CurrentMom

Just Another Sunday in May

Truth Thursday

I just can’t bear to try to find another way to talk about Mother’s Day. It’s a non-holiday, one that I really dislike.  I am not interested in cards, in breakfast in bed (which no one in my family would think to do anyway) or even in a day at the spa on my own.

We have a kids baseball game and a field hockey game to attend. That’s good enough for me. I love attending my kids' events. I love being with my family, and relish the opportunities, especially now that I’m working full time. And when I need time and space away, I find it, and not on one particular Sunday a year.  

I don’t need my kids trying to find ways to show their love, when in fact, it wouldn’t really occur to them except in this manufactured way. I prefer to look at the bigger, long-term picture, and hope that our family life, for all its flaws, will sustain them into adulthood and they will be able to look back and say, you know, those parents of ours were ok.

Fudge Cookies -- Delicious Solution for Extra Matzo Meal

Meal Monday

I realize it's a significant and common problem: what to do with leftover matzo meal? Instead of keeping it and hoping it won't go stale before next Passover (unlikely), I recommend using it to make these cookies. Passover or not, these are delicious and very satisfying.

The recipe is from Susie Fishbein's Passover by Design cookbook and she credits the original recipe to Rivki Shaulson. Sounds authentic to me.

As usual, easy to make.

Giant Zebra Fudge Cookies

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

2 cups matzo meal

2 cups good quality Dutch process cocoa powder

4 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp baking powder

confectioner's sugar, sifted

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, mix the oil, sugar, matzo meal, cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla and baking powder until a soft dough forms.

4. Roll the dough into 18 balls slightly larger than golf balls.

5. Fill a small bowl with confectioner's sugar and stir with a fork to break up any clumps. Lower the balls, one at a time, into the confectioner's sugar and toss to coat heavily and completely. Transfer to prepared cookie sheets. Leave room between the dough balls, as the cookies spread during baking.

6. Bake for 18 minutes. If you like smaller cookies, form walnut sized dough balls and bake for 12 minutes.

7. Cool completely.

A Working Mom's Holiday

Truth Thursday

Passover is around the corner. Seders, which are one of my favorite Jewish traditions, are filled with delicious, ritual foods, the preparation of which requires days (and days) of cooking, baking and freezing.

But there’s more to Passover than just the seder. There’s the ritual spring cleaning of the house. In a traditional Jewish home, one is required to remove every single crumb of bread from every corner of the house, so much so that you are supposed to use a feather the night before the holiday to check the corners for crumbs.

There’s also the changing of the dishes. A kosher home requires not only separate dishes for meat and dairy meals, but a whole separate set of meat and dairy dishes that taken out only for Passover.

Then there’s the food shopping – since people who observe Passover cannot eat any leavened product for the entire eight days of the holiday, special Passover foods must be purchased. To shop in a kosher market the week before Passover is taking your life in your hands.

And of course, there’s still laundry to do, homework to oversee, sports to attend, dishes to wash, lunches to prepare and everyday life to attend to.

How on earth is a mom who works outside the home supposed to make all this happen? A fairy godmother? The wave of a magic Passover wand, much like Moses’ famous rod that turns into a serpent?

Or just days and nights of exhausted preparation on top of work and home life?

I’m thinking number three.

My Funny Valentine

Truth Thursday 

I’m not usually a fan of Hallmark card holidays. Mother’s and Father’s Day? Meh. St. Patrick’s Day? Guess that’s more of a parade holiday, but still, meh. Teacher’s Day? Administrative Professional's (aka Secretary's) Day? Nothing.

But Valentine’s Day. Oh, Valentine’s Day is a little bit different for me. Given its proximity to my birthday (as in, The-Day-Before), I have always thought of Valentine’s Day as my extra birthday day. All that pink and red splashing around in the heart of a dark, cold February? That’s for me, thank you very much.

When I was growing up, my mother would leave my sister and me Valentine’s Day cards and chocolates on the kitchen table in the morning. It was, for me, a portend of what was to come the next day – a tasting, if you will, of a wonderful birthday present. And since anyone who knows me knows that my bloodstream is infused with chocolate, it was an appropriate amuse bouche.

Today, a day away from a big birthday, I think of Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to think of all the little valentines that exist in my life. Not so much the people I love – my husband, children, family and friends without whom nothing would matter. I am thankful for them every minute of every day.

No, today I am thinking of the little pockets of grace that make my life more beautiful. Those random places and things that touch me, feed me and make me smile. So here is my valentine ode to that which makes me happy.

New Year's Eve -- Festive at Home with a Classic Caviar Spread

Meal Monday

I have no shame in admitting I have champagne taste. In fact, I love champagne and adore caviar. I always have. Unfortunately, my budget does not always keep pace with my desires.

However, on New Year's Eve, I make allowances. We're talking reasonable allowance -- not Beluga caviar and Dom Perignon, rather lumpfish roe and Chandon. No complaints. Tonight I'm having a small family party and can't wait to serve some of our favorite dishes. The recipe below is always in my repertoire.

Lumpfish roe or other inexpensive caviar can be found near the canned tuna fish in the supermarket, and I always have a jar in the pantry. I've been making this dip longer than I can remember and it's incredibly versatile.