Meal Plan Week 10 – Leftovers as an Essential Part of Balancing Life

Whew! Things are getting busy around here. Pesach cleaning is in full swing, and I’ll be honest, that means some corners are being cut in other areas of life.

Enter: leftovers.

As a busy mother trying to maintain a work-life balance, I’ve trained my family’s diet into one that utilizes its fair share of leftovers. I won’t necessarily serve the exact same menu ever time, and a new side dish, or configuration of the meal might be offered, but I simply don’t have time to make an entire meal every evening.

Leftovers can be a lifesaver, saving time, money, and sanity. Well, that is if the original dish was one your family liked first-time-round!

With Pesach fast approaching, and less time for cooking, I’ve been pulling out previously cooked dishes as I empty my freezer, and have been cooking in larger quantities to stretch meals beyond one night.

Meal Plan Week 10 – Leftovers and Life’s Balance

Friday night – Gefilte fish, spaghetti and meatballs, green beans, mushroom potato boureka roll, and whole wheat banana chocolate chip cake.

Shabbos lunch – Gefilte fish, Hawaiian wine sauce brisket, strawberry mango romaine salad with honey dijon dressing, mushroom potato boureka roll, and whole wheat banana chocolate chip cake.

Sunday – Restaurant outing for a family celebration

Monday – Spaghetti and meatballs, green beans

Tuesday – Brisket, mushroom potato boureka roll, peas, and melon

Wednesday – Spaghetti lasagna bake, peas, and melon

Thursday – Homemade bean burritos from the freezer

What are your favorite dishes to make in big batches and serve throughout the week? How do you dress up leftovers so your family will enjoy them? Please share!

Meal Plan Week 9 – A Meal Plan Straight from the….Pantry?

With Pesach creeping up fast, I’ve finally begun going the annual “spring cleaning” that accompanies Pesach cleaning. Perhaps it’s the mindset of the “keep or toss,” and perhaps it’s the lack of extra time to come up with creative dishes, but this week’s meal plan is all about pantry living, and loving.

Have i mentioned I love having a pantry? Growing up my mother’s pantry wasn’t just a cupboard, and even a closet. It was shelves and shelves of stocked up non-perishables. Neighbors and friends would joke with her about whose door would be knocked on first in case of natural disaster and a food crisis. Deals were carefully sought out, containers sealed against possible intruders, and you could find anything you needed.

So naturally, an Ikea bookshelf turned cabinet was one of m first purchases as a newlywed, and it became my pantry. Years later, I’m still appreciating that stock, honing and revamping systems within.

Now, before Pesach, it all comes out – every food in there, as I check expiry dates, and try to use up what chametz I can before the chag. It’s time to use it all up. And so I bring you….

Meal Plan Week 9 – Pre-Pesach, Pantry Planning (Yes, I’m guilty as a shameless alliterator! 🙂 )

Shabbos Dinner – Chicken soup, veggie packed meat sauce (both from the freezer), ruce pilaf (pantry), green beans, beets, birthday cake!

Shabbos lunch – invited out

Sunday – Leftover rice pilaf (pantry), green beans, and beets.

Monday – Noodles with baked beans (pantry), peas.

Tuesday – Homemade mac and cheese casserole (pantry) – by special request of the little guy, and sliced cucumber, with cantaloupe for dessert.

Wednesday – Lentil soup (finally used up my pantry stock of ageless lentils!), and paprikash potatoes with hotdogs (stay tuned for The Only Dish I Buy Hotdogs for).

Thursday – Lentil soup and mac and cheese casserole.

What system do you have for ensuring pantry items are used up on a consistent basis? Please share in the comments below!

CLEAN FOR PESACH AND ENJOY THE SEDER! by Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg zt”l

This article was released a number of years ago, and has been reprinted time and again since that date. It lends perspective, and a concrete halachic parameter on what energies we’re required to expend in concurrence with the chag. Please share this with anyone who would benefit.

Edited By Rabbi Moshe Finkelstein Kiryat Mattersdorf, Jerusalem
Pesach 5765
Print Version

These notes are based on the responsa of Moreinu veRabbeinu HaGaon HaRav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg, shlita, rosh yeshivas Torah Ore, to questions posed by women attending his regular talks. They have been compiled by a group of his students. The notes also include Hebrew sources and footnotes, which are not reproduced here.

PREFACE

In former times, wealthy people who had large houses also had many servants who did their bidding, while poor people, who could not afford servants, lived in small homes with one or two rooms. Understandably, the pre-Passover chores of the rich were performed by the servants, while the poor, who had only their one or two rooms to clean, a few pieces of furniture, a minimum of utensils, and some clothing, took care of their needs themselves.

In those days, cleaning was hard. Tables were made of raw wood, requiring them to be scrubbed or even to be shaven to ensure that no pieces of food were hidden in the cracks. Earthen or wooden floors also needed to be thoroughly cleaned and scrubbed.

Today, we seem to be caught in a trap. The average modern home is larger than formerly. Furniture, utensils and clothing are much more plentiful. The average home today can compare with the more affluent homes of previous generations. However, we do not have the servants that they had, so that today, all the chores fall on the woman of the home. At the same time she still feels obligated to clean and scrub as they did formerly, even though she has laminated furniture and tiled floors, making this type of cleaning unnecessary.

As a result of this, the pressure of pre-Pesach cleaning has reached unnecessary and overwhelming levels. The housewife often becomes overly nervous, unable to enjoy the holiday joy of Passover and unable to perform the mitzvos and obligations of the Seder night.

INTRODUCTION

Passover, like every other yom tov, must be enjoyed by every member of the family, including women. This is an obligation clearly defined in the Torah as explained by our Sages. We can understand a person dreading Tisha B’Av but Pesach is to be looked forward to and anticipated with joy. Every woman should be well rested, relaxed and alert at the Seder table so that she can fulfill all the Torah and Rabbinic obligations and follow the Haggadah with the rest of the family. Clearly, the performance of her pre- Passover duties must be balanced against her Passover obligations.

Pre-Passover cleaning is required to avoid the danger of transgressing any Torah or Rabbinic prohibition of having chometz in the house on Pesach. It is evident from the responsa of the Rosh Hayeshiva shlita that this need not be excessive.

It is not the intention here to abolish traditions which have been passed down by Klal Yisroel from generation to generation. Nevertheless, some practices adopted by women in the Passover cleaning today are not an actual continuation of the old traditions. For example, if a person does not sell his chometz, of course it is necessary to check his utensils and to wash off any chometz left on them, or to render the chometz inedible. But if the chometz is sold, then washing the pots, pans and dishes which are going to be locked away is not necessary.

One might be tempted to insist on doing the extra work anyway — to be machmir (stringent). However, in these stringencies lies the grave danger of causing many laxities and brushing aside many mitzvohs completely, including Torah and Rabbinic obligations which women are required to do on Passover and particularly during the Seder.

Many women like to do more “cleaning” than the bare minimum, to such an extent, that some even incorporate their general “spring cleaning” into their required pre-Passover chores. These extra exertions should not prevent them from fulfilling their obligations on Passover, and particularly on the Seder night.

GENERAL NOTES

A. All property and possessions must be cleaned and checked to make sure that they are free of all chometz, except in the following cases: B. If, during the year, chometz is not brought into a place, that place does not have to be cleaned out or checked for chometz. C. Any article which is not used on Pesach does not need to be checked for chometz, provided it is put away properly and the chometz in it is sold. D. Crumbs which have been rendered completely inedible [C.J. Weisberg explains: by coating with small amount of household cleaner] to the extent that they are not fit to be eaten by a dog are not considered chometz. E. The general obligation to check for and destroy crumbs does not apply if the crumbs are less than the size of an olive (kezayis) and are dirty or spoiled enough to prevent a person from eating them. F. The household cleaner (mentioned below) used must spoil the crumbs slightly to the extent that people would refrain from eating them. G. It is customary that any item to be kashered should not be used for 24 hours prior to kashering, in order that it should not be a ben- yomo.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

1) CLOTHING CLOSETS: If there is some significant possibility that chometz went into them, they should be checked for fully edible crumbs of chometz, besides large pieces of chometz.If the probability that chometz entered these places is remote, a rav can be consulted to clarify the conditions under which they do not have to be checked. This includes chests, dressers, basements, and all other similar places (see General Note E).

2) FLOORS: We don’t have earthen floors with deep cracks in them. It is sufficient for tiled or covered floors to be swept and washed with a household floor cleaner. Cracks and spaces between tiles do not have to be checked if the cleaning solution reaches into them.

3) FOOD CABINETS: If the cabinet is not going to be used on Passover, then you just have to lock it or seal it in a manner that will remind you not to use it on Passover and sell it with the chometz (see General Notes C & E ). If the cabinet is going to be used on Pesach, take out all the food and wash it with a rag soaked in a household cleaner. Be sure the cleansing agent reaches into all the cracks and soaks into any crumbs that might be left there. The usual practice is to line the cabinets.

4) REFRIGERATOR: Take the food out, and wash it with a rag soaked in a household cleaner. The racks are usually covered. (It is advisable to leave holes for air circulation.)

5) KASHERING SINKS: Clean the sinks (see General Note G), and pour a kettle of boiling water into them and on their sides. Some people pour hot water mixed with bleach down the drain. The usual practice today is to use an insert, or line the sinks (e.g. aluminum foil, contact paper). If not difficult, this practice should be followed.

6) FAUCETS (TAPS): Cleaning, without any other kashering procedure, is sufficient.

7) MARBLE AND STAINLESS STEEL COUNTERS: If they were used for hot chometz they should first be cleaned well. They should either be completely covered so that nothing Pesach’dik touches them or (if it will not ruin the countertop) pour boiling hot water on them (see General Note G). Many people do both.

8 TABLETOPS: Wash them with a household cleaner. The usual practice is to cover the tables.

9) KASHERING RANGE/OVEN/STOVE-TOP: Wash the top and side surface areas with a rag soaked in a strong household cleaner. Clean the knobs well. Grates can be kashered by first cleaning them well (see General Note G), then put them back on the stove, and then lighting all the burners, raising them to their maximum heat, putting on a blech while the burners are on. This spreads the heat over the whole top and intensifies the heat on the grates. Let it burn for 5 – 10 minutes. [Be careful that the knobs don’t melt.] After kashering, the usual practice today is to cover the stove-top with aluminum foil (being extremely careful not to block the air inlets around the burners and on the back of the stove, as this could create poisonous fumes in the room).

* OVEN: If you want to use the oven: (a) First clean the oven well with an oven cleaner (e.g. Easy-Off). Make sure that it reaches into all the cracks and around the screws. (After using the oven cleaner, there is no need for further cleaning). (see General Note G). Then heat the inside of the oven by turning the oven on to its highest temperature for about one hour. (b) If your oven has a turbo option (a fan which circulates the heat ), consult a rav about your particular type. (c) After kashering, if the oven door has a glass window, preferably cover the entire inside of the door with aluminum foil. (d) If a closed oven insert is available, this would be preferable. In this case, only washing and cleaning are necessary. (e) Do not use the chometz-dik oven racks for Pesach. If this is difficult, then one can kasher the racks with the same procedure as for the oven, placing them as close as possible to the heating element.

If the oven is not going to be used: None of the above is necessary. Just make certain that there is no edible chometz inside, tape it closed well and see below #10.

10) POTS, PANS, DISHES, & SILVERWARE (CUTLERY): Whatever is not going to be used for Pesach should either be locked up, or put away and sealed in a manner which will remind you not to use them on Pesach. If there is a possibility of actual chometz in them, the chometz should be sold (see General Note C.). If you do not sell chometz, then they should be either washed or soaked in a household cleaner; it is not necessary to scrub them.(Concerning kashering utensils for Pesach consult a rav.)

11) FOOD PROCESSOR/MIXER: A rav should be consulted.

12) DISH TOWELS: If one does not have a Pesach’dik set of dish towels, then one’s regular dish towels may be used if they are washed with a detergent and no food remains attached to them. (It is customary to have a set of Pesach’dik dish towels.)

13) PESACH TABLECLOTHS: These can be ironed with the same iron as is used during the rest of the year.

14) CLOTHES, BLANKETS, POCKETS, ETC.: If they have been washed in detergent or dry cleaned, then there is no need for them to be checked (see General Note E). Otherwise they need to be cleaned and checked thoroughly by brushing or shaking them out well. However, if there is a possibility of crumbs between the stitches or in a hidden crevice which cannot be shaken out, then they must be wiped with a rag which has been soaked in a detergent. Clothes which will not be worn on Pesach do not have to be checked, but they should be put away and the chometz in them sold (see General Notes C. and Sec. 10 on Pots and Pans).

15) SIDDURIM, BENCHERS, SEFORIM, BOOKS: If there is a chance that they contain chometz, then they should either be put away and sold with other chometz utensils (see General Notes C.), or cleaned and checked well.

16) TOYS: If there is edible chometz, then it should be either removed, or rendered inedible (see General Notes E). There is no need to scrub them.

17) TECHINA & OTHER KITNIYOS (legumes): May be used after the house has been cleaned for Pesach. They should not be cooked in utensils that will be used on Pesach, and certainly not on Pesach itself (according to the Ashkenaz minhag).

20) LAST MINUTE PREPARATIONS: For example, setting the table, etc., should be completed early enough in the day, so that you will be able to rest a little bit. Be ready to start the seder immediately after ma’ariv, to ensure that the children won’t fall asleep at the Seder.

21) ENJOY PESACH! Try to make the Pesach chores easy for yourself. Don’t do unnecessary hard work. Don’t do unnecessary cleaning. You can be like a Queen and you must enjoy your Pesach!

10 Adar, 5762. Jerusalem, Israel

Meal Plan Week 8 – Using Up Our Chametz

Well, Purim’s passed, and it was a whirlwind; a beautiful whirlwind of food, family, and fun. Best food related part? I didn’t have to cook extra for Shabbos this week (just popped a gefilte fish in the oven)! And now, merely days after Purim, here’s a little peak inside the first steps of my annual Pesach prep. It isn’t exactly kneeling on the floor type cleaning – got to allow for some transition – but it’s the annual first step.

Sitting down towards the end of Purim, I set out to sort the mishloach manos that have generously been delivered to our family. After sorting for degrees of healthy / unhealth food items, I begin our annual “chametz gamur” box. A cardboard box that remains by the pantry door from Purim until shortly before Pesach. We traditionally do not sell “real” chametz, ie pretzels, pasta, etc, but rather use it up or deliver it to local food drives prior to the start of the chag. In this vein, I suggest all gluten free readers perhaps brace themselves the next coming four weeks as we purge our house of pasta and clean out the freezer. Carb lovers? Join me 🙂

Week 8 Meal Plan

Friday night: Chicken soup, gefilte fish, quinoa, green beans.

Shabbos lunch: Gefilte fish, dijon ribs, squash pie, roasted baby potatoes, salad, mushroom zucchini muffins, fruit salad.

Sunday: Dijon ribs, squash pie, mushroom zucchini muffins, roasted baby potatoes.

Monday: Tomato soup, elbow pasta, and breaded fillet of sole, and steamed peas.

Tuesday: Breakfast burritos for dinner 🙂

Wednesday: Tomato soup, and grilled cheese, sliced veggies.

Thursday: Pancakes, cottage cheese, sliced veggies.

What’s on your menu this week? Interesting ideas for using up your chametz? Please share below!

Post Purim Notes for Next Year

Sitting down at the computer now, it’s been a busy and beautiful day. One aspect of this blogging platform that I’m particularly enjoying and coming to appreciate is the journaling aspect of jotting down my thoughts and knowing they’ll be there to reference in future years, to grow and to learn from. After each chag, we have those recurring thoughts regarding what went well, and what we’d like to remember for next year. Well, here’s my report. Perhaps it’ll enlighten more readers than only myself.

1. First Thoughts

Aka, my gut reaction. Purim this year was beautiful. The mishloach manos were delivered, cards sent, megilla heard, matanos l’evyonim given, and seuda had. However, I. Did. Too. Much. Purim is a time with so much potential. We can involve our young children in the preparations, affording them a deeper appreciation of what each mitzva symbolizes. However, in today’s age of social media, where so many of us are looking at others’ themes and family costumes on facebook, pinterest, or instagram, or even just passing on the street while wishing one another a “Freilachem Purim,” we’ve got to get back to basic. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t have themes. I’ll continue to do so as it makes the preparations even more exciting in our house. However, I’ll scale it back im yirtze Hashem next year so that we can focus on what’s important; our relationships with Hashem, with each other, and with ourselves. Lesson 1: Tone down the details – it doesn’t have to be perfect.

2. Choosing My Kids’ Costumes

This year, while on vacation I found the cutest costume for my son. It was great, it was perfect, and it was all Boy. However, I knew our theme had been chosen for the wrong reasons when my son was at shul, saw someone dressed as a clown, and said “I wish I were dressed up as a clown.” Puzzled, I reminded him that we’d had a clown costume that would have been just his size this year. He answered me saying “I didn’t know that was an option.” Lesson 2: Let the kids choose their own costumes – it’s their fun. Don’t get me wrong, he enjoyed and had a good time in his costume, but we have to realize that as our little ones get older, kids must be able to express their identities through their own imaginations and ambitions – and on Purim, the costume is their form of expression.

Another aspect of the costume thought process that I’ve noticed in recent years, is that (at least the little ones) are being asked to bring their costumes into school on Taanis Esther. Particularly on years when I’ve put a fair bit of DIY effort into a costume, I’m hesitant to send it in knowing that it may get dirty of damaged before Purim. In lieu of this, I pull out a dress up costume from the dollar store that my little one can wear to school that day. saving his real costume for Purim itself.

3. Planning Ahead

I’ll write down the following deadlines now, so that perhaps I might remember for next year.

Rosh Chodesh Shvat – Have a theme chosen.
One week into Shvat – Place eBay orders (I’ve become a huge fan of ordering aspects of costumes extremely inexpensively on ebay. However these can often take more than a month to ship.).
Rosh Chodesh Adar – Have a list of card mishloach manos / card recipients completed so I’m ready to go shopping and place card orders. Have all DIY costumes DONE. Take pictures in full costumes if using for mishloach manos labels / notes.
7th of Adar – Have cards filled out, stamped and sealed, ready to mail. Mishloach maos shopping should be completed (possible exceptions if food items might spoil). Have mishloach manos labels / notes designed and printed. Have seuda menu completed. Have all seuda decor bought, including paper / plastic goods.
12th of Adar – Have mishloach manos packed, and ready to go. IF making real food MMs that need to be assembled last minute, purchase easy to close packaging with no fumbling, tying, or curling aspects. Open gift bags are ideal.

Lesson 3: Plan ahead, and stick to the plan. In short, I may or may not actually stick to these by the book next year, because life happens. But I do know that I’m going to try my best. There’s got to be a game plan. A game plan was soarly missing this year, and I felt it in my exhaustion leading up to Purim.

4. Mishloach Manos

So many lessons here. Lesson 4: Buy open top bags (gift bags) if giving real food MMs so that they can be assembled in advance with the fresh food component just being popped in easily on Purim morning. Lesson 5: If making a seuda, cut down recipient list to the bare bones, and send cards instead. Between the cost, time management of making mishloach manos, and then delivering, in addition to making a seuda, something’s got to give. If you’ve got the time, go for it, however if life is particularly busy (and whose isn’t) it’s fine to cut down. Lesson 6: Keep them simple. Lesson 7: Skip the homemade themed baking projects. There’s a good chance they’ll end up not being eaten, and are extremely time consuming. Lesson 8: Remember that we’re meant to spend more on matanos l’evyonim than on mishloach manos – keep priorities in check.

5. Seuda

OK here I declare an unabashed WIN. I pre-cooked and stored foods in the freezer and was able to meal plan with detailed ingredient lists. More importantly however, I finally convinced myself that I had cooked enough food (Jewish mother syndrome anyone?). Lesson 9: Know when to stop cooking. Ask yourself: is this appetizer necessary? The decor side of things, well, that could have been done earlier. I’m going to give myself breathing space on this one, because had misshloach manos been simplified (see lesson 5 above) decor would have been done much earlier. One aspect of expansion I would like to consider for next year is to Lesson 10: Consider inviting non family members who may need a seuda. There are so many people out there, whether a single parent or simply a single man or woman, or maybe an older couple whose children have moved away, and would appreciate an invitation.

6. Matanos L’evyonim

This is simply an idea I’d like to share because I love having one less ‘to do’ on my task list for Purim. Lesson 11: Find out if you can prearrange matanos l’evyonim donations. My shul has established a set-up whereby members arrange for our rav to be a shliach of our money, and it’s all arranged before Purim so that I know there’s one less task to be done on this busy day.

7. Megilla

I really, I mean really like the shul where I heard megilla last night, however it was a very family oriented minyan, which meant there were many stalls in the leining waiting for kids to quiet down, which meant we got home late, which meant my little one was very tired today. In future years, I’m going to reread this post and be reminded to Lesson 12: Attend a leining that’s quick, and quiet if there is one available – again, this applies especially if planning a seuda in our home.

……Till next year!

What lessons did you learn this year’s experience that you’d love to share? Please comment below!

Meal Plan Week 7 – Pre-Purim!

Um, meal plan? Pre-Purim? Yesterday while out for Shabbos lunch my hostess apologized for serving on plasticware. My response? “You mean plasticware like I used last night so that I wouldn’t have dishes to wash after Shabbos?” Yes, it’s a busy week. No, we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be too frazzled because we know that it’s really just a warm up for Pesach prep.

Don’t worry if you’ve had to cut a few corners. Keep yourself relaxed and focused on your family. They’ll thank you for it.

So, what’s on the menu?? This week I’ve pushed my major Thursday shop off to later today (Sunday) so that I can start prepping and freezing for the Purim Seuda (meal plan for that coming up – stay tuned). So what’s on this week’s menu? Remember that accountability aspect I told you I love about blogging? Well, I’m going to wing it and create that meal plan NOW. 🙂

This week, the meal plan will begin with Sunday, not Friday as usual.

Meal Plan Week 7

Sunday: Vegetarian chili from last week in store bought taco shells.

Monday: Latkes still hanging around in the freezer (did someone say Pesach cleaning?) with cottage cheese and veggies.

Tuesday Pre-fast: Chunky squash carrot zuchini soup, whole wheat pasta with tuna, grapes.

Wednesday, Post-fast: Bagels, lox, cream cheese, veggies.

Thursday: Purim Seuda!

Meal Plan Week 6 – When There’s No Time for Meal Planning

Photo credit: www.100daysofrealfood.com

So things have been a little busy around here. New to the blogosphere, I’ve been working on keeping balance between the blog posts (related to Purim) and real life (prepping for Purim) while looking keeping everything running smoothly in the house (in anticipation of Purim). Purim is one of the most festive times of the year, and with this joyous holiday approaching, mayyyybe I’ve let my meal planning slide a bit??

Well, as I’ve said it’s all about accountability. You folks are graciously anticipating the meal plan, and so I’ll create it for myself and the world out there. And my family will benefit throughout the week from my being that little bit more prepared.

Truth be told I did my shopping for this week with no meal plan in hand, and so this week’s meal plan is inspired by the ingredients I did pick up at the grocery store, as well as items I keep on hand in the pantry – for occasions such as this!

Friday night: Challah, chicken soup, roast chicken, brown rice pilaf, green beans, and hamentaschen.

Shabbos Lunch: Invited out 🙂

Sunday: Roast chicken, green beans, rice.

Monday: Big hearty vegetable soup – single bowl meal.

Tuesday: These fantastic crockpot baked beans and rice, and chopped veggies.

Wednesday: Vegetable soup from Monday

Thursday: Breakfast for dinner – eggs, pancakes, veggies.

What’s on your weekly meal plan this week? Please share below!

DIY Real Food Mishloach Manos – Theme Based!

If you’ve been looking to give out real food mishloach manos this year, this post is for you. More and more, individuals and families are looking to offer a healthy, cost effective alternative to the candies that are so prevalent on Purim. In going with the wish of many to tie in mishloach manos with a theme, this post is a compilation of many classic theme based food groupings.

Where possible, the food suggestions in this post re “real food” based. What I offer are springboards for our creativity. Take a look, let your creative juiced flow, and remember that the mitzva of mishloach manos is about spreading joy and togetherness.

Enjoy!

Photo credit: http://thedailysmash101.blogspot.ca/

Doctor / Nurse

Apple (a day)
Veggie sticks and dips
Soup broth
Fruit salad
Salad in a jar
White chocolate covered pretzel sticks (thermometers)
Milk cartons
Orange / orange juice

Photo credit: http://lifefrosting.blogspot.ca

Astronaut

Milk(y way) cartons
Cut star shapes from cheese pieces, melon, cucumbers, carrots
Star fruit slices
Cheerios (Saturn’s rings)
SUN-flower seeds
String (moon) cheese
Star shaped cookies

Photo credit: coolest-homemade-costumes.com

Photo credit: www.joyofkosher.com

Construction Worker

The key here is that although assembly is required, it be extremely minimal, with very little effort or time required.

Photo credit: www.chabad.org

Build your own sandwich – Bread, cheese or deli, veggies
Build your own salad – Lettuce in container, chopped veggies, cheese, craisins, croutons, seeds, dressing
Build your own pasta – Pasta, shredded cheese, pasta sauce, sliced olives, grilled veggies
Build your own parfait – Yogurt, blueberries / chopped fruit, homemade granola
Build your own pizza – Pre-rolled dough (bake these most of the way through so as to hold their shape and lessen recipient’s bake time), pizza sauce, cheese, sliced olives

Kallah and Chosson (Bride & Groom)

Challah
Cake
Cupcakes
Grapejuice

Haman

Photo credit: http://overtimecook.com

Grape juice / wine
Hamentaschen
Triangle bourekas (can be dairy, meat, or pareve depending on fillings)
Triangle fruit turnovers

Photo credit: www.chabad.org

Shabbos Theme

Grape juice / wine
Challah
Kugel
Dips

Photo credit: www.jewishsource.com

Purim Theme

Hamentashen (mishloach manos)
Wine (seuda)
Chocolate coins (matanos l’evyonim)
A note rolled into a megilla

Photo credit: www,eventstocelebrate.net

Curious George

Photo credit: http://www.glorioustreats.com/

Bananas
Banana chips
Banana cake / muffins
Chunky monkey brownies

Farmer / Animals

Milk carton
Photo credit: www,smittenkitchen.com
Apples
Veggie sticks and dip
Baby carrots
Black and white chocolate bark (cow)
Black and white cookies
Black and white chocolate covered nut clusters *allergy alert – make sure to clearly label as containing nuts
Oatmeal packets
Oatmeal cookies
Red pepper dip
Vegetable soup blended or chunky with bread sticks / garlic knots
Chicken fingers
Photo credit: www.kosherscoop.com
Pumpkin muffins
Mini pumpkin pies
Corn muffins
Corn salad
Egg salad sandwich / hard boiled egg
White frosted doughnut holes in an egg carton

Photo credit: www,thefoodies.org

Insects

Butterfly bag snacks
Bread and different flavored butter(fly)s
Raisins (ants)
Chocolate covered raisins

Bumblebee

Honeycomb cereal
Milk carton
Banana (yellow)
Little container of honey
Honey cookies

Photo credit: www.superhealthykids.com

Flowers

Flower shaped cookies baked on sticks
Sunflower seeds
Vegetable bouquets

Photo credit: www.shockinglydelicious.com

Painters / Rainbow

Sprinkle covered chocolate dipped pretzels
Fruit salad
Israeli salad
Fruit kabobs
Layered salad in a jar

Pirates

Chocolate coins
Mini kabobs on sword shaped skewers
Bread sticks (swords) and dips

Photo credit: www,jewitup.com

Sports

Popcorn
Pretzels
Trail mix
Nuts *allergy alert – make sure to clearly label as containing nuts
Water bottle

Photo credit: www.myshtub.com

Superheroes

Soup(erheroes)
Hero sandwiches
Super-foods

Photo credit: www.dansdeals.com

Airline Meal

Pack onto small rectangular tray and cellophane the entire package.

Fruit cup
Single serve cereal
Milk
Small water bottle
Baked dessert

Photo credit: www.gourmetkoshercooking.com

Colonial Theme

Corn muffins
Popcorn
Mini pumpkin pies
Mini cherry pies
Apple cider
Jam

Fireman

Salsa and chips
Matbucha and rolls / pita chips
BBQ chicken
Grilled vegetable salad / skewers
Water bottle

Under the Sea

Sushi (stick with veggie varieties as fish poses health hazards not being refrigerated)
Can of tuna with packets of mayonnaise and pickle on the side

Clown

Popcorn
Homemade soft pretzels or pretzel bites with mustard

Photo credit: www.kidfriendlyhome.com

Beach Theme

Sand(wiches)
Pasta salad made with macaroni shells
Water bottle

Meal Plan Week 5 – Spicing Things Up

Happy Sunday Everyone! I must have been thinking of warmer weather when I drafted this week’s meal plan, because there’s a distinctly Spanish feel to the menu. Please join me in turning up the heat. Many of us Northerners can use it right now!

Meal Plan Week 5:

Friday: Chicken soup, cajun salmon, roasted root veggie sticks, savory baby spinach salad, crockpot applesauce IMG_20141024_161450

Shabbos Lunch: Honey mustard salmon, cholent, roasted root vaggie sticks, spanish rice, mango strawberry baby spinach salad, strawberries for dessert

Sunday: Loaded hot dogs with baby spinach salad

Monday: Family get together

Tuesday: Squash pear soup, quesadillas with crockpot refried beans

Wednesday: Squash pear soup

Thursday: Oat cranberry pancakes, cottage cheese, fresh veggies

What are you making this week to beat the cold?

Please share in the comments below!

The Great Candy Debate

This morning, as with most mornings, I checked my email quite early in the day. I scrolled through, browsing a few advertisements, marking some emails that required further action, and then turned my attention to a birthday party e-vite that had come in from a mother of my son’s classmate.

A Candyland themed birthday party.

The birthday party theme in and of itself sounded cute and classic, but I had to take a step back and consider the idea. Our kids seem to be surrounded by candy. In the best of situations, where nosh is rationed on the home front, the kids are still bombarded with sweet treats everywhere they go.

Candy’s commonplaces:

In class birthday parties, with cupcakes, donuts or other sweet treats
In class Shabbos party, where often a whole host of candies and gummies are offered up
Classroom incentives in the form of jellybeans or other small treats
Shul learning programs for boys and girls
Aufrufs, bar mitzvas, kiddushim, and other simchas
Purim!
The infamous shul “candy man” – or, “candy men” as the case may be

In summary, there is no shortage of opportunities for kids to indulge their sweet tooth. That is, until it decays under all the layers of sugar.

Now don’t get me wrong, I think it’s fabulous that morahs, rabbonim, and rebbeim are offering positive reinforcement for our children’s behaviors and yearning to learn. I merely think there might be healthier ways to do so.

As in many areas of life, a cost benefit analysis goes a long way here. We have to be able to objectively look, as a society and as a community, at whether this system of candy based reinforcement is helping or harming our children.

Concerns related to considerable candy consumption:

Moderate to severe ADHD, behavioral, skin and migraine related reactions to food coloring found in the majority of sweets. Did you know even white marshmallows include blue dye?
Tooth decay – many parents let this one go as they brush children’s teeth twice daily, however the prolonged contact between brushings, of sugars and teeth, particularly when having eaten soft, chewy, or gummy type candies can cause significant damage.
Sugar’s impact on the whole body. In recent years, the impacts of sugar on the Western diet have been studied, publicized, and are shocking. Nearly every factory produced food we eat has added sugar. Do we really want, or need, to offer our children more than this?

Recently I came across lump-sugar-548647_1280 the book Eat Healthy, Feel Great by Dr. William Sears. I can tell you firsthand of the benefit it’s made to my child’s diet. The book speaks of, and educates children in a fun, comprehensive manner, on what foods are considered red lights, yellow lights, or green lights, and why. Now when my son brings home extra candies that have zero nutritional value (red lights), I ask him whether he’d like to trade them with me for a yellow light food such as chocolate or a cookie – I’ve seen 100% success.

In our house, we certainly do have treats, however they are almost never candy based., and more often than not, I know what ingredients have gone into them, because I’ve made the treats myself. I offer chocolate chips for reinforcement of good behavior, and fruits or homemade cookies for dessert. I always have dried fruit in the pantry which my little guy loves. It’s all about setting standards and training an appreciation of nutrition, and of the human body.

I say it’s time to reform the public system. Schools have begun introducing nutritious lunches, and banning nosh that is sent in lunches. Each step goes a long way. As we raise our children with Torah values, we must stress “u’shmarem me’od l’nafshoseichem,” – “and you shall guard your bodies very much.” Our children are the greatest value in our homes. We owe them that much.

What are your thoughts? Do you think that the candy being offered today is excessive? Do you speak to your children about limiting candy intake, or do you not mind the amounts or nosh that are made available to children?

Please comment!

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