Just Before Passover in Jerusalem

We were in the Nachlaot neighborhood of Jerusalem for Shabbat Hagadol-First Day Pesach, which gave us the chance to see things from a very different vantage point. It was also a chance to shop for fancier cakes than usual. Actually, I prefer the simple Passover cakes my husband picks up in our local Shiloh store. That's because they're awful, not tempting at all, which means that I can ignore thm, except for the macaroons...

The Israeli Bakery chain, English Cake, had the most delicious, tempting and sugar-laden (except for a special selection of cakes they marketed as "without added sugar) cakes, cookies, pastries etc. I bought a ton of them to bring to my son's. They offered a dispay as "samples" wiht tiny spoons, like the good ice cream places.

Next year, yes, I say this every year, I must ask someone to get me the American cake mixes, which I can bake in my Pesach oven. Please, remind me!!

Since we had Shabbat before Passover started, some of the bakeries, like Marzipan, baked and sold chamtez until a very short time before Shabbat. Then the workers cleaned and hosed down the store and locked it up for the weeklong holiday.

The fact that I "turned my kitchen" early and cooked and froze the food meant that I came into the HolyDay and Shabbat more relazed than usual. I wouldn't dare make a vow to do it every year, but I do see the point in trying it. I know that there are people who manage to switch the kitchen back and forth during the the time leading up to Pesach, so they don't have all the cooking pressure at the last minute.

This is the only freezer I have, so I can't prepare for the whole week, but maybe I can try to be more organized. Maybe "organized" is the wrong word. Next year is a year away. Maybe if I start the cooking with enough time, I could oven-cook the chicken and then clean out the oven for the kugels. I've never cooked meat in the oven, since I don't have time to clean it properly. Please remend me for next year.

If you have any good ideas, please let me know in comments.

Thanks, enjoy!!