Matching socks--out. Coordinated socks--in.

An American company has determined what experienced mothers have known for a long time: Matching socks are not a fashion priority. In fact, it's more fashionable to have mismatched (but coordinating) socks--sold in threes instead of in pairs.

I guess I won't have to complain about this anymore.

An impressive gimmick. I wish I had thought of it. But I suppose you can't put one sock from one set of three with another set. Can you imagine trying to sort these in the laundry?

Hat tip: Commenter Abbi.

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Our Israeli Container Garden

The second floor of our apartment has a large, sunny porch. At one point we had a thriving herb garden, which now contains only a geranium, some sad-looking rosemary, and a miniature citrus tree. I am gratified that the tree survived long enough for us to enjoy the single kumquat, since we couldn't eat the fruit until the fourth year of neta revai (see the fourth paragraph here for more explanation). That tree came close to dying more than once.

After picking the kumquat we had to let it be hefker, or ownerless, because it had kedushat shvi'it, the holiness of the sabbatical year. (All fruit from trees that bloomed after last Tu beShevat have this status). We had to leave it in a place where others could take it if they liked. We put it out in our living room with a sign, and, when we remembered, pointed it out to visitors. No one took it, but the kumquat got slightly smushed. We should have another chance soon.

A, age 12, has been nudging me to start planting again. Since he had a day off from school yesterday, we went into town and bought seven bags of seeds: Shallots, thyme, "baby mix" (even though the storekeeper said he didn't have any lettuce), garden peas, basil, sage, and broccoli. Mimi donated a package of chamomile.

At home we collected the old pots and soil from the dead plants, saving the dried branches and leaves for compost. In a large bowl, A mixed the soil with dried compost from two years ago (another project we need to revive). He placed broken china into the bottom of the pots so that the roots wouldn't sit in water, and refilled the pots. He swept up the dirt and called me to help decide which seeds to plant in each pot. The two smaller children helped with the planting. Then A labelled the pots.

We placed the containers in a partially shaded spot to minimize evaporation, since the forecast is for another hot and dry week. I wonder if we should bring them inside until they sprout.

I am resolved to use only recycled water for this garden. The challenge is to collect the water and get it up to the second floor. I placed a dishpan in the kitchen sink to collect used water, and poured it through a strainer into a bucket. Straining the water might not be necessary as small amounts of vegetable matter can only help the plants.

My husband and I think that we can also use recycled water for the first cycle of the washing machine.

I would like to hear readers' suggestions about container gardening and conserving water. Fern's blog, Life on the Balcony, is an excellent resource for container gardeners.

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The day is short, and the work is great: Efficient Shabbat Preparations

It seems that just when Shabbat starts to "come in" (as my kids say) at a normal hour, the clocks get switched back. With candlelighting at around 4 PM, I have to be organized. Below I post techniques that I have used.


Read the rest of this post at A Mother in Israel's new location.

New blog posts can be found at A Mother in Israel.

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More on microwaves

In a comment on my last post, Robin pointed out that not all ceramic tableware is microwave-safe. She's right, and plastic can also be a problem. If your utensils don't have a label, you can use the following test for microwave compatibility.

From The Great Microwave Dessert Book by Thelma Pressman, p. 2:

Place a glass measuring cup filled with water in your microwave. Place the dish you want to test next to it, but do not allow the two to touch. Heat on high (600-700 watts) for one minute. [Note: Many modern microwaves use 900-1000 watts or more, so adjust the time accordingly.] At the end of that time, the water will be warm and the utensil should be cold. If the dish becomes warm, it means it is absorbing microwave energy and is not microwave-safe.

Yael asked for soup and stir-fry. I generally don't make soup in the microwave because once you get above a certain quantity, it's not practical. But here is a recipe from The Well-Filled Microwave Coookbook by Victoria Wise and Sandra Pressman. It serves 3-4 people and you can add other vegetables if you like.

Granny's Basic Vegetable Soup (pp. 95-96)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
4 medium (1 pound) ripe tomatoes, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
4 small carrots, peeled and cut into thin rounds
2 ribs celery, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch-wide slices
1 large bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups water

1. Place the oil and onion in a large bowl and microwave, uncovered, on HIGH for 3 minutes, or until wilted. Add the tomatoes, cover the bowl, and microwave on HIGH for 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and the mixture is soupy.
2. Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and microwave on HIGH for 20 minutes, or until the carrots and celery are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Serve right away.

I highly recommend this (non-kosher) cookbook, which includes basic instructions for cooking items like legumes and potatoes as well as exotic desserts, condiments, sandwiches, grains and more. I once used it to make a delicious pomegranate-quince relish. [If you buy it through the above link, you help to support this blogger.]

Mock Stir-Fried Rice (p. 193)
For two portions, cut about 1/2 cup fresh vegetables, including some bean sprouts and scallions, into small dice or matchsticks. Place the vegetables and a little oil in a bowl and wilt for two minutes, until soft, in the microwave. Stir in two cups cooked rice, sprinkle with water, and reheat until steaming, 3 minutes more. Lightly beat an egg and stir it into the rice to break it up. The steam cooks the egg right away without returning to the microwave. Serve hot.

My Sugat rice package had instructions for cooking rice in the microwave that worked for me, but I don't have the package anymore. Wise and Pressman say to use the same amount of liquid and time as for stove-top rice, but to expect it to boil over.

Introduction to Microwave Cooking

Follow-up post with recipes

Oleh Girl Yael has an electricity-challenged apartment, and her only reliable cooking appliance is her microwave. I dedicate this post to her.

Almost any food can be cooked in the microwave, once you learn the techniques.

I'm not an engineer so forgive me if my explanation of how the microwave works is not technically accurate. It's meant for the beginning home cook.

Microwaves work by radiating microwave energy into food. Microwave energy only heats up the moisture in the food, so dried foods may burn or explode. (I tried microwaving dried apricots once.) The waves pass through glass, ceramic, plastic and paper so these materials do not get hot, except via the food. Metal, however, deflects microwaves. You can keep one metal spoon in your food without causing damage, but not two, and I have read about a judicial use of foil.

Because microwaves only heat moisture they are more efficient than conventional ovens, which heat up everything in the vicinity. As the food cooks, the utensil and microwave get warm and even hot. But most of your precious energy dollars/shekalim go right into the food.

Microwaves heat food from the outside in, and it can take a while for the heat to penetrate. Food should be cooked in shallow utensils or stirred frequently. If there is no rotating turntable, food must be turned manually. Foods such as chicken parts must be turned from top to bottom and moved from the edge of the pan to the center and vice versa. Individual items like potatoes or cookies should be arranged in a circle.

Microwave power setting options are delineated in percents or High-Medium-Low. But the microwave really only has two settings, off and on. If you choose the highest power setting, High or 100%, the microwaves penetrate the food continuously. If your microwave has 1000 watts of power, you will be using all of those watts for the entire cooking time.

Microwaves using higher wattage cook food faster, but those with lower wattage work equally well. Whatever the wattage or setting, check to make sure food is cooked through. This applies to conventional methods of cooking as well.

If you choose the 80% setting, the microwave operates for 80% of the time and pauses for 20%. The food cooks more slowly and gently, because microwaved food continues to cook even when the microwaves have stopped waving. But I never use any setting other than High. If the food is delicate, like eggs, I check frequently and take the food out just before the egg is solid. In general food needs to be removed when it is slightly underdone, or it will overcook. Eggs will get rubbery.

I prefer a slow defrost in the refrigerator to the microwave, which warms up food as it defrosts. This attracts bacteria, so microwave-defrosted food must be cooked immediately. And why turn on an additional appliance? Defrosting the food in the fridge keeps the refrigerated food cold and saves on your electric bill.

Yael wanted some recipes, but they will have to wait until after Yom Tov (bli neder; I know I've been bad about promised posts). You can cook all manners of vegetables, meat, eggs, fish, legumes and grains in the microwave. You can even bake some items, especially if they are moist. You do need to acquire non-metal utensils that fit (and rotate) in your microwave. Chances are you already have glass bowls and tableware that are microwave-safe. When shopping, choose utensils that are safe for both microwave and conventional ovens.
Follow-up post with recipes

Cabbage shortage, excess RC

Religious junior and senior high schools start Sukkot vacation from Erev Yom Kippur. This year that means two extra days of vacation, today and Sunday. Sukkot vacation for the younger ones lasts ten days.

That means my 12- and 14-year-olds are busy cooking for Shabbat. The 14-year-old is baking "Chanukah Gelt Double Fudge Cake None Better," from Marcy Goldman's Jewish Holiday Cakes. It calls for flat soda. We happen to have two unopened bottles of RC from Pesach, but we'd have to make a lot of cake to use it up. (Please don't tell anyone I allowed this.) We are making it in a flat pan, with no layers and no frosting. Frosting around here is only for birthdays.

My son A, 12, is making burgul (what Americans called bulgur wheat), potatoes, chicken with vegetables, mayonnaise, and potato kugel. Some family members object if unadulterated potatoes do not appear on the table. A said that he like the feel of raw chicken, bless him. I have challah and soup from Erev Yom Kippur. And the sukkah is being built by my husband and various helpers, slowly but surely.

My sister-in-law invited us for the first day of Sukkot. I offered to bring challah and stuffed cabbage but we can't find cabbage and the stores are unlikely to be restocked on Sunday. That happens sometimes in a Jewish country. . .

My daughter and I just examined the RC supply. We found *four* bottles of the stuff, because I had bought a six-pack on sale. Until my daughter saw the bottles she didn't realize what they were (bilingual vocabulary issue). She belongs to an "anti-Coke" club in school; I hope she won't be expelled. She is also complaining that the RC is not really flat, but I think the recipe will come out fine. My teenage guests for Shabbat chol hamoed should be able to finish off the rest of the RC.

My mother z"l used to buy Coke on two occasions: For Pesach (along with chocolate), because she believed that people needed something sweet to make up for chametz deprivation; and for offering workers who came to the house. Now that I think about it, she kept a few bottles in the basement for that purpose. I guess she didn't worry about it getting flat.

Using cloth diapers in Israel

This post can now be found at AMotherinIsrael.com

My new toy + Chickpea patties

Of the three suitcases I brought home from my trip, one was heavy with my latest kitchen gadget--a cast-iron griddle. (The guitar didn't arrive on time; it's a long story.) After getting the griddle home it had to be toveled (immersed in the ritual bath), dried carefully, scrubbed and dried again, coated with oil, wrestled into the oven and seasoned for an hour. Letting it cool to room temperature took several hours, at which point I gave up on it for the lunch-time pancakes.

For supper I made patties out of chick-peas. My son asked if I planned to market them to the younger kids as felafel. How could he think such a thing? I put the patties on before the griddle heated completely, so the first batch stuck a bit. Shallow edges make flipping painless, and the large cooking surface means less time at the stove. The griddle takes a while to cool down, so you can turn of the gas well before you are finished. I added a bit of extra oil, although with cast-iron you supposedly need little or none. Non-stick properties increase with use.

Clean cast-iron cookware by wiping with a rag, or washing and reapplying a layer of oil. Occasionally the cookware must be reseasoned. Keep kids away from the stove while it cools.

I love it. I'm glad my sister advised me to shlep it despite the weight.

Chickpea Patties


Ingredients:

Handful of parsley or coriander (I didn't happen to have any, but would have made a big difference.)
1 onion
2 small stalks celery
3 cups cooked chickpeas
2 eggs
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1-2 teaspoons cumin

Instructions:

Place dry parsley in dry food processor and chop until fine. Add vegetables and chop. Add remaining ingredients and grind until blended (be careful not to overprocess). Experiment by forming a patty; it should hold together. If too dry, add another egg or a bit of water. If too watery, add flour. I'm wondering if I shouldn't have made them with soaked, raw chickpeas instead of cooked. Form into patties and place on very hot griddle (or pan). Cook until brown on both sides.

This is the way we wash the floor. . .

Like so many other things, we decide whether or not to have paid cleaning help based on outside expectations. If everyone in the neighborhood has cleaning help then we need it too, right? There are worse ways to spend one's money, and doing without can be foolish in some circumstances. But overall, cleaning help falls into the luxury category.

Floor-washing remains a challenge but here's what I do:

1. Remove everything from the surface of the floor. This is usually the hardest part of the job; a basket helps. I try to clean under the sofas on a different day.

Continue reading This is the Way We Wash the Floor

Teaching our children: Modeling is not enough

In my post Trusting Our Children, I wrote about things that children learn on their own. So what do we need to teach them?

I hate to disappoint you, but I don't have the answers. I can't, because they will be different for each family. Leora will make sure her children appreciate art and can express anger productively. RivkA's children have learned about physical fitness and coping with chronic illness. Sephardi Lady will emphasize being satisfied with what one has and sticking to a budget. And that is how it should be. Each of these concepts is important, some are essential, but no parent can give them all equal weight. We emphasize the skills and values that are currently part of our lives, taking into account our children's temperaments and inclinations. This is a good thing because it makes us a diverse, vibrant society.

I believe that teaching our children involves several elements. The first is expressed in this quote on education by Rav Yehuda Amital: [Hat tip: Hirhurim]

The greatest educational impact is achieved when the teacher is unaware that he is teaching and the student is unaware that he is learning. This is the meaning of "the Name of Heaven shall become beloved through you" (Yoma 86a) -- a person through his ordinary conduct should bring about a sanctification of God's Name, without even being aware that he is influencing others through his behavior. [Jewish Values, 150-151]

As we all know but often forget, modeling is critical. To quote a book blurb I saw recently, who we are is more important in how our kids turn out than anything else. But it's not enough. We also need to explain to our children what we are doing and why.

Since I just quoted Rav Amital, I'll give an example from our visit to Yeshivat Har Etzion last week (otherwise known as the Gush). To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the yeshiva invited graduates to visit with their families for the day. There were hikes, shiurim and other family activities. At mincha an announcement was made suggesting that parents take a moment to show their children about the beit midrash. Going to the beit midrash every day is a powerful statement, but if children don't understand what happens there, the impact is lessened. We have to interpret the world for our children according to our values.

Here's another example: We model safe behavior by wearing seat belts, and by expecting passengers to do the same. We refuse to drive unless children are properly restrained. But if the children don't understand why we wear seat belts, the first time they go with a friend's mother who says, "If you're sitting in between two people you don't need one," they may wonder whether that mother is right. (Kids get these "deprogramming" messages all the time.) So kids need to know that car accidents can happen anytime and anywhere, and that even a sudden stop can cause serious injury.

This concept also applies equally to Jewish rituals; we can explain that waiting between meat and milk reminds us to be compassionate to animals. Or thoughtfulness: "We need to call Grandma when we get home from the airport so she won't worry about us."

Another aspect of teaching that we tend to neglect is the "how." All too often our kids are away when we do chores and errands. When they are with us we tend to compartmentalize activities, as if quality time must involve kiddie entertainment. Then we resent it when we don't have time for anything else. (That's another post I've been meaning to write.) I find that summer vacation is a good time to teach one or two useful "hands-on" skills.

Below I attempt to categorize the types of things we teach our children. In many cases, setting an example and starting young is all you need, with some reinforcement along the way. This is prescriptive, by the way, not descriptive--I can't claim to have succeeded in passing on all of these to my children to a sufficient degree. Of course, it's hard to know for sure until they reach adulthood. And this list is far from comprehensive:

• Safety issues, like crossing streets and using helmets/car seats/seat belts.
  
• Torah, halacha, prayers, Jewish customs and culture, and Jewish perspectives on big and small questions.
  
• Learning and love of learning; how to find answers; critical thinking.
  
• Hygiene, including washing hands, toilet manners, and bathing. My 4-year-old recently decided she wants to take a shower herself, every day. She even washes behind her ears.
• Health issues, such as food safety and nutrition, exercise, sun protection, normal body function and illness.
  
• Order, caring for objects.
  
• Character traits like compassion, integrity and generosity. I don't believe these can be taught directly, but we can model and discuss them.
  
• Effective ways of expressing emotions and dealing with conflict.
  
• Everyday skills such as home maintenance, financial management and running errands.
• General behavior and manners. Sometimes I wonder whether we teach children to say "thank you" because we want them to feel grateful and show appreciation, or because we want them to be perceived as well-behaved. The answer will determine our response when they behave "badly."
  

Note: Sephardi Lady asked me about learning to talk. To me, speech falls into the category of things that we can trust our children to get on their own. A large group of normal children begin speaking late, and a proper evaluation can help determine which ones need intervention. It can be tricky. When one of my children spoke late, I found helpful information by Dr. Stephen Camarata of Vanderbilt University.

Housekeeping and religion: More on Megeirot

Homemaking is a challenge for many Jewish women. Some people are just disorganized. Some did not have competent mothers, or mothers who ran an observant Jewish home, or mothers at all. Add a few small children and maybe a job, and you have a tremendous challenge.

Flylady has helped many make progress with their housework. But Flylady is American, English-speaking, and most definitely Christian. Megeirot filled the need for a supposedly Jewish approach to housekeeping. The problem is that the Torah doesn't tell us much about cleaning drawers. So the bulk of Megeirot's content had to come from non-Jewish sources.

As a reader who completed the first "level" of Megeirot wrote in an email: "I liked the overlay of Jewish, spiritual goals achieved through standard cognitive - behavioral type exercises." In other words, Megeirot consisted of Jewish concepts tacked on to a particular psychological approach. I have no problem with applying psychology in order to achieve a goal. But it's not inherently Jewish.

Faith/Emuna wrote about attending Megeirot, where she was advised to ask for help from above when straightening out clutter. The idea of a personal prayer doesn't disturb me, but saying someone else's prayer might. Same with prayers said over a closet. I don't know that religion should be mixed directly into everything.

According to the original article in Makor Rishon (Hebrew), Sylvie trained the instructors to negate the feelings a student expressed about the contents of her drawer. No matter what the student said, the instructor was told to tell her: "Sheker (falsehood), that is a statement of the ordinary sechel (intellect) which is your non-sechel. You don't have any sechel." Then the student recited a prayer, intended to redirect the woman's thoughts. Replacing negative thoughts with positive ones is a good idea, but telling a woman she has no sechel is not. At any rate, some instructors revised the methods, and even distanced themselves from Sylvie, the founder.

According to Makor Rishon, Rabbi Dov Lior of Kiryat Arba opposed Megeirot from the beginning and warned that it was not based on Jewish teachings. Later he and his wife worked with several women who had been harmed by Megeirot and Sylvie. Other rabbis felt the method had merit, despite the alleged faults of its founder.

We do need prayer, a connection with God, and a sense of higher purpose even when involved in mundane tasks. But we can also achieve spirituality through learning, serving the community, joyful observance of mitzvot, and caring for our families.

Megeirot appears to have helped many women. It probably served as a good support group, whether or not the content was problematic. Anytime people meet frequently with a competent counselor to discuss housekeeping, parenting, marriage, or dieting, they will improve in that area just because they are focusing on it. But when a method involves prayers, and marital and childrearing advice, one must be extremely careful about the person leading the group. Appearing religious and knowledgeable does not qualify someone to give sensitive advice. Even more importantly, a good counselor knows when to refer to a professional. Sylvie may not have taught every group but she was presumably the one instructors turned to for guidance in specific situations. And if the allegations about her are true, that's scary.

Previous article on Megeirot

Seven reasons I haven't been blogging over the holiday

I started several posts but could not be inspired to finish any of them. Below are the main reasons, one for each day of Pesach:

1. House guests.
2. H.A.D.
3. Husband and children on vacation.
4. A trip to the Hula.
5. Hot potatoes--cooking them, that is. Lots and lots of them.
6. Hordes of delicious book club books imported by said guests. The best so far is The World to Come by Dara Horn. And not just because her name starts with an H.
   
7. Hanging loose and enjoying the fun.

Hope you are having a wonderful holiday.

I've been H.A.D.

I'd like to propose a new category for the DSM-XIX: Hamsin Affective Disorder, exacerbated by Passover preparations.

Presenting case: Patient awakens to dishwasher parts strewn over the bathroom; floor covered with crayons, toys, papers and garbage bags; opened half-empty cabinets; counters covered with impossible-to-categorize items including bottles without covers, a six-year-old box of kosher gelatin, two half-open bottles of dish detergent, more dishwasher parts, and a bag of wrongly sized garbage bags.

Patient planned to escape and take assorted children to town to accomplish long-procrastinated errands, but when hit in the face by desert wind (that the forecaster assured her would be finished today), patient closed all her windows and shutters and seriously considered rolling into a ball and crying.

Pesach Crisis Cleaning

When it comes to Pesach I don't like to talk about where I'm "holding," because I don't want to hear that my neighbor has set her seder table while my house looks like a tornado ran through it. But those who are inspired by others' progress should look here.

This is for my readers who are having trouble getting started with Pesach preparations. It's all practical; no inspiring words tonight.

Mom in Israel's guide to Pesach cleaning

Make a schedule including a column for each day. Mark any appointments you have, and pencil in the Pesach chores that are left. Try to distribute the heavy jobs among different days, according to when you will have help.

Keep in mind that anything you plan to kasher must be cleaned carefully and cannot come into contact with hot chametz for 24 hours prior to kashering.

Anything not coming into contact with food does not need to be cleaned, only checked for edible chametz.

Here are the jobs, in some kind of logical order. Skip anything that doesn't apply to you.

• The refrigerator and freezer. Empty them and clean carefully.
• Chametzdik Menus. As you empty cabinets and the refrigerator/freezer, sort food into the following categories: Kosher for Pesach, eat before Pesach, sell (chametz), put aside (not chametz, but not KFP either), and give away/throw out. If you need more food, add it to your shopping list.
  
• Cover one shelf of the fridge and freezer with newspaper for the last of the chametzdik food.
  
• Cabinets. Empty out and line one or two cabinets for Pesach food as early as possible. Continue to prepare cabinets as you finish up the cooking and can put away utensils you no longer need. If you come across an item that you haven't used since last Pesach, give it away.
  
• Don't clean more cabinets than you need. Wipe off the crumbs and gook, and ignore stains. If it's convenient, put Pesach utensils in the cabinets as you prepare them.
  
• Bedrooms. The kids should do their own, if they are old enough. If you are compelled to clean every toy small children might use during the holiday, set aside a few and pack up the rest. Check backpacks, pockets, purses and drawers. Don't clean them.
  
• Plan menus for Shabbat and the seder. Make them simple. Mark down any items not on your standard shopping list.
  
• Shopping. The longer you wait, the more crowded the stores. Pick a calm, quiet time to write the list, and don't forget non-food items like toilet paper, dish and laundry detergent, candles, toothbrushes and cleaning supplies. Avoid going to more than one or two stores, and if no one in the family can help, go with a neighbor (at least in Israel).
  
• Set aside utensils to be kashered. Arrange for the sale of chametz.
• Clean the car. Or at least check it.
  
• Keep up with the household laundry. If the leader of your seder wears a kittel (special white robe) is it clean? Any summer clothes you want to take out? Ironing? Linens? Tablecloths and dish towels?
• Check that medicines are kosher for Passover.
  
• Scrub the top of the stove, grates, and knobs.
  
• Clean and kasher the oven.
  
• Clean and kasher the dishwasher. Since this involves taking it apart and cleaning a million pieces individually, you may decide it's possible to survive without it. Ours is electronic so the timer will be useless anyway by the time the seder rolls around this year.
• Vacuum the sofa, or at least pull up the cushions and look for chametz. Maybe you'll find something good.
• Polish silver. Not essential but nice--maybe you can find a pre-teen who is available.
  
• Haircuts and clothes shopping, if necessary.
• Kasher utensils.
  
• Finally, clean, kasher and cover the counters and sinks.
  
• Cook. Start with the items that keep well. As soon as I "turn over" the kitchen I make the mayonnaise, hard-boiled eggs, and egg noodles. The kids make the "ice cream" (sherbet). (I bought two boxes of macaroons; no baking for me.) Then I do the soup, haroset, meat and vegetables, leaving the horseradish for last. I calculate the vegetables I need and prepare them at the same time. For example, if I need carrots for soup, pot roast and carrot salad, I peel them all at once. Chopped onions also keep in the refrigerator. I wash all greens at once, dry them on towels, and store in the refrigerator.
  
• Last minute items: Wash floors, empty garbage and vacuum canister, open packages, set timers, and check the refrigerator and cabinets for chametzdik food.
  

Allow time after every task to clean up and "put out fires" that have built up elsewhere, and to make sure your kids are fed and supervised. Get them involved whenever you can (this is a whole other post). Take frequent breaks to eat, drink, and rest. Alternate heavy and light jobs, sitting and standing. Try to sweep and do a light mop at the end of each day (ha).

Wishing you all happy cleaning, and pleasant memories of this time for ourselves and our children.

How did my mother do it?

Pesach-observant homemakers the world over are talking about turning over. Turning over the kitchen, that is. When they have finished most of the shopping, cleaning and kashering (making the stove, sink and counters kosher for Passover), they officially"turn over" the kitchen for Pesach. They might still have chametz around but from that point any serious cooking will be kosher for Passover.

My mother always turned over the kitchen the night before the Seder. After the bedikat chametz (search for leavened bread after nightfall) we brought down the Pesach dishes from the attic. My mother insisted that we wash them, and indeed they were covered with dust and the occasional bug. She rose early the next morning to put the roast in the oven (when I got married I learned that it's traditional not to eat roast meat for the seder--but she may have made pot roast). We ate chametz until the last minute, chosen from a tray on the breakfast room table. The children's job was to wash dishes, clean out our hairbrushes and garbage cans, and help prepare the seder plate. For lunch she fried potato latkes. Her Pesach food was easy to make and delicious. The table didn't groan from the quantities but no one left hungry either (but did I ever tell you about the soup?).

In another family, which shall remain nameless, the husband stayed up all night after bedikat chametz cleaning the oven. By the time the men left for shul in the evening, the wife was just starting to grate the horseradish for the seder plate. One of the children, on spending her first Pesach in a hotel, was shocked at the variety of food served for lunch on Erev Pesach. In her house, there wasn't any time, or anything, to eat.

At the opposite extreme, I grew up with someone whose mother "turned over" the kitchen so early that the family ate kosher for Passover food for an extra week.

My mother knew what she had to do and when. She neither procrastinated nor took on unnecessary chores. She did spring cleaning if she was able and let it go if she didn't. Most important, she didn't obsess over any one job. She did it to the best of her ability and crossed it off the list.

How to get rid of five kilograms of flour in one week

One--Bake challah for Shabbat for our family
Two--Bake challah for my son's friend's family, who is hosting him for Shabbat
Three--Bake bread or rolls for the siyum that my son is hosting this week. A siyum is a celebration of the "completion" of the study of a tractate of the Mishnah or Talmud, or a book of the Torah. My son completed the Mishnah. I was hesitant about doing this so close to Pesach but I figure ten teenage boys means using up a lot of chametz.
Four--Bake cakes for the siyum and Shabbat
Five--Make quiche, pancakes, muffins?

All amounts are approximate, and we'll do the baking all at once, in a team. Am I the only one who spends more time cooking than cleaning this time of year?

Kosher Cooking Carnival #29: Pre-Passover Edition

Welcome to the April 7, 2008 edition of kosher cooking carnival.

Here are the previous editions:
#1,#2,#3,#4,#5,#6,#7,#8,#9,#10,#11,#12,#13,#14,#15,#16,#17,#18,
#19,#20,#21,KCCMetaCarnival,#22,#23,#24,#25,#26,#27.#28

Thanks to Batya for all of her hard work on the KCC. She will be hosting the May edition; WestBankMama in June. Contact Batya if you'd like to host. And thanks to all of the bloggers who contributed and submitted entries, including those who dragged out their Pesach cookbooks a little early.

Purim already seems like a long time ago, but you can save these for next year:

Learn about the traditional Purim food with The Origins of Hamentashen in Jewish Literature (Revisited) posted at the Seforim blog.

Yolanda Shoshana presents Cilantro Lime Rice posted at Kosher Soul Food. If you're sephardi you can make this for Pesach too.

Devo K presents Today's Photo posted at In the middle, on the right, about the challah she made for Purim.

Kreplach is another traditional food for Purim. The New York Times presents Missing Ingredient, Gone for Good - New York Times posted at NYT > Dining & Wine.

Keep this for the next time you're invited to a latke-hamantashen debate. Tip Diva presents Top Ten Tips - Winning The Debate posted at Tip Dude.

Getting rid of Chametz

Traditional Jews clear out their pantries to get rid of chametz (leavened foods) and make way for the Passover food.

If you still have flour you can try Ima shalom's Recipe Friday: Bread Machine Challah posted at Ima Shalom.

Sarah presents Sugar Snaps posted at ~ Sarah's View ~.

Got pita? Cosmic X presents Two Minute Pizza posted at ****** Cosmic X in Jerusalem ******.


Preparing for Pesach

This year Passover begins on Saturday evening, April 19 and continues through Saturday evening, April 26. Those outside of Israel observe an additional day, Sunday, April 27. This year the preparations for the festive Passover meal are more challenging because observant Jews must finish all of the preparations for Passover a day early because of the Sabbath.

The Rebbetzin's Husband presents Erev Pesach on Shabbat at
The Rebbetzin's Husband.

Dixie Yid presents Achieving Harmony at the Pesach Seder - Part 1 posted at Dixie Yid - Thoughts on life and Chassidus.

Tzipiyah presents Starting Pessah Cleaning posted at Tzipiyah.com.

Frumstepper presents Egypt and the 12 Steps posted at Frumstepper.

Here's something different: Skull-A-Day: 270. Matzo Skull A.K.A. The Skull of Affliction posted at Skull-A-Day.

If it's art you like check out Passover Postcards posted at DubiQuilts - Quilts and Fiber Arts.

Yolanda Shoshana presents Jewish Holiday Cooking posted at Kosher Soul Food.

Phyllis presents Ima on (and off) the Bima: It's That Time of Year Again... posted at Ima on (and off) the Bima.

Adena presents Passover is coming posted at MotherThoughts.

Toronto Pearl presents PPS*... posted at pearlies of wisdom.


Pesach—Kashrut and Customs

Batya presents Oy Gevalt, Kitniyot posted at Shiloh Musings.

Soccer Dad sent in Wall Street Journal tastes kosher (including Israeli) wines posted at HaKerem: The Israeli Wine Blog.

Frumhouse presents A Pesach Memory posted at Little Frumhouse on the Prairie. I think the alternative title should be "How to keep your kids from getting a shidduch."

ProfK presents To Brok or Not to Brok, That is The Question posted at Conversations in Klal.

David Linn presents Back to the Shmurah Matzah Bakery posted at Temunot.

Passover is a rough time for people with food allergies and sensitivities. Bythebay presents a New Source for Gluten-Free Oat Matzo posted at Gluten-Free Bay.


Pesach Recipes

If you are looking for something unusual check out Passover Preparations posted at Baroness Tapuzina.

Who would expect to find beef with kosher-for-Passover beer at a blog called Kosher Vegan Lasagna? You'll find that and more at Pesach Recipes.

Ilana-Davita presents Salmon in Curry Sauce posted at Ilana-Davita.

Yolanda Shoshana presents Kosher Soul Food: Passover the recipes... posted at Kosher Soul Food.

Ariella Brown presents Pesach recipes -- desserts, main, and sides all gebrokts posted at Kallah Magazine: the blog for the magazine.

Robin presents Turning up the heat - Passover Recipes posted at Around The Island.

triLcat presents Pesach Food posted at triLcat Talks about Writing, Literature, and Her Life..


Leora presents One Potato, Two Potato posted at Here in HP.

ProfK presents Where Pesach is, there Recipes Also Reside posted at Conversations in Klal.

frumhouse presents Bat Ami Yiffat Laila Yemenite Charoset Recipe For Passover - Pesach posted at Bat Ami Yiffat Laila...Means...Daughter of my People Beauty as the morning dawn

Schelly presents Carrot-Coconut Vichyssoise at Preparing for Passover posted at Tracing the Tribe: The Jewish Genealogy Blog.

sylvia_rachel presents Soup! posted at The Trailing Edge.

Raggedy Mom presents Two Pesach Recipes posted at Raggedy Mom.


Pesach Desserts

Leora presents Sponge Cake Recipe posted at Here in HP.

Jewish Blogmeister presents Kosher For Passover: Fancy Desserts: Easy Recipes posted at Jewish Blogmeister.

Steven presents Matzos that’s SOFT?!? posted at Renegade Kosher Cooking.

Ilana-Davita presents My Pesach Chocolate Cake posted at Ilana-Davita.

Tzvee presents Bernice's Favorite Pesach Recipe: Peach Kugel posted at Tzvee's Blog.

sylvia_rachel presents Two Pesachdik dessert recipes posted at The Trailing Edge.


Not about Passover:

I'll end with a few posts not connected to any holiday:

Saifuddin presents Turkish Red Lentil Soup (Mercimek Çorbasi) posted at Hakim Abdullah.

Jenny gives us a way to Share The Food You Love posted at the so called me.

Esther provides an alternative KCC at MY URBAN KVETCH: The Jewish Blogger Recipe Virtual Collective posted at MY URBAN KVETCH.

Going to Paris? Check out Food/ Kosher in Paris, 2008 posted at Michel Gurfinkiel.

Ibn mordechai talks about waiting between meat and dairy at Do We Have to Wait? posted at Da Kani Ma Chaser?.

Steven presents Kinda Renegade Coffee posted at Renegade Kosher Cooking.

Wishing you all a joyful, meaningful, kosher and delicious holiday.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
kosher cooking carnival
using our carnival submission form.

Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: kosher cooking carnival, blog carnival.

Australian-Israeli protests sexist Nazi artwork

One of the best things about making aliyah is getting to know people from all over the world. Our English-speaking community consists of Australians, Canadians, South Africans, and Brits the English.

The daughter of our Australian friends took an extended trip to visit her grandparents. While there she came across some unusual artwork:

Backpackers fume at sexist Nazi artwork

By Matt Cunningham

A NORTHERN Territory hostel displaying posters of Nazi soldiers degrading women has been accused of lacking moral judgment.

But the hostel's owner says the pictures are simply art, and are not intended to offend.

Two female Israeli backpackers were disgusted after seeing the posters on the walls in the men's toilets at Annie's Place backpackers in Alice Springs.

They made a report to the B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation Commission which is considering further action against the hostel.

The commission's executive officer, Manny Waks, said the posters were offensive. "We deplore this kind of behaviour," he said.

"Posters of the degradation of women for sexual pleasure by men wearing Nazi uniforms is highly inappropriate and offensive to all those who suffered at the hands of the Nazis.

"It is also a poor reflection on the person responsible for the posters - it demonstrates their disrespect for women and their lack of any moral judgment."

Mr Waks said one of the Israeli backpackers had complained to the hostel's owner, Matt Mulga, and asked that the posters be taken down.

"He told her that it was his fetish and if she doesn't like it she doesn't have to look," he said. Mr Mulga admitted the pictures were "a bit out there", but said they were not intended to offend.

"As I said to the girls, it's part of an art scene and they chose to dwell on it," he said.

"I said to them 'You shouldn't have been in the boys' toilets anyway'."

Mr Mulga said the hostel had pictures of many controversial historical figures including Joseph Stalin and Chairman Mao Zedong.

My friend complained that the article chose to ignore her daughter's Australian citizenship, referring to the women as "Israeli backpackers." And they had been hired by the owner himself to clean the bathrooms in order to earn extra travel money. Now there's a way to put homemaking skills to good use.

My friends send their children to religious, single-sex schools. Yet despite having grown up "sheltered," this daughter didn't hesitate to stand up and protest the offensive pictures. Her parents should be proud.

Basic skills for children

Over at Conversations in Klal, ProfK writes about whether children (read girls) should be taught basic homemaking skills. In The Fine Art of Being a Balabusta Part I, she concludes that there's no point teaching girls to sew because the women she knows sew do so mainly for pleasure. Working mothers don't have time to sew, and even if they did, it doesn't pay when you factor in time.

She may be right, but I'm still not convinced that teaching children basic sewing and other neglected homemaking skills is a waste of time. By basic I mean two or three types of hand stitches, hemming, mending, and using a sewing machine well enough to make a simple item like a skirt or a pair of pajamas. This only takes a few lessons--probably 10-15 hours total. That's much less time than it takes to become proficient at a musical instrument. Now there's a useless skill--but the last time I checked it hasn't gone out of style.

In colonial times girls began sewing at four years old. Making clothes and linens took up a large chunk of the family's time and everyone's help was needed. I'm sure there were a few girls who were hopeless at it. Some people are hopeless at math, but we still teach it to everyone. I'm not saying we should devote the time to sewing that we devote to math, but sewing belongs in the category of things that most people can pick up easily.

The same applies to a wide variety of skills including sports, making home repairs, languages, gardening, financial management, and using computers. If you start early enough, most people will be able to master those skills with a reasonable level of proficiency. But if they aren't exposed, there's a good chance that they will never learn. Not because they can't (they can) but because they see it as something removed from their experience. It's a question of exposure.

I would bet that 90% of the sewers in ProfK's community learned to sew either at home or in a high school home-economics class, like I did. I stopped for while, but after I had a few kids I decided I wanted to sew nursing clothes. I already had a sewing machine so I asked a visitor to bring me a good sewing book and some bright, printed fabric, as there wasn't much selection in my town. (Unfortunately the saleswoman convinced my visitor that solid gray, which looks terrible on me, was best for a beginner.) While reviewing techniques I remembered tips that my mother had taught me about sewing. They weren't in the book, either. I sewed several outfits for myself and my daughter, and made myself a skirt less than a year ago. I don't have a good eye and will never be a great seamstress, but I can follow instructions and most of the time that's enough for excellent results. And a surprising number of my friends sew frequently, especially the ones with daughters.

We don't know where our daughters and sons will be twenty or thirty years from now. We may think we are preparing them for life by sending them to a computer chug (afterschool activity) instead of a sewing one, but we can't predict the future of the job market. The skills we teach them as children may serve as an enjoyable hobby during high school. I can think of a few ways that sewing will be useful. Maybe our children will live in an isolated community where it is hard to get clothes. Their financial situation may indeed make sewing economical, or they will turn it into a part-time business. Possibly, like the women I posted about here, they will prefer to wear unique styles. Or they will enjoy sewing so much that they become seamstresses, fashion designers, or quilters (quilting has become a serious art form). Even if they never pick up a needle again, they have had the satisfaction of wearing something they made themselves.

In our world it's unrealistic to expect all children to learn to sew--I only bring it up as an example. But we should be providing our children with a variety of practical skills even if not every one will turn out to be useful later in life.

The "I Can" Exercise

From Aidel Maidel

You have 15 minutes to make a list of sentences that start with "I can." You aren't supposed to edit it, either.

Here's mine.

1. I can read two novels at once, and keep the plots straight.
2. I can type fast.
3. I can blog.
4. I can apologize when needed.
5. I can negotiate between a lot of different people to solve a problem.
6. I can explain complicated ideas in a simple way.
7. I can drive a car.
8. I can explain what forms of birth control are compatible with nursing.
9. I can distinguish between giving information and support, and giving advice.
10. I can cook for Shabbat in two hours.
11. I can drive a stick shift.
12. I can run a group.
13. I can meet someone for the first time, and within 5 minutes have them telling me their life story.
14. I can meet someone for the first time, and not have them tell me their life story within five minutes.
15. I can plan a menu that is varied in color, texture, and nutrition and appropriate for the time of year.
16. I can make tables in Word documents.
17. I can catch a spelling mistake from a mile away.
18. I can finish a blog post in an hour.
19. I can spend several days writing a blog post.
20. I can pinpoint what to do to change the tone of someone's writing.
21. I can reply to silly blog memes.
22. I can brush my teeth.
23. I can get myself dressed.
24. I can make homemade, nutritious meals for a family of eight.
25. I can teach kids to be happy with what they have.
26. I can read a novel in a day.
27. I can write a boring post in reply to a meme, that will cause my readers to go "ho-hum."
28. I can ignore my husband, who is telling me something, because I am not supposed to interrupt myself while doing this meme.
29. I can wonder why I am still doing this, instead of going to sleep.
30. I can sit at the computer on a Thursday evening, instead of cooking.
31. I can wash my floor on Wednesday and need to do it again on Friday.
32. I can agree on Wednesday to host a party on Motzei Shabbat (Saturday evening).
33. I can welcome potential converts from Russian-speaking backgrounds to my Shabbat table and make them feel welcome.
34. I can help these potential converts feel that Judaism is a beautiful thing, even if my kids are about to kill each other.
    
35. I can give myself an extra two minutes, because I am just getting started and I was distracted by my husband.
36. I can give myself permission to stop, even though I know I will think of ten brilliant things immediately.
    

(I ran the spell-check anyway.)