THE FUTURE PERLMAN AND MISSIS CHANG THE SECOND?

Those are my lovely grandchildren Noam and Yasmin! They have been here at Purim vacation. And who knows! Anyway, I am already very proud of them!

POMEGRANATES - RIMONIM - רימונים

I LOVE pomegranates, I love every aspect of the pomegranate. The trees flowering in spring, those lovely stars developing into a gorgeous fruit…it is beautiful, sweet and marvelous! It is really a royal fruit, fit for a king and also for the poor, symbol of fertility, bounty and eternity, mentioned throughout the centuries from Greek mythology to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. There is no bigger pleasure than to open a ripe pomegranate enjoying the sight of it and then eating the juicy kernels one after the other...so tasty!!! Many, many times I have used the pomegranate motif in my work, appliqued on bags, backpacks, clutches, potholders, place mats, fabric boxes, you name it.

Yesterday I got a gorgeous gift from my friend Cecilia. She made this glass box with a stylized pomegranate for me. I was thrilled to receive such a marvelous present! The box is beautiful, its colors vibrant with the light shining through them, just lovely! Thank you Cec, I will cherish this forever!

Cecilia Cohen is an excellent glass artist, creating stained glass, fused glass, lamp work beads, glass jewelry, glass boxes, windows, frames and all kind of commissioned glass works, including synagogue windows. You can see her wonderful creations at her internet shop and at her blog.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/glassandlight  http://www.glassandlight.blogspot.com/

MOST YUMMY PECAN COOKIES

This is not my own cookie recipe, I got it probably out of a magazine, a long time ago. So I give credit to the creator who is unknown to me.

Those cookies are absolutely delicious and very easy to make.

300    gr.           butter, soft

1       cup            sugar

1       large          egg

1       tsp.            vanilla extract

1       tsp.            almond extract

3       cups           flour

1/2    cup            oats

1/4    tsp.            salt

1 1/2 cups          pecans, crushed (or walnuts)

Beat butter and sugar, add egg, vanilla and almond extract and beat until creamy. Add flour, oats and salt, mix, then stir in the pecans. Put tablespoons full of dough on a tray lined with baking paper, flatten it a little bit with the spoon (put an almond or a nut in the middle if you wish), and bake on 180 degrees (preheated) for 15 to 18 minutes, until edges begin to brown lightly.

How to crush the nuts? I put them between two kitchen towels and beat them with the wooden dough roller! Works perfect!

RECYCLING - REUSING

One day my friend Cochava gave me a vest she did not want to wear anymore to do with it as I please. I loved its colors and its pattern. Cutting it up carefully I got enough material to make this very beautiful bag for my daughter Tanja.

HURBAT BET LOYA - a place where you go equipped with a broom

"Ruin of the House of Lehi" is the Arabic meaning of Khirbet Lehi. This archaeological site, dating from 1160 B.C. is located at the intersection of two ancient trade roads, about 35 kilometers south west of Jerusalem, not far from Lachish.  This spot, discovered about 30 years ago, contains a large compound of housing, burial caves, wells, olive presses, water cisterns, quarries and a stable, giving proof of an ancient village - in it's vicinity according to the Bible, Samson killed the Philistines.

Although an excursion to this site as a whole is an interesting experience and very worthwhile the effort, our point of interest while visiting there one day, has been the remains of a chapel from Byzantine times, containing within it's boundary the most magnificent early christian mosaic floors. We arrived equipped with a sturdy broom. The mosaics are covered with sand to protect them, you have to sweep away the sand to expose what's beneath it (and you are asked to cover it all up again after you are done). Lovely surprises have been awaiting us!

This certainly is a wonderful place to visit with the whole family (don't forget the brooms), your children will feel like they are on a treasure hunt. They will discover ornaments, birds, bowls with fruit, vine leaves, grapes, animals, patchwork, a sailing ship, crosses, flowers, a face of a woman, fish, vessels and many inscriptions (in Greek). It will be a lot of fun, and a great opportunity for  your offspring to gather valuable knowledge about a place and it's history and beauty in their homeland.

This is just a wonderful locality to spend quality time at, and the pretty landscape surrounding the site, where a variety of grapes are grown, invites you to hike further and to have a picnic with the family under the blue sky - maybe near one of the lovely vine yards.

Here are some of my husbands photos from that day and if you wish to see more of that wonderful place here is a link that he prepared.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=uri.eshkar&target=ALBUM&id=5444097162163685569&authkey=Gv1sRgCITp_rTgxrWdAg&feat=email