I love to cook and especially enjoy using new recipes and techniques. Here are a couple of tips that I thought would be helpful to all:

1.  Most chefs do not recommend rinsing mushrooms in water as they can become waterlogged and  flavorless. To clean mushrooms use a damp sponge and gently wipe away any dirt or grime.

2. An easy way to avoid tearing up when chopping onions is to chill them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before use. This will reduce the amount of acid enzymes released into the air which causes the tears.

3. Always store nuts in the fridge as they contain oil which can go rancid in warm temperatures.

4. The next time you use celery in a recipe don’t throw out the leaves. Many cooks use celery leaves to flavor chicken or vegetable soups, as a garnish on a salad or as a substitute for cilantro (just make sure not to overcook the celery leaves as they can become bitter).

5. Add uncooked rice to your salt shaker to keep the salt from clumping.

6. To avoid spills in the oven from an overflowing pie or tart simply place a cookie sheet underneath .

I recently came upon a fashion article which featured methods that makeup artists use on models to appear more awake on the runways. One of the methods given was to swipe some gold eyeshadow on your eyelids which would instantly brighten your eyes. While I am no jet setting model  I am a sleep deprived mother who often feels and looks jet lagged, so I tried some gold eyeshadow on my eyes and they were instantly bigger and brighter!

Here are some  shadows to try: ( If gold is too severe you can try a more softer yellow. I use the Bare Minerals in Butterfly and then I blend some bronze shadow. For a more convenient option try the Nars Duo Cream eyeshadow ).

1. Nars Duo Cream Eyeshadow in Thebes www.amazon.com {$32.00}

2. Mac Eye Shadow in Goldmine www.macys.com {$14.50}

3. BareMinerals Eye Shadow www.sephora.com {$13.00}

Here is a delicious veggie burger recipe from chef Elky Probkevitz. To contact Elky or to find out more about her personal chef services please visit www.takehomechef.net.

Veggie Burgers are a healthy alternative for a satisfying meal. These burgers have so much flavor, you won’t even miss the meat . This dish is a great choice during the nine days!

Ingredients:

15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 small red onion, shredded and squeezed dry

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1 small carrot, finely diced

1 cup plain breadcrumbs

2 scallions, finely chopped

2 Tbsp chopped parsley

2 Tbsp Worcestershire or soy sauce

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

3 Tbsp olive oil

3 cups mushrooms, sliced

4 english muffins or whole wheat buns, toasted

garnish: mayo, mustard, baby spinach or lettuce, tomato, onion

Smash the beans in a bowl with a fork until chunky. Add onions, walnuts, carrot, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, scallions, parsley 1 tsp sauce. Season with salt and pepper and mix with hands. Form mixture into 4 patties. Lightly coat with remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in skillet over medium-high heat and cook patties till golden, 2-3 minutes per side. Heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium heat, add mushrooms + 1 tsp sauce. Season with salt and pepper and cook 3-4 minutes. Serve on english muffins with your choice of garnish.

I am so happy to have discovered “Creative Jewish Mom” a blog full of craft ideas, recipes and fabulous pictures from a frum mom living in Israel. One of my favorite projects that she did was to frame some leftover wallpaper for her childrens room. I have always wanted to do this, so I went out and bought some gorgeous (and inexpensive)  paper that I plan to hang  in my sons room. Here are some more great designs for your kids rooms (you can also use a more sophisticated print for a guest room study etc)

1. Lotus flower Wrapping Paper by www.papersource.com { $2.25}

2. Chandelier Gift Wrap Sheets in Pink/Silver by www.katespaperie.com {$5.00}

3. Hollywood Hills Gift Wrap by www.whimsypress.com {$4.50}

4. Mixed Greens D-vine inspiration by www.papermojo.com {$5.50}

Hey Everyone,

I am currently on vacation until July 20. Please be sure to check in once I return as I am working on some great new content. I hope everyone has a great summer!

Thanks,

“the balabusta”