Our Shiputzim: A Work In Progress

The poor step-sister of Shabbat kugels

2009-11-09T19:21:00.001+02:00

You’ve got to feel sorry for lukshen kugel.

I mean, in the Shabbat kugel pantheon, it always gets short shrift.

Because no matter how you slice it (pun intended), lukshen kugel just doesn’t have the same mouthwatering cachet as fresh, hot, hand-grated potato kugel.

Nostalgic interjection: Interestingly, my grandmother a”h held the opposite view. Studded with bits of chopped meat, her lukshen kugel came replete with a crisp crust and was considered to be the ultimate Shabbat side dish. In contrast, she felt that potato kugel wasn’t elegant enough for Shabbat and should be relegated to weekday meals. </nostalgia>

Yet here in TRLEOOB*, it’s potato kugel that gets star billing.

But don’t get me wrong. I like lukshen kugel as much as the next blogger.

After all, notwithstanding its lowly status, lukshen kugel is still delicious. And in fact, since its preparation involves neither peeling nor grating, lukshen kugel is my go-to side dish when I’m pressed for time and energy.

Yet, before lukshen kugel could become a mainstay of the Shiputzim kitchen, I first had to resolve two issues:

1) Sweetness - In keeping with my Lithuanian forebears, I was raised exclusively on so-called salt-and-pepper lukshen kugels. However, YZG and the kids enjoy a touch of sweetness, and so I learned to make what a guest once oxymoronically but accurately referred to as a “sweet salt and pepper kugel”.

2) Margarine - Over the past few years, I slowly phased margarine out of our diets. But since my favorite lukshen kugel recipe called for 100 grams of margarine (i.e. just under half a cup), I simply stopped making lukshen kugel.

Until, that is, I saw Leora’s lukshen kugel post and was inspired to adapt my recipe. Here’s the result:

Sweet Salt and Pepper Lukshen Kugel

Ingredients

500 grams noodles
2-3 soupspoons vegetable oil
6 eggs (5 eggs would probably be fine)
1/2 cup sugar (use much less for a more traditional taste)
About 1 tsp salt
Pepper to taste (we like it peppery)

Directions

Cook noodles. Drain and rinse quickly with cold water. Return noodles to pot, and toss with the oil. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Place in an oiled 9x13 baking pan, and drizzle a little extra oil on top. Bake at 375 degrees for an hour and a quarter or until the top is golden brown.

!בתאבון

_________

*TRLEOOB=the real life equivalent of our blog

Fun and Games Friday: True confession edition

2009-11-06T00:36:00.001+02:00

No one reads this blog, right?

Good.

Because otherwise, I’d be uncomfortable admitting that… I’ve developed quite the KenKen habit.

Known as “Sudoku on steroids”, KenKen – unlike the original – is all about arithmetic. Essentially, it’s one big math problem.

It’s fun, challenging, and – as I noted above – highly addictive.

And now that I’ve shared this little secret, it’s your turn: What’s your favorite online vice (other than blogging, of course)?

Come on, don’t be shy.

After all, there’s no one here but you and me…

!שבת שלום ומבורך

At least he said “please”…

2009-11-04T23:15:00.001+02:00

This past Shabbat (Parshat Lech Lecha), a certain gan-age child of my acquaintance (ACGAC) was telling us about the parsha.

Brief digression: As usual, most – if not all – of what ACGAC said was based on the Midrash, rather than the pshat. I sometimes wonder if preschool teachers should be placing more emphasis on the actual text. What do you think? </Digression>

Anyway, everyone at the table enjoyed the presentation. To the gannenet’s credit, ACGAC had been taught well and had much to say.

And although the handful of charming errors and adorable Heblishisms elicited a couple of hastily suppressed giggles, for the most part, everyone was dutifully trying to hide their amusement from the young speaker.

But then ACGAC reached the part in the story where Avraham is thrown into the kivshan ha’esh (the “fiery furnace”).

At that point, most of those in attendance burst out laughing, while the more restrained members of ACGAC’s audience attempted - with varying degrees of success - to wipe the broad smiles off their faces.

You see, according to ACGAC, Nimrod politely asked Avraham’s father, Terach:

“Will you please give me your baby so I can kill him?”

The calm, matter-of-fact tone in which ACGAC said this line brought the house down…

Gannenet Appreciation Day

2009-11-03T16:29:00.001+02:00

Warning: This post may exceed the recommended daily allowance of snarkiness. Proceed at your own risk.

****

The thing about Israeli gannenets is that it’s very easy to make fun of them, and as long time readers know, I’ve taken ample advantage of this convenient fact.

Indeed, I’ve frequently ~~mocked~~ discussed with obvious love and affection gannenets’ many foibles and idiosyncrasies – including their pyromaniac tendencies, the ritualistic pageantry of gan birthday parties, and, of course, the bizarre gan meeting.

And so, it’s only fair that I also give them credit where it’s due – namely, their innate resourcefulness.

You see, their creative, never-say-die attitude is what enables them to ~~erect straw men~~ identify pressing problems and then skillfully ~~knock them down~~ devise clever and original solutions.

Here are two examples:

I. The neglected holiday

Problem: Coming, as it does, at the tail end of the festival-laden month of Tishrei, Simchat Torah always gets short shrift in most curricula.

Solution: Gannenets don’t even try to cover Simchat Torah before the holiday. Instead, they use the “hakafot shniyot” model and throw a big party on Friday, Erev Parshat Breishit. Decked out in their most elegant kacholavan, the kids dance, sing, and imbibe inordinate amounts of candy.

Ahh, good times, good times…

II. The missing season

Problem: In a recent post, Mother in Israel discussed autumn in Israel – or the lack thereof. As she correctly observes, there’s no real transition between summer and winter. Furthermore, aside from a few noted exceptions, the traditional signs of fall – i.e. the brilliant foliage, that crisp autumn air, etc. - simply don’t exist here in Israel.

Solution: Israeli gannenets teach that autumn in Israel is nonetheless significant, because it heralds the arrival of the… nachlieli (white wagtail).

The gannenets ensure that their young charges are very familiar with the distinctive, long-tailed, black-and-white bird. In fact, even as adults, Israelis of every stripe can still easily pick the nachlieli out of a bird lineup.

Moreover, the gannenets stress, seeing a nachlieli is a joyous and momentous occasion.

Thus, last week, a certain gan-age child of my acquaintance came home bursting with exciting news. The breathless report soon followed: They had gone on a siyur stav (literally, “an autumn tour” – i.e. a nature walk), and – guess what?! – they SAW TWO NACHLIELIS!!! (Space considerations prevent me from including the full complement of exclamation points, but I think you get the general idea…)

And so, dear readers, the next time an obscure blogger sets his or her sights on the much maligned and often misunderstood gannenet, please refer them to this post in order ~~to provide them with further ammunition~~ to remind them to appreciate all that the gannenet has to offer…

P.S. On a serious note, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the incredibly dedicated and talented gannenets who have done – and continue to do - such a wonderful job educating the Shiputzim children over the years.

HH 241

2009-11-02T14:02:00.001+02:00

The latest edition of Haveil Havalim is available here.

Special thanks to Simply Jews for including two of my posts:

Physical Fitness Friday: “We’re not in Kansas anymore” edition

2009-10-29T22:51:00.001+02:00

Recently, the Resident Ulpanistit got a 95 on a test.

Now, I realize that no one wants to read a long, dull post about all of the Shiputzim children’s amazing accomplishments BA”H.

But I just had to share the Resident Ulpanistit’s grade with you, because, you see, her test was on… handstands.

Yes, handstands.

I’m sure you’ll all agree that nothing more needs to be said, and so I’ll conclude with the Resident Ulpanistit’s explanation:

“I got 90, because I stood on my hands with only one girl holding me up. (If two girls hold you up, you get 80, and if no one holds you up, you get 100.) And then I got another 5 points for hishtadlut (effort)…”

You can’t make this stuff up.

!שבת שלום ומבורך

The truth is in the, er, appliances??

2009-10-28T17:50:00.001+02:00

Good morning, class.

As you’ll recall, we’re in the middle of our unit on the American oleh, and today we’re going to learn how to figure out which year an oleh arrived in Israel.

Now, as we’ve discussed many times, there are many clues which can give us a general idea:

What is the ratio of Heblish to English in the oleh’s speech?
Are his clothes and shoes mostly Israeli or mostly American?
Is he willing and able to ask personal questions?
How late does he arrive at smachot?
Does he say “Shabbos” or “Shabbat”?
How well has he mastered the Official Israeli Double Simcha Kiss^TM?

And so on.

The answers to these questions should help you determine whether the oleh is just off the boat or else a veteran Israeli.

But what should you do if you want to know the exact year he arrived?

No problem.

Get yourself invited to his home*, and check out his… household appliances.

Yes, you read that correctly.

You see, everyone who made aliyah in a given year has the exact. same. major appliances.

For instance, anyone who made aliyah from the US circa 1998 – as we did – probably brought most or all of the following items on their lift:

A Maytag washer and dryer
An Admiral (or Maytag or Magic Chef) self-cleaning gas stove (More on this oven coming soon...)
A GE Profile refrigerator
A Miele dishwasher

Feel free to try this [more or less] fail-safe technique* for accurately guessing an oleh’s aliyah date.

You’ll be the hit of the party as you amaze your friends and relatives with your uncanny abilities…

_________

* Void where prohibited. The Our Shiputzim management is neither responsible nor liable for any adverse results or undesirable outcomes. :-)

News from around the J-Blogosphere

2009-10-27T16:17:00.001+02:00

1) The latest edition of Haveil Havalim is available here. Special thanks to Artzeinu for including my alternate blog names post.

BTW, be sure to check out the comment section for more great name suggestions. In fact, in addition to all the very funny ideas listed there, commenter and guest blogger Malke had a serious one: “Shirbutim” (שירבוטים – literally, doodles or scribbles) – which is what I’d probably use if I ever did decide to change the blog name for real…

2) The latest Kosher Cooking Carnival is available here. Special thanks to Mimi, who not only included my sweet and sour meatballs post but also inspired me to write it in the first place!

Heblish: “I’m going to have to sit down for that” edition

2009-10-25T18:06:00.001+02:00

Shavua tov!

The Our Shiputzim Complaints Department has officially notified me that many of our readers aren’t pleased.

Apparently, they’re annoyed that not only haven’t I blogged since last Tuesday, but it’s been over two months since my last Heblish post.

Mea culpa.

But before I get around to rectifying this inexcusable lapse, commenter and guest blogger Malke submitted the following:

“My son was quoting from some parshan (commentator) that ‘אין שמחה אלא בישיבת ארץ ישראל’ (‘there’s no joy unless one dwells in Eretz Yisrael’), and so he explained that, ‘we can’t be truly happy unless we're sitting in Eretz Yisrael.’ Because, you see, if we happen to be standing, it's just not the same…”

And now, without further ado, here’s yet another batch of entries from the Official Our Shiputzim Heblish-English Dictionary:

Go over a [negative] mitzvah: Hebrew source – לעבור על לאו. English definition – Transgress a negative mitzvah. Sample usage - “If you eat bread on Pesach, you go over the issur of eating chametz.”

In X shekel: Hebrew source – שקל X-ב. English definition – For X shekels; at X shekels. Sample usage – “That store is having a sale. They’re selling tops in 20 shekels.”

In its place: Hebrew source – במקום. English definition –Appropriate. Sample usage – “His comment was in its place.”

Scared from: Hebrew source – …לפחד מ. English definition – Scared of. Sample usage – “On my way to school, I passed a big dog, and I was scared from it.”

Dots: Hebrew source – נקודות. English definition – Points. Sample usage – “I had seven dots, but she had ten dots. So, she won the game.”

Previous Heblish editions are available here: Heblish I, Heblish II, Heblish III, Heblish IV, Heblish V, Heblish VI, and Heblish VII.

A blog by any other name

2009-10-20T19:25:00.001+02:00

The problem with having “an irrelevant and misleading” [see sidebar at right] blog name is that it’s, well, irrelevant and misleading.

But adopting a new moniker at this stage of the game isn’t as easy as a hop, skip, and a mouse click either.

I mean, what about brand recognition? What about the legions of worldwide fans? What about all those water cooler discussions about the latest post? What about--

Yeah.

I guess I can change this blog’s name after all…

So, here are some of the shortlisted suggestions*:

Our Shipudim – The life and times of an early 21st century carnivore
Our Shikorim – The life and times of an early 21st century drunk
Our Shikulim – The life and times of an early 21st century weight watcher
Our Shizufim – The life and times of an early 21st century beach bum
Our Shidurim – The life and times of an early 21st century television personality
Our Shiputim – The life and times of an early 21st century referee
Our Shivukim – The life and times of an early 21st century retailer
Our Siddurim – The life and times of an early 21st century florist
Our Shidduchim – The life and times of an early 21st century matchmaker
Our Shibutim – The life and times of an early 21st century mad scientist

Let me know what you think about these ideas, and please feel free to add a few more of your own.

_____

* Glossary:

Shipudim – שיפודים – Skewers
Shikorim – שיכורים - Drunkards
Shikulim – שיקולים – Weighing (plural)
Shizufim – שיזופים – Suntans
Shidurim – שידורים - Broadcasts
Shiputim – שיפוטים – Judgment calls
Shivukim – שיווקים – Marketing (plural)
Siddurim – סידורים - Arrangements
Shidduchim – שידוכים - Matches
Shibutim – שיבוטים – Cloning (plural)

Mazal tov: Bar mitzvah edition

2009-10-20T15:26:00.001+02:00

The entire Our Shiputzim staff extends

a very warm mazal tov to

commenter and guest blogger

Miriam and her dear family

on yesterday’s beautiful bar mitzvah celebration

at the Kotel.

The bar mitzvah boy did a wonderful job, and we look forward to the rest of the festivities on Shabbat IY”H.

Mazal tov also to all the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

HH and Learning Torah with ACSC

2009-10-18T18:38:00.001+02:00

Two unrelated items:

1) The latest edition of Haveil Havalim is available here. Special thanks to Phyllis for including my description of our trip to Caesarea.

2) Last night I was originally supposed to attend the blogger’s get-together in Petach Tikva.

However, instead, I ended up spending the evening learning Rashi on Parshat Breishit with a certain Shiputzim child (ACSC).

After we finished learning, ACSC graciously and sweetly thanked me and then added:

“Actually, Imma, it’s for your own good that you didn’t get to go to that blogging thing. Don’t you know that you’re not supposed to go to strangers’ houses? I mean, what would you have done if they’d offered you candy…”

In any event, I really enjoyed our marathon learning session. Not only was it great to have an opportunity to learn the parsha, but ACSC always asks thought-provoking questions and has many intelligent insights to share.

So, thank you, ACSC, and shavua tov and chodesh tov to all!

National parks: Caesarea edition

2009-10-14T22:39:00.001+02:00

About a year or two after we made aliyah, the Shiputzim Family Legislature (read: YZG and I) enacted an iron-clad ban on driving up North during chol hamo’ed.

Suffice it to say that we had several bad experiences sitting in traffic around Tel Aviv.

Indeed, even after Kvish 6 (the Trans-Israel Highway) opened, we were still wary.

But this year, our determination to hit as many national parks as possible prompted us to bite the bullet and brave the holiday hordes.

And so, first thing one fine chol hamo’ed morning, we set out for Caesarea.

The site’s numerous attractions include the well-preserved ruins (click here to read about the funny thing that happened on the way to the ~~forum~~ amphitheater); a movie about the ancient city’s history; an interactive exhibit where one can “speak” (via computer) to actors portraying many of the historical figures associated with Caesarea; and, of course, the bright blue ocean.

As always, click on the pictures for a closer view.

But, arguably, the highlight was the equestrian show in the remains of the Roman hippodrome.

To say that this show was the height of kitsch is putting it mildly.

First of all, there were riders dressed like Roman soldiers, complete with gaudy red costumes and what looked like brightly colored plastic brooms on their helmets. As these soldiers entered the arena, the loudspeakers blared the “Back to the Future” theme.

Also, the confusing and highly anachronistic storyline involved Herod’s daughter, a traitorous Roman legionary, and even a pirate.

And yet…

I actually found myself moved to tears.

Because right there, in the middle of the destroyed hippodrome – once the ultimate symbol of the Roman Empire’s might, hegemony, and cruelty – the modern Jewish actors proudly carried an Israeli flag:

!עם ישראל חי

Am Yisrael Chai!

HH and History Comes Alive In Caesarea

2009-10-12T21:41:00.001+02:00

Two unrelated blogbits:

1) The latest edition of Haveil Havalim is available here. Special thanks to Jack for including my “everything you ever wanted to know about using your car’s sunroof as a succah but were afraid to ask” post.

2) As we were entering the Roman amphitheater during our chol hamo’ed visit to Caesarea (B”N, much more on this trip in a future post), I overheard an American girl gush excitedly to one of her companions:

“This is exactly where he was!”

Naively, I assumed she was referring to R’ Akiva or perhaps to some other important historical figure.

But then the young scholar continued:

“This is exactly where Shwekey had his concert!”

Her teachers must be so proud…

A scrumptious and satisfying Simchat Torah solution

2009-10-11T19:27:00.001+02:00

Planning the menu for Simchat Torah night can be somewhat of a challenge – especially when Simchat Torah falls out on Shabbat (a convergence, BTW, which never occurs outside of Israel).

After all, one doesn’t really know what time shul will end, and obviously, one doesn’t want to serve one’s guests dried-out, overheated food.

Thus, when I read Mimi’s mouthwatering pre-Rosh Hashanah post on sweet and sour meatballs, I realized she had found the perfect solution.

I like to make sweet and sour meatballs with cranberry sauce, because that’s how the world’s best cook – i.e. my grandmother a”h - would prepare them.

However, since she didn’t have a specific recipe - “as much as it takes” was one of her standard measurements – I adapted the following recipe from the “Spice and Spirit” cookbook (“The Purple Cookbook,” בלעז).

Sweet and Sour Turkey Meatballs

Sauce

2 cans cranberry sauce
1 1/2 cups ketchup
200 grams tomato paste
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tsp lemon juice
3-4 cups water

Meatballs

2 kg ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped very finely
1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped very finely
2 eggs
A dash or two of pepper

Directions

Place all the sauce ingredients in a large pot, and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, combine the meatball ingredients in a large bowl.

After twenty minutes, raise the flame, and bring the sauce to a rolling boil. Form meat into balls and gently drop – one at a time – into the sauce. Cover the pot, and let the meatballs simmer over a low flame for at least an hour.

Serve hot with rice. (Brown rice works very well.)

!בתאבון

Have succah, will travel

2009-10-07T23:19:00.001+02:00

Long time readers may – or may not – recall that last year I wrote about our succah-on-wheels.

As it so happened, we had occasion to use it this year during the course of our chol hamo’ed travels.

Since we keep the schach mat and the wooden slats in the car for the duration of the chag, the mobile succah is very convenient and takes about 30 seconds to construct.

Also, even though only two people fit under the schach at a time, the family members who aren’t halachically-obligated to eat in a succah can sit on the other seats. (When there are more than two post-bar-mitzvah-aged males, they can simply take turns eating.) Thus, the whole family can still eat together.

And best of all, having a travelling succah is extraordinarily cool! :-)

Here’s a view of the succah in action:

Click here for an exterior view.

The funny part was that not one of the many passersby said a thing about our unique approach to succah dining. In contrast, when YZG originally assembled it in front of our house two years ago, all our neighbors came out to see YZG’s new “pah-TEHNT” (literally, patent – refers to any creative gadget or workaround).

And on a related note, YZG kindly offered to discuss some of the relevant halachic issues:

Using a car’s sunroof as a succah

by YZG

I. Size: The succah needs to be at least 7 tfachim by 7 tfachim. Depending on the shitah (halachic opinion), that comes out to between 58x58 cm and 70x70 cm. Thus, our car succah’s width is kosher according to even the most machmir shitah (stringent opinion), and the length is fine according to most shitot.

II. Walls: A succah needs at least three walls. (Note that the third wall can be a partial wall.) The car succah has four walls and makes use of a concept called “dofen akumah” – literally, a "bent wall". This means that the succah’s walls can be as far as 4 amot (up to about 6 feet) from the start of the schach. In other words, the rest of the roof is considered to be a dofen akumah – i.e. part of the walls (since they are all less than 4 amot from the schach).

III. Schach: Since the schach shouldn't rest on something that can be mekabel tumah (like metal), the schach sits on wooden slats (see picture above) rather than directly on the metal of the roof.

Thank you, YZG, for your informative post!

!חג שמח

Succot in the J-Blogosphere

2009-10-05T22:42:00.001+02:00

Succot is one of the best times to be in Israel. (Other incredible seasons in our beautiful country include Pesach, Chanukah, Purim, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, and, well, every other day of the year…)

And, as it turns out, it’s also a pretty exciting time in the J-Blogosphere. After all:

1) The latest Haveil Havalim is available here. Special thanks to Ben-Yehudah for including my Ir David post.

2) According to YCT (of the abandoned Ein Shem blog), nothing says “I’m a blogger” like going to blogging meetings.

Which means that I’m now officially a blogger.

Because this afternoon, YZG and I – together with some of the Shiputzim children – attended the First Annual J-Bloggers’ Picnic in Yerushalayim’s Gan Sacher.

B”H, we had a wonderful time.

The kids had fun flying their kite and playing goomi (literally “elastic” – refers to the Israeli version of Chinese jump rope) with some new friends; YZG caught up with an old friend; and I got to meet some very special bloggers. (There were other bloggers there as well. B”N, I’ll try and update this as their names come back to me.)

Special thanks to RivkA for arranging, initiating and organizing the lovely event.

And in conclusion, I’ll let MAG explain why he and some of his siblings opted out:

“Imma, don’t you always tell us not to talk to strangers? And besides, I didn’t need to go. I can just read about it afterwards on your blog…”

!מועדים לשמחה

_____

P.S. In case you missed these posts last year, check out our [stationary] succah and also our succah-on-wheels.

National Parks: Ir David edition

2009-10-01T22:55:00.001+02:00

Far from the madding crowd, it isn’t.

Indeed, Ir David (the “City of David”) - one of Israel’s most popular tourist spots - is likely to be especially packed on chol hamoed.

But don’t let the throngs scare you away.

Because if you’re looking for an awesome place to take the family over Succot, Ir David definitely fits the bill.

After all, it seems that not a week goes by without a new and exciting find being unearthed by the site’s archeologists.

Here are some pictures from our visit there this past summer:

As always, please click on the pictures for a closer view.

Coincidentally, ESG happened to be in Ir David today with his school.

Originally scheduled for right after Rosh Hashanah, his trip was pushed off to today and, as a result, renamed. The destination remained the same, but what was initially touted as a “siyur slichot” was rebranded as an “aliyah l’regel”…

!חג שמח ושבת שלום

May you have a wonderful, happy and joyous Succot!

KCC and some family lore

2009-09-30T17:41:00.001+02:00

The latest Kosher Cooking Carnival is available here.

Special thanks to Batya for including my crumb bar post.

Thanks also to my mother, who not only gave me the recipe but also provided some family history.

As it turns out, my mother received the recipe from HER mother – i.e. my grandmother a”h - who had adapted it from a recipe SHE got from a relative in New Jersey*.

To me, what’s particularly interesting is that although it isn’t a new recipe, it calls for oil rather than margarine or shortening. So, in addition to all their other virtues, these bars were also ahead of their time…

________

*Yes, of COURSE it makes a difference that it was NJ and not, say, PA or DE. Why do you ask? ;-)

Arba minim musings

2009-09-29T19:32:00.001+02:00

Several arba minim related thoughts:

(1) If our local email discussion group is any indication, the Shiputzim sons are among the very small minority of boys and young men in our neighborhood who are NOT selling arba minim…

(2) Growing up in the States, most boys – including my brothers (who will – I’m sure - correct me if I’m wrong :-)) - didn’t get their own 4 minim until they were relatively old. (YZG was the exception to the rule, because his father was in charge of supplying 4 minim to their entire community.)

Yet, here in Israel, where prices are significantly lower, even young kids have their own sets.

For instance, we start purchasing sets for our boys as soon as they commit to coming to shul every morning (i.e. 3^rd or 4^th grade).

(3) And finally, as you may recall, after shmitah, our aravah tree was extremely overgrown, and thus, immediately after Succot, we pruned the tree.

However, ~~based on my training and well-deserved reputation as an internationally-acclaimed gardening expert,~~ as further proof of my ignorance, I believed that we had cut off way too much. Indeed, I was convinced that this year, we wouldn’t even have enough aravot for ourselves.

But, ~~shockingly,~~ to no one’s surprise but my own, the aravot soon grew back, and B”H, we once again are blessed with a bumper crop:

And so, I reiterate our offer from last year: We would be glad to provide any readers who happen to be near TRLEOOB* with aravot. If you are interested, please contact us at OurShiputzim at gmail dot com.

_________

*TRLEOOB=the real life equivalent of our blog

HH 236

2009-09-29T09:14:00.001+02:00

The latest edition of Haveil Havalim is available here.

Special thanks to Benji for including my gan meeting post.

Quick and easy crumb bars

2009-09-27T00:59:00.001+03:00

Here in TRLEOOB*, the dessert at our seudah hamafseket (the festive meal right before Yom Kippur) always consists of something we call “Crumb Cake”.

In truth, it’s not really cake. Indeed, most people would probably call them Crumb Bars or even Jam Squares.

Either way, it’s the perfect way to start off the fast. It’s light, not overly sweet, and very easy to make.

And if you happen to have any leftovers, they work well after the fast too!

Special thanks to my mother for giving me this recipe. (Maybe she can explain why we call it Crumb Cake? :-) )

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
3 cups flour
2 heaping tsp baking powder (i.e. one envelope for our Israeli readers)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla or almond extract (we like vanilla)
1 cup oil (I use canola)
Any flavor jelly, jam, marmalade or preserves (we prefer strawberry)
An additional 1/2 – 3/4 c. flour for the crumbs

Directions

Combine dry ingredients. Add eggs and extract. Slowly add oil, and knead dough by hand. Spread 2/3 of dough into a baking-paper-lined (or greased) 9x13 baking pan. Spread jelly over dough in pan. Add extra flour to remaining dough to form crumbs. Cover jelly with crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden-brown. Remove from oven. Cut into bars but leave them in the pan until they are cool.

Update: I wrote more about these bars’ history here.

גמר חתימה טובה

May you have an easy and meaningful fast, and may we all be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life for a good, sweet, happy, healthy, prosperous, and peaceful new year!

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*TRLEOOB=the real life equivalent of our blog

A never ending source of amusement

2009-09-23T14:04:00.001+03:00

What’s funnier than the world’s top comedy clubs?

Four words:

The annual gan meeting.

Yes, you read that correctly. The meeting where the gannenet tells the parents about all her plans for the coming year is – as far as I’m concerned – a great place to go to enjoy a good chuckle.

After all, consider the following:

The gan meeting is the third most important date on the gannenet’s calendar. (The first two are the Chanukah party and the end-of-the-year graduation party.)
Even though it’s only a preschool meeting – and, really, how much is there to talk about?! - the gannenet takes the gathering very, very, VERY seriously.
In fact, the gannenet spends three days preparing the kids for the big event (a la the Shloshet Yemei Hagbalah). She has the kids make an arts and crafts project for their parents’ benefit, and although they’re not even going to be there, the kids are encouraged to think that nothing could be more exciting than having their parents visit the gan.
The gannenet gets all dressed up for the occasion – including makeup, shaitel (if she’s so inclined), etc.
Assuming that the sayat (aide) knows her place, she also wears nice clothes, but as befitting her station, she’s careful not to overshadow the gannenet.
When the parents arrive, the gannenet proudly shows them their kids’ artwork. The parents are then required to figure out which project was made by their own offspring. (“Hmm. Maybe this one on the right is my son’s? If I hold my head to one side and squint, that squiggle over there kinda looks like the first letter of his name…”)
The parents are then given art supplies and asked to prepare a project as a surprise for the kids. (No, I’m DEFINITELY not kidding about this one…)
While the parents sit there coloring, stringing beads, and gluing (!!), the gannenet talks about the gan. (Of course, she could’ve just typed all this information up on 1-2 sheets of paper, but then she wouldn’t have had an excuse for the meeting…)
Finally, there are always refreshments. And we’re not talking about a plate of stale Bamba either. For instance, at a recent meeting, each parent received a fresh chocolate croissant and a bag of chocolate milk.

See what I mean?

But before you go check out one of these never-ending sources of amusement, I should warn you that it’s very bad form to use the words “enjoyable” and “gan meeting” in the same sentence.

Indeed, it’s de rigueur to insist that they’re boring, inconvenient, completely unnecessary, and a total waste of time.

All of which is quite true.

And yet… and yet…

{swallows hard and gets up the courage to make a confession}

These meetings always make me laugh.

{glares defiantly at all the shocked faces}

I can’t help it. They’re just so ridiculously, absurdly, and hysterically funny…

HH 235

2009-09-21T15:38:00.001+03:00

The latest edition of Havel Havelim is available both here and here.

Special thanks to Batya for including my most recent "kumsitz cuisine" post. (I confess that despite – or, perhaps, as a result of - my Tzom-Gedaliah-induced hunger, poikeh doesn’t sound very appealing right now…)

.צום קל ומועיל

May you have an easy and meaningful fast, and may all the fast days soon be transformed into festivals and days of joy.

Freshly Baked Goods Friday: Rosh Hashanah edition

2009-09-17T22:44:00.001+03:00

The other night, the Resident Ulpanistit and I baked challah. As is the custom right before Rosh Hashanah, we made enough to separate challah with a brachah.

Here are the results of our efforts:

Another baked (or oven-cooked, to be more precise) Rosh Hashanah offering from the kitchen here in TRLEOOB* is tzimmes:

The recipe comes from last year's tzimmes post, which – oddly enough – still holds the Our Shiputzim record for greatest number of comments…

Finally, the entire staff wishes all our readers a wonderful, happy, healthy, and sweet new year.

לשנה טובה תכתבו ותחתמו

!לאלתר לחיים טובים ולשלום

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*TRLEOOB=the real life equivalent of our blog