Ode to Nosh!

It was one of those nights, those grilled cheese and tomato soup kind of nights. Taylor and I vowed to not eat out for a full two weeks, and this is day seven of the adventure. I've cooked something almost every night this past week and the rest of the time has been leftovers consumption. Over the week there's been a lot of soup, and a lot of recipes from Veganomicon. This week I'm hoping to make Lentil Bolognese, Eggplant-Squash Lasagna, Falafel Burgers and who knows what else. Stay tuned! But for now? I give you, my nosh.

First, Classic Tomato Soup with a grilled cheese. What kind of grilled cheese?

Well, if you must know it was a sandwich made with King Arthur Flour Bread Mix for the bread, and I added Trader Joe's Apricot Spread, Fresh Baby Spinach, and Natural & Kosher Muenster Cheese! (Yay for a CostCo visit with @melschol today!)

Overall? Delicious. I have been trying out a lot of different bread mixes in place of challah, inspired by Rebbetzin Ketriellah of Boulder Aish haKodesh (buy a gluten-free bread mix, remove 1/4 or 1/3 cup of the mix and replace it with gluten-free oat flour, and you have ha'motzi), and this is yet another of those that I tried. The one thing I've discovered is that it's hard to find a good bread that doesn't absorb the liquid substance, in this case the Vegan Buttery Spread I used. So it was a little soggy, and I should have put cheese on both sides so that the whole thing stuck together, but, you know when I last made a grilled cheese? Months, folks. Maybe even a good year or so.

Sippin' on some SodaStream: A Giveaway!

This is probably one of my best giveaways ever -- a SodaStream Jet Machine with a Flavor Pack!

First, my love affair with seltzer. There are a few "Jewish" things I've never been able to stomach: herring, white fish, chopped liver (huge barf), and, of course, seltzer. I hopped on the gefilte fish and cholent bandwagon, easy peasy. I make a mean kugel and I'm partial to a good gluten-free kishke, too. I'm willing to try things, and believe me, I have, but most of them just never caught on with my white-bread, meat-and-potatoes Nebraska stomach.

Then, during Passover, we managed to be at a lot of places where the options were largely water, tea, and seltzer. One can only drink so much water before one needs a little pizazz (and this is me about every three days; I have a low low-flavor threshold), and iced tea needs sweetener, which I'm trying to avoid. So I opted to give seltzer another go and the fizz kept me from every looking back. I ended up buying so many bottles a week that Tuvia was growing weary of the bucks and bottles on my newest habit.

Enter: The SodaStream!

I came home one night before my trip to Israel in May to a SodaStream. Tuvia is in charge of the fizzing and flavoring, and I'm in charge of most of the drinking. For the most part, we drink the simple flavors of seltzer like Lemon-Lime, and we avoided a lot of the soda flavors that have most people jazzed about the SodaStream. But then a kind fellow over at SodaStream sent me an amazing package of flavors to try -- including some delicious diet flavors -- and Tuvia and I got to trying.

My favorite? The Root Beer. Okay, everyone at the ROI Summit talked about how amazing the Root Beer was, but I'm sort of a Root Beer purist. Close seconds are given to the delicious Diet Green Tea with Berries and Blackberry Currant with Pear. I like the spritz of fruity flavors with the bubbles; it's a change to the typical fruity soda that's out there.

The SodaStream is incredibly easy to use, and it's kosher for use on Shabbos! So you get your SodaStream, a few bottles, and you can make and serve delicious seltzer and soda over and over again to please even the most discerning tastebuds. (Man, I sound like a food magazine or TV show, right?) I also like that it's all kosher, and it cuts down on the amount of bottles we're using and tossing -- environmentally friendly!

So how do you enter the giveaway? You have three ways to enter. Simply list in the comments what you did -- IN ONE COMMENT PLEASE. When you post multiple times for each thing you do it makes it hard to pick a winner.

• In the comments here on this post, tell me what clean, healthy flavor you would LOVE for SodaStream.
• "Like" my page on Facebook. (Note: This is my Blog Page on Facebook, not my Personal Profile on Facebook -- if we're already friends, this step requires "liking" my Facebook Blog Page.)
• Tweet: "I just entered to win a @SodaStream and flavor pack on @kvetchingeditor's blog at http://www.kvetchingeditor.com!"

Disclaimer: Contest ends August 30, 2011 at 10 p.m. Open only to U.S. residents. And if you didn't know, the products are produced in Israel! So you'll be doing something awesome for Israel, the environment, and your fizzy tummy. 

A Magi in the Making

My camera has failed me on visuals once again, and for that I apologize. However, this post will be a true challenge of adjective mayhem -- I must describe to you, as best I can, the glory that is Fun City in West Nyack, NY.

Okay, yes, the kind folks at Fun City, which just opened, were kind enough to have me and Ally over at Modestly Fashioned for a little press preview of the joint. Now that that's out of the way, you know me and you know that I tell it like it is (remember my review of Susie Fishbein's new cookbook? HONESTY). So I hope you'll believe me when I say that Fun City is my new favorite place and I actually intend on celebrating my next birthday (that's September 30) at Fun City, despite having no children or nephews or nieces around to schlep with.

The day began with a drive out to West Nyack, which honestly is a quick trip from Teaneck, to the Palisades Mall. We got there with absolutely no clue where in the mall the place was, but luckily the nice lady at Customer Service let us know that it's down next to the Journeys. Hopefully Fun City will be added to the mall map, but until then, just look for Journeys (the shoe store) and you're there. I had never been in this particular mall before, but it reminded me of CostCo crossed with the Tel Aviv bus station -- it had exposed piping and the floors were a dark gray cement. It felt very ... industrial.

When we got to Fun City, we were introduced to the basic gist of how the fun center came to be. You see, three families got together and decided that this empty space in the mall was perfect for creating a fun recreational space for all ages complete with kosher food, the only NY location of the live-action game MagiQuest, mini-golf, bumper cars, an arcade, laser quest, a party room, a mini roller-coaster, and more (really, more). When you walk into the Fun City location, the first thing you notice is the towering behemoth of a screen featuring MagiQuest, and the rest of the activities sort of flow over you as you begin to look around.

We each got a pre-loaded card for the arcade games (I love that it was all electronic and even your ticket winnings are kept on the card) for a few bucks, and we got set up with our very own wands for MagiQuest play.

These aren't our wands, but this is the gist of what they look like. You get a guidebook to help you, too!

Now, Ally and I were pretty skeptical. I mean, neither of us are gamers, and I've never been into that Dungeons and Dragons kind of world, but we were willing to give it a go -- it was free after all, so what was there to lose? You choose your character style -- so I went with Malkah, one of the royal class, and Ally went with one of the nature dwelling characters and called herself Teva. Our guide led us into a room that gave us the MagiQuest 101 tutorial, and we were off. At first, we were pretty ... confused. But after we each started a quest, we were sold. And I mean that. We were completely into it. We lost track of time, we lost track of space! We did three quests and only put the kabosh on our time because we wanted to explore the rest of the facility (we're going back, and taking our husbands, and we will CRUSH THEM!).

We sampled the food offerings, including the pizza (which Ally said was outstanding), ice cream (Klein's), and french fries. I suggested they hop on the gluten-free pizza bandwagon, and they seemed perceptive. I'm really hoping that they'll include it soon for all those Celiacs out there. Also? Nachos would be a super easy option!

I have pizza envy. HUGE PIZZA ENVY.

The arcade was small, but fun. I hadn't played skeeball in ages. We considered mini-golf, but decided that we'd spent so much time playing MagiQuest, we'd save it for our next adventure. Ally and I left pretty blown away at the facility, the food, and the management.

The one major question we asked the management, actually, because there is Orthodox Jewish ownership, is whether they were expecting an outcry against the inclusion of MagiQuest in the facility as a form of avodah zara (aka idol worship or strange worship). There have been outcries against things like Harry Potter and other "fantasy" type books and movies, so we were wondering if there was a concern. The management said that walking through the mall, kids see much worse things, so this isn't really going to blow anyone out of the water. Good answer! Also, I'm guessing the super frummies out in Monsey won't be going into a mainstream mall anyway, so it probably won't be a problem.

So, listen, if I have my birthday party at Fun City, will y'all come? I'm so serious. My friend Neal had twenty-something birthday at Chuck-E-Cheese and it was amazing. There's nothing like getting to be a kid for a few hours every now and again, right?

Go like them on Facebook and get going to Fun City already!

Also: There are tons of MagiQuest locations all over the country, so one you have an account and your wand, you can go just about anywhere. I first spotted MagiQuest while visiting my little brother last year when we went to Myrtle Beach. If only I had known about the glory of this game ... 

Public Service Announcement Times Two

Two things, because they've been on my mind a lot lately.

One: Starbucks Frappuccinos are not kosher, period. At all. If you are shomer kashrut, there are a million other drinks you can get at Starbucks that are fine, but Starbucks changed from its coffee base to a creme base last year, and that base no longer is certified kosher. Mmk? Mmk.

Two: The Kotel, aka the Western Wall, is not -- I REPEAT -- not a part of the Second Temple, which was destroyed in 70 C.E. The wall is part of the remnants of the Temple courtyard wall. That is all.

That second one really grates my cheese. We mislead Jewish children in school and on trips to make them think it's a remnant of the Temple, when it isn't. Yes, it may be all we have left, and it's a place of historical value and definitely a place where one can become close with HaShem, but ... well, we've turned it into something it isn't.

Is that good? Is that bad? I don't know. All I do know is that I wish more people knew what it really is.

Shavua tov!

Shabbos Food + A Fall Course

It's hot as Hades outside (does anyone outside of the Midwest use that phrase? because I use it all the time), but I'm busy preparing for Shabbos anyway, baking, cooking, and attempting to stay hydrated. On the menu?

Well, this is for tomorrow. We're eating by Stephen and Tzipora, so I'm providing a dessert.

Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free Chocolate Torte

And then there's the food for tonight:

I decided to make Croatian Star Challah, which I read about on The Challah Blog.

Lovveeee it! So unique.  Too bad I can't eat it. Bummer.

Basil-Pesto Meatballs
(2 pounds ground turkey + 1 container Sabra Basil-Pesto Hummus, zehu!)

Roasted Mixed Vegetables with Lemon and Garlic

Fruity Quinoa with Raisins
(1 cup quinoa + 2 cups grape juice. Cook till liquid is gone. Add raisins. Serve hot or cold!)

And, of course, there's a Grilled Chicken with a Bourbon-Peach Butter. Check out the peaches on the stove!

The finished product isn't that tantalizing visually, but good lord the "butter" tastes amazing!

I'll add that this menu is for four people, but I had plotted this meal when I assumed we were having a full table (that's eight), and unfortunately not everyone was around this week. But I forged forth with my menu anyway! Lucky guests, eh?

And I have to mention, I just registered for another class for the fall, and I'm super stoked about it. The course is "Duties of the Heart: Intention in Jewish Law," and it's through the Law School, which means it'll be me and a bunch of Law Students (outside enrollment is capped at five!). Here's the course description:

The course will examine the role of intention in different areas of Jewish Law - prayer and performance of other commandments, shabbat, torts, criminal law, vows, idolatry, and other areas of law. We will read carefuly Talmudic discussions concerning these matters, attempting to investigate the philosophy of action implied in these discussions as well as the spiritual and dimension of the relationship between the inner life and the outer performance in Jewish thought and Jewish Law. (all materails will be supplied with English translation).

Are you as excited as I am? Because, well, you should be. Why? Because I'm going to rock some awesomeness, darn't!

Shabbat shalom!

Starbucks Dilemma

Moral (sort of) dilemma: I was in Starbucks today getting a beverage and a man in a kippah with a beard walked in with his son, who was probably 8 or 9.

Father: What is that thing that you want?
Son: A double chocolatey chip thing.
Starbucks Girl: Oh! A double chocolate chip frappuccino.
Son: Yeah, that!
Starbucks Girl: Whipped cream?
Son: Yeah!

The man proceeded to order an ice tea (which is fine), but I was perplexed. Didn't he know the frappuccino stopped being kosher last year? When they went from a coffee base to a cream base?

I was tormented. I really wanted to tell him. The guy clearly had zero clue what a frappuccino even was, let alone its kashrut status.

Should I have said something? Or would it have been out of line? Does it not matter because it was a kid?

Best Dairy Meal Ever. Period.

No one is paying me to write this. 

I just want to get that out of the way right now, because I know sometimes when I do "sponsored posts" (a girl's gotta eat) people get all in a tissy about me selling out or working for the "man." No, this post is coming straight from the heart. Or, rather, it's coming straight from my stomach and eyes to your eyes. If that makes sense.

I think the pictures can speak for themselves, but just for your info, if you want to read my review of this delicious restaurant -- Ariel's in Englewood, NJ -- on Yelp, be my guest. Also? It's Chalav Yisrael, so I expect @mottel and @wifeofmottel to come enjoy a delicious meal and to bring Baby Boo with them. Everyone else is welcome, too!

Tomato Roasted Garlic Soup, Stuffed Flounder, Gluten-Free Flourless Chocolate Cake

This was probably my last great meal before Israel. Not that I'm knocking Israel's restaurant stylings, I'm just not adept enough to know where to go and what hechshers make the most sense and so on. It's almost harder than keeping kosher in the U.S.

If you have suggestions of delicious kosher restaurants in Jerusalem that won't break the bank and beats this, be sure to let me know!

A Perfectly Purim Giveaway!

With Purim right around the corner, I'm sure you're all stocking up on delicious sweet treats for your mishloach manot baskets (and, of course, some for yourself), so here I am with another giveaway -- this time from the amazing folks at Oh!Nuts.

If you're not familiar with Oh!Nuts, they're purveyors of all things salty and sweet, chocolatey and healthy, fruity and gummy. I even sent a box of chocolates to my parents for the holidays in December! (And, of course, they loved them.) My dear Tuvia loves their Sweet 'n' Salty Cashews, and I'm a sucker for Koppers Coffee Cordials (alas, not gluten-free so I don't eat them anymore) and Mocha & Coffee Lentils.

Are you ready? Here are the details on how you can get a delicious Purim Basket!


To enter and win here on the blog:

• To win $30 gift certificate to use on Oh!Nuts choose your favorite Purim Gift and leave a comment with the name and URL of the gift you like the most.
• A winner will be chosen at random on Thursday, March 10, 2011, at 10 p.m.

To enter and win with Oh!Nuts directly (they will pick the winners):

• Go to the Oh!Nuts Facebook Page, become a fan, and post on the wall the URL and name of your favorite Purim Gift Basket. Also, be sure to write that you're there via www.kvetchingeditor.com.

AND/OR

• Follow @ohnuts and Tweet "Win a Purim Basket from http://bit.ly/aWXLzp. Follow @ohnuts and RT to enter daily.

Good luck, everyone! I can't wait to share some sweets with you.

Are You On jdeal.com?

Note: This is sort of an ad, sort of not. It's awesome, no matter what. It might seem confusing, but if you have questions, just ask. At the very least, click here and "like" my comment!


Some of you might have noticed that I've been posting on Facebook to "like" a comment I made on the JDeal NY Facebook page regarding the (loud booming voice) "Battle of the Bloggers" competition. If you haven't noticed, you're now abreast of the situation. There is a competition, and all bloggers are invited to take part. Here's the 411:

Jdeal.com is a "premiere online discount site offering daily deals geared toward the Jewish consumer," and the site is looking for a jdeal.com 2011 Ambassador. The competition will run online for three weeks, and the first week already is over! The search is for the blogger who believes he or she is the most influential and best-suited blogger for the title.

There will be nine finalists (three each week), and the winner will be named at the jdeal.com launch party in New York on Thursday, January 13, 2011.

Did I mention there will be cash prizes? (I caught your attention, right?)

To be qualified to enter, you have to follow these simple steps:

1. "Like" the jdeal.com page on Facebook.
2. Go to the Notes page for jdeal.com on Facebook and add a comment under the Competition Note, "Help me win the 'Battle of the Bloggers' competition." Be sure to add your blog's URL to the post!
3. Write about jdeal.com in your Facebook status and tag @jdealny.

The winner who receives the most "Likes" each week will be one of three winners per week, with prizes of $100 and $100 in jdeal.com credit and an entry for the grand prize of $500 and $500 jdeal.com credit, plus $1 for each "like" the jdeal.com Facebook page has received by the end of the competition.  Confused yet? There's been one week already, so that means there's still a chance for six more contestants!

The winner among the nine contestants will be the blogger who provides the most convincing case of becoming the jdeal.com ambassador for the year.

(There are also extra opportunities for the winner to recieve cash prizes, so please read the Terms & Conditions on the jdeal.com Facebook page. You must have a blog and be 18 years old or older at the start of the competition.)

jdeal was started by MetroImma co-founders Allen Ganz, an entrepreneur who has been involved in multiple successful technology start-up companies over his 20-year business career, and Jewish International Connection New York (JICNY) co-founder Jodi Samuels, who is a networking savvy entrepreneur and community activist. Founded in 2010, jdeal.com is a premiere online discount site offering daily deals geared towards the Jewish consumer. With an initial focus in the New York area, jdeal aims to offer exciting daily deals from kosher restaurants, spas, hotels, salons, and more. jdeal is a division of JMedia Connections Inc. For more information, please visit www.jdeal.com. For queries, please contact Elena Magg and Alana Pelosi at Elena.Magg@bhgpr.com and Alana.Pelosi@bhgpr.com. 

A Chanukah Giveaway from Oh! Nuts!

Chanukah is the time of year where we overdo it on oily goodies like latkes and sufganiyot, among other things. I'm going to be in Israel for part of Chanukah, and I was elated to find out that there's a shop in Israel that sells gluten-free sufganiyot -- color me happy! But my favorite part is all the gelt. Yes, gelt. I love, love, love gelt. But only the dark chocolate kind (keep that in mind).

Want to fill your candy dishes with some chocolatey treats? Maybe jonesing for some delicious granola or some gummy yummies? Then keep reading!

I've been doing a lot of giveaways lately, and I know that y'all love them. So here's another! The winner of this giveaway will receive a $25 gift certificate from Oh!Nuts, the fine purveyor of all things kosher and delicious. And you know what I love most about Oh!Nuts? They might be all kosher, but they offer goods and deals for every holiday -- Jewish or not!

Here are the details. You have three ways to enter. One here, and two elsewhere.

1) Go to the Oh!Nuts Chanukah gifts page, choose your favorite Chanukah Gift, and leave a comment here with the name and URL of the gift that you like the most. The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate.

2) Go to the Oh!Nuts Facebook Page and post the name and URL of your favorite Chanukah Gift from Oh!Nuts and write "I am here via Just Call Me Chaviva, aka www.kvetchingeditor.com."

3) Follow @OhNuts and tweet: "Win a free Chanukah Gift from http://bit.ly/6nIsCi | Follow @OhNuts and RT to enter!"

Good luck! The contest closes in a week (that is, Friday, November 26, 2010). Yes, I'll be in Israel, so it'll close before Shabbos in Israel :)

Walk a Mile in My Vest

Oh no! Blurry ... let's clear that up.

I decided to get my fashionista on today for an outing to the city that started far too early for my liking. My understanding was that class began at 8 a.m. down by Washington Square, so I got up at 6 a.m., grabbed a nearly-7 a.m. bus, and ended up at the door of my building (after nabbing a coffee) around 7:47 a.m. The door? Locked. Another classmate walked up, the security guard opened the building, we found the room, two other students joined us, and half an hour later ... we were sitting. Turns out the class was bumped to 9 a.m. and no one told us! Ugh. What a way to start the day, eh? After an intensive Hebrew-only course and reading a Hebrew article, I ventured to the campus Starbucks to do some e-work. After a few hours there, I decided to trek up to midtown, walk around a bit (stupid), find a place to sit and work, etc. It turned out I spent too much time walking (my feet are covered in blisters and raw skin), my computer ran out of juice and the Starbucks I was at had closed off all their wall-plate plugs (jerks), and by the time my awesomely awesome friend met up with me at around 4:30, I was pooped.

But? I looked good. And I was comfy.

We schlepped over to Cafe K on 48th, ate an amazing meal and schmoozed, and then got turned around heading to the subway on our way down to NYU for a 7 p.m. reading by Jonathan Safran Foer (author of "Everything is Illuminated"). By the time we got there, the auditorium was packed, we were exhausted, and we called it a day. But throughout the day, and even though when I got home I could no longer walk, I felt put together. I felt like I had a fluid look that I was comfortable in. So let's talk about it.

The outfit is:

Hat ~ Burlington Coat Factory

Jean Skirt ~ Land's End

Vest ~ Van Heusen

Ruffle shirt ~ Van Heusen

White tank (under) ~ Lane Bryant

Black Leggings (not pictured) ~ Old Navy

I wore my Skechers with these, and usually they're crazy comfortable, but no dice this time around. Sigh. My feet seriously hurt. My knees probably do, too, but I can't feel them. Anyhow, this outfit was an easy  throw together, and I was so, so, so excited to actually buy a vest and be able to pull it off. It's a really cozy material, and the ruffle shirt is really light weight, which makes it good for layering. The jean skirt, of course, is my constant-wear item. And the hat? Love it. The zipper detail is super cute, and the color scheme really comes together (CoverYourHair.com actually has headbands with this design now). If I'd of had some cushion in my shoes, this would have been the best fashion day EVER. There's always next time.

And, for those of you who haven't been to Cafe K, here are some photos of the amazing food. I had the most delicious fish ever, with the most creative potatoes ever -- baked potatoes that are then grilled! I felt so healthy-licious eating this. Oh, and the awesome friend wanted me to make sure her cappucino got some play. It, too, was delicious (or so she said). I highly recommend Cafe K, by the way. It's dairy, delicious, and aside from the bones in my fish, I had zero complaints. There will be a Yelp review, but believe me, it will all be good, so you can just take my word for it.

Yes, that's a fish in a cup on the cup!

This is the salmon with "baked" potato ... best grilled fish I've ever had, hands down.

And, again, in case you missed it the first time.

The Japanese salad. Yes, there's seaweed.

Stay tuned for a Yom Kippur post, and, on Sunday, the next installment of Haveil Havalim!

Mmm ... Coffee Sweets Giveaway!

Shavuot is coming up, and that means I need to prepare myself for all night study; after all, I'm giving a late-night (or early morning) shiur on "Rachav the Harlot: The Rabbis' Convert." Usually this means lots of coffee, not too much dairy, and plenty of sleep the day before. Traditionally, Jews the world over stay up all night on Shavuot, studying anything and everything involving Torah, and this means crafty ways of staying awake until morning davening. The interesting thing is that I remember reading -- somewhere, at some point -- that the Rabbis discuss, in the Midrashic Literature, the consumption of coffee in order to study into the late hours of the evening. In many cases, studying at night -- especially in the Middle Ages -- was the safest thing to do. Coffee, then, is in our bloods!

So here I am, partnered with the outstanding folks over at the world's largest online Kosher superstore, Kosher.com, to host a giveaway here on the blog for a special choco-coffee confectionary. Kosher.com, you see, recently became the newest East Coast reseller of Javaz's Dark and Milk Chocolate confectionaries. The most fascinating thing about this company? They select and roast coffee expressly for confectionary purposes! Oh, and it's kosher, which is always a plus!

So here's the deal: This giveaway is open for the next week (that is, I'll be drawing a winner at midnight on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 11:59 p.m.). What do you need to do?

1. Follow @kvetchingeditor AND @kosherdotcom on Twitter. 
2. Answer ONE of the following questions WITH a link to the product on the Kosher.com site. POST YOUR COMMENT HERE ON THE BLOG!
1. How do you take your coffee? 
2. What do you like to eat with your coffee?

Next Tuesday, I'll choose a winner at random, and that winner will receive a WEEK's SUPPLY of Javaz confectionary! Yes, that's right, a week's supply. That means one week where you can skip the Starbucks line, or better yet, save it all up for all-night Torah study! You can get a hefty dose of chocolate and a coffee buzz at the same time. That, to me, is besheirt! (That is, meant to be!)

Information about Javaz's chocolates: "The Dark is perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up or whenever you want to treat yourself. These artisan confections feature fair-trade organic Arabica coffee beans covered in exquisitely rich and luscious dark chocolate. The Milk, meanwhile, features fair-trade organic Arabica coffee beans smothered in melt-in-your-mouth milk chocolate!" (Also: They're Kof-K Dairy.)

NOTE: Only open to U.S. residents. Sorry Canadians and Israelis! But if you DO win, you can always choose to have it shipped as a gift to someone in the U.S.!

Ugh. Starbucks Kosher Confusion.

I know, I know -- Ask your local Orthodox rabbi. But I like to get a feel from my readership how they roll, and I know plenty of my readers have smichah, so why not?

Here's the deal: Monday is free pastry day at Starbucks, and me being Jewish and a lover of sweets and free things and pastries and Starbucks, I want to take part. The problem? I'm getting some seriously mixed signals about kosher pastries at Starbucks! Let's begin.

The OU website says that the following Baked Goods and Mixes are kosher:

Lemon Poppyseed T & S Muffin

Blueberry T & Muffin

Cranberry Orange T & S Muffin

LF Blueberry T & S Muffin

LF Cranberry Orange T & S Muffin

Carrot T & S Muffin

Carrot Zucchini T & S Muffin

Raisin Bran T & S Muffin

Chocolate Creme Cake Base

Muffin Base Mix Starbucks

Scone Base Mix Starbucks

Okay, now that that's done, KosherStarbucks.com tells me that "Majority of the pastries at Starbucks are not kosher. In some Starbucks stores the bagels are under the OU, and the original packaging should be checked for a certification." This notice is followed by a bunch of pre-packaged items that do contain the OU label.

I know that for many, it's that these baked goods are placed in a display case that holds other, questionable items (you know, like that bacon/egg/cheese muffin), so asking an employee for a fresh item from the back is always an option. But is that really an option? Are there any pastries at Starbucks I can freely ask for?

Agh! I need a too-many-calories and way-high-fat muffin! Stat! It's free, you know.

Live Bloggin SXSW: Part II, Oh to be Kosher

My mind officially has been blown out of the water. I never expected as much as I got here. I've spent the bulk of my time at the Interactive Trade Show, scoping booths by Google, Bing, and a ton of little startups whose names I subsequently have forgotten. I've got the stickers, however, so don't worry, I'll list them all and issue them their due credit in no time. But I am exhausted, running on a free cup of beer from Paypal for my recent woes with their purchasing system and third-party accessors, as well as an overpriced Starbucks latte that, interestingly, was totally worth it because it tasted about 30 times better than the kind I get in the store. Could the reason be that, well, I'm running on about 1.5 hours of sleep?

I've drained my phone twice today, checking in on Foursquare, taking photos and Twittering them, and trying to figure out where @Mottel is. So now, I'm hanging out in the "Chevy" Recharge Station where there are boatloads of little docks on tiny tables and around coffee tables and couches for people to sit, chill, drink free Sobe (not kosher) and hang. There is a crapton of free food here, and the bummer is that I can't eat any of it. MY hopes got up when I walked in and BAM, instantly there were free health food bars of some kind that happened to be OU-D; more on those later. And then? Everywhere cake and chips and salsa and candy and cookies and ... everything. Lots of beer. The amount of beer these people are drinking is insane! Oh, and hot dogs. And I've been craving hot dogs. What a wretched situation to be in!

I think next year I should push for some KOSHER vendors. I mean, how many Jews are here? Observant Jews? Probably not so many. I wonder if SXSW Interactive does any kind of demographic study. If not, they should. Heck, I'll do it for them.

So far, one of the most interesting things I came across was AOL Seed. Now, I hate AOL with every fiber of my being, but the Seed thing seems pretty gnarly. They outsource articles to people and average Joes can write for them, they pick the stuff, and ship it off to whatever vendor has requested it (Engaged, among them). So of course, being an editor, I had to ask -- Who does your editing? Bangalore, he said. BANGALORE!? Outsourcing your editing to foreign countries? Really? That's what really gets a copy editor down. Maybe I put the fear of G-d in him and he'll look me up, who knows.

Okay, I'm off to another adventure. The parties begin soon, and it's a million degrees outside. I'm praying it cools down ... this is no climate for a frum girl! Check out my Twitter stream for lots of fun photos, including a giant floaty Google box, half-naked cheerleaders, and MORE!

Oh!Nuts Giveaway Winner! And ANOTHER Give-it-Away!

It is with GREAT pleasure (and thanks to the nifty random picker website) that I announce the winner of the Purim @OhNuts giveaway here on the blog. The lucky individual?

Carrie!

Mazal tov on the win. For those of you hoping to win, stay tuned, because starting tomorrow I'll be posting ANOTHER giveaway, this time from one of the most awesome sites on the intertubes, CoverYourHair.com!

[Note to the winner: I'll be passing along your info to the folks at Oh!Nuts.]

Light my Cupcake Menorah?

Oh Cupcake Menorah, oh Cupcake Menorah, how lovely are your candles! (Sung to the tune of Oh Christmas Tree, but a little more appropriate here.)

I have to give a hat tip to @ModernTribe_Jew for Tweeting about this. Talk about the cutest and coolest idea ever. Yesterday was National Cupcake Day, so this treat is right on time for your menorah lighting. Also, who wouldn't love to just chow down on that menorah after the candle burns out?

Check out EatMeDaily to get the recipe and how-to for this classy and tasty menorah.

Chanukah Oh!Nuts Giveaway!

(Not back, just here to give y'all a chance for some goodies. This isn't controversial, right?)

You read the subject right, I'm here to facilitate a contest for a $25 gift certificate to Oh Nuts! If you're not familiar with the company, you're missing out. Their products are all kosher, and they're delicious, too. They have chocolate, gummies, nuts, dried fruits, jelly beans -- you name it, they have it. So get ready, you have three ways to enter.

1. Visit the Oh!Nuts Chanukah gifts page. Choose your FAVORITE gift and leave a comment here, in my comments section with the name and URL of the gift. I'll pick a random winner upon my return from Israel, either on December 6 or 7. That gives you a LOT of time to enter. The winner will be sent the gift certificate by Oh!Nuts.
2. Visit the Oh!Nuts Facebook Page, write on their wall the URL and name of your favorite Chanukah Gift. Also include "I am here via Just Call me Chaviva."
3. Follow @OhNuts and Tweet: Win a free Chanukah Gift from http://bit.ly/6nlsCi. Follow @ohnuts and retweet to enter!"

So enter. Spread the word, and spread the wealth. You've got a LONG time to enter!

Chavi's Cooking -- Look Out!

Winter is readily upon us here in Connecticut. It's a lovely 37 degrees outside at 9:30 a.m., and I couldn't be happier. I get to wear long jean skirts and sweaters. It also means that in no time I'll be needing to make some of my mom's delicious potato soup!

However, for now, I'm just preparing for this Shabbos. Tuvia and I have decided to spend Shabbos not in the community, mostly because our hosts are asking for a break and we need a serious break, too. The chagim wore us out and some serious relaxation time with Bananagrams and Long Naps is in order. So what's the meal looking like?

Friday Dinner
Klops -- Eastern European Sweet-and-Sour Meatballs (a favorite from Pesach 2008)
Sweet Potato Hash (A recipe borrowed from a friend from Pesach 2008)
Potato and Garlic Soup (Boxed, kosher parve! Yay!)
Gefilte
Apple Crisp (From Weight Watchers magazine)
Homemade Challah

Saturday Lunch
Chicken Cholent
Homemade Challah
Um ... not sure what else to serve here. Maybe a kugel?

Saturday Dinner
Tomato and Pepper Lasagna (recipe from WW; for me, because I like tomato sauce)
Stuffed Pizza Rolls (mostly for Tuvia, but I'm going to try one -- sans meat!)
Maybe some Orzo dish on the fly.
Either Cinnamon Crumb Cake or Lava Cake

You know there will be photos. OH YES. There will be photos. Stay tuned!

The Ultimate Kosher Culture Shock

Last year, Tuvia had mentioned something called "The Big E" to me when I asked him whether states out this way rock State Fairs like we do in the Midwest. We missed it last year because we were newly dating and our schedules weren't meshing, so we'd vowed to go this year to the gigantic fair that honors all of the states out here -- Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. I was stoked that we got tickets and managed to find a small window of time to go this past week. But boy oh boy was I in for a serious shock.

We arrived at The Big E fairgrounds with dozens and dozens of other cars, people schlepping on food, and RVs pulling in for the long-haul. We parked, walked through piles of mud, handed them our tickets (which they digitally scanned, which I thought was odd considering fairs in my mind are old-school), and went on our way. We wove our way through sheds and jacuzzis for sale, landing out near the Midway and near what would be something I wasn't prepared for: Fair Food.

When I was a kid, we once drove to the fairgrounds in Missouri, driving around for hours trying to find an empty hotel room, just to see some butter sculpture of Garth Brooks. We ate fried food, funnel cakes, gigantic turkey legs, and every fried goodie in between. You see, the Midwestern way when it comes to fairs is to consume as much as you can that is either fried or on a stick, or better yet -- both! You drink soda or hot chocolate or a big slushie, chow down on a deep-fried Twinkie, and marvel at gigantic vegetation or animals.

As we walked around the fair, I was reminded at how un-Midwestern it was. Yes, they had all the food trappings (the fried dough could be smelled from every corner of this place), but to see the gigantic animals you had to pay a buck. It was disappointing. But the buildings all housed the basic goods -- ShamWOW!s, choppers and knives, various pet goods, and the obligatory "Pray with Us" booth and the "Abortion is Wrong" booth with a gigantic fetus plastered on the booth wall.

As we walked around, I was feeling starved. All I wanted to do was buy some fried pickles (a classic Southern Missouri/Northern Arkansas treat), grab a basket of cheese fries, and top it off with some funnel cake. But I couldn't. I couldn't even approach the stands. I couldn't even consider it.

I'm kosher.

So imagine my delight when, after entering the craft corner, Tuvia shouted "Chavi! Look! Kosher!" Yes, there we were, in front of a candied nut booth that sported a local hechsher. Nuts. This is what I can eat at a fried, fatty-filled fair? Nuts? Cinnamon candied nuts? That's it? Okay, that's a lie. Tuvia managed to grab a coffee (a locally hechshered brand, mind you) while I had some chai (also kosher). We thought about purchasing a pretzel, since the brand that's plastered all over the heating elements is one that's kosher. But who's to say that the pretzels IN there are kosher?

As we walked through the state houses, we discovered Ben and Jerry's and a local dessert ice place, as well as a placed that was dishing out baked potatoes (with OU-certified Cabot [barf] sour cream), but by then we were worn out. Tired from all the food we couldn't eat. Or maybe it was just me. Tuvia's a Jersey boy. I'm a born-and-bred Midwestern with a palate for fried cheese and treats on sticks.

I know that it's just food, but food is how we socialize, it's how we relate to one another, the world around us. And being there, on gigantic fairgrounds spewing food that we couldn't eat, was depressing. It was a culture shock. The reality of my situation really hit me then.

Since early June, I've only eaten non-kosher once (it was a Jones for some TGIFridays). It's not so bad, but it is hard. I like to eat out. After all, my Yelp profile is full of eateries in Chicago and Washington DC and even here in Connecticut. Unfortunately, in Connecticut, the closest kosher restaurants are in Waterbury and that's just deli and pizza. If you want something real -- sushi, burgers, barbecue, steak -- you have to schlep to Monsey or Boston or New York.

I haven't had a cheeseburger in probably five years. That goes the same for shrimp and pork. If I consumed pork or shellfish since then, it was by no knowledge of my own. It took me a while to warm up to the idea of no meat and cheese. Don't get me wrong -- I've been doing no beef/dairy for years. But the chicken/cheese took me a while to really figure out. Keeping kosher dishes and containers and pots and pans and stuff hasn't been so bad. It's been staying healthy and kosher that's been the biggest problem for me. But I'm working on it. I'm back on my Morningstar Burger bent. Amen for Morningstar.

How do we do it? How do Jews in the boonies (not that Hartford is boonies, but I can't even go to the deli and get a sandwich for Pete's sake) manage without kosher restaurants? We all get tired of cooking, especially when it's the same stuff over and over again. Even trying new dishes can burn you out. I just know that when Tuvia and I are in Israel in two months that coming back will be difficult, if not impossible. Having kosher food at your fingertips -- even having that cultural mindset of kashrut -- will blow our collective minds into submission to those pushing aliyah.

But one thing's for sure: I can never go to the fair again.

Until, of course, they offer something kosher and delicious. How hard would it be to put up a kosher booth? After all, The Big E states are full of Jews -- Connecticut and Massachusetts especially. Do Jews not go to the fair? Maybe I'll start my own fair. Or maybe that's what the Purim fair is for. Who knows.

Either way, this Kosher Cornhusker can't go home again. At least, not with a corn dog in one hand and fried cheese on a stick in the other.

And the Oh!Nuts Winner is ...

I'd like to wish a hearty MAZAL TOV to ... well, watch the video to find out :)

Note: I have NO idea why I said there were 42 entrants. There were clearly 43. I can't count. Or maybe I was mentally disqualifying Tuvia from the drawing because, well, I'd of felt bad if he won. There were 45 comments, minus my comment, minus DovBear's attempt to steal my entrants (all in good humor, of course). Congrats to the winner, again!