New Product Innovation
Dual use, herb cutter and pizza slicer. Super compact and easy to use. Retractable blade for safe storage. Use two blades for herbs and one for pizza.
Perfect for those end of summer herbs plus pizza night!
$12.99 Available at Casabella.

Thanksgiving, Hanukah, birthdays, simchas…many people are looking for florists to send flowers to loved ones. Often this is challenging if you are sending to an out-of-town community. I like to see what I am sending someone. BloomNation aims to introduce a little solution and originality to this process, think of it as the Etsy of flower arrangements. Their website shows you the real work (not stock images) of more than 3,000 artisan florists across the country. Their vendors will often send you an image of the arrangement you order before it is sent to the recipient. From $25, bloomnation.com

I’m obsessed with the products on kaufman-mercantile.com from the french press, to the cutting boards, the products have both function and style.

This spice mill is just one item I already ordered. It’s a three part cast iron spice mill, with grinding mill, storage vessel, and walnut wood lid.
$59 on kaufman-mercantile.com

Yay! They are back just in time for winter. Hot chocolate on a stick by Pop-Bar

Create your own chocolatey goodness by simply stirring our Hot Chocolate on a Stick into a cup of steamed milk. Made with a premium blend of the finest, all natural chocolate, it’s available in Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, and Vanilla Chocolate. All natural and gluten-free. So fun with kids and a great holiday gift.

Honey is showing up in condiments like barbeque sauce, chipolte, chocolate and now jams and jellys. From artisan brands to Smucker’s, fruit and honey has become a huge food trend. I actually use this in place of sugar in salad dressings, marinades, and for sweetened meats or turkey. Some of their recipes online are worth tasting too.

Honey and Chesed from Savannah Bee Company
Bee Cause Honey, $15.00 from Savannah Bee Company
For every Bee-Cause honey jar purchased online $3.00 will be donated to the Bee-Cause Project to help fund the installation of classroom observation hives in 1000 schools across America. You not only get the honey you ordered but also the good feeling that you have helped educate the next generation, a generation who will understand, love and protect our honeybee populations. Now that’s a sweet deal!

Toward the end of summer, I clean out the freezer and start anew with baking. I like to stock up on a few cookies, morning cakes, challahs, and anything I can use over Yom Tov. I also like to take stock in my kitchen equipment and replenish or add a few new items.

Here are a few things that I’m adding to my baking equipment collection.

Double-ball whisk: Awesome for whipping cream or egg whites in half the time of a regular whisk. I use it or emulsifying vinaigrettes. Get one for Passover too.
Artandcook.com for $8.99

These mini scoops are perfect for cookie dough and cupcake making. Of yeah, and of course, for ice cream too. And meatballs, matzo balls, and cobblers. Sizes available, 1 tablespoon to 3 tablespoons, $18 – $22
Made by Kuhn Rikon, at Amazon.com

These are ingenious and my new summer favorite kitchen gadget. The extra sharp blades are perfect for cutting up tender herbs. Knives tend to bruise the herbs. I cut them right over whatever I am making and voila! fresh herb infusion.
Herb scissors, available at Crateandbarrel.com for $8.95

My friend Dani, at yeahthatskosher.com , has initiated a fantastic campaign that I can’t wait to support. His mission is to gather “kosher foodies” to do good for others by raising money to help others who go hungry on a regular basis. He is selling adorable kosher foodie shirts (lots of colors available in all sizes) until August 20,and these funds will be donated to organizations like Masbia and Yad Eliezar. Join us, and help fight hunger, Buy shirts here, yeahthatskosher.com

I love pretty drink dispensers but just don’t have room to store such large items. This one is worth storing and buying because it’s not just for a party. I use this at every BBQ and for Shalosh Seudos. Fill it with three different drinks with varied colors and its gorgeous and refreshing.

Trio Beverage Dispenser, available at Zgallerie.com

Made from salvaged driftwood this ice cream cone holder is a charming way to serve up frozen treats. Each one is crafted by hand and one of a kind. Creative and functional, I’m in awe.
Available at etsy.com

Product development is ingenious these days. Engineers are usually basic science to improve products in the kitchen. For example, these rolling pins are incredible for making pie dough because aluminum stays cool. Chill it in the fridge, give it a tiny dusting of flour coating, and roll out pastry dough without overworking the dough, sticking, or melting, all the normal pitfalls of great pie crust making. They come in striking colors too. This is a must-have for summer pie making.
Available at kmnhome.com

Zoku is back with new shapes for the summer popsicle season. 8 collectible creatures, frogs, kitty, princess, songbird, turtle….easiest molds to use, made of silicone, and quick freezing. Check out their quick pop makers too. There patented technology makes pops freeze in just 7 minutes.

Character pops, $7.99 available at Zokuhome.com

A little like magic…stainless-steel squiggle plunges into a cake and comes up with a petite, well-formed piece. No more first-slice mashing. Perfect for cheesecake!
$29.99 from Amazon.com

Although, I believe everyday is Mother’s Day, the official, American “holiday” is just around the corner. Today I’m going to share with you 8 Mother’s Day gift ideas that are perfect for your mother, mother-in-law or any special mother you want to show appreciation for. Everyone enjoys receiving presents so I suggest, spread the love and bring happiness to all moms on this day.

1. A sorbet machine: My kids bought this for me last year and we all reap the benefits. I use it almost every week and have so much fun experimenting with different flavors. I’ve made pareve Italian straccata and tons of fruity varieties for summer Shabbos and dairy versions for Shavuos. My favorite machine is the Cuisinart, it’s small and easy to use. Watch for specials, mine came with two bowls as a promotion.

2. An immersion blender:
If you don’t already have one of these, then you must be given one as a gift. Every household needs a juzer (that’s my word for what it does, juz the food)! It’s the best for pureeing soups and making salad dressings. Have fun, buy it in a funky color. Immersion blenders come in all sorts of colors and prints. I like the Cuisinart immersion blender and they go on sale often too.

3. A grill pan: I use this pan all-year long but especially when it’s too cold to grill outside or you just have a small amount to grill. It’s great for people who don’t have the space for a grill or simply don’t own one. I have one for Passover too!

4. Photo gifts: This is a good idea for the mom who does not want another kitchen item. My mother-in-law’s favorite presents are anything with photos of the kids on it. We have created them all, umbrella, blankets, ties, photo books and this year personalized oven mitts. That’s perfect for the kitchen lover too.

5. An ihome: One of my favorite childhood memories is singing and dancing in the kitchen with my sisters while we helped my mom prepare dinner. Lucky for me, my children and I continue to do the same thing all the time. Cleaning dishes and setting the table has become so much more fun when we play music and sing along. With technology today there are so many ways to get music going in your kitchen and share the good times. Costco usually has a good deal on some kind of ihome too.

6. A Bosch Universal Mixer (for Challah):
Admittedly, I was married for 15 years before I got one, but now, wonder why I waited to get one. This is the best and easiest way to make challah. High capacity, high quality, great challah!. I highly recommend this to anyone who frequently makes bread or challah and even for those who are interested in starting to make challah but find the kneading time too daunting by hand or a smaller machine.

7. A peppermill: This kitchen essential is not only helpful but super chic too! I love finding different pepper mills that match the season or the kitchen space. These are gorgeous and decorative.

8. A thermapen: Good quality, instant read thermometers make everyone a better cook. They are so helpful when making chicken, turkey, caramel and so much more. Again, get one that’s got a bright color and have fun with it! You’re giving it as a gift so wrap it up in a fun way too! This one is a bit of a splurge so it’s a great gift and it’s the best one out there.

Of course, jewelry is always nice too

Whatever you decide to get, don’t forget to send your mom a card, flowers or just some extra TLC over a text message. Do you have any other ideas? Share your gift ideas with us so we can share them with others too!

I love these for Purim. What a cute and fun project for kids.
Easy and pre-made and delicious. Certified kosher OUD. They come in lots of shapes and versions.
$4.95 – $40 depending on the package.
Click here to get one.

Only the Museum of Modern Art would carry this chic new pot designed by Massimo Castagna from Italy. They are hand-made with tempered glass. Cooking in these pots definitely brings cooking to life. I love to watch the pasta dance and twirl and see vegetables become bold as they cook. It’s definitely a splurge but maybe try it for Passover and turn dinner prep into a show.

Available at momastore.org

The chocolate chips are in! Available on amazon.com  

See my full feature and how much I love them New Chocolate Chips on the Market

My daughter and her friend Elana have become French Macaron Bakers. They attended at class at CKCA and now create their own fabulous and creative combinations, like lime macarooms with homemade lemon curd filling, vanilla bean with chocolate ganache, Cinnabun flavor, and many more. With her amazon gift card for Hanukah, she just bought this macaron baking mat which has improved the look of the cookies tremendously. The mat helps to make each cookie exactly the same size by giving a template for the batter to fill. If you also want to make those adorable and delicious macarons, try this mat and make your cookies look like they came from a French bakery.

Available at Amazon for $7.00

Want to get the best and quickest diet, fitness and health info? Check out these healthy lifestyle apps to keep you on your 2015 health plan.

App: Fooducate by Fooducate, Ltd. For iOS and Android
Cost: iOS free, Andoid $4.99
Fooducate has been around for a few years and allows you to view the quality of the calories you eat by giving foods a letter grade (A, B, C, D). Fooducate has recently added a tracking feature, where you can track daily calorie intake through food and beverages, as well as expenditure through exercise.

App: Cal Cutter by NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for iOS, Android, and Web
Cost: Free
This simple app can help make the home cook aware of the calories in the dishes they serve. It allows you to enter your recipe and intended number of servings and then gives you the calories for that dish. The app also provides tips for reducing calories, lower calorie or healthier ingredient substitutions, healthier cooking methods and reasonable portion sizes.

App: Rise by Rise Labs, Inc.
Cost: free trial then $15 a week
Sometimes, getting healthy goals off the ground requires a kick. This is personalized nutrition counseling and diet planning for $15 a week. Rise gives you access to a virtual coach. This expert will encourage you to forge ahead while customizing your eating plans and taking a gander at your Instagram-ready food photos to determine if that Shabbos kugel is worth the splurge.

App: Kurbo by Kurbo Health, Inc.
Cost: varies
Childhood obesity is at an alarming high especially for teens. The solution is a transformation of lifestyle habits, embracing healthier eating patterns and a regular exercise regimen. Kurbo does exactly that. Based on Stanford University’s acclaimed Pediatric Weight Control Program at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, it combines sound personal coaching advice with food and activity tracking through a youth-loving medium.

App: Waterlogged, by Day Logger Inc.
Cost: free
For Ios, Android, and web
Track your daily intake of water, get reminders about hydration, and alarms to keep you drinking. Works with fitbit too and incorporates photo technology. Just snap a picture of your drink and it tracks that amount.

I’m not sure how I feel about this product but it’s definitely all the rage and was one of the most purchased items this holiday season. The Fitbit tracks your distance, steps, activity, sleep, calories burned, and active minutes in a small bracelet type of wearable technology. It comes in great colors and to me is a reality check on how much or little movement we get each day. People claim in has changed their routines and increased their fitness level and daily activity. It’s pricey but if you need a quiet conscience, go for it!
Available at fitbit.com

I’m a fan of this sidecar dip bowl perched on the modern, square serving bowl from Cb2.com. I bought a few side car dishes ($1.50 each, Wow!) and filled the bowl with lots of pita chips, and the dip bowls with a great variety of store-bought or homemade dips.

The bowl is also great for salads, rice dishes, or even flowers.
Available at Cb2.com
Bowl $12.95 Sidecar dish $1.50

I’ve been eyeing these plates for months. Lela Rose, fashion designer, created these gorgeous dessert plates inspired by her visit to Spain. Currently on sale at neimanmarcus.com for $67, they make a great gift to someone special or to oneself! Hanukah is not over yet…I might need a few sets of these.