Sunday, April 12, 2009

What's Your Passover Diet Killer?

OK, yes, I'll admit it, al hachait, on the sins I sinned...

I gave in and ate too much of something which is too calorie-laden, not that I'm counting calories, but it definitely stretches the limits of fat and fruit...

The good news I can be proud of is that I didn't buy a single box of macaroons, those sticky sugary concoctions which I just can't stop eating, even if they make me nauseous. So far, and we've passed the half way mark for Pesach, I haven't had any.

But I have eaten too much of something else. It was my Passover staple when I was a vegetarian. And now it's my diet killer. OK, maybe it's not that awful.

I'm referring to charoset, the "fruit nut paste," which is supposed to resemble the mortar between the bricks our ancestors used when they were slaves in Egypt. Ours isn't all that mushy and gooey. There are neither dates nor bananas. My husband and the men of the family make it in a large wooden bowl, chopping away. It contains almonds, walnuts, apples, sweet red wine and cinnamon. That's it. I'm the taster, and I always say:

"Add more wine, and some cinnamon, too. Then some more wine."

I just finished off the last of this year's batch. Just before eating those last spoonfuls, I walked twice around the neighborhood, equalling about two kilometers, or a mile and a quarter. I'm afraid to weigh myself this week.

4 comments:

Mrs. S. said...

We make our charoset with those five ingredients - plus two more: dates and ginger.

Mo'adim l'simchah!

Batya said...

Mrs S, ginger sounds very interesting. Do you use the powder or the pieces? Can you get the pieces with a hechsher? I wonder.

Mrs. S. said...

We use the dried powder. Since a dash or two is plenty, it lasts from year to year.

Batya said...

Thanks
sounds like a good idea.