Food Photo Friday Sunday - Hurricane / Pre-Rosh Hashana Edition

While everybody else was out at the store on Friday stocking up on bottled water and flashlight batteries, yours truly was buying yeast, bread flour and parsnips.

What others saw as an impending disaster, I viewed as a good excuse to get some heavy-duty cooking and baking done for Yom Tov.

Hurricane for me meant a big pot of soup for the freezer and 5 lbs. of raisin/craisin challahs.

I had been wanting to experiment with the Croation Star shaped challah for Rosh Hashana ever since Chaviva linked this blog post over at The Challah Blog. The round shape, coupled with strategic placement of raisins and craisins seemed so well suited for this purpose.

The results were even more stunning than I had hoped.

And the best part?

I got to do it all with my evacuated little granddaughter - as we played dress up ;)

Our First Hurricane Party Game

Thanks to the Gothamist, for providing us this wonderful little game to keep us occupied tomorrow.

HURRICANE IRENE BINGO

If anybody has suggestions for additional squares on other cards, let me know....

Food Photo Friday - Blueberry Cobbler Crisp

The way I've cooked this week, you'd think a HURRICANE was coming!

Pastrami egg rolls, (yes, again), sweet and peppery noodle kugel, red cabbage and angel hair salad (note all the carbo loading foods for my {favorite} son in law's half marathon this Sunday which has since been cancelled....[donate to his and Joey's tzedakah marathon run in November here]) and these lovely individual berry cobbler crisps.

Any leftovers will be served at our Hurricane Party on Sunday.

Who's in?

Because it's MY blog and I CAN.....

I know this video has nothing much to do with anything, nor does it really tie in with the few "themes" this blog actually has (food, family and community), but I really liked it so I thought I'd share.

I admit to being a bit of a "gym rat" and spending what some may say is too much of my day surrounded by treadmills, which may be why I was so impressed with this performance. These guys certainly have more fun on the equipment than I ever do.

The Things We Stopped Doing Along The Way...

... not sure quite when.

But they sure were fun.

Please add your own to the list

• Finding "twin" cherries and wearing them as earrings
• Blowing bubbles in your chocolate milk with a straw
• Turning round and round until the room spins
• Lying on the floor and imagining walking on the ceiling
• Purposely running out into the rain (sometimes with your mouth open)
• Trusting people

Food Photo Friday - Pastrami Egg Rolls

.... otherwise entitled - Why Do I Start These Projects?

Life has been busy.

It's been a few weeks since the G6 table was in "full-house" mode, and I was eager to try something new.

I'm not sure where or why I got the idea to attempt pastrami egg rolls at the very last minute without a recipe, but I must say that the results were quite satisfying.

I began by combining a can of stir fry vegetables, chopped fine, with some sauteed chopped red cabbage and some finely diced pastrami. I seasoned it with soy sauce and a secret ingredient or two. I rolled the mixture up in egg roll wrappers and fried them quickly in super hot oil.

The results were pleasing to both the eyes as well as the palate.

Of course I just had to cut one open to give you the full benefit of the crispy goodness.

And once the roll was cut, it wasn't suitable for guests any more.

So Jennifer and I took the full burden of ensuring that this lonely egg roll did not go to waste....

Oh, how I LOVE Food Photo Fridays......

Fish Camp Is Over

To all those of you who have been wondering - YES, that is indeed the same goldfish that Erica brought home from camp over 15 years ago - in a plastic bag.... on a Friday afternoon.... Yes, it is remarkable. (Just go with it, ok? Though we may not have small children around anymore, we now have grandchildren, and frankly, I've always found the "burial at sea" thing just a tad disturbing...)

In any case, our fish bowl has been empty for the past several weeks, because... {insert silencing glare here}, our fish "went to Fish Camp". But since we expect a visit from our granddaughters soon, it was time for our fish to return from camp. Wouldn't you know it? Our fish even brought a new friend with her back from camp (lucky fish)! In my experience though, when our fish returns from outings with a playdate in tow, generally the friend has to return home shortly thereafter. (Sometimes, our fish even goes back to the friend's house to play there for a while too)

We shall see......

Rosh Chodesh Av 5771

Rosh Chodesh Av approaches.

A time of great sadness and grief for all of Klal Yisroel.

A time of remembering staggering losses for all Jews.

A time of great personal loss for myself as well.

Tonight - Rosh Chodesh Av - marks the 10th yahrzeit of my dear father, Raphael N. Levi, z"l.

I can still hear his unassuming voice - his soft chuckle - his wise words.

How typical of my father to pass away at a time that we are all mourning anyway, so as not to inconvenience anyone in his family with undue sadness.

I cannot begin to tell you how much I admired my father, and continue to do so today {though the expression of this admiration may have changed slightly.... ;) }

As we prepare for these upcoming sad days, one of the books that come down from the shelf is my father's Kinos. The book itself is no more remarkable than any other of its kind, except for the fact that my father kept within reminders for himself of other more recent horrors and annihilation. Stored inside my father's sefer, are crumbling pages of The New York Times, dated August 1943 and 1944, detailing horrors beyond measure. They are difficult to read. They are imperative to remember.

(read column one on this one, then go down to the next one before returning to the remaining columns here)

May our tefillos and our actions merit the Geulah Sheleima speedily in our days when we all be joyfully reunited with our lost loved ones.

The Bathmat Is Soaking Wet - Yep, She's Home...

The "first half", as it is affectionately known is now officially over.

We know this by the number of "Mommy Blogs" posting how many loads of moldy, grubby laundry they have done in the past several days.

I am no exception. Within minutes of getting Jennifer's overstuffed duffels through the door, the washing machine was humming away. There is NO WAY that I'm going to leave that stuff in my house overnight!

This was not easy considering that Jennifer's luggage arrived in Brooklyn (where we DON'T live), at around 10pm. I had intended to take a photo of the luggage scene but I forgot as I got caught up in the mosh pit.

You see, since the girls fly to and from camp and airlines have gotten utterly ridiculous when it comes to baggage fees, we choose to BUS her luggage. The luggage - like the campers - got delayed and the truck only arrived well after dark - on a deserted street with no street lamps adjacent to a cemetery (I kid you not, folks). They lined up all the bags along the fence (think Alfred Hitchcock - ravens, headstones, grave robbers etc.....) and parked some cars with headlights shining on the eerie tableau .

Being the good yekkes that we are, we arrived with flashlights in tow and quickly retrieved the bags.

But I digress.

The point of this post was NOT luggage, NOR laundry.

The point of this post was to make the observation that when one's children take "staggered" vacations, it quickly becomes evident who the culprit is in situations such as (but not limited to), "Who soaked the bathmat again?!?!?".

Enough said.........

Food Photo Friday - Many More Minis

My affinity for "minis" in food preparation has been previously documented on this blog.

This weekend, I eagerly continued the theme.

Our local grocery store had mini piccolini farfalle pasta on sale, so I made this pasta salad with pretty red and orange peppers, sauteed vidalia onion and garlic, and toasted slivered almonds. It's bright and fresh and summery looking (plus the teeny tiny bowties are just sooo cute).

I also managed to get my hands on another ingredient that I've been dying to play around with in the kitchen - adorable baby zuchinni!

I sauteed them up with a whole bunch of onion rings and sliced portobello mushroom caps. I added just a touch of salt and freshly ground black pepper and the flavors of the vegetables themselves will take center stage.

Do you make any "minis"? What do you do?

Are you also crazy enough to go on cooking binges during the hottest week of the year?!!?

Good Shabbos to all!

Keep cool, and as a commenter so rightly mentioned on an earlier post - take the time to check in on your elderly and infirm neighbors.

Biking the City - Week Two

Lessons painfully learned, sunscreen in hand, Avram and I set out yesterday to enjoy another rare temperate Sunday in New York City.

This week's goal was to go a few rounds with the bikes on the Loop at Central Park.

I've always been a great fan of Central Park and all that it has to offer, though usually we enjoy only one small segment at a time - whether it be the now defunct Philharmonic Concerts on the Great Lawn (why they chose not to run them this year is beyond me... ), boating on the lake by Bethesda Fountain (I searched this blog for a photo post showing the actual fountain, and can't believe that I never have.....), Shakespeare in the Park, Shakespeare on the Run (not to confuse the two), whatever happens to be going on at the bandshell (and something ALWAYS is...), the carousel, the zoo, or the numerous playgrounds and walks.

What was nice and new about circling Central Park on bikes, was that we could enjoy so many different corners of it all in one day. We started by sharing paths with all manner of tourists and attractions at the Columbus Circle Entrance to the park. We rode alongside pedicabs, hansom cab drivers and their horses, tourists, joggers and families out for an afternoon stroll. We took a break and enjoyed lunch while overlooking the scenic views of the Reservoir. We pedaled on and enjoyed the strains of all sorts of street performers as we flew by. We stopped for a drink at the fountain and admired the beauty of the lake, dotted with boats (and secretly were glad that we had chosen biking instead that day - affording us a cool breeze not present under the hot sun on the water).

Central Park is truly one of New York's great treasures.

Next week, I'm tempted to try out the Hudson River Greenway.

Any readers who have gone that route are welcome to offer tips and suggestions.

Good Shabbos - May Hashem Help Us Through The Sadness

When I light my Shabbos candles this evening, I will say an extra prayer for those people whose Shabbosos have been forever altered.

I will try to continue the spirit of Achdus and Ahavas Yisroel that seems to be the only silver lining in this very difficult week.

Food Photo Friday - The Season's Bounty II

Though I can't seem to break the habit of hot chicken soup every Friday night, for summer Shabbos lunches, the crock pot is stored away and Fruit Soup reigns supreme.

I got my original recipe for this delicious concoction from my dear mother-in-law. Over time, I have made some changes and tweaked the recipe a bit and this is what has emerged - a ruby red soup that is bursting with the flavors of summer.

The following recipe freezes beautifully and makes enough to last two weeks in our house .

Please keep in mind that EVERYTHING in this recipe is "to taste" - the ingredients, the varieties, the preparation methods (I leave skins on for texture) AND the quantities.

FRUIT SOUP

1 Can Pitted Sour Cherries

1 Can Water

1 Apple (I like Granny Smith or another firm variety), chopped

8 Peaches (or if you're not a big "fuzz" fan, 4 Peaches and 4 Nectarines), chopped

4 Plums, chopped

A Few Handfuls of Grapes

A Few Handfuls of Blueberries (only when they are "in season", i.e. cheap. Don't let me catch you putting $3.49 blueberries into this soup!!!)

1 Tub of Frozen Strawberries in Syrup

1/2 Package Strawberry Jello

Sugar (depending on how sweet the fruit is.... by August you should be able to omit this)

Combine cherries, water and apple in your largest parve pot (you never know when you'll want to serve the leftovers). Bring to a boil. Begin adding roughly chopped fruit, putting in the hardest varieties first to maximize their cooking time, adding the grapes and berries during the last 5 minutes. Boil until fruit is soft ~ 20 minutes. Add the frozen strawberries and any sugar that may be necessary (making allowances when tasting for the jello yet to come....). Return to a boil. Add in jello. Turn off flame and cool.

These vibrant colors:

meld into this tantalizing soup:

Bon Appetit!

Camp Mail - An Experiment

I mentioned earlier that Jennifer is off at camp.

The days of sporadic communication and no phone calls are long gone for today's young campers.

They get an unlimited long distance phone card upon arrival at camp, and they may receive emails to the camp address, which are printed out by the camp office for delivery to them daily.

For joy!

Because of all these conveniences, my daughter calls me fairly regularly - mostly to update me on the status of her "on again - off again" - (probably, not really, but maybe) broken finger.

Regardless, most phone calls seem to originate from the nurse's office.

There was the one that went something like this:

"Hi, Mom? The whole bunk is getting sick because we're not getting enough sleep and we all have runny noses and coughs so yesterday, we all packed up all our stuff and moved in to the infirmary for the night. It was a BLAST!"

I even had to speak to her new found friend today - also from the nurse's office. (Miriam B.'s Mom in Brooklyn: your daughter is having a lovely summer and she tells me that you may be hosting my daughter for Shabbos sooner than you think.....)

But I digress.

Apparently, even though I speak to her on the phone FAR too often, she's annoyed that I'm not sending her enough emails.

I HAVE NOTHING MORE TO SAY.

During our spoken conversations at home, I don't usually get a word in edgewise, so I'm not used to being the one to have to come up with content.

So here's where YOU come in, dear readers.

I'm going to try and inundate her with blog reader email.

Send me an email (of any length) to guesswhoscoming2dinner@gmail.com and I will forward it to Jen at camp, along with this post by way of explanation.

She has a good sense of humor so feel free to get creative.

Tell her about YOUR summer. Ask her how ceramics was. Send her a joke. Freak her out by telling her it's already two weeks until camp is over and why hasn't she begun packing for the trip home yet ;) ? I don't care. Just help me out here so that I can have a bit more time to focus on the blog.

Consider it your version of sending me to camp for a day or two.....

Good luck.

I'm counting on you.

Remember To Pack The Sunscreen....

That is about the ONLY thing that was missing from our day today at Governor's Island, off the southern tip of Manhattan.

I had heard all of the positive press about the advantages of spending the day on this quiet park-like island, accessible only by a free ferry from either Manhattan or Brooklyn.

There a lovely places to picnic, scenic views of the Manhattan skyline, lots of places to sit, walk or eat. There are playgrounds for the little ones. There is a free mini golf course. There are art exhibits and special activities almost every weekend. Families can rent quadricycles in various sizes and bike with their little ones in tow. Avram and I chose to rent bicycles and circled the island numerous times, enjoying the breeze off the water and the views of the city.

What I didn't expect to see on the island was THIS shul. It is not listed in any of the literature that we collected there, so I don't have any information about it. But if any of my readers do, I'd be very interested.