A LuLaRoe Giveaway!

Hello there blog readers. Now, I don't always post about my LuLaRoe goings on, but when I do, it's because things are awesome. I'm hosting a giveaway on my Facebook page right now, and I'd love for anyone out there who is skeptical about LuLaRoe to hop over and enter to win.

Also? You know what? If you're skeptical about LuLaRoe, comment on this post and let me know why. I might be able to change your mind ;)

Congrats to the Necklace Winner!

First of all, sorry it took me nearly two days to draw a winner ... I've discovered a wacky issue with mobile comments on the blog, and the wacky issue is that you simply can't comment on a mobile device. I attempted to make it happen, it failed, and I'm sorry. In 2016, mobile reigns supreme, and the inability to comment on mobile really bums me out. So. Sorry!

Anyway, congratulations to Mor S. (a Denver friend and most-excellent mama) for winning the giveaway! In case you see this,  Mor, please send me an email at kvetching dot editor at gmail dot com.

In other news: I'm now Facebook "verified" as a personality. Eegads. I'm like, famous or something. Wait, no, I just went through the Facebook Mentions process of verification. But a girl can dream, right?

Shabbat Shalom y'all!

Giveaway: Personalized Silver Name Necklace!

For a long time, one of the classic bat mitzvah gifts handed out was the personalized name necklace, usually in Hebrew, and usually retrieved from the Holy Land, so elusive to American Jews. I want to say this was during the 1970s and 1980s, because by the time the 2000s rolled around and I hit Israel in 2008, the jewelry stores along Ben Yehudah Street were selling them second hand. I thought the trend had died, but the truth is with Sex and the City and the Carrie necklace being ever-so-popular for all time, personalized name necklaces are -- and will always be -- popular and beloved.

Although I don't have one myself, I do have the uniquely hand-crafted necklace that Mr. T gave me for our anniversary and a simple name necklace that I got years and years ago from Sima Gilady jewelry (that, honestly, I take off maybe two or three times a year at the most).

So I thought to myself, wouldn't it be nice to give the gift of personalized jewelry to one of my readers? Yes, yes, I thought to myself, it would be nice. Enter the folks at Name Factory, who are helping me give away a personalized silver necklace (value up to $42) just for you!

And because I know how much people love entering giveaways with ease, all you have to do is comment on this post telling me which of the necklaces on the site you'd love to call your own (or to gift to a friend, daughter, mother, your dog, you get the drift).

Ready? Set ... GO!

Note: This giveaway ends on Wednesday, February 17, 2016 at noon MDT. 

A Giveaway: The Tea Book

As you may or may not know, my most recent work adventures have taken me into the impressively fascinating world of loose leaf tea. Now, I'm not talking Doctor Who blends or Cotton Candy blends, but pure, authentic loose leaf tea from the world's most natural sources in historic growing regions like Taiwan. The great thing about tea, too, is that all unflavored teas are naturally kosher!

Thanks to my (amazing, wonderful, I seriously can't tell you how happy I am here) job, I've had the chance to taste a lot of tea I never would have before and my tea porn collection continues to grow, especially in the form of books. As a self-proclaimed bibliophile (I have a huge list of every book I've ever had to sell or get rid of in moves so I can repurchase them all someday), when I can rationalize a purchase because it makes sense for work, I'm a happy clam.

But the book I'm talking about today -- The Tea Book by Linda Gaylard -- is one that my awesome boss sent me. But I am so in love with it that I bought another copy to actually give away here. Why?

The tea industry in the U.S. is growing at an insane rate: $1.8 billion in 1990, $10.84 billion in 2014, and predicted to more than quadruple by 2020. But most of the tea consumed in the U.S. is black tea and it's iced. The funny thing about this is that traditionally, Americans were heavy green tea drinkers up until World War II. Then things changed and as the iced tea industry grew, American tea tastes continued to fall in that category.

Luckily, with books like The Tea Book, pure, unflavored teas are getting the attention they deserve. With five categories of leaves from the camellia sinuses plant -- black, white, oolong, yellow, green, and pu-erh -- there is an abundance of opportunities to experience tea (without sprinkles, fruit, and herbs if you don't mind me).

The great thing about this book, though, is that it takes you from the past to the present, around the world, into the teahouses, tea cultures, and tea farms so you, the reader, can really start to understand what tea is, why it's the second-most consumed beverage in the world after only water, and how it has evolved into an industry of blends, herbal teas (tisanes), and more.

Now, if you know me well enough, you know that I am, and have always been, first and foremost, a coffee drinker. The truth is that my love of coffee is still potent, but my love of tea is taking over (it's all thanks to a 2007 Aged Oolong, believe it or not). So both as an individual and as a representative of what I foresee being the most revolutionary tea company this side of the industrial revolution, I'm stoked to give away The Tea Book. 

Whether you drink tea or not, this book will blow you away. The visuals are stunning (it's a DK Book, which you might know from their amazing educational books and children's books), the history is quirky and fascinating, and it's just a beautiful conversation piece.

Ready? Enter to win by 08/20!

Giveaway: Treat Yourself to a JORD Wood Watch!

For some, an important preparation point for Passover goes beyond buying enough wine and getting the right matzah to purchasing something nice -- a new dress, scarf, piece of jewelry, hat -- for the lengthy holiday.

Although it can be a point of contention (I crowdsourced a religious Jewish women's group on Facebook and got some pretty rough responses), in my experience it's a common practice to prep for Passover (or any major Jewish holiday) by doing something special to really ignite the special quality and holiness of the day.

In my world, this usually means buying a special scarf or something similar within my means, but this year, oh this year I got lucky and you have a chance to, as well.

The impressive folks behind the JORD Wood Watches contacted me about a review and a giveaway, and usually I would decline because of relevance to the blog, but I realized that Passover is fewer than 50 days away and people are in prep mode already. That's fewer than two months folks.

Have you even considered what your seder will look like? Have you thought about which haggadah you'll be using?

Well, I'm here so you have the option of kicking back a bit and not having to think about the stressful parts of Passover but being able to focus on something lighter that could bring some light to your holiday.

I requested the Ely - Black JORD Wood Watch, because, well, come on now, it's beautiful. I'd never actually seen, worn, or purchased a wood watch before, because I had no idea it was even a thing. I've been a loyal Swatch wearer for years, but I've been converted. And you know my commitment: I'm honest in my product and book reviews. Outside of receiving the product free, I'm not getting paid for this review.

This watch is light-weight (it's wood after all) but substantial on the wrist. The Ely in black is one of the classiest watches to ever grace my wrists; it's the kind of watch I'll be wearing to The Jewish Experience's Annual Gala Event this month but also will wear day to day to work. The versatility is key -- wood seems simplistic, but the finish and design are what take it up a notch.

So here I am, offering you the chance to win a JORD Wood Watch, which is a $129 value with free shipping. You get to pick out your own watch if you win -- for you, your sweetheart, your kid, you name it.

The giveaway ends on February 28, 2015, so please spread the love and make sure everyone you know who deserves something nice for Passover (or Easter or just because) gets an entry to win.

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Giveaway: Secret Restaurant Recipes Cookbook

Although there aren't many kosher restaurants here in Denver, I was lucky enough to experience the amazing kosher options in the New Jersey and New York area, not to mention in Israel. Pair this with a childhood grown up with my mom whipping up some classic restaurant recipes from places like Red Lobster (those cheddar biscuits were to die for), and a cookbook with secret kosher restaurant recipes was made for me.

Yes, this is a review and giveaway post, and I shocked myself with this cookbook. After looking through the index and knowing a lot of the restaurants, I was worried I wouldn't be able to find anything with my two at-home cooking criteria:

• gluten free
• vegetarian

Luckily, I'm a creative cook and the recipes are easily changed for the discerning and committed cook.

As one of the things I'm missing most in the world is amazing kosher Chinese food (oh those evenings with Chopstix in Teaneck, I wish I had cherished you more), I immediately decided to make the Sesame Chicken from Kosher Chinese Express in Manalapan, New Jersey happen with tempeh in place of the chicken and tamarin in place of the soy sauce.

The result? This is seriously the most delicious thing I've made lately, and that's after absolutely falling in love with Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Buffalo Tempeh Sandwiches. I have a new love, and it's the sesame sauce in this recipe. I can't believe I never tried to make my own, because it was really easy and it's super tasty. I could put this on just about anything, and the tempeh was an excellent, meaty substitute.

Then I decided to tackle the Tilapia with Terra Chip Crunch from The Purple Pear, as Terra Chips are naturally gluten free, fish is a staple in our house, and when I lived out east I loved The Purple Pear. (Yelp has the reviews to prove it.)

I will admit that I didn't have granulated onion or garlic on hand, and I ended up subbing in some mirin for the corn syrup. I also picked up some seasonal Sweet Potato-Pumpkin Terra Chips instead of the Terra Sticks and Sun Dried Tomato Terra Chips. The result? Delicious and beautiful.

This cookbook has everything (yes, thinking SNL here): tips from the restaurant chefs and owners, advice on kitchen tools, beautiful pictures for every recipe, and more. I have to tell you that pictures are so critical in my decision on whether to purchase a cookbook. Basically, I only buy cookbooks with tons of pictures. I need perspective!

Thus, giveaway of this cookbook (a $29.99 value) just in time for Chanukah, too, so even if you're not a cook, you surely know one!

(NOTE: You must enter on the web. It will not work properly on mobile.)


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Celebrating the Unsung Hero on Father's Day

Have I told you about my dad? He's one of the big reasons we're back in the U.S. (But don't tell him that.)

That's dad on the left making faces. Go figure. 

Born in August 1953, he grew up in the Midwest with an older brother and two parents who he doesn't remember a ton about, at least he doesn't talk much about them. There are small stories here and there that come up, something about hardboiled eggs I remember.

Ethel, my grandma, died of lung cancer on her 39th birthday. My dad was 9. Joseph, my grandfather, died of a heart attack at 47. It was 11 days after my dad's 12th birthday.

Dad grew up with a stepmother and joined the Navy as soon as he could. He often tells me about being stationed in the Mediterranean where he worked on the ship's computer. He likes to tell me about the work his ship did for Israel during the early 1970s, which I think is pretty rad. When he was 23 and my mom was 18, they got hitched and started a family in Kansas City, Missouri.

Between the late 1970s and the mid-1990s we lived in Iowa and then Southern Missouri, my dad was a superstar-rockstar manager for a large building materials company that ended up taking their amazing employees for granted, going bankrupt, and the CEOs walked away with boatloads of money.

But it didn't break my dad. He kept on trucking. He kept focusing on his family, working nights, working overtime, working hard and long hours to keep food on the table.

Then my dad suffered through a quadruple bypass surgery, followed by a diagnosis of Lymphoma. But that didn't break my father either. Nothing has ever broken my dad. I can't get over how much he's been through (it seriously brings tears to my eyes) and how much he's been taken for granted by employers, employees, friends, family, you name it.

He's the kind of guy who lays wisdom on you that you don't always get ("If wishes were fishes, we'd all be fishin'"). He'd bend over backwards to make sure a coworker is doing okay. He'd walk home miles if it meant he wasn't putting someone else out. He'd give up everything for his family's happiness (to a fault).

He's really the ultimate hero. He didn't fight in a major war or jump in front of a moving vehicle to save a puppy or create a life-saving drug. He isn't famous. He isn't making or giving millions to save the rainforest or feed starving children. But he's a hero, of the unsung variety.

Why? Because anyone who suffers the greatest losses and comes out still trying, still living, still loving ... that's a hero. To me, anyway.

So tell me about your dad. Why? Because dads rock. They're amazing and they're undervalued in my opinion. Mr. T is an amazing dad who, much like my own father, would bend over backwards to help anyone anywhere (they do say you marry your father, right?).

Then, if you love your dad and you love Target (ahem, who doesn't?), enter the Power Dad’s Smile Everyday Sweepstakes with over $1,000 in prizes starting today!

To Enter: Share a photo of you and your Dad on Twitter or Instagram using #oralbsweeps between June 2 and June 15.

The Prize: You could win the Father’s Day Power Bundle which includes the Oral-B Black ProfessionalCare 1000 Rechargeable Toothbrush, the Braun Series 7 760 shaver, and a $250 Target Gift Card!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Giveaway: GetKosher, Why Don'tcha?

I was contacted by the creative (and hungry) minds over at GetKosher.com to host a giveaway for their stellar services. Although I don't live in the New York/New Jersey area, I'm familiar with the need for a one-stop shop for kosher food delivery, especially with all of the tasty options available.

Not familiar with the company? Keep reading to learn how you could win a $100 gift card to nab delicious, kosher nosh from GetKosher.com!

The site and concept were built by 22-year-old Morris Sued, a Brooklyn local who founded the company on just $10,000, partly with money he won in a Baruch College startup competition in 2012.

The first of its kind on the web, GetKosher also has a rewards-point system where you can redeem points for gift cards to Amazon, Apple, and tzedakah (charitable organizations).

So far, GetKosher -- which has options for corporate and catering accounts, too -- has served more than 2,100 kosher keepers and sports more than 100 partner restaurants. You can find GetKosher rocking New York options in

• Five Towns
• Midwood
• Williamsburg
• Borough Park
• Queens
• Manhattan
• Livingston
• Orange County
• West Hempstead
• Monsey
• Great Neck

GetKosher also is available in Deal/Lakewood and Teaneck in New Jersey. Maybe they'll show up in Denver sometime soon, too? (Fingers crossed!)

Ready to enter to win $100 gift certificate to GetKosher's delicious kosher options? You've got plenty of time. Questions? Let me know!

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Note: Because I don't live in the region, I'm not benefitting from this giveaway. I am, however, happy to help a kosher-keeping consumer benefit! Giveaway can only be eligible for readers in our serviced areas.

GIVEAWAY: Listen, It's [Dot] Complicated

"A successful woman is one who can build a firm
foundation with the bricks others have thrown at her."
[modified from an original quote by David Brinkley]

Several months ago the amazing folks at Zuckerberg Media contacted me about reading, reviewing, and offering up a giveaway of Randi Zuckerberg's Dot Complicated: Untangling Our Wired Lives. If you're not sure who Randi is, but you recognize that obviously recognizable last name, yes, she's related to the illustrious Mark of Facebook fame. What you might not know is that Randi was the mastermind behind some of Facebook's most amazing and groundbreaking live streaming initiatives and relationships with big dogs like CNN and ABC.

As the master of her own company and life now, having written this stellar read about her experiences at Facebook and how she got out and launched herself, she's also a published children's book author. Her first masterpiece? Dot., a book for children about putting down the tech and enjoying life. In this children's book, the flutters and noises of technology are found outside, too, whether it's surfing down a hill or listening to the twitter of the birds. It's a beautiful pairing with her Dot Complicated book for adults. I envision myself sitting down to reread Randi's book someday with Ash sitting next to me with Dot. Sort of a his and her's experience, except in this case, it'll be a tech savvy mommy's and a tech savvy baby's experience.

In Dot Complicated, Randi is casual and paints one of the most vivid pictures of a life experience I've read in recent years. As a work of nonfiction, her honesty and candid reflections about being "Mark Zuckerberg's sister" and her breaking point when she realized that she had to get out and do her own thing in a big way. Her narrative is inspiring and I have no doubt in my mind that she's paving the way for future generations of women -- both through her children's book and her book for more adult-like individuals.

I also have to applaud her realistic approach to technology and how it is shaping our lives in positive and negative ways. Early on in the book she says the following:

The famous science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke once said, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." He was right. New technology is a kind of magic and today we can do things with ease that were impossible just a few years ago. Like magic, each new innovation has advanced our society and our potential. Of course, the seductive glow of these magical devices can also blind us to some of their downsides and effects." (57)

Her jaunts into her journey took me back to the days of AIM and the melancholy of being a teenager and college study.

Remember the effort you'd make to choose the perfect IM profile picture, or the time you invested in crafting the perfect "away" message? I admit that I spent way too much time selecting vague but meaningful lyrics from the latest song I was obsessed with. Plenty of times I would announce my presence online with "I believe I can fly," "I saw the sign," or "I get knocked down." (71)

Yes, I used to have "Sleep, those little slices of death" (a la Edgar Allen Poe) as one of my away messages. I was the original when it came to super vague and sometimes frightening posts in the "social" sphere.

Randi's take on the merging of the public and private spheres also had me rolling my fist in the air Arsenio Hall style.

"It can't be that we're going to have to adjust to a world where we cannot share anything but our utmost public and sterile information. Sharing the personal stuff with others is an essential aspect of what it means to be human. If our online lives are to be as fulfilling as our offline ones, and if those two lives are to be fully integrated, then as we go forward we need to find a way to bring back personal information online. We must be able to post some pool pics without the whole world finding out, even if one of our friends is feeling a little overenthusiastic with the share button that day. (80)

Preach! Now that's a manifesto. As someone whose life is very public by my own choice, I can't say enough about the truth in Randi's sentiments. I don't believe in separating the two, and neither does Randi. Huzzah!

I will say that one thing that slightly bummed me out, although not in a big way, was her reflections on being a Jewish woman and mother. A quick reference to Chinese food on Christmas a Jewish woman entrepreneur does not make.

That aside, probably the most valuable piece of actionable advice Randi dishes out is that everyday, you have to pick three from the following and that's it. You can't do it all, so pick three and make them work. And don't feel guilty about it either.

• Work
• Sleep
• Family
• Friends
• Fitness

I remember reading this before Ash was born and thinking "YES! What a great approach to life." Have I enacted the "pick three" philosophy? No. But guess what? Starting tomorrow, I'm going to because, let's be honest, I've been trying to pack four of those into every day (sorry, fitness). And maybe, maybe someday we'll all work for a company like FullContact in Denver, Colorado, which pays their employees $7,500 bonus if they don't take their phones with them on vacation. A girl can dream, right? (168)

Oh, and I don't forget: 

"The more successful you are and the more you have to say, the more people will be mean to you on the Internet. The only way forward is to embrace your haters. Don't be afraid of the keyboard cowards. Engage them." (237)

Have I sold you yet on Dot Complicated? If you haven't read the book already and are seriously jonesing for some mind-blowingly awesome writing, storytelling, and inspiration, hold tight! It's time for a giveaway. 

To be entered to win:

• Comment on this post and you'll be entered to win a copy of Dot Complicated!
• Share this blog post to Twitter and/or Facebook for an extra chance to win. You must include in your comment that you've posted on these social sites for the extra chances (i.e., "I'm commenting on your blog post to win this awesome book, and I also shared on Twitter and Facebook.")
• Contest is open to U.S. residents only.

I'll draw a winner at random on Wednesday, March 19 at midnight (EST). 

A Nutty Giveaway

It's that time of year again, where I get a delicious sampling of my favorite nut and candy shop's tastiest Chanukah treats, which also means it's that time of year where you, my lovely readers -- in the United States and Israel -- get a chance to win your own Chanukah nosh from Oh!Nuts.

The Chanukah gift I received was the 3-Section Ceramic Gift Tray, although the truth is that it didn't come looking like this at all! The tray wasn't ceramic, and the treats given weren't exactly what's pictured either. (I'm guessing this is because in Israel the products cannot be as standardized as they are in the U.S. where Oh!Nuts is based.) However, I was pleased with what arrived. The chocolate was divine and creamy, the nuts were salty and hit the spot when I was in need of snacking.

So here's the rundown on instructions to win here on Just Call Me Chaviva.

1. Visit the Oh!Nuts Chanukah gifts page, and choose your favorite gift.
2. Come back here, and comment with your chosen's URL and name (and anything else you want to add).
3. I wil pick a random winner on December 6 who will receive a $25 gift certificate to Oh!Nuts!

Here are some other ways to win free goodies, too.

• Visit the Oh!Nuts Facebook page and post on their wall with the URL and name of your favorite Chanukah gift paired with "I am here via www.kvetchingeditor.com!"
• Follow @OhNuts on Twitter and be sure to tweet: "Win a free Chanukah gift from @OhNuts http://bit.ly/6nIsCi! Follow and RT to enter!"

Also, head over and buy your own favorite Chanukah gift today (Monday, November 26, 2012) and use code APFS12 at checkout to receive free shipping on orders over $50!

Ready, set, enter to win!

Sippin' on some SodaStream: A Giveaway!

This is probably one of my best giveaways ever -- a SodaStream Jet Machine with a Flavor Pack!

First, my love affair with seltzer. There are a few "Jewish" things I've never been able to stomach: herring, white fish, chopped liver (huge barf), and, of course, seltzer. I hopped on the gefilte fish and cholent bandwagon, easy peasy. I make a mean kugel and I'm partial to a good gluten-free kishke, too. I'm willing to try things, and believe me, I have, but most of them just never caught on with my white-bread, meat-and-potatoes Nebraska stomach.

Then, during Passover, we managed to be at a lot of places where the options were largely water, tea, and seltzer. One can only drink so much water before one needs a little pizazz (and this is me about every three days; I have a low low-flavor threshold), and iced tea needs sweetener, which I'm trying to avoid. So I opted to give seltzer another go and the fizz kept me from every looking back. I ended up buying so many bottles a week that Tuvia was growing weary of the bucks and bottles on my newest habit.

Enter: The SodaStream!

I came home one night before my trip to Israel in May to a SodaStream. Tuvia is in charge of the fizzing and flavoring, and I'm in charge of most of the drinking. For the most part, we drink the simple flavors of seltzer like Lemon-Lime, and we avoided a lot of the soda flavors that have most people jazzed about the SodaStream. But then a kind fellow over at SodaStream sent me an amazing package of flavors to try -- including some delicious diet flavors -- and Tuvia and I got to trying.

My favorite? The Root Beer. Okay, everyone at the ROI Summit talked about how amazing the Root Beer was, but I'm sort of a Root Beer purist. Close seconds are given to the delicious Diet Green Tea with Berries and Blackberry Currant with Pear. I like the spritz of fruity flavors with the bubbles; it's a change to the typical fruity soda that's out there.

The SodaStream is incredibly easy to use, and it's kosher for use on Shabbos! So you get your SodaStream, a few bottles, and you can make and serve delicious seltzer and soda over and over again to please even the most discerning tastebuds. (Man, I sound like a food magazine or TV show, right?) I also like that it's all kosher, and it cuts down on the amount of bottles we're using and tossing -- environmentally friendly!

So how do you enter the giveaway? You have three ways to enter. Simply list in the comments what you did -- IN ONE COMMENT PLEASE. When you post multiple times for each thing you do it makes it hard to pick a winner.

• In the comments here on this post, tell me what clean, healthy flavor you would LOVE for SodaStream.
• "Like" my page on Facebook. (Note: This is my Blog Page on Facebook, not my Personal Profile on Facebook -- if we're already friends, this step requires "liking" my Facebook Blog Page.)
• Tweet: "I just entered to win a @SodaStream and flavor pack on @kvetchingeditor's blog at http://www.kvetchingeditor.com!"

Disclaimer: Contest ends August 30, 2011 at 10 p.m. Open only to U.S. residents. And if you didn't know, the products are produced in Israel! So you'll be doing something awesome for Israel, the environment, and your fizzy tummy. 

A Perfectly Purim Giveaway!

With Purim right around the corner, I'm sure you're all stocking up on delicious sweet treats for your mishloach manot baskets (and, of course, some for yourself), so here I am with another giveaway -- this time from the amazing folks at Oh!Nuts.

If you're not familiar with Oh!Nuts, they're purveyors of all things salty and sweet, chocolatey and healthy, fruity and gummy. I even sent a box of chocolates to my parents for the holidays in December! (And, of course, they loved them.) My dear Tuvia loves their Sweet 'n' Salty Cashews, and I'm a sucker for Koppers Coffee Cordials (alas, not gluten-free so I don't eat them anymore) and Mocha & Coffee Lentils.

Are you ready? Here are the details on how you can get a delicious Purim Basket!


To enter and win here on the blog:

• To win $30 gift certificate to use on Oh!Nuts choose your favorite Purim Gift and leave a comment with the name and URL of the gift you like the most.
• A winner will be chosen at random on Thursday, March 10, 2011, at 10 p.m.

To enter and win with Oh!Nuts directly (they will pick the winners):

• Go to the Oh!Nuts Facebook Page, become a fan, and post on the wall the URL and name of your favorite Purim Gift Basket. Also, be sure to write that you're there via www.kvetchingeditor.com.

AND/OR

• Follow @ohnuts and Tweet "Win a Purim Basket from http://bit.ly/aWXLzp. Follow @ohnuts and RT to enter daily.

Good luck, everyone! I can't wait to share some sweets with you.

Cheese Basket Winner!

I am ever-so-happy to announce the winner of what has been called the Best Giveaway Ever, a basket of delicious kosher cheese from Anderson International Foods. The winner's recipe will appear on March 10 on the Sincerely Brigitte blog, too!

So, without further ado ... the winner of this amazing giveaway is ...

DREW!

And the great thing about Drew's recipe? It's straight up Passover! Yes, it's a Passover Frittata. Thank you to everyone for entering -- I wish you ALL could have one. Stay tuned for the next giveaway, which will be an Oh!Nuts gift certificate, just in time for Purim!

Enjoy the cheese, Drew. Can't wait to see the recipes with which you'll come up!

Best Giveaway Ever: A Cheese Basket!

As I quipped to my husband a few nights ago, "There are those who need a coffee fix (me), there are those who need a chocolate fix (also me), and then, Tuvia, there are those that need a cheese fix (me!)."

As a perpetual snacker, I've been known to grab a slice of cheese to hold me over before a meal. The  more cheese on my pizza, the better. Grilled cheese? My favorite comfort food. On (Gregorian) New Year's, we dined on cheese and crackers, and for our Super Bowl Party, we prepared a wide array of cheesy treats (including cheese fondue, thanks to some guests). And, of course, my favorite kind of cheese? That which pours out of my husband, Tuvia, who, because of my love of all things cheese, has been deemed the Cheeseball ...

But where am I going with this? Well, a giveaway, that's where I'm going!

The amazing folks at Anderson International Foods, who are behind the delicious lines of (mostly) cholov Yisrael cheeses Natural & Kosher, Les Petites Fermeries, Organic & Kosher, and the new Pure & Kosher, dropped the most amazing basket of cheeses at my front door late last week to review (of course, it arrived right after we'd gone out for burgers so I had to wait three hours before cracking into the cheese, which I did, at nearly midnight). Of course, the variety and amount of cheese had my eyes popping, and Tuvia was more than gracious in helping me in sampling.

My favorites? The Goat Cheese Medallions with Cranberries and Maple Syrup (chalav stam). This is one of those moments when I wish there was taste-o-vision, because this cheese is more like dessert in its flavor. Like eating a thick, creamy sweet drop of yogurt or ice cream. Even Tuvia was a fan of this one. Oh! And? It's gluten-free! Hoo-rah!

There also was the Processed Olives Cheddar (chalav Yisrael), which, let's be honest, sounds a little crazy, right? After tasting it, however, the flavor of black olives emanates from the cheese, and I'm very much looking forward to making a gluten-free pizza with this. How? The cheese is round, so I plan on throwing some pasta sauce on a pita, putting the round cheese on top, and going for it. It's the cheese and olives in one! Brilliant!

Having never had Havarti (chalav stam) before (do I live under a rock?), Tuvia and I were eager to crack the package open. With crackers in hand, Tuvia gave it a go and really liked the flavor, likening it very much to our favorite cheese -- Muenster. The flavor was muted, but it was creamy and delicious. He also cracked into the Sharp Goat Cheddar (chalav Yisrael), which piqued both of our curiosities. Tuvia said the hints of goat cheese were very strong, but he ate half a block on his own anyway!

We have a lot of cheese left, and I'm stoked that a lot of it is kosher for Passover, too. So, I'm not going to lie, we're saving a lot of it for Passover cheese cravings -- including the Goat Cheese Medallions (chalav stam), Goat Mozzarella with Fine Herbs (chalav Yisrael) and Goat Mozzarella with Red Peppers (chalav Yisrael). What I do have to say overall about these cheeses, however, is that they're classy, upscale, and they won't break the bank. I'm no cheese snob, but I'd put out any of these cheeses on my cheese plate any day.


But I'm sure you're wondering -- how can I win a basket of delicious kosher cheeses? Here are the details -- read them carefully!

• The giveaway runs through Friday, March 4, at noon (EST). 
• To enter, you must post a comment on this post with an original cheese recipe from your arsenal -- and if it's gluten-free, you'll make me a happy camper. Original can be a recipe you found that you adapted, I just don't want you to Google "cheese recipe" and put something here!
• The winner will be chosen at random, but must provide an original recipe in order to win. 

The winner will receive an amazing cheese basket from Anderson International Foods delivered right to your door, and your recipe will be featured March 10 on the Sincerely Brigitte blog of Anderson International Foods CEO Brigitte Mizrahi, a French cheese connoisseur and the woman behind the four lines of cheese currently on the market today.

Also, be sure to "like" the Sincerely Brigitte Facebook Page and follow Brigitte on Twitter! Good luck everyone!

A Kosher Super Bowl Sunday Giveaway

Got yer Terrible Towel handy?

I'm pretty bummed that none of my favorite teams ended up in this year's Super Bowl, although I suppose I can rejoice in the fact that the commercials should be interesting and the half-time show has the chance to dazzle. Of course, with the amount of people we have coming over, who knows what madness will ensue Super Bowl style, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

For the third year in a row, we're having a party at our place (although, our abode is much smaller this year than Tuvia's old digs in Connecticut), which actually kind of bums me out simply because I just found out about Stand Up New York's awesome Super Bowl party. Lucky for you, if you don't have plans, or if maybe you want to change your plans, I have a nice little giveaway for you.

The location: Stand Up New York at 236 W. 78th St. btwn Broadway and Amsterdam, which is outfitted with LEDs and an amazing sound system, on Sunday, February 6, 2011. Game starts at 6:30 p.m.

The goods: The "Stand Up Sit Down Special," which features two tickets (an $80 value) to Stand Up New York to watch the Super Bowl, plus a bucket of four beers, and an unlimited supply of the delicious kosher wings of Carlos and Gabby's.

How to win: Simply comment below and let me know your most favorite Super Bowl commercial (from any year), and a winner will be chosen at random using an online, unbiased auto-picker.

Contest ends tomorrow, Thursday, February 3, at 10 p.m.


So Tweet this, Facebook it, and find someone special to sit down with for Super Bowl Sunday. I mean, come on, it's free food, free beer, and a great venue. What's not to love about this giveaway? Feel free to enter and gift the tickets to someone in NYC, too!

A Chanukah Giveaway from Oh! Nuts!

Chanukah is the time of year where we overdo it on oily goodies like latkes and sufganiyot, among other things. I'm going to be in Israel for part of Chanukah, and I was elated to find out that there's a shop in Israel that sells gluten-free sufganiyot -- color me happy! But my favorite part is all the gelt. Yes, gelt. I love, love, love gelt. But only the dark chocolate kind (keep that in mind).

Want to fill your candy dishes with some chocolatey treats? Maybe jonesing for some delicious granola or some gummy yummies? Then keep reading!

I've been doing a lot of giveaways lately, and I know that y'all love them. So here's another! The winner of this giveaway will receive a $25 gift certificate from Oh!Nuts, the fine purveyor of all things kosher and delicious. And you know what I love most about Oh!Nuts? They might be all kosher, but they offer goods and deals for every holiday -- Jewish or not!

Here are the details. You have three ways to enter. One here, and two elsewhere.

1) Go to the Oh!Nuts Chanukah gifts page, choose your favorite Chanukah Gift, and leave a comment here with the name and URL of the gift that you like the most. The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate.

2) Go to the Oh!Nuts Facebook Page and post the name and URL of your favorite Chanukah Gift from Oh!Nuts and write "I am here via Just Call Me Chaviva, aka www.kvetchingeditor.com."

3) Follow @OhNuts and tweet: "Win a free Chanukah Gift from http://bit.ly/6nIsCi | Follow @OhNuts and RT to enter!"

Good luck! The contest closes in a week (that is, Friday, November 26, 2010). Yes, I'll be in Israel, so it'll close before Shabbos in Israel :)

Announcing a Winner.

I'm ever so happy to announce that the CoverYourHair.com giveaway winner is

LEAH SARAH (aka @enfini)

Mazal tov and Shabbat Shalom to all! Stay tuned for ... yes. Another giveaway. From my good friends at Oh!Nuts, as well as a blog post on the upcoming awesomeness that is Shalom Sesame!

Hair Covering Giveaway!

Yes, it's that time of year. The time of year to buy new head coverings! Why? The weather is changing, the leaves have all but disappeared, and, well, who doesn't want or need new, beautiful head coverings? Thus, I give you a giveaway from CoverYourHair.com (aka CYH)!

First, I have to tell you about the cute hat they sent me to get you guys excited about what's in store for the colder-weather months (and for those of you in Texas or Israel or countries where it doesn't get so cold, there are plenty of beautiful tichels and headbands available). Called The New Fashionable Beret on the site, this knit hat is a wonder. I buy a lot of knit winter hats at places like K-Mart and Conway (in NYC), but they tend to be plain, and I often wish that they had just a little something to jazz them up. Thus enters these hats. With a simple bow, the hat really does give off a different vibe than if it were sans the bow. And, believe it or not, adult bows are in fashion this season (so sue me, I saw it on TV). The hat is actually a lot thicker, which plays into a serious high-quality look and feel. Overall? I'm loving this hat! Can't you tell?

Here are the details:

• One winner will receive a box of surprise hair accessories worth $25!
• You have many ways to enter the contest, and for each thing you do, please mention it in the comments (honor system!) in a single comment, please. Here are the ways to add entries to your comment.
• Post a comment here telling me about the best hair accessory in your collection. 
• Join Google Friend Connect by going to www.hairaccessoryblog.com, click "Join This Site" in the Google Friend Connect box.
• Subscribe to CYH on at www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/coveryourhair.
• Follow CYH on Twitter.
• Add www.hairaccessoryblog.com to your blog roll. 
• Add CoverYourHair.com to your blog roll. 
• Follow CYH on Networked Blogs by clicking here and choosing "Follow This Blog."
• Bookmark CYH on Delicious. 
• Fan CYH on Facebook. 
• And, last, but not least, subscribe to the CYH feed on YouTube!
• Remember: Post a comment on MY BLOG with all of the things that you did to enter. 
• The contest will close at 10 p.m. on Thursday, November 18. The winner will be chosen at random! Men, enter for your wives, too!

Note: This CAN be shipped worldwide -- so, no matter where you are, enter enter enter!

And, just so you don't walk away empty handed if you don't win, you, my lucky blog readers, have the opportunity to receive 20% off at CoverYourHair.com through December 31, 2010 using promo code "blog1231." Enjoy!

A Winner is Chosen!

My father always told me, Life isn't fair. Just a thought before I announce the winner of the Quick & Kosher: Meals in Minutes Giveaway.

I do a lot of giveaways here, and although I change up the "how" of entering, it doesn't tend to affect how I choose my winners. I either use a random number generator in which each number corresponds to a different person who has commented or I type all of the names up (doubling up for those who entered in multiple ways) and throwing them into a random picker. I'd like to pick the "best" or my most "favorite" of the entries, but it doesn't seem fair or objective, especially because I know many of the entrants personally. What do you guys think about this -- am I thinking too much about it? Or does my way make sense?

At any rate, thanks to the awesomely funny random generators at ClassTools.net (it's geared toward teachers who want a fun way to pick names from a class), we have our winner! Mazal tov to ...

Mara of Kosher on a Budget!

Please email me at kvetching dot editor dot com with your mailing information! I hope Mara will add some of Jamie Geller's awesomely quick and budget-friendly 

Jamie Geller Goes Quick & Kosher ... Again!

Quick and Kosher. These are two words that I live by. I keep kosher, and I prefer that keeping kosher not keep my calendar in the "rush" formation. When I cook kosher, I want to cook quick, but thoughtful. Quick, but healthful. Quick, but delicious. Can it be done? Is it possible to cook quick and kosher? To set aside generations of slaving over a hot stove for two days for Shabbat meals? Yes, yes it is. And Jamie Geller shows us how (and she makes it look incredibly easy).

I first heard about Jamie's work from the beautiful personality behind In the Pink, so I ordered the book immediately off Amazon, tabbed a bajillion pages, and got cooking. Aside from a few gripes about recipes coming out tasteless (which, to be honest, I can't blame on Jamie -- I am a super taster, if you are familiar with the term; I need lots of spice in order to taste anything), I was incredibly pleased with the ease and speed with which her recipes could be completed. Yes, there were opponents who scoffed at her Duck Sauce Chicken recipe (jar duck sauce, chicken, cook), but that's because people don't get what Quick & Kosher means.

Quick & Kosher means easy meals that pack a flavorful punch with minimal ingredients that won't have you multi-tasking on three different devices. Quick & Kosher means giving you the options for meals that you wouldn't have thought of otherwise. Duck Sauce Chicken? Sure, it seems simple, but when you're scrounging for the easiest possible Shabbos dinner dish, would you, off the top of your head, just think about throwing some sauce and chicken together? And if you have a beef with the health issue (onion soup mix and what have you), then you, as the consumer, need to think: look for low sodium options, look for all natural ingredients, and find a way to make the recipes work!

Thus, with Jamie's new installment in the Quick & Kosher series -- Meals in Minutes -- we have a boatload of options that come adorned with side dishes! Jamie offers a main dish and a side dish on every page, so you don't have to think about what to make with your protein. Can you mix it up? Who's to stop you? But the nice thing is that you can stick to one page and have a healthy, quick, delicious meal. In the back of the book, Jamie offers a variety of meal options for every Jewish holiday from Shabbat to Shavuot, and, to be completely honest, I'll probably use the festive meal menus for a regular Shabbat in the future. Why? Because I'm the kind of person who starts building a menu and ends up with two main dishes, six side dishes, and three desserts plus a soup or salad or fish. I overdo it. I kill myself cooking for Shabbat, when I know that -- in reality -- a few side dishes with a main course, a delicious dessert and a hearty salad are all a meal and the guests need to be complete and satisfied. I also love that Jamie offers wine pairings and gives short and sweet explanations of the questions you know you're asking, like, what is lemongrass (check the Thai Chicken Soup recipe)? Or how to pick cheese or wine or why Kosher.com is awesome (for all intents and purposes, Jamie's their spokesperson).

Pumpkin cookies! FTW!

I know what you're thinking -- they gave me the book for free. I'm worshiping at the altar of Jamie Geller and the Quick & Kosher team. To be honest, aside from the spice/flavor issue, I haven't had a problem with any of the recipes from either book, and I've made probably a dozen or so in the past few months. And, as a gluten-free consumer, I've been able to fix up all of the recipes I've made for a gluten-free twist, including the Pumpkin Cookies in the new book. (Easiest cookies out there after, of course, an unhealthy pre-packed mix). I also am a huge fan of the Lamb Meatballs in Pita, which I made for my Israeli friends and paired with an abundance of Israeli salads (they loved the meatballs). I'm super eager to make the Greek-Style Chicken with Lemon and Dill, paired with Tomatoes and String Beans (okay, so I'll have to make Tuvia something else), as well as the Pumpkin Black Bean Soup (what a combo, right?). Spice-Rubbed Grilled Chicken with Fruit Salsa? Yes, please! The list goes on and on.

And if you know that you only have 40 minutes or 60 minutes, all you have to do is go to that chapter and get cooking. Organized, quick, and kosher. Bravo, Jamie!

So now, what you're really here for, the giveaway. Here are the rules:

• There will be one winner who will receive one copy of Jamie Geller's new Quick & Kosher: Meals in Minutes.
• The contest closes Sunday, November 7, 2010, at 10 p.m. 
• To enter, you must write a fall/winter food haiku (or limerick, just for you M.E.) OR tell me (and, in turn, Jamie Geller) what recipe or food you love for which you wish there was a "quick and kosher" recipe. 
• Tweet this, Facebook this, and spread the word. Let me know where you've thrown up a mention (honor system here, folks) for an extra entry into the contest.

Good luck, and happy cooking!