Passover 2015 menu

  • March 17, 2015

  • March 17, 2015

English: Passover plate with symbolic foods: m...

It’s that time again! Passover is coming, and I’m making my menu plan. It’s more fun than cleaning! 😉

I make my menu with a lot of flexibility. My seders are both the same  – it’s just my family this year, and by the time the second seder starts around 9:30pm or so!, I can’t imagine there will be too much eating from the littler people. But I’ll sub in another veggie the second night and call it good.

I also plan just a selection of meals for chol hamoed and we see what we’re up to and what we’re in the mood for as we go. See some of my ideas for Passover meals on my Passover Pinterest board. And many of these are just recycled from previous years – no need to reinvent the wheel! If you check out a previous year’s menu, you’ll see a lot of the same thing. Good for memories and because I know what worked and what didn’t. (I take notes just after the holidays to help with that.) And a note: we’re Sefardi, so we eat rice and kitniyot.

Here’s my plan for this year (see 2013 and 2014 menu)

Seders: Matza, Marror, Charoset, etc. Plus: matza ball soup, roasted cauliflower / moroccan eggplant, spice rubbed chicken stew, and matza crack

veggie salads served throughout: israeli, eggplant, pepper, tomato

Shabbat / 1st day lunch: Matza, veggie salads, chicken salad with blueberries (from this Passover cookbook), and strawberry lemon sorbet (one of my kids’ favorites!)

2nd day lunch: Matza, veggie salads, ceasar salad (minus the croutons, but with glazed pecans) crudites, meringues

Weekday…

Breakfasts: coffee cake, matza and spreads, fruit, yogurt

Lunches: matza pizza, tuna salad, quinoa with roasted veggies, leftovers

Dinners:beans and rice with cauliflower tortillas, stir fry and rice, potato bar, hamburgers

Snacks: Yogurt, string cheese, fruit or veggies, cookies, “rolls”

Second days:

Shabbat: dinner – salads, matza ball soup, meatballs, cookies

lunch – salad with avocado citrus dressing,

dinner – salads, potato soup, warm quinoa and spinach salad

lunch – remix of favorites (AKA leftovers!)

*****************************

For more Passover ideas, tips, and lists, check out the OJH Passover Superpage. I also have a 2014 Erev checklist to help you be sure you get everything done! (I’ll get on the 2015 version soon.)

Permanent link to this article: https://organizedjewishhome.com/2015/03/17/passover-2015-menu/

Passover 2015 guides are out!

  • March 12, 2015

  • March 12, 2015

Handmade shmura matzo used at the Passover Sed...

Passover is really coming now! ;)

There are tons of resources available, and the guides are out. Here are some links for you:

And don’t forget the OJH Passover Super page, with Passover projects for kids, ideas on making the seder fun for kids, Passover planners, menus, and more!

How are your Passover preparations going?

Permanent link to this article: https://organizedjewishhome.com/2015/03/12/passover-2015-guides-are-out/

Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan muffins

  • January 7, 2015

  • January 7, 2015

Mmm…these are fantastic – and relatively healthy!

Muffin closeup

I was looking for a good muffin recipe for a playgroup I host, and I had some pumpkin and craisins on hand. I almost put in some coconut as well, but a friend told me shredded coconut makes her think of toenail clippings, and now I’m thinking about them as well. The two are remarkably similar in texture! So…no coconut in these, but there is pumpkin, cranberries, pecans, oatmeal, and flaxseed. You could put in some coconut. You know, if you can stop thinking of toenail clippings! 😉

I almost added in some mini chocolate chips, but after tasting my sample muffin, I realized that they didn’t need them. They are really delicious just as they are!

I may have sampled a few too many of these muffins tonight, though. Anyone want to come to playgroup at my house tomorrow? 😉Pumpkin cranberry muffins

Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan muffins (base recipe was here)

4 eggs

15 oz can (approximately 2 C) pureed pumpkin

1/2 C oil

1/4 C milk (or parve substitute, like soy milk)

2 t cinnamon

1 1/4 C sugar

1/2 t salt

2 T baking powder

1 C (steel cut) oatmeal

1 C flax meal / ground flax seed

2 1/4 C flour (can mix whole wheat and white flours here)

5 oz chopped dried cranberries (approximately 2 C)

1 C chopped, toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 400F.

Mix wet ingredients well, Add in cinnamon, sugar, salt and mix well, then add remaining ingredients and stir just until batter is mixed.

Scoop into muffin tins or mini-muffin tins and bake until the muffins spring back when touched, approximately 10 minutes for the mini muffins or 15 minutes for regular sized muffins.

A note on cooking time: Watch the muffins! My oven fuse got tripped several times  during the baking, so the times may need to be adjusted if your oven doesn’t go a little crazy when you bake (and I’m hoping it doesn’t). The original recipe claimed these needed 20-25 minutes to bake, but mine were done much more quickly.

 

Permanent link to this article: https://organizedjewishhome.com/2015/01/07/pumpkin-cranberry-pecan-muffins/

Hanuka resources

  • December 13, 2014

  • December 13, 2014

Hanuka (Hanukkah / Chanukkah) is only a few days away! In 2014, it begins the night of Dec 16th.

Are you ready? Here’s a Hanuka checklist with things you’ll need.

Each of the major Jewish websites has its own big Hanuka page with their own links. My favorite is Chabad‘s, because it has quite literally something for everyone –halacha, FAQ, how-tos, recipes, multimedia, kids
 Aish also has a good one, complete with more recipes, videos, and kid’s fun. Torah.org has a decent selection as well.

Looking for a video lesson in latkes? Dying for delicious donuts? You can find video lessons for the kids (or yourself!) in making olive oil and see a Hanuka candle factory! Are you checking out crafts? Look on my Hanuka Pinterest board for more great ideas!

Choose from 50+ Hanuka videos in the Chabad multimedia section (including an astronaut’s Hanuka!). There are lots of Hanuka videos on Youtube, like the Maccabeats Miracle and Candlelight, the Fountainheads’ Light up the Night, and even an Elmo Hanuka segment and a Telly dreidel segment. Here are my favorite Hanuka books.

Here is a great link to free Jewish holiday music. (It’s from the Judaica Sound Archives – there are other holidays there, too, but you can choose what you’d like to listen to.) There are some good Hanuka albums there, including modern and very old options, in English, Hebrew, or Yiddish, Israeli, Chassidic, or Sephardic, children’s or adults’, etc.  You can find more music here, too. There is also a lot of Hanuka music on Amazon (to buy), like this with songs in English, Hebrew, Ladino, and Yiddish.

Jennifer over at Adventures in Mama-Land has a great list of online Hanuka ideas, too. There is also a Hanuka recipe blog party from 2012. (Yep, I contributed my famous Mom’s Sour Cream Cookies recipe!)

Coloring pages for the holiday can be found at aish, chabad, and cookkosher as well as throughout the web–just google (or even better, Swagbucks) it!

 

Project ideas:
a felt menorah–allow the kids to “light” felt candles with felt flames (or they can cut and paste with paper)
a hand menorah–put the child’s hands with their thumbs touching, take a print–the double-wide thumb is the shamesh
a laminated menorah printed on a regular sheet of paper- let them decorate it with playdough or dry-erase markers (it erases easily)
How abut some easy, mess free latke frying for kids?

Macaroni and bean menora

  • Maccabee shields–cardboard, cut and decorated (my boys love these, but ours don’t last very long because the kids also make Maccabee swords out of sticks, straws, or whatever else they can find.)
  • You’re probably using lots of potatoes – why not carve some potato stamps to dip in paint and stamp?
  • cookies – whether you make them into “gelt” or just eat them, kids love cookies (some ideas here)
  • beeswax candles– buy a kit and roll the wax sheets around the wick. We make some to use in our family menorah each year
  • candles- buy a dipping kit and dip some candles!
  • play dreidel

A Hanukkah dreidel.

 

  • Make edible dreidels (Or with blue sugar rolled marshmallows, chocolate kiss bottoms, pretzel stems, or chocolate dipped marshmallows, or whatever your heart desires!)

  • learn some Hanuka songs, either singing or on a musical instrument, and sing or play while the candles burn
  • Make a fun kids’ menorah – for example, “glue” marshmallows to some cardboard with frosting, chocolate, or corn syrup and “light” them with birthday candles or pretzels and an appropriately colored m-n-m (stuck on with frosting).
  • Even Martha Stewart is getting into the Hanuka crafting fun!

Here’s a list of some good kids’ Hanuka books.

What are you planning for Hanuka? We’re decorating the house with some of the kids’ art, making some more, and playing dreidel. We’re also frying up latkes and sufganiyot for the holiday, but they are straight recipes with nothing other than their rarity exciting about them. We have several nights with friends coming up, but no formal party this year. Just lots of cookies and latkes for ourselves, I guess! 😉

 

Permanent link to this article: https://organizedjewishhome.com/2014/12/13/hanuka-resources/

Timing everything (project)

  • November 13, 2014

  • November 13, 2014

I’ve been gone for a while, and I keep thinking of fantastic and involved posts…and not writing them. So I’m going to ease back in with some of the things that we’ve done lately.

Do you ever give your kids a count that is actually completely inaccurate? I mean saying, “5 more minutes” and then actually leaving 10 minutes later? Or is that just me?

I also ask for 3 minutes of picking up, or 7 minutes of typing, or 20 minutes of reading. And those, we are usually better about actually following the times. But it’s hard for the littler ones to track, and it’s just easier to delegate the timekeeping out.

We are lucky enough to live near an IKEA, and I came across these cute timers for less than $3 each. They have a magnet on the back, which is handy for sticking to magnetic strips and appliances. They can count down or up, which gives us many more possibilities.

Timers start

But they are kind of bland and boring. I’ve written that we have assigned the kids colors. I used permanent Sharpies markers to decorate each one according to my children’s colors and interests. I did them all free hand, although you could measure and plan like crazy if that’s what you want. And now the kids each have their own timer.

Timers decorated(Those are some metal insets in the background, a great Montessori activity my kiddos love!)

I have an extra for the kitchen and one for the playroom. We use them there often. And my children each have their own timers. They use them for timing some of the work, timing their laps, setting up games, and more. As long as they put them back in their place, their timers are available for whatever they can imagine.

If you are doing a 5 or 10 minute family quick clean, these will help. Or sometimes, if I’m facing a big project, I can start for a set amount of time and give myself permission to stop after however many minutes…it’s good to have an easy to use timer on hand.

Timers closer

So it’s a quick, easy project that’s useful and fun!

Permanent link to this article: https://organizedjewishhome.com/2014/11/13/timing-everything-project/

The Shabbat project: October 24-25

  • October 23, 2014

  • October 23, 2014

6 Continents, 35 Countries, 340 Cities, 1 Shabbat – this week!

 

From LA to London, Melbourne to Moscow, Bondi to Brooklyn, Jerusalem to Johannesburg, Toronto to Tokyo… in every corner of the globe, people are joining the biggest global Jewish unity event the world has ever seen. The Shabbat Project: Now in 340 cities and 35 countries.

The Shabbat project (AKA Shabbos project) is endorsed by some big names, including Mayim Bialik, Paula Abdul, even the Canadian Prime Minister. It’s trending on Facebook and Twitter as #Keepittogether

Here is a link to the Shabbat project app – “packed with all you need to know about keeping Shabbat, delicious recipes, games to entertain the kids, and – best of all – it puts your phone to sleep for Shabbos!”

The synagogues near me aren’t participating officially, and this comes right on the tail of the many holidays, but I think this sounds pretty cool, and wanted to pass it on!

Permanent link to this article: https://organizedjewishhome.com/2014/10/23/the-shabbat-project-october-24-25/

Yom Kippur links and ideas

  • October 3, 2014

  • October 3, 2014

Challah Bread

Yom Kippur is October 3-4, 2014 – that’s tonight! Here are some of the lists, tips, and tricks to help you make the best of it.

 

First, let’s talk food. There are some traditional foods for Erev Yom Kippur, like kreplach and round challah with honey. Here is a link to our menus for the pre and post fast meals. And here are some ideas on what to prepare for the kids so they can manage with a minimum amount of help from the fasting adults. We do packed lunches here, since my kids like dairy best, and a packed lunch is a treat.

Kids – they don’t seem to run out of energy, even when you do. And the computer / tablet / DVD player isn’t available to help out on Yom Kippur. Here are some ideas on what you can do with them. Things like a new toy, a packed lunch, a special read aloud book, or a special project will help, especially in the later hours of the fast, (and even if you have some babysitting help.)

General ideas: Non-leather shoes? Yizkor candle? Kittel and white clothing? Here’s my Yom Kippur checklist to make sure it’s all ready.

May you have an easy and meaningful fast, and be sealed in the book of life!

Permanent link to this article: https://organizedjewishhome.com/2014/10/03/yom-kippur-links-and-ideas/

Rosh Hashana links for you

  • September 21, 2014

  • September 21, 2014

Layer cake

Rosh Hashanah starts this Wednesday night (2014). It’s going to be a 3-day holiday everywhere, with the regular 2 days of Rosh Hashanah leading right into Shabbat. Here are some links to help you get organized and plan:

I’m doing a lot of cooking today since my dh is home to help with my helpers. What are you up to?

 

Permanent link to this article: https://organizedjewishhome.com/2014/09/21/rosh-hashana-links-for-you/

Rosh Hashana menu (2014 / 5775)

  • September 14, 2014

  • September 14, 2014

butterfly apple

I’ve started planning my menu for this year’s Rosh Hashana 3-day holiday (yep, more 3-day holidays this year). Here’s what I’ve got so far:

Wednesday night for 6 people (meat)

Simanim:

  • Apples (Served as is, three colors)
  • Honey (Served as is)
  • Dates (Served as is)
  • Banana (Served as is)
  • Leek (simanim soup)
  • Swiss Chard (sautĂ©ed with garlic)
  • Black eyed peas (simanim soup)
  • Gourd (squash: simanim soup)
  • Pomegranate seeds (Served as is)
  • Head of the fish (Roasted)

Round challah with honey

Simanim soup

Main dish: Moroccan lamb and fruit stew (slow cooker)

Veggie and sides: Noodle kugel, rice

Dessert: Honey spice cookies

 

Thursday lunch for 6 people (meat)

Challah and honey

App: Moroccan fish balls

Main: Chicken with sesame orange honey sauce (slow cooker)

Veggie: platter of raw veggies (kids!); cucumber, carrots, sugar snap peas, peppers, etc.

Starch: Rice

Dessert: Rice Crispy treats, pumpkin spice cake

 

Thursday night for 6 people (meat)

Simanim (same as Wednesday night)

Challah with honey

(Appetizer?) Simanim soup

Main dish: Moroccan cigars and hummus

Veggie and sides: spinach kugel

Dessert: Honey spice cookies

 

Friday lunch for 6 people (dairy)

Challah and honey

App: cabbage salad

Main: Cheesy lasagna

Veggie: platter of raw veggies (kids!); cucumber, carrots, sugar snap peas, peppers, etc.

Starch: bagels and cream cheese

Dessert: Girl scout cookies, pumpkin cake

 

Friday night for 6 people (meat)

Challah and honey

App: Salads (eggplant, zhug, hummus, pepper)

Main: Roasted spice-rubbed chicken

Veggie: roasted cauliflower

Starch: noodle kugel

Dessert: cookies and cake

 

Shabbat lunch for 6 people (meat)

Challah and honey

***Items from eruv tavshillin***

App:salads

Main: cholent…I mean chamin and jachnun

Veggie: spinach kugel

Starch: noodle kugel

Dessert: honey spice cookies and cakes

Permanent link to this article: https://organizedjewishhome.com/2014/09/14/rosh-hashana-menu-2014-5775/

Rosh Hashana planning – 2 weeks out (simanim)

  • September 10, 2014

  • September 10, 2014

Time to get thinking about Rosh Hashanah more seriously. I have done most of the things on my early prep list.

Now it’s time to menu plan! On Rosh Hashanah, we have different minhagim about what foods we eat to make a yehi ratzon (May it be Your will…) on, or simanim. The wishes range from destroying our enemies (dates) to having lots of children (fish). (Here is a good resource for the text and some more information on these customs, and recipes). We want our year to be good and sweet so we eat those foods. We don’t want a sour or bitter year, so we avoid those flavors. (Some also avoid nuts, which has to do with the Hebrew word being similar to the word for “sin.”) The most common simanim (in the US, at least!) seem to be apples, honey, and round challot. Many people also add carrots.

My husband is Sephardi, so we follow those traditions and use:

  • Round Challot (check out this cool tutorial on making your own)
  • Apples (how about these awesome apple roses? My kids prefer them raw, though…)
  • Honey
  • Dates (we eat them raw, but you could stuff them with nuts and rose water)
  • Banana (or other vegetable not normally eaten with meal)
  • Leek (try leek patties, leek soup, or a leek pie)
  • Swiss Chard (maybe a simple saute, or in a soup)
  • Black eyed peas (or fenugreek) (lubiya)
  • Gourd (e.g. squash, pumpkin) (try pumpkin muffins, pumpkin peanut soup, maybe zucchini bread)
  • Pomegranate (good for sauces or raw)
  • Head of the fish/lamb/ram (OK, fish head it is. That’s about what I can cope with here!)
  • New fruit (2nd night)

By the time we get through those, we often don’t have much room for other food! I try to use the same foods in a more recognizable form for the simanim seder itself (just a little for each person) and then to make a bigger portion for the actual seuda meal. Off to my recipe hunt I go!

I just came across these simanim recipes from Joy of Kosher. Yum!

Any good recipes to recommend?

Permanent link to this article: https://organizedjewishhome.com/2014/09/10/rosh-hashana-planning-2-weeks-out-simanim/