Almost Shevuot 2017

it is 9:30 a.m. in the holy city of safed.  it is almost Shavuot.  I have been invited to join the Sephardi in-law's for tonight's holiday meal.  it will be very noisy and 'lively'.  it's just what I need, I think.  as I probably, mentioned, I had a bad falling out with my sister.  next week is my niece's wedding.  my sister will not have anyone from her side of the family there.  oh well....  I need to get on with my life.

I went to the local supermarket to buy dairy products for the holiday last night.  I also bought an assortment of fruit: peaches, apricots, cherries, grapes, watermelon, nectarines, and bananas.  the prices were very high.   I didn't buy anything exotic.  I never made it to the fruit store in town.  the only fruit that I haven't had this season is apricots.  they aren't very ripe.  I think i'll let them sit on the counter until tomorrow.

I am planning on making a tiramisu, and stuffed manicotti for tomorrow's lunch with a Greek salad and a fruit platter.  I offered to bring  cheesecake to the in-law's and of course, I forgot to buy the white cheese and sour cream.  on my second trip to the supermarket, I remembered to buy soft drinks and toilet paper.  my guests went through about 30 roles of paper during Shabbat.  pretty odd! I think I have what I need for the holiday.  I bought baguettes and fresh butter for tomorrow's lunch.

I am planning on making a cheese mixture of cottage cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan to fill the cannelloni shells.  I have already shredded the mozzarella and cut up the Bulgarian cheese for the Greek salad.  I bought sliced and pitted green olives.  the kids are coming over soon.  there is no school today.  my son finally cleaned the pool and we filled it with water last night.  I woke up early and washed the floors.  I will go out later and find roses and greenery to decorate the house.  it is customary for Shavuot.  by tomorrow, the house will be covered in dry greenery.  it is dry and hot here.

I bought chocolate ice-cream yesterday and ate the whole thing by myself.  I forgot to replace it when I hit the supermarket this morning.  last year Shavuot was a bust.  the kids were hyper and my friend lost it on my grandkids.  my son was angry at me and it was not fun.  I spent a fortune and made what I thought, were, creative dishes.  I  made a breaded cauliflower with multi cheeses, a beet salad with goat cheese, a runny tiramisu, cottage cheese pancakes, a rocket salad with pears and walnuts and cheese and stuffed cannelloni with meat sauce for the night meal.  I didn't make my traditional lasagna and cheesecake and no one was satisfied.

this year I am playing it safe.  I am serving stuffed cannelloni in tomato sauce and Greek salad.  I didn't buy any goat cheese.  I did buy a package of cheese and mushroom stuffed mini ravioli, just in case the kids don't want to eat the cannelloni in tomato sauce.  my grandson likes his pasta plain these days with a drizzle of olive oil.  the kids are just coming for one meal. they can all swim after lunch if they want and rest downstairs.  I don't know if my friend will make it here for the holiday.  my other friends aren't up to coming out.  we are all tired and it is hot again.

I hope I get to synagogue in the morning.  I have probably put on ten pounds recently.  I have been food binging with a vengeance.  as if life hasn't been cruel enough, I also have the need to punish myself with overeating.  I just had a healthy breakfast of cottage cheese and fruit.  I wonder how the day will progress.