Gut Chodesh

For more details on how to make either of these challah styles, check out my blog posts from last year regarding Croation Star Challahs and Hashtag Challahs.

"Go Get The Dictionary...!"

I'm not sure that I've ever mentioned this before on the blog, but the title of this blog post was a familiar refrain heard at many a family dinner in my house growing up.
It was often to settle a dispute about the correct usage or pronunciation of a word among family members that prided themselves on making the most of our glorious language.
The phrase was most often uttered by my father, and if the dictionary proffered did not agree with his stance, he insisted that the complete Oxford English Dictionary (a set of two volumes) be removed from its slipcase and examined with its included magnifying glass (I kid you not! In order for it to fit into two volumes, the print was MINISCULE!) for the definitive answer to the question at hand.
In our house we rely on Mr. Webster most of the time, but last weekend a dispute broke out that I feared would not end well.
It centered around the definition of one word.
Two members of our family had definitions for the word.
The two definitions were WORLDS apart.
Who was right?
The word? PORTMANTEAU
The definitions:

• A suitcase
• A word derived from combining two different words

So who was right?

They both were!

I wonder how such a word can have two such divergent definitions.... chortle.... (that's a portmanteau, by the way.... chuckle+snort)

A Suspect Siyum Scavenger Photo

(HT: Yekke Wannabe)

First Siyum Scavenger Photo

We've got a non-white shirt sighting.
What can you knock off from the list?

Siyum Hashas Photo Challenge

It has been suggested to me that I conduct a Siyum Hashas Photo Scavenger Hunt to keep my readers occupied during some of the longer speeches. (A good Mommy always comes prepared with a bag of activities....).

You know.... challenge you to get photos of such things as:

• The guy in the colored shirt
• The guy holding the most feminine umbrella
• The guy sleeping
• Best use of Siyum Hashas Poncho
• Best concession stand photo
• Anyone caught on the wrong side of the mechitza
• Anyone scalping tickets or selling souvenirs
• Any man entering a restroom marked Ladies, and vice versa
• Picture of the guy trying to start "the wave"
• Best overall photo of the evening

Send all entries, along with how/if you want to be credited to guesswhoscoming2dinner@gmail.com

Happy snapping!

(suggestions for scavenger photos will be updated throughout the day. Please feel free to email me suggestions to the address above, or post in the comments section)

What It's All About....

I'm not quite sure why this story moved me so much more than the myriad of other touchingly beautiful videos shared on YouTube and the like.
Maybe it's because I work with seniors.
Maybe it's because I value the family unit so much.
Or maybe just because this is what it's all about......

Sergey Kadinsky is a "good boy". He could be spending every Shabbos doing what is fun and convenient for him. Instead he's doing what is right.

I hope you find this as touching as I did.
I hope it inspires all of us to go out and do something meaningful.

The Nine Days Cooking Conundrum

My family doesn't eat a lot of meat as a rule, so our dinner menus this week look much like they do every week.

Yet, all over the world, Jewish cooks are scouring recipe websites and consulting their friends for 9 Days Ideas. What I find puzzling, is that many people are going out of their way to prepare elaborate and sumptuous dairy treats - many people even borrowing from their Shavuos menus.

I don't know. Maybe it's just me. But doesn't this sort of contrary to the POINT?

Thoughts?

All Ready For That Special Feeling That Only Shabbos Brings...

Food Photo Friday - Sweet & Tart Summer Refresher

Hot summer Friday nights simply beg for cool, refreshing desserts.

I love the look of this one:

Trader Joe's Vanilla Soy Cream (I have no stock in the company, but on this product alone, I should! You'll never TOUCH Toffuti ever again....) topped with fresh blueberries. On the side is my quick and easy Strawberry Rhubarb dessert - crisp and tart, which a few diced peaches for color.

So save room for dessert! Or better yet - eat if first!!!

Scene Around Town - Subway on the Street

I love photos of the unexpected.

I've seen these subway cars being hauled down the street at night, but the photos I managed were never quite good enough.

Now, I'm not quite sure why they couldn't transport these trains on the existing underground rails that they ride on, but I thank the MTA for a wonderful and interesting photo op ;)

Scene Around Town - Manhattanhenge by the GW Bridge

As opposed to popular belief, the New York street grid is not on the North-South axis. It is actually 30 degrees off. But twice a year the sun's axis is parallel to the street grid. On those days, the sun sets straight down the street so if you go to the far east end of a street that goes all the way across the island (like 34th or 42nd Streets) you can watch it sink straight down across the whole city.

I thought it might be fun to see how it looks in my neighborhood.

I hope you like the results.

Scene Around Town - July 4th Edition

I've been neglecting you.

I've been meaning to post about events and activities going on around town this summer.

I have been taking photos so I may still post them in the future, but last night's fireworks display must jump to the top of the line.

I made a new discovery (after last years discovery how to avoid the long wait in Manhattan).

This year I wanted to view fireworks from closer up.

I wanted to "feel the boom", not just see the show (... fun science experiment though. Since light travels faster than sound, there is a noticeable delay between each flash and that heart thumping "boom").

So we went out to Hudson Park, on Echo Bay in New Rochelle.

We were right under the explosions.

One of the most amazing moments though was watching an airplane cross our field of vision just as a particularly full round of fireworks were launched. What it must have looked like to those passengers!

See the video below. The plane crosses the screen at the very beginning about 3/4 of the way down the frame.

It sure beats this year's San Francisco Display......

We Have A Winner!

Please check the comments section of the myheadcoverings.com giveaway post for details. The winner has one week to contact me, at which point if I have not heard back, I will choose another winner.

MyHeadcoverings - A Three Generation Review & Giveaway

You might remember a while back I did a review for myheadcoverings.com
The kind folks over there have offered me the opportunity to do so again - with a twist.

I present to you all a three generation review and giveaway - proving that myheadcoverings.com truly does have something for everyone.

Since the product that I still wear the most from my last review is the pre-tied, I decided to try two of those again. This time I tried a sparkle swirl one, similar to the appliqued one that I own, and an Israeli pre-tied as well. Israeli tichels are all the rage now but tying them can take a small amount of skill and time. I like to be able to "grab and dump" so the idea of an Israeli pre-tied sounded intriguing.

I chose the purple sparkle swirl because the black one was too.... well.... black. And the silver and blue seemed a bit too flashy to me. I think this snood will become my new favorite. It fit snugly and looks so pretty.

Now the Israeli pre-tied will take a bit more finesse... The fabric is INCREDIBLY light, making it a wonderful choice for summer, but figuring out how to create some of those fancier buns and wraps may take me a bit of practice. Good thing it's a pre-tied. Because it looks lovely just as it is, with the tails hanging long. That also fits well with my aforementioned "grab and dump" styling ;) .

My daughter Erica chose the studded beret/short snood in navy which she plans on wearing as a snood. She reports that it’s a very comfortable and light weight knit which should be great for the summer. The studs on the snood give it just the right amount of sparkle - noticeable but not overly flashy. This is definitely a snood that she will wear on a regular basis and she's even considering buying it in another color.

Now little granddaughter Kayla has been wishing for a pretty white headband to go with her summer dresses, and myheadcoverings.com has a lovely assortment of jewelry and hair accessories for the little ones. She settled on the flower headband with sequins and gem and when prompted, said the following about it:
“It’s so pretty and I want to keep it. It’s so sparkly and so shiny. It’s so comfortable and I want to wear it.”

Now once again, what would a review be without a giveaway? We will be giving away a $20 credit towards any item on the site. Many items are less, so you can get them free. If you'd like a more expensive item, simply pay the balance. If you'd like a chance to win, simply visit MyHeadcoverings.com and leave a comment here telling me what your favorite product is, with a link. I will choose one winner at random on Monday June 25th, after 9 pm.

In addition, as an extra gift to all my blog readers, My Headcoverings has set up a coupon code just for the readers of this blog. Simply enter the code "dinner10" at checkout, for 10% off your entire purchase. This code will be valid for the next 14 days.

So go forth and shop! :)

And be sure to share this giveaway with your friends.

Food Photo Friday - Deli Wraps

The Shabbos table in the summer time can get pretty warm.
Especially if you are like us, and serve hot soup 52 weeks a year.
That's why I like to make these appetizers on occasion on Friday nights. They usually make enough for leftovers to double as additions to the main dish of a cold Shabbos lunch meal.
Deli wraps are very versatile with regard to ingredients.
I like to buy two different flavor combinations, more for color than for taste. Pictured here are Sundried Tomato and Spinach Wraps.
I lightly spread a layer of Hellman's Sandwich Spread onto 2/3 of the wrap, then add a mixture consisting of bagged salad mix, slivered sundried tomatoes and smoked turkey slices pulled apart into pieces.
I then roll them tightly and wrap in foil for several hours.
Each full sized wrap is then cut into 4 segments.
As you can see they make a very pretty plated presentation... doggie knife rests are optional ;)