?

Log in

No account? Create an account
entries friends calendar profile Previous Previous Next Next
miscellaneous Pesach blitherings. You probably don't care. It's mostly for my reference. - Karen's Musings
Random Rambling
01:42 pm April 21st, 2005
estherchaya
estherchaya
Share
miscellaneous Pesach blitherings. You probably don't care. It's mostly for my reference.
almost pesach...

I'm now at the point where I like this holiday again. There's always about 3 or 4 days where I despise it, usually around the time I'm procrastinating with my cleaning. But I'm back to getting reasonable amounts of sleep, and I'm at the stage where I know it will all happen (it always does, right?), and I know that at the very least, I'll throw the entire contents of my house into the garage if I have to. More importantly, I know that won't be necessary.

Yipppee.

Space aliens are looking for my kitchen so they can finish building their spaceship.

Cooking tonight. Haven't figured out what. I'll figure it out. I always do, right?

So here are some things that need to be taken care of:
  • high chair
  • dining room
    • table cleaned and covered
    • Chometz cabinets closed and covered
    • Books dealt with or covered
    • Liquor put away or covered.
    • SWEEP & MOP
  • Sunroom
    • Put away Coffee Maker and Urn (and chometz microwave)
    • Clear off Piano
    • Sweep
  • Cry
Oh, well, that doesn't include the cooking. Here are some things that are going to be cooked, but I'm not sure in what order or how much or what's being served when:
  • Hardboil ~1 dozen eggs for egg salad.
  • Cook package of chicken breasts and set aside for chicken salad
  • Mina de Espinaca. Not sure if I'll do this yet. Definitely for the last days, but not sure about before that. Thanks to mamadeb for turning me onto this dish a few years ago.
  • Ratatouille Confite au Four. I'll make that tonight and serve with dinner tomorrow. Thanks to magid for the link.
  • Potato Kugel. Maybe.
  • Carrot Soup
  • Matzoh Ball Soup (probably not until last days)
  • Top Rib Roast (that's for tomorrow)
  • Roast Chicken with Potato Stuffing
  • Eggplant Parmesan (last day lunch)
  • Mushrooms, mushrooms, mushrooms! A bazillion of them!
  • Tomato/Basil Salad (note to self, must buy basil)
  • Mashed taters
  • Mashed sweet p'taters
  • Fruit Salad (this is dessert most days)
  • Variety of Green Salads (buy salad stuff)
  • maybe stuffed mushrooms
  • Salmon cakes (last days)
  • Gefilte Fish (lots). Haven't decided whether these will be fish fritters or just boiled fish or a combination. Tomorrow night can't include fritters b/c I can't use matzoh meal for tomorrow. So at least Friday night will be boiled (traditional)
  • For some reason I bought a LOT of broccoli. Whoops. I should probably figure out what to do with it.
  • I also have some extra ground beef. Maybe I'll make hamburgers. Or meatballs. Yeah. Meatballs.
Okay, so those are the things for Pesach for us. As you can see, it's not divided into menus because I suck. But that ought to do us for the week. Plenty of options. Plus there's always matzoh with cream cheese, eggs, more eggs, more eggs, chips, ridiculously bad pesach cereal (for Seth...I've never tried the pesach cereal), lunch meat, babaganoush, turkey breast, mango juice, apple soda (weird, huh?), nectar of the gods (of course), potato sticks, and, um, other stuff. That'll get us through. And if that's not enough, well, tough noogies.

For Julian (a little trickier), I've got:
  • string cheese. (LOTS)
  • Milk (LOTS)
  • Eggs (yes, we get those too)
  • matzoh stuff (including jam to put on the matzoh)
  • hot dogs
  • applesauce (LOTS)
  • strawberry applesauce (almost as much)
  • honeydew
  • bananas (crud, gotta buy more bananas)
  • GRAPES (lots of grapes. he's a grape fiend)
  • er, could that possibly be it?
  • No, I got passover chicken and turkey nuggets. Sounds gross, but hopefully he won't be too picky.
  • Makings for matzah pizza
  • some disgusting looking kosher l'pesach pasta. I won't touch it, but I'm hoping he'll eat it if all else fails.
So that pretty much covers it. Cooking begins tonight. I'm working tomorrow, but hoping to duck out a little early to take care of last minute things. Don't know what I'm serving for shabbos lunch yet. Probably tuna salad and egg salad, and green salad, and um, fruit salad, I guess. Or maybe just leftovers from dinner.

Must remember to leave oven on Friday night. Wishing I'd bought a pesach blech. I'll live.

I think that's it.

Tags: , , ,
Current Mood: accomplished accomplished
28 comments or Leave a comment
Comments
Thread started by magid
magid From: magid Date: April 21st, 2005 06:23 pm (UTC) (Link)
Congrats on getting more sleep; with all this to do, I'm impressed :-).

(I'm too nervous leaving my oven on for yom tov, plus it heats up the house too much. I put an electric burner on a timer for actual cooking, and assume I'll get any baking done in advance, to be reheated on the plata.)
(Reply) (Thread)
estherchaya From: estherchaya Date: April 21st, 2005 06:33 pm (UTC) (Link)
well, I have a gas stove, so I can turn that on and off. I suppose I could just rely on that and use chafing dishes to heat anything up that I need. Hrm.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
magid From: magid Date: April 21st, 2005 06:44 pm (UTC) (Link)
I have a gas stove too, but it doesn't have a pilot, so my understanding is that while I could light it, I couldn't turn it off again, and I'm too nervous about leaving open flame going.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
estherchaya From: estherchaya Date: April 21st, 2005 06:46 pm (UTC) (Link)
depends on who you ask.
My rabbi allows for skipping over the starter bit so that you just open up the gas line. Then use a match (from a transferred flame, not a new flame) to light the burner. Some rabbis will not then allow you to turn it off. Many say it's just fine.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
Thread started by stronger than she thinks
hopeness From: hopeness Date: April 21st, 2005 06:26 pm (UTC) (Link)
I am in awe. I'm trying to figure out what we'll eat tonight as were in "transition" and of course we can't eat matzoh yet... I guess it's going to be potatoes and eggs.
Your eggs thing made me laugh because I told B all we're going to eat is eggs, eggs, eggs and matzoh, eggs and eggs.
We got dishes at the dollar store last night. We each have a fork and knife, plate, bowl and mug. And three teaspoons, for some reason. We'll have one pot, I think. And we're absolutely only eating dairy/pareve stuff. I keep telling myself it's only a week. Next year I hope I can be prepared. We're far from perfect this year but at least I'm making the effort!
(Reply) (Thread)
estherchaya From: estherchaya Date: April 21st, 2005 06:52 pm (UTC) (Link)
I've been doing this longer than you.

You can eat any number of things. Eggs, cheese, fruit, salad, etc.

Or, you can go out to eat tonight to avoid the transition.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
Thread started by changing
From: geekosaur Date: April 21st, 2005 06:40 pm (UTC) (Link)
Pesach noodles, although probably too late for this year.
(Reply) (Thread)
estherchaya From: estherchaya Date: April 21st, 2005 06:50 pm (UTC) (Link)
Not too late. I've got all those ingredients at home. I'll try it if I'm desperate to find things Julian will eat. In general I tend to avoid substitutes for Pesach for non-Pesadik things. I find it very hard to believe that people can't go 8 days without salsa and donuts and pasta even if they don't eat those things the rest of the year. So for me, I don't care about Pasta. I'm just worried about having enough that Julian will eat. Fortunately, he's been on a huge fruit kick lately, so at the very least, I know he'll eat grapes and drink milk.

Thanks!
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
magid From: magid Date: April 21st, 2005 06:56 pm (UTC) (Link)
I agree about the Pseach substitutes, but I'm curious why you included salsa with the donuts, pasta, and (my personal favorite) rugelah mix. I mean, salsa's made of veggies that are fine...
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
estherchaya From: estherchaya Date: April 21st, 2005 07:01 pm (UTC) (Link)
no I know. I'm just amused by Passover salsa. I'm not sure why. I mean, there's nothing wrong with salsa from a pesach perspective. I just think it's weird that there's a special KLP version.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
magid From: magid Date: April 21st, 2005 07:04 pm (UTC) (Link)
Huh. I never thought it strange. I guess my reaction is reserved for more starchy items.

I'm planning to bake gefilte loaves with salsa on top (and maybe some ratatouille veggies on the side).
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
estherchaya From: estherchaya Date: April 21st, 2005 07:11 pm (UTC) (Link)
I think in general I get amused at the processed foods people can't live without. I don't refrain from all processed foods, but there's a point at which I just step back and stop. If I really wanted salsa during pesach, I'd make it. Because, seriously, how well can Manischevitz make salsa????? Ick. Though your baked gefilte fish with salsa idea has merit. I'd been considering something similar (tomato sauce and veggies...but you know, not SO different). Hrm. Maybe for THAT I would buy Pesach salsa.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
ichur72 From: ichur72 Date: April 21st, 2005 07:33 pm (UTC) (Link)
I decided to leave most processed foods a lone a few years ago after buying a box of garlic mashed potato mix. It was dreadful (and not even garlicky!). I bet the box would have tasted better than what was inside.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
estherchaya From: estherchaya Date: April 21st, 2005 07:37 pm (UTC) (Link)
ew. I never buy that stuff. Though I've been known to buy latke mix. Manischevitz latkes are completely different than fresh. Something about those freeze dried potatoes I just can't resist. :-D
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
magid From: magid Date: April 21st, 2005 07:34 pm (UTC) (Link)
Ah, I get it. I guess I live fine for weeks on end without salsa, but I do buy it the rest of the year, rather than make it (though I suppose if I wanted any non-mainstream salsa, I'd make it), so it doesn't feel as odd. Oh, and I use salsa, and spicy red pepper spreads, and other such things routinely instead of crushed tomatoes/tomato sauce, because I like the heat. And in cooked things, it doesn't matter quite as much how excellent the salsa is.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
ichur72 From: ichur72 Date: April 21st, 2005 07:27 pm (UTC) (Link)
The odd thing -- IMHO, at least -- is that it's easier to find KLP salsa than plain ol' regular salsa. Most of the national brands I've seen down here are not certified at all, and those that are have heckshers we don't go by. Yet when Pesach approaches, jars of KLP salsa from some heimish company suddenly appear. It puzzles me.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
estherchaya From: estherchaya Date: April 21st, 2005 07:28 pm (UTC) (Link)
tee hee. that's funny. So what you're saying is that I should actually stock up?
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
ichur72 From: ichur72 Date: April 21st, 2005 07:33 pm (UTC) (Link)
Depends on what the salsa-flow situation is in Silver Spring. We don't eat it all that often, but if we did I would stock up at Pesach.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
magid From: magid Date: April 21st, 2005 07:34 pm (UTC) (Link)
salsa-flow situation is in Silver Spring
Now I'm thinking of the Boston molasses flood...
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
kmelion From: kmelion Date: April 22nd, 2005 04:43 am (UTC) (Link)
If you have a Wal-Mart or Sam's Club, the Sam's brand of salsas are kosher...or at least a few of their flavors are. We fell in love with their lime-accented salsa and their white corn and bean salsa.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
ichur72 From: ichur72 Date: April 22nd, 2005 12:55 pm (UTC) (Link)
Oooooh ... that is good to know. The nearest Wal-Mart is a 30-40 minute drive, but Sam's Club is very close.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
Thread started by name, schmame
either_or From: either_or Date: April 21st, 2005 06:48 pm (UTC) (Link)
gah. i'm already hungry. and you have to go and rub things like roast chicken and sweet potatoes in my face.

well, not literally. if that were the case, i wouldn't complain!
(Reply) (Thread)
estherchaya From: estherchaya Date: April 21st, 2005 06:50 pm (UTC) (Link)
sorry.

Come visit!
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
Thread started by G
From: gingy Date: April 21st, 2005 07:13 pm (UTC) (Link)
You sound like you'll get it all done like always.

How many days can you not cook/work?
(Reply) (Thread)
estherchaya From: estherchaya Date: April 21st, 2005 07:27 pm (UTC) (Link)
Well there's shabbos. So Friday night to Saturday night.
Saturday night. That's unrelated to Passover.

Passover Starts Saturday night, and we can't work for the first two days. So that brings us to Monday night. EXCEPT, on Passover, we can cook. So long as we're only specifically cooking for that day. (remembering that the day is sundown to sundown. So Saturday night I can cook for Sunday lunch, but not for Sunday dinner. This isn't likely to happen since Saturday night and Sunday night are seders, so I'll be busy with those, rather than cooking, but that's not the point)

Then we can do whatever (within certain limits) until the 7th and 8th days of Passover, which are the same restrictions as the first two days.

So Friday night through Monday night and then Friday night through Sunday night are all no work days.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
kmelion From: kmelion Date: April 22nd, 2005 04:44 am (UTC) (Link)
::giggles like a maniac since she only has until Sunday this week, and Sat. night next week::
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
estherchaya From: estherchaya Date: April 22nd, 2005 04:50 am (UTC) (Link)
Rub it in, will ya?

Actually, I like the extra day. And I definitely like the extra seder. I think I'd be sad if I didn't have two sedarim.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
magid From: magid Date: April 22nd, 2005 11:39 am (UTC) (Link)
I'm also a fan of two sedarim. Somehow having just one meant (the 2 years I was in Israel) that there wasn't time to think about the seder more. The first one everyone's tired out from preparation, but the second one is easier, and people have been thinking about whatever good questions came up the night before, and so on.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
28 comments or Leave a comment
profile
Karen
Name: Karen
calendar
Back December 2015
12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031
page summary
tags