SOS! I am not kidding, somebody help!
So usually I am full of tips, tricks and tasty tidbits but right now I am totally tapped. If you read this months AWESOME!!!! Purim Magazine then you know my Purim has been planned since last year. My favorite pulled BBQ brisket sandwiches already had a test run and I was shopping for cowboy boots– or at least I was, in my head.
Until my lovely family reminded me that I must’ve lost my head because I apparently promised (also last year) we could all be Waldo and Wenda – the candy striped characters from our favorite Where’s Waldo books. Well I am feeling a little farmished to say the least. I’m finishing the final round of cookbook editing before sending the manuscript to the copy editor, ignoring the jet lag from my 4 day NYC trip, juggling the details of a merge (did you hear? more exciting stuff on that soon), toilet training my toddler (is it wrong to talk about that on a food blog), in pre-production on the Joy of Israel series and hosting this Shabbos. I managed to get the costumes last week with my mother-in-law but have NO clue what to do for shalach manos.
I think the obvious way to go is red and white. But in what vessel? And with what foods? I need two brachos and probably can’t get away without making something homemade — yet I yearn from the depths of my soul for an uncomplicated solution. If it’s smart enough and creative enough (I am so bad at cards, concepts and poems) maybe I can to something clever and simple.
I had a vision of adapting these Chocolate Peppermint Cookies into hamantashen. I was going to omit the cocoa powder and fill them with peppermint cream and top with crushed red and white candies. I brought back the Earth Balance, forgot the candies (can I find them here in Israel?) and have no time to create the cream. If I can find the candies I can always just make these cookies without the cocoa and package it with a bottle of milk… although I am feeling like that’s not red and white enough…
Your turn to help a sister out…
Think food, think packaging, think messaging…
Nu, so what should I do?
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UPDATE:
Click for a printable version (contributed by Serach Goldish, who will you your own Purim poems for mishmloach Manot or during the year for parties, anniversaries, etc. for only $10)Check out this amazing Where’s Waldo Persian scene from Serach Goldish with a A Goldish Touch she created this amazing art work. With the following note:
There’s plenty to find, including whatever is listed plus some fun things like, a crazy monkey, a flying palace, people rowing a magic carpet, and more. Also Waldo and Wenda lost their canes (we put in red/white candy canes), Woof lost his biscuts (tea biscuts), the wizard lost his scrolls (presidors), and Odlaw is a bit nuts and lost his chocolate (yellow/black m and m’s). If you find them , please eat them.
another winner!!! must remember this for next year!
great idea for next year – do love the look of w paper bag — chic is right!
you are so right!!! not sure where I got the 2 brachos thing from! thanks for clarifying!
Thank you everyone for your awesome ideas — the costumes were such a big hit that I may have to do this all over again next year — people were stopping to take picts of us – it was quite a scene. For the Shalach Manos I did a little white picnic style/purim box lined with a red and white napkin, w/cheese sandwiches + ketchup packets on the side, can of coca cola and a red and white striped straw and a red and white sour belts for dessert. Tied it all up with a – yup you guessed it – red and white ribbon and had a red a white striped card that matched our costumes perfectly. I used (Mrs)Devorah Mindick’s poem – it was short sweet and perfect!!! (she was my daughter’s first grade teacher so it’s still hard to not refer to her as “Mrs” 🙂 Thanks again!
I love this idea and I live on “Waldo” Avenue, so I am totally doing this next year, I hope Serah sends the picture, if she doesn’t mind I will post it on the post so everyone can benefit. I was thinking I might fill a red and white box with a bunch of tissue paper and have all the treats hidden inside.
wow – how amazing you obviously have the creative gene that I seem to be missing!!!! Can you please send the pic to me???!!!! [email protected]!!! so totally awesome!
so awesome!!! I love it! bli neder I will use it if I can’t print out Serach’s card below. Mrs Mindick we miss you so much – Bracha Miri wants to call you!!!! and we will miss you in costume!!! lots of love and freilichin Purim to you too!!!
I used this for my card — thanks so much – LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF LOVE!
we are doing that themre too (my baby is woof, one daughtyer the wizard, one odlow and me wanda and my husband waldo). we are giving red and white candy cane cookies, wise potatoe chips and were going to do the bone/winky canduers but they were super expensive so instead we went with tea biscuts, yellow/black mand m’s for odlaw. red and white bags and i took a persian scene out of one ogf the books, made my own varation had haman pyllling mordechai had waldo, wanda etc hidden and purim themed stuff l;ike megillah, grager, mm basket, a mask etc. gl let me know what happens, i can upload the pic if you want, i think its super cool!
Whoops! We see his hand in our victory
Whoops! We see his hand in our victory.
Here’s a poem for you….
Where’s Waldo? Where’s Jamie? Where’s miracles?
On Purim we’re looking you see.
Hashem is hidden, He is “nistar”‘
But we seem his hand in our victory!
Hope this is helpful. Have a freilichin Purim! Send my best to Bracha Miriam!
Actually the mitzva of mishloach manos is 2 foods to one person. Matanos l’evyonim is given to 2 people.
http://kosherscoop.com/recipe/chocolate-mint-hamentaschen
Vanilla and maraschino cherry cake?
You can have a red paper bag, staple a white ribbon to close it. Paper bags look very crisp, are easy to assemble, and are cheap. Or white paper bag (probably easier to din) with a red ribbon stapled on it.
You can use any red and white candy- licorice, white dinner mints.
Red and white pinwheel cookies? just dye 1/2 the batter red instead of using cocoa. Red velvet cupcakes with white/red swirled frosting? or white frosting with red sugar/glitter. Pink shoko? “teeth” candy – the red squares with white “teeth” inside and sugar outside-can get them in any candy store, the shuk has them in bulk. Go to the supermarket for inspiration! There’s a store (jerusalem) shivuk zol has the best selection of paper goods, packaging etc. I’d hit them first! Good luck!
Somebody already made my suggestion – the 2-tone cookies. You can also do something similar with a pound or sponge cake – like a marble cake but with red colored batter, rather than chocolate.
As for a container, the kids can weave strips of red and white construction paper into a basket or some red & white ribbon woven through some (cheap) baskets. Another cute craft could be trimming the edge of a plastic plate with a ring of glue and red & white yarn. (do that days in advance so the thick glue has time to dry.)
What about red and white popcorn? I made colored popcorn last year and it was a HUGE hit.
White chocolate mousse and strawberry or raspberry mousse side by side in a cupcake cup.
Homemade marshmallows. Make a single batch of white marshmallows (any flavor that won’t add color). After whipping put half in another bowl and dye it red. Then layer the white and red marshmallow in the pan to make red and white striped marshmallows. Package in a clear bag. Chocolate dipped pretzels with white and red sprinkles would go well with them.
One year I made your chocolate pretzel tart into mini pie crusts. They were sooo easy and yum! You could then just put white and red sprinkles on top. Easy! Good luck!
Red and White Jelly Beans………….
Just a thought about messaging, you could hide the cookies in the candy and incorporate that into the “where is waldo”- just an idea
Just an FYI, you do not need to have 2 brachos, you just need to give 2 foods to 2 people. You can do the red and white swirl cookies like commented above and then just put red candies or white after dinner mints with a few cookies and maybe a small can of cokes (red) in a nice clear celophane bag-I think it could look really elegant with the cookies and coke surrounded by the candy with red and white ribbon. Good Luck and Chag Sameach!
What if you made red and white swirled cookies? You split a batch of sugar cookie dough; dye half red; roll out then layer the two pieces of dough; roll in a log and slice. Red and white mint candies would make a cute addition, if you can find them. If you have access to a color copier you could decorate boxes or bags with copied Waldo images. In the US you can get little magnifying glasses or black disguise glasses as party favors, but I’m not sure about Israel…that would be cute though.
I did this theme last year:got a small white rectangular plate: put on a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese icing in a red and white striped cupcake wrapper, a jello shot in a plastic cup and scattered it with red and white lollies. wrapped in plastic with a red ribbon.