I decided to borrow a kiddy table. It will be super cute (complete with kiddush cups and challah set up), but will have to wait for tomorrow. :)
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Friday, March 4, 2011
A few last minute things to do
Thursday, March 3, 2011
It didn't yell at me
Note to self: more cake on bottom layer!
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This is what happens when I have extra time
I don't bake. Until recently, Shabbos dessert at my house was either (1) brought by guests or (2) bought. When I "retired"-- and my budget shrank-- store bought was no longer an option. I discovered that Duncan Hines could turn into almost ANYTHING. Usually, I just make brownies or cupcakes or pistachio chocolate chip cake.
But tonight? Well, I have all this extra time since everything came out of my freezer. I should have set the table. I should have gone to bed early. I should have done anything else. What did I do? I turned into the Swedish Chef and BAKED A CAKE! Cherry chocolate cake, to be exact. If this works, I am going to be a chatzos convert forever-- it will be evidence that chatzos really does work miracles! And if it doesn't work? Well, I guess I will just set the table next time.
I am afraid to cut into it. It may yell at me.
Love it!
Just pulled my prepared deli roll out, put on an egg wash, and put it in the oven. I am excited to see how this works out!
The "we really need to get you a freezer" menu
My wonderful husband called me from the hospital tonight.
"Guess what?!" Cheerful husband? On call? What is wrong?
"What?" Apprehensive about the cheerfulness.
"Favorite Friend is in from Israel! If I invite him for lunch, will that be too much for you?"
This is why I love my husband. We really aren't having so many people for lunch. And this person is a very special friend (that never comes to visit). Even if it were a lot, I would insist on having him. But DH will always make sure that it won't be too much. Now you know why I am putting up with residency. And it gets better:
"No worries. Everything is basically made-- just needs to go in the oven straight from the freezer." I detailed my plans for this Shabbos.
"Wow. We really need to get you a real freezer." Sigh. I feel understood! I feel validated! I feel like I am going to get a freezer!
And so we have the "we really need to get you a freezer" Shabbos menu. This menu, if successful, will prove that a freezer will be a wise investment-- saving my sanity, making this experiment doable, solving the debt crisis, and achieving world peace.
We will be having dinner at shul. For lunch, we will be around 8 and 2 3-year olds. The menu is pretty standard Shabbos fare, but I am not REALLY making anything. To quote DS's wonderful teacher, "You are cheating." Maybe. But I will be so chilled out doing it, that I really won't care.
Here it goes (and yeah, there is a lot of food. I am sure some will be cut.):
Brownies with berries and whipped cream
We are going to have a great crowd this week. I can't wait!
"Guess what?!" Cheerful husband? On call? What is wrong?
"What?" Apprehensive about the cheerfulness.
"Favorite Friend is in from Israel! If I invite him for lunch, will that be too much for you?"
This is why I love my husband. We really aren't having so many people for lunch. And this person is a very special friend (that never comes to visit). Even if it were a lot, I would insist on having him. But DH will always make sure that it won't be too much. Now you know why I am putting up with residency. And it gets better:
"No worries. Everything is basically made-- just needs to go in the oven straight from the freezer." I detailed my plans for this Shabbos.
"Wow. We really need to get you a real freezer." Sigh. I feel understood! I feel validated! I feel like I am going to get a freezer!
And so we have the "we really need to get you a freezer" Shabbos menu. This menu, if successful, will prove that a freezer will be a wise investment-- saving my sanity, making this experiment doable, solving the debt crisis, and achieving world peace.
We will be having dinner at shul. For lunch, we will be around 8 and 2 3-year olds. The menu is pretty standard Shabbos fare, but I am not REALLY making anything. To quote DS's wonderful teacher, "You are cheating." Maybe. But I will be so chilled out doing it, that I really won't care.
Here it goes (and yeah, there is a lot of food. I am sure some will be cut.):
- Challah-- DONE
- Queen Lieberfolk (the best downstairs neighbor ever) is donating challah her mother in law made while here post-baby
- Gefilte Fish
- Hummus
- Guacamole-- DONE
- Egg Salad
- -----
- Cholent-- throw together before school on Friday.
- Debating whether I should put a kishka in.
- I know I said I don't do cholent after January, but I need to make DD some more baby food and she LOVES the stuff.
- Deli Roll-- DONE-- Assembled and ready to bake straight from freezer
- Broccoli Kugel--DONE-- Prepped and ready to bake straight from freezer
- From Spice & Spirit-- Broccoli Kugel #2 with fried onions on top
- Lieberkugel--DONE
- Queen Lieberfolk's MIL was VERY busy cooking when she was here. They have a lot of potato kugel to eat before Pesach. Glad to help with the effort (especially because this is VERY SPECIAL potato kugel).
- Broccoli Salad
- Corn & avocado salad
- From Quick & Kosher-- the one with the ume vinegar
Brownies with berries and whipped cream
We are going to have a great crowd this week. I can't wait!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
National Day of Unplugging is this Saturday!
So, you are reading my blog (thanks!) and you are thinking, "Wow! All of this Shabbos stuff sounds great! A day to recharge and spend real quality time with those I care about is just what I need! BUT..." But you aren't religious. But you aren't Jewish. But you like to watch sports. But you have to do your errands for the week.
Enter The Sabbath Manifesto. It is a "creative project designed to slow down lives in an increasingly hectic world." Basically, the creators are a group of artsy folk (not religious, mind you) who wanted to find a way to just slow down.
Do you feel ready to slow down? This Saturday, March 4 is the National Day of Unplugging. The Sabbath Manifesto challenges you to turn off your technology from sundown on Friday until sundown on Saturday. Visit their website to sign up to unplug.
If you aren't sure how to start the "unpluggedness", The Sabbath Manifesto created 10 Principles for slowing down one day a week:
- Avoid technology.
- Connect with loved ones.
- Nurture your health.
- Get outside.
- Avoid commerce.
- Light candles.
- Drink wine.
- Eat bread.
- Find silence.
- Give back.
Start with the first principle this week: avoid technology for one whole day. You will be amazed how great it feels to have a real conversation with the interruption of the cell phone, Twitter, Facebook, texts, EVERYTHING.
P.S. Feeling even more adventurous? This week is ALSO Shabbat Across America. Join a shul in your area for a Friday night meal and more. In Houston? Join us at Meyerland Minyan!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Working towards Shabbos, outside of the kitchen
It looks like this is going to be a simple Shabbos week. Thanks to Shabbat Across America (that was more singing), we will be having dinner at the shul (it sounds like we may be hosting a table, as well... so if you sign up, ask to join our table). We are having guests for lunch, but my modest experiments in all things freezer have left me with a big jump start on that meal. I am left thinking: is there Shabbos prep outside of the kitchen?
Now, in my perfect world (the one where my son still naps and residency is a 9-5 job), I would have my floors scrubbed, bed linens changed, carpets vacuumed, laundry done, bathrooms spotless, and furniture dusted l'cvod shabbos. Chatzos or not, that is just not happening in my house. On a good week, one or two of those things will happen on Friday morning. On a REALLY good week (like last week, thank you, DH!), we have the cleaning lady come and the house is AMAZING. I am making so much progress toward having the essentials (um...hello! food!) done early-- what can I do to make some progress on the state of my house?
In the past, I have made a cleaning schedule. I can't take credit for the schedule, it is really a relic from my amazing-oh-how-do-I-miss-her-at-least-for-keeping-my-house-in-order nanny (she was amazing with DS, too, of course. I don't miss her for that part of her job, though). On Monday, she would do the laundry. The floors on Tuesday. Wednesday was the bathrooms and the linens on Thursday. When I "retired" after DD was born (only 6 months ago, so I am still adjusting), I tried to keep up her schedule. It worked. Kind of. Things slip. Some weeks (when DH is on call a lot), nothing gets done. Other weeks, I do just the laundry and the bathrooms. The floors NEVER happen. All of that was before my chatzos challenge. Now, I can call the cleaning "a step toward shabbos"-- maybe that will help me get it done.
Today, I did the laundry (including shabbos clothes)-- l'cvod Shabbos, and confirmed my guests. That was a big step! Maybe tomorrow the bathrooms?
Now, in my perfect world (the one where my son still naps and residency is a 9-5 job), I would have my floors scrubbed, bed linens changed, carpets vacuumed, laundry done, bathrooms spotless, and furniture dusted l'cvod shabbos. Chatzos or not, that is just not happening in my house. On a good week, one or two of those things will happen on Friday morning. On a REALLY good week (like last week, thank you, DH!), we have the cleaning lady come and the house is AMAZING. I am making so much progress toward having the essentials (um...hello! food!) done early-- what can I do to make some progress on the state of my house?
In the past, I have made a cleaning schedule. I can't take credit for the schedule, it is really a relic from my amazing-oh-how-do-I-miss-her-at-least-for-keeping-my-house-in-order nanny (she was amazing with DS, too, of course. I don't miss her for that part of her job, though). On Monday, she would do the laundry. The floors on Tuesday. Wednesday was the bathrooms and the linens on Thursday. When I "retired" after DD was born (only 6 months ago, so I am still adjusting), I tried to keep up her schedule. It worked. Kind of. Things slip. Some weeks (when DH is on call a lot), nothing gets done. Other weeks, I do just the laundry and the bathrooms. The floors NEVER happen. All of that was before my chatzos challenge. Now, I can call the cleaning "a step toward shabbos"-- maybe that will help me get it done.
Today, I did the laundry (including shabbos clothes)-- l'cvod Shabbos, and confirmed my guests. That was a big step! Maybe tomorrow the bathrooms?
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