Rugelach

 DOUGH

3 cups flour
1/2 t salt
1/4 c sugar
1 1/4 c unsalted butter (2 1/2 sticks) - I used Mother's margarine.  Cut into chunks.
3 large egg yolks
1 cup sour cream - I used tofutti

Filling
mini chocolate chips
cinnamon and sugar

Garnish - one egg beaten

In a food processor, place the flour, salt and sugar.  Process.  Add chunks of butter and process until mixture is crumbly.  Add egg yolks and sour cream.  Pulse until combined.

Smooth dough, and form into three balls.  Chill in fridge for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350.  Line baking sheet with foil and then spray with Pam.  Roll one ball of dough into a large circle.  Spread with cinnamon and sugar.  Spread with mini chocolate chips.  Use a pizza cutter and cut into wedges (12-14 of them).  Then roll the wedge from larger end to smaller end.  Place on baking sheet.  Repeat. with all balls.  Brush each piece with some egg wash.

Bake until golden (25 to 35 minutes) depending on your oven and the dough.  Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes.  Then put pieces on baking sheet to cool completely.

OTHER FILLINGS - you can use raspberry jam, apricot jam, chopped nuts or raisins.  I happen to like the mini chocolate chips.

Holiday Time

Rosh Hashana is one of my favorite holidays.  How can you go wrong with HONEY all the time!!!!  This year we are trying something new.  On eruv Rosh Hashana (Wednesday night), the four of us are going to eat a festive meal, as the four of us.  No rushing off to services and no company.  Just the four of us.  I can't remember a time we have ever done that.  I am going to use my grandmother's china and we are going to have fun (I hope). 

On Thursday, we are hosting the dinner, and on Friday we are going to be a guest! 

The big question is what does the menu look like?

On Wednesday night, I am serving:
2 homemade challahs and honey
Chicken Soup from the Temple Emanuel Cookbook
Italian Vegetable Soup from the New England Soup Factory Cookbook
Date Glazed Chicken
Tuscan Beans with Sage from the Low Fat Moosewood Cookbook
Basmati Rice with a potato from the Temple Emanuel Cookbook
Broccoli
Chocolate Mousse from the Temple Emanuel Cookbook
Fruit

On Thursday's festive meal, I am serving:
2 homemade challahs and honey
Chicken Soup from the Temple Emanuel Cookbook
Italian Vegetable Soup from the New England Soup Factory Cookbook
Knishes from the Butcherie
Moroccan Tomato Dip from the Persian Bride Cookbook
Chicken in Tomato Sauce with Saffron from the Persian Bride Cookbook
BBQ Tofu
Honey Glazed carrots
Oven Fries from the Low Fat Moosewood Cookbook
Fruit
Apple Crisp from the Temple Beth El Cookbook
Pastry Tray - homemade chocolate brownies (not sure which recipe), Bubbe's apple cake form the Temple Emanuel Cookbook, Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Mandelbrot from the Boston Globe and Rugelach from the Jewish Baker Cookbook.

On Sunday I will be busy making soup, pastry and challah!

Here is a photo of the grocery list.

Life as a Mom

I remember how I wanted to be a mom . . . . so badly.  And it seemed to take forever.  I dreamed of having cute little babies, that grew into curious toddlers and preschoolers and BOOM, now I have a pre-teen and an eight year old.  BOOM - just like that.  I also dreamed of having great snacks for my kids after school, and delicious dinners that everyone LOVED and reality has set in.

Let me give you my post work schedule for this week:

Monday - picked up both kids from different after school programs.  Got home at 5:30 PM and assisted pre-teen with organizing homework that needed to be completed, while throwing dinner and having pre-teen fed by 6:30 PM because trombone teacher was arriving for lesson.

Tuesday - left work early (but HIT TRAFFIC on I95) to pick up eight year old at after school, then picked up another boy and then picked up pre-teen to be driven to religious school for a 4 PM start.  Realized that boys had to be there by 4:10 PM due to field trip . . . . . called religious school that I was running late due to traffic and was told to be there by 4:10 PM.  GREAT.  It was 3:55 PM and I was 15 minutes away - NO PROBLEM.  Drove my usual way, only to find out there was a MAJOR accident, and main roads are closed and blocked.  Turned down side street and prayed that WAZE would find me a better way.  Pulled in front of temple at 4:11 PM, and bus was loaded but still there.

Rushed home and tried to log into work and locked myself out of the VPN - had to wait for IT to call me back.

The 6 PM pick up person was told bus was going to be late due to the same accident that I was caught in. 

I think I prepared a nice dinner that night too!

Wednesday - left work to pick up preteen and 8 year old (in two different locations), drive to 5:30 PM, then drive to 6:30 PM Bar Mitzvah lesson - drop off pre-teen; race home and throw in frozen pizza into hot oven.  At 7:15 PM, hubby walks in with son, and I walk out and drive back to synagogue for Sisterhood Event.

Thursday -  Today, I will be leaving work at my normal time, picking up eight year old kid and two other kids from religious school at 6 PM ish and dropping off at various homes, while hubby picks up pre-teen kid.  Throw dinner together and be out the door to Back to School night for daughter's school, which is no longer located in the neighborhood. 

Mom's taxi service is in full service this fall!

Thank You!

Your donations have helped TEAM WEITZMAN raise over $2,000 for Hadassah Hospital!  We are raising money to outfit the new Sarah Wetson Davidson Tower at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem!  The new tower is 19 stories, including five underground, and including underground operating rooms! 

Hadassah Hospital is a special place in Israel because it treats every patient, no matter what their religion, race or gender.  It is truly a unique place in Israel.  When I was in Israel (years ago), it was one of the highlights of my visit.

 
I am a third generation Hadassah life member and Naomi is a fourth generation Hadassah life member. 

Please give through this website (you will notice people giving in increments of 18, as 18 is a special number in Hebrew):

https://www.crowdrise.com/stephanieweitzman-walkathon201/fundraiser/stephanieweitzman

Movie Reviews

This weekend we had some time, and Adam and I got to watch two movies.

The first movie was the Jewish Cardinal, which I recommend if you don't mind reading subtitles.  A Jewish Polish boy converts to Catholicism during WWII.  His mother is eventually killed at Auschwitz.  His father never forgives his son for his conversion.  What makes the Cardinal so interesting is that he never forgets he is Jewish.  In fact, he says he is Jewish and Catholic.  It was interesting to watch him rise in the Catholic Church and eventually become Catholic.  His relationship with his father is strained, even at his father's death.

The biggest professional challenge he faces is when nuns settle in Auschwitz, and how he has to work through the peace process between the Jewish People (in Europe) and the Polish people and the Church. 

The other movie we watched this weekend was Black Fish, about orca's held in captivity.  One of my high school classmates recommended the movie after I returned from Sea World, and I know why she recommended it.  It is very one sided, however after the movie ended, I felt as though orca's should not be held in captivity and the history of this is strong.  Orcas have strong family ties, and watching the whales in the wild as their family member is carried away is amazing.  And then later on, as a female orca mourns the separation of her calf - after viewing this movie, you can see the grief.  The same grief a human has, and the management of Sea World for separating family, when they know orcas have a strong sense of family is terrible. 

SeaWorld was a place that I took my family, but after this, I won't be saving my pennies for another SeaWorld visit.  I see why people like to visit SeaWorld, but I hope in the future the treatment of orcas and other animals is better.

Please support us in our support of Hadassah Hospital

Adam, Mark (age 12), Naomi (age 8) and I will be participating in the Hadassah Walkathon on Sunday, September 14 around the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, near BC.  This walk will benefit the new Sarah Wetson Davidson Tower at Hadassah Hospital for the ICU unit and the neurosurgical operating room.  Hadassah Hospital is a special place in Israel because it treats every patient, no matter what their religion, race or gender.  It is truly a unique place in Israel.  When I was in Israel (years ago), it was one of the highlights of my visit.

I am a third generation Hadassah life member and Naomi is a fourth generation Hadassah life member. 

Please give through this website (you will notice people giving in increments of 18, as 18 is a special number in Hebrew):

https://www.crowdrise.com/stephanieweitzman-walkathon201/fundraiser/stephanieweitzman

Please help us support Hadassah Hospital!

Moms and Dads

The other day I was reading a post on FB from a friend. . . . and he went on to thank his (working out of the home) wife for making sure his two kids had lunches, school supplies, school clothes and shoes and he didn't have to lift a finger.

Now, that really stuck with me.  It really bothered me.  Great, he thanked his wife.  BUT, wouldn't it be great if he realized during the summer that summer was going to end and that things would need to be acquired for the school year for his two kids?  My husband isn't that guy.  However, my husband is married to me, who realizes such things and we divided the list.  School supplies are purchased through the PTO (THANK YOU ANGIER PTO and BROWN PTO).  However shoe shopping is not my favorite thing, and to have to do with my two great kids is tough. 

My husband and I go to the Barn, in Newton, where my husband got his back to school shoes, as a kid.  I assist my daughter with the vast array of choices and my husband helps my son with the boys selection.  Each kid gets sneakers, synagogue shoes and my daughter gets a pair of school shoes.  This year and last year the Barn didn't have my son's shoes, and both years my husband drives himself and our son to Nordstrom's to buy the shoes.  I didn't have to ask.  Adam, as a parent, understands, that it is NOT my SOLE responsibility as the female parent to "gather" school supplies. 

It just bothers me that only ONE parent in the poster's house not only thought about the supplies but also had to gather them.  Just because one parent is female, that does not mean that parent won the lottery of buying all back to school items for the kids.

Back to the Old Routine

Summer camp is over and so is summer vacation.  Had to get back into the swing of the school year.  The first change is that I have to make sure to have enough lunch supplies and snack supplies.  Once the school year starts, I have to make lunches for each of my kids, for myself and my husband, and my daughter needs a snack also.  Of course, I try to make them healthy and fun.  My son doesn't mind eating the same kind of sandwich every day - turkey sandwich.  Actually he is happy with his lunch of a turkey sandwich, carrots or cucumbers on the side, granola bar and a cookie and a drink for 180 days.  My daughter likes to have variety, and she isn't a big sandwich lover.

The other part of back to school is the schedule.  On Monday evenings my son has a trombone lesson, and twice a month on Mondays, my daughter has Brownies.  On Tuesdays, both have Hebrew School and on Wednesdays, my son has Bar Mitzvah lessons.  Thursdays is Hebrew School for my daughter, and Fridays are free, as of now.  Mom's taxi service is back in business.

Another part of back to school is the supplies and new clothes.  Both kids grew like weeds this summer, and once the fall clothes are in, I know I have to start thinking about boots, snow jackets, hats and gloves.  And of course the school supplies.  This year my son needs a three ring binder for each subject, and his back pack is exploding. Other things on the list - protractor and scientific calculator!

The last part of the back to school, is in September we have back to school nights for both schools, and then the rest of back to school.  The middle school events are in the calendar, the elementary school events are in the calendar.  The religious school events are in the calendar and so are the youth group events, the Bar Mitzvah's that are coming up and various other things.

Vacation

 Vacation Post!  So, the last week in August has turned into our annual summer vacation week.  Past vacations have included the White Mountains, Vermont and San Diego.  This year we voted as a family to load up the car and drive to Hershey, PA.  Which we found out is called Derry Township, but in reality we all had fun.

Hershey Park is a GIANT amusement park with LOTS of roller coasters and a major waterpark.  We did the rides, and the kids had a lot of fun.  Mark did lots of different roller coasters, and this is one of the insane rides.  Adam and the kids went on the SUPER DOOPER LOOPER, and the kids loved it.

In the photos there is a photo of the kids on the monorail ride. 


There were the traditional bumper cars and swing rides, and we all had a good time.


We then went to CHOCOLATE WORLD, which is next door to Hershey Park, and we had a chocolate tasting, watched a 4D movie, but the thrill was to make your own chocolate bar.  We also each got to design our own cartons, in addition to our chocolate bar.   There was a gift shop FULL of Hershey bars and other chocolate candies, which in reality you can get at any CVS or grocery store.  
We also took a historical tour of Hershey, Hershey Academy and learned all the good that Milton Hershey did with his fortune, and how his goodness still lives on today.

 We also spent an hour at Indian Echo Caves, which was REALLY COOL and I highly recommend that you take the time to see the caves.  Our tour guide was excellent with kids, history and science.

We dove to Lancaster County, and learned about the Amish, which was fun.  We took a buggy ride, learned about dairy farms, and just had a good time.

We ate shoofly pie, which none of us liked, and we ate whoopie pies.

Our vacation's last stop was Cafe Noir, in NYC, to see Aunt Rebecca at her new spot and we were lucky enough to have lunch there!