Doughnuts and Latkes!

As I was frying funnel cakes in the kitchen tonight, batter came pouring out of my makeshift piping bag and I groaned saying, "ugh, kitchen disaster" Shortly after I heard a little voice (Shalom) ask, "why do you seem to have so many kitchen disasters on Chanukah?" (and trust me I had all sorts of interesting kitchen experiences this holiday) After giving a little giggle, I answered that I must have more kitchen challenges simply because I've been spending more time in the kitchen.

What have I been doing in the kitchen? Frying things of course! Latkes and doughnuts and funnel cakes too! Yes - I am fully aware that all of these treats aren't exactly health food. So the question is why? Why have I spent so much time creating all of these yummy treats?

The simple reason is that I want my family to enjoy celebrating Chanukah. I want my children to anticipate something exciting on each and every day of Chanukah. My wish is for my children to celebrate this holiday with incredible happiness and joy - and to remember the reason we celebrate, to remember how the Maccabees fought for what was right - and just how lucky we are that we can study Torah and do Mitzvot without fear of being oppressed.

And so we baked cookies, fried latkes, doughnuts and funnel cakes, had a Chanukah gelt treasure hunt and certainly lit the Menorah and happily sang Chanukah songs.

Each night as we lit the Menorah time seemed to stand still - and for those few minutes my world felt perfect. Messes, and homework, and deadlines and other daily challenges seemed to fade away.  Seeing my kids shining, smiling faces in the glow of the flames warmed my heart. Singing Haneirot Hallalu together as a family felt like the perfect family activity. It is these moments that we create with our families that allow Judaism to carry on - it is these moments where we teach our children just how proud we are of our heritage - and how important it is to keep the flames burning each and every year.

While I promised not to make doughnuts for a very long time, I am going to share the recipe in case you want to make doughnuts too! Please consider yourself warned, these doughnuts are incredibly yummy. In the past, my efforts at doughnut making haven't had any incredible results - these doughnuts are different! (Special thanks to my cousin Rashi in Alpharetta who shared the recipe with me) Here is my adaptation of the recipe.

Fluffy Doughnuts

1/2 cup warm water
4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3/4 cup orange juice (I know my cousins have made them with coconut milk, milk or soymilk as well)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs

Glaze

1 tbsp water (may need more to thin a little)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar

In a bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. (I add a little bit of sugar to help the yeast proof.) Once the yeast has bubbled, add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. 
Roll dough out and cut out the doughnuts using a wide mouthed glass or cookie cutter. Use a small cup or cookie cutter to cut out the holes. (I used one of those little cups that comes with children's liquid medicines..that was one of my kitchen disasters.) Heat about two inches of oil to 350 degrees. (I use an electric skillet to maintain an even temperature.) Place doughnuts - and the holes - in the oil and fry. After a few minutes flip them over and fry for another minute or two. Doughnuts should be light brown.  Glaze the doughnuts or dust them with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

The Note of a Child

As Yom Kippur draws closer, my kitchen is whirring with noise. My Challah dough mixes in one mixer, honey cake batter in another. A chicken soup bubbles on the stovetop, one sink holds the chickens defrosting and waiting to be baked and my countertop is filled with ingredients for the rest of our pre-Yom Kippur meal - the Seudah HaMafseket. Amidst all of the hustle and bustle, it actually is a quiet moment for me to think and reflect. (When you are a mom, a quiet moment is any moment that your children are happily occupied.) As I work my mind floats in all sorts of directions; will I be able to fast easily? what will the coming year bring us? What can I change for the coming year? Along with these thoughts, a small and quick moment appears in my mind - a tiny interaction with my son Shalom.
While I am not normally the overly emotional, "mushy" type - this fleeting moment yesterday practically brought tears to my eyes.

You see, as we were getting into the car to go to school yesterday, I raised my voice at him as a result of something he said to his sister. The minute the words came out of my mouth I regretted my tone of voice - but we had to go to school. I tried my best to fix the mood in the car as we rode, thankfully about halfway there everyone in the car was smiling again.

I got to work - where Shalom is actually a student in my third grade. When he was finished with an assignment, he went to visit the "art center". A little while later, while helping some students finish a project, I noticed Shalom placing a small green envelope on my desk with a shy look on his face. When I had a moment, I opened the envelope and found a card which read, "Dear Mommy, I am sorry for how I behaved this morning." I felt my throat catch a little and felt some tears in my eyes - of course a classroom is no place to cry. When he walked by me on his way to the next class I whispered, "thank you for the card - I really appreciated it".  It brought all of my third grade Yom Kippur lessons to life in a split second.

So what does this have to do with me and my busy kitchen this morning? It occurs to me that each year on Yom Kippur we ask Hashem to forgive us, and to give His stamp for us to have a great year. We ask this of G-d each year, even when we have made so many mistakes - sometimes even making the same mistake over and over again - and each year trying once again to fix those mistakes. We ask of Hashem to look at us with love and treat us with an abundance of kindness and to forgive us.

Just as I ask Hashem for forgiveness, and to see past my errors, I realize that I too have to work on seeing past my children's mistakes. We all love our children, but sometimes, with all of the hustle and bustle of life, we make a big deal over the wrong things. As Yom Kippur draws near I have decided to make a more conscious effort to look for the great inside my children, to appreciate their smiles and laughter more - and to approach their mistakes with more love and kindness - just as I want Hashem to treat me in the coming year .

May the coming year bring all of us health and happiness and many wonderful blessings from Hashem's treasure trove of blessings. G'mar chatima tova!


Being a food blog...here is one of my favorite recipes for oatmeal-craisin cookies - a great cookie to have on hand at the end of a long fast.

(this recipe is from the Quaker oatmeal container - with just a few minor changes)

Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

1/2 cup of oil + 6 tablespoons oil
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups oatmeal
1 cup Craisins

Heat oven to 350. Mix oil and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat again. Combine flour, baking soda and cinnamon and add to mixture. Mix well. Add oatmeal and Craisins. Mix well. Drop by  the tablespoonful onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Carrots and Cutie Pies

In the last couple of months people have been asking me about "Un-Recipes". While I haven't posted in a VERY long time, I am finally back at it! Where have I been you may ask...so this is what I have been up to...

On June 2nd, our family was blessed with the arrival of cutie pie number three. Our new son, Yeshayahu (Shaya for short), has added much joy and laughter to our home and we thank Hashem for giving us this precious gift :) The addition to our family has certainly kept me very busy...and so while I have of course been cooking, I have simply not had the time to blog....but here is to a new year with many new blog posts!

With Rosh Hashanah quickly approaching (tomorrow night!) it is a good time to reflect upon the past and look towards the future. As I get ready to celebrate this special holiday with my family I am truly grateful for the many blessings I have in my life. I thank Hashem for my wonderful husband, my three beautiful children and for the happy home we all share.  I thank Hashem for the health of my family and for allowing us to see so many blessings each and every day. As Rosh Hashanah approaches I consider myself lucky for the wonderful life which we lead.

As I look towards the future, I pray that G-d will once again grant my family a sweet year  - a year overflowing with happiness and blessings!


It is customary to eat carrots on Rosh Hashanah. The Yiddish word for merits carrots - mehrin - also means merits. It is our hope that our year will be filled with "merits" and many good deeds. Many people serve tzimmes at their Rosh Hashanah dinner, I however have yet to develop a taste for this sweet carrot dish. Over the years I have started to simply incorporate carrots into our dinner in other ways. This year we will be having a Mediterranean carrot salad.

With that dear friends, I wish you a K'tiva Va'chatima Tova, L'shana Tova U'mituka - may you be inscribed and sealed for a good and sweet year.

Happy cooking!

Mediterranean Carrot Salad

Carrots, peeled and cut into round slices
Olive oil
Fresh parsley, chopped
Fresh garlic, minced
Cumin
Lemon juice
Paprika
Salt
Pepper

Boil carrots until soft (but still firm enough that they won't fall apart). Drain carrots and cool. Mix carrots with olive oil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, paprika, salt and pepper. Mix well and serve. 
Enjoy!

An Italian Style Purim

Wow! It has been ages since I have posted a recipe - my apologies for that  - but I promise it is with good reason.

Many years ago, Esther was picked as Achashverosh's new queen - and in the end played an integral part in saving the Jewish people from the evil Haman. As the saying goes, "they tried to kill us, we won - let's eat!" and Purim is no different. As a matter of fact, one of the four Mitzvot of Purim is to take part in a festive Purim meal. Each Purim we put together a menu based on a different type of cuisine - this year we are going Italian. Mmmmm....what is not to love? If you are like me  you love pasta and tomato sauce, and olives and anything sprinkled with fresh herbs. One of my all time favorites is my pareve lasagna...and so, we will be rolling up our sleeves and making trays and trays of this dish along with spaghetti and meatballs, herbed chicken breast, roasted veggies, garlic bread and more. 

Please accept my wishes for a joyous and delicious Purim! If you are in Hampton Roads, we would love to see you at the Grand Italian Style Purim Festa on Sunday at 4:30 pm..click here for more information. 

Pareve Lasagna

3 onions

a few cloves fresh garlic

1 lb button mushrooms

2 red peppers

1 green pepper

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 very small can tomato paste

5 cans Hunt's tomato sauce

Ketchup

Brown sugar

Rice vinegar

Dried oregano

Lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 375. Dice onions and mince garlic - sautee until soft. Add sliced mushrooms and diced peppers - sautee until soft. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste and a big squirt of ketchup. Mix well. Add the tomato sauce and a little brown sugar and a splash of rice vinegar. Add a few good sprinkles of oregano. Bring to a boil and then allow to simmer for about 15 minutes. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with Pam and then use a ladle to spread a little sauce on the bottom of the pan. Place lasagna noodles in the pan (raw) and then cover with sauce and veggies. Add another layer of lasagna noodles and cover with sauce once more. Bake covered for about 45 minutes

Cinnamon Buns

For as far back as I can remember, Thanksgiving has always been that day that I sleep in for as long as I possibly can and then spend the day relaxing and eventually having dinner with my family. This Thanksgiving began a little differently....

This year I decided that I was going to run the Turkey Trot 10K race (that's 6.2 miles!) Truth is, I had never actually run farther than 5 miles, but I decided that I was up for a challenge...and so from bright and early I had a whole new list of things to be thankful for...

-Many thanks to my mother for agreeing to wake up at 7 am on her day to sleep in and drive out to Virginia Beach with me, and hold my keys and phone while I ran off to run a race.

-Big thanks to my husband who took the kids with him to shul early this morning and then brought them to see me cross the finish line!

-Must thank my running coach who did an excellent job of preparing me for this race!

- And I am most certainly very grateful that I was able to run the entire race and finish!!

Of course I am also plenty grateful for the  many blessings that make my life so wonderful each and every day!!

Being that we were headed to my parents for dinner I was only left in charge of making the potato dishes...but then I remembered that I had frozen my leftover Challah dough on Friday afternoon...and the next thing I knew, I was making cinnamon buns! They were sooo easy to make..and soooo delicious to eat!!

Cinnamon Buns

Challah dough 
Canola oil
Vanilla sugar
Cinnamon
Sugar


Roll the challah dough out as thinly as you can. Rub some canola oil over the entire piece of dough. Sprinkle on some vanilla sugar, and lots and lots of sugar and cinnamon. Rub it all in. Roll the dough as tightly as you can. I then coated the top with a little oil and more vanilla sugar, cinnamon and sugar. Slice the big roll of dough into buns. Lay the buns down side by side on a greased baking sheet (swirl side up!). Sprinkle just a little more sugar. Bake on 350 for about 30 minutes. Glaze and enjoy!!

Glaze (Drizzle glaze on while cinnamon buns are still hot!!)

1 1/2 cups confection sugar
1/4 cup water
Sprinkle of vanilla extract
Sprinkle of lemon juice

Salmon in the Sukkah

It is a good thing I like to cook because there was ALOT of cooking happening at Chabad House in the last few days. We ended up having our Yom Tov meals at the Chabad House Sukkah because our Sukkah at home is simply too small. We averaged 40-50 people for each of the two dinners and lunches during the first two days of Sukkot.

I was over the moon excited that Levi (along with the help of my brother) did the bulk of the shopping and just left me to create yummy foods!

This Sukkot, we decided to get Shalom his very own Lulav and Etrog set. Watching the glimmer in his eyes when he used his Lulav and Etrog during Tefillah was incredible. I loved watching him take such immense joy in performing a Mitzvah!

So what did we eat this Sukkot? We had zucchini soup one night and sweet potato- carrot soup the other, brisket one night and rosemary chicken the other. We had a wide variety of salads including garden salads, purple cabbage, spinach-portobello and many others :) We also enjoyed roasted carrots and orzo with sauteed veggies, chicken stir fry, fried rice and who knows how many other foods.
One of my favorites was the salmon I baked for the first night of Sukkot. The fish was created based on what I thought my father had told me he put in the salmon I had at my parents' home a little while ago - I called him at the end to make sure I hadn't missed any ingredients :)

Chag Sameach!

Balsamic Salmon

Salmon
Kosher salt
Balsamic vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
Garlic
Pepper
Onion soup  mix

Preheat oven to 400. Place salmon in a pan and sprinkle with kosher salt - allow to sit for a few minutes. Drizzle on a small amount of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle a good amount of garlic and pepper. Add a small amount of onion soup mix (Goodman's is my favorite). Rub everything into the fish and bake until fish flakes easily.

G'mar Chatima Tova

Yom Kippur is on the way...my family and I will be joining my parents for the Seudah HaMafseket (meal before the fast), meaning that I don't have to spend all that much time in the kitchen. I was simply asked to bake honey cake and make Israeli couscous (yum!!).

May it be the will of Hashem that we should all be sealed in the book of life and experience a myriad of blessings in the coming year.

Personally, I am like my honey cake to be light and fluffy, however Levi is a big fan of the classic, traditional, heavier honey cake - so that is what I made today!

G'mar Chatima Tova!!

Classic Honey Cake

3 eggs
1 1/3 cups honey
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup coffee
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons oil
1 tsp baking soda
4 cups flour
Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325.  Beat eggs and honey. Add sugar and mix again. Mix coffee with baking powder and add to the mixture  -add the oil and then mix. Combine baking soda, flour and cinnamon (I used a whole bunch) and then add to the cake batter and mix well. Bake for about an hour.