Seems like yesterday that I wrote about the chocolate cheesecake truffles recipe for Shavuot....oh, wait a minute it was yesterday that I wrote about it. Shavuot falling on a Tuesday, necessitated all columns to be in a week in advance, so that the paper would be published before Yom Tov. I’m more of a last minute, “Judy we need the column, we’re about to go to press” kind of person. more

Seems like I was just writing my last article about my impending cruise and here I am back on my computer in my den…a far cry from the 4,000 passenger cruise liner I was on. For those of you who were never on a cruise ship, there are a variety of cabins you can choose from, the best being suites, then balcony cabins followed by cabins with portholes you can view the ocean through, and, finally, the “inside” cabin, with no sign of daylight, along with no room to move around in. more

This Monday I will be flying to England to embark on a transatlantic inaugural cruise on NCL’s Breakaway, their newest ship, that will be following the path of the Titanic. Of course we got a great deal and we are being flown to England at no additional charge. Our flight probably won’t be as interesting as the last time my husband Jerry flew to Europe. more

All the Pesach dishes are packed, refrigerators, freezers and pantries restocked, that can only mean one thing (to me, at least)……baseball is back!!!!! I am an uber die hard Brave’s fan. I never miss a game. I either watch it at home, on my cell or tape it. more

Crunch time! You know, the time when you figured you would basically be done with 90% of your Pesach preparations, and in reality you’ve just hit the 25% mark. Really, why is it we think this year is going to be different from last year or the year before? I think we should get credit for thinking we could be finished at this point. more

I might as well start getting ready for Shavuot. It seems Chanukah was just yesterday. How is it possible it’s almost Pesach??? Here we go again….the shopping, cleaning, preparing, cooking, serving and not to mention another Pesach article I have to come up with. Last year I came up with two really funny ones, not sure I can top those. I suggest you look them up on the Internet, seriously. more

The DMV is something of a cliché. DMV jokes are so numerous, that the government has actually changed the name in various states. The list of jokes have gotten so long it’s actually longer than the actual lines at the DMV. So, needless to say, I wasn’t happy when I had to go to the DMV to renew my registration, which came about in a humorous way. more

As I sit at my computer to write this week’s column, my usual, “OMG I’m never going to get it in under the deadline,” is tinged with a bit of melancholy. My good friend Karen Cohen Green, is moving on from her position as publisher and editor of The Jewish Star. I’m going to miss her. more

“The perception is that Passover is so expensive,” remarked Gourmet Glatt purchasing manager Howie Klagsburn, referring to the eight page Pesach circular that will reach every household this weekend consistent with the store’s Pesach opening and offerings. “The fact is you can’t buy many of the items at these prices during the year.” more

By the time you read this column it will probably be T-minus 2 days to Purim. Are you panicking yet? Have your shaloach manot been packed? Your Seudah shopping completed? Your costumes picked out? Back in the day, I don’t remember any panicking. Shaloach manot consisted of a few different pieces of elegant cakes, placed in pretty little colored paper cups and a fruit placed in the middle of the plate. more