HAPPY PASSOVER

Sorry I didn't write on Friday...it has been very hectic here with Pessach and everything. First again thank you for writing and phoning and caring...means a lot...a whole lot.

After coming back from the hospital, I was wiped out and spent the next weekend in bed. Then Sunday morning, for some unknown reason, I decided to get up and clean the freezer for Pessach.

Now, I don't know what it's like in your house...but by me Pessach is Pessach. My husband, bless him started cleaning while I was busy with my DIL (daughterinlaw), so I didn't have to do the heavy stuff.

And between you and me, I didn't pull apart all my cupboards this year like I usually do...I just did the fridge and the stove and the gas burners and tied off all the cupboards with yarn.

That left the cooking. Pessach came in last night which made it kind of tricky as that meant Friday/Saturday/Sunday. In Israel we only have one seder, ptew, and as my oldest son is the religious one we usually go to their house for seder.

Thursday I went over and started cooking at their house. Sweetsie Tootsie and Sweetsie Girl were just thrilled with Bubbie being there...we are deeply in love, sigh.

My husband is from Kurdistan and there are specialities for every holiday. The biggie for Pessach is that instead of the usual salt water and eggs, they have slices of salty roast meat and hard boiled eggs. When the boys were children they used to break the eggs over each other's heads...cute but ouch. Now we just peel them and eat them with the salty meat. Actually delicious. So I started preparing the meat and let it cook for about four hours. Meanwhile I made a chicken soup and knaidlach (matzah balls) and the hard boiled eggs.

Got home pooped and still had to clear out the kitchen to turn it over for Pessach the next morning.

Friday a.m. I took out and washed the pots and pans and cutlery dishes and glasses and new everything...condiments/tea/coffee/sugar/etc etc...everything has to have a lable stating that it is kosher for passover and set everything up on my, now empty, counters and began cooking for our place.

More roast meat/chicken/chicken soup/knaidlach/salad...the works. But once it is done and the table is set it is so special.

One of the main parts of the seder is the charosets...represents the mortar the Jews had to use in order to make bricks in Egypt. In my house, Bubbie Channah chopped apples and nuts with a little wine. In my husbands household it was made differently.

Here is the recipe and trust me it is beyond delicious.

1 kilo date honey...silan it is called here.
1/4 kilo walnuts
1/4 kilo peanuts
1/4 kilo red sesame seeds

roast and grind the nuts
when the honey begins to boil add 1/4 cup of water and slowly add the nut mixture stirring to make sure there are no lumps
cook on a low flame for ten minutes
transfer to jars

While I was at the kids' cooking, Sweetsie Tootsie, who will be six soon, tfu tfu tfu, asked me what I thought about an ambulance driver, a policeman or a fireman.
I asked if he was talking about his purim costume for next year.
'No, Bubbie. For what I want to be when I grow up.'
I asked him if he thought he'd like to be a Rabbi.
He decided to think about that.

When I told Bubbie Channah about the conversation she said, 'Marallyn, you forgot to mention maybe a doctor a lawyer or a dentist?'

:)))

We had a great seder last night. The family was wonderful, the kids were delightful, and then close to midnight we drove Bubbie Channah home and my husband and Joe College and myself went to the seder outside of the Prime Minister's house.

Close to sixty people from all over the country gave up their seders with their families to protest the fact that our three boys are still not home...What makes this night different from all the 674 other nights??? VEY!!!

We showed up after our seder. Tens of others showed up after their seders. It was a very moving and important evening.

The press was out. The Prime Minister didn't come near. Shame on him. But then that's a whole other blog.

I hope you had a wonderful seder. For those of you who don't celebrate Pessach, thanks for listening.

Have a great day...stay safe...and thanks for dropping in.