Author Archives: Alison

Friday Favorites | Challah Back Girl

Posted on May 28, 2010 by Alison in Friday Favorites, Jewish Recipes

It’s Friday and not only does that mean we talk about our favorite things, but it’s Shabbat! If you don’t do it regularly, maybe you can make plans tonight to cook a nice Shabbat dinner for you and your fiance! As every nice Jewish girl knows, the way to a nice Jewish boy’s heart is through his tummy! Then again, if you’re reading this site, you’ve already secured yourself a nice Jewish boy. Holla!

Oh, speaking of which, why not bake a nice challah tonight? We’ve got a Friday Favorites recipe for you that is carbtastically delicious! And if you’ve never taken a stab at braiding and baking a challah, go ahead and try it! You’ll be surprised how easy it is!

Ingredients:
5 pounds sifted all-purpose flour
2 ounces fresh yeast
2 tablespoons coarse salt
4 1/4 cups warm water (add an additional 1/4 cup for softer dough)
3/4 cup oil
1 1/3 cups sugar
5 egg yolks

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of warm water and add 1 tablespoon of sugar. Stir. When bubbles rise, the yeast has activated. In your mixer, combine the salt, 2/3 of the flour, oil, sugar, yolks, water and the activated yeast last. Set the machine on medium for 12 minutes. When you see the dough begin to form, add the remaining flour into the mixer and continue mixing.

Transfer the dough to a very large well-greased bowl, cover with plastic and allow to rise in a warm spot for 2 to 3 hours or until double in bulk. (Optional: punch dough down after 1 hour and let rise again)

Divide a large piece of dough into 4 parts. From 3 parts roll out three 12 inch strands. Divide the fourth part into 3 and roll out three small strands. Braid the large strands as if braiding hair until you form your challah. Then braid the smaller strands into a mini challah. Place the mini on top of the larger challah.

After you have formed your challahs allow them to rise for 20 minutes in greased baking dishes. Paint the challahs with beaten egg yolks and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for the first 15 minutes then, reduce to 350 degrees for another 30 to 45 minutes.

Your gorgeous, freshly made challah deserves a beautiful home on Shabbat. And why not serve it on this beautiful, ceramic challah board? We love that this challah board goes with any style home and features traditional traits. This would be a beautiful addition on any dining table.

You can purchase this piece for yourself or as a gift at Yussel’s Place, located online and in Long Island!

Featured | Cha Cha Bella

Posted on May 27, 2010 by Alison in Featured

We love getting recognition from other bloggers across the huge scope of the internet. We love hearing from brides how valuable the information on our site is to them and their wedding planning. We love hearing that we are filling a much needed area of expertise. But what we love most is being featured!! We have been featured twice this week on two incredible blogs.

Cha Cha Bella is one of those blogs. They are on a mission to bring sparkle back to women around the world. They offer a variety of rings, jewelry, and gifts to make any bride sparkle on her big day!

Suzanne, the blogger for Cha Cha Bella contacted Alison about doing a feature on Jewish Weddings and needed the expertise of The Yentas. We are always more than happy to help and shmooze away.

Make sure to check out our feature on Cha Cha’s blog, and if you need any special gifts for yourself, bridesmaids, or mothers make sure they are a definite stop on your shopping list!

Real Weddings | Dallas, TX

Posted on May 27, 2010 by Alison in Real Jewish Weddings

Eric and Lindsey met during their freshman year at the University of Arizona. Lindsey was a member (and eventually president!) of Alpha Epsilon Phi and Eric was involved in Hillel. Already, this was a bubbie’s dream match. They flirted online during the first year of college and would occasionally run into each other on campus, but they never really thought anything could happen. Finally, with 3 weeks left at school, Eric got fed up and said “If we like each other then we should be together”. We like a man who calls what he wants! Lindsey thought that if they could make it through the summer apart, they could make it through anything. And they never stopped! These Wildcats were wild about each other and continued to date through the end of college. After graduation, Eric stayed in Arizona and Lindsey moved back home to Dallas. Doing long distance was difficult, but once Eric found out he could transfer to work Dallas, he proposed.

The proposal was a nostalgic tip of the hat to their first real date in Scottsdale during their original long-distance summer when Eric took Lindsey on a gondola ride at one of the resorts. This date was the night she knew she really loved him. Hel-lo?! Gondolas scream romance! Flash forward four years later: Eric surprised Lindsey with a gondola ride in Dallas. After reading a special message in a bottle while on the gondola, Eric was on his knee asking Lindsey to marry him. Of course she said yes, posed for a few pictures with the photographer he hired to catch every moment, and then they headed to a special dinner where his entire family from Arizona was waiting with her’s. The final event of the proposal Olympics was a limousine that took the new soon-to-be-marrieds out with all of their favorite people, and ended the night at a beautiful hotel courtesy of their friends.

We love when proposal stories have meaning and personal significance!

Mazel tov Lindsey and Eric!

Venue – Westin Galleria
Bakery – Delicious Cakes
Photographer – Tim Hord
Floral Design – I Love Flowers
Entertainment – Random Axis
Hair – Misti Shine
Makeup – Amanda Hugdahl

westin-galleria,-dallas,-texas-jewish-wedding

My Kind Of Wedding, Chicago Is

Posted on May 26, 2010 by Alison in Inside Scoop

In honor of Yenta Alison’s anniversary getaway to Chicago today, here’s a little wedding love for all of our Yentas in the midwest!

I Do! Chicago Ties The Knot is a tip of the veil to wedding fashions over the years, and who doesn’t want to gush over gorgeous pieces of history?! This exhibit, which opened to the public on May 22nd, is showcased at the Chicago History Museum and it’s free! We Yentas love geeking out to a little history and if it’s wedding-related, we squeal in excitement! We absolutely love that this exhibit honors the many cultures and traditions that Chicago has seen in its rich history!

For our readers who want to be up-to-date on the newest wedding fashions, three professional Chicago gown designers will create weddingwear inspired by pieces from the exhibit. This is like an episode of Project Wedding on Manischewitz! The winning piece will be inducted into museum history and will be on display throughout the rest of the exhibit’s run! How cool! The future of wedding gowns, making history!

From the Chicago History Museum’s web site:
Nearly every part of a wedding celebration is steeped in history and tradition, with religion, culture, family custom, and superstition having shaped the Big Day since the first couple said “I do.” The exhibition explores an array of wedding traditions through costume, and how some of those traditions were standardized by Chicago retailers to create the wedding industry we know today.

The Chicago History Museum is located at 1601 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60614
Museum hours are Monday–Saturday 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. and Sunday 12:00 noon–5:00 p.m.

This is a big week for both of the Yentas! Nicky’s birthday was Monday the 24th and Alison’s 2-year wedding anniversary was Tuesday the 25th! In honor of a fun and important week, we are offering a Big Week Special to vendors who are interested in becoming members of our directory! Contact us at info@theweddingyentas.com to find out more about our Big Week Special rates and join the Big Week party!

Real Weddings | Chicago, IL

Posted on May 25, 2010 by Alison in Real Jewish Weddings

Rachel and Gary’s wedding day was one of the coldest and windiest days in Chicago, but it was easy for their family and friends to warm up because they were greeted by the sweet breath of the heated entryway which would be the first beautiful experience of this amazing evening. As the late afternoon spilled over into evening, the chandeliers were dimmed, candles were lit, and the grand ballroom glowed to life as guests arrived. Hanukkah began for all of Chicago this moment on December 21st, and to get in the mood, the amazingly talented Maxwell Street Klezmer Band started playing traditional Jewish music, in their well-known kaleidoscope style.

A quiet joy was palpable in the room as Rachel and her parents entered through the great doors and made their way underneath the beautiful chuppah. We love wedding ceremonies that take place in the round; it’s a unique and intimate arrangement that truly allows all of the guests to feel included as they envelop the wedding couple who exchange vows in the center, with their own warmth, love, and support.

The details that were sprinkled over Rachel and Gary’s wedding were marvelous! The elegant hand-made favors were miniature scrolls of thanks and blessings with a burgundy pouch of velvet that contained gelt and a dreidel! Hundreds of glowing candles and roses of pink, white, and red drenched the room with color and heat.

This special Hanukkah wedding was gave a whole new meaning to the Festival of Lights.

Mazel tov, Rachel and Gary!

Venue and Catering – Germania Place, Chicago
Photographer – LaRae & Cory Lobdell / Lifework Images
Florist – Bonnie Flower Shop, Inc.
Makeup – Kristen Terese
Bridesmaid Attire – David’s Bridal
Tuxedo – Formerly Modern Tuxedo
Wedding Cake – Dana at Sweety Pies Bakery
Band – Maxwell Street Klezmer Band
DJ – Michael Schweda
Wedding Bands – Israel Blessing, Tel Aviv, Israel