Shema bekola

5:44pm: Doppleganger
Look at the photo in this blog entry

The guy standing on the right totally looks like my father might have in 1962!

6:15pm: Impressed
It looks like cake decorating skills have skipped a generation in this household!

The Performer decided she wanted to learn how to decorate cakes. This is her first try.



Unbelievable, right? I can't get anywhere close!

I think I need a cookie.

2:05pm: Some positive feedback
Well, at least two of the recipients of our "veggie" shalach manos were very happy. One family reports that it didn't make it out of the car, the kids ate it all while driving around :-) And the other told us that they just left it out on the counter all day, and it was empty before dinner. Because having healthy finger food out and available as a counterpoint to all that junk works! So, yay us!

10:40am: Mishloach Manos wrappped


That was before the saran wrap. I'm getting the munchies!

In any case, assembly is complete. Delivery is the responsibility of the Royal Spouse and children. On to preparing food for the seudah!

9:50pm: Chag Sameach!
Some music to celebrate! Raise your glass :-)



We listened during our hamantash bake!

10:37am: Predictability has its perks
It seems that there is a game that is played on the school bus on the way home. It is guessing what will be for dinner that night. Or in other words, who's mother is the most predictable. The Performer is doing pretty well at this game.

Hey, there is a limited number of meals that are easy enough to prepare during the week that a majority of the people dining will deign to consume!

5:15pm: Feeding the freezer
While I am extremely lucky to be able to work at home on Fridays, they are still work days, so all that I gain the commuting time and my lunch break. I usually use the lunch break to put up food.

My work load has been heavy lately, so I've been relying on quick and easy stuff as well as food that I make ahead and freeze, mostly kugels and cakes. (Yes, I know I can buy them, but mine are better and cheaper.) So, today was a designated "feed the freezer" day.
( listy time! )

So, does anyone have a zucchini kugel recipe that isn't too "zucchini bread"?

8:53pm: Winter Break
I'm going to have to work tomorrow and Wednesday, but we snuck in a little extended weekend winter break day tripping.

On Sunday I used this Groupon Deal that I snagged a while back. (Sorry, it's expired now!) Snow-tubing fun ensued. But it was the first weekend in the real season with snow, so the place was jammed. Still, most of the folks were there to ski or snowboard, so the snowtubing hill was not bad at all.

Then, today we made our way down to Trenton. It's really hard to come up with trips on rainy, nasty weather on a Monday (so very few museum options), that appeal at least partially to both a fifth grader, a college student and the rest in between! But this actually worked nicely. The tour of the state capitol building was nice, we peeked in at a very weird quorum call, and we randomly ran into our State Treasurer. He seems like a very friendly fellow. And I very highly recommend the Old Barracks Museum It's small, but the staff is really amazing! Knowledgeable and entertaining. We needed to get back home for Mincha, so that was it for today. I'd like to go back sometime that isn't a Monday and check out the State Museum, Trent House and Washington Crossing. It's about an hour and a half from here, so now that the kids are older, we can do that for a day trip.

4:40pm: Who's scruffy looking?
Yesterday ended DH's Shloshim. The Rabbi we consulted opined that if the wife doesn't like the beard it can now come off. I looked my beloved straight in the eye and called him a "nerf herder".

I am a product of my era.

5:27pm: Largest Menorah on 34th Street


Those Stern girls certainly have a lot of energy for organizing! This is not photoshopped folks, just dorm rooms with lights on and off - and some covered with tissue paper.

(Photo courtesy of the Royal Scribe)

3:11pm: Deep Frying
I have now crossed one more cooking technique off my to do list. Yes, I have now attempted deep frying. And what better time of year to try this out? At the request of The Performer, I made up a batch of donuts. And came out with only one little burn from splashing oil.

So, first a recipe. I picked this one Aren't the photos there gorgeous?

( and now my photos )

Definitely a success! But really time consuming.

10:35pm: Hanukkah in Santa Monica
Who knew Tom Lehrer had a Chanukah song?

4:00pm: Cookie baking!
It's that time of year ... hello Chanukah cookies!





Now if I could only get "Jingle Bells" out of my head, I might feel more aligned with Chanuka! Off to listen to the Maccabeats, methinks!

3:55pm: A golden oldie
I had the perfect opportunity to use a golden oldie today!
My oldest daughter asks,
"Where's Merken Hall?"
"That's in Lincoln Center" I reply
"So how do I get there?" I cannot believe how beautifully she laid that one out for me -

"Practice, practice, practice!"

7:09pm: Veggie muffins
So, today I made small inroads in to the frenzy of Yom Tov baking that cometh.

For some reason, I feel like branching into veggie muffins - that is muffins with vegetables in them, not vegetarian muffins. Although, they are vegetarian, I suppose. Not vegan, but I haven't yet felt the compulsion to tuck beef or chicken into them! Anyway, they are good cold, sneak in a little bit o' vegetable, and are pre-portioned. Sounds good for daytime meals to me.



First up, the not so daring Milk and Honey Corn Muffins. I used soy milk, so not really milk and honey, but I chopped up little tiny bits of apple, and sprinkled them on top with an extra drizzle of honey, so now they are Apple and Honey Corn muffins. Much better for Rosh Hashana, I think!

Then, the more daring Easy Beet Muffins. I think I undercooked the beets, because when I stuck them in the food processor, they didn't puree. They grated. They're okay, but not fabulous. But that might be the fault of the beet bits. I may or may not bother trying again in the future. Also, it mentions

Much more successful were Jamie Oliver's Butternut squash muffins. I didn't bother with the topping, and left off the nuts. But the sample was really yummy! I am a strong believer in quality testing.

Her Purpleness made up a batch of challah with supervision, and the bread machine. They look perfectly useable, so yay. And The Performer teamed up with Her Purpleness to bake some cookies, but those are not going to make it past Shabbos!

3:56pm: A little sewing
Well, it looks like I'll meet my "goal" of finishing this by Rosh Hashana! (I only started at the beginning of the summer - sometimes projects move at a glacial pace around here.)

A polka dotted dress for Her Purpleness.



It's kind of big on her, but she doesn't care, and the belt will cinch it in adequately. Now I just need to press it out. So, this may take another month or so :-)

8:17pm: It exists!
I can now attest to the fact that the Stone Living Room really exists. It's actually kind of cool.

Behold!



That first "chair" on the right is really comfortable. You'd think you were sitting in an Adirondack chair.


I got the trail description here. But my idea of a "moderate" hike is decidedly different than these people who actually hike. (I shudder to think what they would label challenging!) But the two of my mountain goat children that accompanied me frolicked up and down that mountain, and I huffed and puffed, and drank oodles of water, and we made it. There were some amazing views to be had, in addition to the mysterious living room.

11:19pm: Bless the USA
The NJ Symphony Orchestra had a free concert in Branch Brook Park in Newark tonight, followed by fireworks! Happy Belated Birthday, USA!



(Not a very high quality video, but it's from my little point-and-shoot camera, after all!)

5:17pm: In honor of the July 4th weekend
I added blueberries and strawberries to my usual "white cake" recipe and dusted it with confectioner's sugar. Hooray for the red, white and blue!



Okay, not up to fancy cake standards, but my kids will have fun with it! Heck, I'm not picky either - I'm having fun with it too!

Happy Fourth everyone!

8:33pm: Shalom Sesame
It's Le Matzarables!

11:55pm: Purim Sameach!

6:14pm: More Maccabeats
These guys are just adorable. Sorry - I must join the crowd and embed!

7:49pm: Mishenichnas Adar
Marbim B'Oznei Haman!



It's hamantash baking day today. They came out nicely, I might add. I've got about 4 or 5 dozen put aside to freeze for Purim weekend, and the rest are disappearing rapidly.

4:33pm: Cookie day
I'm pretty sure my Shalach Manos this year will be cookies and milk.

If not, we've got a lot of cookies to eat :-) Today was a baking day. No hamantashen yet, but plenty of other yummy stuff.

They are actually all oil based - I'm really pleased with all of them, with the exception of the oatmeal cookies which I think are a bit dry.

Behold cookies!
( pictures and links )

I've been itching to bake cookies lately. Blame the Top Chef episode featuring Cookie Monster! I think I can now consider that itch to be scratched.

Mmmm. Coooookies! Arrmmnmnmn.

1:06pm: A sign of the times...
I know that this is normal life for most (many?) now, but it tickled my funny bone anyway. The Royal Spouse is currently out picking out new glasses frames with (and for) the Crown Prince. Feeling the need for my input, they took a picture and sent it over to me. I signaled my approval.

Hooray for modern technology saving me a trip out to the optometrist's!