Countdown To Shavuot 2016

it is 1:30 p.m. in the holy city of zefat.  it is really hot.  I have been staying busy all morning with cleaning the bedrooms and living room for Shavuot and catching up on laundry.  needless to say, I don't have the little kids to deal with today.  I do have to go to the old age home to be with my elderly friend.  she was taken out of the assisted living floor, where she has been residing for a few years.  unfortunately, she was moved to the top floor where the patients are virtually helpless.

I decided to fry up some cheese pancakes this morning, in between cleaning.  I froze them and am hoping that they will be okay on Saturday night when I defrost them.   I will not have an oven on to reheat them.  I am relying solely on an electric platter to heat up all of the food including the lasagna.

I am planning on buying some imitation maple syrup for the kids to squeeze on the pancakes.  if I can find frozen blueberries I may make a sauce.  I think that I am getting carried away.  I have already spent a small fortune on cheeses.  I still need to buy a dozen things at the large supermarket.

 last year I wanted to be 'arty' and made a salad of beets and greens with goat cheese.  my daughter-in-law freaked out.  she hates the smell of goat cheese.  I also didn't make a lasagna.  it turned out that everyone was expecting lasagna.  and to make matters worse, I didn't make the tried and true cheesecake that I always make for birthdays and special occasions.  I opted to make a tiramisu dessert instead.  it was not a welcomed  dish.  it was also super runny.  oh well......

this year I am making the much desired lasagna and the cheesecake with vanilla pudding.  I am also making a tiramisu.  it turns out that the daughter-in-law loves tiramisu now.  go know!  I've decided to make a package of mini cheese ravioli with a light tomato sauce topped with parmesan cheese.  I saw an interesting recipe for deep frying breaded cheese ravioli but I think I'm afraid to try it.  I also have a recipe for breaded cauliflower with several types of melted cheese.  I'm sure the kids will go wild for it.

I plan on serving the usual Shabbat lunch.  I will have chicken.  I will save the lasagna for Sunday lunch and serve a Greek salad with it.  I plan on making a salad of greens, goat cheese, cranberries and walnuts for Saturday night.  I might make a cabbage salad with cranberries and nuts for Shabbat lunch.  now that I figured out the menu, I can proceed with some of my food preparations tomorrow.

I might offer a fish course for lunch on Saturday for those who don't want to eat chicken.  I was thinking of a nicoise salad.  I am also going to prepare a honey mustard salmon fillet.  as I type, I just figured out what to make for Shabbat evening.  i'll make couscous with tons of veggies and chicken.   i'll serve chicken cutlets for lunch for those who want to be fleishig.  I think that I'm still confused.

I am very wiped out from my trip yesterday to tel aviv.  my brain surgeon did not like the look of my MRI and sufficiently scared me into seriously thinking about elective brain surgery.  I still have a few months until my next scan to decide if I don't seizure out before that.  I have to see the gyn oncologist  next week so I will discuss the situation with him.  I seem to trust him the most.

I have been on a semi starvation diet since Sunday to try and scare my belly fat away.  I have been eating only watermelon and some other fruits and green salad with olives for a bit of satiation.  I will keep this up until Shabbat.  I really got fat lately.  I'm hoping that I will not hit the desserts on Shavuot because I can't show up at my doctor next week being truly overweight.