Happy Holidays

Nothing says it's holiday time around our house like someone being sick. Tonight it's Eric's turn. I just wanted to check on Eric because he looked a bit rough around the edges at breathing treatment time. He still looked a bit under the weather so I checked his stats, they were exceptionally good tonight. Next was the awful look and the eyrping started. Two loads of laundry later he is calm and sleeping again. Happy Passover everyone.

What I was really going to write about tonight was our fantastic cleaning spree this weekend. We filled the middle of the van again with stuff for Goodwill. This time almost 2 layers full. I even sent my wedding dress so another bride can use it to start her happy life. The recycle bin and trash can were also filled to overflowing. I even got John in on the cleaning project. His work room is looking great. The end is maybe in sight all that is left to go through is in the corner. Now this might not seem like a lot, but imagine a 2 car garage with bins two deep and a little over5 feet tall, that is where I bagan. Most of it has left the house. My plan for the future is no more than 3 bins high and only one row. Wish me luck.

Passover Round Up

There was a positive side of being totally unprepared for Passover this year. I only had time to buy 3 boxes of Matzo this year do to travel for my moms birthday and other things happening around here. So I only had time to get to one store and all they had was matzo and chicken. They had no other Kosher for Passover mixes.  They also had grape juice, apples, dried fruit and dates the things I needed for charoset and fruit compote.

So my Passover cooking was a big pot of chicken soup, making the fruit compote and charoset. One day of busy cooking for John and I. The charoset lasted until yesterday the very last day of Passover so breakfast was taken care of. We finished the matzo last night. So I don't have to make a trip to the food bank with the left over mixes.

No one missed the Passover coffee cakes for breakfast. No one missed the snack cakes or cookies in the afternoon and evening, we ate fruit instead. We did not eat a lot of junk food and no one missed it, even me. Yes, all holidays have their junk food of cookies, cakes and candy. We ate on the light and healthy side.

The best part of not being prepared for Passover this year was that instead of gaining 5 pounds, I lost a pound. A holiday that lasted a week and I lost a pound. We will have to try this again next year.

Whether you celebrated Passover or Easter I hope that you enjoyed the time with your families.

Fruit Compote

It has been a while since I have shared a recipe. I have this cooking on the stove as we speak. This is a holiday favorite of mine. For those of you who indulge in a little too much matzo this time of year this recipe is the perfect cure.

Sheri's Fruit Compote

8 ounces of Dried White Peaches
8 ounces of Dried Apricots
8 ounces of Dried Pitted Prunes
2 Cinnamon Sticks
10 Whole Cloves
Water to cover

In a large pot, place all the dry ingredients. Cover with water. Bring to a boil on medium heat. Cover and simmer on a low heat until the fruit is soft and tender and the water becomes like syrup. The fruit should absorb most of the water. This will take about an hour. Be careful not to burn this. Check the water level every so often. You may add water as needed but don't drown the fruit, you will want this to have a heavy syrup.

What ever you do DO NOT ADD ANY SUGAR. The fruit will be sweet enough.

Cool in the pan and then transfer to a container and store in the refrigerator.

This should make enough to last a small family for all of Passover.

Happy Passover

I would like to wish everyone a Happy Passover. If you happen to celebrate Easter, please enjoy your holiday too. I think. With that out of the way. Eric has a LRI and with no day program tomorrow the best we can hope for is a Wednesday back to everything day. I am mostly over the cold that Eric shared with me. Although the flare up has started.

I did manifest destiny shopping for the holidays today. Yes just 6 hours before the start of Passover I was at Safeway looking for the things I needed for Passover. The result is that I bought a lot less, do to the fact most of my favorites were gone. Along with 2 of the 4 special tables. So no Passover coffee cake for breakfast this year. John said that it was probably healthier that way. My favorite macaroons and egg kichel cookies were gone too. I guess we will eat a fairly normal diet this week sans the leavened items.

I will be modifying our holiday dinner this year. With Eric sick and just the 2 of us eating we will not be doing a Seder. However I will still take time to read the Hagadah. Yes I think that was where we were at last year at this time too. I did however make charossets with John's help. Although he said that he would deny that he took Teri's job from her. I have also made a roast with potatoes, carrots onion and celery. John is getting so good in the kitchen, he now knows what size to cut the vegetables for a particular dish. I love spending time in the kitchen with John, he has brought the fun back to cooking. He on the other hand thinks I just like to make more messes.

In the I can't believe that it actually happened category. Teri's shawl is now in the hands of the post office. I also mailed another package today, I could not believe that the postage cost more then the yarn costs to knit my portion of a memorial quilt. This has got to be one for the books.

Well it is time to go take some yarn off the spinning wheel before dinner.

Charosis - A Passover Recipe

The holidays are fast approaching and my daughter Teri has requested a family favorite. Charosis is part of the sedar plate for the Passover service we have at home. Since Passover is a difficult holiday if you don’t use eggs, we also use this for breakfast, thus the larger than normal qualities. I also make mine nut free which is different from most recipes you will see.




Charosis

¼ cup honey

1 pound of chopped dates - grated

1 to 2 pounds of apples – grated (use very firm apples)

¼ cup of grape juice

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Sugar to taste, some people like their Charosis on the very sweet side, but unless the apples are very tart I tend to skip the extra sugar.

Finely grate or chop the apples and the dates. I use the medium grating attachment of my Kitchen Aide Mixer. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Please feel free to adjust the seasonings to taste. Place the covered bowl in the fridge overnight.

For breakfast I usually use ½ cup of Charosis on 1 matzo.

This is not a paid advertisement for Kitchen Aide. I have had my Kitchen Aide K-5 Mixer since about 1978 and it still one of my favorite kitchen workhorses. Way back then I invested 2 paychecks to buy it and it has been one of my best and longest lasting kitchen appliances.

Have a great evening and enjoy your families.

I will take any holiday recipe request you my dear reader ask for.