Tag: kids

Halva Krembo’s

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know about my recent trip to Israel. I posted lots of droolworthy pics of all of the delicious foods I was eating! And there was no shortage of that. Israel is the land of milk and honey – overflowing with the most amazing bounty. A single trip to the Machane Yehudah market will prove just that. You’ll find the sweetest seasonal fruits and perfect large, robust vegetables that are all farm fresh and (mostly) locally grown. The stands piled high with fresh baked pastries, the artisan breads and fluffy pillows of pita, and the hidden gems of culture at every turn are awe-inspiring.

One thing the shuk is known for is it’s halva. “Mamlechet HaHalva”, or “The Halva Kingdom” is famous for it’s amazing array of halva flavors. It is so hard to pick a favorite but the espresso, candied pecan and cinnamon are all up there!

And any of you that have walked passed the halva stand have been nudged by the famous “Halva King” to try a piece. He’s become a fixture in the shuk, gold crown and all! See my pic with him below!

The Halva Kingdom recently started making a line of flavored tahini as well. I tasted the freshly ground paste (which tastes like peanut butter) and then sampled a selection of sweet and savory flavors like tomato, pesto, nougat, chocolate, and more. The nougat was so good, I brought home a bucket!

All of the amazing flavors and aromas of the shuk inspired me to create a twist on a classic Israel snack – the KREMBO. Krembo is hebrew for “There’s Cream In It”, referring to the fluffy cream hiding under it’s chocolate coating. Krembo’s have a round biscuit base and are available in vanilla and mocha flavors. They’re wrapped up in thin foil packaging, blue for vanilla and brown for mocha.

With tahini being just about the most popular food of Israel, I was surprised they never came out with a halva flavored krembo – so I decided to do just that! I started with a sesame-flavored cookie and topped it with some tahini-flavored whipped cream. I coated it all in chocolate and decorated it with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.


Creating a beautiful chocolate glaze came together easily with the amazing new brand of kosher vegan chocolate chips – California Gourmet. Their 45% cocoa chips are rich in chocolatey flavor with just the right balance of sweetness. I love how easily it melts, perfect for dipping, and it hardens quickly too. I stir in some coconut oil to create the perfect chocolate magic shell, and we use the leftovers to have a little after-school fondue dipping party!

California Gourmet chocolate chips help me keep my krembo’s pareve, without sacrificing on richness and flavor. And boy are these rich and flavorful! Halva flavored Krembo’s, here we come!

And while we are talking about homemade krembo’s, I must give a shoutout to the Balaboosta cookbook. In it, Israeli Chef Einat Admony recreates one of the favorite snacks of her childhood, you guessed it….krembo. Her homemade version of the classic (which looks incredible, by the way), gave me the push I needed to make these happen.

You see, I’m not much of a pastry girl. In fact, I don’t own a single pastry bag. When I say to fill your pastry bag with whip cream, I mean Ziploc. And I cut the corner with a scissor, the old fashioned way. That’s how I pipe people. So let me tell you – If i can make these, you most definitely can. They might look intimidating, but they are anything but. And that, my friends, is just the way I like to do things. Happy Halva-ing!



Here are some photos of the things that inspired this recipe! With the Halva King, eating freshly ground tahini and surrounded by the many flavors of tahini, halva, and of course, krembo!

This post is sponsored by California Gourmet Chocolate Chips. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  

Related Recipes: halva & ricotta stuffed figs

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Butterfly Candy Craft

It’s funny how parents have to go from simple pink party bags to more elaborate birthday themes as their kids grow. I, for one, have a little pre-tween approaching a 2-digit birthday in just a couple of years, and the easy cupcake and party bag birthday just doesn’t cut it anymore. This year, I managed to convince her to turn her party bag into a fun craft, and when she saw the adorable outcome, I didn’t have to say it twice. We used two types of candy (candy corn & individually-wrapped chews), which I actually weighed for 24 of her classmates. I prepared the supplies in little DIY baggies, and did a quick demonstration for the big-eyed 7 year olds. Paired with some ices, it was the perfect goodie bag that doubled as a fun craft. I’m sure your kids will enjoy it too!

The best part about this adorable butterfly craft is that it’s easily customizable. If you’re not a fan of cavity-laden candies, feel free to fill them with fresh fruit, crackers, cereal, or nuts. You can also decorate the butterflies to your liking, choosing from different types of card stock and decorations. Whatever you decide, your students, campers, or kids will be thrilled to create this fun and creative edible craft.

What you’ll need:

snack size Ziploc bags (6 1/2″ x 3 1/4″)
candy, cereal, crackers, fruit or nuts
pipe cleaners
clothes pins
card stock
sequins, gems or other decorative accents
glue

How to:

1. Fill the Ziploc bag halfway with candy.
2. Seal the bag, pressing out all the extra air as you go.
3. Push the candy to one side of the bag, and place a pipe cleaner in the center.
4. Loop the pipe cleaner around the bag and twist tightly to secure.
5. Open the empty side of the bag and fill with a second type of candy. Close securely.
6. Twist ends of the pipe cleaner around your finger to create swirls.
7. Place a clothes pin over the center of the bag, covering the twisted pipe cleaner.
8. Place glue along the length of the clothes pin and cover with card stock.
9. Decorate the card stock as desired.

NOTE: If you are only using one type of candy, you can fill the bag up all the way and just twist the pipe cleaner around the middle.

Related Posts:
rainbow cupcakes
candy sushi
ice cream clowns

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Watermelon Limeade

There’s nothing like an ice cold cup of lemon or limeade to cool you off on a hot summer’s day. Summer, or winter, I’m a huge fan of citrus drinks, but all too often, I find that they are overly sweet. This lightly sweetened watermelon-limeade is reminiscent of agua fresca, a refreshing fruit-infused water drink popularized in Mexico . Aqua fresca is a terrific thirst quencher for summer picnics and barbeques.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been wanting to set up a lemonade stand for my kids. So when I was testing this recipe for the blog, I knew just  what to do with my pitcher full of limeade. My girls couldn’t be more excited about their reenactment of one of their favorite books “Pinkalicious and The Pink Drink,” while my son stood by asking for continuous refills. I set my kids to work designing a sign for our table (isn’t it adorable?!) while I put together all the necessities. Since we used tiny little cups, we set our price at just 5 cents, a total steal for today’s economy!

We live on a very quiet block, with not much foot traffic, so my little ones grew increasingly sad as they waited for someone, ANYONE to buy a cup. With construction going on directly across the street, we were lucky enough to have the contractor buy a round for all of his workers. He generously gave my kids more than 20 cups worth of pay. After that, traffic picked up and thanks to the generosity of strangers and friends my elated children netted $6.51. That’s a whole lot of profit when you’re asking for a meager 5 cents a cup.

I’ll never forget the excitement and smiles on the faces of my children, and the pride they showed in their first business venture. Our pink lemonade wasn’t just a thirst-quencher. For two little girls in Brooklyn, it made a favorite book come alive and wishes and dreams come true.

1 year ago: smores chocolate toffee bark
2 years ago: salad nicoise

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Purim Ice Cream Clowns!

In the spirit of Purim, I decided to make some ice cream clowns with my daughter’s class. This project was easy (no prep required!) and so much fun for the kids! Give a kid an ice cream cone, and tell them to decorate it with candy – does it get any getter than that? They were in ice cream heaven!

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