The first night..and turkey day

Last night was the first night of Chanukah. Amazingly, we were all together. There were so many years when one or another of my kids was away, it’s really nice to see all five Chanukiyot lit together.

I took photos while we were doing our usual post candle lighting singing.

We are serious about doing ritual and not so serious about how heads are covered, as long as they are. My boys are into wearing stupid hats. the squid hat is what my youngest usually wears during Shabbat dinner. The bunny hat I made for my youngest seems to have been taken over by my older son.

 

To remember the story of Judith and Holofernes and it’s connection to the Chanukah story I made cheese keplach . I put pureed collard greens into the noodle dough so my youngest would get some green vegetable into his body.

I’m slowly getting the hang of making filled pasta. I love how the vegetable matter makes the noodle dough easier to roll. I have added a refinement to my dough rolling technique.. I roll dough out on a floured tea towel. it makes both the rolling and the clean up much much easier. I highly recommend  the technique. I added the second photos just because I’m so pleased with myself. The kreplach were filled with a mix of drained cottage cheese and halloumi cheese. I particularly used the salty halloumi because Holofernes ate lots of salty dairy which made him want to drink lot of wine which is how Judith was able to over power him.

 

Today I am in the odd for me position of not having to cook very much for the holiday.

I made.

A vegan pumpkin pie with a pecan crust. My kids won’t eat it on principle if it is vegan, but will if it is simply parev. So for them.. it’s parev.

Meringues, for our hostess who loves them and requested them.

And

Radish roses. Because our hostess grew up with them and knows that a meat platter is incomplete without them.

Happy Thanksgiving!

חג האורים שמח