it is 11:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. the kids just left a little while ago. what a holiday was had; here at Zelda's place. it was the first time the entire clan slept here since the wedding, nearly 11 years ago. we had the addition of 8 children aged 10 years to 6 months old and we had 4 dogs here, too. what a whirlwind affair. and of course; the youngsters took over all three floors. yes, we had screaming and running around on all three floors for all 3 days straight.
this afternoon, there were blood curdling screams from 4 of the older kids as they came running down the steps from the rooftop apartment. i can only say that, i now know what a heart attack must feel like. apparently, there was a small scorpion upstairs and the kids all panicked and freaked out. it sounded like someone had been murdered. my heart was thumping for over an hour.
when one of the fathers came home from synagogue; he took care of it. the Sephardic mom sprayed insect repellent to knock the thing out. i don't know if the scorpion was killed or just transported. i will never forget this moment. most of the time the kids were outside in the yard riding scooters. there was always a fight for a particular one. the little 2 1/2 year old girl kept up with her older cousins. kids were in and out of my house all the time. it drove me nuts. i was afraid that my male dog would get out and attack the sister's male dog downstairs.
today my male dog did get out and did enter the backyard and i screamed at the kids like a crazy woman. i was able to get him back upstairs before the other male dog came outside. who knows? maybe they would have hit it off but i didn't want the kids to witness a dog fight, either. it was a large strain on my nerves. i live alone. i am not used to kids running around anymore or a lot of noise. i am not used to people either. there were 14 adults and 12 of them slept downstairs with 5 of the children. I've been self quarantining here for months. i haven't even seen this many people.
my son and family slept upstairs in my house. the kids slept with me on mattresses on the floor. i let go of all of my corona fears and kissed them and hugged them and cried when i saw them. i held my baby grandson in my arms and spoke to him in English and kissed him a hundred times. i then realized that so did another 13 people. i retired to my home after lunch today and slept for most of the day. i was zonked. i was also sugared out. i hit the tiramisu pretty hard. i made it the traditional way and i strategically, omitted the whipped cream and added wine instead of brandy. it was not a big hit. i also hit the lasagna. i was looking pretty trim for a moment. i will start my no sugar regimen again tomorrow. there isn't anything left in the fridge to tempt me.
as much as i overate, i managed to do my nightly fast for at least 12 hours. i went to synagogue on Friday morning. i was able to slip out while the kids slept. they had their entire family downstairs to go to and i was free. there were only about 8 ladies at the synagogue. we all wore masks and sat properly, distanced from one another. no one hugged. it was impossible to breathe, and pray in a mask. my glasses kept on steaming up. it was very strange to be back after a 3 month corona break. i didn't make it there this morning. i was too tired. i didn't really do much but i was constantly bombarded with requests for things and people and kids were traipsing in and out all of the time.
my granddaughter suddenly became very sad and at the end of the holiday started to cry. she didn't want to go home. she said she wanted to live in my home in safed. i felt my heart being ripped out. i don't know when i can visit them. i have no one to watch my dogs and i don't know when i will feel safe travelling on public busses. i had to calm my grandson down a couple of times. he is always being accused of doing something to the other children. he kept saying that he was never coming back to safed. i know that it was better for my son and his family in Jerusalem before the corona outbreak but i worry so much for their financial survival now.
no one knows what is going to be. we have to be diligent and pray more.
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Thursday, May 28, 2020
Feels Like A Holiday
it is 5:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. the house is clean, the cheesecake and tiramisu are in the fridge and the lasagna is cooling off. i had some chocolate coffee liquid leftover from the tiramisu and i turned it into mini 'mud' cakes, muffin size; by adding a couple of eggs, two cups of oat flour, a large banana and a hand full of frozen cherries. it does have some low alcohol wine and sugar in it. i am already feeling its effects.
i broke my nightly 14 hour fast by tasting the tiramisu at every step and the cheesecake. i had a couple of spoonsful of sugared whipped cream and about 4 mini raviolis. i just has a mini mud cake. oh my goodness! after a year without sugar and chocolate, i am flying high. i am not going to partake of any cake tomorrow. i might have some pasta but i am not doing cakes.
i am waiting anxiously for the kids to arrive. i think i accomplished what i wanted to do today. i have been at it since early morning. i just placed sprigs of rosemary and myrtle around the house. it definitely looks and smells like shavout. i'm sure by tomorrow everything will be dry and wilted but for now i can enjoy them.
i tried to make pancakes with the leftover tiramisu chocolate coffee mixture but they failed terribly. i was going to toss it all when i decided to make muffins out of it. i added a greek yogurt and it worked and they are fine. all is well with the world for a moment. happy holiday! and Shabbat shalom!
i broke my nightly 14 hour fast by tasting the tiramisu at every step and the cheesecake. i had a couple of spoonsful of sugared whipped cream and about 4 mini raviolis. i just has a mini mud cake. oh my goodness! after a year without sugar and chocolate, i am flying high. i am not going to partake of any cake tomorrow. i might have some pasta but i am not doing cakes.
i am waiting anxiously for the kids to arrive. i think i accomplished what i wanted to do today. i have been at it since early morning. i just placed sprigs of rosemary and myrtle around the house. it definitely looks and smells like shavout. i'm sure by tomorrow everything will be dry and wilted but for now i can enjoy them.
i tried to make pancakes with the leftover tiramisu chocolate coffee mixture but they failed terribly. i was going to toss it all when i decided to make muffins out of it. i added a greek yogurt and it worked and they are fine. all is well with the world for a moment. happy holiday! and Shabbat shalom!
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Shavuot Countdown Rona 2020
it is 10:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. i just took the dogs out for their last stroll. i don't think they really wanted to go out. i took them at 6:00 p.m. and they seemed to have done their 'business'. i did very little today. i ran to the supermarket to buy dog food. i got some corn crackers and some chicken that was half priced. when i got back i went upstairs to clean the porch. it was loaded with pigeon poop. yes, they have returned. i tightened the mesh wherever i found a gap. perhaps, they will stay away until after the holiday. i threw buckets of soapy water all over the place. it looks clean.
as it stands, the entire clan is coming for the holiday and Shabbat. we will be fourteen adults and 8 children and 4 dogs. what was i thinking? i am not doing a lot of cooking for this bunch. i am making one 9x11" lasagna, 4 small packages of prepared mini ravioli, a greek salad, one Israeli cheesecake and one tiramisu. i am also making a fruit platter with two types of grapes, cherries, peaches, apricots, pears and apples. after all, this is the holiday of new fruits. i bought several types of assorted cheeses.
the Sephardi mom is the one who's cooking for this clan. the sisters will bring some more pasta dishes for Friday's day meal. i had wanted to buy prizes for all of the kids today but i ran out of options, cash and patience. i have a few toys for my grandkids that i bought for pesach. if they want they can share the chocolate surprise eggs with their cousins. the upstairs apartment is the perfect hideout to get away from the clan. it is really lovely on the porch. one could hole up there and never be missed.
i mopped the master bedroom floor and cleaned the bathroom. i made up the little crib. i put away all of my clothes and set an outfit out in another bedroom. i left a bouquet of picked wild roses, lavender and rosemary. i also mopped the blog room floor, and the 'blue' bedroom floor. i dusted a lot. i made a cheesecake, a little while ago, for my friends. it is in the fridge. i agonized over not having found blueberry pie filling but the comfiture worked just fine. it was also better quality. i sure hope they like the cake. i will call her husband to pick it up in the morning.
i had a hunk of goat cheese for supper. that leaves one less piece of cheese for the holiday. i have still have a round of camembert, a danish blue cheese, a hunk of pesto gouda and a goat cheese. i will make the lasagna tomorrow and the cheesecake and tiramisu. i will also make up the beds up here. i need to mop the t.v. area floor, the kitchen and dining room floors and the living room floor. i am not going wild with the buckets of water. i will just do a quick wet mop.
i spent a good deal of the day in bed. i just passed out. i got up in the late afternoon and started cleaning the master bedroom. i am pretty tired now. i am still thinking about making oat flour banana pancakes for Friday morning's Kiddush; before we have the dairy meal. we'll see how it goes in the morning. i hope i'll have more energy tomorrow. the house is basically clean and orderly. i'll call it a night and watch some t.v.
as it stands, the entire clan is coming for the holiday and Shabbat. we will be fourteen adults and 8 children and 4 dogs. what was i thinking? i am not doing a lot of cooking for this bunch. i am making one 9x11" lasagna, 4 small packages of prepared mini ravioli, a greek salad, one Israeli cheesecake and one tiramisu. i am also making a fruit platter with two types of grapes, cherries, peaches, apricots, pears and apples. after all, this is the holiday of new fruits. i bought several types of assorted cheeses.
the Sephardi mom is the one who's cooking for this clan. the sisters will bring some more pasta dishes for Friday's day meal. i had wanted to buy prizes for all of the kids today but i ran out of options, cash and patience. i have a few toys for my grandkids that i bought for pesach. if they want they can share the chocolate surprise eggs with their cousins. the upstairs apartment is the perfect hideout to get away from the clan. it is really lovely on the porch. one could hole up there and never be missed.
i mopped the master bedroom floor and cleaned the bathroom. i made up the little crib. i put away all of my clothes and set an outfit out in another bedroom. i left a bouquet of picked wild roses, lavender and rosemary. i also mopped the blog room floor, and the 'blue' bedroom floor. i dusted a lot. i made a cheesecake, a little while ago, for my friends. it is in the fridge. i agonized over not having found blueberry pie filling but the comfiture worked just fine. it was also better quality. i sure hope they like the cake. i will call her husband to pick it up in the morning.
i had a hunk of goat cheese for supper. that leaves one less piece of cheese for the holiday. i have still have a round of camembert, a danish blue cheese, a hunk of pesto gouda and a goat cheese. i will make the lasagna tomorrow and the cheesecake and tiramisu. i will also make up the beds up here. i need to mop the t.v. area floor, the kitchen and dining room floors and the living room floor. i am not going wild with the buckets of water. i will just do a quick wet mop.
i spent a good deal of the day in bed. i just passed out. i got up in the late afternoon and started cleaning the master bedroom. i am pretty tired now. i am still thinking about making oat flour banana pancakes for Friday morning's Kiddush; before we have the dairy meal. we'll see how it goes in the morning. i hope i'll have more energy tomorrow. the house is basically clean and orderly. i'll call it a night and watch some t.v.
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
The Plan
it is 8:00 a.m. in the holy city of safed. it is warming up and i'm praying that it won't be excessively hot for the holiday. i took the dogs out at 7:00 a.m. i didn't want to get up but the dogs kind of nudged me. i picked some small roses for the table. they will probably dry out by tomorrow night but i don't really care. it is customary to cut greens and hang them on the walls.
i have a plan of action this morning. i will go back to the supermarket in a moment. i need to buy dog food. i saw a game yesterday and i think i will buy it for my granddaughter. the post office for registered mail moved from the bakery to the lotto store. i had to pick up some mail for my friend who is still stuck in California. i saw that they took over the dog food from the pet store that went under before the rona. it was a bit expensive and high end for my dogs.
i want to wash the floors this morning. i don't think that i will have the strength to use buckets of water. i think i will have to use a wet schemata today. it is a bit alarming how terribly tired i feel. i think i get this way every summer. i want to make the tiramisu today. it is better when it sits for a couple of days. i'll tackle the lasagna and Israeli cheesecake tomorrow. the kids are coming tomorrow. i don't know what to expect. i haven't seen them in months. i hope the baby doesn't cry when i hold him. i made the graham cracker like pie crust yesterday for my friend's cheesecake. it is in the freezer. i am debating whether to bake the cheesecake today or wait until tomorrow.
i am only in charge of the holiday afternoon dairy meal on Friday morning. it will be a combined effort. i bought four assorted packages of mini ravioli. i have spinach and cheese, sweet potato, and plain cheese. i don't know if i should mix them all together or put them into separate pans. i usually just top them with olive oil and parmesan. i used to make two types of sauces. i would do a tomato sauce and i would do a sour cream mushroom sauce. somehow, i stopped bothering. everyone seemed happy without a sauce. someone from the Sephardi clan will probably make pasta and mushroom sauce.
i am also making a greek salad. i am doing it a bit differently this time. i want to make a bed of baby spinach leaves and arugula. i will add chopped cucumbers and cherry tomatoes and top it off with black olives and red onion and feta cheese. voila!! i don't know what to serve them when they arrive. i have some tuna in the pantry. i might have some eggs leftover to make omelets. i was toying with the idea of making my banana and oat flour greek yogurt pancakes. i have real maple syrup in the closet. i would do it tomorrow.
the Sephardi mom will make the evening meat meal and the 3 Shabbat meals. i will be a guest for three meals. it is going to get intense. i ant to pick more roses and lavender. i will place some in the bedrooms. i will buy some crackers or fresh bread for when they come. i have potato chips, corn flakes and chocolate kinder surprise eggs for the kids. i have marvel dolls for my grandson and lol dolls for the granddaughter. i bought them before pesach. i am really anxious.
there are going to be 4 dogs in the house for three days. my kid's dog is actually the size of a large rat. she gets along quite well with my small girl dog. tiny, the male dog is a bully. he has become the alpha male. the male dog downstairs is afraid of his own shadow and highly nervous. he has been known to bite a grandchild or two. tiny doesn't bite people. he has a bad reputation because he chases people and comes off as aggressive. he has become huge. i found him when he was a tiny puppy, hence his name.
i have a plan of action this morning. i will go back to the supermarket in a moment. i need to buy dog food. i saw a game yesterday and i think i will buy it for my granddaughter. the post office for registered mail moved from the bakery to the lotto store. i had to pick up some mail for my friend who is still stuck in California. i saw that they took over the dog food from the pet store that went under before the rona. it was a bit expensive and high end for my dogs.
i want to wash the floors this morning. i don't think that i will have the strength to use buckets of water. i think i will have to use a wet schemata today. it is a bit alarming how terribly tired i feel. i think i get this way every summer. i want to make the tiramisu today. it is better when it sits for a couple of days. i'll tackle the lasagna and Israeli cheesecake tomorrow. the kids are coming tomorrow. i don't know what to expect. i haven't seen them in months. i hope the baby doesn't cry when i hold him. i made the graham cracker like pie crust yesterday for my friend's cheesecake. it is in the freezer. i am debating whether to bake the cheesecake today or wait until tomorrow.
i am only in charge of the holiday afternoon dairy meal on Friday morning. it will be a combined effort. i bought four assorted packages of mini ravioli. i have spinach and cheese, sweet potato, and plain cheese. i don't know if i should mix them all together or put them into separate pans. i usually just top them with olive oil and parmesan. i used to make two types of sauces. i would do a tomato sauce and i would do a sour cream mushroom sauce. somehow, i stopped bothering. everyone seemed happy without a sauce. someone from the Sephardi clan will probably make pasta and mushroom sauce.
i am also making a greek salad. i am doing it a bit differently this time. i want to make a bed of baby spinach leaves and arugula. i will add chopped cucumbers and cherry tomatoes and top it off with black olives and red onion and feta cheese. voila!! i don't know what to serve them when they arrive. i have some tuna in the pantry. i might have some eggs leftover to make omelets. i was toying with the idea of making my banana and oat flour greek yogurt pancakes. i have real maple syrup in the closet. i would do it tomorrow.
the Sephardi mom will make the evening meat meal and the 3 Shabbat meals. i will be a guest for three meals. it is going to get intense. i ant to pick more roses and lavender. i will place some in the bedrooms. i will buy some crackers or fresh bread for when they come. i have potato chips, corn flakes and chocolate kinder surprise eggs for the kids. i have marvel dolls for my grandson and lol dolls for the granddaughter. i bought them before pesach. i am really anxious.
there are going to be 4 dogs in the house for three days. my kid's dog is actually the size of a large rat. she gets along quite well with my small girl dog. tiny, the male dog is a bully. he has become the alpha male. the male dog downstairs is afraid of his own shadow and highly nervous. he has been known to bite a grandchild or two. tiny doesn't bite people. he has a bad reputation because he chases people and comes off as aggressive. he has become huge. i found him when he was a tiny puppy, hence his name.
Monday, May 25, 2020
Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
it is 7:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. my eyes hurt. i took the dogs out at 6:00 a.m. this morning and it was not freezing. i changed into a jeans skirt and light sweater and wore a fleece jacket. there were loads of cows this morning out in the field at the end of the street. two were climbing pretty close to the street. they were huge. someone had ridden a horse down the path that we walk and it was filled with manure. the small dog put some in her mouth. my dog in America used to roll in cow's dung.
i went to the supermarket right after i took the dogs back. i needed to finish my holiday shopping. ii managed to get everything on my list. i bought more diary to make a nice cheesecake for my friends. i couldn't find the blueberry pie filling there so i bought some good jam. if they had stocked the frozen berries i could have made my own filling but they didn't have any. we new Yorkers like our cheesecake topped with cherry or blueberry pie filling. my Sephardi daughter-in-law wouldn't go for it so i make the Israeli version of cheesecake with a 5% fat free cheese spread and vanilla instant pudding.
israelis love this cheesecake. one year i decided to use chocolate pudding and it didn't even get served. another time i used a caramel favored pudding and it was totally acceptable. so much for diversity. i was hoping to find a good French vanilla pudding but i had no such luck today and i'm not eating it, anyway. the cake does get topped with whipped cream. i used to put whipping cream in my cakes and now it is a topping. in new York, we always made a sour cream topping. that was then, this is now. Israelis don't have the best palate's.
i have a good friend who loves her rich desserts. she always made fun of the low fat pudding cheese cakes that i presented. somehow, she more or less, approved of this Israeli cheesecake. it does have a 27% fat content sour cream. i use mascarpone cheese for the tiramisu. that's 40% fat. i found cheese that was 25% to make the cake for my friends. i hope it turns out well. i have been hitting the cheese, hard lately. my stomach is very distended.
i took a bus this morning to the bank near my home. i didn't have my magnetic senior's bus card and the driver wouldn't take my 2 shekels. apparently, they passed a law that you can't pay with money anymore in safed. i know that in Jerusalem i got into trouble each time i had the kids with me. one bus driver actually, tried to throw us off the buss one time. i didn't feel like going all the way to town to fill up my card. the bus was filthy and the windows were badly stained. i felt ill. it was the first time in months that i got on a bus.
i went to the health food store to buy some more chai tea. i was all out and it appeared that they were, too. i felt so defeated. this is my pleasure in life these days. it used to be coffee. luckily, the store manager found a few boxes for me. i usually buy them in bulk even though they are very pricey. once, i loved going to outdoor cafés in town to have a designer coffee but that was a long time ago. most of us decided that it was a waste of our money.
i wanted to buy real almond extract. they were all out of it. they did have the vanilla. i just bought a small bottle of the McCormick American vanilla extract at my local supermarket. it was quite expensive. i paid nearly $10 for an ounce bottle. the Israeli imitation extracts are awful and sickening. i once liked the rum flavored one but haven't used it in ages. i need my extracts. i put them in my muffin mix, and in my fake banana ice cream and shakes and in my plain yogurts and in my hot chocolate. they enable me to stay away from sugar. i added a fair amount of the almond extract to the tiramisu last year and it tasted just like marzipan. not everyone appreciated it. i thought it was my best tiramisu to date.
they had a coffee extract but i didn't buy it. now i'm thinking that it would have been a great addition and a good substitute for the coffee liquor. oh well.... i can always throw in a shot of brandy or some low alcohol sweet wine. i have an anise flavored extract but i think it will not go well with the sweet cheese. maybe i can sample some. i am afraid of tasting the tiramisu. i am not the kind of person who can eat one serving of cake, or ice cream or chocolate. last year i resisted having any during the holiday and as soon as it was over, i binged ate the entire remains of the cake.
there were quite a few people waiting outside of the bank, which is a few feet away from the health food store. i wasn't so pleased. i needed to get my balance. there was only one person ahead of me near the machines. afterwards, i was tempted to go to the large supermarket to check if they had blueberries but i didn't want to risk it. i did enter the large pharmacy and i regretted doing it immediately. what was i thinking???? didn't i remember that sick people go to the pharmacy to buy meds?. i just wanted to check out the toys there. i needed a gift for the one year old. i left without buying one and i was there for a really long time. i might return tomorrow.
i walked home. i walked rather slowly. i never really picked up the pace. everything hurt. my right leg was cramping up and my right eye was burning. i passed a baby horse and it's mom in an enclosed area. he was so darn cute. i wanted to give him the organic apple that i had bought at the health food store. when i was at the supermarket the apples didn't appeal to me but they really called out to me in the health food store. i wanted to buy dates but i left without buying any. i had some figs at home. i stopped off at my friend before i went home. i had a snack and tea and broke my 18 hour nightly fast.
i just spoke to the Sephardi mom. they were planning on going back to their home for the holiday. i had thought that it would be problematic to have two male dogs in the house. one of the daughters has a male dog. i was afraid that if my male got out we might have a bit of bloodshed. so all the plans got switched. i was afraid that i would have to walk to Canaan and return home late at night to see the grandkids. i thought all 6 kids and 2 babies would be trapped in that apartment with no where to run. there is a playground across the street but in pandemic it is not ideal.
they were going to break up the holiday with the kids coming to me for a day and i vetoed it. i decided to stick it out with the dogs and be super vigilant. this way i can see the kids each day and not have to walk to a different neighborhood. the daughter-in-law gets to be with her whole family for three days and i can run upstairs if i need to rest or escape the noise. i hope it will be a win-win and i hope it will all work out. the dining space downstairs is much smaller than theirs but there is a huge backyard and room for the kids to play and ride their carts. and of course, there are toys here for the grandkids to play with.
i was getting aggravated because i had spent a fortune on cheese products and i was afraid that i wouldn't get to use them. i was even thinking of freezing everything. i think this is the best solution. if my son gets antsy, he can sleep upstairs in the roof top apartment. my grandkids will get to be with their entire family and i'll be around for the whole time. in the past, we split up holidays and shabbats but i think we all have gotten past that now. after all, they have been living downstairs for a few months now. i hope this will benefit everyone. i hope i haven't made it harder for myself.
i went to the supermarket right after i took the dogs back. i needed to finish my holiday shopping. ii managed to get everything on my list. i bought more diary to make a nice cheesecake for my friends. i couldn't find the blueberry pie filling there so i bought some good jam. if they had stocked the frozen berries i could have made my own filling but they didn't have any. we new Yorkers like our cheesecake topped with cherry or blueberry pie filling. my Sephardi daughter-in-law wouldn't go for it so i make the Israeli version of cheesecake with a 5% fat free cheese spread and vanilla instant pudding.
israelis love this cheesecake. one year i decided to use chocolate pudding and it didn't even get served. another time i used a caramel favored pudding and it was totally acceptable. so much for diversity. i was hoping to find a good French vanilla pudding but i had no such luck today and i'm not eating it, anyway. the cake does get topped with whipped cream. i used to put whipping cream in my cakes and now it is a topping. in new York, we always made a sour cream topping. that was then, this is now. Israelis don't have the best palate's.
i have a good friend who loves her rich desserts. she always made fun of the low fat pudding cheese cakes that i presented. somehow, she more or less, approved of this Israeli cheesecake. it does have a 27% fat content sour cream. i use mascarpone cheese for the tiramisu. that's 40% fat. i found cheese that was 25% to make the cake for my friends. i hope it turns out well. i have been hitting the cheese, hard lately. my stomach is very distended.
i took a bus this morning to the bank near my home. i didn't have my magnetic senior's bus card and the driver wouldn't take my 2 shekels. apparently, they passed a law that you can't pay with money anymore in safed. i know that in Jerusalem i got into trouble each time i had the kids with me. one bus driver actually, tried to throw us off the buss one time. i didn't feel like going all the way to town to fill up my card. the bus was filthy and the windows were badly stained. i felt ill. it was the first time in months that i got on a bus.
i went to the health food store to buy some more chai tea. i was all out and it appeared that they were, too. i felt so defeated. this is my pleasure in life these days. it used to be coffee. luckily, the store manager found a few boxes for me. i usually buy them in bulk even though they are very pricey. once, i loved going to outdoor cafés in town to have a designer coffee but that was a long time ago. most of us decided that it was a waste of our money.
i wanted to buy real almond extract. they were all out of it. they did have the vanilla. i just bought a small bottle of the McCormick American vanilla extract at my local supermarket. it was quite expensive. i paid nearly $10 for an ounce bottle. the Israeli imitation extracts are awful and sickening. i once liked the rum flavored one but haven't used it in ages. i need my extracts. i put them in my muffin mix, and in my fake banana ice cream and shakes and in my plain yogurts and in my hot chocolate. they enable me to stay away from sugar. i added a fair amount of the almond extract to the tiramisu last year and it tasted just like marzipan. not everyone appreciated it. i thought it was my best tiramisu to date.
they had a coffee extract but i didn't buy it. now i'm thinking that it would have been a great addition and a good substitute for the coffee liquor. oh well.... i can always throw in a shot of brandy or some low alcohol sweet wine. i have an anise flavored extract but i think it will not go well with the sweet cheese. maybe i can sample some. i am afraid of tasting the tiramisu. i am not the kind of person who can eat one serving of cake, or ice cream or chocolate. last year i resisted having any during the holiday and as soon as it was over, i binged ate the entire remains of the cake.
there were quite a few people waiting outside of the bank, which is a few feet away from the health food store. i wasn't so pleased. i needed to get my balance. there was only one person ahead of me near the machines. afterwards, i was tempted to go to the large supermarket to check if they had blueberries but i didn't want to risk it. i did enter the large pharmacy and i regretted doing it immediately. what was i thinking???? didn't i remember that sick people go to the pharmacy to buy meds?. i just wanted to check out the toys there. i needed a gift for the one year old. i left without buying one and i was there for a really long time. i might return tomorrow.
i walked home. i walked rather slowly. i never really picked up the pace. everything hurt. my right leg was cramping up and my right eye was burning. i passed a baby horse and it's mom in an enclosed area. he was so darn cute. i wanted to give him the organic apple that i had bought at the health food store. when i was at the supermarket the apples didn't appeal to me but they really called out to me in the health food store. i wanted to buy dates but i left without buying any. i had some figs at home. i stopped off at my friend before i went home. i had a snack and tea and broke my 18 hour nightly fast.
i just spoke to the Sephardi mom. they were planning on going back to their home for the holiday. i had thought that it would be problematic to have two male dogs in the house. one of the daughters has a male dog. i was afraid that if my male got out we might have a bit of bloodshed. so all the plans got switched. i was afraid that i would have to walk to Canaan and return home late at night to see the grandkids. i thought all 6 kids and 2 babies would be trapped in that apartment with no where to run. there is a playground across the street but in pandemic it is not ideal.
they were going to break up the holiday with the kids coming to me for a day and i vetoed it. i decided to stick it out with the dogs and be super vigilant. this way i can see the kids each day and not have to walk to a different neighborhood. the daughter-in-law gets to be with her whole family for three days and i can run upstairs if i need to rest or escape the noise. i hope it will be a win-win and i hope it will all work out. the dining space downstairs is much smaller than theirs but there is a huge backyard and room for the kids to play and ride their carts. and of course, there are toys here for the grandkids to play with.
i was getting aggravated because i had spent a fortune on cheese products and i was afraid that i wouldn't get to use them. i was even thinking of freezing everything. i think this is the best solution. if my son gets antsy, he can sleep upstairs in the roof top apartment. my grandkids will get to be with their entire family and i'll be around for the whole time. in the past, we split up holidays and shabbats but i think we all have gotten past that now. after all, they have been living downstairs for a few months now. i hope this will benefit everyone. i hope i haven't made it harder for myself.
Sunday, May 24, 2020
Now What? Play By Play Weather Report
It is 9:30 a.m. in the holy city of safed. i am breaking my 12 hour nightly fast with a toasted pita. i decided to have a lox sandwich with some Philadelphia cream cheese. i actually bought it for the holiday of Shavuot; which falls out on Thursday night but i decided to treat myself to something special. i have never before seen Philadelphia cream cheese with the appropriate kashrut certification here in safed.
i have been searching for cheesecake and tiramisu recipes since i woke up. it is freezing. after about two weeks of an excruciating heat wave; it turned cool. i took the dogs out on Saturday morning and had to wear a sweater. it went from temperatures of high 90's to mid 70's in what felt like, just a moment. this morning we had a rainstorm of some intensity and the temperatures dropped to the 60's. once again, my house was cold. i slept with a woolen blanket.
on Friday i started to open up some windows to get some air. i had several fans going. it was just bearable but the house was still very uncomfortable. on Saturday morning, i opened up all of my windows to let the cool air in. by nightfall the house was no longer a sauna. on Saturday night i had to close some of the windows because it was getting really cold. this morning i had to shut all of the windows because it was raining inside.
now the sun is out and the sky is so very blue. and now the sky is covered in clouds and it looks like another storm is on the way. i managed to take the dogs out for a quick run around 7:30 a.m. we didn't go all that far and we avoided any grassy areas because it was full of mud. i even put on my rain boots. i had made plans to go to town this morning. i don't think i'll chance it now. i started to get a cold last night. this is so very unsettling.
two of my daughter-in-law's sisters came on Shabbat with their 4 children. one sister and family stayed over. the kids were like penned in animals let out of a cage. they hadn't been outside to play in months. they got to ride scooters downstairs and they were elated. the weather was marvelous. i went to my friend's in the morning and sat on her porch while her husband read the torah portion. it was nice to be outside. i have been holed up in the house during the heat wave.
i joined the family downstairs after lunch and schmoozed for a few hours. the kids were all outside playing. i brought down a lot of my kids' puzzles, leggo and toys. the kids wanted to investigate what i had upstairs but i didn't want the dogs to get out so i didn't let them come in. they have been here with my grandkids loads of times but his was the first time they came by themselves. i had bought some gifts for them before the quarantine but i didn't manage to give them out before they left.
my friend stopped by in the early evening and i went back to her house. i read some psalms and came home before Shabbat ended. it was getting really cold. i was exhausted. i did, practically, nothing and yet i was very tired. i got into a warm house dress and ended my shabbat. i didn't hear the families leave at night. i was on the computer looking up holiday recipes.
4:00 p.m. update: just went out for a quick walk with dogs. i wore my heavy winter coat. it is sunny, breezy and very cool. i thought about doing a supermarket run but i will stay in. i am very tired and am staying in bed today. i just saw a couple dozen cows in the valley at the end of my street. many of them were lying down. to my recollection, this was a first for me. who knew? i also saw a tiny baby calf walking with his elders. how enchanting!
i have been searching for cheesecake and tiramisu recipes since i woke up. it is freezing. after about two weeks of an excruciating heat wave; it turned cool. i took the dogs out on Saturday morning and had to wear a sweater. it went from temperatures of high 90's to mid 70's in what felt like, just a moment. this morning we had a rainstorm of some intensity and the temperatures dropped to the 60's. once again, my house was cold. i slept with a woolen blanket.
on Friday i started to open up some windows to get some air. i had several fans going. it was just bearable but the house was still very uncomfortable. on Saturday morning, i opened up all of my windows to let the cool air in. by nightfall the house was no longer a sauna. on Saturday night i had to close some of the windows because it was getting really cold. this morning i had to shut all of the windows because it was raining inside.
now the sun is out and the sky is so very blue. and now the sky is covered in clouds and it looks like another storm is on the way. i managed to take the dogs out for a quick run around 7:30 a.m. we didn't go all that far and we avoided any grassy areas because it was full of mud. i even put on my rain boots. i had made plans to go to town this morning. i don't think i'll chance it now. i started to get a cold last night. this is so very unsettling.
two of my daughter-in-law's sisters came on Shabbat with their 4 children. one sister and family stayed over. the kids were like penned in animals let out of a cage. they hadn't been outside to play in months. they got to ride scooters downstairs and they were elated. the weather was marvelous. i went to my friend's in the morning and sat on her porch while her husband read the torah portion. it was nice to be outside. i have been holed up in the house during the heat wave.
i joined the family downstairs after lunch and schmoozed for a few hours. the kids were all outside playing. i brought down a lot of my kids' puzzles, leggo and toys. the kids wanted to investigate what i had upstairs but i didn't want the dogs to get out so i didn't let them come in. they have been here with my grandkids loads of times but his was the first time they came by themselves. i had bought some gifts for them before the quarantine but i didn't manage to give them out before they left.
my friend stopped by in the early evening and i went back to her house. i read some psalms and came home before Shabbat ended. it was getting really cold. i was exhausted. i did, practically, nothing and yet i was very tired. i got into a warm house dress and ended my shabbat. i didn't hear the families leave at night. i was on the computer looking up holiday recipes.
4:00 p.m. update: just went out for a quick walk with dogs. i wore my heavy winter coat. it is sunny, breezy and very cool. i thought about doing a supermarket run but i will stay in. i am very tired and am staying in bed today. i just saw a couple dozen cows in the valley at the end of my street. many of them were lying down. to my recollection, this was a first for me. who knew? i also saw a tiny baby calf walking with his elders. how enchanting!
Friday, May 22, 2020
Getting Cool
it is 7:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed. candle lighting is in a few minutes. fresh flowers are on the table and the food is on the electric platter on a timer. the house is still pretty uncomfortable but it is getting cooler. they predict temperatures in the mid 70's. that's pretty amazing considering that we've had 93 degree heat for about two weeks.
yesterday i took advantage of the family downstairs being away. i did some laundry and i dragged down a closet two flights. i collected all of the packages of foods and about twenty pounds of potatoes and put it on the shelves. i collected another bamboo closet and mounted all of the pots and pans that were lying on the floor. i was worried that i might offend the Sephardi grandma but she was very thankful.
it was incredibly hot and i was completely wasted. i was glad that i didn't go to hadera for the birthday party. they didn't come back until midnight. although; i would have loved to see the kids; i wouldn't have lasted a 12 hour day out away from home and the dogs.
i made a simple meal. i potted chicken wings with carrots and sweet potatoes and added chickpeas. i also made a very course chumus sans tahini. i broiled a small fillet of salmon and grated raw beets and carrots. i managed to bake banana oat flour muffins. they taste exactly like banana bread except they aren't sweet. i shopped for Shavuot and ended up spending a true fortune on cheeses.
i decided to make a lasagna, greek salad, grapes and cheese platter, tiramisu and cheesecake for the holiday. i also bought lox and herring and Philadelphia cream cheese. the sky's the limit. i don't know exactly how this holiday/Shabbat will play out but i am taking it easy. i lugged up the baby crib and we'll just have to wait to see where everyone decides to sleep. i prefer having just my immediate family upstairs with me.
yesterday i took advantage of the family downstairs being away. i did some laundry and i dragged down a closet two flights. i collected all of the packages of foods and about twenty pounds of potatoes and put it on the shelves. i collected another bamboo closet and mounted all of the pots and pans that were lying on the floor. i was worried that i might offend the Sephardi grandma but she was very thankful.
it was incredibly hot and i was completely wasted. i was glad that i didn't go to hadera for the birthday party. they didn't come back until midnight. although; i would have loved to see the kids; i wouldn't have lasted a 12 hour day out away from home and the dogs.
i made a simple meal. i potted chicken wings with carrots and sweet potatoes and added chickpeas. i also made a very course chumus sans tahini. i broiled a small fillet of salmon and grated raw beets and carrots. i managed to bake banana oat flour muffins. they taste exactly like banana bread except they aren't sweet. i shopped for Shavuot and ended up spending a true fortune on cheeses.
i decided to make a lasagna, greek salad, grapes and cheese platter, tiramisu and cheesecake for the holiday. i also bought lox and herring and Philadelphia cream cheese. the sky's the limit. i don't know exactly how this holiday/Shabbat will play out but i am taking it easy. i lugged up the baby crib and we'll just have to wait to see where everyone decides to sleep. i prefer having just my immediate family upstairs with me.
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