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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 Date Nut Bars

Because dates are chock full of natural fiber this sweet fruit has many health benefits.  Dates are rich in vitamins and minerals such as calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, oil, phosphorous, potassium, and sulfur which are all advantageous for good health.  And I must mention that dates help to keep you regular and fight constipation.  Also known as one of nature's candy, dried dates make a wonderfully sweet ingredient to many baked goods as well as being a great snack on their own.

This recipe for Date Nut Bars comes from my Nana's collection.

Ingredients...

  • 2 cups sugar  (OR 1 Cup granulated white sugar with 1Cup granulated sugar substitute
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (OR a combination of white & whole wheat flour)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups chopped dates
  • 2 cups chopped nuts (walnuts and/or pecans)
  • 4 beaten eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter (OR margarine)
Here's how you do it... 
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Grease a 15" x 10" x 1" baking pan or line the pan with parchment leaving a tail at the end of the pan to make cake removal easy.
  3. In a small microwave safe cup, melt the butter (or margarine) for 30 seconds on 30% power in the microwave and set aside to cool.
  4. Chop two cups of dates and two cups of nuts.
  5. Using a large bowl and a wooden spoon, combine the dry ingredients:  sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, chopped dates and chopped nuts until all is coated.
  6. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs and add in the melted butter, and vanilla extract.
  7. Add the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and stir, only until all is moistened.
  8. Spread into the prepared baking pan. 
  9. Bake for 20-25 minutes until it begins to brown.
  10. Remove from pan and cool on a rack. 
  11. Cut into squares or bars.  
  12. Store in an airtight container.

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