For those lucky enough to be making Pesach at home we present you with a Guide to Kashering the Kitchen for Pesach (PDF) courtesy of Artscroll Publications. This guide is chapter 15 of The Kosher Kitchen – A Practical Guide by Rabbi Binyomin Forst, a great resource for those who… keep a kosher kitchen. Share| Read More

Martha Stewart receives a tour of the machine-made Matzah baking process at Streit’s Matzah factory on the lower East side of Manhattan. Share| Read More

According to a new exhibit at the Jewish Museum in New York the real-life adventures and escapades of H.A. and Margret Reys, the creator of the beloved Curious George character, was the inspiration behind the stories and antics of the little troublemaker whom kids adore. H.A. and Margret Reys — he changed the name from Reyersbach — were German Jews... Read more

What has more value, a grand afikomen prize or a mega Chol Hamoed trip? Some are inclined to opt for a pricey gift in place of a big trip, thinking that a toy will provide endless hours of fun, while a trip only occupies the children for a few hours. A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggests just the opposite. When... Read more

Here’s a nice variety of cookies well worth a try this Pesach. Mocha Meringues This recipe is adapted from Buttersugarflour. Ingredients: 3 large egg whites 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon potato starch ½ teaspoon white vinegar 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 3 teaspoons ground coffee 3 ounces dark chocolate Directions: Preheat... Read more

In yet another recall the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Graco have issued a recall for 1.2 million Graco Recalls Harmony highchairs. Apparently the screws holding the front legs of the high chair can loosen and fall out and/or the plastic bracket on the rear legs can crack causing the high chair to become unstable and tip over unexpectedly.... Read more

The kids will be off from school any day now for Pesach vacation. Prepare some activities in advance. Here are some Pesach oriented coloring pages you can print: From Aish.com (PDF) From Chabad.org (PDF) From Torah Tots Share| Read More

Kosher cookbooks. There are so many, yet never enough. Which is why we are delighted that a new one – Dining In Again – has just been released. Please share your feedback on the recipes! Click here for a PDF of 6 recipes from the book. Click here for a PDF of 33 pages from the book. Share| Read More

In a savvy marketing move a yeshiva in Minneapolis that is suffering from a severe decrease in contributions managed to get CNN to do a story on them. But that is not the interesting part. What is fascinating is that the school, called MyYeshiva, caters specifically to students with learning disabilities. Its curriculum, which includes physical education,... Read more

The Times has an article about something that you probably think about daily – or whenever you load your dishwasher or washing machine. How much detergent should I use? Apparently, most people put in much too much which wastes money and damages the machine. It also shortens the life of the clothes or towels and makes dishes and glasses appear filmy. The... Read more

There is no question that being overweight is not good for one’s health. There is also no question that contemporary Western culture equates being thin with being beautiful. For many women (and men), these two facts translate into a life-long struggle to lose weight and attempt to maintain a healthy self-image. For most people losing weight is a continuous... Read more

Although there are many great parenting books out there it is always refreshing when a professional from our community, who understands our religious needs and cultural sensitivities, publishes a book on parenting. A new book called “kids…will be kids! Practical & Professional Solutions to Your Parenting Challenges” by Mimi Schechter Kleiman,... Read more

In a beautiful article on chabad.org, Racheli Muchnik, a Chabad Shlucha in Oxnard, California, describes her unique experience having a natural, yet painless, labor and delivery during the birth of her daughter Menucha. Racheli achieved this by using the meditation techniques of the HypnoBirthing method which teaches that in the absence of fear and... Read more

Is it possible that many children are misdiagnosed as having learning disabilities, ADD or ADHD when in fact they have an optometry issue that Vision Therapy could correct? In an interesting NY Times Magazine piece Judith Warner looks into the fast growing field of Vision Therapy which is administered not by psychologists or psychiatrists but by Behavioral... Read more

Charging cell phones is always a bit clumsy. You’ll often find phones charging on the floor or unsightly charger wires snaking around furniture or on the floor. The Blackberry’s have the charging pods that are pretty neat if you can hide the wire behind a piece of furniture but of course the iPhone has to up-funk all of its competitors with... Read more

An article in the Boston Globe addresses the debate that behavioral specialists are having as to whether mean behavior among girls is starting at a younger age than in the past and how to deal with it. The girl came home from school upset. A classmate had called her names. Told her everyone hated her. Said she couldn’t sit with the others at lunch.... Read more

Like most trends, the popularity of this season’s bib necklace will fade but the lesson we can learn is how a bold piece of jewelry can transform our whole look. From trendy to classic, here are some statement pieces to perk up a simple outfit. More Anthropologie… Share| Read More

Are infants wheeled around in strollers more detached from their mothers than those carried around in baby carriers? According to the famous pediatrician and parenting guru Dr. William Sears they are. He believes that babies who are carried around in a sling are smarter, calmer, more attentive, less colicky and more likely to develop healthy sleep habits... Read more

Walmart.com and many Walmart stores have the Hamilton Beach Wave Station Express Dispensing Blender in black for $13.00. It is listed on Amazon for $22.30. If you have a dispensing blender on your Pesach list this may be a good deal. Share| Read More

The hiding, bargaining, wish-lists and of course the afikomen gift itself has always been one of the highlights of the seder for children – and some adults. Unless your gift is going to be something large or muktza, like a bike or electronics, a great idea is to give the present right at the seder (remember to open all wrappers and don’t gift-wrap... Read more