Tag Archives: Hanukkah

16Nov 2015

Gift Ideas for a 1 Year Old

by Nicole ⋅ 2 Comments

Jellybean’s 2nd birthday is fast approaching, not to mention the holidays, and the brainstorming of gift ideas has officially begun. When it comes to buying presents I often feel like I don’t have enough options OR I’m totally at a loss as to what to buy. Trying to decide on the perfect second birthday gift has actually made me think a lot about the things Jellybean has really loved over the past year. Some of them we bought for her, others were gifts and a few we just enjoyed using at a friend’s house.

So if you, like me, sometimes draw a blank here are some of my favorite gift for a toddle who’s 1 to 2 years old …

Corn Popper // I will admit this toy can be a tad bit annoying. The constant popping noise might be annoying to us ‘adults’, however the kiddos love it!
Magnetic Drawing Board // Perfect for a toddler who loves to color or one who’s just starting to build those motor skills. Jellybean found this gift particularly entertaining when we were on vacation and on those morning’s when I’m running late and she has to sit in the bathroom while I shower.
Radio Flyer Scoot-About Bike // I wish we had known about this bike earlier. It’s great for scooting around the apartment and outside the little toddler bike posse is pretty darn adorable.
Little People // Perfect for learning to play pretend or you know just chuck the different farm animals around. Haha. Oh the life of a toddler!
Take-Along Shape Sorter // Great learning toy for colors, shapes and fine motor skills. Also the perfect size to fit in the diaper or carry-on bag when traveling.
My First Chair // This is probably in the top 5 favorite things Jellybean loves, and I’m a huge fan as well. She loves to sit in her chair for snacks, tv, playing with a toy and often sets up all her ‘babies’ for tea or story time.
MegaBlocks // Great for building, stacking, counting and identifying colors.
Laugh & Learn Tea Set // Love the songs on the tea pot and it’s pretty adorable when Jellybean asks if I would like some “mor’ tea”.
Chat & Count Cell Phone // This toy is great when you are on the go. It fits in a purse or pocket. It’s my go to toy for trips to the store, doctors and trips, especially, on the airplane!
Jumbo Triangular Crayons // My daughter is not gentle with her toys and these crayons have held up really well over the months. While Jellybean didn’t love coloring at 12 months, by the time she was 18 months it was one of her favorite post-nap activities.

So there you have it, our favorite gift ideas for a 1-2 year old. And, seriously with all the toy choices out there toddlerhood is pretty darn fun on a birthday or holiday!

What are you favorite gifts for toddlers?

22Dec 2011

Potato Latkes Recipe

by Nicole ⋅ Leave a Comment

Happy Hanukkah (or Chanukah depending on your spelling preference)!!!

This year my friend who usually hosts a Hanukkah party decided to go on a vacation with her sister and mom. I mean really how dare she go away without providing me with potato latkes before she left. =) So this meant I would have to make my own potato latkes for the first time ever.

This recipe is super easy and if you have a food processor / Cuisinart it is like a hop skip and a jump to the frying pan.

Ingredients:

2lbs (~3 large potatoes)
1 medium onion
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
2 tablespoons flour
vegetable oil

You will also need apple sauce and sour cream to serve with your potato latkes, and I guess if you are my husband then hot sauce should be on the table as well. Hot sauce is new one for me and I would say skip it, but he insists it tastes good.

Using a food processor or a box grater shred the potatoes and onions. The food processor saved me a ton of time and makes it so easy! I got to use one of the attachments for the first time, which is always exciting (it’s the small things, right?!).

Transfer them to a colander and squeeze dry. Mix the potatoes and onions with the eggs, flour and salt.

In a skillet, heat 1/4 inch of oil. Drop about four tablespoons for the mixture into the skillet and press lightly to flatten them. Cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned and a little crispy. It should be about 6 minutes.

I found that a fish spatula worked really well for flipping these babies and not messing them up. Just randomly grabbed it, but thought I should pass along the tip nonetheless. Remove from skillet and place the latkes on paper towels to drain the oil. It makes about 12 latkes. And take a look … Voila!

MAKE AHEAD: The potato latkes can be at room temperature for up to 3 hours. Reheat on a baking sheet in a 350° oven before serving. If you plan to reheat them remember that they cook a little extra in the oven so don’t over fry them.

Just writing this blog makes me want to go reheat the extra latkes and eat them! Anyways put some sour cream (I prefer light as it is less fat but still tastes great) and apple sauce on the table and serve.

And seriously how cute is that double serving bowl? Thank you wedding guest and Crate and Barrel’s Registry.

Happy cooking!