The Rebbe, My Leader

Today, “Yud Shvat” (the 10th of Shvat) marks the day on which the Rebbe accepted the leadership of the Chabad movement, 68 years ago. Being a leader is no simple job. A true leader has vision, he fully understands the mission at hand. A leader cares for a group as a whole, and for each individual, like a shepherd with his flock.  A genuine leader knows what each person “on the team” needs, giving each person what he or she needs. A leader knows the value of a smile. A leader knows that the work is hard, but marches forward. A leader includes others in his vision and empowers them to take on the mission too. The Rebbe truly embodies a leader.

The Rebbe demonstrated the need to find the value in each person. Through his army of emissaries, the Rebbe continues to be a trailblazer when it comes to spreading Judaism, and love of people, to corners near and far. Each and every day, I continue to learn, and work to live my life by the Rebbe’s teachings. I am humbled and honored to be a part of the Rebbe’s army.

Being empowered to share Torah, I teach a weekly class for women, Torah and Tea. Each week we get together for tea, yummy baked treats and Torah study. We are currently studying the Tanya, the book of Chabad philosophy. Each week I am fascinated by the very relevant lessons we engage in, from a text written more than 200 years ago. Tonight we will study Tanya, and we will also discuss the significance of the 10th of Shevat, and see how we can do our part to help spread the light of Torah in our world. (Torah and Tea meets weekly at 7:30 pm, if you would like more information or join in, please email rashbrashi@me.com)

Here is the recipe for tonight's sugar cookies. (It is from Something Sweet by Miriam Pascal)

Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 whole egg

2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 1/3 cups flour

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together oil and sugar. Mix well. Then add the whole egg, egg yolks and vanilla. Mix well. Lower the speed on your mixer and then slowly add the flour, mixing in between additions. When dough has come together, roll out and cut out with cookie cutters.

Bake on 350 for 13 minutes. Enjoy!

A Torah Returns

Torah is a tree of life. These are the words we say lovingly, each time the Torah is raised after being read in the synagogue. The Torah is at the heart of Judaism, guiding us each day, precious, respected and revered.  The Torah indeed adds life and vitality to our days.

This Shabbos I watched the term "tree of life" take on a new meaning. Our Chabad House is fortunate to own a few Torahs. Amongst the Torahs living in the Aron Kodesh, one of our Torahs required repairs and refurbishing.  A family who is near and dear to us stepped up to the plate to return this Torah to its full glory in the memory of three beloved parents and in honor of a very special father.

The Torah was carefully delivered to Brooklyn where the Sofer (scribe) could lovingly restore the Torah, so it could return to being read from. What an incredible honor for the Torah! While the Sofer worked diligently in Brooklyn, the team here in Norfolk got to work planning schedules, menus and decor for the eventual welcoming back of the Torah.

This past Shabbos we welcomed this Torah back to its home, back to the Aron Kodesh at Chabad of Tidewater, and thats when the tears started.  When a Torah is returned to use, the other Torahs in the ark all come out to "greet" the new or returning Torah. My eyes filled with tears of joy as I watched the Torahs greet their "friend". The Torahs were lovingly walked out to greet the returning Torah, welcoming it back into the Shul. The entire congregation burst into songs of joy, dancing around and around, up and down, as the Torah passed one person after another, being gently kissed by each person on the way. The Torah is indeed a tree of life.

If this wasn't enough emotion for one day, I then caught a glimpse of my friend Susan, her sister, her daughters and her grandchildren, reaching out to touch this beautiful Torah. With the recent passing of Susan's mother, the emotions were practically tangible, as everyone reached out to touch her mother's Torah. As I watched, I felt like I watched a tiny bit of sorrow transform to joy in the knowledge that this family's loved ones would live on in our shul.  It was clear that a soul of a person can indeed be felt through the rededication of a Torah. I truly felt like I was watching the entire family reaching out and holding on to the most important people in their lives, knowing that now they have a vital part in the continuation of the Jewish people. The Torah is indeed a tree of life - and I am truly honored to have been able to join in the celebration and bear witness to the continuation of the Torah amongst the Jewish people.

A Jewish celebration isn't complete without food - and the kiddush following services was most certainly grand. Here is a recipe from the beautiful lunch we all shared together. Brownie recipe borrowed from my cousin Esty:)

Brownies 

Note: This recipe is for a 9 x 9 pan. I usually triple the recipe and use 2 9x13 pans. 

1/2 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla 
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour 
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350. Mix ingredients together. Spray tray, pour in batter. Bake until toothpick comes out clean - about 20 minutes.  Enjoy! 

The Day We Missed The Finish Line

 Last February, my husband and I woke up at 4:00 am in Jerusalem and drove with my brother Levi to his race in Tel Aviv, with plans to watch him cross the finish line. However, that was not to be, and after a string of comedic events, we found ourselves far away from the finish line, and needing to take a taxi back to the car. During our ride, the driver asked us what we do in America, the driver was thrilled to hear that we run a Chabad House and shared just how much he loves to visit Chabad Houses when he travels abroad. Our driver also told us that he puts on Tefillin whenever he sees the Chabad yeshiva boys at their Tefillin booth. Levi shared that being unsure what time we would return to Jerusalem, he had brought his own Tefillin along, and asked if would he like to put on Tefillin when we arrive at the car? The driver’s eyes lit up at the opportunity. He put on Tefillin, I took photos of the newly minted friends, and was truly amazed at where our changes in plans had led us.

While I truly wished to have seen my brother cross the finish line, it was clear to me and Levi, that G-d had orchestrated our day, just so this taxi driver could put on Tefillin that Friday. This story energized us and gave us a great tale to tell upon our return home. The real question is why? Why were we so thrilled to have helped someone do a Mitzvah, instead of being aggravated at our plans having been derailed? Why? Bcause every single Mitzvah is of utmost importance.

In our world there is dark and light, good and evil. The Rebbe teaches us that it is up to us to overcome the evil, the darkness, by pushing it out of the way with good, with light. In my Torah and Tea Tanya class last night, we discussed the importance of goodness overflowing, to the point where it takes up space from evil, and causes it to move out of the way. Following the recent tragedy in Pittsburgh, we remind ourselves that it is up to us to push evil, darkness and hatred out of the way. This is done by increasing in acts of goodness and kindness, by increasing in the Mitzvot we do, and the Mitzvot we help others do, by sharing a message of love and light. Together we  CAN and WILL eradicate darkness,evil and hate and bring about the revelation of Moshiach!

Here is the recipe from this week's Torah and Tea class. This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, "Real Life Kosher Cooking" by Miriam Pascal.

(If you've never been to Torah and Tea...women from across Hampton Roads are invited to join this weekly, fun and tasty Torah study class - email rashibrashi@me.com for more info)

Oatmeal Cranberry Biscotti with Chocolate Drizzle

3/4 cup oil

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 brown sugar (I used light brown sugar this time)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3 eggs

1 1/2 old fashioned oats

1 3/4 cups flour

1 1/4 cups Craisins

Hershey Perfectly Chocolate Icing (adapted)

1/2 cup oil

2/3 cup Hershey's cocoa powder

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 350. Mix first 7 ingredients together - mix well. Slowly add flour and oats. Mix well. Add craisins and mix on low. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper, shape dough into 2 logs on baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes and then slice both logs. Turn the slices on their side, bake for 12 minutes. Flip to other side and bake for 12 more minutes. To make icing - mix all ingredients very well. Once cool, drizzle biscotti with chocolate icing.

Israel! The Land That I Love!

My day started with a Yom HaZikaron ceremony with my students at the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater. Tears rolled down my face as the fifth graders read the English translation of a song narrating the battle at "Givat HaTachmoshet" - "Ammunition Hill" in Jerusalem. So many young lives lost in the battles to protect our beautiful, holy,  land.

I have been to Givat HaTachmoshet twice.  The first time was the summer after 10th grade when I was lucky enough to spend 6 weeks touring Israel. The second time was just 7 weeks ago on my recent trip to Israel. Levi and I headed to Israel with excitement - with no firm plans in place.

Our second day turned out to be exhilarating from beginning to end. We had the honor to join my brother Levi in greeting his close friend Mendy as he and his unit finished their 26 mile, overnight, march to Ammunition Hill. I'm not sure I can even describe the moment - but I will try. Suddenly,  coming up from the valley we saw soldiers and more soldiers. Some carrying flags, some with painted faces. All their faces glistening with hard earned sweat on the beautiful, brisk Jerusalem day. There were songs, there was chanting. While just a visitor, I was immediately sucked into the emotion of it all. People were on the sides of the roads clapping and cheering. Suddenly people in their cars starting honking a celebratory tune. One person even proclaimed from a speaker in his car "ein kamocha ba'olam" - there is no one like you (the IDF) in the world. Eventually my brother found his friend and they embraced. What a moment. We marched up the hill a bit more with the unit and eventually went back to our car to finish the drive to Givat HaTachmoshet. Once at Ammunition Hill we clapped and cheered some more as the soldiers' march finally came to an end. We stayed for a bit as the soldiers spent time with their families.

We bid farewell to Levi's friend Mendy and headed back to my brother's neighborhood to grab a bite for lunch (more on that later!) and then it was time to go back to Ammunition Hill for Mendy's "beret ceremony". Music was blasting when we arrived. Song after song about brave soldiers, prayers and more - all upbeat and setting a festive mood. It was absolutely fascinating to watch the ceremony. Looking into these young soldiers' faces. Listening as their commanders charged them with their incredible task. Knowing that in the next few days, after a short break with their families, they would all be returning to duty. Watching as each paratrooper traded in their green beret for their red beret left me teary eyed. I was in absolute awe knowing that these brave individuals were ready to put their lives on the line, ready to give everything they have, ready to protect our land and our people. We showed up as friends of a friend - but left feeling like family to each and every person in attendance.

Tears welled up in my eyes as my heart filled with a certain kind of pride that I can't even explain. 

A pride in my people. Knowing that we are still here, strong as ever. Proud to say Am Yisrael Chai!

A special thanks to my brother Levi, and my sister in law Aidel, for shlepping us along to experience an experience unlike any other. May it be the will of Hashem that Mendy, his comrades, and the entire IDF be blessed by Hashem with safety and security - as they keep our precious land secure and safe for all. 

Now back to lunch. I decided that day that I must experience a "hummusiya" - essentially a hummus restaurant. Levi (my brother) knew just the place! We found ourselves at a tiny little eatery and ordered the house hummus and the mushroom hummus. It was love at first bite! While I have yet to figure out the magical flavors in the house hummus, I was able to do some sort of recreating of the mushroom-onion hummus once we got back home. Each time I eat it, I am transported right back to our incredible journey!

 

Mushroom -Onion Hummus

Chickpeas ( I cheat and use canned)

Olive oil

Garlic powder

Lemon juice

Sesame oil (instead of techina) 

Cumin

Salt

Mushrooms 

Onions

Hawaijj spice if you have 

In a food processor, grind up the chickpeas. Slowly add the rest of the ingredients and blend to the desired consistency. You can add water if needed. Unfortunately I don't have any real measurements for the hummus - but I play around with it each time, tasting it and adding more lemon and garlic as needed.

Slice mushrooms and onions and sautee in olive oil. Sprinkle with some salt and a pinch of hawaijj for added mediterranean flavor. Warm hummus and mushroom onion mixture before serving. When ready to serve, place hummus in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and then top with the mushroom onion mixture. Delicious!! 

Churros Waffles

As is tradition, my family, and members of the community, gathered at the Chabad House about two hours before Pesach ended to take part in the "Moshiach Seudah". Each year we drink four more cups of wine (really!!), eat our last bits of Matzah, enjoy some more food, sing moving Chassidic tunes and share words of inspiration - just as Pesach is getting ready to end. I sat there enjoying the time with my family and then suddenly Pesach came to an end. The room came turned to hustle and bustle as everyone gathered their children, their strollers, their jackets and more. As everyone turned to leave I got a bit sad as a I realized that the next day my family would all be returning to their respective homes. As I started to say goodbye to one of my sisters in law, I suddenly blurted out, "I have an idea! How about I make chametz breakfast for everyone tomorrow morning?" She loved the idea, as did everyone else standing around.

I went home thrilled with my plan to host everyone in the morning before they would leave to their respective homes. I did a quick calculation and realized I had invited 30 people to come join me for breakfast :) I set into motion, making a menu and running to the grocery store to stock up for the clan! The next morning I got up bright and early and worked on scrambled eggs, shakshuka, salad, and toast and best of all churros waffles topped with whip cream and strawberries! 

I used 3 giant frying pans and 2 large electric skillets, more than 75 eggs, and lots and lots of other kitchen tools to make the magic happen - but it was worth it. The REAL magic was in the hosting. Observing everyone eating and enjoying each other's company before heading out was truly magical. I also was overcome with an incredible feeling of gratitude for the many blessings Hashem has bestowed upon my family. As I looked at the long row of chairs and tables filling my dining room and living room, marveled at the ability to easily pull off a meal for a crowd and at the amount of food I was able to share with my family I felt an extra measure of thanks to G-d. 

As the gathering ended we wished each other farewell and voiced our hopes to be able to gather once again for happy occasions in the near future! 

Now for the recipe....I made Churros Waffles from the Real Life Kosher Cooking cookbook by Miriam Pascal. This cookbook has quickly become a favorite in my kitchen. These waffles were incredible and everyone really loved them! 

Churros Waffles 

2 cups flour 

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup water (cookbook calls for soymilk) 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 eggs

3/4 cup oil

Cinnamon-Sugar mixture

Whip and berries for topping

Mix together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Add water, vanilla, eggs and oil. Mix well. Prepare waffles per directions for your waffle iron. 

When ready, remove waffles and place on a tray. Spray waffles with cooking spray and then sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Flip waffles over and repeat. I put my mountain of waffles in the oven on 175 to keep warm until it was time to serve them. Delicious! Enjoy! 

A Matzah Lesson

I wrote this to go with our Matzah deliveries...but loved the message and decided to share here as well!

In just a few hours we will sit with our family and friends drinking four cups of wine, retelling the miraculous story of our freedom from slavery, enjoying a delicious holiday meal and crunching on our flat and brittle Matzah. Eating Matzah is a main part of the Seder and teaches us an important life lesson at the same time!

Matzah is known as the “bread of faith”. When our nation was still enslaved in Egypt, G-d commanded them to eat Matzah to celebrate their freedom each year. The Jewish people needed to take a leap of faith and observe the eating of the Matzah - even before their freedom arrived. They needed to realize that their future - and freedom - was in the hands of G-d. They needed to relinquish control, let go and accept that Hashem had their best interests in mind.

Each Pesach when we eat our Matzah, we can reflect on our lives, our hopes, our aspirations and work to strengthen our faith in G-d. We can resolve to do our best but at the same time realize that the key to our success is in the hands of Hashem - and recognize the beauty in allowing G-d to help us reach our goals and rise to meet our challenges.

May it be the will of Hashem that we merit to eat our Matzah together with our Jewish brothers and sisters in the holy city of Jerusalem with the coming of Moshiach.

With wishes for a Chag Kasher V’Sameach!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And now for a recipe :)

My favorite salad dressing is this avocado dressing. While we won't be serving it at the Seders, it will certainly make an appearance at a later point during Pesach. The regular version uses vinegar - which I have swapped out for lemon juice for Pesach. (Credit to my cousin Rashi Marcus for sharing this recipe with me. )

Avocado Dressing

1 avocado

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup sugar 

3 cloves garlic 

Enjoy!

The Lesson Of The Matzah

Pesach is almost here! After all the preparation it is finally time to celebrate our freedom!

I wrote this up to be delivered with some Matzah deliveries...and thought I would share!

In just a few hours we will sit with our family and friends drinking four cups of wine, retelling the miraculous story of our freedom from slavery, enjoying a delicious holiday meal and crunching on our flat and brittle Matzah. Eating Matzah is a main part of the Seder and teaches us an important life lesson at the same time!

Matzah is known as the “bread of faith”. When our nation was still enslaved in Egypt, G-d commanded them to eat Matzah to celebrate their freedom each year. The Jewish people needed to take a leap of faith and observe the eating of the Matzah - even before their freedom arrived. They needed to realize that their future - and freedom - was in the hands of G-d. They needed to relinquish control, let go and accept that Hashem had their best interests in mind.

Each Pesach when we eat our Matzah, we can reflect on our lives, our hopes, our aspirations and work to strengthen our faith in G-d. We can resolve to do our best but at the same time realize that the key to our success is in the hands of Hashem - and recognize the beauty in allowing G-d to help us reach our goals and rise to meet our challenges.

May it be the will of Hashem that we merit to eat our Matzah together with our Jewish brothers and sisters in the holy city of Jerusalem with the coming of Moshiach.

And now for a recipe...

My favorite salad dressing is this avocado dressing.  While we won't be making it for the Seders, it will make an appearance later on in the holiday! (Credit to my cousin Rashi Marcus who shared this recipe with me.)

Avocado Dressing (adapted for Pesach)

1 avocado

1.5 tsp salt

1/4cup lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup sugar 

3 cloves garlic 

Blend together in a food processor. Cover tightly in the fridge to keep from turning brown. Enjoy!

L'Chaim! To Life!

 38 years ago, on the 27th day of Cheshvan, my parents became parents, at the very moment I was born. I was named for my maternal grandmother, Rasha Gansbourg, of blessed memory. My mother was just 10 years old when her mother passed away at the young age of 37. As I grew up I was pleased to learn that I had multiple cousins sharing my name! I was not the first "Rashi cousin", that honor was given to my cousin Rashi Minkowicz of blessed memory. My cousin too passed away at the young age of 37.

One year ago today, I turned 37 - and with that came a year of uncharted territory. I suddenly found myself in a place I had never been before, and I wasn't quite sure how to navigate it. My mind was on overload and thinking all sorts of things I hadn't quite thought about in the past - but have now changed my life forever while I moved towards the elusive 38.

During the past year, while it was a rocky ride, I did have some moments of insight. While I prayed for the year to go quickly, and to hit number 38 in good health and happiness, I also learned a few things about life itself. As Jews, we begin each day by reciting the "Modeh Ani" prayer. We thank Hashem for giving us a new day. As my year progressed, so did the meaning attached to this prayer. Sure, I had been saying Modeh Ani my whole life, but now it really resonated with me. With each Modeh Ani I became more and more aware of the true gift that life is, thanking  Hashem for the gift of another day - and every moment of each new day. It occurred to me that when  Hashem allows me to open my eyes and greet a new day, then I know I still have a mission, a purpose, something more that Hashem wants me to accomplish.

As the days went by I became keenly aware of the importance of savoring the moments we have with our loved ones. I became more mindful of that fact that only G-d really knows how much time anyone has - and suddenly each good morning, good night, and I love you became more meaningful to me.

In the interest of being perfectly honest, this past year was not all flowers and roses and moments of inspiration. I shed quite a few tears during the year, for the loss of my grandmother whom I never met, for the loss of my cousin whom I loved dearly and tears for my personal prayer to make it through the year in peace. I admit that I was truly overcome with a wide variety of emotions the minute the stars came out last night, making it the 27th of Cheshvan, and bringing me to say that I am 38 years old. I am so grateful to continue to be blessed with the gift of life and to continue doing my part to make this world a better place.

And with that I conclude with "L'Chaim!" - To Life!! May we all realize the gift we have in life, and use our opportunities to the best of our abilities.

Seems you are still reading...good job!! So I will share a recipe from my birthday Torah and Tea celebation. This recipe was given to me by my cousin Rashi who lives in California - and it is a always a hit!

Lemon Meringue Ice Cream

2 containers Rich's Whip

5 eggs separated

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 cup sugar

Beat the Rich's Whip until thick. Add in the egg yolks, lemon juice and 1/2 a cup of sugar. Beat a little more until well mixed. Spread the whip and egg mixture in a 9 x 13 pan, cover and put in the freezer. 

After the ice cream part has frozen, beat the 5 egg whites with the remaining 1/2 a cup of sugar. Beat until peaks form. 

Remove tray of ice cream from the freezer. Spread the meringue mixture over the ice cream. Put the ice cream tray in the oven on broil for 30 seconds, until the meringue is nicely browned. (Another option is to use a kitchen torch to brown the meringue) Enjoy! It is delicious!

Pure Joy For Yom Kippur

While sitting on the couch last night and reading Shaya a book, we suddenly heard the garage door open. I said to Shaya, "Mushky's home!" and he went running for the door! After his mad dash to the door, Shaya opened the door to the garage and found Mushky walking up the stairs with my father right behind her! (Thanks to the Dad for driving to Richmond and back to pick her up!!) When Shaya saw Mushky, what I saw was absolute, pure joy. He started saying "Mushky's home! Mushky's home!" and the look on his face was worth a million dollars! My father watched the scene and shared that the drive was worth it just to see the joy on Shaya's face. We are of course all thrilled to have Mushky home - our family went right back to feeling whole the minute she walked in the door! 

Heart feeling complete once again, with my kids dancing to music in the kitchen, I got back to work on cleaning the kitchen. While emptying the dishwasher I did some thinking. 

With Yom Kippur approaching it occurred to me that I could learn a thing or two from Shaya's joyful happy dance at Mushky's arrival at home. Like most things in life, we can approach Yom Kippur from any angle we choose. We can go into this most special day of the year with fear and anxiety. We can worry about the what ifs, we can wonder if we have truly repented - or we can go into Yom Kippur with a joyful heart and mind. We can enter these 26 hours that we spend together with Hashem in a joyous way. We can look at Hashem through the eyes of a preschooler and talk to Hashem with joy and confidence. We can choose not to worry, we can choose to dance with joy as we ask Hashem, our Father, to bless us with a year filled with goodness that is sweet and not hidden behind challenges. We can greet this holy day with the simple and pure joy that I witnessed in my home last night. 

May Hashem bless each and every one of us with a year filled only with revealed blessings! May each of us be sealed for health, wealth, happiness, peace of mind and of course the coming of Moshiach! 

With that I share a recipe for a salad we will enjoy at our first pre Yom Kippur meal today! 

Beet Salad

Spring mix (check for bugs accordingly) 

Sliced beets (I buy the precooked ones) 

Fried sliced mushrooms

Diced red onion

Olive oil

Lemon juice

Salt

Pepper

Garlic

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy! 

Apple Crisp and Rosh Hashanah

With Rosh Hashanah almost here, it has been quite the busy day - make that a busy week so far! RSVP lists, menus, shopping, setting up guest bedrooms (thanks for visiting Yossi and Zlata - makes our celebration so much more fun!!), cooking, baking and who knows what else! 

With all of the hustle and bustle, it is still not lost on me that one year is ending, and another, brand new year is about to begin. As I drove myself to work this morning I had some quiet time to contemplate the year that is coming to a close. As I made my way through my memories of the year I enjoyed looking back and seeing the many wonderful blessings Hashem has bestowed upon me and my family. Good health, the necessary money to cover our needs, pride in my children, success in the things I have done and the list goes on and on. It occurs to me that sometimes our lives become chaotic - and then we can find ourselves focusing on our stresses and things that don't appear so sweet. 

In the last couple of weeks I have started a new daily ritual with Mushky. A friend had made a suggestion, and it  turned out to be a lovely addition to my daily life. Adjusting to a new school and to life in a dorm can be a daunting task - and I set out to help my daughter, and myself, focus on our daily blessings and highlights. 

We now have this great tradition. Each night we message each other and start by sharing a victory. We share something that we have accomplished, but that was hard or challenging for us. I have loved picking out something each day that makes me feel super accomplished and hearing what Mushky has to say has been a great way to watch her grow. 

Next we share three things we are grateful for. Even on a rough day, we can always find things to be grateful for. I have really enjoyed seeing what my daughter is grateful for each day. 

Then we share a highlight for the day - this is great - it forces us to truly reflect on our day and pick the one thing that "made our day"!

After a couple of days of doing this, Mushky suggested that we begin adding a daily goal. I LOVED this idea...I now go to sleep each night with a solid goal, that I have shared with my daughter - which makes it real! 

As Rosh Hashanah rolls in, I have taken some time to think about my victories, highlights and what I am grateful for in this past year - this activity between me and Hashem - and then I came up with some goals to work on in this coming year. 

May each and every one of you be blessed with a sweet year filled only with openly revealed blessings and may we celebrate the ultimate celebration, the coming of Moshiach, very speedily. 

-Rashi

Here is a recipe for the apple crisp we will be eating for dessert tonight:

Apple Crisp

8 apples (gala or pink lady)

Orange juice

Cinnamon

Oats

Sugar

Flour

Oil

Peel 8 apples and slice thinly. Place in a 9x13 pan. Mix apples with some orange juice and cinnamon. In a bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups each of oats, sugar and flour. Pour oil into the mixture and mix until you have a crumb mixture. Sprinkle crumbs on top of apples. Sprinkle some cinnamon. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours on 350. Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Wraps

Sometimes as parents we do truly wacky things. This past Sunday we spent the day in Busch Gardens as per Mushky's request before she headed off to school in Coral Springs, Florida. Normally a Busch Gardens day translates into leftovers for dinner - of which we had plenty from Shabbat. But not this day. Realizing it would be some time before Mushky got a meal cooked by her mom, I asked her what she would like to eat for dinner. She requested grilled shnitzel and I agreed.  It felt almost crazy to come home from a day in the sun and start cooking dinner when I had perfectly good food in the fridge..but this is what we do for our kids. We returned from our day out and I got to work on those grilled shnitzel wraps! (Recipe at the bottom)

It has surely been a few strange days as we prepared to send Mushky off to school. While getting Mushky ready to embark on her new adventure, I had ample opportunity to revisit my own journey off to school. It's so strange...23 years later and so much has remained the same - while at the same time she goes off to school with luxuries I couldn't even dream up.

So as I helped Mushky pack I watched her iPhone, iPod and iPod touch get loaded into her bag. Couldn't help but let her know that I traveled with just a walk man - lol! At some point I mentioned that she is lucky because she can FaceTime us but that I didn't have that option - and she replied with "oh, you only had Skype" Hahaha! If only I had Skype! I look back at my 14 year old self and I still can see the tears at leaving home, still can feel the uneasiness as I took a bus to Montreal without knowing a soul. I can still remember the moment I walked into my aunt and uncle's house (thank you Berel and Breindy for three great years with your family!) and eating and then going to my new school for the first time.

I have spent so much time wondering how Mushky will adjust. Wondering how she will navigate an airport all on her own. How she will grow up with out her parents standing right by her side..and then I remember...I remember that I did ALL of that! Sometimes I even wonder how I managed to do the things I did all on my own - but knowing I did tells me that Mushky will do the same, albeit with the help of a cellphone, Uber and who knows what else.

So as I get ready to hear about her first day of school, I remind myself that this too will be ok and that soon enough I will be asking her what she wants for dinner on her first visit back!! Good luck Mushky! I know you will make us all proud!

Grilled Shnitzel Wraps

Chicken breast strips
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Salt
Black pepper
Garlic
Paprika
Oregano

Tortilla wraps
Sliced avocado
Coleslaw
Chopped lettuce

Season chicken breast with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic, paprika and oregano. Mix well. Heat grill to approximately 450. Grill for about 4 minutes on each side. 

Toast tortillas. Fill center with sliced up chicken, cole slaw, lettuce and avocado. (Some of us add ketchup and mayo.) Roll up and enjoy!

Have A Nice Day!

My trip to the grocery store this morning got me thinking. I ran in in giant hurry, with 20 people coming for the Seudah HaMafseket (meal before Yom Kippur) and not having shopped for food - I was in a time crunch. When I arrived at the checkout to pay for my items I was already in a tizzy. I was rushing (which isn't helpful), had to rearrange my menu due to a produce department that was missing all sorts of things (thanks Hurricane Matthew) and had even managed to drop my keys in my cart - which the cashier found and kindly handed to me. While waiting to pay, the fellow who was bagging groceries asked me if I wanted paper or plastic. I replied that I would like plastic - and then he proceeded to use paper while asking me again. I quickly realized from his demeanor  that this nice young man was dealing with some cognitive difficulties. I smiled and said plastic again. When I finished paying the young man looked at me with a giant smile and said, "thank you, have a nice day, come see us again soon". 

As I headed to my car I realized that the cheerful have a nice day and come see us again soon left me in a better mood than I had been when I arrived at the checkout counter. With Yom Kippur just hours away this wasn't lost on me. It occurred to me that in life we many times walk around rushed, harried and frazzled - and as such, we can find ourselves interacting with others in a hurried, unkind and possibly rough around the edges type of fashion. This young fellow taught me the importance of kindness. 

In just a few hours we will begin Yom Kippur. We will spend 25 hours praying to Hashem. Telling Him we are sorry for what we have done, we will resolve to do better in the future. We will also cry out to Hashem and ask Him to treat all of us with love and kindess and grant each of us a year filled with only sweetness. 

In that moment at the grocery store, I was reminded of the importance of kindness. Just one tiny act of kindness can really go a long way. Let us all resolve (and act upon!!) to be more kind in this shiny, brand new year. When G-d looks at His people, and sees our kindness towards one another, He will know that we are truly deserving of the wonderful year we will surely be sealed for! 

G'mar Chatima Tova! May each and every one of us be sealed in the book of life - for a good year filled only with good and joyous days! 

Here is a recipe for the sweet potato soup we had for our first pre Yom Kippur meal today. 

Sweet Potato Soup

Olive oil

3 onions

1 container cubed sweet potatoes

Water

Salt

Pepper

Garlic

Oregano

Sage

Fresh dill 

Chop 3 onions and sautee in some olive oil. When they start to get soft, add in the sweet potatoes and continue to stir until they get a little soft. Cover with water and sprinkle in salt, pepper, garlic, oregano and the sage. Bring to a boil and then lower. Cook until sweet potatoes are soft. Sprinkle a handful of fresh dill and then puree the soup using an immersion blender. 

Waffles & Ice Cream For Dinner

Today we had waffles for dinner. Waffles and ice cream.

In December I learned that a friend of Shaya's was diagnosed with brain cancer. Little Caleb was a fighter and his story taught me so much through the duration of his six month battle. Sadly, Caleb was called back to his maker yesterday afternoon. 

I followed Caleb's journey closely. I cried on the bad days, smiled when I saw his radiant smile on my computer screen and marveled at the incredible strength his family has displayed through it all. 

Amidst my tears this morning I decided we would have waffles for dinner- with ice cream, and syrup. It occurred to me that life needs to be filled with fun, happy moments. We need to fill our days with happy, loving times with our families. It's ok to eat dessert for dinner- my kids loved this idea :-) It is time to embrace the messy playroom, it's a sign of life, fun and laughter. It is time to take spontaneous trips to do fun things, for one never knows for how long the opportunity will be there.

Hug the ones you love, and let them know you love them. Be kind and soften the edges that sometimes cause us to be aggravated with the ones we love. And eat waffles for dinner. With ice cream. 

Waffle Recipe

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 3/4 cup water

1/2 cup oil

1 tablespoon sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients together. Ladle the batter into your waffle iron and proceed to follow your waffle iron instructions. Enjoy with ice cream and syrup. 

Shakshuka

Israel is my favorite place on earth! Which means I was double (triple?) excited when my brother (who lives in Israel) announced his engagement to a wonderful girl from Jerusalem! We are SO excited to go celebrate their wedding in the beautiful land of Israel - and my kids are over the top excited for their very first visit!

A few weeks back, my brother Levi and his bride Aidel came for a visit! We enjoyed spending time with them - and then we were in for a treat when Levi created an Israeli breakfast for all of us. We arrived at my parents' house and watched as Levi created "shakshuka". He dropped some of this and some of that in the pan and a short time later presented us with a beautiful and super tasty dish.

Mushky loved the shakshuka so much that she asked me to make it for her just as soon as I got my new kitchen loaded with pots and pans from our old house - so today (with some help from my brothers Levi and Yossi)  I made her shakshuka for dinner and it was delicious!

(Note - This is not an exact recipe - and you can put whatever you want in yours. I made it based on what i had in my house today.)


Shakshuka

Olive oil
1 small onion, diced
5 small mushrooms, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 red baby peppers, diced
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
4 eggs
Salt
Pepper
Fresh parsley, chopped
Scallions, sliced

In a large skillet, heat some olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, mushrooms, garlic and peppers (and any other veggies you want to throw in). When the veggies are soft, add in the crushed tomatoes and let it cook together with the vegetables. Then gently pour in each egg one at a time so it has its own space to cook. Sprinkle with salt and pepper - and any other spices such as cumin or turmeric. I cooked it uncovered on medium-high for a few minutes and then covered it and cooked it on low. Cook until the eggs have reached the desired level of doneness. Remove from the pan and sprinkle with parsley and scallions. 

From The Mouths of Babes

A few days ago I parked in the driveway after picking my kids up from school. As we pulled in we heard the sound of the Shofar, and one of my older kids asked "is that a neighbor's kid playing with their Shofar - or did Moshiach come?" To which my two year old starting clapping his hands and saying, "I want to go see Moshiach!!!" As you are aware, Moshiach had not yet arrived, and it was just the neighbors playing around. That said, this little story made me pause, as I thought about just how excited my baby was to see Moshiach. I was amazed that even at his young age he knew that it would be an incredibly exciting moment. It was a good reminder that our work is still not done and we need to continue to flood the world with Mitzvot! May it be the will of Hashem that we hear the sound of the Shofar announcing the arrival of Moshiach in the very, very near future! As we get ready to celebrate Yom Kippur and stand before Hashem as His gates are open before us, let us make sure to cry out together and ask for a time where we will know only peace and harmony and health and happiness!! 

I am in the midst of baking cinnamon buns for dessert, so I will share the recipe with you. (Thanks to my cousin Malkie for this awesome recipe!!)

Gmar Chatima Tova! May you be sealed for only good!

-Rashi

Cinnamon Buns

1 3/4 cups warm water

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup oil

3 tablespoons yeast

1/2 tablespoon salt

2 eggs

5 1/4 cups flour

cinnamon and sugar mixture

Mix warm water, sugar, oil and yeast and let sit for 15 minutes. Add in the salt, eggs and flour. Mix well. Roll out dough and brush with oil. Then rub on cinnamon and sugar mixture. Then roll dough up from the edge...as you roll up one layer, brush with oil and rub with cinnamon and sugar. Continue roll up until the whole thing is rolled up into a log. Then use a sharp knife to cut into slices. Place on a greased baking sheet. Allow to rise for about 30 minutes. Bake on 400 for 12-15 minutes. Top with your favorite glaze. Enjoy!

Lasting Sweetness

Mom, can I have some ice cream? Mommy can I have more brownies? Can we go to Israel for winter break? Can I have a sleepover tonight? As a parent I field questions all day long. Some reasonable. Some not so reasonable. Fielding all of these questions - and responding to them - is just part of the territory of being a parent. Children are not shy, and they will happily ask and ask and then ask again. Children are persistent - and you know what, sometimes it pays off. If you are like me, then your kids have certainly been successful at acquiring more toys than needed, extra desserts and so on. Some people might call that spoiling your kids but my theory is that they are my children and I have the right to give in to their requests. While it is quiet in my house at the moment (the question askers are still sleeping!) soon my house will be abuzz as we race around and get ready for Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish New Year. Tonight we will dip an apple in honey, tomorrow we will sing Avinu Malkeinu. We will call out to Hashem as our Father and  King and ask for a good and sweet year. My dear friends, let us each remember that Hashem is our Father, and cares deeply about each and every one of us! I am going to take my cue from my children and ask and then ask for some more. While we are contemplating our choices that may have not been the greatest and while we are promising to change our ways, let us also beg Hashem to open His treasure trove of blessings and shower them upon us. My children are not too shy to ask for what they want and in turn I am not too shy to ask of Hashem to bestow us with a wonderful year filled with health and happiness. When dipping the apple in the honey we can note that honey is a type of preservative. We are asking that Hashem give us happiness that is coated in honey so that we may have lasting sweetness. As we wave goodbye to the year 5775 and welcome in 5776 please join me in asking Hashem for health, wealth and happines - and time to enjoy it! Let us also ask Him, as His children, to put an end to all pain and suffering and send us the ultimate, lasting sweetness with the coming of Moshiach speedily in our days! Shana Tova!

In keeping with the theme of sweetness, here is a new chicken recipe I tried out recently - my kids loved it! (Thanks to my cousin Bluma for the inspiration for this one.) My apologies that  I don't have any measurements for this one. 

Apricot Brown Sugar Chicken 

Bone in chicken

Salt

Pepper

Garlic

Dried chopped onion flakes

Paprika

Olive Oil

Apricot preserves

Brown sugar

Soy sauce

Set your oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken in a pan and sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic, chopped onion and paprika. Then drizzle olive oil on the chicken. In a bowl, mix the apricot preserves, brown sugar and soy sauce together well. Spread the sauce over the chicken and then turn chicken over to bake skin side down and covered. When chicken has almost reached your desired level of doneness, turn chicken back over and bake uncovered until it is nicely crisped and colored. Enjoy!! 

Blueberry Pancakes

With just a tiny bit of summer vacation left yesterday afternoon, I made the spur of the moment decision that we should go blueberry picking. My big kids had been at camp for 8 weeks and I wanted to do something fun with them before heading back to school. We had SO much fun! To begin with, Mushky and Shalom spotted some wagons and decided that they wanted to be passengers - we all had some good laughs as we pulled our 10 and 12 year old along in a wagon :) Shaya LOVED having his own wagon all to himself. Everyone enjoyed looking for good looking blueberries and Shaya's eyes were wide with wonder at the sight of one of his favorite foods growing on a bush! It was a perfect ending to a wonderful summer break.

On the way home we discussed what we would do with our big bag of blueberries - and it was decided that we would have blueberry pancakes for breakfast for the first day of school. I am not quite sure what I was thinking when I agreed to make pancakes, while knowing that I had to be at work early. But, a promise is a promise! I got up bright and early, got in a small workout and then headed home to make the pancakes! It was a great start to the school year!

Here is the pancake recipe! In reality it is the regular pancake recipe I use..but with the fun addition of blueberries!

Blueberry Pancakes

2 cups flour
4 tsps. baking powder
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup orange juice
1 cup water
2 1/2 tbsps oil
A sprinkle of vanilla extract
A few handfuls of fresh blueberries. 


Add all of the ingredients into a bowl - except for the blueberries - and mix well. I find that a whisk does a nice job of mixing pancake batter. Then gently fold in the blueberries. I make my pancakes on my Cuisinart Griddler. I spray the griddler plates with some Pam before I start. I set the griddle to to about 350 degrees. Using a small ladle, pour pancake batter onto the griddle. Wait for the pancakes to bubble - this is your cue that it is time to flip them! Happy pancake eating!

The Rebbe's Dinner

My kitchen looks just like it does on almost any given Friday. Flour all over the counter from my challah baking, cake ingredients resting on the counter and oven stuffed with food. Then there is me, looking just like I do on Fridays - dusted in flour and sugar and running from stove to counter and back over and over again as I create my Shabbos dinner. In reality, I am thinking it is not really "my" Shabbos dinner that I create each week, but maybe it is the Rebbe's Shabbos dinner.

Let me explain...

This Shabbat marks 21 years since the Rebbe, the leader of Chabad, no longer was able to lead us in a physical sense. While we can no longer physically see the Rebbe, he remains a VERY influential force in my life. Quite truthfully, it is the Rebbe, and his teachings, that define my very life. As a child I had many opportunities to visit the Rebbe and see his warm smile, and receive his blessings. Throughout the years I have studied the Rebbe's teachings and now as an adult I have defined my life by these very teachings. The Rebbe was a visionary - and had this dream of spreading the light of Torah and lessons of kindness across the globe. I am proud to be called a "shlucha" -emissary -of the Rebbe. I am proud that my family and I are amongst the thousands of families all over the world who are following his lead and reaching out to others with a warm smile and a helping hand.  While it may be 21 years since he has left this world, the Rebbe is very much alive in everything we do!

So back to the Shabbos dinner...why is it the Rebbe's dinner? It is the Rebbe's dinner because I truly do not just cook for myself and my family. Part of what we do is invite people from all walks of life (including an IDF soldier who just got out of the army and Levi asked to join us tonight!)to join us in celebrating Shabbos each week. This is the Rebbe's work, his dinner.  

As I type this, one of my children is asking about the box of food we are packing up on our counter, and I hear Levi explain that the food is off to a family that is in town visiting their family that sadly had a horrible tragedy after a car accident yesterday. Magically, as happens so often, the food I have cooked manages to expand and become enough to pack up for someone who got stuck in town, is visiting family and keeps kosher or any number of reasons why we may need to provide someone with a kosher Shabbos dinner. I cook and bake and chop and mix - all because we have learned from the Rebbe to treat everyone with loving kindness. We have learned to think about what we can do to help someone along their way on this journey called life. 

And so, it is time for me to stop typing and go finish packing up the food - knowing that by the guidance of the Rebbe I can touch someone's life with the food I have cooked. 

Of course it wouldn't be a blog post without a recipe...and so I share a recipe of a beet salad that we quickly made for this last minute food delivery. 

Good Shabbos!

Beet Salad

Pre boiled beets (found in the produce section in the grocery store)

Fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

Lemon juice

Olive oil

Salt

Garlic

Cube the beets. Finely chop the parsley. Season with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic. Mix well and enjoy. 

Nash Nash A Hamentash!

There is nothing like a snow day! I admit that I love getting that phone call that says, "stay home and enjoy your day" (albeit within reason). There is something about seeing waking up to a world blanketed in beautiful and white snow. Last week we enjoyed our second "snow cation" and I settled in for some fun days with my kids. We spent many hours outside playing in the snow, playing games inside, drinking hot cocoa and of course baking yummy treats With Purim coming up we decided to bake Hamentashen last week. We made some raspberry, brownie and brownie-marshmallow fluff filled Hamentashen. Breaking from tradition I decided to try out a new dough recipe this time around.

My cousins and I have a WhatsApp group that keeps all of us informed and entertained...and often times causes what we call "What'sApp peer pressure". This is when one cousin posts a picture of something yummy she has baked and the next thing you know, all of us are busy trying it out! My cousin Sari posted a picture of her Hamentashen along with her recipe, and I certainly wanted to give them a try! We mixed up our batter and then mixed up some brownie batter to use as one of our fillings - it was a fun and yummy afternoon together with my kids!

With Purim beginning tonight,  (PS visit www.chabadoftidewater.com if you still need to RSVP for the Purim party!!)I am sharing Sari's recipe for delicious Hamentash dough!

Hamentash Recipe

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup oil
1/3 cup apple juice (I used OJ)
5 1/2 cups flour - add it slowly! you may not need all of it
3 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp almond extract (optional - I did not use)
3 tsp baking powder

Beat eggs and sugar until creamy. Add oil and beat. Add juice and extracts and beat. Add baking powder. Gradually add flour until it becomes a good dough consistency. Roll out and cut out circles. Fill with your favorite filling. Bake at 350 for approximately 10 minutes. Enjoy and happy Purim!!

Shehecheyanu & Strawberry Applesauce

The sun went down and the day turned to night. While it was dark outside, around the globe Jewish people were illuminating the world by lighting the first Chanukah candles.

With latkes sizzing in the pan, our family gathered to light the menorah for the first time this year. Levi and Shalom began by singing the first bracha, blessing, for the menorah. The first blessing thanks Hashem for giving us this special Mitzvah of lighting the Chanukah candles. They then continued on to recite the blessing which thanks Hashem for the miracles He performed for our people so many years ago - as well as for the miracles we see around us on a daily basis! The third blessing, "shehecheyanu", is the blessing said when we do a Mitzvah for the first time during the year, hence it is said on the first night of Chanukah, or on whichever night one lights candles for the first time on Chanukah.

We say, "blessed are You, Hashem, King of the Universe, who has granted us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this occasion."

What a beautiful blessing this is! Amidst the fun of Chanukah, the pretty lights, the chocolate coins, the yummy latkes, the fluffy doughnuts, the dreidel games and of course the Chanukah gelt we give to our children, we take a moment and thank G-d for bringing us to this moment. Recently whenever I say this bracha it is a reminder to me of how truly blessed I really am. It reminds me of how lucky we really are that here we are once again, being afforded the opportunity to light the menorah and remember the miracles of long ago - and for this I am truly grateful.

We must recognize the importance of each moment that Hashem grants us, and follow the example of the flames on the menorah, and use these moments to light up the world. If G-d has chosen for me to be here today, then I must do my best to do good things and make this world a better place! Take each day and celebrate the beautiful miracle it is!

Happy Chanukah!

Last night we enjoyed our first latkes for Chanukah with strawberry applesauce. When I lived in my aunt's house in Brooklyn, she would make delicious strawberry applesauce, and this year I decided to do the same! This one is super easy!

Wash fresh strawberries and place in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade. Pulse a few times until the strawberries are processed and smooth. Add a jar of plain applesauce to the bowl and pulse a few more times until well blended. Chill in the fridge and enjoy!