Seasoned Moments

05/23/2025

Three steps you can take to beat burnout.

04/10/2025

How can my baby be going to the junior prom when just yesterday WE went to my junior prom?!?!? Time is doing a number on me. We hosted prom pictures and it was so lovely! These kids are so kind and respectful - all 47 of them! And when the skies opened up and the rains came, they all piled inside our house…calmly. It was lovely. The house felt a bit like a clown car and I felt bad that the weather wasn’t in their favor…but I have to say it was great to meet these kids and their families. I hope they have a blast. They deserve a fantastic night! (Last picture from post-rain destruction)

Thanks for helping me set up! You’re the best! And grateful to and for helping out. And thanks for all the wonderful parents who brought lovely gifts! Feeling happy (and totally exhausted) tonight.

03/21/2025

Happy world, happiness day! Happy first day of spring, happy Nowruz… there was no better way to celebrate all these wonderful occasions than to meet up with amazing friends to share a meal . A couple months ago, we won a blind tasting dinner at an auction for - an organization that rescues fresh, nutritious, perishable food and delivers it to organizations throughout NJ. Tonight, it felt good to support such a worthy organization while we witnessed the magic, the talent, the skill of two incredible chefs. and created a feast for all the senses and filled us (and our bellies) with delight. There was so much joy floating around. The World Happiness Report has validated the work I have done for the past decade - they have shown that eating a meal with others significantly increases our life satisfaction. Tonight was a major happiness boost. Dinner with some of our favorite people and (a friendship that spans decades) in a beautiful restaurant, sharing delicious food creations. Doing good, feeling good, eating good food, having a good time. Happy World Happiness Day, indeed. (More food pix in story)

03/20/2025

Wellness Wednesday! I think I’m going to make a habit of this. Second week in a row that I’ve spent the afternoon with a dear friend. The sun was shining and the air was warm. This time, Liberation with to kick it off. The writing is excellent, though could have been edited down to 2 hours. Ultimately, this is a think piece (where it should have been a feel piece). Still, .flood was amazing and carried the show. Next, we headed to for a fantastic Israeli meal. I can never say it enough - the bonds I have formed while sharing a meal are deep and wonderful. Today, we delved into halva and how big a role it played in our lives, growing up. (If you want a dessert that blows your mind, the Silan is IT!). Shared meals help us dig deeper and uncover parts of ourselves and our dining partners that could remain hidden. Sharing food is a key that unlocks information and relationships.

03/14/2025

This is my reimagined Dubai chocolate Hamantaschen. I’m calling it the Tel Aviv chocolate! Instead of pistachio cream, I used chocolate tchina (tahini) and it is delish! Nutty, chocolatey and crunchy (from the kataifi noodles) all at once. Plus, I added a bit of marshmallow fluff underneath to make it extra special. So, I guess I can call it Crembo Chalva Crunch. Happy Purim!

03/13/2025

03/13/2025

The Dubai chocolate craze has been going through our house, so I jumped on the trend and made Dubai Hamantaschen. It’s a fun treat, though I prefer the berry filling or my Crembo Hamantaschen. What’s a fun trend you’re incorporating in your kitchen these days?

01/20/2025

“Be a bush if you can’t be a tree. If you can’t be a highway, just be a trail. If you can’t be a sun, be a star. For it isn’t by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.” - Martin Luther King, Jr. 📷: Leonard Freed
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., after nomination
for Nobel Peace Prize, Baltimore, Maryland
October 31, 1964

01/08/2025

I need your help! I am running a study through UPenn alongside Drs. Paul Rozin and Patricia Pliner. We are interested in understanding what takes place during lunch in the work environment. We also would like to know what kind of connections you have to your work, your organization and your co-workers.

The first phase of the study is a survey. This is where you come in! Do you (or anyone you know) work in an office at least 2 days per week? Would you be willing to fill out the survey? Do you have a company that would be willing to partner with us?

Please feel free to share with anyone you know.

Here is a link to the survey:

“Taking a break is a great way to make breakthroughs. That time away shifts your perspective just enough to make space for creativity and innovation.”