Shana Tova!

it is 10:15 p.m. in the holy city of zefat.  I just got back from the large supermarket.  I needed a fish head for Rosh Hashanah.  I already shopped for the fruits and veggies this morning in town.  I spent a small fortune.  I bought all the items that are symbolic on Rosh Hashanah.   I got two types of dates, dried and fresh.  I got a hunk of pumpkin, a few leeks, a few apples, a bunch of fresh string beans, a quince that needs to be cooked, a package of beet leafs, and a green squash that looks like a gourd.  I have beets and carrots left over from last week.

I bought some sweet potatoes to make a stew with prunes, apricots and carrots. the Sephardim add fried onions and turmeric.  I swear every year that I will not make a tsimis.  I always end up making it and no one eats it.  it is a throw back to my childhood.  I can't help myself.  I also plan on making a sweet noodle kugel.  a friend is coming for the holiday.  my daughter-in-law won't eat it.  she hates sweet kugel.  I usually add a small can of pineapple but I didn't buy any this year.  I think I will add an apple.

I didn't buy any potatoes so I won't be making a potato kugel.  I do not plan on going to do any more food shopping.  I have wine, soft drinks, a few beers and tons of grape juice.  I do need to buy round challahs.  I have absolutely no freezer space.  the mini freezer that a neighbor gave me didn't work.  everything got defrosted.  I normally would not refreeze meat but I had no choice.  I threw everything back into the freezer space in the fridge.  I had thousands of shekels worth of poultry.  it hadn't gotten off yet but it was very bothersome.

I plan to bake and cook before Shabbat.  I will need to store things downstairs in the kids fridge.  I don't really like their knowing that I precook food.  they have a misconception that holiday and Shabbat meals must be cooked on the same day as the holiday.  my daughter-in-law's mother does everything last minute.  she would never freeze challah of cooked chicken.  I will just have to see how I feel.  it is incredibly humid here.  they say we will have a heat wave for Rosh Hashanah.  we have had a heat wave here all summer long.  it doesn't end. 

right now it looks kike we are having a sand storm.  I did tons of laundry and dragged it all back into the house because everything is covered in dust right now.  the kids say that they are planning to be here for the entire holiday.  that's 4 meals.  in 6 years they have never spent the entire holiday here.  we usually go to the Sephardi grandma's for the first night.  I come back to the dogs and spend the day with close friends and the kids join me for the second night and day meal.  something is up.  one year I cooked all 4 meals and they split on me.  no one is really talking to me.  my son gets angry when I pry.

I bought a small piece of beef that I always braise in sweet wine.  the daughter-in-law likes it that way.  last year I bought a quarter of a sheep's head and it was delicious.  my grandson really got off on the meat.  my son and wife were totally grossed out.  I didn't see any sheep heads tonight and there were no lungs to be had.  I bought a small tongue and will try to do it justice.  I have been on line for hours.  I think I got a decent recipe.  I have never cooked a tongue before.  I haven't really made a menu plan yet.

I am trying to get the house in order also.  I gave all three dogs tick treatments but it didn't really work.  I found a tick hosting on my arm near my vein.  I keep on changing the sheets and sprinkling rosemary oil on the furniture and dogs.   it worked in the past.  I think this heat wave has brought out a tremendous amounts of ticks.  I am tired from this. the children had ticks feeding on them and I took a lot of grief form the Sephardi grandma.  they took pix and sent them to the kids in Eilat.

I managed to buy a few outfits at the second hand boutique so I won't have to scramble last minute to find something to wear.  I can smell dust.  the window is open and it must be horrible outside.  all the cars are covered with dust right now.  I can't bring myself to check out the outside courtyard.  I am truly exhausted.  I ran to the bank this morning because I received an email letting me know that the banks were forced to give rebates to customers from 1990 through 2008.  we were supposed to receive 2500 shekels.

they told me at the bank that we were all getting an automatic deposit of 7 shekels.  there went all of our dreams of striking it rich. in my case, being able to afford all of the food that I bought for the upcoming holidays.  oh well.....the plumber fixed my running toilet and is coming tomorrow to replace my hall bathroom toilet.  I was going to cancel but he already ordered it.  more checks to give out.