Golden White Cranberry Charoset

*Photos by Rebecca
Golden= Golden Raisins for a special sweetness
White=White Concord Manischewitz Wine
Cranberry= Craisins for color and sweetness

I'm celebrating freedom this Passover by taking liberties in the way I make the traditional apple/nut dish that is symbolic of the bricks and mortar the Jews used to build pyramids when we were enslaved in Egypt years and years and years ago. And, I'm allergic to nuts, (and made it to the store too late to find true deep red Manischewitz wine in time for Passover), so that helped with this new-age and nut-free twist on my favorite Passover dish, Charoset!

(Connection to entertainment? I'll be taking it to Jen's house, where she is hosting a large group for the first-night seder tomorrow night, and therefore, I consider this a recipe for a dish I'll be taking as a guest in the house of someone who is entertaining)

Ingredients:

• 1 package golden raisins (can you believe WF didn't carry them, and hasn't for about a year and a half?? WTF, WF!)


• 1 package Craisins (dried cranberries, or a few ounces from the bulk department in most grocery stores)


• About 15 apples for batch that fills a large serving bowl or dish (I prefer a mix of Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Jazz apples..they are the sweetest...if you haven't had one of these varieties, I Rebeccammend them!)


• 1 bottle of Manischewitz Cream White Concord Wine or any other Kosher for Passover sweet white wine


• 1/4 cup ground cinnamon


• 2 tablespoons of honey (there should be enough sweetness, but apples and honey just go together :))

Instructions

1. Cut apples into slices, and then cut the slices in half, and place in a food processor.


2. Alternate adding golden raisins and craisins in each time you add more apples to the processor.


3. Grind the apples/dried fruit mixture in the food processor until there are no larger pieces left.


4. Add to your bowl for refrigeration or serving dish.


5. Repeat Steps 1-4 until all apples are diced.


6. Add about 1 cup of the sweet white wine, or to taste, and toss throughout with a spoon (try not to add tooo much, to avoid soggy-ness)


7. Add about 1/4 cup ground cinnamon, or to taste and toss throughout with a spoon (this, combined with the sweet wine is what creates the memorable taste of charoset, so don't forget the cinnamon!)


8. Add about 2 tablespoons of honey and toss throughout with a spoon.


9. Cover your bowl or dish tightly since apples oxidize when cut open and exposed to the air (I used this as a science fair experiment for about 4 years in a row as a kid!), and will turn brown.


10. Refrigerate before serving...tastes best if you let it refrigerate overnight to soak up all the flavors.


11. Serve and enjoy!

Poll: Entertaining at Home

Thanks to all who voted in the poll about entertaining at home. I'm excited that many of you (66% of poll responders) are interested in my entertainment ideas to help you when inviting guests over for a good time.

For those of you who think it's too expensive, or you don't have enough space, this is something that can easily be fixed! I'll try to give tips for inexpensive home entertainment, such as:

• Ask each guest to bring one contribution, so it doesn't all fall on you, or make a dent in your wallet
• Host your event for a non-main-course meal, such as drinks and appetizers, or dessert

and tips for space-saving entertainment, such as:

• Help a friend co-host if they have more space at their place
• Plan an event at a nearby park, at an apartment complex pool where you or a guest live if the weather is nice

The bottom line is, you don't need a lot of space or $$ to have a good time! Stay tuned for more easy entertaining tips!

What do cows do on Saturday nights? They like to rent moooooovies!

There's nothing like a good rental movie, a bowl of popcorn, and relaxing on the couch in comfy clothes when you're feeling like a chill night of classic home entertainment.

Newest top movie releases out today include:

• Slumdog Millionaire- This movie won 8 Oscars, so if you haven't seen it, see if you can get your hands on a rental copy to check it out. "A Mumbai teen who grew up in the slums, becomes a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" He is arrested under suspicion of cheating, and while being interrogated, events from his life history are shown which explain why he knows the answers." (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1010048/)
• Seven Pounds- Starring Will Smith and Rosario Dawson: "An IRS agent with a fateful secret embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers." (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0814314/)
• Marley & Me- Starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston, is a story about how "A family learns important life lessons from their adorable, but naughty and neurotic dog." (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0822832/).

Recommended Online Movie/TV Resource: IMDb (Internet Movie Database), is a great place to get all of your movie/TV news, including new rental releases, nightly TV lineups, trailers, top movie rankings, movies coming soon, and award winners.