it is 9:30 p.m. in the holy city of safed. pesach ended about an hour ago. a couple of friends came over and we shared some torah insights and drank some wine and ate some matzah. it is traditional to drink another 4cups of wine reminiscent of the seder. I managed to drink two. I ate a ton of fresh fruit salad. my body needs to detox. I am currently a bit inebriated. it is not easy typing.
I got to taste my friend's charoset which was made with cooked dates and a banana and I got to taste my daughter-in-law's father's charoset which had peanuts in it. it seemed irresistible until I actually, tasted it. it was nothing special. it's funny how the forbidden and unknown is so enticing.
I haven't cleaned up yet and don't think I will tackle anything until tomorrow. I do not have a lot of washing up because I used mostly disposable dishes and cutlery this year. I have only one fry pan to scrub and of course, I have to clean the pesach stove and put the oven back into the hutch in the living room. I have a lot of matzah left. perhaps I will make matzah brie later on in the week. I need to buy eggs.
I do not have any leftover food except for a bit of chopped liver and some salads. I am proud of how I planned and prepared for the holiday. I got to rest today, which was nice. I went to a later minyan at the local chabad bomb shelter this morning. I had to say the traditional mourner's prayers for my deceased parents. I got back at nearly 1:00 p.m. and had the meal with my friend. it was considerably, warmer today. I slept in the master bedroom last night and today. the bed is not all that comfortable but it was clean and airy and somehow I could not bare to sleep on the t.v. couch one more night.
I woke up with a headache. I did drink a bit of wine last night. sulfates are a killer. I also had nightmares. however, I was very comfortable sprawling out on the bed. I must go back immediately on my diet. my niece's wedding is in June and I got to get slim. my friend brought over produce from a moshav that she received for pesach. I dread looking at potatoes. I still have some palm oil left so when the kids come over I will make more french fries for them. the palm oil industry may be responsible for wiping out the rain forests but they do make one heck of a good frying oil.
I didn't eat any chocolate, cake or potato chips during pesach. I did hit those three pretty hard before the holiday. my food last night was a big success. everyone left stuffed. I had a pretty hard time sleeping. my stomach was way too extended. I am looking forward to eating less now. no more holidays until Shavuot when we hit the cheesecake and lasagna. it is a bit sad that pesach ended. we work so hard for only one week of pesach. it should be longer. in the states they do have two more days. I almost miss that.
Monday, April 17, 2017
Sunday, April 16, 2017
Last Night Of Pesach
it is 11:30 a.m. in the holy city of safed. it looks like rain. tonight is the last night of Pesach. I invited a few friends to join me for dinner. I made a small piece of beef. I didn't think what I had leftover from pesach seder was enough. I have way too much now. I also cooked 4 chicken thighs and fried up some chicken tempura. it's really chicken nuggets, pesach style, so I renamed it. I also made some chopped chicken liver. it is a bit salty. I made a small piece of a salmon fillet. I have diced beets, carrot salad, Israeli salad, avocado and chopped eggs and kohlrabi slaw. I made mashed potatoes. I have a store bought pesach cake and poached pears in white wine for dessert. I still might make a chocolate sauce for the pears.
I washed the kitchen floor with bleach and water. I was too tired to go downstairs to retrieve my bottle of floor cleaner. it is cold in the house. the bank called this morning to tell me that I had gone over my overdraft. I couldn't really fathom the extent of the rapid fire Hebrew conversation. I think I took out a small emergency loan. I really thought that I made it through the month okay. the telephone bill will be the death of me. with the family wedding and henna gifts, and the cost of making the sheva bracha and Purim seudahs and the pesach seder, I incurred a lot of expenses. hopefully, the next month will be easier.
yesterday, I went to my sister's for lunch. I wanted to visit my nephew and family who live in the Ukraine. I got to see his daughter for the first time. she is around 16 months and was a bit afraid of me. his son,who just turned three, was quite content hanging out with me and discussing his puzzle. I had gone to synagogue at 8:00 a.m. and returned home around 11:00 a.m. I ate some silver dollar banana pancakes and matzahs and drank white wine. I drank a cup of hot chocolate and a couple of cups of tea and rested a bit. the weather was horrid. it was cold and rainy. by the time I left in the afternoon, it had turned sunny and warm.
I got to my sister's after the meal had finished. most everyone had left the table. I was offered some salmon and I, happily, ate a lot of fruit salad. everyone was tired and ready to nap. I hung out with my sister for awhile and left in the early evening. I walked over to the Sephardi family. they were having their main meal and most animated. my grandkids ran over to say hello and then returned outside with their cousins. I wasn't hungry but I drank another cup of tea. I stayed there until Shabbat ended and got driven home.
I think that my family, although not very communicative, was happy to see me. we are just very disconnected. I am much closer to my daughter-in-law's family. I guess, I am a bit of a stranger to both families. I don't think anyone really gets me. however, I do share grandchildren with the Sephardi family and we remain close. I find it hard to relate to my sister and her family but I love them all..
epilogue: it is 3:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. I just made the chocolate sauce. I didn't boil it for as long as 12 minutes as stated in the recipe and I got a runny dark liquid that tastes like chocolate that doesn't harden. it's not very attractive. I threw walnuts on top. I plan on pouring the remainder of the wine sauce. I don't have any dessert dishes left. I may have to place them into plastic drinking cups. oh well.
I washed the kitchen floor with bleach and water. I was too tired to go downstairs to retrieve my bottle of floor cleaner. it is cold in the house. the bank called this morning to tell me that I had gone over my overdraft. I couldn't really fathom the extent of the rapid fire Hebrew conversation. I think I took out a small emergency loan. I really thought that I made it through the month okay. the telephone bill will be the death of me. with the family wedding and henna gifts, and the cost of making the sheva bracha and Purim seudahs and the pesach seder, I incurred a lot of expenses. hopefully, the next month will be easier.
yesterday, I went to my sister's for lunch. I wanted to visit my nephew and family who live in the Ukraine. I got to see his daughter for the first time. she is around 16 months and was a bit afraid of me. his son,who just turned three, was quite content hanging out with me and discussing his puzzle. I had gone to synagogue at 8:00 a.m. and returned home around 11:00 a.m. I ate some silver dollar banana pancakes and matzahs and drank white wine. I drank a cup of hot chocolate and a couple of cups of tea and rested a bit. the weather was horrid. it was cold and rainy. by the time I left in the afternoon, it had turned sunny and warm.
I got to my sister's after the meal had finished. most everyone had left the table. I was offered some salmon and I, happily, ate a lot of fruit salad. everyone was tired and ready to nap. I hung out with my sister for awhile and left in the early evening. I walked over to the Sephardi family. they were having their main meal and most animated. my grandkids ran over to say hello and then returned outside with their cousins. I wasn't hungry but I drank another cup of tea. I stayed there until Shabbat ended and got driven home.
I think that my family, although not very communicative, was happy to see me. we are just very disconnected. I am much closer to my daughter-in-law's family. I guess, I am a bit of a stranger to both families. I don't think anyone really gets me. however, I do share grandchildren with the Sephardi family and we remain close. I find it hard to relate to my sister and her family but I love them all..
epilogue: it is 3:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. I just made the chocolate sauce. I didn't boil it for as long as 12 minutes as stated in the recipe and I got a runny dark liquid that tastes like chocolate that doesn't harden. it's not very attractive. I threw walnuts on top. I plan on pouring the remainder of the wine sauce. I don't have any dessert dishes left. I may have to place them into plastic drinking cups. oh well.
Friday, April 14, 2017
Nearly Shabbat
it is 5:45 p.m. in the holy city of safed. candle lighting is in less than an hour. I am home alone. the leftover chicken soup and orange ginger chicken is warming on the electric hotplate. I couldn't move yesterday. I stayed in bed sleeping and watching television. I went with my son and grandkids to an indoor amusement park in an Arab village near karmiel on Wednesday. it is usually, a 40 minute ride. it took us 2 hours driving through unknown long and winding Arab villages. we were relying solely on the GPS system and it took us for a ride, literally.
my poor grandson got car sick and threw up 3 times. we had a late start due to the fact that my one and only front door key went 'missing'. I got into a foul mood and decided not to go to the park. I felt violated. my son was on route to drive me home when I decided to go to the park. I decided to make the best of a bad situation. luckily, my son had one of my keys in his home. we got to the park after 5:00 p.m. and it was huge, packed and very noisy. my head was spinning. I hate mauls and amusement parks are not my thing. I wanted to share a holiday experience with the grandkids and have those memories.
the kids brought over steaks, liver, and chicken wings at noon. I had franks in the freezer. my son struggled in the wind, to make a barbecue. I had already eaten two huge round natzahs with the remainder of the charoset. that's a mixture of chopped apples, pears, almonds and walnuts to any novices out there. I made a ton of French fries and I ate way too many of them. I was beyond stuffed when we went to the park. I brought potato chips and apple juice for the trip. thank goodness I had plenty of wipes and plastic bags with me.
I went on two rides with the kids. the grandson preferred to ride alone. I sat next to my granddaughter and screamed the entire time. I suffer from motion sickness and cannot take carousels or anything that moves much. I played my hand at some of the video games. it's not really my thing. the kids took a trip to Jerusalem yesterday. thank goodness, they did not include me. I can't take the crowds, the lines, standing too much, or being out of town. they made the right decision to leave me home. I was so tired yesterday that I forgot to worry about them all night. I think they made their own memories yesterday and I hope the grandkids will cherish them.
I invited 3 friends for Sunday night's holiday dinner. I have some leftover beef in wine in the freezer and I made some more orange, honey and ginger chicken thighs. I had a lot of barbecued liver that we never ate so I made chopped liver. I made poached pears in white wine and orange juice. the pears I made in the sweet red wine with ginger root were not a success. the kids said it smelled weird and tasted like medicinal cough drops. I have to say that I liked it very much and ate all 4 pears. the kids left a bottle of light port here so I might just indulge with my friends.
I made mashed potatoes instead of kugel. I only have a few eggs left and I might need them. i'll probably make avocado and hard cooked eggs on Sunday. I ran to the small supermarket to buy a few veggies. I had leftover grated carrot and apple salad so I added a couple of new carrots, some walnuts and dates and fresh lemon juice. I also have some leftover beets. i'll make a kohlrabi slaw on Sunday. I wanted to fry up some eggplant but forgot to buy one when I was in the supermarket.
I have two sweet potatoes that I can slice and bake and i'll see if I want to schlepp back to the store to buy an eggplant on Sunday. I don't know what my schedule will be like and if i'll have the kids or not. I poached some fillet of salmon in white wine and lemon juice. I can serve it with my homemade lemon flavored olive oil mayonnaise. it is quite thick. my grandson whipped it up for me with my electric beater. it was like a loose dressing. it tasted a bit bitter. the grandson told me to add a bit of sugar and some fresh onion. he is a 7 year old savant cook. I added a bit of honey and more lemon. it is the texture of lemon curd now. it is quite tasty.
I plan on making a chocolate sauce for the pears on Sunday. I think I tried this out last year. you have to pour it onto something right away before it hardens into something unusable. maybe I can pour it over walnuts. it's made with cocoa, sugar, oil and water. I also had a recipe for mole barbecue sauce to try but I chickened out. I think I will have enough food for Sunday. I have one store bought pesach cake left. I might make some brownies. I didn't think I would do anything today. I was so tired. I guess I got my second wind. the weather turned cold and rainy. my nephew and family are in from the Ukraine. I'm hoping to join my chabad family for lunch tomorrow. it is about a half an hour walk. my grandkids are going to their Sephardi family for Shabbat. I can't really eat at their home because of my Ashkenazi and chabad dietary customs for pesach. oh well.....
my poor grandson got car sick and threw up 3 times. we had a late start due to the fact that my one and only front door key went 'missing'. I got into a foul mood and decided not to go to the park. I felt violated. my son was on route to drive me home when I decided to go to the park. I decided to make the best of a bad situation. luckily, my son had one of my keys in his home. we got to the park after 5:00 p.m. and it was huge, packed and very noisy. my head was spinning. I hate mauls and amusement parks are not my thing. I wanted to share a holiday experience with the grandkids and have those memories.
the kids brought over steaks, liver, and chicken wings at noon. I had franks in the freezer. my son struggled in the wind, to make a barbecue. I had already eaten two huge round natzahs with the remainder of the charoset. that's a mixture of chopped apples, pears, almonds and walnuts to any novices out there. I made a ton of French fries and I ate way too many of them. I was beyond stuffed when we went to the park. I brought potato chips and apple juice for the trip. thank goodness I had plenty of wipes and plastic bags with me.
I went on two rides with the kids. the grandson preferred to ride alone. I sat next to my granddaughter and screamed the entire time. I suffer from motion sickness and cannot take carousels or anything that moves much. I played my hand at some of the video games. it's not really my thing. the kids took a trip to Jerusalem yesterday. thank goodness, they did not include me. I can't take the crowds, the lines, standing too much, or being out of town. they made the right decision to leave me home. I was so tired yesterday that I forgot to worry about them all night. I think they made their own memories yesterday and I hope the grandkids will cherish them.
I invited 3 friends for Sunday night's holiday dinner. I have some leftover beef in wine in the freezer and I made some more orange, honey and ginger chicken thighs. I had a lot of barbecued liver that we never ate so I made chopped liver. I made poached pears in white wine and orange juice. the pears I made in the sweet red wine with ginger root were not a success. the kids said it smelled weird and tasted like medicinal cough drops. I have to say that I liked it very much and ate all 4 pears. the kids left a bottle of light port here so I might just indulge with my friends.
I made mashed potatoes instead of kugel. I only have a few eggs left and I might need them. i'll probably make avocado and hard cooked eggs on Sunday. I ran to the small supermarket to buy a few veggies. I had leftover grated carrot and apple salad so I added a couple of new carrots, some walnuts and dates and fresh lemon juice. I also have some leftover beets. i'll make a kohlrabi slaw on Sunday. I wanted to fry up some eggplant but forgot to buy one when I was in the supermarket.
I have two sweet potatoes that I can slice and bake and i'll see if I want to schlepp back to the store to buy an eggplant on Sunday. I don't know what my schedule will be like and if i'll have the kids or not. I poached some fillet of salmon in white wine and lemon juice. I can serve it with my homemade lemon flavored olive oil mayonnaise. it is quite thick. my grandson whipped it up for me with my electric beater. it was like a loose dressing. it tasted a bit bitter. the grandson told me to add a bit of sugar and some fresh onion. he is a 7 year old savant cook. I added a bit of honey and more lemon. it is the texture of lemon curd now. it is quite tasty.
I plan on making a chocolate sauce for the pears on Sunday. I think I tried this out last year. you have to pour it onto something right away before it hardens into something unusable. maybe I can pour it over walnuts. it's made with cocoa, sugar, oil and water. I also had a recipe for mole barbecue sauce to try but I chickened out. I think I will have enough food for Sunday. I have one store bought pesach cake left. I might make some brownies. I didn't think I would do anything today. I was so tired. I guess I got my second wind. the weather turned cold and rainy. my nephew and family are in from the Ukraine. I'm hoping to join my chabad family for lunch tomorrow. it is about a half an hour walk. my grandkids are going to their Sephardi family for Shabbat. I can't really eat at their home because of my Ashkenazi and chabad dietary customs for pesach. oh well.....
Sunday, April 9, 2017
Sunday Night
it is 10:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. one of the grandkids is fast asleep and the boy is watching television. the parents are out getting groceries for pesach. the daughter-in-law had to work last night until 1:00 a.m. and had to clean the house after work today. I kept the kids here. I made two rounds of French fries. I did all my cooking during the day and did some elements of the seder. I made a pretty tasty charoset with apples, pears, almonds, walnuts and fresh ginger . I don't use cinnamon on pesach. last year I bought filberts and it was the worst charoset I ever made. perhaps the nuts were rancid.
I made my moussaka and it came out pretty tasty. the chop meat turned out to be hamburgers but I sautéed them into little pieces with fresh ginger. I made a tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes and onions and red wine. I topped it with mashed potatoes and beaten eggs. it looks good and cuts nicely into serving pieces. I made my usual beef in sweet red wine and I made honey orange ginger chicken bottoms. I was going to make a kugel but I ended up going with mashed potatoes.
I had some tomato sauce left over so I made poached eggs in the sauce. we call it shakshuka here. I had some French fries, as well. I made poached pears in sweet red wine and ginger. I even made banana pancakes. tomorrow, I will make the fresh salads. it was a pleasure being able to cook today. it is the first time in my life that I finished pesach cleaning early. I am usually scrambling to wash the floors at midnight. I was able to do the traditional search for chometz at 8:00 p.m. I wrapped 10 small pieces of pita into little baggies. the pincher dog ate one of them so I had to let them out until we finished the search..
I stayed up to 4:00 a.m. watching season 7 of 'the good wife'. I didn't think I would be able to function this morning but I was fine. I washed down the kitchen counters with a rag and bleach and covered them with tin foil. I had exactly enough to finish. I did have to take a large piece off of the oven but I covered it with a disposable table cloth. I took out my mini food processor, my hand mixer, and an electric juicer I found in the closet. I let the kids shell almonds and walnuts this afternoon. it kept them busy for a bit. I also let them juice some lemons and made a pitcher of lemonade for tomorrow night. my grandson and I just made some olive oil mayonnaise. it is a bit strong so he suggested adding a bit of sugar and a pinch of chopped onion. he was right on the money. it isn't exactly thick like mayonnaise but it is like a dressing.
I made the chopped beets. I boiled the eggs in tea because a I read online that it gives them the look of roasted eggs. it turned the eggshells brown but the eggs were still white inside. I want to make avocado and hard cooked eggs tomorrow. I also want to slice up some kohlrabi. I will make an Israeli salad too. I peel all of my veggies on pesach. so I had to peel the eggplant, beets, tomatoes, carrots and onions before I cooked. it's a lot of prep work.
tomorrow, I will burn the leftover pita downstairs. I found a slice of bread in front of my house. I will throw it down the sewer drain. it will take forever to burn it. I roasted/burnt two chicken necks over the gas stove. it took forever. I still need to make the salt water and to grind the horseradish. the romaine lettuce is already washed and draining in a colander. I need to set the table and take out the matzah. I had a large ant infestation the last two days. they are coming out of my electric outlet over my kitchen cabinet. what a drag! looks like the kids will stay here tonight.
happy pesach to everyone!
I made my moussaka and it came out pretty tasty. the chop meat turned out to be hamburgers but I sautéed them into little pieces with fresh ginger. I made a tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes and onions and red wine. I topped it with mashed potatoes and beaten eggs. it looks good and cuts nicely into serving pieces. I made my usual beef in sweet red wine and I made honey orange ginger chicken bottoms. I was going to make a kugel but I ended up going with mashed potatoes.
I had some tomato sauce left over so I made poached eggs in the sauce. we call it shakshuka here. I had some French fries, as well. I made poached pears in sweet red wine and ginger. I even made banana pancakes. tomorrow, I will make the fresh salads. it was a pleasure being able to cook today. it is the first time in my life that I finished pesach cleaning early. I am usually scrambling to wash the floors at midnight. I was able to do the traditional search for chometz at 8:00 p.m. I wrapped 10 small pieces of pita into little baggies. the pincher dog ate one of them so I had to let them out until we finished the search..
I stayed up to 4:00 a.m. watching season 7 of 'the good wife'. I didn't think I would be able to function this morning but I was fine. I washed down the kitchen counters with a rag and bleach and covered them with tin foil. I had exactly enough to finish. I did have to take a large piece off of the oven but I covered it with a disposable table cloth. I took out my mini food processor, my hand mixer, and an electric juicer I found in the closet. I let the kids shell almonds and walnuts this afternoon. it kept them busy for a bit. I also let them juice some lemons and made a pitcher of lemonade for tomorrow night. my grandson and I just made some olive oil mayonnaise. it is a bit strong so he suggested adding a bit of sugar and a pinch of chopped onion. he was right on the money. it isn't exactly thick like mayonnaise but it is like a dressing.
I made the chopped beets. I boiled the eggs in tea because a I read online that it gives them the look of roasted eggs. it turned the eggshells brown but the eggs were still white inside. I want to make avocado and hard cooked eggs tomorrow. I also want to slice up some kohlrabi. I will make an Israeli salad too. I peel all of my veggies on pesach. so I had to peel the eggplant, beets, tomatoes, carrots and onions before I cooked. it's a lot of prep work.
tomorrow, I will burn the leftover pita downstairs. I found a slice of bread in front of my house. I will throw it down the sewer drain. it will take forever to burn it. I roasted/burnt two chicken necks over the gas stove. it took forever. I still need to make the salt water and to grind the horseradish. the romaine lettuce is already washed and draining in a colander. I need to set the table and take out the matzah. I had a large ant infestation the last two days. they are coming out of my electric outlet over my kitchen cabinet. what a drag! looks like the kids will stay here tonight.
happy pesach to everyone!
Saturday, April 8, 2017
Almost Sunday
it is 10:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. I was hoping to finish up the pesach cleaning tonight. actually, the house is clean. I need to wipe down the kitchen counters with bleach and cover them with heavy duty aluminum foil. I don't think I have enough foil to finish this. I don't have any cash on me and I ran out of checks. the kids are supposed to be here tomorrow morning so I doubt that I will have enough time to make it to the cash machine and large supermarket.
I have already covered my dairy kitchen island with a vinyl paper. I took out various containers, napkins, haggadas, and machinery. I am too tired to deal with the counters now. I already covered the dining room table. I will probably set the table tomorrow. I know one is supposed to showcase their best cutlery, china and finery but I do not have the strength to take anything down from the shelves. I do not want to have to wash dishes after the Seder. I bought a set of fancy disposable dishes. I will use nice wine glasses. I have my themed pesach napkins and I will try to make the table look nice.
I saw some ants on the kitchen counter in the cooking alcove. I have my matzahs there and I am a bit nervous leaving them there. I will have to find room inside the closet for them. I took out the special pesach dog food and bowls. I think the dogs are a bit confused. I am defrosting chicken, chop meat and beef. I hope to start my cooking tomorrow. it may be hard with the kids here. they were particularly wild on Friday. I had them pick lemons for me and they were great. my grandson washed out the dog bed for me and he was focused.
I rented the old movie 'babe' but my grandson said it was too sad. he said everyone was being killed so he went outside. that's when the 'fun' started. I was screaming like a banshee all afternoon. I didn't know where the kids were. I was washing the kitchen floor and they were nowhere to be seen. and of course they didn't answer my calls. they were all over the place. they were in the downstairs apartment and in the backyard but I had to keep telling them to come inside. at one point, while I was washing the steps, they started throwing lemons at me.
I got a soccer ball crashed into my spine. I let out a yelp. I called my son to complain. luckily, my daughter-in-law came home to get the kids. the granddaughter apologized and gave me a hug. the grandson started crying. he didn't want a punishment. I was relieved to see them go. they called me just before Shabbat to invite me for dinner. I was too tired to move but I went. I didn't want to insult anyone. the kids fought over who would sit on my lap.
I didn't make any food for Shabbat. I had salami and turkey cold cuts, tuna fish, pickles and rolls. I put up a hot water thermos and I was set. I ended up having a nice Shabbat dinner with the kids and got home around 11:00 p.m. I managed to get to services at the Sephardi synagogue and ended up at my friend's for lunch. I schmoozed with my girlfriend and got home around 3:00 p.m. I started reading insights of the haggada and fell asleep. I got up at 6:00 p.m. and had a salami sandwich. the dogs had some scraps.
I hope that the tin foil situation works itself out. perhaps I will be able to cover part of the counter with heavy duty garbage bags. maybe I can ask the kids to buy me some foil when they do their shopping. I am too tired right now to fret about it. my sister sent me an hilarious cartoon. it shows a group of people. one person says that she loves to clean for pesach and everyone chimes in with a 'me, too'. on the top you see the sign for an OCD therapy group session.
I have already covered my dairy kitchen island with a vinyl paper. I took out various containers, napkins, haggadas, and machinery. I am too tired to deal with the counters now. I already covered the dining room table. I will probably set the table tomorrow. I know one is supposed to showcase their best cutlery, china and finery but I do not have the strength to take anything down from the shelves. I do not want to have to wash dishes after the Seder. I bought a set of fancy disposable dishes. I will use nice wine glasses. I have my themed pesach napkins and I will try to make the table look nice.
I saw some ants on the kitchen counter in the cooking alcove. I have my matzahs there and I am a bit nervous leaving them there. I will have to find room inside the closet for them. I took out the special pesach dog food and bowls. I think the dogs are a bit confused. I am defrosting chicken, chop meat and beef. I hope to start my cooking tomorrow. it may be hard with the kids here. they were particularly wild on Friday. I had them pick lemons for me and they were great. my grandson washed out the dog bed for me and he was focused.
I rented the old movie 'babe' but my grandson said it was too sad. he said everyone was being killed so he went outside. that's when the 'fun' started. I was screaming like a banshee all afternoon. I didn't know where the kids were. I was washing the kitchen floor and they were nowhere to be seen. and of course they didn't answer my calls. they were all over the place. they were in the downstairs apartment and in the backyard but I had to keep telling them to come inside. at one point, while I was washing the steps, they started throwing lemons at me.
I got a soccer ball crashed into my spine. I let out a yelp. I called my son to complain. luckily, my daughter-in-law came home to get the kids. the granddaughter apologized and gave me a hug. the grandson started crying. he didn't want a punishment. I was relieved to see them go. they called me just before Shabbat to invite me for dinner. I was too tired to move but I went. I didn't want to insult anyone. the kids fought over who would sit on my lap.
I didn't make any food for Shabbat. I had salami and turkey cold cuts, tuna fish, pickles and rolls. I put up a hot water thermos and I was set. I ended up having a nice Shabbat dinner with the kids and got home around 11:00 p.m. I managed to get to services at the Sephardi synagogue and ended up at my friend's for lunch. I schmoozed with my girlfriend and got home around 3:00 p.m. I started reading insights of the haggada and fell asleep. I got up at 6:00 p.m. and had a salami sandwich. the dogs had some scraps.
I hope that the tin foil situation works itself out. perhaps I will be able to cover part of the counter with heavy duty garbage bags. maybe I can ask the kids to buy me some foil when they do their shopping. I am too tired right now to fret about it. my sister sent me an hilarious cartoon. it shows a group of people. one person says that she loves to clean for pesach and everyone chimes in with a 'me, too'. on the top you see the sign for an OCD therapy group session.
Friday, April 7, 2017
Almost Shabbat
it is 1:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. the kids are quiet and watching videos. I am washing my kitchen chairs. the weather is threatening. it suddenly got very cold. I wonder if this is the 'mud' rain they have been predicting. all my windows have been cleaned. it they get muddied, so be it. I know that I washed and shined them all.
my shoulder is still sore from lifting the living room windows yesterday. I cleaned the t.v. nook and washed the floor early this morning before the kids arrived.. it is as good as it can be. if only I bought a new sofa. oh well..... we made it out to the bakery to buy rolls for Shabbat. I am planning on eating tuna, pickles and salami sandwiches for Shabbat. I will try to go to synagogue tomorrow. perhaps there will be a Kiddush. I can always crash at my friends for lunch.
I have fruit and pesach cake so I'm fine. I am trying to finish off the kitchen. I am running out of steam. I need to wash down the cabinets, bleach out the counters and cover it all width tin foil. I may put it off until sunday morning. the kids will be here on sunday so I will be under a lot of pressure..
my shoulder is still sore from lifting the living room windows yesterday. I cleaned the t.v. nook and washed the floor early this morning before the kids arrived.. it is as good as it can be. if only I bought a new sofa. oh well..... we made it out to the bakery to buy rolls for Shabbat. I am planning on eating tuna, pickles and salami sandwiches for Shabbat. I will try to go to synagogue tomorrow. perhaps there will be a Kiddush. I can always crash at my friends for lunch.
I have fruit and pesach cake so I'm fine. I am trying to finish off the kitchen. I am running out of steam. I need to wash down the cabinets, bleach out the counters and cover it all width tin foil. I may put it off until sunday morning. the kids will be here on sunday so I will be under a lot of pressure..
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Down The Wire
it is 11:15 a.m. I'm scrambling to finish the house for pesach. yes, I know that pesach is on Monday night. And yes, I know that we have one more Shabbat to get through. I will be watching the kids tomorrow and on sunday. I want to have the house, more or less, pesach cleaned by tonight.
it was pretty hot yesterday and we couldn't stay very long at the playground. both kids were pretty wild. my grandson was shooting us with his water gun and I did not appreciate it. by evening, it was cold and I was still wet. I showered them both and couldn't wait for them to go home. I was zonked fom pesach cleaning. I hit the television couch and much to my delight, I found the seventh season of 'the good wife'. I watched one episode and fell asleep. I woke up a bit later and couldn't move. I was able to get up to fetch some pesach cake and some milk.
I entered the living room this morning and lifted out two of the windows. I couldn't do this last year. I quickly washed the windows and ran to my neighbor for help. I could not put the windows back in by myself. I felt pretty desperate. I was afraid to leave the windows standing upright. as soon as my neighbor left I went back to bed. that really finished me. my shoulder took a hit. like a gluten for punishment, I went back to the living room and took out the remaining two windows. once again, I had to run to another neighbor to ask for help.
I quickly sponged the floor and voila! the room is done. I have to finish washing the floors in the master bedroom and porch area. I did the windows yesterday before the kids came over. the bedrooms are already made up for pesach night. I have to wash the kitchen chairs and floor today. I will try to get to the counters, too. I also have to give the cabinets a good polishing and I will be through. right now I need to take a rest. I managed to catch up on the laundry. tomorrow, I will eat salami sandwiches for Shabbat.
I am hoping to be able to do the prep work on sunday. I have tons of nuts to crack and vegetables to peel. I hope the kids will let me work. I am afraid to let them alone for too long. they are into matches these days. my grandson set a small fire to my couch pillow outside. I will have to play it by ear. yesterday, I went to town and managed to pay my elctric bill, the city taxes and water bill. I was also able to sell my chometz at the rabbinate. I bought two packages of romaine lettuce and a small piece of horseradish.
when I got back I found a gift package in front of my door. I got canned corn, mushrooms, tuna fish, a bottle of grape juice and a bottle of oil. I also got a jar of mayonnaise, a box of pesach cookies, a package of rice, some bambas and a floor towel. I bought a kilo of square matzah for the kids and I have a kilo of round matzah for me. I have been subsisting on tuna fish, corn and potato chips.
I managed to strip the couch of its slip covers and washed them. it was a synch getting them back on. I can't understand why I never thought about doing this. for the past 17 years, I have been dousing the couch with soapy water. I can't afford to reupholster the couch. I can't even swing a new couch cover but at least, it smells clean and fresh. I am happy. I look at the streaked, freshly cleaned windows and say my new mantra, 'it's good enough".
Epilogue: it's 8:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. I just finished washing the floor in the master bedroom and porch. I had to take a long break today. the living room windows did me in. someone called at around 2:00 p.m. and I couldn't get off the couch to answer the phone. I was too tired to talk and definitely too tired to mind the kids. I ate way too much and passed out. I got up around 6:00 p.m. and threw tons of soapy water around the room. I still have some clothes to put away but I will do it in the morning. the room is mostly made up.
it was pretty hot yesterday and we couldn't stay very long at the playground. both kids were pretty wild. my grandson was shooting us with his water gun and I did not appreciate it. by evening, it was cold and I was still wet. I showered them both and couldn't wait for them to go home. I was zonked fom pesach cleaning. I hit the television couch and much to my delight, I found the seventh season of 'the good wife'. I watched one episode and fell asleep. I woke up a bit later and couldn't move. I was able to get up to fetch some pesach cake and some milk.
I entered the living room this morning and lifted out two of the windows. I couldn't do this last year. I quickly washed the windows and ran to my neighbor for help. I could not put the windows back in by myself. I felt pretty desperate. I was afraid to leave the windows standing upright. as soon as my neighbor left I went back to bed. that really finished me. my shoulder took a hit. like a gluten for punishment, I went back to the living room and took out the remaining two windows. once again, I had to run to another neighbor to ask for help.
I quickly sponged the floor and voila! the room is done. I have to finish washing the floors in the master bedroom and porch area. I did the windows yesterday before the kids came over. the bedrooms are already made up for pesach night. I have to wash the kitchen chairs and floor today. I will try to get to the counters, too. I also have to give the cabinets a good polishing and I will be through. right now I need to take a rest. I managed to catch up on the laundry. tomorrow, I will eat salami sandwiches for Shabbat.
I am hoping to be able to do the prep work on sunday. I have tons of nuts to crack and vegetables to peel. I hope the kids will let me work. I am afraid to let them alone for too long. they are into matches these days. my grandson set a small fire to my couch pillow outside. I will have to play it by ear. yesterday, I went to town and managed to pay my elctric bill, the city taxes and water bill. I was also able to sell my chometz at the rabbinate. I bought two packages of romaine lettuce and a small piece of horseradish.
when I got back I found a gift package in front of my door. I got canned corn, mushrooms, tuna fish, a bottle of grape juice and a bottle of oil. I also got a jar of mayonnaise, a box of pesach cookies, a package of rice, some bambas and a floor towel. I bought a kilo of square matzah for the kids and I have a kilo of round matzah for me. I have been subsisting on tuna fish, corn and potato chips.
I managed to strip the couch of its slip covers and washed them. it was a synch getting them back on. I can't understand why I never thought about doing this. for the past 17 years, I have been dousing the couch with soapy water. I can't afford to reupholster the couch. I can't even swing a new couch cover but at least, it smells clean and fresh. I am happy. I look at the streaked, freshly cleaned windows and say my new mantra, 'it's good enough".
Epilogue: it's 8:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. I just finished washing the floor in the master bedroom and porch. I had to take a long break today. the living room windows did me in. someone called at around 2:00 p.m. and I couldn't get off the couch to answer the phone. I was too tired to talk and definitely too tired to mind the kids. I ate way too much and passed out. I got up around 6:00 p.m. and threw tons of soapy water around the room. I still have some clothes to put away but I will do it in the morning. the room is mostly made up.
Monday, April 3, 2017
Countdown To Pesach 2017
it is 7:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. I just got back from the small supermarket. I needed something to eat. I have been existing on chocolate and potato chips. not good at all!. I just had a tuna sandwich on a pita and I feel like a person. I also had a banana and a chocolate bar. I won't be eating any more chocolate on pesach. I bought some avocados and I wonder if they will ever ripen. they are pretty hard right now.
I spent about 6 hours washing the floors in the downstairs apartment. the kids never cleaned up after they moved out. I spent hours moving all of the left behind sheets, blankets, towels and dishes upstairs. I have an entire closet full of old baby clothes. I have more glassware and coffee cups than I know what to do with. this morning, I threw tons of buckets of soapy water everywhere. I washed all 4 bedrooms and the enormous laundry room, which now poses as a party room. I also did a few batches of laundry while I was sponging the floors. sunshine is truly marvelous!
I even managed to clear away all of the purim costumes and props in the computer room and did a sponger there, too. I just made the bed and the room is ready for pesach. I will make the bed in the 'blue' room, aka guest room, tomorrow. I truly need to get to town. a neighbor asked about renting the downstairs for the Seder night. well, now it's clean. I even did some of the kitchen windows. we shall see. I think that we can all manage on my floor. the kids can take the master bedroom and the grandkids and I can sleep together in the blue room.
I need to clean the master bedroom, next. that's a real drag. I have tons of clothes all over the place, the windows need washing, the porch is a mess and the bathroom is dirty. I need to get all of the dog hair off of the bed with a lint brush. I don't have a functioning vacuum cleaner. I hope to get into the master bedroom tomorrow. the front porch windows look marvelous. they are a bit streaked from the rain but they are so clean and clear. you can see lake kinneret from the porch now. it was warm today but now it is chilly. I did the floors in my fuzzy slippers and sweats. I destroyed them. bleach stains for days!
my kitchen outcove is done. I washed the gas range and oven yesterday. I covered the counters with tin foil and I took out my pesach toaster oven. its huge. I couldn't put the wooden board back to cover the hutch. somehow, I lifted it to retrieve the oven but I'm not strong enough to put it back. I will look for a neighbor to help me tomorrow. one of my mean neighbors kicked my small dog today while he was shooing them back into my front yard patio. I just happened to see him do it and I let out a scream. I threatened to call the police. I spoke in English so I don't know if he understood me. I spent the day thinking of revenge.
my dogs keep going out scavenging for food. they come home each night with bones. lots of folks here are barbecuing these days. unfortunately, people are tossing their bread all over the place and my dogs keep coming in with it. are we having fun yet? I need to do a quick clean up in the living room. I already washed all of the cut-glass and polished the furniture. it shouldn't be a hard job.
last year, I found hundreds of maggots and worms on the couch, when I took off the spread. apparently, one of the dogs had left a fish head on the couch and I didn't see it. that was the most horrible sight ever. I wish I had some money to buy a new couch spread. I just can't swing it right now. i'll just have to wash the one I have or find something else in the linen closet. I would love to buy a small couch for the t.v. corner but I doubt that will happen, either. I want to go to town tomorrow to check out the local furniture store.
I need to pay my electric bill, water bill and city tax bill. they are all way overdue. I need to buy a bedikas chometz set, a new afikomen bag, and I need to sell my chometz at the rabbinate. I better get out early before I tackle one more bedroom. once I start cleaning I can't stop. and then I get so tired I can't do anything else. I am quite lucky that the grandkids are in day camp. I can't imagine having them here while I'm working. I also have to take my new peeler to the mikveh. it's just finding the time and doing it.
ever year I hope that I don't come down to the wire. every year I hope that I can start cooking the day before the seder. I think that I just might be able to cook early this year. wouldn't that be a hoot! I just have to buckle down and finish the house. I have been working on this for weeks now. I am not planning on making Shabbat food. I have my bags of pitas and my cans of tuna fish. I can always shnoor a meal with my friends.
I spent about 6 hours washing the floors in the downstairs apartment. the kids never cleaned up after they moved out. I spent hours moving all of the left behind sheets, blankets, towels and dishes upstairs. I have an entire closet full of old baby clothes. I have more glassware and coffee cups than I know what to do with. this morning, I threw tons of buckets of soapy water everywhere. I washed all 4 bedrooms and the enormous laundry room, which now poses as a party room. I also did a few batches of laundry while I was sponging the floors. sunshine is truly marvelous!
I even managed to clear away all of the purim costumes and props in the computer room and did a sponger there, too. I just made the bed and the room is ready for pesach. I will make the bed in the 'blue' room, aka guest room, tomorrow. I truly need to get to town. a neighbor asked about renting the downstairs for the Seder night. well, now it's clean. I even did some of the kitchen windows. we shall see. I think that we can all manage on my floor. the kids can take the master bedroom and the grandkids and I can sleep together in the blue room.
I need to clean the master bedroom, next. that's a real drag. I have tons of clothes all over the place, the windows need washing, the porch is a mess and the bathroom is dirty. I need to get all of the dog hair off of the bed with a lint brush. I don't have a functioning vacuum cleaner. I hope to get into the master bedroom tomorrow. the front porch windows look marvelous. they are a bit streaked from the rain but they are so clean and clear. you can see lake kinneret from the porch now. it was warm today but now it is chilly. I did the floors in my fuzzy slippers and sweats. I destroyed them. bleach stains for days!
my kitchen outcove is done. I washed the gas range and oven yesterday. I covered the counters with tin foil and I took out my pesach toaster oven. its huge. I couldn't put the wooden board back to cover the hutch. somehow, I lifted it to retrieve the oven but I'm not strong enough to put it back. I will look for a neighbor to help me tomorrow. one of my mean neighbors kicked my small dog today while he was shooing them back into my front yard patio. I just happened to see him do it and I let out a scream. I threatened to call the police. I spoke in English so I don't know if he understood me. I spent the day thinking of revenge.
my dogs keep going out scavenging for food. they come home each night with bones. lots of folks here are barbecuing these days. unfortunately, people are tossing their bread all over the place and my dogs keep coming in with it. are we having fun yet? I need to do a quick clean up in the living room. I already washed all of the cut-glass and polished the furniture. it shouldn't be a hard job.
last year, I found hundreds of maggots and worms on the couch, when I took off the spread. apparently, one of the dogs had left a fish head on the couch and I didn't see it. that was the most horrible sight ever. I wish I had some money to buy a new couch spread. I just can't swing it right now. i'll just have to wash the one I have or find something else in the linen closet. I would love to buy a small couch for the t.v. corner but I doubt that will happen, either. I want to go to town tomorrow to check out the local furniture store.
I need to pay my electric bill, water bill and city tax bill. they are all way overdue. I need to buy a bedikas chometz set, a new afikomen bag, and I need to sell my chometz at the rabbinate. I better get out early before I tackle one more bedroom. once I start cleaning I can't stop. and then I get so tired I can't do anything else. I am quite lucky that the grandkids are in day camp. I can't imagine having them here while I'm working. I also have to take my new peeler to the mikveh. it's just finding the time and doing it.
ever year I hope that I don't come down to the wire. every year I hope that I can start cooking the day before the seder. I think that I just might be able to cook early this year. wouldn't that be a hoot! I just have to buckle down and finish the house. I have been working on this for weeks now. I am not planning on making Shabbat food. I have my bags of pitas and my cans of tuna fish. I can always shnoor a meal with my friends.
Saturday, April 1, 2017
Raining
it is 8:00 a.m. in the holy city of safed. it is pouring. there go all the windows! it is a week before pesach. I saw a neighbor do all his kitchen windows on Friday. o well.... I need to do errands today. I got to sell my chometz at the rabbinate, pay my electric bill, go to the water company and city tax office in town. I had an umbrella but I guess someone took it. I stayed home this weekend because I was exhausted after the sheva brachos. I couldn't stand up.
I ate leftover meatballs , rice and corn salad for dinner and a salami sandwich for lunch. I slept all Shabbat long. I didn't have the stamina to get dressed and go to the local synagogue. I ate two chocolate bars and 2 bags of potato chips last night. I guess you could say I was on an official food bender. what a shame to blow up right before pesach. I let loose at the wedding and after the sheva bracha.
my shoulder hurts and my back is tight. I heard that there was a dirty rain coming but I thought it would pass over like the name of the holiday. of well... it is a bit depressing. there are so many things I need to do. I wanted to finish the kitchen today. I managed to do one counter and cover it with heavy tin foil.
I still need to put away the Purim costumes in the computer room and I need to clear the bed of all my clothes in the master bedroom. I decided to not clean the downstairs apartment as well as the roof top apartment. I am planning on locking them both for the week of pesach. I couldn't stop thinking about all the work I should do during Shabbat. I even took out recipes to plan my menu. I didn't fall asleep until after 3:00 a.m.
I do the same menu every year. I make orange and honey stewed chicken, mashed potatoes, beets, beef in wine, eggs with fried onions, and pears poached in wine. I don't bake. I buy pesach cakes and cookies. yesterday, I thought about making moussaka. I had a recipe for eggplant roll ups. I decided how to simplify the recipe and couldn't wait until Shabbat ended to get online. I will have to pull out my pesach oven from a hutch in the living room. this entails lifting a huge and heavy wooden panel. I don't know if I will have the physical strength to do this. I also don't know if anyone would even like this dish. I don't use spices on pesach. I stick to salt and peppercorns.
I wonder if the little kids will eat the orange chicken. they tend to want barbecued wings. I plan on making chicken nuggets. I bought pesach ketchup. I want to start cooking on sunday. that entails finishing the kitchen. that entails my feeling stronger. the weather isn't conducive to work. I don't even have cab money. I want to throw my little couch away and buy a new one. I doubt that I can swing this financially. I can't imagine cleaning the couch. it is a mess and ripped everywhere. the dog has eaten a lot of the leather.
what a miserable day! I painted the guard rail in front of the entrance to the house. I was planning on washing the large porch windows but I saw the rust. I didn't have the strength to do the windows. I truly over did it on the post bridal meal. I set the tables alone and ran around dragging the chairs. I stood on my feet for hours making the salads. I spent two days on this.
I made a vat of turkey meatballs Sephardi style, a gigantic mashed potato and mushroom kugel, a fair amount of liver teriyaki with peppers and onions, a bulgur salad with minute pieces of tomatoes and cucumbers, corn salad with mayonnaise and minute pieces of red pepper and pickles, green cabbage slaw with dried cranberries, chopped apples and toasted walnuts, string beans in a Sephardi tomato sauce, and an american green salad with thousand island dressing. the American salad didn't really go over well.
I finished setting up at 5:00 p.m. and put the food on two electric hotplates. I made a mad rush downtown to see my grandson's play and party that started at 5:30.m. I didn't have time to put on makeup. we got back at nearly 8:00 p.m. and no guests were yet in sight. earlier in the day, I managed to bake a huge chocolate cake. I covered it with cherry pie filling and then whipped cream. the cream didn't hold its shape and I couldn't pipe it on, so I covered it with chocolate shavings. I had bought two cans of pineapple but the light syrup had a funny taste. I added fresh ginger and some honey and refrigerated it for two days. that seemed to do the trick. I also bought some lemon and raspberry sherbet.
I ran out to buy more assorted roasted nuts and rolls at the bakery. I showcased the chocolate bride and grooms and white and black jelly beans on a three tier silver-plated platter. I set up a table of desserts and hot drinks. it looked amazing. the Sephardi grandma brought a vat of rice and some Sephardi cooked dried fruits and nuts. it was truly a feast! another lady brought some homemade treats, too. I still haven't cleaned up the downstairs. I struggled to get the upstairs kitchen, more or less, cleaned for Shabbat. I washed up the serving containers and utensils. I am hoping to put it all away today. my back is very stiff. and my hands are very swollen. I washed a wall with bleach and didn't bother to wear plastic gloves.
I had hoped to do laundry today. oh well.... now I see why most of the neighbors haven't done their windows yet. this happens every year. I got to just go with the flow. if I don't have the kids today, I should just rest until I feel stronger. I'm really not in bad shape pesach cleaning wise. the master bedroom is always the hardest challenge because it is so cold in there and I have all of my clothes scattered all over the bed and other furniture. my shoulder is killing me. I think I have to count this day out. at least for now. I am mentally planning the menu for my niece's sheva brachas in june.
it will be too hot to make the chocolate molds. it may be too hot to have the meal in my apartment. it may need to be upstairs in the rooftop apartment where I have air-conditioning. that will demand a lot of schlepping of tables and chairs. I also need an Ashkenazi menu. I might make beef meatballs but it will have to be Italian style. no cilantro or hot sauce for this crowd. a stirfry or chicken teriyaki is always acceptable. so are string beans and almonds, sweet cabbage slaw, broccoli kugel as well as a sweet noodle kugel with pineapple and raisins. perhaps a potato kugel, too. I guess I would put out chumus and I might go with a bulgur salad. Israelis like this too.
hopefully, my older sister will be here to help me make it look attractive. I might go with the chocolate cake and cherry pie filling again. I think it was a success. at the engagement party, there were very gorgeous looking desserts. a lot of them didn't taste that good. the icing also had artificial colors that did not wash off the kids' faces. I will buy non dairy ice-cream . I won't make any bridal decorations. I doubt that it would be appreciated. the young Sephardi bride loved the vase that I decorated as well as the white silk bridal bouquet that I bought. my niece is more sophisticated. I think i'll skip the bridal napkins, salt and pepper shakers, etc. i'll go for elegant.
I remember when I made the engagement meal for my other niece, nine years ago. I ran out to buy a specific chabad heksher and all they had was turkey. it turned out that the majority of the guests didn't eat turkey for a number of reasons and it was a bit of a balagon. maybe I should hold off with my plans until I know for sure that they want me to do a meal. this crowd is more uptight than the Sephardi clan.
Epilogue: it is now noontime in the holy city of safed. I never made it to town. the kids are in pesach day camp and I am alone. the sun came out for an hour and it was warm. I washed the porch windows. they were totally shiny. then it began to pour. oh well.... perhaps, it will save the lives of a few of the birds, who every year, after I wash these windows; crash into them . and I won't have to dispose of the bloody carcasses and wash the floor after the pincher dog devours them. it's a win win!
I ate leftover meatballs , rice and corn salad for dinner and a salami sandwich for lunch. I slept all Shabbat long. I didn't have the stamina to get dressed and go to the local synagogue. I ate two chocolate bars and 2 bags of potato chips last night. I guess you could say I was on an official food bender. what a shame to blow up right before pesach. I let loose at the wedding and after the sheva bracha.
my shoulder hurts and my back is tight. I heard that there was a dirty rain coming but I thought it would pass over like the name of the holiday. of well... it is a bit depressing. there are so many things I need to do. I wanted to finish the kitchen today. I managed to do one counter and cover it with heavy tin foil.
I still need to put away the Purim costumes in the computer room and I need to clear the bed of all my clothes in the master bedroom. I decided to not clean the downstairs apartment as well as the roof top apartment. I am planning on locking them both for the week of pesach. I couldn't stop thinking about all the work I should do during Shabbat. I even took out recipes to plan my menu. I didn't fall asleep until after 3:00 a.m.
I do the same menu every year. I make orange and honey stewed chicken, mashed potatoes, beets, beef in wine, eggs with fried onions, and pears poached in wine. I don't bake. I buy pesach cakes and cookies. yesterday, I thought about making moussaka. I had a recipe for eggplant roll ups. I decided how to simplify the recipe and couldn't wait until Shabbat ended to get online. I will have to pull out my pesach oven from a hutch in the living room. this entails lifting a huge and heavy wooden panel. I don't know if I will have the physical strength to do this. I also don't know if anyone would even like this dish. I don't use spices on pesach. I stick to salt and peppercorns.
I wonder if the little kids will eat the orange chicken. they tend to want barbecued wings. I plan on making chicken nuggets. I bought pesach ketchup. I want to start cooking on sunday. that entails finishing the kitchen. that entails my feeling stronger. the weather isn't conducive to work. I don't even have cab money. I want to throw my little couch away and buy a new one. I doubt that I can swing this financially. I can't imagine cleaning the couch. it is a mess and ripped everywhere. the dog has eaten a lot of the leather.
what a miserable day! I painted the guard rail in front of the entrance to the house. I was planning on washing the large porch windows but I saw the rust. I didn't have the strength to do the windows. I truly over did it on the post bridal meal. I set the tables alone and ran around dragging the chairs. I stood on my feet for hours making the salads. I spent two days on this.
I made a vat of turkey meatballs Sephardi style, a gigantic mashed potato and mushroom kugel, a fair amount of liver teriyaki with peppers and onions, a bulgur salad with minute pieces of tomatoes and cucumbers, corn salad with mayonnaise and minute pieces of red pepper and pickles, green cabbage slaw with dried cranberries, chopped apples and toasted walnuts, string beans in a Sephardi tomato sauce, and an american green salad with thousand island dressing. the American salad didn't really go over well.
I finished setting up at 5:00 p.m. and put the food on two electric hotplates. I made a mad rush downtown to see my grandson's play and party that started at 5:30.m. I didn't have time to put on makeup. we got back at nearly 8:00 p.m. and no guests were yet in sight. earlier in the day, I managed to bake a huge chocolate cake. I covered it with cherry pie filling and then whipped cream. the cream didn't hold its shape and I couldn't pipe it on, so I covered it with chocolate shavings. I had bought two cans of pineapple but the light syrup had a funny taste. I added fresh ginger and some honey and refrigerated it for two days. that seemed to do the trick. I also bought some lemon and raspberry sherbet.
I ran out to buy more assorted roasted nuts and rolls at the bakery. I showcased the chocolate bride and grooms and white and black jelly beans on a three tier silver-plated platter. I set up a table of desserts and hot drinks. it looked amazing. the Sephardi grandma brought a vat of rice and some Sephardi cooked dried fruits and nuts. it was truly a feast! another lady brought some homemade treats, too. I still haven't cleaned up the downstairs. I struggled to get the upstairs kitchen, more or less, cleaned for Shabbat. I washed up the serving containers and utensils. I am hoping to put it all away today. my back is very stiff. and my hands are very swollen. I washed a wall with bleach and didn't bother to wear plastic gloves.
I had hoped to do laundry today. oh well.... now I see why most of the neighbors haven't done their windows yet. this happens every year. I got to just go with the flow. if I don't have the kids today, I should just rest until I feel stronger. I'm really not in bad shape pesach cleaning wise. the master bedroom is always the hardest challenge because it is so cold in there and I have all of my clothes scattered all over the bed and other furniture. my shoulder is killing me. I think I have to count this day out. at least for now. I am mentally planning the menu for my niece's sheva brachas in june.
it will be too hot to make the chocolate molds. it may be too hot to have the meal in my apartment. it may need to be upstairs in the rooftop apartment where I have air-conditioning. that will demand a lot of schlepping of tables and chairs. I also need an Ashkenazi menu. I might make beef meatballs but it will have to be Italian style. no cilantro or hot sauce for this crowd. a stirfry or chicken teriyaki is always acceptable. so are string beans and almonds, sweet cabbage slaw, broccoli kugel as well as a sweet noodle kugel with pineapple and raisins. perhaps a potato kugel, too. I guess I would put out chumus and I might go with a bulgur salad. Israelis like this too.
hopefully, my older sister will be here to help me make it look attractive. I might go with the chocolate cake and cherry pie filling again. I think it was a success. at the engagement party, there were very gorgeous looking desserts. a lot of them didn't taste that good. the icing also had artificial colors that did not wash off the kids' faces. I will buy non dairy ice-cream . I won't make any bridal decorations. I doubt that it would be appreciated. the young Sephardi bride loved the vase that I decorated as well as the white silk bridal bouquet that I bought. my niece is more sophisticated. I think i'll skip the bridal napkins, salt and pepper shakers, etc. i'll go for elegant.
I remember when I made the engagement meal for my other niece, nine years ago. I ran out to buy a specific chabad heksher and all they had was turkey. it turned out that the majority of the guests didn't eat turkey for a number of reasons and it was a bit of a balagon. maybe I should hold off with my plans until I know for sure that they want me to do a meal. this crowd is more uptight than the Sephardi clan.
Epilogue: it is now noontime in the holy city of safed. I never made it to town. the kids are in pesach day camp and I am alone. the sun came out for an hour and it was warm. I washed the porch windows. they were totally shiny. then it began to pour. oh well.... perhaps, it will save the lives of a few of the birds, who every year, after I wash these windows; crash into them . and I won't have to dispose of the bloody carcasses and wash the floor after the pincher dog devours them. it's a win win!
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