YOU DON'T HAVE TO BEE JEWISH

Passover/ Easter is approaching. It's the time of year when I breakout Marcy Goldman's recipe for MATZOH BUTTER CRUNCH. I try not to make it too far in advance, afraid that it will bee consumed before the first night of Seder. MY KICHEN becomes engulfed with the sweet perfume of butter & homemade brown sugar cooking on my stove top. That alone makes my heart beat a little faster. After all spring is approaching, we can soon shed our winter coats, scarfs & gloves for more colorful attire. Tulip bulbs are beginning to unfurl from their long winter's sleep. Birds are serenading their intentions to build a nest. Our little speck on the earth is rejoicing once again with promises of great things to come.

Matzoh butter crunch recipe
1C unsalted butter
1C dark brown sugar ( I make mine by putting 1C white sugar in a food processor with 1/4 t vanilla , & 1 1/2T molasses, pulse until blended
4 -6 matzoh boards
1 C semi sweet Chocolat chips
1 C chopped nuts. (I use pecans & hazelnuts)

1) preheat oven to 375 degrees
2) prepare a lipped cook sheet by lining it with HEAVY DUTY aluminum foil. Add a sheet of parchment paper on top of the foil. Place the matzoh boards on top of the parchment. Cover the entire surface with the matzoh. You will need to cut some boards to fit the pan.
3)melt the butter & sugar in a medium size heavy duty sauce pan on medium heat.stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue to stir the mixture and cook an addition three minutes.

4) Carefully pour the hot butter sugar mixture over the prepared matzoh. Using a spatula to evenly cover all the matzoh.

5) Turn oven temperature down to 350 degrees. Bake the matzoh in the oven for 15 minutes. ( I check every five minutes to turn cookie sheet so that a "hot spot" doesn't burn the sugar). Remove from oven when fully cooked

6) Sprinkle Chocolat chips on hot matzoh. Let stand five minutes so that chips melt.

7) Spread melted chips to cover matzoh completely. Sprinkle nuts over top

8). Refrigerate until ready to serve. Break matzoh into bite size pieces and serve.

ICE HOTEL PART ONE

AN ADVENTURE INTO THE ARTIC CIRCLE..... WHAT A DELIGHT!

THE ONE GATE AIRPORT IN THE ARTIC CIRCLE

FIRST SUNSET IN THE ARTIC.  TIME 3:30PM

BZ GETTING COZY WITH THE LEAD DOG

 A FUN LOVING WINTER BABY, (GYPSY BY GENES?) NATURALLY WILL GRAVITATE TO A SNOWY ICE PALACE TO CELEBRATE A  SPECIAL BIRTHDAY.  HENCE THE IDEA OF FLYING TO THE ARTIC BECAME A BURNING DESIRE ON MY LIST TO EXPLORE THE WORLD. A MERE 90 MINUTE FLIGHT FROM STOCKHOLM ON SAS AND WE ARRIVED IN KIRUNA. AN ADDITIONAL 90 MINUTE DOGSLED RIDE (TOASTY WARM, UNDER REINDEER HIDES) THROUGH A FROZEN FAIRYLAND OF EVERGREENS ENCRUSTED WITH SNOW  AND WE FINALLY ARRIVED AT THE VILLAGE OF  JUKKASJARVI  ON THE TORNE RIVER. (SOURCE FOR THE ICE)

THESE HUSKIES ARE SMALLER THAT THEIR ALASKAN COUSINS

SUITING UP TO KEEP WARM, THE HOTEL LENDS YOU BOOTS (TOO BIG FOR JZ &BZ) AND SNOWSUITS

READY TO GO FOR A SLEIGH RIDE

FOR OUR FIRST NIGHT WE CHECKED INTO A "HOT" ROOM

WHICH IS REAL BIRCH WOOD TO MY RIGHT  OR LEFT?

SO WARM AND COZY BZ CAN WIGGLE HER TOES

BEAUTIFUL, SWEDISH MODERN FURNITURE IN HOT ROOM  SITTING AREAS

NOT WANTING TO WAST A MOMENT, WE WERE BOOKED FOR THE TWILIGHT SNOWMOBILE TOUR.  WE LEFT AT SUNDOWN (THE LITTLE DOTS IN THE PICTURE) FOR A TWO PLUS HOUR DRIVE INTO THE GREAT UNKNOW......"FOLLOW THE PERSON IN FRONT OF YOU"  WE WATCHED OUT FOR FROSTBITE!  JORDS AND I WERE PREPARED FOR THE COLD.  WE EVEN WERE TOO WARM AT ONE POINT! WE BOUNCED THROUGH HILL AND DALE.

OUT WE GO INTO THE SUNSET

STOPPING FOR A FOTO OP

THEY HAD DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF SNOW THIS YEAR, WE GOT OF THE SNOWMOBILES TO CHECK OUT THE HIP HIGH SNOW

BZ "DEMO ING" HOW TO MAKE A SNOW ANGLE

FINALLY WE GOT TO THE LITTLE SWEDISH CHALET FOR DINNER

THEY WERE LIKE WOODEN TEEPEES

NICE AND HOT LINGONBERRY WAS SERVED TO WARM US UP

A FIREPLACE WAS IN THE CENTER TO KEEP US WARM

BZ WARMING HER HANDS AND DRYING HER GLOVE LINERS

REINDEER STEW WITH POTATOES AND SOUR CREAM YUMMY WAS THE MAIN DISH

OUR VERY, VERY ADORABLE (OK CUTE) LEADER

JORDS WARMING HER BUNS BEFORE WE CHECK OUT THE AURORA BOREALIS 

LUCK WAS ON OUR SIDE! WE GOT TO SEE THE FLOATING LIGHT GREEN CLOUD IN THE FAR FAR DISTANCE!


COLD AND TIRED WE HOPPED ON TO OUR SNOWMOBILES AND HEADED BACK TO THE ICEHOTEL... TO FALL INTO A NICE WARM BED FOR A GOOD NIGHT SLEEP... MORE TO COME

GREENE STREET HAS GOTTEN GREEN WITH GUDRUN SJODEN

THE PLACE TO HAVE BEEn MARCH 7TH BEWEENT 6 & 9 PM, WAS GUDRUN SJODEN'S GREEN LAUNCH PARTY ON GREENE ST IN SOHO, NYC.......

WHO IS GUDRUN YOU ASK?  SHE IS ONE OF SCANDINAVIA'S MOST HIGHLY ACCLAIMED DESIGNERS  OF FASHION AND HOMEWARE THAT'S ALL!  GUDRUN HAS BEEN DESIGNING FOR OVER 40 YEARS!   HER CLOTHING INSPIRERS WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD WITH HER UNIQUE, COLORFUL,  ECLECTIC DESIGNS.  HOW DID I DISCOVER HER?  MY WONDERFUL COUSIN RONI GAVE ME A GIFT LAST SUMMER.  IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST WEARING....
GURLS, IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN THE NYC AREA GO ON LINE TO www.gudrunsjoden.com and become a CLUB MEMBER.  YOU WON'T REGRET IT.

HAND PAINTED ON WATERCOLOR PAPER

THE INVITATION

FESTIVE FIBERS AND FABULOUS LIVE MUSIC GREETED YOU WHEN YOU ENTERED THE STORE

IN THE JOYFUL ROOM, WHERE FASHION MIXED WITH BEET JUICE COCKTAILS, THE VIP GUEST MINGLED WITH GUDRUNS DESIGNS

A BEAUTIFUL Chloe Pang WITH AN ALLURING CHAPEAU.  CAN YOU TELL SHE'S A CLEAVER HATTER?

THE MODELS OOZING SPRING IS COMING WITH EVERY INCH OF THEIR OUTFITS

MR. BERTHOLD JEAN CHARLES A NEW YORK STYLIST  BABY

VALERIE AND JEAN FROM : IDIOSYNCRATIC FASHIONISTAS BLOGGERS

BONDING IN HOT PINK  WITH GRUDUN!  

PEONEY FLOWERS IN THE MIST OF NEW YORK BLACK

NO WALL FLOWERS HERE, JUST GREAT FLOOR FLOWERS

COLORFUL LIGHTS WITH CUBBIES OF FABULOUS CLOTHING

 HERBAL TEA AMONG THE CLOTHING

BRIGHT PATTERNS ON FANS ( NOTICE THE HAND PAINT WALL IN THE BACKGROUND)

FRESHEN UP THE WINTER BLAHS WITH CHEERFUL HOME  GOODS

ADD SPRING TO YOUR BEDROOM

YUMMY COLORS FOR THE DINING AREA 

SWEDE AND AMERICAN MIX AND MATCH WITH COLOR!   YES THIS IS NYC

TOASTING THE LAUCH PARTY WITH A SPLASH OF CHAMPAGNE 

I'M BUYING THAT SCARF

BEAUTIES OFF THE RUNWAY

SPOTLIGHT AND CAMERA ON BZ & VALERIE 

PIN UPS ON THE DESIGN WALL

FAY LESHNER MIXING THE PATTERNS FOR A SUPER LOOK ( DON'T YOU JUST LOVE THE COMBOS AND THAT CUTE RED CLOSH)

MORE COLORFUL INSPIRTATIONS

GUDRUN, MONICA & A DESIGN TEAM MEMBER

A BREATHE OF FRESH AIR

VALERIE & BZ TIP TOEING THROUGH THE TULIPS

 BEAUTIFUL PATTERNS EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK

 AT THE EVENTS END,IT WAS ICY SNOW OUTSIDE, BUT RADIANT WITH COLOR AND BEAUTY INSIDE  GUDRUNS  50 GREENE STEET STORE 

AS ALL GREAT PARTIES COME TO AN END  A BIG THANK YOU TO  GUDRUN  FOR A FANTASTIC LAUNCH PARTY TAK TAK