half finished

The Passover Holiday, Pesach, is more than half over. Here in Israel it's exactly a week long, seven days, and began last Wednesday night, so if I'm counting correctly we've passed the half-way mark. It's now Sunday morning.

I got up nice and early and cooked and packed some of my giant Matzah Breis. They use up a lot of matzah and egg. This year I made them without milk, since son #1 has finally admitted that maybe it's the milk that causes his "sensitive stomach." A friend who spent many years eating only macrobiotic, which is non-dairy, says that all sorts of chronic conditions cleared, like toe nail fungus, when she kept to the diet. I guess many of us would be a lot healthier if only we'd give up milk. That's rather "sacrilegious" to those of us of my generation, who were raised drinking milk all the time. Kosher parents were accused of child-abuse, since they wouldn't give their kids a tall glass of milk after meat meals. Now the experts are blaming milk for all sorts of chronic ills, like acne and digestive disturbances.

Back to the matzah...
We seem to be at least half way through the two giant boxes. Each box is 2.5 kilo, which is about 5.5 lbs. One box is regular "white flour," and the other is "shmura" (guarded) of "whole wheat flour." I cook with the regular and find the shmura irresistable for eating, eating with butter, jam, cheeses, whatever, just yummy. They are the machine-made, not the exotic round, hand-made which looks and tastes like charred cardboard.

Somehow we ended up with too much jam. I only buy the "natural," without food-coloring etc. Instead of just some apricot and strawberry, we also have black currant and cherry. We always aim to finish at least one jar, so that it can be washed out before the Holiday is over, and then that jar gets filled the following year with our "Let's see how tough you are--chrain," aka horseraddish.

Here's the horseradish recipe:

1. take a root of the stuff
2. OPEN ALL WINDOWS!
3. peel (and save the peels for the garden if you have one)
4. cut into pieces and put into a food processor or coffee grinder--during the year I use the food processor with the chopping blade; on Pesach we have a "coffee grinder" attachment for the Moulinex blender
5. put in a jar and add some vinegar, so it won't dry out

I eat it all year long. It's really good on my morning omelets, also good on fish, meat and poultry. In some parts of the world, it's considered medicinal. The first Passover after the big Russian aliyah about 15 years ago, some new immigrant neighbors discovered that we had good chrain, and a few came over for a medicinal whiff. When it's really fresh, all you need is to open the jar and stand back!

The house emptied out for the day, and the weather is strange, but that's "spring" here in Israel.

Rant Away!

I found a new carnival, and they found me! It's the Carnival of the Rants, or kvetches, complaints. This is serious stuff and nicely presented, so take a look!

Dangerous and irresponsible

Normal air travel is not faster than sound, nor does it subject the passenger to twice the force of gravity. Pilots of planes that fast and astronauts are rigorously tested first, before being accepted in such positions. None of these precautions exist for those being admitted to the "thrill" rides in the most exciting and daring amusement parks, though some offer rides that simulate the speed and gravity, putting the body under the same stress. In the past year two people died after being on one of those rides in Disney World.

IMHO, it's definitely dangerous and irresponsible to have such rides, especially since it's impossible to conduct proper medical exams on all of those who want to "enjoy themselves."

holiday time

It's Jewish Holiday time, and one of the problems is that more people than ever haven't been checking their email, so I get more letters back. The problem is "over full mailboxes."

Norishkeit.

I can't believe that it's Friday morning, and I must get the house ready for Shabbat, just after the first day of Passover. Of course, if I was in New York, or other places out of Israel, I'd be in the middle of a three-day yontiff (holiday-Shabbat restrictions) which would mean that I wouldn't be on the computer and there wouldn't have been a crowd you young men watching the Maccabee game last night.

And my life would be very different, etc, etc.

a hodge podge of things

Let's see if I succeed this year. In recent years with the help of the internet, email reminders, I've counted all 49 of the Omer. There's another reminder service from the OU. So far the other ones I signed up for didn't show in my inbox. They may be on NY time, which doesn't help. The OU one has two time options, and the early one is perfect for Israel.

Now for something more pedestrian, and what's more pedestrian than shoes? I wear mine flat, flat and comfortable. I like the feel of "padded barefeet," with the padding securely strapped. I like flexible, so most "sports shoes" are too bulky and stiff for me. So this article about shoes that could make me almost as tall as my sons is not sending me to the shoe store. I can't wear normal 2" heels, but to think that there are women endangering their health and all those bones in their feet to wear heel-platform shoes that put them 7" higher than G-d made them... The writer even admits that they're a terrible strain to walk in, and one needs a "back-up" pair available, when there's a need to walk more than a few feet. So why do it?

When we were in New York for his neice's wedding, we spent Shabbat in New Rochelle, the Young Israel of Scarsdale, and my husband couldn't get over how many women were carrying shoes. In the synagogue they wore "nice shoes," but since most of them had to walk a distance, they walked in sneakers. Yes, men don't have that problem. Does it make me a feminist to wear flat shoes all the time? I'm not willing to suffer just to be in fashion.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, we had a wonderful Passover seder. My husband and the kids did a great job taking turns, and nobody complained that my cooking was bad.

anything but wasting food

In my neighborhood we give the food away, too. That's the food we can't own on Passover. Dessert type stuff we give to the "Pre-Pesach Camps," where children are taken care of so the rest of the family can clean. There are also charities that accept certain types of food and then "sells it" and after the holiday donates it to needy families. This is also the season when the neighborhood dogs and cats eat well, since some of the extra food is just perfect for them.

In New York, apparently the monkeys get it.

thanks Boris

Just a few things...

Here's the carnival report, as of 7am, just hours before the "seder," festive and fully programed Passover feast begins.

Passover, Pesach, is also known as the "Holiday of Freedom, so it's fitting that we're in the latest Carnival of Liberty. Enjoy reading the variety of posts. And considering that Passover is a very expensive holiday, it's just perfect timing to be included in Festival of Frugality! Read it for some very practical ways to save money.

I don't have "all that much to do," which are famous last words, most probably it means that there will be some unpleasant surprise or miss-calculation. Yesterday I cooked the main courses and soup and Gefilte Fish. I also boiled the eggs and did tons of laundry; even more surprising was that I folded and sorted it already. There's another wash already in, and at most, I plan only two more. The light grey sky I see through the den window isn't very encouraging, but maybe it'll brighten and dry out enough to dry today's batches.

There's already broiled salmon for today's lunch, and I have to make side-dishes. My husband and son #1 will do the charoset, chrain (that's the horseraddish) and clean the lettuce leaves.

We're only having our three youngest, and daughter #3 is a small eater, so we really don't need much food. But if I don't make a ton, they'll think I'm "cheap" and lazy, so off I go to the kitchen.

But just before then, just another reminder to post and send me your links about kosher food, kosher cooking and kosher eating for the Kosher Cooking Carnival!

The Secret of Gefilte Fish

The secret is that it's so easy to make, that I can't understand why people buy ready-made.

Mine is made already. Here's how:

I did a small batch, with about a half a kilo, 500 grams, that's just over a pound; say a pound and a quarter of ground fish. Any ground fish, carp, white, pike, either from a fish store or the freezer section of your local supermarket. The earth isn't going to swallow you up if you don't use white, or pike or whatever it says in your cookbook. In Israel we have different fish than the ones used in New York, and it's fine.

First slice an onion and put it in the pot (4 quart or liter) with water, about 1/3 the way up. Add some salt, pepper and sugar.
When it's heating up, grate, or blenderize or food processor or by hand another onion.
Add 2 eggs (done together in the blender).
mix, add more salt, pepper and sugar
then add between 1/4 and 1/2 cup matzah meal
mix

now for a secret, meatballs are done the same way, but with ground beef, or chicken or turkey or any combo

double spoon drop them into the boiling liquid
take a spoonful and round off with the second, then use the second to push it off the first into the "sauce" and while mentioning sauce, it could be tomato sauce for either meatballs or "Italian Gefilte Fish"

Top with sliced carrots. As soon as it starts boiling up, lower heat and cook (covered) for an hour.

See, it wasn't that hard. And you can "color" them by adding carrots for orange, or parsley for green.

Enjoy!

off and...

I must just turn this off, since I overslept, since I went to bed after 4am after changing the dishes to Passover ones with my #1 son and then after he went to bed I covered the kitchen surfaces with "faux granite" contac paper, (though I really wanted cheerful flowers or butterflies like last year, but there weren't any like that in the stores I checked) and aluminum foil on places, since I was afraid I wouldn't have enough to cover the high chair tray, and this is quite a long sentence which probably doesn't make sense to anybody who hasn't done this sort of thing.

So I really better find something safer and more productive for my "breaks." But in the meantime, another reminder to send posts about food, kosher food, to me for the Kosher Cooking Carnival. The fifth, yes, 5th, will G-d willing be posted soon after Passover, so post and send those links in!

And now, off and...

All the better to sing to you, my dear...

Pesach is a great holiday for those of us who love music. The seder is a great opportunity for a family song fest. Just the trick to keep everyone awake and cheerful. I used to order/encourage my kids to interrupt my husband's recitation of the Haggadah. They were required to sing any words in any tune they knew.

Enough with the kvetching...
Heichal HaNegina has a fantastic post chock full of links to music for the Passover prayers and all, that's definitely worth checking out.

Music has another place of great importance for Pesach. Some of us must have the right "background music" to clean by. I hope that my neighbors enjoyed the "Rock 'n Roll" hits I had on. At least they haven't complained yet.

Time to heat of the last of the chametz left-overs for dinner.

Oscar's BOMS

This week's BOMS is "hosted" by Oscar Wilde. I first became "acquainted" with him when we watched the Lily Langtry serial on TV. Maybe Gary will have Lily host a future edition.

In the meantime, take a gander...

Free Sefira Reminder

It's that season again, when I prepare a bunch of computerized tricks for remembering to count the Omer. It starts the second night of Passover and ends just before the Shavuot holiday.

When I googled it I found this, which looks interesting. It's a download, and offers updates, so I hope that next year it will show up automatically. That would make life easier.

For a couple of years our cell phone reminded us, but I think it cost money. Actually, I only started succeeding in remembering to count each of the 49 nights once I drafted the computer and phone. I tried other reminders which didn't work.

If anyone has some good ones, I'd appreciate if you'd comment them into this.

Thanks and Tizku b'Mitzvot,

carnival of recipes, no joke

It's worth taking out your reading glasses for this wild trip to comic land for Carnival of the Recipes!

You've never seen anything like it!

HH 65

Here's the 65th Havel Havelim! No doubt, this one is gevaldik! There's so much to it. Just the thing to read while taking breaks from cleaning or when on Pesach Vacation.

Chag Kasher V'Sameach to all!

Housework!

Such timing. Here we are just a couple of days before Pesach, and there's an article in the New York Times about housework and how it somehow still falls on the woman.

Getting ready for the Passover holiday has become an orgy of spring cleaning run by paranoid obsessives. I'm convinced that if the rabbis who decide what's "clean enough" had been doing all the cleaning, their instructions would be different.

There are very famous instructions by Rabbi Aviner of Beit El, how to get your kitchen ready in less than a day, but that takes for granted that the house and especially the kitchen are sparkling clean all the time. Or at least you should follow certain guidelines all year.

I never let my kids walk around eating, except maybe an apple. That worked for over twenty years; now they're all adults and insist that I'm just lazy. Nobody else has that rule!!!

I've always hated cleaning, and terrified of finding ants and crumbs all over. Of course it doesn't always help, but it does make things easier. If it's just a mess and not food, it's not as bad.

It doesn't matter how the work is divided among various family members, but the big responsibility is always the wife's, or the "lady of the house." When men divide it up, announcing "halachik," that means Jewish Law, standards, they frequently become the supervisors, not the dusters and scrubbers. At best they move the furniture, so the "little lady" or young kids can get to the grime (or chametz) more easily.

I'm sure that I'm not the only woman who feels that when someone walks in they take for granted that it's my, the wife's fault, if there's a mess. Even if I would put a sign up saying: "My husband washed the floor before Shabbat and he avoids the entrance, so don't blame me." Really, who would really blame him? They'd say: "Aren't you lucky that your husband helps!"

So, decades after Feminism began, nothing's new, and nothing's changed, and I really should be scrubbing behind the couch. But at my age, I need to take breaks. And I really need some hand cream.

I've been right, of course

Once I discovered home-viewing on my vcr-dvd, I felt more than fully justified only watching movies at home. When my husband and I were dating we went to lots of movies in the better cinemas of Manhattan. We've certainly changed a lot since then, but according to Nora Ephron the movie theaters have changed even more!

If you have the patience to wait, or if you're as out of the loop as I am in terms of "recent hits," you won't mind waiting until the movies are on sale, as opposed to for sale. The difference is major in terms of price. But if you would be buying for a family of five, or even four, or sharing with a couple of friends, you can buy a newly released dvd for less than what the tickets would have cost you. And that could be just weeks after the movie hits the theaters.

Once a movie is considered "old," it can be found for $10-15 in many stores. When I was in New York, in January, I found a store that reduced prices according to the number of films you bought, which made it pay to stock up periodically, rather than frequently. When we were in the states for a quick visit late March, there was no time to "shop," but we discovered a store at Newark Airport, "Virgin," which had a basket of vintage movies and tv shows on dvd for rock-bottom prices. We spent less than $10- each for most. Considering the poor selection of anything to watch on TV, especially ours, the dvd's are a real treat. We even found the old Disney "Pinocio," the perfect gift for our granddaughters. We bought two Alfred Hitchcock collections and some old "romances," four disk special, which includes Vivien Leigh in Anna Karenina!

Of course Never say never, but I feel perfectly justified, right as usual, in saying that I don't plan on going to "the movies" in a cinema again.

Lazy Lasagna

Lasagna is one of those foods with a "mystique!" One of those foods I've always believed best eaten in a restaurant, or bought from the freezer department. I have these nightmarish memories of trying to cook the large flat pasta and then somehow layering them into an inedible mush. I had heard rumors that you don't have to pre-cook the pasta, but I took the easy way out and just didn't buy any.

When I came back home after visiting my parents this summer, I discovered that my husband bought a box of lasagna pasta. Months went by, and it stayed in the closet. A couple of weeks ago, I did an experiment. I spread a layer on the bottom of a pan, then put some chopped meat and flavoring and tomato sauce and then another layer of the pasta and baked it. Well, I didn't cover it, so the top was brown, like roasted cardboard, but otherwise ok.

On Friday I tried again, since I wanted to finish the pasta before the Passover Holiday, when I can't have any in the house.

Again, I put a layer on the bottom of a pan.
Then I spread some cottage cheese.
Then I layered sliced onions.
Then slices of yellow cheese.
Topped it off with another layer of the pasta.
Since I had lots of ketchup left, I poured lots on top,
Added a few cups of water.
Covered it all with foil and baked in a medium oven.

Should I keep you in suspense?

It was a success. Everyone loved it, taking more and more slices. It's real easy to make, so I call it "Lazy Lasagna !"

Much to do

sky overcast
wash to hang and more to do
repairman, G-d willing, on Sunday to replace heating element

lots to clean
no real help

tutor job in an hour

so must get off computer, shower, get dressed, doven, eat

and guests for Shabbat
it is Shabbat HaGadol, the great Shabbat the abused one before Pesach

It's called the great to remember that it is Shabbat, regardless of what a mess the house is and how we really don't want to take a break from Pesach preparations
but Shabbat takes precedence over all the holidays. Only Yom Kippur can cancel Shabbat. It's the only fast that can, the only day that can. Other fast days are postponed to Sunday, or done early from Friday to Thursday.

So we must remember that it is going to be Shabbat, before Pesach, and after there's plenty of time for what's really necessary.

Shabbat HaGadol Shalom!

And what else is new?

Just a few things...

First of all, miracles do happen, or anything for money--
We've been in Israel for almost 36 years, and for most of them, Pesach (the Passover holiday which requires major food changes) was a very difficult time. It is a school vacation, just when you'd like to buy a "treat" or meal to eat out, and there was no way. Restaurants which served the food we eat didn't exist, and it was hard to even buy snack foods. I always had to "brown-bag it," schlepp everythign along. I became an expert at packing my matzah brei and bringing it everywhere. Things have sure changed. This year, there will be lots of kosher for Passover restaurants. Click on the eluna listings. I guess it's good business, even though this year there are few full days to eat out.

And now for some carnival news:
The latest Carnival of the Vanities is chock full of great posts. Take a gander.
Read the 12th edition of Carnival of the Feminists for an amazing variety of posts.

More about Shaare Marpe

Today at the pool I was talking to one of my "swim" buddies, whom I only know from the water... She was telling me about her "special needs daughter." I asked if her daughter goes to the activities run by Shalva, where my sons volunteered when in high school.

"No," she said. "My daugher goes to Shaare Marpeh every day from 5-7pm. She gets dinner and speech therapy. It is really wonderful."

I couldn't believe it. In less than 24 hours I heard two stories about this charity, which I had never heard of before.

Agudat Shaare Marpeh
34 Eli HaCohen Street
Jerusalem
Tel. 02-537-8388
fax 02-538-9994