Use dishes that match the look you’re going for. For a modern look, pick vessels with clean edges. For a more romantic themed table, pick vessels that have scallops or ruffled edges. If planning on creating various dessert tables for future events, purchase white cake

stands, platters and plates. White is versatile and can be dressed up for any event. Get two of each item so that you can easily create symmetry on the table. Once you have the basics, add some fun pieces to your collection in various styles and colors. Determine the layout for your dessert table. Draw a sketch of the table and focus on the positioning of dishes and decorative pieces. Symmetrical tables look more sleek and modern, while asymmetrical tables can be more whimsical. If you’re going for symmetry, start by deciding on a centerpiece, like a cake set up high on a ruffled tiered cake stand, and then build out from there, creating balance with serving dishes and your desserts. A beautiful flower arrangement also makes for a stunning focal point. Choosing an asymmetrical look allows you to be a bit more free and creative since you don’t have to be so precise. It also lets you create a focal point on either side, and bring in eclectic decor to add to the overall look. Nothing ‘matches’ but everything ties in together through color and style. When setting up your platters, position them strategically, arranging them in a variety of tiers and depths. Use vases, photo frames, apothecary jars, wrapped gift boxes, cake and cupcake stands and other clever tools to introduce height into your table. Begin from the center and work outward, or begin from the two ends and work inward. From there you can add varying rows and levels to fill in the blank space.

Designer: Jenna Marfori Lang of Eat Drink Pretty (eatdrinkpretty.com) Photography: Sewell Photography Florist: Just Bloomed Calligraphy, placecards, toppers & drink straws: Lovely Scribbles Linens: Apres Party Rental Edible icing decals: Hello Frosting Cake: Sweets Bakeshop

Pretty Pink Dessert Table

Ruffled and Romantic Dessert Table

Fresh & Bright Brunch & Dessert Table

Soft & Sweet Dessert Table

Elegant Engagement Dessert Table

Table Design by Freda Mograby

Kings Highway Day Out By Gladys Haddad Table and Top... “Lights! Cameras! Action! Shoppers all over Brooklyn are anticipating the Spring 2012 “Kings Highway Day Out” event! In November, eleven top of the line stores of Kings Highway’s East 2nd and 3rd Streets worked in unison to host a spectacular red carpet event. How does such an event come to fruition? The stores came together to think of ideas of how to show their customers how much they value and appreciate their support. Kings Highway Night Out was born. The stores offered their BEST products at never heard of before discounted prices! Customers were showered with gifts, food, ambiance, and a “feel good” night. Pedestrians were serenaded by soothing melodies of a professional saxophone player. They were drawn to the avenue by exciting lighting produced and arranged by DJ Ricky Esses. Though it may have been a Tuesday evening, at Kings Highway Glatt Butcher, it’s never too soon to think about your Shabbat meal (especially at 20% off!). After purchasing meat, guests then strolled into Sol’s Houseware & Hardware for their promotions on roasters and Pyrexes. The whole store was on sale! Wow! So we have the meats, the pots, now for the “table”. What? Pedestrian traffic had to take a second glance, as they thought they were in Manhattan. Table and Top… featured brand new, high quality dining room tables and coffee tables at 20% off! Many quickly phoned their designers to come look at the fabulous marbles and stones displayed like jewelry and fine art.

Bright Eyes, and gear up for cruiseware. The Showroom and California Sunshine provided the latest styles and trunk shows. Vanilla Sky (if you could have made your way through the crowd) was selling popular denims and contemporary lady’s clothing, all for 2050% off. Brides and their invited guests took advantage of the exquisite gowns and dresses at Marion’s. Live models strolled up and down the red carpet modeling gowns, hairpieces, and unique accessories. (We were amazed by the fabulous handbag giveaways!) Brides also spent time at Lavender Lace, where they slid into the most comfortable loungeware and were treated like royalty. It was also a great opportunity to stock up on birthday gifts. Norma’s Kid’s Biz displayed the cutest toys and even fine jewelry. At 10% off and free delivery, how could you go wrong?! Just when shoppers thought they had seen it all, guests were literally welcomed by Addy and Co. for a sebbet style dinner. Their elegant store sparkled with the finest of crystals to the most luxurious dinnerware. Platters and the finest home décor were at 20% off! The streets were saturated with happy customers and retailers. We’re excited to do it all over again this June! Join Kings Glatt, Norma’s Kid’s Biz, Sol’s Hardware, Addy and Co., California Sunshine, Vanilla Sky, Bright Eyes, Lavender Lace, Paula Dweck Jewelry, Table and Top.., Marion’s, and Shelly Anteby for a fun day out on June 6th!

Speaking of art, Eddie Cohen’s beautiful art was displayed and customers took advantage of the one of a kind portraits. The warm, comfortable climate (thank you, Hashem!) put everyone in the mood to purchase designer eyeware from

Recipes

Recipe Fine Cooking Image Tracey Wilhelmsen

Portabello Mushrooms with Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Filling 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon) 4-6 medium portabello mushrooms, stemmed, gills removed 4 oz. cream cheese, softened 3 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

9-10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 9 oz. frozen artichokes, thawed, lightly squeezed dry, and chopped 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs 1/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat oven to 450 째 F. Stir 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and about two-thirds of the minced garlic together in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to brush the garlic oil on the inside of the mushrooms then season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer the mushrooms, bottoms-up, to a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for about 10 minutes, or until tender. Meanwhile, stir the cream cheese, mayonnaise and 1/2 teaspoon of the thyme together in a medium bowl until well incorporated. Add the spinach and artichokes, stirring to combine, then season to taste with salt and pepper. To make the topping, combine the remaining garlic, remaining tablespoon of oil, remaining 1 teaspoon thyme, panko and cheese in a medium bowl. Fill the mushrooms with the spinach-artichoke mixture then top with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the filling is hot, and the breadcrumbs are golden and crisp. Makes 4-6 stuffed mushrooms

Artichoke Stuffed Baked Potato Bites 16 small potatoes (1-1/2 to 2 inch diameter) 1 tablespoon olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped ½ cup light sour cream ¼ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons finely shredded lemon peel 2 cloves garlic, minced Dash crushed red pepper flakes ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Recipe & Photography Georgia Johnson thecomfortofcooking.com

Cut off the top one-third of each potato, and a thin slice off the bottom of each potato so it will sit level. (Discard potato trimmings, or cook and use to make potato salad or mashed potatoes.) Using a melon baller, hollow out the potatoes, leaving small empty shells. Lightly coat potatoes all over with oil and sprinkle in some salt and pepper. Place in a shallow baking pan and set aside. For filling, in a medium bowl combine the artichoke hearts, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, lemon peel, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the filling into each potato shell. Bake in a 450° F. oven about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and filling is golden brown. Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the potatoes. Makes about 16 appetizers.

Recipes

Leek & Toasted Sesame Bread Swirls

Recipe & Photography Borislava Kostova

2 tsp active dry yeast 2 tsp kosher salt 2 tsp sugar 2 cups all purpose flour 4 tbsp butter, chilled 1 large egg plus 1 yolk

2 1/2 cups finely chopped leeks (You can substitute the leeks with scallions if you prefer.) 3/4 cup sesame seeds 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, to taste 3 tbsp olive oil plus more for brushing

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon pads. Dissolve yeast into a small bowl with 1/2 cup warm water, adding 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of sugar. Let it stand for about 10 minutes, until the mixture bubbles. Sift the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer (with dough hook attached). Add the remaining 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of sugar. Grate the well chilled butter over the flour and rub it with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat in egg and egg yolk until dough is soft and smooth, about 5 minutes (be careful not to over-knead it). The dough will still seem a bit soft. Form the dough into a ball and transfer to a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about an hour and half. Meanwhile, chop the leeks finely. Transfer the leeks into a medium bowl and stir in toasted sesame seeds, the black pepper and 3 tbsp oil and set aside. Preheat over to 350째. On a well floured surface, roll dough into a 14 x 12 inch rectangle. Spoon the leek mixture over it and spread evenly to the corners of dough. Working from short edge of rectangle, roll dough into a cylinder. Slice roll into 3/4 inch thick dough swirls and transfer them to prepared baking sheet. Brush lightly with oil and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Makes 12-15 rolls.

Challah Braiding

By Estreya Mograby Photography Sofia Saka

This style of challah braiding uses a technique more like shaping a danish than the traditional rope braiding method. Variations: Fill the center of the challah with a savory filling such as caramelized onions or olive tapenade. For a sweet pastry, fill with fruit or chocolate. To order delicious and beautiful challot for Shabbat or special occasions, call Estreya 917-838-5109. Many styles and shapes available!

Rosemary Cheese Twists 2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 cup of grated white cheddar cheese 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary 1 teaspoon kosher salt freshly ground black pepper to taste

Recipes

Recipe Tessa Arias Image Gloria Feldman

Gougères

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. 2. Roll out each puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface into a 10 x 12 inch size. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush onto the surface of the pastry. 3. In a small bowl combine cheeses, rosemary, salt, and a pinch of pepper. Sprinkle mixture evenly over pastry sheets. Gently press mixture into sheets. Slice sheets into thin strips using a pizza wheel or floured knife. Twist each strip and lay on prepared baking sheets. 4. Bake 10-15 minutes, until browned and puffed. Turn each straw and bake for another 2 minutes. Cool and serve at room temperature.

- French Cheese Puffs

Recipe & Photography Sydney Kramer 1/2 cup whole milk 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup all-purpose flour 5 large eggs, room temperature 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat your oven to 425°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 2. Add the milk, water, butter, and salt to a medium sized pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add in the flour, turn the heat down to medium-low, and stir quickly with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together into a smooth ball – this will happen very fast, so keep stirring! 3. Place the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer and add in the eggs, one at a time, beating in each egg until it is fully incorporated. Don’t worry about it when the dough looks like it is separating and breaking – it will come back together after you have finished adding in each egg. Stir in the grated cheese with a wooden spoon until well incorporated. 4. Drop 1 tablespoon sized balls of dough onto each baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Place them in the oven and turn the temperature down to 375°. Bake for 12 minutes, rotate the pans, and bake again for another 12-13 minutes, until the gougères are lightly golden and nicely puffed up. Serve warm or room temperature. These will keep well in an airtight container for up to 48 hours. Yield: about 32 small gougères

Mini Caprese Salads

Recipe & Photography Ann McElfresh

8 oz. mozzarella pearls (small mozzarella rounds) 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half 4 oz. small black olives, cut in half 1 scallion, finely chopped 1 large garlic clove, minced 2 large basil leaves, cut chiffonade, plus some small whole leaves for garnish 1/2 tsp salt 2 tbsp cider vinegar 3 tbsp olive oil Mix the mozzarella pearls, tomatoes and olives in a large bowl, set aside. In another smaller bowl, add the scallions, garlic, chopped basil, salt and vinegar, mix together. Add the olive oil and whisk together till well combined. Add to the tomato mozzarella mixture and toss. This can be served immediately or marinated for up to 24 hours. Serve in mini tasting glasses garnished with whole basil leaves.

Cookbook: Kosher Elegance

We all appreciate a delicious, beautifully served meal. But what do we do when faced with a special occasion that calls for something unique? We often hesitate to attempt the extraordinary, assuming that the art of exquisite presentation is beyond us. In Kosher Elegance, Efrat Libfroind dispels that notion. Efrat, a highly acclaimed pastry chef, presents her finest recipes, sharing trade secrets that will help you transform any dish into a work of art. Flip through the pages of this sensational cookbook and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll encounter an incredible variety of stunning dishes. Made from simple, classic ingredients, these recipes will revolutionize your dinner presentations and upgrade any meal you host into something you can truly be proud of. Not halfway. Not partly. Perfectly. Efrat Libfroind, highly acclaimed pastry chef and graduate of elite international cooking schools, is a sought-after lecturer in Israel and abroad whose recipes appear regularly in magazines. She speaks on a wide range of culinary themes, from food technology to gourmet cuisine. Her creations are renowned for their intricate, awardwinning designs.

Cashew Ice Cream Sandwiches By Efrat Libfroind Kosher Elegance Makes about 25 sandwiches The cashew ice cream in this recipe is superb, but even so, I sometimes like to serve it with an interesting variation on a theme. Here I made ice cream sandwiches, but you can always use the ice cream recipe alone.

Cashew Ice Cream: ½ cup raw cane sugar or white sugar ¼ cup coffee creamer/soy milk/milk 4 tablespoons corn syrup 5 eggs, separated 3 tbsp sugar 2 8-ounce container RichWhip or dairy whip 1 cup unsalted cashews, toasted and chopped Sandwich Dough: 4 oz. confectioner’s sugar 2 sticks margarine or butter 3 cups flour 2 tbsp cocoa 1 large egg 1/4 cup chopped almonds to sprinkle Ice Cream: Cook ½ cup sugar with coffee creamer and corn syrup and stir until combined. Cool slightly and add egg yolks while stirring vigorously. Beat egg whites with 3 tablespoons sugar until stiff. In a separate bowl, whip the whipped cream. Combine all three mixtures and add cashews. Pour the mixture into a container and make sure the ice cream is approximately 1- 1 ½ inch high. Freeze for 12 hours. Dough: Soften margarine for 20 seconds in microwave. Place in mixer and add all the ingredients besides the almonds. Make a soft dough and refrigerate for 2 hours. On floured surface, roll dough very thin and cut to circles with a round cookie cutter (approximately. 2-3 inches) Put circles on a tray lined with baking paper, sprinkle with almonds and bake for approximately 15 minutes on 350°. Cool. Assembly: Cut the frozen ice cream with the same round cookie cutter that was used for dough. Make a sandwich with 2 chilled cookies. 23

Cookbook: Kosher Elegance

Dulce de Leche Mousse Cheesecake By Efrat Libfroind Kosher Elegance Makes 16 individual sized desserts or 1 cake

For the cheesecake mousse: 1 8 oz. container of heavy cream 1 cup sugar 3 8 oz. containers Tnuva 5% creamy soft cheese ¼ cup sugar 1 8 oz. container sour cream ½ cup dulce de leche 15 grams gelatin prepared according to package directions Topping: ¼ cup chocolate syrup Fresh fruit Whip the heavy cream with the sugar until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. With the mixer on low speed, fold the cheese batter into the whipped cream. Pour the batter into individual silicone molds or a 9” square tray. Freeze the cake for 5 hours. For a presentation as in the picture, cut the cheesecake into 16 squares, each 2 ¼ inches. Use a melon baller to scoop out 4 hollows. Fill them with chocolate syrup and fruit. Alternatively, you can prepare the cake in a round cake pan and after freezing it, spread ¼ cup melted dulce de leche on top. 25

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cakes Makes 8 cakes

Dark Chocolate Cake Unsalted butter, softened, to grease Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup superfine sugar 1 large egg, room temperature 1/4 cup whole milk 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/4 cup water 8 9-cm (3½-inch/6-ounce) ramekins

Recipe & Photography Grace Langlois

Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse and Milk Chocolate Mousse 3 1/3 cups heavy cream, 35%, divided 8 large egg yolks, room temperature, divided 1/2 cup superfine sugar, divided 1/4 cup light corn syrup, divided 1/4 cup water, divided 7 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, melted 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided Pinch of salt 7 ounces milk chocolate, melted Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse Milk Chocolate Mousse 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, curls, to garnish

Dark Chocolate Cake Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper. Place ramekins on the lined baking sheet. Using a small pastry brush, coat the bottom and sides of each ramekin with unsalted butter; dust liberally with unsweetened cocoa powder, set-aside. Using a fine mesh sieve, sift the flour, Dutch-process cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt into the bowl of electric stand mixer. Add the sugar; using a whisk, whisk together to well combine. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the egg, milk, oil, vanilla, and water; mix on medium-low speed until combined, about 3 minutes. Divide batter evenly among prepared ramekins. Return ramekins to lined baking sheet, spacing one-inch apart. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the centre of the cakes comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Unmold cakes. Using a serrated knife, carefully trim each cake to 1 inch high. Transfer to paper lined baking sheet, cut side down. Cut eight 10¾-inch-by-4-inch strips of non-stick baking paper. Wrap a paper collar around the base of each cake, keeping the bottom flush with baking sheet. Secure each collar with tape, set-aside. Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse and Milk Chocolate Mousse In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat 1 2/3 cups heavy cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 3½ minutes. Transfer to an airtight container; refrigerate for 1 hour. Place 4 egg yolks into the clean bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on high speed until pale and frothy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan, over high heat, bring ¼ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons corn syrup and 2 tablespoons water to a rolling boil. Cook until clear, large bubbles form, about 1 minute. Reduce mixer speed to medium-low. Carefully and gradually pour hot syrup down side of bowl. Raise speed to medium-high; mix until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from mixer; add the melted bittersweet chocolate, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Using a large flexible rubber spatula, stir to well combine. Remove the whipped cream from the refrigerator and place into a large-sized bowl. Add one-third of the bittersweet-chocolate mixture to the whipped cream; whisk until well combined. Add remaining bittersweet-chocolate mixture, whisking until well combined. Press the mixture through a large fine mesh sieve into a large bowl; discard any solids. Transfer bittersweet chocolate mousse to a large pastry bag fitted with a large, plain round tip. Repeat entire recipe, substituting milk chocolate for the bittersweet. Transfer milk chocolate mousse to a large pastry bag fitted with a large, plain round tip (If mousse is thin, do not transfer to pastry bag, use an ice cream scoop to spoon into paper collar – don’t worry it will set in the refrigerator. You can also put the cakes in the freezer to give them a good set then remove collars and place in the refrigerator). Assembling Triple-Chocolate Mousse Cakes Pipe a 1 inch layer of bittersweet chocolate mousse into each paper collar. Refrigerate until the mousse is set, about 20 minutes. Pipe a 1 inch layer of milk chocolate mousse on top of the layer of bittersweet chocolate mousse (if mousse is thin, do not transfer to pastry bag, use an ice cream scoop to spoon into paper collar – don’t worry it will set in the refrigerator). Refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to overnight. Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse Microwave semisweet chocolate until slightly warm but not melted, about 30 seconds. Using a vegetable peeler, scrape edge of chocolate at a 45-degree angle, forming curls. Refrigerate the curls until ready to serve cakes. To serve; Remove paper collars. Garnish with chocolate curls. Enjoy!

Recipes

You can create this beautiful heart swirl design by piping drops of the raspberry sauce using a clean medicine syringe (preferably 2 tsp size) and gently connecting the dots with a toothpick or a sharp pointy knife.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake 1 store-bought chocolate cookie crust (save the lid) 1 Tbsp granulated sugar 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch 1/3 cup cold water 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries 12 oz. cream cheese (1 1/2 package), softened 1/3 cup granulated sugar

Recipe & Photography 1 egg Jaclyn Bell 1 egg white 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice 6 oz. white chocolate, chopped or 1 cup white chocolate chips 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 325°. In a small saucepan, whisk together 1 Tbsp granulated sugar and cornstarch until well blended. Stir in cold water and add raspberries. Cook over medium heat whisking often, until raspberries break down and sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and force sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to remove seeds, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese and granulated sugar until fluffy, about 1 minute. Mix in egg and egg white. Add vanilla and lemon juice. Set mixture aside. Melt white chocolate with cream in a double boiler until melted and smooth, or melt in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave on 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth. Add melted chocolate mixture to cream cheese mixture and blend until smooth. Pour 2/3 cup cheesecake mixture into the chocolate crust and spread evenly over bottom. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp raspberry sauce. Slowly ladle remaining cheesecake mixture over the drizzled raspberry sauce, covering all the raspberry sauce (make sure the sauce doesn’t show). Swirl cheesecake with a toothpick or knife, being careful not to let any of the sauce come to the top. Carefully jiggle the pan to even out the top. Fill a clean medicine syringe with raspberry sauce and begin to pipe small circles in a swirl pattern over cheesecake. Take a toothpick or sharp pointy knife and beginning with the center circle, run the toothpick through the center of each heart. Don’t lift the toothpick out until you finish the last circle. Bake cheesecake for 40 minutes, then turn oven off and leave cheesecake in the oven for 5 more minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Cover with saved lid and refrigerate until fully set about 6 hours. Top slices with remaining raspberry sauce and optional sweetened whipped cream.

Sephardic community center invites you to

Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day Walk-a-Thon Sunday, may 13 at 9:00 am at the Coney

Island Boardwalk

alSo, join uS at 8:45 am for vinyaSa yoga on the beach with diana treglia Free shuttle buses leaving from the SCC â&#x20AC;˘ Light breakfast will be served To sign-up, contact Frieda Tawil at Frieda@sCClive.org or 718-954-3146.

Recipes

Cinnamon Buns Dough: 1 cup warm milk 2 eggs, room temperature 1/3 cup butter, melted 4 1/2 cups bread flour or regular flour (bread flour makes for a lighter cinnamon roll) 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup white sugar 1 package yeast (1/4 ounce)

Recipe & Photography Christy Denney

Filling: 1 cup brown sugar, packed 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 1/3 cup butter, softened

Icing: 3 oz. cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter, softened 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon salt

Microwave milk for 45-60 seconds. Dissolve yeast in warm milk in a large bowl. Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour. Mix well. Knead dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour. Put in a bowl sprayed with cooking spray and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size. In a small bowl, thoroughly combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Spray surface with cooking spray or sprinkle flour on it. Roll dough into a 16 x 21 inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Spread dough with 1/3 cup softened butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough starting with the longer side and cut into 12 rolls (or more smaller rolls). Place rolls in a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. At this point you can put them in the refrigerator for the next morning if you are doing them the night before. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake rolls until golden brown, about 18-20 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on while they are still warm so that the frosting melts into the roll.

Cream Puffs By Sheila Vans Pastry Shells: 1 cup water 1 stick butter 1 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 eggs Filling: 6 tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 4 egg yolks 2 cups whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon vanilla Frosting: 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar 2 tablespoon softened butter 1/4 teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon black coffee 3-4 tablespoons whole milk Pre-heat the oven to 400° F. and place an oven rack at the center of the oven. Prepare the shells: In a medium size saucepan (about 2 quarts), bring water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium – a slow, rolling boil – and add the butter. Stir the butter with a wooden spoon until melted. Add the flour and salt and stir until a soft dough ball forms that pulls away from the spoon and pan. Remove the pan from the heat. Using an electric hand mixer on medium speed, slowly add the eggs, one at a time. Be sure to mix in each egg completely before adding the next. Be sure that the mixer is on and in the dough before adding the eggs, or they will cook when they hit the hot dough. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lightly greased with butter or onto a parchment paperlined cookie sheet. To make eclairs, use a piping bag to pipe out 4-5 inch lengths of dough onto the cookie sheet instead of rounded tablespoonfuls. Bake for 15 minutes at 400°F., then reduce the temperature to 350°F. and bake for 30 minutes longer. When the shells are done, turn the oven off and crack the oven door. Leave the shells in the oven until they are cool; this will dry them out completely. Next, make the filling: Using a double boiler, bring water to boil in the base. While the water is coming to a boil, add the cornstarch, sugar and salt to the top pan and set aside. Place the egg yolks in a bowl and use a spoon to hit each yolk on top once to break them; set aside. Measure the milk and cream into another bowl and combine and set aside. When the water is boiling in the bottom of the double-boiler, reduce the heat to medium and put the top pan in place. Using a sieve, hold it over the boiler and add the egg yolks to the sieve. Pour the milk-cream mixture over the eggs; use a spoon to get all the egg-cream mixture through the sieve. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens to the consistency of pudding. After the mixture thickens, add the butter and stir until combined. Remove the filling from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the filling into a bowl and immediately cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to cool. Next, make the glaze: In a medium size mixing bowl with an electric mixer on low, combine the cocoa powder, confectioners’ sugar, butter, vanilla and coffee. Add in the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, to your desired consistency. Use less if you want frosting consistency, or more if you want a thinner glaze topping. To assemble the puffs, cut the top off a puff, use a piping bag to fill it with cream, replace its top and frost it.

Designing a Swanee Table By Julie Esses When it comes to decorating swanee tables, it can be stressful and overwhelming. It is also an opportunity to express your creativity and have fun. Here are some useful tips to creating a gorgeous swanee table. Focal Point: When it comes to design, whether it be for a storefront, restaurant, home, etc...there is always a focal point. A focal point is something that draws the eye in first, before it notices the finer details. Your focal point should be the most interesting object on the table, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wow Factorâ&#x20AC;?.

Texture: Don’t be afraid to mix and match. Having two or more various textures and fabrics are key to keeping your table fresh and exciting. For instance, in the top-left table, burlap is juxtaposed with patent leather to create an intriguing effect. Contrast in Color: In my opinion, color is always better. Using rich or vibrant colors is what makes a table stand out. If you prefer neutral colors, use contrast so that your table does not come out looking monotonous. For example, alternate shades of one color in your display or try to include an accent color. Consistency: Don’t limit your imaginative ideas, but be sure to have a cohesive story. Accessorize: Candles, crystals, and other props can enhance any table, but careful not to clutter! Nature: A hint of nature keeps design alive. Fresh flowers are commonly used, but think outside the box: river rocks, flower stems, birch wood, bamboo pipes...even raw asparagus! Most importantly, it is your personal touch that makes it unique. Everybody has their own flare, so use it, be yourself, and have fun!

A swanee is the Sephardic custom of the groom’s family presenting the bride with gifts and vice versa.

Julie Esses is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology. She specializes in Swanee decorating and gift wrapping. Other interests include scrapboooking and home decorating. 917 699 9755

Swanee Table Above Designed by Rivka Dayan Photography Vicki Ades

Swanee Table Below Designed by Freda Mograby Photography Vicki Ades

Formal Occasion Headband Materials: 14 inches of 3-4 inch wide ribbon Netting AppliquĂŠ Sewing needle

Tutorial Margalit Romano Photography Maggie Mograby

Thread (transparent recommended) Fabric scissors Lighter Thin headband Fabric glue

Directions: 1. Quickly run lighter across cut edges of ribbon to prevent fraying. 2. Hold the top corner of the ribbon pull the thread through and make a double knot. 3. Weave the needle and thread through the entire length of the ribbon (see picture) and pull tight so that the ruffled circle forms. 4. Holding the finished edge tightly, knot the end. 5. Adjust the ruffled circle so that it is evenly spaced, then hold the two edges together and hand sew them together. 6. Using fabric glue, attach the netting and appliquĂŠ in the center. 7. Attach headpiece to the headband with fabric glue. Hold tight for a few minutes and then allow to dry completely. Note: Ribbon width determines the circumference of your headpiece. For a smaller headpiece try a 2 inch wide ribbon. You can use this technique to make bows and headbands or to add a little something to throw pillows, table runners, or your favorite outfit! Margalit of Swirly Curls Art, uses nontraditional techniques and materials. She teaches art classes for kids, and writes a blog dedicated to DIY. 917-207-7649 swirlyculrs.blogspot.com

Buying the Perfect Diamond By Jacob Mograby For most people, buying a diamond is a new experience, but that doesn’t mean it should be overwhelming. Understanding a diamond’s quality characteristics can be straight forward and simple. You’ll know everything you need to know to find your perfect diamond.

The Four C’s: Carat, Color, Clarity, Cut Carat The Carat is the basic unit of weight for gemstones. One carat is .20 grams. All else being equal, diamond price increases with carat weight, because larger diamonds are more rare and more desirable. But two diamonds of equal carat weight can have very different prices depending on the other three factors (Color, Clarity, Cut)

Color

The diamond color

grading scale is used for yellow, brown and grey diamonds. The scale starts at D (colorless) which is the most valuable, and goes all the way down to Z. After Z, diamonds have enough color to be called fancy causing the price to go up again. Other colors like blue and pink are also known as fancy, these can be even rarer than colorless diamonds and are very valuable.

Internally Flawless (IF): These diamonds contain only the most minor of imperfections that are confined to the surface and very hard to find for a trained Gemologist using 10x magnification. Very Very Slightly Included 1 and 2 (VVS1-2): These diamonds are also very high quality and the inclusions are restricted to very minor flaws that are also hard to see at 10x magnification. Very Slightly Included 1 and 2 (VS1-2): These are slightly less expensive than the above grades but the inclusions are not typically visible to the unaided eye but are visible to a skilled grader at 10x magnification. Slightly Included 1 and 2 (SI1-2): These inclusions are usually easy for a grader to spot at magnification and are possibly visible to the naked eye. Imperfect 1 through 3(I1, I2 and I3): These grades are the lowest end of the spectrum; avoid them for large stones where they will be very noticeable. They range from very eye visible flaws to the kinds of inclusions that make setting a diamond risky.

Typical black crystal inclusion.

Cut

Clarity Clarity refers to the flaws that almost all natural diamonds have. Some inclusions are fairly minor like pinpoints (small crystals inside the stone) while others can be more serious like chips or fractures that can threaten the durability of a diamond. Clarity grading starts at Flawless and goes down from there.

The Cut grade is one of the most important things to consider when buying a diamond. You want your jewelry to flash and sparkle with the brilliance that diamonds are known and prized for. For example, if it’s cut too deep, light won’t bounce back to your eye at the right angle and it will look dark. Conversely if it’s a shallow cut, then the light will leak out through the bottom and it won’t have that special diamond sparkle. All the angles that make a diamond look the way it does are considered when evaluating cut, that’s why you should buy a stone certified by a laboratory that offers a cut grade, they have special machines that verify the cut. Most labs use Ideal, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor to differentiate the grades.

Shape There are many beautiful diamond shapes available, from square to heart and everything in between. In addition to being the most popular, a round diamond will typically give you more flexibility in terms of balancing cut, color, and clarity grades while still getting the fire and brilliance you want. They command higher prices than fancy shapes due to higher manufacturing costs and higher demand. Fancy shaped diamonds include all diamonds other than round. Choosing a fancy shaped diamond can save you a substantial amountup to 40% versus a round diamond of similar size and quality. Depending on the shape selected, many fancies such as marquise, oval and pear shape are elongated shapes and appear larger than a round. Nearly one-third of all engagement rings today are created with a fancy shaped diamond, the most popular shapes being princess-cut, cushion-cut, and radiant-cut. Always buy diamonds certified by a laboratory; you will always know what you are paying for and they are insurable under many homeowners insurance policies. Stick with large reputable labs like GIA, IGI, HRD and EGL, they have trained Gemologists with years of experience evaluating things like color, clarity and cut. You should never rely only on the opinion of a salesperson. When you are buying a stone you need to factor in all 4 C’s: you are basically looking for the sweet spot where your price point is satisfied by all of them. For example, you wouldn’t buy a center stone for your engagement ring with an Excellent cut grade that’s a D color as well as Flawless if it was only .60 carats. A more realistic expectation would be a 1.20 carat H-VS1 with a Very Good cut grade that would cost less.

Treatments The important thing to know about treatments is that most of them don’t actually improve the diamond or raise the price, they only affect the perceived quality of the stone. Treatments range from radiation used to improve color to chemicals used to hide fractures in the stone. There is nothing wrong with buying a treated diamond as long as the treatment is fully disclosed and explained to the buyer. This is another major reason to insist your diamond be accompanied by a certificate from a major lab.

Did you know? You need to move a half a ton of dirt for every carat you mine.

Don’t confuse “carat weight” with “karat,” the method of determining the purity of gold. Blood Diamonds are diamonds that come from parts of the world where armies use slaves to mine for diamonds and use the profits to buy weapons. Most countries have banned the purchase and sale of these stones, The Kimberly Process is one way the trade regulates those diamonds. However if you are still concerned you can always buy stones from countries like Canada or Australia. While diamond is the hardest natural substance known to man, by no means is it the toughest. You can’t scratch it with anything other than another diamond, but you can easily chip it by dropping it 5 feet onto a concrete floor. Think of it like a glass window and a rubber tire- you couldn’t scratch the glass with your fingernail but you could easily break it, a rubber tire is easy to scratch with your fingernail but you couldn’t damage it with your hands. Diamond, coal and pencil lead are all different forms of the same thing, Carbon. Carbon is one of the most abundant elements on Earth but will only transform into diamond under the most particular conditions. The most rare and valuable color for diamond is actually red, they often sell for over a million dollars per carat at auction. ________________________________________________________ Jacob Mograby is a trained Gemologist with several years of experience grading diamonds at IGI Laboratory - International Gemological Institute.

Decorating With Color By Esther Ben-Hamu EB Design Color is one of the most important tools you can use in decorating your home. When used wisely, it can set a mood, make a room feel cool or warm and link areas in your home to create a flow.

Home

Colors in the red, orange and yellow family are known as warm colors. This is because they are associated with fire, sunshine and heat. As a result, they can make us feel warm in a psychological sense. Red can add drama to a room. It produces energy and can also stimulate the appetite. Red and burgundy can work well in a dining room (if you dare).

Orange is warm, in less dramatic way. It’s soft and evokes a welcoming feeling. Paired with gray or black, it takes on a modern look.

Yellow catches your eye and grabs your attention. It’s a mood lifter for many. It’s commonly used in foyers, hallways and offices.

Blues, Greens and Violets are considered cool colors. This is because it reminds us of nature, greenery and ocean views. These colors give off a feeling of tranquility and make one feel relaxed and at ease.

Blue is soothing and calming, making it a great choice for bedrooms.

Violet in soft hues can be a good option in bedrooms. Try a stronger plum in a kids play area.

Green is a color out of nature. This makes it a neutral, a great choice for any area in your home. Soft greens work great in baths and living rooms. You can use stronger greens as an accent color in the Kitchen or Dining Room.

M a n y people are afraid of using color, they stick with simple b e i g e s and whites throughout their homes. While this can feel clean and fresh, color can add personality, drama and life to any space. A great idea for someone who is hesitant to use a strong color, is to create an accent wall.

Home

Painting an accent wall creates a focal point and anchors a room. Choose the wall thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opposite you when you walk in. Alternatively, you can choose the main largest wall in the room that people will face. Once you paint the feature wall, you need to decide how you want to go with the remaining walls. You can either paint them a softer shade of the same hue, in this case a pale blue, or a neutral coordinating beige, cream, white or taupe. Add accessories around the room in the same color. Think throw pillows, a lamp, vase and other knickknacks. A fabulous way to pull it all together is to trim your window panels or treatments with the same darker shade you used on your accent wall. Textured or printed wallpaper also makes for an amazing feature wall. This keeps things from getting to busy, but still allows for great pattern and design.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget about the fifth wall in a room: the ceiling! A painted ceiling completes a room. A soft color can add height while a darker color will make it seem lower. Metallic paint casts a glow on the walls. Handcrafted wallpapers create a fabulous ceiling backdrop. Try a gold or silver leaf foil, glass beaded paper, lacquered strie, or a geometric pattern.

Painting a room dark makes it warm, cozy and inviting. Proper lighting, lots of natural sunlight and a bright white ceiling are the perfect setting for dark walls. A soft colored room is airy, pretty and clean.

Accents around the house can also add lots of color. In a neutral room, use bright bold colors to make a statement. Use an aqua vase, a lime green throw pillow, a bunch of red roses or an orange leather tray. Keep colors flowing from room to room. Feel free to use many different hues in your home, just stick with complimentary colors in rooms that are adjacent to each other. Painting all the trim and moldings the same color throughout the house allows for a uniform look. Give your home a fresh look, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be afraid to experiment with color! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Esther Ben-Hamu of EB Design is a certified interior designer. She is passionate about home decor and is also the owner of The Satin Stripe, a wallpaper boutique in Lakewood, NJ. To ask any decorating questions or comment on featured articles, email her at ebdesign@ymail.com.

The Professor’s Perspective... By: Professor Jordan Leibniz (no, of course that’s not my real name) Dear Professor, In the last year or so, my income has dropped significantly, but my family is having a difficult time adjusting to that. As a result, we’ve been spending too much and putting everything on our credit cards. I can’t pay my credit card bills, so I have been paying the minimum payments every month just to keep up. I know that this is a dangerous cycle, but it’s keeping my family happy. In your opinion, what do you think is more important: quality of life or being debt free? - On Borrowed Time Dear Borrowed, Cavities are bad. A leaky roof is bad. Running out of gas in the middle of the highway is bad. Debt is bad. I’m truly sorry about your income situation, and I hope things turn around again for you soon. However, by not facing reality you and your family are digging a hole that is extremely difficult to get out of. Going into debt is a downward spiral - not a cycle! After a while it becomes difficult to float the debt without taking on more debt. Interest bites, and continues to bite long after you remember why you “needed” to borrow the money in the first place. You say that you are concerned about your family’s happiness - how about considering their happiness in the long term? By not making changes you might be keeping them happy temporarily, but you have to realize that the happiness is not sustainable. Changing lifestyles is not easy, but get past the transition period and you can be happy again, especially with the knowledge that you have less because you have chosen to live responsibly. If you don’t believe that people who live simply can be happy, just find some and ask them. When you get a cavity, you don’t appreciate the candy that caused it anymore. You always regret having put off doing necessary repairs when the water starts dripping into buckets in the bedrooms. As the engine sputters, you are not glad that you at least tried to go the whole way without waking up the baby by stopping for gas. And when you see the bills that you cannot pay, you will never be happy that you were able to maintain the illusion of having lived at high standards. So if you ask me what I think is more important, my answer is being debt-free, because in that you will find quality of life. Dear Professor, A few months ago I went out with a great guy, but I didn’t feel like there was any chemistry between us. On paper there was absolutely nothing wrong with him, but I felt like the relationship wasn’t moving forward, so I broke it off. Since then, I can’t shake the feeling that I made a mistake. We’re both still single and I’d like another chance to try again, but I’m too embarrassed to approach it. Do you think I should get over my pride and try

again, or should I trust the feelings I had while we were dating? - Change of Heart? Dear Heart, A few months ago? No, that is too recent - unless you know there is something specific that has changed. More than a year ago, and you still think it might be worth another try? Definitely. It is fairly common for two people to go out, end the relationship for whatever reason, and then go out again sometime later. Sometimes it works out better than the first time, other times not. But there is no risk to your pride in suggesting giving it another go - if you gave it time and still think it’s worth the shot. In the meantime, try meeting some other people so you can better tell if dropping the guy was really a mistake or if you are just blinded by doubt. Dear Professor, My child will be entering Nursery in September, but she will be one of the youngest in her class. Do you think it’s better to keep her back a year so that she’ll have the advantage of being the oldest in her class? She’s on par with other kids her age, but I do see that she’s behind those who are a little older than her. What would you do? - A Mom Dear Mom, The younger the child, the more significant the age difference. A difference of six months in age is enormous when you compare a 6 month old to a 12 month old, but it shouldn’t matter at all when you compare a 60 year old to a 60 1/2 year old. I think that at nursery age (3-4) small age differences still matter a lot. Being the youngest can be a very big disadvantage, since the child will always be playing “catch up” with her peers developmentally. I would suggest sending her to a playgroup of children the same age, instead of nursery, if that is an option. Next year you can reevaluate if she should be the oldest in nursery or if she will be able to handle being the youngest in the class of 4-5 year olds. Since we’re on the topic I will add that if we were discussing a son instead of a daughter, I would recommend avoiding this even more strongly. Boys are often judged socially by their sports abilities, and being youngest, he might not have developed adequate motor skills to join the games. The unfortunate consequence in a lot of cases is that the boy can be branded an outcast for life. So do your sons and daughters a favor and don’t throw them into a situation where they are at a disadvantage when it is avoidable.

Do you agree, disagree, or have something to say? Add to the discussion by emailing the professor. Email your questions & comments to professor@elegantimpressions.com.

By Avi Fishoff & Yaakov Shain

Chapter 3: Coming to terms with being GPS! Navigation for Your Soul

loved unconditionally by your Creator ‫“אלמלי הוו ידעין בני נשא רחימותא דרחים קודשא בריך הוא לישראל‬ ”.‫הוו שאגין ככפיריא למרדף אבתריה‬ :‫זוהר חלק ב' פרשת שמות ה‬

“If man would comprehend the great love that Hashem feels for Yisrael, he would run to Him [Hashem] like a roaring lion!”

Hashem

The first time the pasuk says the Name “Hashem,” it is describing the essential Name of Hashem, Who is our merciful Creator.

‫ מלמד שנתעטף‬:‫"אמר רבי יוחנן אלמלא מקרא כתוב אי אפשר לאומרו‬ ‫ כל‬:‫ אמר לו‬.‫ והראה לו למשה סדר תפלה‬,‫הקדוש ברוך הוא כשליח צבור‬ ”!‫זמן שישראל חוטאין — יעשו לפני כסדר הזה ואני מוחל להם‬

However, the second time that it says “Hashem,” it refers to the awesome character trait of EXTREME MERCY that Hashem has toward those who sin against Him, even if they don’t repent or ask forgiveness! Hashem is a merciful Father who feels so bad for His child and therefore He has mercy even on a RASHA, even before he repents!

showed Moshe how far He is willing to go to make sure that we don’t slip away from Him:

:‫תלמוד בבלי מסכת ראש השנה דף יז‬

R’ Yochanan said: Had the Torah not written this, we would never be able to say it: Hashem wrapped Himself in a tallis like a prayer leader and taught Moshe that whenever Yisrael sins, they should say the following, and I WILL FORGIVE THEM!”

What should we say? :‫"ויעבר ה' על פניו ויקרא‬ ‫ל רחום וחנון ארך אפים ורב חסד ואמת‬-‫ה' ה' א‬ ”.‫נצר חסד לאלפים נשא עון ופשע וחטאה ונקה‬ ‫ו‬:‫שמות לד‬

“Hashem passed before [Moshe] and proclaimed: '‫ ה' ה‬ ‫ל‬-‫א‬ ‫ רחום וחנון‬ ‫ארך אפים‬ ‫ ורב חסד‬ ‫ואמת‬ ‫ נצר חסד לאלפים‬ ‫ נשא עון ופשע וחטאה‬ ‫ ונקה‬

Hashem, Hashem G-d merciful and compassionate slow to anger and abundant in kindness and truth preserver of compassion for thousands of generations carrier of our sins, willful sin, and error and He who cleanses

Let’s take a journey into the famous “Thirteen Attributes of Mercy” in order to deeply understand how Hashem deals with YOU on a daily basis:

‫ והשם השני מידה — והוא מידת‬,‫“כי השם הראשון הוא עצם ולא מידה‬ ‫ אלא כאב רחמן שהוא מרחם על בנו‬,‫רחמים בלא תשובה ובלא שאלה‬ ‫ויודע בו מה שהוא צריך ונותן לו מבלי שישאל ממנו וכן הוא (ה') יתעלה‬ ”!‫מרחם הוא על הרשע אפילו בלא תשובה‬ ‫ו־ז‬:‫רבינו בחיי שמות לד‬

It is truly incredible that Hashem is even interested in you after you sin. But what’s even more amazing is that of all the Names that Hashem could have chosen to represent Himself to you after you sinned against Him, He specifically chose “d-ied” which is the SAME Name used by the person who DIDN’T SIN. And to top it off — it is the Name reflecting Hashem’s greatest level of — believe it or not — MERCY! A father who wants his son to lovingly call him “Daddy” will not say, “If you do something wrong, then call me ‘my mother’s husband’”! A father always remains a father and a son always remains a son. No matter how much a son may mess up – he can always call out to his father: “Daddy, help me”! Hashem tells us: I know that you will sin! And I want you to know right from the start, that even if you cross the line and betray My will, I am willing to still relate to you in the same exact way, for I will always be your merciful “'d —Hashem”!

Can we share something beautiful with you? ‫הוי"ה בגימטריא כ"ו כנגדו כ"ו שבועות ימות החורף וכ"ו שבועות ימות‬ ”!‫ ב' שמות של שם שהוא ברחמים בימות החמה ובימות הגשמים‬,‫החמה‬ ‫ספר השם מרוקח עמוד כ"ה‬

The merciful Name of Hashem that is spelled in the Torah d-ied, has the numerical value of 26. The verse specifically says d-ied two times to teach us: whether we are in the 26 weeks of fall/winter or the 26 weeks of spring/summer, Hashem is always ready to relate to us with mercy! Not only is Hashem our MERCIFUL FATHER when we spiritually “blossom” and grow closer to Him and when we actually feel the “warmth” of His

Holiness, but even when we are “falling” from our spiritual level and our hearts are “ice cold” and we don’t feel connected to Him — we can ALWAYS relate to Hashem as our merciful and compassionate Father Who is there for us and loves us! Hashem never wants us to become distant from Him, so after we sin and slip away, Hashem closes the gap caused by our wrongdoings so that He can remain connected to us. We can now understand that Hashem specifically created the many wonderful attributes of mercy in order to assist the sinner! Because if you never sin, then you do not need Hashem to be compassionate, slow to anger, forgiver of willful sin, etc. Hashem’s message is clear: I am a merciful G-d and I stand ready to bestow limitless patience, generosity, and kindness upon you: even after you sin against Me!

Let’s review this play by play Here’s your contribution to the relationship: You mess up and sin. Once, twice, perhaps even many times. You have not yet repented for your sins. Your harmful actions cause you to slip away from your previous level of connection to Hashem.

be someone really special. Probably a holy, righteous man who accidentally slipped and sinned against Hashem for the first time in his life, right?

”!‫"כי השם הוא ארך אפים לרשעים ולא לאשר לא חטאו‬ ‫ו‬:‫אבן עזרא שמות לד‬ WRONG! Hashem is slow to anger when dealing specifically with miryx, wicked people! As usual, Charles was late with his mortgage payment and his banker was furious with him. Charles had promised to pay many times, but when he finally sent in a check, it bounced. After pushing it off for several months, the foreclosure team requested that the loan committee vote to foreclose on his home immediately. The president of the bank rose to his feet and said, “Ladies and gentleman of the board. Charles has been with our bank for over eight years and his reputation is well known to all of us. He is clearly a dirty-rottenlying-scoundrel who has taken advantage of us over and over for many years. He took our patience and mercy and repaid it with lies! So here’s what I think we should do: we should NOT take any action against him at all — after all, maybe one day he’ll turn around, get an honest job, and decide to pay us back!”

Hashem lovingly responds with; “Oh, no, you don’t — don’t you separate from Me! I will now add onto Myself attributes of patience and mercy!” But it doesn’t stop there: The more we sin … the lower we sink … the farther we stray … the MORE Hashem responds with even MORE patience, compassion, and mercy — specifically so that we don’t disconnect from Him!

Did you ever hear of a bank doing that? This proves once again that the attributes of Hashem’s patience and mercy were created specifically in order to deal with humans who are sinning!

Let’s see how this works:

But what if all that mercy, compassion, and infinite patience still aren’t enough to bring you back?

After you sin, the first response from Hashem is that He will still deal with you in a merciful and compassionate manner. The Torah then goes on to tell us that Hashem’s response to your sin is: “megx” (mercy) and “oepg” (compassion).

:‫״מה בין ׳רחום’ ל׳חנון’? רחום‬ ‫שהבורא יתברך מרחם עלינו כדרך‬ ”.... ‫׳כרחם אב על בנים’ שישמרם שלא יפלו‬

‫ו‬:‫מובא בספר מעיין השבוע בשם אבן עזרא שמות פרק לד‬ What’s the difference between “megx” (mercy) and “oepg” (compassion)? megx means that Hashem has mercy on us like “a father has mercy on his child” and guards us so that we “should not fall.”

,‫"אבל לפעמים שומט הבן ידו של אביו‬ !‫ורץ לבור שחת ונופל בו‬ :‫אזי פועלת מדת החנינה‬ )‫כב‬:‫׳וחנון’ כדרך כי חנון אני (שמות כב‬ ”!‫להושיע מי שנפל ולא יוכל קום‬

‫ו‬:‫מובא בספר מעיין השבוע בשם אבן עזרא שמות פרק לד‬ However, sometimes a foolish child pulls his hand from his father’s grip and ends up falling into a deep pit! When you pull yourself away from G-d and cannot get up on your own, Hashem then employs His incredible trait of “oepg” (compassion) to rescue you! Just incredible! If you stop reading here — you already got your money’s worth! Understanding this unbelievably affectionate response from Hashem should inspire you to want to be close to such a wonderful G-d! Hashem is very understanding of your flaws and wants you to be in His inner circle. Got it? Okay — let’s move on.

What if you still don’t repent ... and perhaps even sin some more? If you still continue to stray and sin, amazingly Hashem responds with another helpful character trait: “mit` jx`” (slow to anger). What exactly is this?

”!‫ שמא יעשה תשובה‬:‫"מאריך אפו ואינו ממהר ליפרע‬ ‫ו‬:‫רש"י שמות לד‬

Hashem delays responding to your sinful behavior and does not punish you immediately, because eventually you might decide to repent! WOW! What an amazing response to a sinner! Now, you might think that the sinner who receives such royal treatment must

Then Hashem tosses on additional supernatural “,ntu sxj cru” (abundance of kindness and truth). This means:

attributes:

... ‫"חסד הוא לפנים משורת הדין‬ ‫אבל 'ורב חסד’ הוא גודל חסדיו של הקדוש ברוך הוא שיכול לעשות חסד על פי‬ ... ‫המשפט עצמו‬ ,‫על פי דין ממש מטהר את בני ישראל ביום הכיפורים‬ ”!‫ כי אין החטא בהם בעצם‬:‫שנתברר בדין‬ ‫שפת אמת דברים ליום כיפור‬

“cqg” (kindness) is when Hashem deals with you beyond the letter of the law, just like a judge who finds you guilty for speeding but instead of giving you points on your license, he merely demands that you pay a fine and take a 5-hour refresher course. But “cqg ax” (abundance of kindness) is when Hashem does even more! Hashem proves to the heavenly court that you never really wanted to sin and your silly sinful action does not truly represent your sterling character and pure essence. This is like a judge who dismisses all the charges against you because he realizes that there were circumstances that compelled you to act completely out of character.

Now we can properly understand our daily prayer: — ‫"ומלוך עלינו מהרה אתה ה' לבדך בחסד וברחמים‬ ”.‫וצדקנו בצדק ובמשפט ברוך אתה ה' מלך אוהב צדקה ומשפט‬ ‫שמונה עשרה‬ “… and reign over us speedily, You Hashem alone, with kindness and compassion, and justify us with righteousness and judgment. Blessed are You, Hashem, the King who loves CHARITY and JUSTICE!” On the surface this prayer may seem a bit confusing. How can we ask Hashem to reign over us utilizing the traits of “kindness” and “compassion,” which are beyond the strict letter of the law, while and at the same time we ask Hashem to utilize “righteousness” and “judgment” and “justify us” within the court of law?! If we could be really found “righteous” within the world of “judgment,” then we wouldn’t need all that “kindness” and “compassion” to begin with! The explanation is: We know very well that we would never be able to be judged favorably if the judge were to take our actions at face value.

‫״אנו מבקשים שכאשר הקב״ה דן אותנו‬ ‫שיעשה את הדין בהסתכלות של ׳חסד ורחמים’ ואז הוא ודאי ימצא בנו זכויות‬ ‫שיכולות להכריע את כף המשקל לטובה ואם כן אז יכול להיות ש׳וצדקנו’ אפילו‬ ”!‫על פי החומר של הצדק והמשפט‬ ‫ספר נתיבי אמת עניני תפילה‬

Therefore we plead with Hashem: When judging our actions, please view them through the lens of “mingxe cqg” (kindness and mercy), and then “htynae wcva epwcve”; You will certainly find a way to justify our actions even within the system of justice as well!

GPS! Navigation for Your Soul

Furthermore, although Hashem is a King who “loves charity and justice,” His love for charity is listed before His love for justice. For Hashem knows that without His divine charity, we would never be able to survive the scrutiny of the justice system! The judge studied Mr. Goldfarb: A 60-year-old, nicelooking family man. Six children. All married and working. 18 grandchildren. Never arrested. A life of community service. Not your typical criminal. Mr. Goldfarb’s lawyer asked that the judge allow testimony from people whom Mr. Goldfarb helped. Character witnesses filled the courtroom: his parents, his friends, and his children testified. People he had helped, his Rabbi, and representatives from several community organizations testified on his behalf. It was all very impressive. The judge decided to act with kindness and although he announced that his verdict was “guilty as charged,” the sentence was only 5 years of community service — which Mr. Goldfarb was doing anyway since he was a community activist — and NO jail time whatsoever! Mr. Goldfarb’s attorney was thrilled. But Mr. Goldfarb wasn’t! Mr. Goldfarb broke down and appealed to the judge, “Your Honor, I am so grateful that you are doing this for me. However please understand that after all is said and done, since I have been found guilty in a court of law — I will now have a criminal record, and this is too much for me to bear! I beg of you — help me! If not for me, then for the sake of my wife … my children … and my dear grandchildren … their shame will kill me!” The judge was overwhelmed with compassion and was visibly touched. Although he could not find any reason to let Mr. Goldfarb off the hook, the judge ruled, “Taking into consideration the lifetime of dedication to community service and recognizing that the defendant broke the law only due to extreme circumstances, I hereby find Mr. Goldfarb innocent!” This is the message of “cqg ax” (abundance of kindness). Hashem does not merely blend the trait of “cqg” (kindness) with “oic” (judgment); rather, Hashem uses His special brand of extreme kindness to completely control the courtroom! This allows us to emerge INNOCENT even WITHIN the court of law itself! JUSTICE is truly served! How? By looking past our actions and uncovering our inner will and effort to be good!

And what if even after all of that, the scale is still not stacked in our favor? ,‫ עוונות מכאן וזכיות מכאן‬,‫“ר' אלעזר אומר ׳ורב חסד’ מאזנים מעויינות‬ ‫והקב״ה חוטף שטר אחד משל עוונות וזכיות מכריעות ומניח העון תחת‬ :‫ אלמלי כתיב אי איפשר לאומרו‬,‫פורפירין שלו‬ ”’!‫‘נשאת עון עמך כסית כל חטאתם סלה‬ ”‫ל מלך יושב‬-‫פירושי סידור התפילה לרוקח עמוד תש“ט “א‬ ”‫ “ורב חסד‬.‫ועיין בבלי ראש השנה יז‬

Hashem has some cute ideas up His sleeve — so to speak! When a person is being judged, there is a scale with mitzvos/credits on one side and sins/debits on the other. When Hashem sees that you’re in trouble and your sins are outweighing your mitzvos, He grabs one of the sinful debits and hides it under His cloak, so to speak, and suddenly the credits outweigh the sins and the person emerges victorious from his court case!!

But what if all that mercy, compassion, patience, abundance of kindness & truth still doesn’t work? Well, then Hashem adds another attribute onto Himself and He chooses to be: “mitl`l cqg xvp” (preserver of compassion for thousands of years). This means that Hashem credits us for the good deeds done by our ancestors. Wow — this is really cool!

But listen up — because it gets even better than that: Hashem has a very advanced “computer program” (so to speak) that has a running meter calculating every time you do a mitzvah. It calculates the “value” of your mitzvah, based on all kinds of things, such as how difficult it was for you, how much effort you put into it, if you did it with simchah (happiness), etc. …. It also calculates the impact you have on other people. So if your davening inspires the person next to you to daven better, the program calculates your impact on him and credits your “account.” In addition, if you have an impact on a person who then inspires others, and they inspire others, etc. … your account is credited for all of that as well! Plus, if the person you inspire — or anyone who ever gets inspired from anyone you inspire — davens better and gets a better shidduch and raises a better family, or makes more money and gives more charity, etc. … you are continuously CREDITED for whatever IMPACT is traced back to you … forever! Pretty amazing stuff! But, as good as all this sounds, Hashem goes much much further for us:

‫“אינו מסתכל בעבירות שעתידין לחטוא‬ ”!‫אבל במצות מסתכל הוא במה שעתידין להטיב ומיטיב עמהם‬ ‫כ‬:‫יח על מדרש רבה במדבר כ‬:‫עץ יוסף כ‬

When you are being judged, Hashem does not consider the sins that you will do in the future; however, He DOES look into the future to see the mitzvos that you will do — and guess what? He credits you NOW based on them! WOW!!! Not only does He credit you for the ripple effect that will emerge from all the good deeds that you have already done, He also takes into consideration the good deeds that you will do in the future! You have not even done these mitzvos yet and your loving Father in heaven is already crediting your account! Get up and dance!

Let’s see some examples of this amazing trait: :‫“ר' ברכיה ורבי לוי בשם ר' שמואל בר נחמן אמר‬ ”!‫אברהם לא ניצול מכבשן האש אלא בזכות יעקב‬ ‫ד‬:‫מדרש ויקרא רבה פרשה לו‬

Example #1: Avraham Avinu was saved from the burning furnace in the merit of his grandson Yaakov, who was not even alive yet!

‫ בשביל שתי פרידות טובות [רות המואביה ונעמה העמונית] חס‬...“ ”.... ‫הקב“ה על ב' אומות גדולות ולא החריבן‬ :‫תלמוד בבלי מסכת בבא קמא לח‬

Example #2: Hashem instructed Moshe not to destroy two nations, Ammon and Moav, since they would one day produce two very special people.

;‫ “בשעה שהקדימו נעשה לנשמע קראת להם בני בכורי ישראל‬:‫שבת פ“ט‬ ‫ה גלוי לפניך שהן עתידין לומר לפניך בסיני נעשה ונשמע לקבל‬-‫ שהי‬:‫רש“י‬ ‫ והיינו דמשום כך זכו‬.‫עולך מאהבה כבנים‬ ”!’‫שכבר במצרים קרא להם הקב“ה ‘בני בכורי ישראל‬ ‫נתיבות שלום משפטים קפ“ב‬

Example #3: Since Hashem foresaw that when He would give us the Torah we would enthusiastically respond with the loving words: “we will do and we will hear,” that is why He called us “My beloved firstborn son” way back when we were still serving idols in Mitzrayim! Going back to our story: What would have happened if Mr. Goldfarb had not helped many people yet? No personal testimonies about his charitable nature. No letters on his behalf. No record of selfless community service. He would be in big trouble! Now imagine that out of

nowhere, a group of people appeared. They formed a line that went out of the courtroom and down the hallway… out of the courthouse and down the road …. Hundreds of people … they kept coming and coming … all ready to testify on Mr. Goldfarb’s behalf! The judge was shocked. “Who are all these people?” Mr. Goldfarb was even more shocked than the judge, as he also didn’t recognize any of them! The lawyer explained that he magically called upon all the people who WILL ever be helped by Mr. Goldfarb in the future! The lawyer pleaded, “Look at how much Mr. Goldfarb WILL do to make the world a better place! Look at his great potential and please take that into consideration even now!” Authentic Yiddishkeit believes that Hashem in His infinite mercy calculates: (1) all the good deeds that you have already done, (2) plus He calculates the ripple effect caused by you, and (3) He even calculates all the good deeds that you will ever do! CAN YOU STILL THINK THAT HE ISN’T ON YOUR SIDE??

But what if all of that mercy, compassion, patience, abundance of kindness & truth, and even taking into consideration all our future good deeds still doesn’t work? Then Hashem responds with: “d`hge ryte oer `yp”; Hashem carries the burden of our sin, willful sin, and error. This means that Hashem carries and tolerates your sins, but in a way far deeper than we can ever comprehend:

— ‫ וכמו שהוא זן העולם כולו‬,‫ נושא וסובל העון‬... ‫“הקב“ה‬ ”!‫זן ומפרנס המשחית הזה‬ ‫תומר דבורה פרק א' ד"ה נושא עון‬

When a person does a good deed, he creates a good angel and when a person does a bad deed, he creates a bad angel. The mystics teach that the “bad” angels created from sin want to immediately attack the sinner. However, since Hashem wants to give a person the opportunity to repent, Hashem restrains them from immediately seeking out and destroying the sinner! Yossi realized that his best friend and top employee Chaim was very stressed out and desperately needed a vacation, so he ordered his private jet to take him to a beautiful oceanfront villa in Hawaii – with Yossi's credit card on file! While Chaim was vacationing, the accounting department discovered that he had been stealing money from the company for many years! It seemed that things would never be the same between Yossi and Chaim. Yet, incredibly, Yossi still continued to cover the hotel bill, the room service, and all the spa treatments! Yossi even sent the private jet to Hawaii to bring Chaim home after his vacation. The accountant asked him, “Why are you doing all this for this lowly, ungrateful crook?” Yossi replied, “Well … maybe one day Chaim will truly mend his ways and apologize for what he did to me!” Hello!!! Are you listening to this? Not only did Hashem teach us that He will not distance Himself from us after we “steal” from Him through sin, on the contrary — the more we succumb to sin and slip away from Him — the more He utilizes unbelievable amounts of patience, mercy, compassion, and infinite unconditional love to keep us close to Him!!! And to top it all off – when there are “bills” to pay — HE CONTINUES TO PAY THEM FOR US!

‫“כשיטיב ה' ברחמיו לאיש הגם שיחטא לא יפחות מטובו דבר‬ ”!‫ותהיה המידה שהיה בה קודם מתנהגת גם אחר שחטא‬ ‫ו‬:‫אור החיים הקדוש שמות לד‬

In fact, even after a Yid rebelliously defies Hashem’s will, Hashem still does not hold back from bestowing ANY kindness upon him and relates to him in the same exact way as before! You’re probably thinking, that’s pretty amazing in theory, but does Hashem REALLY treat us with this incredible infinite mercy?

Fasten your seat belts for a shocking Medrash: When we left Mitzrayim we found ourselves living in the desert with no possible way to survive. In order to sustain us, Hashem performed an open miracle and delivered heavenly food for us. Now listen to this: Some people took this miraculous food that was sent down by G-d Himself, and defiantly, appallingly, served it to their idols! One would imagine that after G-d saw such an obnoxious sin, lightning would immediately strike these sinners and fry them on the spot! Next day’s lunch should have been — “fried sinners”! After all, how could they take the gift of food sent directly by Hashem — an open miracle — and use that same food to serve worthless pieces of wood and stone? Is there any worse instance of repaying good with bad?!

... ‫ שהיו נוטלין מן המן ומקריבין לפני עבודת כוכבים‬...“ ”!‫וחוזר ויורד (המן) ביום האחר! הוי לך ה' הצדקה‬ ‫שמות רבה (וילנא) פרשה מ"א בשם ר' יהודה ב"ר שלום‬

Yet, listen to this — the very next day Hashem sent down the heavenly sustenance once again as if nothing had happened! Hashem’s patience is endless! !dwcvd 'd jl Baruch was 16 and rebelling terribly against his parents. After reading an amazing book, Baruch’s father bought him an expensive leather jacket to show that he loved and accepted him for who he was. A few weeks later, Baruch’s sister was getting married and his father hoped that Bobby, as he now wished to be called, would dress properly and at least make an attempt to blend in and not be an embarrassment to the family. Showing up two hours late and high as a kite, “Bobby” made a grand entrance wearing his new leather jacket and told everyone, “Do you like my new jacket? My dad bought it for me just for the wedding!” Although his parents were embarrassed and sickened by their son’s action, when the night ended and Baruch was lying on the floor, drowning in his own vomit, it was his parents who cleaned him and carried him home … bathing him and then tucking him into his bed. To top it off — the next day his father went to buy him a new leather jacket … after all, the old was totally ruined! This is how Hashem treats us on a daily basis. We take His miraculous gifts and use them to sin against Him. Yet He continues to give us those same gifts day after day.

The message is clear: Judaism is not just for saints; in fact, much of the Torah speaks directly to sinners! Hashem’s response to even the worst sinner is: I love you, I am rooting for you, and I am patient beyond your comprehension! Come back to Me … I want you here next to Me, where you belong! Authentic Yiddishkeit believes that the MORE we distance ourselves from being connected to Hashem — the MORE mercy and patience Hashem showers onto our relationship, so that no matter what the situation is, the door is wide open for us to reconnect to Hashem, our wonderful, amazing, incredible Father in Heaven! So no matter where YOU are right now … It’s time to walk through that door! Oh, by the way … we almost forgot to mention one more thing:

:‫״ר׳ הונא בשם ר׳ אבא אמר‬ ?‫כביכול אין שכחה לפניו ובשביל ישראל נעשה שכחן! מה טעם‬ ’.‫יח) ׳מי א־ל כמוך נושא עון ועובר על פשע‬:‫דכתיב (מיכה ז‬ ”’!‫ג) ׳נשאת עון עמך כסית כל חטאתם סלה‬:‫ (תהלים פה‬:‫וכן דוד אמר‬ ‫פסיקתא דרב כהנא פיסקא כ״ה סליחות‬

Although Hashem never forgets anything, in order to help us out, Hashem sometimes acts forgetful! To reach the authors: GPSFORYOURSOUL@gmail.com GPS! Navigation for Your Soul takes some of the brilliant concepts and themes of Nesivos Shalom and "translates" them into contermporary languge and terms.

Intuitive Eating By Layla Lax

Health & Nutrition

They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, yet many people continue to do just that when it comes to weight loss. If one diet doesn’t do the trick, they’ll move on to another and then yet another. Traditional diets keep failing us because there is no one size fits all type of diet. Instead, you need to master the necessary tools for success that will enable you to lose weight within your current reality. In this article we’ll discuss intuitive eating and why it is a crucial element of sustainable weight loss. Intuitive eating means having the ability to feel and gauge your hunger and satisfaction. When we eat intuitively we eat the correct amount and feel great satisfaction. When we don’t eat in this manner, we tend to overeat and miss out on the satisfied feelings. This should be incredibly simple to do but years of dieting and being told what, how much and when to eat has caused most of us to lose that intuition. We can restore this important mental asset by observing the signs that indicate hunger and satisfaction. This takes some practice, but with commitment and patience, it will become second nature and you’ll be able to prevent overeating. The first step involves learning how to use the hunger scale. By using this scale, you describe your hunger, are more conscious of it, and enable yourself to better assess your need for food. Before you start eating, ask yourself – what number on the hunger scale am I at? Am I “starving” or just “hungry”? When you finish eating ask yourself another question am I “stuffed” or “satisfied and comfortable”?

Hunger Scale 1 – intense hunger, headache, shaky– you will overeat! 2 – really hungry – losing concentration, feeling grumpy – you need food now! 3 – hungry – stomach growling 4 – not hungry but not yet satisfied 5 – not hungry at all – satisfied and comfortable, a feeling of nothingness 6 – slightly uncomfortable – you feel the food 7 – uncomfortable – sleepy, sluggish 8 – stuffed – very uncomfortable, stomach hurts 9 – overstuffed 10 – in pain – can’t do anything more than go to bed! Try not to reach 1 on the scale before eating. When you are so hungry, you won’t make wise food choices. You’ll just want to satisfy that hunger fast. It is best to eat at 3, when you feel hungry but not starving. When you first start using the scale, it helps to pause halfway through your meals and assess your satisfaction level. When your hunger is satisfied, you have reached 5 on the scale, and your meal should be over. After eating, you should feel neutral and comfortable, light and energetic, not heavy and weighted down. It’s okay to eat past satisfaction sometimes. We all do it, but what’s important is to learn not to need or think you need to eat that way at every meal. Being comfortable with much less food will become a great new unconscious habit. Before you know it, you’ll be a pro at recognizing and responding to gentle hunger and satisfaction and a natural rhythm to your eating will develop. Our body is entrusted to us by Hashem and it is our responsibility to care for it properly. By choosing to eat intuitively, you are using a necessary skill for weight management and healthy living. Laya Lax is a Food Psychology Coach, certified by Spencer Institute. Call her at 718.253.7523 or email at togezunt@gmail. com to get information about her program, Kadima! Weight Loss Coaching and to schedule your complimentary first session. Kadima! Moving forward with confidence.

You Are What You Eat Coffee

A growing body of research shows that coffee drinkers, compared to nondrinkers, are: less likely to have type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia, have fewer cases of certain cancers, heart rhythm problems, and strokes. There is also evidence that decaffeinated coffee may have the same benefit as regular coffee. Keep in mind that coffee accompaniments such as cream and sugar add fat and calories to your diet. Heavy caffeine use — four to seven cups of coffee a day — can cause problems such as restlessness, anxiety, irritability and sleeplessness, particularly in susceptible individuals.

Thanks for making us the #1 kosher healthfood store 1434 Coney Island Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11230 t. 718.475.9113 e. info@thehealthpantry.com

CURBSIDE PICKUP

where everything is better... naturally!

LOOK BETTER FEEL BETTER PERFORM BETTER

FREE DELIVERY

Zahlers Juniur Multi

Zahlers AllergEase

Mega Health Allergy Care

Zahlers Omega 3 Platinum 90/180 Caps

Caps or Liquid

Bluebonnet Children’s Chewable Multi

WIN!

$150 GIVEAWAY

Name Address

Phone Email

Fill out, drop-off or mail-in for chance to enter ~ No Purchase necessary

WE NOW ACCEPT FOOD STAMPS CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH OTHER OFFER

EXPIRES/DRAWING 5/24/2012

% 50 OFF

Garlic

To maximize the health benefits, you should crush garlic at room temperature and allow it to sit for about 15 minutes before changing its temperature (through cooking) or its pH (through the addition of acidic food like lemon juice). That triggers an enzyme reaction that boosts the healthy compounds in garlic. It is best to add it towards the end of the cooking process to retain the maximum amount of flavor and ZAHLER nutrition.ALL NEW OMEGA 3 PLATIN WITH VITAMIN D OR WITH OUT 180 Don’t microwave garlic as this kills the active ingredients. One clove a day will improve your health and 2-3 cloves will help prevent a cold. Be careful about taking too much as it can irritate your digestive system.

Watermelon Delicious and juicy watermelon contains some of the most powerful antioxidants in nature. An excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of vitamin A, antioxidants, carotenoids, lycopene. It’s rich in B vitamins necessary for energy production. Watermelon detoxifies the body, helps eliminate toxins from the liver, stimulates the kidneys and rid acne, and moisturize skin. Consumed on an empty stomach, watermelon can have amazing results in reducing cellulite.

Wedding Day Checklist Confirm arrangements with your vendors and make sure they all have exact directions and a contact person’s cell phone number. Make sure you have their cell phone numbers as well. Prepare final payments and get receipt so there’s no confusion later on. If you plan on tipping anyone, prepare envelopes labeled with their name and sealed with the correct amounts. Give your photographer a list of people you’d like to have photographed together. Have a vase of water ready for your bouquet if you want it to last past the ceremony. Get your limo driver’s number in case your change your exit time or forget something in the car. Designate in advance someone to take your presents home. Bring a comfortable pair of dancing shoes.

Wedding Day Emergency Kit: Bobby pins/ Ponytail holder Hairspray Face powder Lip gloss and lipstick Mini sewing kit Hemming tape for last-minute repairs Extra pair of stockings Stain remover Chalk (to cover up any last minute smudges or smears on your wedding dress) Clear nail polish (for stocking runs) Tissues Aspirin (or pain reliever of choice) Nail file Breath mints Band-Aids Dental floss/toothpicks Eye drops, extra earring backs Safety pins, small scissors Static-cling spray Umbrella and a shawl (in case of inclement weather) Extra cash