Time to click over and take the Pre Summer Organizing Challenge!

I’m really into Chocolate covered pretzels. Yum. They are so tasty and they look great. Believe it or not, they’re not hard to make.

And that’s exactly what I’m going to do for Purim Mishloach Manot.

1. I just bought 9 bags of tall pretzel PAREVE rods. A little hard to find, check your kosher grocery store.

2. I bought a few bags of Chocolate chips, since I haven’t made them all yet, I can’t tell you exactly how many bags to buy. Will update you shortly.

3. I am going to dip just the tops of the pretzel rods in chocolate and then dip them in rainbow sprinkles or pareve candies like crushed peppermint sticks.

4. I plan to give about 8-9 chocolate covered pretzels in a brown, semi flat paper bag, tied with rope and with a little tag on the end.

Here’s the idea:

What do y’all think? I can’t wait to start! I found the beautiful pictures from one of my absolute favorite blogs Fashionisha.com.

I know that we are supposed to give purim food gifts with 2 types of food inside and no the chocolate on top of the pretzels don’t count I don’t think, so while I’m dipping chocolate anyhow, I may just throw a small bag of chocolate covered apricots in there too.

Happy Purim!

Take a look at these clever organizing ideas. I thought you’d enjoy

http://www.thedailybuzz.com.au/2011/11/25-clever-ideas_household-tips_storage-ideas/#.TuIq_TPLYu4.facebook

Tips for Cooking Family Meals on a Budget

Creating meals from scratch may sound like a task and a half – especially when you have only got a limited amount of time available to you – however, put in the time and you can offer your family more than a nutritional meal. You can save money too.

Sure you will have to spend a bit buying the ingredients (or more than a bit with kosher ingredients!), but what is amazing about cooking from scratch is that these ingredients will make multiple meals across the week. Meaning in the long term, you will be saving the pennies and reducing your food costs.

Where do I start?

As I mentioned above, one of the biggest constraints we face as a nation is the fact that many of us have little time to cook. From long working hours to caring for our children, time seems to slip away from us leaving us with the options of processed foods, ready meals and take aways.

However with a little planning, you can cook on a budget and still eat healthy.

1. Cooking from scratch – I’ve already mentioned some of the benefits from cooking from scratch i.e. value for money (1 lot of ingredients can make multiple meals), but there are many more to consider.

– You know what you are eating. Did you know your average chicken nugget only contains 50% meat? Makes you wonder what the other 50% is. Cooking from scratch allows you to know exactly what you are eating, as well as cut out unnecessary extras.

– You can cook in bulk. If you are struggling for time, make enough for several meals and store it in the freezer.

2. Order in bulk – often the bigger the packet, the larger your savings. And this applies to many of your foods. So instead of buying a 500g packet of pasta, opt for a 1-2kg packet and compare the prices. You’ll soon see that the larger packet is cheaper per g.

You can also get better deals on meat when you order in bulk. I remember staying with someone for Pesach and she ordered one side of a cow for her family! A little gross but it sure lasted the whole Yom Tov.

Simply order and you can have them cut into your preferred portion sizes. You can even go as far as to order with a friend or colleague.

3. Forget processed foods – have you ever stopped to see what they contain? When you consider what manufacturers add to foods, and how little of the real meat/food you are getting, they are not as cheap as they appear.

Instead, have a go at making them yourself. For example, instead of buying crackers, make them yourself. Alternatively, swap your supermarket bread and chips, and make them yourself. Invest in a breadmaker or slice up some potatoes yourself.

4. Plan ahead – we often go to the supermarket with no clear idea of what we need. As a result we tend to buy foods we don’t really want or have already got. That’s why it is important to plan ahead, so you don’t overspend.

– Plan your meals for the week – take into consideration the ingredients you’ll need and in what quantities

– What have you already got in your cupboards – can any tins or leftovers from a previous meal be incorporated into a new dish?

– Keep your cupboards stocked with the basics – beans, soup, lentils, tinned tomatoes, tinned tuna, pasta, flour, rice, milk, eggs, cheese – all of these can be used to make multiple meals

– Write a shopping list – once you know what you need, write a list and stick to it. No deviations

5. Avoid wasting food – how often do you prepare too much, are unable to finish it and end up throwing it away? We’ve all done it, but did you know that most food will keep for up to 2 days in your fridge? Simply cool any leftover food as quickly as possible, cover and store in your fridge for the next day.

6. Use local shops – going to your local green grocer and market can save you lots of money, mainly because you do not have to pay for the packaging like you do at the supermarket.

7. Consider cheaper cuts – when it comes to fish and meat, just because it is cheaper doesn’t mean it doesn’t taste delicious. It is all about cooking it the right way. For example, it is possible to make a casserole from braising steak. Yes it may be fattier than other cuts of beef, but trim off the fat and slow cook for 2-3 hours and it can become incredibly tender.

The last thing you want is to make a nice family meal with succulent lamb chops only to spend all your time chewing the meat! A little preparation and care when cooking can go a long way.

And that is it! Give these 7 tips a try, and witness the difference they can make to your bank balance. With practice you can make your weekly shop a lot more affordable.

Watch our recent Webinar called From Overworked to Overjoyed: How to Plan, Strategize, and Enjoy the High Holidays to the Fullest.

Here’s the link to watch the video:
http://www.instantpresenter.com/therelationshipr/E953DF83834B

Announcing for the VERY First Time! TheRelationshipRabbi.com and Jewishlifeorganized.com come together in a Pre-High Holiday TeleClass designed for You and Your Family’s Success! In 1 Hour, we’re going to give you our BEST tried and true strategies that we use in our own home for Success with our planning, our marriage, our kids and all of our relationships. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to have your PERSONAL pre-submitted questions answered on the call.

Imagine how helpful it will be to be able to learn:

• How to Diffuse Arguments that may arise from Extended Family
• How to create a Team approach with your Spouse so you feel 100% supported at all times
• Strategies for Child Behavior Success despite the lack of structure and change in schedule over the Holidays
• How to make sure this Year is EVEN BETTER than last Year!
• Organizing Tips for a Smooth Erev Yom Tov

…and How to make sure YOUR needs are met so you can ENJOY a wonderful sense of well-being during this start of the New Year and throughout the entire year!

We can’t wait to share this information with you! See you on the call!

Here’s where you go to RESERVE your spot on the call: Click here!

Warmest Regards,
Rabbi Shlomo and Rivka Slatkin

What I’m doing NOW to get ready for Rosh Hashanah 2011

Wow! It’s been a busy summer. Now that the kids are off to school, it’s time to get focused on preparing for Rosh Hashanah 2011. Here’s what I doing now to get ready for Rosh Hashanah 2011.

- Realizing that Rosh Hashanah is a 3 Day Yom Tov! Do get yourself a free copy of this special report, Cracking the code to a 3 day Yom Tov

- Decluttering! Decluttering and more decluttering. It seems there is always more to declutter and declutter so just keep doing it. Set up relationships with consignment shops or donation centers so you can just keep on bringing items.

- Preparing my yard for Sukkos. We have a lot of mosquitos to deal with so I’ve been weeding, trimming back, raking leaves, and doing everything I can do to get the yard prepared for Sukkos.

- Looking for good prices on Meat and foods that I’ll need for our favorite Rosh Hashanah recipes and stocking up. It’s a good thing I waited until now to shop for meat since we had practically a week of no electricity! I felt for all of the women more organized than I who purchased lots of meat only to have it spoil

- Taking inventory of my own Yom Tov clothing as well as all of the members of my family.

- Re-reading all of the resources already written for past Rosh Hashanah years here on our website Jewish-life-organized.com!

What are you doing to get ready for Rosh Hashanah? I’ll post a few updates on this topic of What I’m doing NOW to get ready for Rosh Hashanah. Stay tuned!

Making your own Power Bars

Making your own Power Bars is actually extremely easy and can be tastier than what is sold out there in the world of power bars.

I’m not quite sure if it saves you money as the recipe that I use requires you use a lot of nuts, which aren’t cheap, and if you want to do the math you’re more than welcome

We recently went on a special diet, similar to a gluten free diet, and I found a website that I love and follow quite often called Elana’s Pantry.

Recently, Elana came out with a recipe for Gluten Free Apricot Power Bars and I’ve been making it each week as a healthy snack for lunches and just to munch on.

Click here to go to Elana’s recipe. I think it’s safe to say that if you like the taste of power bars, you’ll like this recipe.

Let me know how making your own power bars goes for you!

Jewish Homemaking Weekly Printable Checklist for July 31-August 7

Tomorrow night is Rosh Chodesh Av, marking the beginning of the 9 days. This week’s checklist is centered around the requirements of the 9 days and may it be the last 9 days we ever have!

_____ Tomorrow night is the last time you can drink wine and eat meat so remember to plan dairy or pareve meals except for Shabbos.

_____ Get your laundry done now as we are not supposed to do laundry during the 9 days.

_____ Plan activities for your kids for Tisha Bav- many communities have Tisha Bav camps planned so if you aren’t a great faster, this can be a lifesaver for you!

_____ There is a great pill that you can take before the fast called “kali Zom” (easy fast), even if you are pregnant or nursing to ensure an easier fast. I took it last year and it helped a lot! Order it here: Easyfasts.com!

_____ Stock up on tylenol or acetaminophen if you get caffeine withdrawal headaches from fasting. I take one the night before, just as the fast begins, and it does help a bit.

_____ Ask a Rabbi if you are pregnant regarding fasting on Tisha Bav. Although it is one of the more stringent fasts, there may be some leniences for pregnant women.

Get started on this week’s Jewish Homemaking Weekly Printable Checklist for an easier Tisha Bav.

Easy Cake Decorating

If you want your cakes to look fancy and you don’t have a lot of time, try this easy cake decorating tip.

It can work on whatever cake recipe you use! Use a doily and sprinkle cinnamon or cocoa, or icing sugar (depending on the color of the whole cake) through the holes of the doily and then lift up the doily.

You’ve got a dainty, elegant looking cake! Enjoy