The Blizzard of 2015 is in the books. The snow started on Monday afternoon, and didn't stop til 11 PM on Tuesday night. My husband and I worked from home, while the kids did homework, reading, and watching TV. We did some group shoveling.
And I did some baking.
Three loaves of Bread Machine Challah:
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/bread-machine-challah/11ed53fc-166d-408c-9967-e7890973dc5f
I made one Babchallah:
http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chocolate-cinnamon-babkallah-dough
I made one batch of Flour Bakery's chocolate brownies.
I made one batch of Flour Bakery's Oreo's.
I made some Hamentashen.
I made one batch of banana chocolate chip muffins.
And school was cancelled on Tuesday and Wednesday, so on Wednesday, I made:
One batch of maple brownies and
One batch of Smitten Kitchen's salted brown butter crispy treats.
And on Thursday I am going to work. If school is cancelled, my husband will stay home with the kids and eat some of the baked goods.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Catch Up Post
Sorry for not updating you earlier!
1. Picked up the Bar Mitzvah invitations this past weekend. They look fabulous. My son really liked them, which is important.
2. Made a few new dishes this week. I made a Kosher By Design - Chicken Oreganato, which was good. The kids liked the chicken, but not the potatoes. I also made Smitten Kitchen's Key Lime Pie, which was fabulous. And I also made a Hershey's Oatmeal Cinnamon bar, which was great.
3. Naomi has not been able to shake her sinus infection. Three weeks of anti-biotics has helped it but not cured it. Now she is taking Flonase.
4. Attended the City of Newton's MLK Jr. Celebration at Temple Emanuel yesterday with the kids. It was a very nice event.
5. Did I tell you that I think I found a dress for Mark's Bar Mitzvah party?????? I love it.
1. Picked up the Bar Mitzvah invitations this past weekend. They look fabulous. My son really liked them, which is important.
2. Made a few new dishes this week. I made a Kosher By Design - Chicken Oreganato, which was good. The kids liked the chicken, but not the potatoes. I also made Smitten Kitchen's Key Lime Pie, which was fabulous. And I also made a Hershey's Oatmeal Cinnamon bar, which was great.
3. Naomi has not been able to shake her sinus infection. Three weeks of anti-biotics has helped it but not cured it. Now she is taking Flonase.
4. Attended the City of Newton's MLK Jr. Celebration at Temple Emanuel yesterday with the kids. It was a very nice event.
5. Did I tell you that I think I found a dress for Mark's Bar Mitzvah party?????? I love it.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
2015 - The Year My Little Man becomes a Jewish Man
We got THE date in the spring of 2012. And now, the DATE is approaching. And now, I can call this year, the year of the Bar Mitzvah. The date - May 30, 2015. The year my son is called to the Torah to become a Jewish adult like the rest of his family. The date that we all hear him chant his Haftorah and the Torah. The date that family and friends will fly and drive to come and hear my baby become a Jewish adult.
My son will be counted as a Jewish adult after that, which means when our family attends Minyan, we are a family of three Jewish adults. My son is expected to fast on Yom Kippur. My little man becomes a Jewish man.
Mark started Religious School at Temple Emanuel when he was five, but his Jewish education started before that. We would chant Shema to him every night and when he became old enough, he chanted with us. We attended Tot Shabbat with him and later Shabbat Alive (which we all continue to enjoy). We did Shabbat at home on Friday nights complete with candles, wine and homemade challah. When he was born it became a goal of mine to have Shabbat at least three times every month.
And as soon as we got THE DATE, I started to plan. We booked the venue, the caterer, the photographer, the DJ and the hotel. And now we are getting into finalizing the invitations. We started looking for a Tallis. We started looking into purchasing Kipot. I am working on the hotel bags and the centerpieces. We have dates to start looking at new suits for the boys and dresses for the girls. Mark has started his Bar Mitzvah project. Mark will be writing a sermon.
The day is coming, and when that date comes, I will be ready.
My son will be counted as a Jewish adult after that, which means when our family attends Minyan, we are a family of three Jewish adults. My son is expected to fast on Yom Kippur. My little man becomes a Jewish man.
Mark started Religious School at Temple Emanuel when he was five, but his Jewish education started before that. We would chant Shema to him every night and when he became old enough, he chanted with us. We attended Tot Shabbat with him and later Shabbat Alive (which we all continue to enjoy). We did Shabbat at home on Friday nights complete with candles, wine and homemade challah. When he was born it became a goal of mine to have Shabbat at least three times every month.
And as soon as we got THE DATE, I started to plan. We booked the venue, the caterer, the photographer, the DJ and the hotel. And now we are getting into finalizing the invitations. We started looking for a Tallis. We started looking into purchasing Kipot. I am working on the hotel bags and the centerpieces. We have dates to start looking at new suits for the boys and dresses for the girls. Mark has started his Bar Mitzvah project. Mark will be writing a sermon.
The day is coming, and when that date comes, I will be ready.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
YUM
Last night I made a great dinner and no one complained!!!!
http://www.bonappetit.com/events/promotions/article/yotam-ottolenghi-s-roasted-butternut-squash-recipe
This was a great recipe and very easy. I used precut squash from Wegmans, but everything else was hand cut and measured. The kids thought it was better than plain squash. Since none of my family are big squash eaters, for them to give this meal a thumbs up, it was a big deal.
And my version it looked just like the photo!
http://www.bonappetit.com/events/promotions/article/yotam-ottolenghi-s-roasted-butternut-squash-recipe
This was a great recipe and very easy. I used precut squash from Wegmans, but everything else was hand cut and measured. The kids thought it was better than plain squash. Since none of my family are big squash eaters, for them to give this meal a thumbs up, it was a big deal.
And my version it looked just like the photo!
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Girl Scout Cookies
Back when I was a kid, I was a Brownie and a Girl Scout, and one of the most exciting times was COOKIE SALE time! As an adult, there were many things my kids sold (wrapping paper, cookie dough, magazines), but the cookies are great.
Last year my little girl sold cookies for the first time and had a blast! She learned about how to take an order, order fulfillment, and money management.
This year, her sales are great, and she has improved her sales pitch. She has a greater confidence, and she is calling people who email me that they want cookies. She calls them, and introduces herself and describes the cookies. She has listened to many grown women describe the joy of selling cookie themselves. She is able to communicate who to make the check payable to and where to mail the check. She is able to tell people her most popular cookie (THIN MINT).
She is very eager to deliver the cookies, and of course design her Thank You note. She comes to my office to deliver the cookies that my co-workers purchase. She drives around in the mini van with me to deliver the cookies.
She also knows that her parents stand behind her and support her. We make the phone call on speaker phone, so she can take the order while talking. I can hear the conversation, to make sure it is good. I walk around the neighborhood with her (safety first). We skip the houses that we don't know the owners (safety).
She is very proud of herself and gaining skills that I didn't know one can gain from selling Girl Scout Cookies.
If you are interested in purchasing cookies, please let me know! I will have Naomi call you if you are in our area!
Last year my little girl sold cookies for the first time and had a blast! She learned about how to take an order, order fulfillment, and money management.
This year, her sales are great, and she has improved her sales pitch. She has a greater confidence, and she is calling people who email me that they want cookies. She calls them, and introduces herself and describes the cookies. She has listened to many grown women describe the joy of selling cookie themselves. She is able to communicate who to make the check payable to and where to mail the check. She is able to tell people her most popular cookie (THIN MINT).
She is very eager to deliver the cookies, and of course design her Thank You note. She comes to my office to deliver the cookies that my co-workers purchase. She drives around in the mini van with me to deliver the cookies.
She also knows that her parents stand behind her and support her. We make the phone call on speaker phone, so she can take the order while talking. I can hear the conversation, to make sure it is good. I walk around the neighborhood with her (safety first). We skip the houses that we don't know the owners (safety).
She is very proud of herself and gaining skills that I didn't know one can gain from selling Girl Scout Cookies.
If you are interested in purchasing cookies, please let me know! I will have Naomi call you if you are in our area!
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Posting photos of dinner
In today's Boston Globe Food Section, there was an article about posting your photos of dinner:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/food-dining/2014/12/09/food-styling-meals-for-instagram/mkf0mxeyXWBKQxONOkwIrK/story.html
I thought it was an interesting article, but now I want to share why I post my nightly meals (and baked goods). As a working parent, I hear from many people how they are amazed that after a long day, I come home and cook a meal. Adam and I both grew up with daily family dinners. Sometimes we do eat a family dinner over a frozen meal or a take out meal, but the point of family dinner is to eat as a family. We turn off all electronics, including the radio, the TV and no cell phones. We have conversations about our day (best and worst part of everyone's day), politics, the weather, current events or other interesting things. We talk and we discuss as a family (and we remind each other not to put huge GOBS of food in our mouths, or to use a fork or napkin). That is the best part of family dinner.
The other reason why I post my meals, is that if I can do it, you can do it. I have no known special powers that give me the ability to cook. I take pride in what I cook, and if I can roll into the house at 5:40 PM, and have dinner ready at 6:45, so can you. I don't cook a chicken that takes two hours to roast on a Monday night . . . . hamburgers and homemade sweet potato wedges. Last night was homemade pizza. Again, food that is able to be prepared while the kids do homework. I walk into the house, and start to cook. (If I sat down on the sofa, I would never get up.)
The baked goods are my passion. I love to do it. Some people love to bike. Others love to sew. I love to bake (and my husband cleans up my mess).
Another reason that I post what we eat nightly, is that my kids eat family dinner. I cook one meal for everyone (okay, sometimes there is a chicken dish and a similar tofu dish). At least once a week there is a meal on the table that each kid likes. But, there is no alternate meal (unless the new dish I cooked is soooo horrible that we all have ice cream for dinner). We started this rule years back . . . . I am not a short order cook, I am a mother and wife. Eat what is served, and maybe the next meal you will like better. Also, the kids have to try each food. We all have to eat a balanced diet. All of us. I love asparagus, but my kids really like cauliflower. I really don't like cauliflower, but I eat it.
Eating as a family is great. It is scary to think that in September, 2020, my eldest will be away at college, and family dinners will be different with a family member not in attandence.
Cook a family dinner - once a week, but eat dinner as a family daily.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/food-dining/2014/12/09/food-styling-meals-for-instagram/mkf0mxeyXWBKQxONOkwIrK/story.html
I thought it was an interesting article, but now I want to share why I post my nightly meals (and baked goods). As a working parent, I hear from many people how they are amazed that after a long day, I come home and cook a meal. Adam and I both grew up with daily family dinners. Sometimes we do eat a family dinner over a frozen meal or a take out meal, but the point of family dinner is to eat as a family. We turn off all electronics, including the radio, the TV and no cell phones. We have conversations about our day (best and worst part of everyone's day), politics, the weather, current events or other interesting things. We talk and we discuss as a family (and we remind each other not to put huge GOBS of food in our mouths, or to use a fork or napkin). That is the best part of family dinner.
The other reason why I post my meals, is that if I can do it, you can do it. I have no known special powers that give me the ability to cook. I take pride in what I cook, and if I can roll into the house at 5:40 PM, and have dinner ready at 6:45, so can you. I don't cook a chicken that takes two hours to roast on a Monday night . . . . hamburgers and homemade sweet potato wedges. Last night was homemade pizza. Again, food that is able to be prepared while the kids do homework. I walk into the house, and start to cook. (If I sat down on the sofa, I would never get up.)
The baked goods are my passion. I love to do it. Some people love to bike. Others love to sew. I love to bake (and my husband cleans up my mess).
Another reason that I post what we eat nightly, is that my kids eat family dinner. I cook one meal for everyone (okay, sometimes there is a chicken dish and a similar tofu dish). At least once a week there is a meal on the table that each kid likes. But, there is no alternate meal (unless the new dish I cooked is soooo horrible that we all have ice cream for dinner). We started this rule years back . . . . I am not a short order cook, I am a mother and wife. Eat what is served, and maybe the next meal you will like better. Also, the kids have to try each food. We all have to eat a balanced diet. All of us. I love asparagus, but my kids really like cauliflower. I really don't like cauliflower, but I eat it.
Eating as a family is great. It is scary to think that in September, 2020, my eldest will be away at college, and family dinners will be different with a family member not in attandence.
Cook a family dinner - once a week, but eat dinner as a family daily.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Black Bean Chilaquile
This is one of my favorite vegetarian potluck meals. It is super easy to prepare and not the usual mac and cheese or baked pasta dish.
1 cup chopped onion
1 T olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1 1/2 cups of frozen corn kernels
one 15 oz can black beans - drained and rinsed
2 T lime juice
1 t salt
black pepper
2 cups crushed corn tortilla chips (yes that is correct, take a bag of tortilla chips and CRUSH them)
8 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups salsa
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Saute onions for about 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, corn, black beans, lime juice, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes.
In an 8 x 8 square pan, spray with PAM. Spread half of the chips on the bottom. Spoon half of the vegetables over the chips, then put half the cheese on top of the vegetables. Spoon half of the salsa over the cheese.
Then put the remainder of the chips on top, then the vegetables, then the salsa and finish with the cheese.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown.
Serve with rice and corn muffins!
1 cup chopped onion
1 T olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1 1/2 cups of frozen corn kernels
one 15 oz can black beans - drained and rinsed
2 T lime juice
1 t salt
black pepper
2 cups crushed corn tortilla chips (yes that is correct, take a bag of tortilla chips and CRUSH them)
8 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups salsa
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Saute onions for about 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, corn, black beans, lime juice, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes.
In an 8 x 8 square pan, spray with PAM. Spread half of the chips on the bottom. Spoon half of the vegetables over the chips, then put half the cheese on top of the vegetables. Spoon half of the salsa over the cheese.
Then put the remainder of the chips on top, then the vegetables, then the salsa and finish with the cheese.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown.
Serve with rice and corn muffins!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)