The Guess Who's Coming To Dinner "Pirsum Project"

Following the success of the first annual Guess Who's Coming To Dinner "Succah Hop", I will be launching my next photographic meme - "The GWC2D Pirsum Project".

It was such a treat to travel through cyberspace and around the globe to visit succahs in other locales. I thought that since the whole point of lighting the menorah is to publicize the miracle of Chanukah, why not take that experience to the blogiverse as well.

Send in your (lit) menorah photos, or other Chanukah photos - taken from outside or inside... surprise me. {Frankly, I always have trouble getting the lighting just right, so I'm giving you all a shot}. I'll put them up on the blog for all to see and enjoy.

Email to: guesswhoscoming2dinner@gmail.com

Make Way For Chanukah!

Call me hopeless.

Those who know me well, know that although it is totally out of character for me to go for "kitsch", I am a complete sucker for Chanukah kitsch.

Yesterday, we set up the menorahs, hung the dreidels that I made with Erica's playgroup some 20+ years ago on the front door, took down some of the pictures that hang on the wall during the year and replaced them with framed Chanukah photos from years gone by.

We once again hung the dreidels and gelt from the light fixture and I polished up my menorah jewelry.

And, of course, I went shopping and added to my collection of things that make me smile. I bought these cute hand towels for washing at Amazing Savings (Only $1.29 each!!!). Who's ready for a sandwich?

A Shabbos Treat - The Choir of KAJ Sings at Moriah Senior Center

The turnout was wonderful as the Choir of Khal Adath Jeshurun generously donated their time and talent to brighten the day of close to 100 senior citizens who turned out to enjoy a delicious lunch and a wonderful performance.

Here are some exerpts:

UPDATE: Videos available on Koshertube here here and here.

I Couldn't Be More Thankful...

... to Hashem Yisborach on today of all days.

It is with much gratitude to Hakodosh Boruch Hu that I would like to share with my readers the birth of a new granddaughter, born to my children, Michael & Chana.

May we all always be able to see something in our lives, big or small, to give thanks for!

Heads Up For KAJ Choir Afficionados...

.... both those who just can't get enough as well as those who are unable to join them in shul on Shabbos.

The KAJ Choir will be performing free of charge (thanks, guys) at the Moriah Senior Center, 90 Bennett Avenue, NYC, tomorrow, as a treat for the seniors (but blog readers are welcome to stop in ;) ...). If you are over 60, come at 12 pm for a delicious lunch (for only $1.50) - the Choir will begin singing around 12:30 pm.

Oh, and do come over to me and say, "Hi!".

Wednesday's Wacky Signs - My Toilet Is More Kosher Than YOUR Toilet

CAN SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN THIS TO ME? (click on photos to enlarge)

CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHERE THIS WILL END?

The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

So today we attended the "Parent's Brunch" at Joey's law school.
We were greeted by members of the Parents Association and had a delicious brunch as we watched an informative and entertaining promo video about the school.
Who attends a law school parent's brunch?
400 parents. The very same parents that walked their kids to the bus stop, chaperoned the trips, ran the fundraising sales and volunteered in the classrooms. The parents that made their children's education their top priority and walked them to and from the extracurricular activities and the library. It's a natural progression for these parents to finish off this "walk" on a post-graduate level and be as proud now as we were on that very first day of nursery school.

What has changed?
What has stayed the same?

In the changed category, I would have to describe the classrooms of today. Though the blackboards remain - they get little if any use, and there are white boards and projection screens overlaying them. Every desk has a power outlet available, and when class is in session, they are all in use.

What remains the same? Well, suffice it to say that Joey won't let me post the picture that I took of the inside of his locker......

Segulah Thursday - Looking for Forty Women to BUY Challah

{The following post is tongue in cheek, but all events are real}

You've seen those emails/postings etc., looking for forty women to bake challah as a segulah for a refuah sheleimah for this or that seriously ill person, right?

(Where does this segulah stem from and why has it only taken root in the last ten years?)

Anyway - I digress.

I'M looking for forty women to BUY challah this week, as a segulah for refuah sheleimah for Yekke Wannabe. You see, I don't think he's terribly ill or anything (hence the buying as opposed to baking), but he's under the weather and he's been scheduled (finally) to "Come to Dinner" this Friday night for weeks already. He may have to cancel (which would necessitate an addendum to G6's Guide To Guests).

Since I really hate to re-edit posts, and since I sort of feel bad for Yekke Wannabe's illness (this better be more than a headache buddy.....), I'm asking my readers to get together and let the power of carbohydrate consumerism pierce the Shaarei Shomayim and grant him a refuah sheleimah before this coming Friday Night.

Who's "in"?

(Barring that.... I may have two available places at my table Friday night... who's interested?... Just Kidding YW..... I'm holding them.... I have faith in segulos)

P.S. Once you've bought my challah, you may want to consider these other lovely segulah options.....

A Day Late To Her Sister's Wedding....

Our cousin Estee got married tonight.

It might be interesting enough to note that Estee's sister is married to her chosson's brother.

Two sisters marrying two brothers.

That alone is an unusual (though not unheard of) occurrence.

What I thought was more unusual was that even though I had a very enjoyable conversation with Estee's oldest sister Sara at the wedding, she was in fact a DAY LATE to the affair. You see, Sara recently moved to Australia and she celebrated the entire simcha (chuppah, dancing, socializing with the guests, you name it...) via Skype. Only she was celebrating it - albeit LIVE - a day after the wedding... it was tomorrow over there. The world is an amazing place....

Mazel Tov to all!

Food Photo Friday - A Birthday Surprise

Shhhh..... Do you think we can keep Jennifer off this blog (and out of the Cake Taker in the fridge) today?

We have quite a crowd coming tonight and I expect this cake to be polished off in one sitting.

Chocolate cake, with chocolate frosting and chocolate ganache topping. What could be better?

Oh, right! Hand made marzipan flowers for decoration ;)

Anybody willing to sing a rousing chorus of "How old are you know?" is welcome to drop by for a slice....

Please Stand Up for the National Anthem of Israel

This unbelievable video comes to us courtesy of PsycheMike and an accompanying article appears on the Crossing the Yarden blog. Please read what he has to say.
I couldn't have said it better.

When Does It Become "Policy"?

Can a teacher who has previously permitted certain actions in a classroom declare a new "policy" related to those actions and then retroactively apply consequences to the children based on this new "policy"?

While I fully agree that teachers have the right to be the "last word" in any classroom situation (and in this case that may be the crux of the whole matter...), does the teacher have the right to tell a child that she is being judged based on "policy" when in fact this "policy" was never stated until after the fact?

What does this teach our child about the way society works? Can we be charged interest on unpaid taxes that were delineated AFTER we filed our returns? Can we be penalized for laws (even justified laws) that were instituted after the 'infraction' took place?

Thoughts?

A Tale Of Two Weddings....

The following story is what you might call Historical Fiction.
It is based on a conglomeration of real events but is not about YOU ;)

Recently I attended a wedding.

Recently my husband attended a wedding.

The wedding I attended had lovely flower arrangements on the tables, accented by candles and various tchotchkes. The chairs had fancy white chair covers with bows on them and we had heavy linen napkins. The music was far too loud. The dancing went on far too long. The food was passable. We had plain twist rolls for washing. I was seated with several good friends.

The wedding Avram attended had no flower arrangements or tchotchkes on the table. The chairs had no covers and he had simple polyester napkins. The music was far too loud. The dancing went on far too long. The food was pretty good with huge pull apart rolls for washing. Avram was seated with men he had little to do with but whose wives were good friends of mine.

Guess what?

We were at the SAME WEDDING.

It might interest folks to know that:

Some men DO APPRECIATE flowers and nice appointments.

Some women DO APPRECIATE yummy pull apart challah rolls.

The music is ALWAYS far too loud.

The dancing ALWAYS goes on too long.

It's not always a good idea when doing seating to put husbands and wives at mirror image tables. They often have different social circles and if you are already making them sit apart from the one person that they probably (hopefully) want to sit with the most, at least put them with people whose company they enjoy.

Thanks for listening and Mazel Tov to all!

BONUS EDITION: Food Photo Friday - Buttercream Transfer

This Food Photo Friday comes to us courtesy of DD1 (dear daughter 1), who obviously learned a thing or two at home... and I don't mean about cooking and baking either.... I mean about the way to show people in your life how important they are to you!

FSIL (favorite son-in-law.... currently also ONLY son-in-law, but why quibble....) is an aspiring architect and this semester he is figuratively eating, sleeping and breathing THIS BUILDING

I suppose that in Erica's quest to show her husband that she supports him in all of his endeavors, she thought that she'd attempt to recreate it on a birthday cake so that he could literally eat this project as well.

She used a technique called buttercream transfer and these are the amazing results.

WAY TO GO ERICA!!!!

AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOSHE!!!!!!

Food Photo Friday - Big Dogs In Blankets

Another big winner from the new Kosher By Design Teens and 20-Somethings Cookbook!

Giant franks in blankets with "the works" (mustard, beans, sauerkraut) baked right inside.

Two thumbs up.

(Though I must say, I didn't have the same kind of luck with the Lemon Crumb Cake.... hence no photo.... what a pity....)

Wednesday's Wacky Signs - When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go....

A little background on this one.....

The local Yeshiva recently "shuffled" some classrooms around, and what was once the elementary school building for both boys and girls classes, is now the preschool boys and elementary boys building.

This building originally had one "Boys'" and one "Girls'" bathroom.

Somebody (and I'm not naming names), in a stroke of decision-making genius, decreed that the preschool boys couldn't possibly share a bathroom with the elementary boys. (Why? How should I know??!?). They decided to turn the old Girls' bathroom into a Preschool Boys' Only bathroom. They didn't bother to consider that this decision might cause a bit of an "uncomfortable" (to put it mildly) situation, for all the female office workers and Morahs in the building.

And so, after much crossing and uncrossing of legs, THIS SIGN was born.......







Go figure.......

And The Winner Is.......

After a carefully regulated "Number From The Hat" drawing, we are happy to announce that the winner of the cookbook giveaway contest is.....

.........

.........

.........

.........

Mrs. S. !

Congratulations Mrs. S.

Please contact me at guesswhoscoming2dinner@gmail.com and provide me with your name and shipping address.

(If I have not heard from Mrs. S. in one week, I will announce the alternate winner's name.)