It's a holiday so I must be baking.
It was a long weekend filled with driving and soccer.I got home around 3:00 and Larry followed a couple hours later. We briefly considered attending our synagogue's Purim party, but the idea of getting back in the car to do even more driving was very unappealing. Not even the promise of hamantaschen and pizza were able to get us out.
So instead I made us our own hamantaschen. There was much happiness and no regrets.
Showing posts with label purim. Show all posts
Showing posts with label purim. Show all posts
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Happy Purim
This is that is left of the five dozen hamantaschen I baked for today's Purim party.
The bottom two are my standard chocolate filled hamantaschen. The recipes for both the filling and the dough are here and as an added bonus you get to see very cute pictures of Rebecca when she was four and a half years old.
The top two are Caramel Apple Hamantaschen, a new to me variation I found over at The Shiksa in the Kitchen, dulce de leche is added to cooked apples for a delicious little treat.
So yay! I get to use the best ever written recipe and make some dulche de leche.
Rebecca wasn't too sure about the apple filling, but she was more than happy to add it or chocolate to the little circles of dough. We ended up making 2 1/2 dozen of each of the two cookies. Both of the cookies were well received at the party, thus only the four cookies remain. Fortunately for the kids I had squirreled away half or the dough and the left over filling to make more cookies just for us.
The bottom two are my standard chocolate filled hamantaschen. The recipes for both the filling and the dough are here and as an added bonus you get to see very cute pictures of Rebecca when she was four and a half years old.
The top two are Caramel Apple Hamantaschen, a new to me variation I found over at The Shiksa in the Kitchen, dulce de leche is added to cooked apples for a delicious little treat.
So yay! I get to use the best ever written recipe and make some dulche de leche.
Rebecca wasn't too sure about the apple filling, but she was more than happy to add it or chocolate to the little circles of dough. We ended up making 2 1/2 dozen of each of the two cookies. Both of the cookies were well received at the party, thus only the four cookies remain. Fortunately for the kids I had squirreled away half or the dough and the left over filling to make more cookies just for us.
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
Artist of the Week: Hamantaschen
In honor of Purim Rebecca is this week's artist for our hamantaschen.
There is no snow around here, but I going to pretend with this picture of Rebecca for our trip up north. It is technically still winter, dang it. Our almost non-winter did cough up two snowstorms and we did get a snow day. However spring is here with new leaves, daffodils, and forsythia in bloom.
Anyhoodle, back to Purim and the hamantaschen.
Rebecca was very keen on making the hamantaschen this year. On Monday while I was gearing up to make the rugelach, she kept asking about the hamantaschen.
"When will we make them, can we do it now?"
So I told her Tuesday would be the day. I would make the dough while she's at school and it would be ready to go after dinner (I wanted to make sure homework would get done beforehand).
Rebecca has become quite an assistant in the kitchen. As I rolled and cut the dough, she filled the circles with the chocolate filling she helped to prepare.We both folded up the cookies and I can honestly state that for the first time I can't tell which are her cookies. My little girl is becoming quite the cook.
Happy Purim!
There is no snow around here, but I going to pretend with this picture of Rebecca for our trip up north. It is technically still winter, dang it. Our almost non-winter did cough up two snowstorms and we did get a snow day. However spring is here with new leaves, daffodils, and forsythia in bloom.
Anyhoodle, back to Purim and the hamantaschen.
Rebecca was very keen on making the hamantaschen this year. On Monday while I was gearing up to make the rugelach, she kept asking about the hamantaschen.
"When will we make them, can we do it now?"
So I told her Tuesday would be the day. I would make the dough while she's at school and it would be ready to go after dinner (I wanted to make sure homework would get done beforehand).
Rebecca has become quite an assistant in the kitchen. As I rolled and cut the dough, she filled the circles with the chocolate filling she helped to prepare.We both folded up the cookies and I can honestly state that for the first time I can't tell which are her cookies. My little girl is becoming quite the cook.
Happy Purim!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Super Moon Purim
I, along with a million other people, took pictures of the so called super moon on Saturday night. Unfortunately my house is nestled in the woods and I didn't get to see the moon in all its gigantic glory, but I did get this rather interesting shot through the trees surrounding our house.
Interestingly enough a friend noticed that there is almost a six pointed star surrounding the moon. You have to look at the picture in one of the smaller sizes in order to see the effect. Which is very appropriate because this full moon heralds the start of Purim.
So Chag Purim Sameach!
Interestingly enough a friend noticed that there is almost a six pointed star surrounding the moon. You have to look at the picture in one of the smaller sizes in order to see the effect. Which is very appropriate because this full moon heralds the start of Purim.
So Chag Purim Sameach!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Happy Purim!
And nothing says Purim like two dachshunds dressed as penguins!
Well sort of, but the kids are at school and I won't have time to post them in all their finery until tomorrow. This is what I have now.
Anyhoo, I think they are very cute with their little bow ties. I could have picked up some bunny costumes for them dirt cheap at Target last week, but it was just so wrong.
For crying out loud they EAT bunnies. Meryl really wanted me to buy them (ok the bunny ears were cute), but I resisted.
So break out your groggers, John and Dell have, and come celebrate Purim.
Well sort of, but the kids are at school and I won't have time to post them in all their finery until tomorrow. This is what I have now.
Anyhoo, I think they are very cute with their little bow ties. I could have picked up some bunny costumes for them dirt cheap at Target last week, but it was just so wrong.
For crying out loud they EAT bunnies. Meryl really wanted me to buy them (ok the bunny ears were cute), but I resisted.
So break out your groggers, John and Dell have, and come celebrate Purim.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Curaçao Honeymoon
Over at Meryl's Soccer Dad posted about the oldest synagogues in the western hemisphere. Well it turns out that Larry and I visited the oldest, Mikvé Israel-Emanuel, while we were on our honeymoon in Curaçao.We were there in June of 1992 and it was absolutely gorgeous.
After a bit of digging I found a roll from our trip and I'll share a few of the pictures we took of the synagogue and the Jewish Cultural Museum. First up is a picture of the organ and some of the chandeliers inside the sanctuary.
It was beautiful inside the building. My pictures really don't do it justice, the dark mahogany wood, the bright sunlight streaming in and the white paint conspired to confound my film. But I did get a few good shots and if you click through the picture it will lead you to the picture set. I don't remember much, other than the building being very cool and airy inside.
We then ventured forth through the courtyard connecting the museum to the synagogue. Larry is standing the gateway separating the two. Inside the museum were a few artifacts from the Jewish community of Curaçao.
I remember the museum was quite small and we had to go up a flight of stairs. Inside the first thing that caught your eye was the fully set Seder table safely contained by plexi-glass. Nearby was a display of scrolls and judging by the illumination on the bottom one, I think there was at least one megillah. Which is rather ironic. The two things I photographed are about the holiday we just had (Purim) and the one that we are preparing for (Passover).
At the very end of the picture set is the street entrance to the building. It is a rather plain door set in the wall outside the Synagogue. For whatever reason that is the only external picture I have. For a souvenir we picked up a couple of copies of the sisterhood's cookbook in the museum. I'm going to try out a few recipes and post the results at a later date.
After a bit of digging I found a roll from our trip and I'll share a few of the pictures we took of the synagogue and the Jewish Cultural Museum. First up is a picture of the organ and some of the chandeliers inside the sanctuary.
It was beautiful inside the building. My pictures really don't do it justice, the dark mahogany wood, the bright sunlight streaming in and the white paint conspired to confound my film. But I did get a few good shots and if you click through the picture it will lead you to the picture set. I don't remember much, other than the building being very cool and airy inside.
We then ventured forth through the courtyard connecting the museum to the synagogue. Larry is standing the gateway separating the two. Inside the museum were a few artifacts from the Jewish community of Curaçao.
I remember the museum was quite small and we had to go up a flight of stairs. Inside the first thing that caught your eye was the fully set Seder table safely contained by plexi-glass. Nearby was a display of scrolls and judging by the illumination on the bottom one, I think there was at least one megillah. Which is rather ironic. The two things I photographed are about the holiday we just had (Purim) and the one that we are preparing for (Passover).
At the very end of the picture set is the street entrance to the building. It is a rather plain door set in the wall outside the Synagogue. For whatever reason that is the only external picture I have. For a souvenir we picked up a couple of copies of the sisterhood's cookbook in the museum. I'm going to try out a few recipes and post the results at a later date.
Monday, March 17, 2008
IEATAPETA and More
Saturday was IEATAPETA and we celebrated in style. We had all sorts of meat products and rounded off the day by having dinner with Meryl at our favorite local BBQ joint.
Meat, it's what's for dinner.
I'm a big fan of IEATAPETA, not only do I get to indulge my carnivorous tendencies but I also get to thumb my nose at peta, an organization I utterly loathe.
Then on Sunday was Hebrew school's Purim Parade. Jake and Nate didn't dress up, but the dynamic duo did. Max wanted to be a guard and wanted to bring a spear to school. I was able to cobble together something from a short mop handle and construction paper. Max was very pleased with the end result. Rebecca opted to be Queen Ester (as did every other girl) and wear her big princess dress along with a matching wand and tiara set. Thankfully she decided to wear her sneakers and not her dress up shoes. Her "fancy shoes" are very slippery and would have been nightmare for her to walk in when we cut through the side streets after parking the car.
Neither won any prizes, but they did have a great time.
Meat, it's what's for dinner.
I'm a big fan of IEATAPETA, not only do I get to indulge my carnivorous tendencies but I also get to thumb my nose at peta, an organization I utterly loathe.
Then on Sunday was Hebrew school's Purim Parade. Jake and Nate didn't dress up, but the dynamic duo did. Max wanted to be a guard and wanted to bring a spear to school. I was able to cobble together something from a short mop handle and construction paper. Max was very pleased with the end result. Rebecca opted to be Queen Ester (as did every other girl) and wear her big princess dress along with a matching wand and tiara set. Thankfully she decided to wear her sneakers and not her dress up shoes. Her "fancy shoes" are very slippery and would have been nightmare for her to walk in when we cut through the side streets after parking the car.
Neither won any prizes, but they did have a great time.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
The Whole Megillah
In case y'all were wondering here is what our megillah looks like. I used Jake's rose to hold it open so you can get a glimpse of the text and the pretty illumination at the beginning of the scroll.
The text is quite faded at the start of the scroll, but as you unwind it the inks brighten up and are no longer faded. There is only one other illustration and it appears at the very end of the scroll. It is similar to the one at the start, which is to be expected.
For those who are interested this site gives a good run down on what a megillah is and how it is made. I love the pictures of the illuminated scrolls on the opening page. My Grandmother would have liked them as well.
In addition to the main scroll is a smaller square of parchment wrapped around the scroll.
I've included it as well. It's writing has held up better than the start of the main megillah, probably because it has edges you can hold without touching the text. It's small size also means that you needn't run your finger along the text to keep your place. I have a feeling that the scroll has been handled a great deal which caused the fading. Ideally a pointer or yad should be used to prevent fingers from coming in contact with the parchment. The oils on fingers can wreak havoc on the scroll itself.
At some point I need to bring this in to a scholar and try to figure out it's age and probable land of origin. But for now I'll keep it safe. It's interesting how it was rescued, unwittingly, by a gentile (my Grandmother) to only end up back in a Jewish home.
The text is quite faded at the start of the scroll, but as you unwind it the inks brighten up and are no longer faded. There is only one other illustration and it appears at the very end of the scroll. It is similar to the one at the start, which is to be expected.
For those who are interested this site gives a good run down on what a megillah is and how it is made. I love the pictures of the illuminated scrolls on the opening page. My Grandmother would have liked them as well.
In addition to the main scroll is a smaller square of parchment wrapped around the scroll.
I've included it as well. It's writing has held up better than the start of the main megillah, probably because it has edges you can hold without touching the text. It's small size also means that you needn't run your finger along the text to keep your place. I have a feeling that the scroll has been handled a great deal which caused the fading. Ideally a pointer or yad should be used to prevent fingers from coming in contact with the parchment. The oils on fingers can wreak havoc on the scroll itself.
At some point I need to bring this in to a scholar and try to figure out it's age and probable land of origin. But for now I'll keep it safe. It's interesting how it was rescued, unwittingly, by a gentile (my Grandmother) to only end up back in a Jewish home.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Letting Go
Yesterday in honor of Purim we made hamantashen. I have a hard time letting the kids help me bake. Oh I’m happy to let them add ingredients and stir, but with the actual finishing touches I’m loath to let them loose. It is important to me that the food looks right as well as be delicious. Presentation is important; food should be a feast for the eyes, nose and mouth.
Yesterday I actually let go for a little bit.
At first only Rebecca was interested. She help mixed the ingredients and carefully supervised all additions to the dough. After the dough was properly chilled I rolled out a portion and proceeded to cut out a few circles. Rebecca was intrigued by the chocolate filling and I let her put a few dollops on the circles of cookie dough. She did a decent job at first, and then she got a little over exuberant and started overloading the cookies. After scraping up a bit of the excess filling I suggested that maybe I should take over. At this point she had her fill and happily relinquished the spoon.
Then Jake asked to help out. I was rolling out the dough at the time and decided he could cut out the cookies.
It is just the kind of job he likes. The plastic goblet I use as a circular cookie cutter fit well in his hand and he enjoyed puzzling out how many he could cut out each time.
Meanwhile Nate wanted to help too. So I took a deep breath and let him fold the cookies.
He a made a few squishy ones, and some had their filling squirt out, but he did listen and learn.
Max and Rebecca were fascinated and were eagerly anticipating the finished treats.
And this is how they turned out.
They look good and taste marvelous. Next time they’ll be even better.
Yesterday I actually let go for a little bit.
At first only Rebecca was interested. She help mixed the ingredients and carefully supervised all additions to the dough. After the dough was properly chilled I rolled out a portion and proceeded to cut out a few circles. Rebecca was intrigued by the chocolate filling and I let her put a few dollops on the circles of cookie dough. She did a decent job at first, and then she got a little over exuberant and started overloading the cookies. After scraping up a bit of the excess filling I suggested that maybe I should take over. At this point she had her fill and happily relinquished the spoon.
Then Jake asked to help out. I was rolling out the dough at the time and decided he could cut out the cookies.
It is just the kind of job he likes. The plastic goblet I use as a circular cookie cutter fit well in his hand and he enjoyed puzzling out how many he could cut out each time.
Meanwhile Nate wanted to help too. So I took a deep breath and let him fold the cookies.
He a made a few squishy ones, and some had their filling squirt out, but he did listen and learn.
Max and Rebecca were fascinated and were eagerly anticipating the finished treats.
And this is how they turned out.
They look good and taste marvelous. Next time they’ll be even better.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Purim
Last night we headed over to Temple for Purim. I love the whole atmosphere; for once my children can be noisy, in fact they are even encouraged. It was a small crowd this year, but a very warm one. The Rabbi was in rare form and it was one of the funniest Megillah readings I’ve ever heard.
As usual the kids all dressed up. Nate had baseball practice (which actually occurred as opposed to last year) and stuck with his baseball uniform.
Once again Rebecca was royalty. She portrayed Queen Esther and got to wear her Cinderella dress with matching shoes, scepter and crown.
Jake, on the other hand, was truly inspired this year. He decided he was going to be Darth Haman, all he needed was a tricorne hat. We headed out Saturday afternoon to pick one up at our local party supply store. I figured with the popularity of Pirates of the Caribbean I should be able to find a pirate hat. Sadly they were out of the fancy version, but they did have a cheap plastic one for children. I peeled off the skull and crossbones sticker and he was good to go. He wore the hat with his Darth Vader costume sans mask and the final result was quite good.
In this picture Queen Esther looks a bit distressed being near the combined evilness of Haman and Darth Vader.
While we were at the party store Max admired a crown in the Mardi Gras section and decided he would be the king. Of course nothing is simple with Max and he had to refuse at least one part of his costume. He happily wore his crown, dress shirt and pants, but he balked at the cape.
And as usual, halfway through the evening he changed his mind.
Of course the service wouldn’t be complete without graggers.
The dynamic duo carefully selected their weapons and proceeded to have a gragger battle.
It’s a good thing they are so cute.
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