Pesach Prep, A Little Entertainment

Since I'm not hosting the Passover Seder this year, I didn't have to rush to switch my kitchen to Pesach mode early. We can do it this afternoon, after lunch. But there's still a lot to do. Here are a few of this year's new videos for you to enjoy.

Post-Purim = Pre-Pesach EEKS!

I just gave vegetable soup and either a cupcake or nuts as
Mishloach Manot this Purim. 

Purim here in Shiloh is double the fun, mitzvot, work etc. As I'm written before, here in Shiloh we celebrate both days. OK, some people fly the coop after eating an early seuda, feast on the first day, regular Purim, and sleep in a location that doesn't celebrate the second day. But not us. We celebrate both days, at least until the rabbis declare what is very obvious, that Shiloh is supposed to celebrate on Shushan Purim, the second day, since the wall is still at the ancient site, and Joshua was even here. It's all in the Bible. Gd willing I'll blog more about that on Shiloh Musings.

This is what my freezer (just a fridge freezer) looks like after two days of Purim immediately followed by Shabbat. Luckily I remembered to thaw out the food I had precooked for this Shabbat. Besides that, there are still leftovers in the fridge from the Family Purim Feast to eat up.

I keep looking around the house a groaning, when I think of what an awful mess it is. Yes, I know that cleaning for Pesach isn't about dirt and clutter, but I have no excuse not to make an effort to improve the general situation here. I'm retired and not working at all. Bli eyin haraa, not to tempt the evil eye, I'm healthy.

Actually the kitchen is the easiest part of cleaning, since we just had it renovated half a year ago. I got rid of a lot of things, and there isn't much to switch. Most of my Passover dishes, pots etc are in easily accessible cabinets in the new kitchen.

It's scary to think that I only have three and a half 3 1/2 weeks before Pesach. Thank Gd I'm not hosting the Seder.

Retired From Seder Making

I was suprised at the enthusuam this statement got on facebook.

I must admit that I am happy I'm not making the seder this year. Honestly, I hope that I never will have to again. I paid my dues.

And I was even more surprised that my husband said:

"Next year let's go away."

It's not in our budget, and I really do prefer my cooking and most other home cooking to hotels and restaurants. Hotel coffee is probably better than what I serve myself. My Passover perked coffee, made with Turkish isn't that awful. It's better than most instant coffee. And this year we got Tasters Choice for a nice discounted price.

In years past, when I was much younger and the kids very little, I'd do all of the cleaning before Passover. And I'd generally pull an all-nighter to switch our kitchen from regular aka chametz to Pesach mode.

To switch the dishes from upper to lower of the upper cabinets, I'd stand on the counters. Then when all was moved, I'd cover them with hard-to-remove Contac paper. Just to think about it today, a short few weeks since suffering terrible hip pains... And then I'd cook everything for the Seder and following day and days after...

My husband just had three jobs, other than a lot of the shopping. He would make the charoset, grind the chrain, horseradish in the coffee-grinder attachment that came with our Passover blender and cover the diningroom table.

When our daughters got older, they helped a lot with the cleaning. And when our sons got bigger, they not only cleaned, but they helped me move the dishes, pans, etc. That's when I discovered that not only did tall boys not need to stand on the counters, but their strong, large hands could hold more dishes than mine ever could. They did the "switching" in record time. After the army grabbed them, I hired teenage boys from the neighborhood, which was money well spent. And then when my husband's job switched him to part-time, I insisted that he learn my routine and help.

But covering counters is still my job. Now I use reusable "oilcloth," heavy plastic, cut to size. The hardest part is trying to remember how to fit it all.

Now, at my age, and with a very empty nest, after all this work, the last thing I have the interest or energy to do is to cook food for a Passover Seder. Every two years one of our daughters (plus her family) hosts us and the rest of the clan. On alternative years, we joyfully accept invitations. May all of our generous hosts be blessed with good health, gifts from GD and children willing and able to take on the role when they, too, are ready to retire from Seder making.

Passover Approaching, Freezer Empyting

Yes, I cleaned off the top shelf of the freezer already. And now that I see the picture, it's clear that I didn't put it back properly. And some of the food on the bottom shelf is actually chicken that is Kosher for Passover.

Considering that we have a week until Bedikat Chametz, bli eyin haraa, we're doing OK.

I'll be giving away and throwing out some food. Not the end of the world...

Jewish Life, Passover on My Mind

On Shabbat my friends and I grumbled about the upcoming Passover Holiday and all the necessary preparations.

So right after Havdala, I peeked into my fridge and took a couple of pictures. Whatever I've stashed must be eaten or thrown out. I think I have some good stuff in there. It's time to feast. And then I can start stocking up on meat, poultry and fish, since in Israel by Purim you can get lots of Kosher for Passover foods.

What are your tricks?