Friday, March 20, 2015

PASSOVER IDEAS, PREPARATION AND MANY RECIPES,
 VEGETARIAN AND MORE.
 JUST TYPE PASSOVER IN THE UPPER SPACE AND SEE MANY RECIPES.
  9/3/2009
 7/3/2015  14/3/2013
16/3 2009
11/2 2009
 27/2/2010   AND MANY MORE

ENJOY THE FESTIVAL   . MAKE IT JOY AND FUN

Sunday, March 15, 2015

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Saturday, March 7, 2015

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MENUS FOR PASSOVER.

This week you have to take time to create menus and shop for it all. Let the meals be easy organized, and with double cooking and baking, you will have a relaxed and pleasant 
week.. Do what ever you can do today. The stores and parking are difficult and at the last minute unexpected issues crop up……use today efficiently.

Take time to cool food properly anr store carefully, Keep the fridge organized and not over crowded with items you do not need. Cool drinks can be kept elsewhere and water can be chiiled with ice cubes on Passover day. Ice cube trays can be used for relishes, pesto and chopped parsley that is mixed with olive oil. This can be used for cooking all week. 


The Seder requires a lot of cooking and last minute work. Once the cleaning is done and the Passover plates, cutlery and dishes are in place, you can start to cook. I always do the main course first and while they need attending to in the oven, I make the soup and prepare one dessert. The Passover plate needs a little planning and that can be done with the help of the kids during the day of Passover Seder.

Have the wines and drinks ready ahead of time. Buy the cans you need, the condiments, chrain, sauces and relishes now. Buy the gifts and candies today.
Now for ideas for meals……count how many adults and kids. Who is vegetarian? Any people who have special diets.? How many babies who need pureed food?????????????? Now make a large sheet and on it write people, days, breakfast, lunch, supper. Tea time treats.

SEDER. 
You need Matzos and the pieces for AFIKOMEN
The bowl to wash hands. Little towels to dry hands.
Saltwater to dip Karpas in.
Charoset. Make a large bowl of this with lots of nuts that are ground. Be aware that some kids cannot digest nuts or are allergic. For those I make charoset with dates, raisins and orange juice. .
Hard boiled eggs for everyone.
Soup and matzo balls. 
I make a very large platter with olives, cucumbers, asparagus, carrot sticks, sliced peppers, tomatoes and boiled eggs. Have chrain and charoset on the tray as a relish. This is eaten by everyone and the kids love the choices. I even have chopped parsley, lettuce and baby leaves as a salad..
Beetroot salad is good to have . Look at my beetroot recipes (Sept 17th)
This can be made and kept for a few days.
Carrot Salad (October 11th) this can be eaten the next day too.
Cauliflower, Sweet Potatoes and Baked Potatoes can be done and used the nest day. You just sprinkle olive oil on and bake them,after they are steamed.
Consider having tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers in abundance for quick, fresh salads. Avocadoes make a good dressing with olive oil and herbs. Add orange or lemon juice to make it drizzle.
Tzimmes, that is carrots, onions, garlic and prunes, make a great baked vegetable dish.
Mushrooms are sensational on matzo. Just bake a medley of cut up mushrooms with onions, garlic, herbs and sprinkle olive oil liberally over the mushrooms. You can add white wine, or just add a cup of boiling water and bake covered. I keep them parave and if left over, blend them into a spread for matzo or on omelets.
Potatoes. Roast are the best. Just cut up and pre boil them for 10 minutes. Then season with salt and pepper, rosemary and olive oil. Bake and serve with a little chopped parsley. Sweet Potatoes. I steam sliced potatoes and bake them with a sprinkling of honey and cinnamon and olive oil. Good hot or cold.
Eggplant. I slice a few, arrange in a dish. I cover them with herbs like oregano, vegetable salt, black pepper, a full cup of tomato puree and a cup of boiling water and two tablespoons of olive oil. Cover and bake for thirty minutes. Excellent cold as well.

DESSERTS.

FRUIT KEBABS. 

Simply wash good fruit and cube . Arrange pineapples, Orange slices, Pears, grapes, in fact all the things in season. I cube apples or cut in rounds and steam them and pears. Them I put them on the kebabs with a date, apricot and mixed fruits. This way they do not discolor. 

BAKED APPLES.

Great to make a few days ahead. Easy to warm up and serve for parave pudding with jelly, or with a dairy meal with ice cream..

COOKED APPLES. 
Cook apples and puree them, without the skins, for the babies and the older folk.

BAKED APPLES.

Core twelve apples, prick the skins and place in an oven dish. Fill the centers with cut up apricots, raisins and a little cinnamon. I fill the dish half way with orange juice or water with a tea bag in it. These can be served hot after the main meal, or eaten with a blob of ice cream or yogurt. If you need a quick pie, just blend the apples with a little water and fill a pie dish. For Passover use coconut and butter, in place of flour. Watch for cake recipes next time.

STRAWBERRIES.

Look at my article on Strawberries for quick and easy ideas. (March 11th)




Have fun preparing and I will be in touch when we are in the swing of cooking.

LOVE AND LIGHT……RONA

THE BIG PICTURE, VALUE OF A DAY

THE BIG PICTURE.

We all live a very busy life these days. Sometimes we are tired too early in the day. Others do not sleep at the end of a day. Some people look half asleep most of the day. But in fact, we are all human beings with different natures, attitudes and needs.

When you look at each day, find out what makes it good. Is it the family, your car, the work place, the end of the day, a. good friend? Perhaps a great book, the music you hear while you wind your way through traffic?

I feel my own attitude is what determines how my day will be. When I wake up and need to move into the day, it is me, who will create the blue print for the next 24 hours.

I need to take a few deep breaths and find my diary. With a pen and paper I sort out the lists. I find it easier to jot them down and leave my mind clear for lovely thoughts and time to think during the hours ahead. I sort the page into TO DO and BUY and PAY, REPAIR AND FETCH……………then the times I have appointments, where to go and phone numbers I need that day. I always make my list in columns and write large and clearly.

If the day has serious demands, I know I need to have some time for Meditation and quiet moments to ease the stresses the day could cause. A good cup of tea and a small snack, is calming and restores the body balance. Energy is restored and you can carry on.

Be positive in all you do and plan to spend time with people who are cheerful and bright. Even if we all have problems, there are ways to handle them Some people want to share a cup of coffee, and not listen to all the issues you have in your basket. Their own might be fuller and if listening could solve them all….it would be great. But in fact we need each other to be there to share and enjoy the time we can, away from insoluble problems

You are a reflection of your inner self. A weary dressing gown and slippers, never looks anything but weary. The same with a house coat or apron. It is inscribed with tiredness and exhaustion. Rather get up and get dressed, dab on a little make up and lipstick. Look how you would like to feel. Care to make an effort. The time involved in looking a mess or lovely, is a few minutes. Go for the LOVELY look.

Remember that when family comes home, the ambience, fragrance and warmth of the home, is what makes a heavy day, beautiful.

Skip the horrors of TV, put on good music. Forget about the fancy dessert, just be a smiling person that’ is lovely to be with at dinner.

Find time to speak to each child and once a week go out with hubby, to give him a chance to talk. It does not have to be a whole evening; an hour or two is magic. Show the people around you, that other people matter. They benefit from a little attention and caring time. Put your arm around the one you love and make place for dreams.

LOVE AND LIGHT FOR A WONDERFUL WEEK. RONA

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