A Passover Opportunity for Students

The folks at MatzaFun Tours contacted me about promoting this contest, and I think my readership is the perfect target. 

Have a high schooler? In college? We want to hear what Passover means to YOU and why!

Here are the rules:

• In 500-750 words, please tell us what Passover means to you. It can incorporate a personal experience, a historical event that inspires you when celebrating Passover, text from the Hagaddah that stands out to you, or an idea totally your own!
• A strong command of the English language will be a factor in the decision.
• If you have been to our program before, incorporate that experience into the essay.
• The deadline for the essay is Friday, March 18, 2011 at 12:00 p.m.
• Part of the contest is to update your Facebook status, invite at least 10 friends to the Facebook Page, and Tweet (if applicable to you) about the contest, helping to promote Matzafun’s program. 

The special prize is to get your piece PUBLISHED in a well-respected Jewish newspaper! To submit your work and to ask questions about the contest or Matzafun Tours, please e-mail us! 

Good luck everyone!

Best Giveaway Ever: A Cheese Basket!

As I quipped to my husband a few nights ago, "There are those who need a coffee fix (me), there are those who need a chocolate fix (also me), and then, Tuvia, there are those that need a cheese fix (me!)."

As a perpetual snacker, I've been known to grab a slice of cheese to hold me over before a meal. The  more cheese on my pizza, the better. Grilled cheese? My favorite comfort food. On (Gregorian) New Year's, we dined on cheese and crackers, and for our Super Bowl Party, we prepared a wide array of cheesy treats (including cheese fondue, thanks to some guests). And, of course, my favorite kind of cheese? That which pours out of my husband, Tuvia, who, because of my love of all things cheese, has been deemed the Cheeseball ...

But where am I going with this? Well, a giveaway, that's where I'm going!

The amazing folks at Anderson International Foods, who are behind the delicious lines of (mostly) cholov Yisrael cheeses Natural & Kosher, Les Petites Fermeries, Organic & Kosher, and the new Pure & Kosher, dropped the most amazing basket of cheeses at my front door late last week to review (of course, it arrived right after we'd gone out for burgers so I had to wait three hours before cracking into the cheese, which I did, at nearly midnight). Of course, the variety and amount of cheese had my eyes popping, and Tuvia was more than gracious in helping me in sampling.

My favorites? The Goat Cheese Medallions with Cranberries and Maple Syrup (chalav stam). This is one of those moments when I wish there was taste-o-vision, because this cheese is more like dessert in its flavor. Like eating a thick, creamy sweet drop of yogurt or ice cream. Even Tuvia was a fan of this one. Oh! And? It's gluten-free! Hoo-rah!

There also was the Processed Olives Cheddar (chalav Yisrael), which, let's be honest, sounds a little crazy, right? After tasting it, however, the flavor of black olives emanates from the cheese, and I'm very much looking forward to making a gluten-free pizza with this. How? The cheese is round, so I plan on throwing some pasta sauce on a pita, putting the round cheese on top, and going for it. It's the cheese and olives in one! Brilliant!

Having never had Havarti (chalav stam) before (do I live under a rock?), Tuvia and I were eager to crack the package open. With crackers in hand, Tuvia gave it a go and really liked the flavor, likening it very much to our favorite cheese -- Muenster. The flavor was muted, but it was creamy and delicious. He also cracked into the Sharp Goat Cheddar (chalav Yisrael), which piqued both of our curiosities. Tuvia said the hints of goat cheese were very strong, but he ate half a block on his own anyway!

We have a lot of cheese left, and I'm stoked that a lot of it is kosher for Passover, too. So, I'm not going to lie, we're saving a lot of it for Passover cheese cravings -- including the Goat Cheese Medallions (chalav stam), Goat Mozzarella with Fine Herbs (chalav Yisrael) and Goat Mozzarella with Red Peppers (chalav Yisrael). What I do have to say overall about these cheeses, however, is that they're classy, upscale, and they won't break the bank. I'm no cheese snob, but I'd put out any of these cheeses on my cheese plate any day.


But I'm sure you're wondering -- how can I win a basket of delicious kosher cheeses? Here are the details -- read them carefully!

• The giveaway runs through Friday, March 4, at noon (EST). 
• To enter, you must post a comment on this post with an original cheese recipe from your arsenal -- and if it's gluten-free, you'll make me a happy camper. Original can be a recipe you found that you adapted, I just don't want you to Google "cheese recipe" and put something here!
• The winner will be chosen at random, but must provide an original recipe in order to win. 

The winner will receive an amazing cheese basket from Anderson International Foods delivered right to your door, and your recipe will be featured March 10 on the Sincerely Brigitte blog of Anderson International Foods CEO Brigitte Mizrahi, a French cheese connoisseur and the woman behind the four lines of cheese currently on the market today.

Also, be sure to "like" the Sincerely Brigitte Facebook Page and follow Brigitte on Twitter! Good luck everyone!

Designers at the Ready? Project Frumway is On!

I always get excited when I see a Jewish person on reality TV. I don't know why, but for some reason I think hope that they'll do some sort of good for the Jewish cause. Crush the stereotypes and perform in excellent and unique ways. Don't get me wrong, sometimes they do, but sometimes it's just a disaster.

Bravo Irina!

There are always a few Jewish chefs on Top Chef or Next Food Network Star (my favorite cooking Jew was always Evangelos "Spike" Mendelssohn -- he's part Greek, part Jewish, and that name is amazing). There have even been a few spotted on the popular and addictive Project Runway, who touts its season six winner as Irina Shabayeva, a Georgian Jew.

But there's something missing from these shows. From the cooking shows, it's kosher food. From the fashion shows, it's modest fashion. So what's a Jew to do? I enjoy these shows as much as the next person, but you sometimes have to wonder, "Well, that's great, but what about me?"

Enter New York NCSY with "Project Frumway," a charitable fashion show and fashion design competition for women of all ages. The project was created and will be run by both yeshiva and public high school girls, and it promotes "positive body image, fashionable modesty, self-confidence, and self-esteem." The project allows for women to learn about the importance of tzniut, or modesty, while creating a fun and glamorous atmosphere in which to learn about it! But it's more than just a project, it's a fashion competition, which engages girls and women to compete in creating the most fashionable, modest outfit. The winner's design will be produced by a Jewish clothing designer in the New York area (how. cool.) and it will be featured on the "Project Frumway" catwalk on March 1, 2011.

The overarching goal here, which I think is quite admirable, is to teach girls that it's possible to be fashionable and to respect one's body at the same time. Amen! Especially considering that mainstream media picked up on the connection of Orthodox Jewish girls and eating disorders. It's time to teach girls what feeling beautiful and being beautiful really mean!

Want to enter the competition? Here are the details:

• The competition is open to girls and women of all ages. 
• Designs must be modest (3/4-length sleeves, neckline, below-the-knee hemline) and reflect a Spring-line, casual wear.
• All submissions must include:
• Sketch of design.
• Detailed paragraph describing design including materials, colors, lengths, neck lines, target demographic.
• Your contact information: name, phone number (home and cell), email, school (if applicable), and age. 
• Submissions are due no later than Friday, February 4th, 2011.
• Email your designs to projectfrumway@nyncsy.com or mail/drop off at NY NCSY / 555 Willow Avenue / Cedarhurst, NY 11516
• The cost to submit a design is $5 (talk about inexpensive!). Each additional design will cost $3, and you may submit as many designs as you like. 
• Note: NCSY reserves the right to change the winning design's color and/or patterns, depending on availability.
• The top design chosen will be made by a local dressmaker and featured at the fashion show on March 1, 2011 at Congregation Beth Shalom in Lawrence, NY. The winner may elect to model the design herself, or she may choose someone else to model it. 

Need more info? Check out the NCSY website! Good luck, and happy designing!

Help Me Go to Israel!

I know, I know. I'm asking a lot of you, my faithful blog readers, but this one is seriously BIG, and I need your help FAST and in BIG numbers.

I'm a graduate student without income and without funds to call my own. If I could attend the Second Annual Jewish Bloggers Convention in Israel on my own accord, you know I'd be there. Israel and Blogging all in one shot? That's my dream vacation. Unfortunately, right now I'm just slated to watch from a computer somewhere with Tuvia, chatting with fellow bloggers in the little chat room while all the in-person attendees get to share in the joys of LIVE blogging goodness.

LUCKILY, there's a contest. Yes, a contest for someone, some special and one-of-a-kind blogger to snag a free trip to Israel for the conference, sponsored by Nefesh B'Nefesh. In addition to the free ticket, I'd be blogging about one of the families making Aliyah on the Nefesh B'Nefesh flight. All you have to do is go to the website, vote for me, and write about it on your blog -- make it happen, for me. The flight would be Monday, September 7, 2009.

What's in it for you? Israel tchotchkes and lots of photos of the entire experience.

Google Chrome YOUR Kippah!

Tuvia discovered the Google Chrome Icon contest, and I concocted the CARAZY idea to make a Google Chrome Kippah out of one of the old relics he had sitting around (I think it's from a 1986 wedding). Who knows if we'll win, but this little 60-second clip was fun and quick to make. Here's hoping we make the cut!





Note: The video had to be 60 seconds or less, so if it seems chaotic and frantic, oops!