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What is a Balaboosta?
Balaboosta (n.)(bah-lah-b00-sta) A Yiddish term meaning the perfect housewife, homemaker, wonderful mother, cook, and gracious hostess. She does it all and does it well.
I make simple food with easy recipes and I like to try new things. My family and friends love my cooking and always ask me to share, with them, what I know about food, flavor, and technique.

I'm not a professional chef and I've had no formal culinary training. What I know and do in the kitchen comes from three women...Nana, Grandma Della, and Rose, my mom. Each one of them knew more about putting a meal on the table than any fancy chef in a white hat. They were the ultimate Balaboostas.

What I offer you is a lifetime of experience in the kitchen with my compliments and theirs. I hope they'd be proud. I will bring you my recipes as I make them with photos of the actual food I'm preparing. I'm no professional photographer either but I promise, my food will speak for itself in every picture.

The food on my table isn't stacked in a trendy tower.
Instead, my food is stacked with flavor and full of my passion for cooking. So please come in, make yourself comfortable, and enjoy.

To see amazing detail in any photo just click on it!
Don't forget to SIGN MY GUEST BOOK at the bottom of this page and/or LEAVE A COMMENT (be sure to leave your email address if you'd like a response)

Disclaimer: While most of my recipes are "Jewish Style", I do sometimes cook with pork. This might have been a great disappointment to some but my grandmothers knew that I live in modern world. I light Shabbos candles religiously but I have to admit...I do not keep a Kosher home.

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Nana's Cheese Blintzes - Sugar Free or Not

As far back as I can remember my Nana was making Blintzes. Nana had me standing on a chair at her kitchen counter rolling them up at an early age. Of course, back then, there were no "sugar substitutes". Nana used white processed sugar which was the norm at the time. Today we know better and we have options. When I make Nana's Blintzes now, I use Splenda in place of the sugar. The results are the same wonderful flavor and texture.

Blintzes can be heavenly and they are Jewish comfort food at it's finest. Blintzes can turn a typical brunch into something really special. This is a great recipe to make with your kids. Get them involved...together you'll be building precious memories they will have with them forever.

Batter for the Blintz...
Ingredients...

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar (or Splenda sugar substitute)
  • 3/4 cups water
  • 4 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter (or healthy alternative)
Here's how you do it...
  1. Prepare an area with a large clean cloth or thin towel. This is where you will be putting the finished pancakes.
  2. Beat the eggs.
  3. Add the salt, sugar (or Splenda), water, cornstarch, baking powder, and melted butter (or healthy alternative).
  4. Heat a small frying pan over medium.
  5. Using cooking spray or butter on a napkin, slightly grease the pan.
  6. Pour or ladle a small amount of the batter into the slightly greased heated small frying pan.
  7. Tip the pan so that the batter thinly coats the bottom of the pan. Work quickly.
  8. Cook only until the top is dry.
  9. Turn over and out onto a clean table or cloth.
  10. Repeat until all the pancakes have been made.

Filling...
Ingredients...
  • 3/4 pound dry cottage or pot cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (or Splenda sugar substitute)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of salt

Here's how you do it...
  1. Using a fork mash all the ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth.
  2. Put 2 tablespoons of filling onto the lower half of a pancake.
  3. Fold the short end over the cheese, turning in the edges and continue to roll.
  4. Set aside onto a plate or into a container which can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer.
  5. When ready to cook, put a little butter (or healthy alternative) into a small frying pan over medium heat and fry, turning to brown both sides.
Serving suggestions...

Serve with a dollop of:
  • Sour Cream
  • Jam (any flavor)
  • Warm cherry, apple, or peach pie filling.

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