It’s no secret: I live at Costco. Due to its proximity to my house (almost spitting distance) and the fact that I have a family of five to feed (and a dog!), Costco is both my saving grace and my biggest downfall. I save quite a bit of money on household staples — but then…
November 9 – The Day After
On November 9, 1938, the largest and most destructive pogrom in Germany tore across the nation. Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, left Jewish businesses, homes, and synagogues totally destroyed. Hundreds of people were murdered; thousands of synagogues were razed to the ground. Neither were hospitals nor schools spared. It was an all-out assault on…
November – An Open Letter to Teachers and Parents
Dear Teachers of American Youth: Congratulations on making it to November! I know that the first few months of the school year are exhausting, exhilarating, depressing, and full of hope. So yasher koach, mazel tov, and well done! Before I get into the meat of my letter, I’d like to get one thing out of…
Pearl (Israeli) Couscous Salad
I’ve never lived in the bedrock of Jewry. Growing up, there was one synagogue that served both Reform and Conservative congregations (Chabad has since established a House there, though). I left for college and went to an even smaller town (GO HOKIES!). Then I moved to Jordan — which has precisely zero Jews (at least…
Noses, Nostrils, and Anger
In the parsha this week, we go back to the Beginning. We read about Adam’s creation: “God fashioned a human, dust from the ground, and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the human became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7) Why did God choose to blow the breath of life through Adam’s nostrils…
Endings and Beginnings
In Judaism, we read the Torah yearly. Each week, the Torah portion(s) consists of a few chapters read, in order, without pause, from start to finish. On Simchas Torah, we finish reading the final chapter of Deuteronomy and, without waiting a day or week, immediately start again back at Genesis with the story of Creation….
Cottage Bread (or, Fresh Bread in a Hurry Because, You Know, Life)
When my kids were born and I became more Shabbat-observant, baking challah was both what I looked forward to and what stressed me out beyond belief. As a full-time working mother (working outside of the home for a very stressful government client who did not quite understand the importance of Shabbat…ugh!), there were Fridays where…
Kale Salad for Days
Kale really doesn’t do it for me. Now, don’t get me wrong – I love superfoods as much as the next girl – but there are only so many meals at which I can ingest the green without going a little crazy. Which is exactly why I’m so in love with this salad. It gives…
Butter
Those of you who know me know that I absolutely love to cook. I’m my happiest when I’m cooking a multi-course meal — and even happier when I’m able to make everything totally from scratch. I bake bread (totally by hand). I whip my own cream (with some julienned basil thrown in there? AMAZING). But…
Yiddishe Mamele 