If You Can't Take The Heat In The Kitchen

it is 6:30 p.m. in the holy city of zefat.  I just got back from town.  I finished work at 4:00 p.m. and found a lovely second hand boutique clothes store in the old city.  it's been there for 5 years and I never passed it.  I was able to buy a jeans skirt, fancy sequined top, dress, dressy skirt, and 5 assorted tops for about $70.

I have been running around in rags because I refused to buy fat clothes.  I lost a few pounds but I still look overweight.  my stomach is a source of embarrassment to me.  the lady who runs the boutique is a neighbor of mine and we used to go to exercise class together. she is gorgeous and thin. she looks like a Hollywood actress.

I left work sweaty and smelly. my clothes reek of cooking grease.  I fried about 50 tuna patties and tried to make potato puffs out of yesterday's left over turmeric potatoes.  I ended up tossing out the oil and the potatoes.  I thought I could get by with yesterday's lentil veggie soup but it had gone off so I tossed it.  I made a huge oatmeal kugel with the leftover oatmeal from breakfast.  I added tons of eggs and several cups of flour and a cup of sugar.

it was a great success. I let that sucker bake for hours.  it finally became crusty and I couldn't stop eating it ,myself.  I tossed in tons of cinnamon and powdered ginger. one young man called it 'brilliant'.  the huge pot of rice was virtually untouched so I will use it for lunch tomorrow. if someone will open up an industrial sized can of tomatoes for me , I will make Spanish rice or sloppy Joes.  I left 1 1/2 pounds of chopped meat defrosting in the fridge. there is no real can opener in this kitchen and the men use knives and hammers to open these huge cans.

 I am able to open the large cans of tuna but not the mushrooms with the Israeli opener.  I wait for one student who seems to have the know all and he opens the cans for me.  I bless him and make a big deal about him each time.  I made a huge pot of mushroom barley soup for dinner and added tamari sauce to last night's kasha varnishkas.  I also added more macaroni.  I cooked up a package of chick peas this morning and they went like hot cakes.  I ate about 3 tuna patties.  I skipped meals yesterday and just drank milk with cinnamon.  I am trying to lower my blood sugar.

I would love to get out of going to the neighbor's wedding.  it will cost me a lot of money to go. I still need to buy a skirt and I have to give a cash gift.  I won't be able to eat anything there because it isn't my level of kashrut.  I was hoping the kids would go in my place but I think they will be in Eilat next week.  the worst thing is that I don't like the bride.  I have always found her to be a crass young thing.  she used to scream out her window for my father to shut up on weekends when he would sit outside and sing.

the klezmer music festival starts tomorrow evening and the busses are already on holiday schedule.  the drivers are also quite nasty and very impatient.  it has already become a hassle to go to town and return.  i might venture to town tomorrow night to check things out. my friend will probably want to go really early. I don't get back from work until  5:00 or 6:00 p.m. I don't know any of the acts anymore.  once I waited to hear the 'Klezmatics' and the violinist Muriel Reznick..  that was a very long time ago.