The Cook-Off……A Wonderful Lesson in Co-Operation…..

בס''ד

The long summer vacation is over and now all the children are back at school. During vacation time, families did all sorts of activities.  

This blog is dedicated to six of our grandchildren who live in the Negev. They decided to do a very special activity and learned some important and valuable lessons along the way. A great big yashar koach to: Gilad, Nadav, Adi, Neta, Talia and Chen. 

The children asked their mother if they could have a cooking contest. They wanted to prepare dinner. Devorah [their Mother] suggested that it would be better to do it for Shabbat because she would let them use better ingredients [chicken, beef, pareve whip cream…]

The junior cooking team would have to make the Shabbat night meal from the entree to the dessert. Their parents, Devorah and Hagai would be the judges and choose who prepared the best meal.

Devorah set some ground rules: they had to have approval of the menu they chose, they had to use ingredients that were in the house, only the older children could use the stove and they would have to clean up.

The children agreed to the rules and paired up into teams - one older and one younger to each team. They decided the contest would start the following Shabbat. The search was on for recipes. They looked online, in cookbooks and magazines.

The big question was...will Devorah’s kitchen survive? I’m pleased to report it did.

Gilad 14 1/2 and Nadav 6 1/2  were first team. They decided to make: baked tuna and veggies for the entree: The main course was chicken pirgiot, stir fried veggies and rice. And for dessert chocolate mousse. 

Nadav peeled all of the the veggies and broke up the chocolate for the mousse. He also licked the bowl clean from the mousse when it was all done. Gilad made the tuna, the stir fried veggies, the rice, the pirgiot and the mousse.

Devorah only had dairy chocolate in the house and Gilad really wanted to make the mousse so went to the markolet [on the yishuv] and bought pareve chocolate with his own money.

The boys worked very hard together and when they were finished they left the kitchen "clean."  I can attest to the fact that the mousse was delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following week was Adi 11 ½ and Neta 5.  The girls made bourakas and smoked eggplant with a techina sauce for the entree. The main course was stuffed chicken (with rice and veggies) and baby onions and potatoes placed all around the pan, stir fried veggies and some white rice (for Neta). Desert was a delicious cream roll with real cherry pie filling. Ima helped out a little. 

Neta may be only 5 but she can peel veggies faster than any of the other kids. Adi was grossed out when she had to ‘massage’ the chicken with spices. She stuffed the chicken with rice and veggies and made the stir fried veggies. Their Ima helped burn the eggplant and peel it for the entrée. Neta helped make the cream roll and enjoyed licking the batter. Together with their Ima’s help they rolled the cream roll to let it cool. When cooled they opened it, and then filled it with cherry pie filling and whip cream. Then they rolled it up again and covered it with chocolate. The girls worked together and when they were finished they cleaned up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last team was, Talia 10 an Chen 8. Being the last team the girls decided to go all out.

They chose a Tunisian veggie pattie called kfita for the entrée. Actually, the " kfita's" were ready in the freezer. Devorah and Hagai make a large batch once a month and freeze them. All the girls had to do was put them in a pan, make a red gravy and bake them. That was the easy part of the meal. 

For the main meal they made "maklubah" (with beef, chicken and rice.) What’s maklubah you ask? Have a look at this link….. http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/10/recipe-maklubah-arabic-upside-down-chicken-rice/ Desert was lemon meringue pie, but not just any meringue pie but one that takes 2 hours to bake the shell.

The girls placed all the veggies on a pan, brushed them with oil and baked them instead of frying. Their Ima cooked the beef in a pressure cooker and together the girls slowly built their tower in a large pot.

Talia made the pie shell and lemon filling and Chen helped with the whip cream topping. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Erev Shabbat when their Ima went to flip the pot there was such suspense in the air. Will the "maklubah" stand like a mountain or come tumbling down? The kids were taking bets on #2.  It stood beautifully!!!

With the contest over…the siblings asked their parents who made the best meal. Devorah and Hagai had no trouble in deciding. There wasn’t anything to think about.

They were all WINNERS. Mazal-Tov to everyone… Saba and I are so proud of each of you. 

A special thank-you to Devorah for taking pictures and filling in the blanks [things I didn’t know] for me.

Until next time…feel free to comment and share

Miriam          

בס''ד

Nachas From Our Eyniklekh..........

My husband and I have been blessed with twelve precious grandchildren. Each child shines in their own way. Our youngest girls, Neta 2 1/2 and Chen 5, both have curly hair, a smile from ear to ear and eyes that twinkle. Neta plays at home and Chen is in Gan Hova. Chenny has an opinion on every topic with the volcabulary skills to be able to express her opinions.

Neta

Chen

Our loveable Oshri 5, is going on 25. Ever since he was a baby, Oshri has been very independent. The things he does by himself are unbelievable. Oshri is very capeable of making himself a sandwich, pouring himself a drink and then putting his dirty dishes in the sink. Oshri is in Gan Hova on his Kibbutz. Oshri is as sweet as sugar and he always has a smile on his face. Oshri loves to answer and speak on the phone.

Oshri

I can't believe that come September, Neta will start gan and Chen and Oshri will go to kita aleph [grade one]. Time goes to fast..............

Our youngest grandson Nadav turned 4 on the second of Cheshvan. Nadav is a very sweet little boy who has a fascination for swords. Whenever you see Nadav, he has his precious sword tucked into the back of his shirt. I don't really know why he has this passion, but when his sword broke a couple of days before his birthday, the only gift that Saba and Safta could natually buy was a new sword.

Saba went shopping and found a Ninja sword set. A long sword, a short sword and two [I don't really know what they are] funny looking swords and a sword holder for his arm. Not my type of gift, but I guess a great gift for a 4 year old.

Nadav

Our granddaughter Bat-El 16, is our oldest granddaughter. She attends the Ulpana in Even Shmuel and is the challah maker of the family. Bat-El makes the best challah. Each Friday, when she is home from the Ulpana, you will find Bat-El in the kitchen creating beautiful challot. When she has a Shabbat Ulpana, Bat-El makes a double batch the previous week and freezes the challah. This way her family can still enjoy her challot. Bat-El's challot are so sweet and yummy, you just can't stop eating.

Bat-El

Talia is 7 and is in kita bet [grade 2] at Noam Tushia in Kfar Maimon. Talia is as sweet as they come. Her mother says the best way to describe Talia is her willingness to help. Talia doesn't have to be asked, when something has to be done, Talia is there to do it.

Talia

Adi is 8 and is in kita gimmel[grade 3] at Noam Tushia in Kfar Maimon. Adi loves to draw. A few weeks ago, Adi had a drawing published in Makor Rishon.[see the blog's label list to see Adi's picture.] Adi is very responsible and will look after her little sister Neta when her mother is busy.

Adi

I have a cute story about Talia and Adi. The other day, I invited everyone for supper. My children decided to turn the supper into a surprise birthday party for me. My birthday was last week.

Talia and Adi wanted to buy their own present. They went to the markolet [grocery store] on their yishuv [community] and picked out a gift. The girls were on a 'budget'. They saw something and ran home to tell their mother what they wanted to buy and what it costs. She said that the gift was too much money and they should go and look again.

Back to the markolet they went and this time they chose three little red, orange and yellow pepper shape spice bottles. They ran back home and told their mother what they saw and the cost. She agreed and gave them money. They went back to the store, made their purchase, came home and made a gift box and each made a beautiful card. This gift is precious. I told the girls that I put salt into one of their bottles and it will sit proudly on the Shabbat table.

Safta with Bat-El, Adi & Talia and the gift.

By the way, I received beautiful cards from all my grandchildren and from my children and their families the most beautiful pair of long hanging silver earrings and a matching bracelet.

Itamar is 12 and is very sensitive and caring. Itamar loves to read and always has a book in his hand. He likes to speak English to me, something he does very well. Itamar is in kita zain [grade 7] at Reshit in Gush Etzion, a wonderful school that intergrates both " normal " and special children. Itamar is very helpful in school and helps with the four special children in his class. G-D willing, we will celebrate Itamar's Bar-Mitzvah after Pesach.

Itamar

Dvir who is 9, also attends 'Reshit' and is in kita daled [grade4]. Dvir has a quiet nature. He loves to read and scoot around on his skateboard. Dvir has a warm smile. He too is trying to speak and understand English. Dvir is showing that he has artisic talents. In art class, Dvir made a beautiful picture of trees and animals by cutting, rolling and curling paper. This year, Dvir was able to go to B'nei Akiva, something that he is very excited about.

Dvir

Our grandson Gilad 12, attends Yashlatz [the junior high school of Mercas HaRav] and is in kita zain [grade 7]. A couple of weeks ago, his teacher asked a question in Navi.Gilad answered the question correctly, so his teacher asked him another question. This back and forth went on for almost the whole lesson. When Gilad came home on Friday, he showed his parents the certificate of merit that he received from the Yeshiva. It stated that his knowledge and participation in the class had increased the level of the class. G-D willing, we will celebrate Gilad's Bar Mitzvah next October.

Gilad

Michael 15, attends the Yeshiva in Suissa and is in kita yud[grade 10]. Michael is definitely his own person. His mother said you can write a book about Michael. He is a madrich [counselor] in B'nei Akiva, a job he takes with a great deal of responsibility. Michael loves to go on field trips and he loves to tremp [hitchhike] home from Yeshiva, no matter how many buses pass. Michael is very kind. Once when I was visiting, Michael wanted to have french fries. He peeled and cut up a couple of potatoes and decided to fry them up with his own recipe. He fried the potatoes with a chopped onion and garlic. When he was finished frying, his snack smelled and looked delicious.

Michael

Yoni, who is almost 19 is our oldest grandchild. He is learning in a Hesdar Yeshiva in Holon. Yoni is very artistic and talented. He has made huge wall puzzles, a giraffe and an elephant from things that he has found around the house. Over the past weeks, Yoni carved out from wood
all the pieces for a chess set. He then painted each piece either white or black and gave each a coat of lacquer. He found a board to make the game base, painted it and 'viola' a beautiful game.

Yoni

and his chess set

his giraffe

his elephant

As you can see, we have pretty terrific grandchildren [I'm not prejudiced] to be very proud of. May Hashem guide each of them to be the best possible person they can be. And to their parents, Naomi, Eliezer, Devorah and Hagai, all we can say is thank-you for giving us wonderful eyniklekh to brag about!

Until next time............

Feel free to comment and pass around.

Safta Miriam

בס''ד

Our Special Dividends

The other day I received an e-mail from an old friend telling me that she and her husband were going to be first time grandparents in April. From her note it was easy to see her excitement and feel her joy. My friend can’t wait to become a grandmother. Her note inspired me to write this blog.

We learn that the cycle of life and family are the foundation of Jewish life and guarantor of Jewish survival. This Shabbos we will start to read Sefer Bereishis [book of Genesis], the first book of the five books of the Torah.

Over the course of many weeks we will read about some families, children and grandchildren of our patriarchs and matriarchs. The barren wife of Avraham Avinu, Sara who gave birth in her old age, sibling rivalries, and Yaakov, his wives and family.

Purim we read about Queen Esther and how she risked her life to save the Jewish people and the continuation of the Jewish family.

On Shavous here to we learn about family. We read in Megilla Ruth, about Naomi and her two daughters-in-law who are sisters. Ruth became the grandmother of David HaMelech [King David] and Orpah became the grandmother of Goliath.

The cycle of the family begins with a child being born. As children, we are totally dependent on our parents for all our needs. Our parents have the tremendous responsibility of caring for us, teaching us, showing us right from wrong, guiding us and helping to shape the kind of person we will be. Our extended family, grandparents, aunts and uncles also play a part in who we are.

As we grow from childhood to teenager, to young adult, to adult, our needs from our parents become very different, but our family is still the most important aspect in our lives. We are now able to be somewhat independent and stand on our own ‘two feet.’

The next stage of our life is meeting that someone special and marriage. Now a new family is ready to be started.

Quietly, we as parents pray to The One Above for His guiding Hand to our new couple.

Now it is ‘we instead of I’. The next 40 odd years will be spent by working, raising a family, marrying off our children, and waiting for the grandchildren to arrive to be the next generation and continue the cycle of the family. My father a”h would say that grandchildren are life’s dividends. How true! I can only imagine the thrill of having the Bracha to greet our great-grandchildren.

The cycle of life is an exciting journey. There are many stages in a person’s life and in order to fulfill and reach our potential, we need to experience each stage, one step at a time. In life, we experience many emotions, happiness, sadness, ups and downs. The kind of person we turn out to be and what we accomplish in life depends on our upbringing, environment and what goals we set for ourselves.

Each stage of life is very important. My husband and I have experienced many stages in our married lives. The excitement of waiting for our daughters to be born, the adoption of our son, as young parents and sometimes as older parents making some ‘mistakes’ in raising our children and enjoying our successes, to watching our daughters become mothers themselves and raise their children. The nachas [joy], the laughter, the happiness and the memories that our children have given us will keep us smiling in our golden years.

We have been truly blessed with three great kids, two daughters and a son, two wonderful sons-in-law and 12 precious grandchildren. Our family has grown from just the two of us to nineteen. B”H! We pray that our grandchildren, the next generation, will continue the shower us with Yiddish nachas.

During Chol H’Moed Sukkot we visited our children and grandchildren. And being typical grandparents we did what typical grandparents do.....we took pictures of the children.

Our special dividends:

From left to right:
Top: Nadav and Talia
Center: Neta, Adi and Chen

Bottom: Gilad and the Horev girls





















From left to right:
Top: Itamar and Bat-El
Center: Yoni and Oshrei
Bottom: Dvir and Michael

And while we are on the subject of grandchildren, our grandson Dvir went with his class to a Succot Fair in Nachalot, a section of Jerusalem, to see the Etrogim on display. A photographer from the weekly newspaper BeSheva snapped a picture of some of the children and it was printed on their front paper. Dvir [yellow hat] was in the picture. I told him that I would post the picture on my blog.

















Please feel free to comment and pass my blog around.

Until next time..........

Miriam