Baking 101

While I was making the rolls for our tuna hoagies, I used some of the dough to make a pull-apart challah, pictured above. The rest of the dough went to Sruli and Kayla, who had a great time shaping their own bread. Of course, then I ran out of dough, so I had to sift more flour and pop another batch into the breadmachine. And then while I had the flour out, I decided to bake more of The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the World, since I, umm, finished the rest of them yesterday. All in all, the baking was a great activity as it kept us all happy and busy. And the eating wasn't too bad either.

Off the Charts

Chevy had a check-up this morning and, b"H, she's growing nicely. She hardly made a peep when she got her shot and even the nurse commented on how "good-natured" she was. We don't know where she gets her easy-going personality, but we hope it lasts! She's 66 cm (26 in) and 7.45 kilo (16.39 lbs.) for all who wanted to know, bli ayin hara, poo poo poo.

Is There a Doctor in the House?

The dentist has been visiting our house quite frequently. Every night, actually.
After struggling with the kids for a number of weeks to brush their teeth, I came upon the idea of pretending to be a dentist. At bedtime, the kids take turns seeing the dentist, who speaks with a horrible English accent and is mysteriously able to detect all of the treats they ate that day while cleaning their teeth.
I'm not sure which requires more imagination - that I could be a medical professional or that a trip to the dentist could be fun.

Hangin' Out

Chevy's getting bigger, b"H, and is quite a cute distraction when I'm supposed to be working.

Picnic in the Park

This is the only acceptable way to eat Potato Rings snacks. We stopped in the park on our way home from gan (playgroup) on Friday for a little picnic. As you can see, the weather here is still pretty mild.

The Magnificent Menu - Third Course

Here is this week's menu, in the hope that someone might find it useful for their own meal-planning. By the way, the dinners are geared to what is in season and available in my neck of the woods - Jerusalem.

Sunday:
Cranberry Chicken (very good and very easy - the kind of recipe you're actually embarassed to give)
Challah Kugel and Cholent (leftover from Shabbos)
Rice (I know, a lot of starches...)

Monday:
Baked Salmon
Quinoa with Green Peas
Sauteed Beet Greens with Raisins and Red Onion
Caramelized Butternut Squash Cubes

Tuesday:
Split-pea Soup (bought from a friend who started a soup-making business)
Chicken and Vegetable Stir-fry
Rice

Wednesday:
Tuna Hoagies (with cheese, tomatoes, pickles, olives and red onion)
Homemade Rolls (breadmachine, obviously)
Salad

Thursday:
Baked Ziti (if it ain't broke, don't fix it)
Garlic bread (from yesterday's rolls)
Salad

Not to worry. I know, it's Thanksgiving in the US this week. We'll be adding turkey to the cholent on Shabbos.

Nature Walk Project

Here we are assembling the specimens we collected on our nature walk to and from the park on Sunday. We had a lot of fun looking for flowers, leaves and acorns in interesting shapes and colors. And we reminded eachother not to put the berries in our mouths because they have "chemicals" and could give us a very big tummy-ache.

Caterpillar Project

Wednesday's afternoon activity was making caterpillars. The kids painted egg cartons (and the bathroom sink, kitchen towels, their arms, etc.) and after letting them dry, we put pipe-cleaners in for the legs. Sruli also added pipe-cleaner arms and hair to his furry caterpillar.

The Magnificent Menu - Second Course

I know it's a little late, but while the challahs are baking I wanted to post the menu I made for this week. I can't express enough how much easier having a menu has made all the dinner prep. I am sold on the idea and hope to continue this new-found good habit, b"eH.

You'll notice that a number of the dishes at the beginning of the week are from Shabbos. There is actually a concept that's popular now called OAMC, or Once A Month Cooking. People who do this set aside one day a month for an all-day cooking session to prepare large quantities of dishes they will freeze and serve throughout the month.

Cooking extra for Shabbos is a similar idea, only on a weekly level. Either you're prepared for unexpected company, as some of us are fortunate to have regularly (I guess that makes them expected, then), or you have leftovers for weekdays. Basically, you just make more of what you're planning on making for the Shabbos meals and carry the extras over into the week to make life a little easier.

Highlights from the menu below were the squash soup, the dinner rolls and the cookies. The rolls were unbelievable - "light, fluffy, pieces of heaven" as we termed them. I found the recipe on my favorite recipe site, http://www.recipezaar.com/. They are the top-rated breadmachine roll, and for good reason. The chocolate chip cookies were possibly the best I have ever made. I finally followed my sous-chef's advice and made sure not to overcook them. Two words - yuh mee.

Sunday:
Shabbos Leftovers (chicken, zucchini, rice)

Monday:
Apricot Chicken (Easy and the kids like it)
Corn Salad with red pepper and peas (from Shabbos)
Apple Cranberry Bake (from Shabbos)

Tuesday:
Pumpkin and Butternut Squash Soup
Honey Mustard Glazed Salmon
Bulgur and Lentil Salad with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms (I must admit, it sounds better than it tasted)

Wednesday:
Sloppy Joes on Homemade Dinner Rolls (made in the breadmachine)
Mashed Potatoes
Greenbeans
Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thursday:
Pasta
Salad

The Renaming of this Blog

I thought I was so creative with my former blog title, "A Mom with a View."
Until yesterday.
I happened to be reading an article on Aish.com and noticed that an author has a blog there - by the very same name!
I obviously had the phrase in the recesses of my subconscious from having seen it on the site earlier. Oh well, I guess it's just another sign I'm getting older.
Anyway, credit goes to my clever husband for the new title. I must say, I like it more than the original. It makes me smile every time I hear it!

The Load of Laundry

Can’t wait any longer, the situation is urgent;
The hamper’s overflowing and we’re out of detergent.
Tomato sauce, green paint, blue ink and soil;
Glue, orange juice, chocolate pudding and oil.
I soak then I spray.
I pre-treat and I pray.
Pajamas, pants, skirts, a child’s smock,
Towels, linens, shirts, a lone sock.
Colors, gentles, whites and darks,
Bleach and Oxygen to remove all marks.
The stain is out, no more ring around the collar;
Only the remains of a tissue and wrinkled dollar,
Hanging and drying, then sorting and folding,
Emptying baskets, putting away clothing.
Day after day, there is no end or beginning.
Like the last cycle, my head is spinning.
But when it comes down to it, although it’s a chore,
I smile as I collect the dirty clothes from the floor;
These outfits were worn by the ones I adore,
And because of that, I’ll be glad to do more.

An Epiphany

I had a momemt of clarity this morning.
Israel is not known for its smooth and efficient governmental processes. Things here run by Bureaucracy with a capital B.

We recently took Kayla to the ER because of a scare regarding her breathing in the middle of the night. Thank G-d she was ok, but then we had a problem because she was temporarily off our (national) insurance plan. So we have been trying to work things out between the National Insurance Agency, our specific health plan and, eventually, the hospital.

Well, after waiting on the phone for a long while (a few times), taking trips to offices and speaking with different reps, it seems that things might be worked out. And that's just to get Kayla on the plan. We're not talking about reimbursement for the hefty hospital bill, yet.

But I realized - for all the grumbling and complaining - maybe this is how it's supposed to be.

Nobody here puts too much stock in the government solving their personal problems. While you're waiting on the line, you're praying that everything be resolved. And when, in the end, things finally are - you know Who really did it.

After

Before

Move Over Frederic Fekkai

Some people say having a daughter is fun because you can dress her up like a cute, little doll. I say having a daughter is fun because you can cut her hair like a Barbie Styling Head.

I made that mistake once. I was about 7 and thought the hair would grow back on my first Barbie doll. Now I'm not worried, because I know Kayla's hair will grow if I suffer any slip ups with the scissors.

Check out the "Before & After" shots. Wait, I think I hear my phone ringing. It must be Jennifer Aniston calling for an appointment....

Chevy Doodle

Yocheved (Chevy for short) was nicknamed "Chevy Doodle" by Kayla and it sort of stuck.

Snow Men

Sunday's afternoon activity was making snowmen with the kiddies.

Thank you to Binah Bunch for the idea and to Chevy for the sock contribution.

But Why?

A popular question among the kids in my house these days is, "Why"?
As in:
Parent: "Please don't stand too close to the baby when you're sick because you could give her your germs."
Child: "Why?"
Or,
Parent: "After you eat some lunch, you can have dessert."
Child: "Why?"
Here's another one:
Parent: "Go wash your hands off since they're all sticky from glue."
Child: "Why?"

You get the idea.

So, in answer to the question of "Why?", I thought of the following motivations for starting this:
1. As an outlet for the frustrated author in me
2. To provide some, hopefully, helpful tips on parenting, cooking and living that I've picked up, mostly through trial and error
3. To communicate with far-off family and friends
4. As a fun way of "keeping a journal," like my mother always tells me to do
5. As a tool to procrastinate from more pressing tasks

I also figured I would have the market cornered on blogs posted by young, working moms with toddler-aged children, since who else would be crazy enough to spend the time writing one?

Things that Make Me :)

I decided to keep a running list of little things that make me happy. Here's what has come to mind, in no special order. Feel free to add your own in the comments.


1. Covering my 2-yr old and her doll up with a blanket on the couch

2. Getting into a bed with freshly-laundered sheets

3. Wearing socks to bed in the winter

4. Osem onion soup mix no longer contains MSG. My cholent will never be the same.

5. Finding the last missing puzzle piece under the couch.

6. When your 2-yr-old comes over to give your finger a kiss after you get a "boo-boo"

Kids Say the Sweetest Things

My 3-yr-old son has a habit of coming in to my bed in the early hours of the morning. He especially likes cuddling up next to my 5-month-old when she's with me.

As I was feeding the baby, bleary-eyed at 7am, my son told me I looked "beautiful" and "pretty."

While I was touched by his cuteness, I am taking him to the eye doctor next week.

The Magnificent Menu

Despite getting my credit card statement and having 3 runny noses in the house, I have been in a good mood this whole week.

Why?

I made myself a weekly dinner menu. I feel super-organized and in control. I am Martha, hear me roar. No last minute runs to the supermarket to pick up missing ingredients. No panic as 5pm approaches. Just a calm and happy mom.

I sat down Sat. night and took a few minutes to take stock of what I had on hand and write down the following list of dinners for the week. Feel free to contact me for recipes.

I highly recommend taking the time to make yourself a weekly menu, too. Now, if I can only do it again next week....

Sunday:
Shabbos (Weekend) Leftovers (chicken, rice, zucchini, apple-cranberry bake)

Monday:
Garlic Bread (made from a whole-wheat roll I had left from previous week)
Pumpkin Bisque
Sauteed Tofu with Salad

Tuesday:
Tilapia with Shallot and Lemon Sauce
Quinoa with Corn, Black Beans, Red Pepper and Tomatoes
Dessert - Chocolate and Cinnamon Buns (we had company)

Wednesday:
Ground Turkey Burritos with Grilled Peppers and Onions, Corn and Black Beans (and homemade tortillas)
Guacamole

Thursday:
Baked Ziti
Corn Schnitzel - for my husband who's allergic to tomatoes, white flour, cheese, and everything else good in this world
Salad

Friday and Shabbos (Saturday):
Stay-tuned

The beauty of the menu is that the prep for one dinner can lead into the next. I used some corn and black beans tht I had left over from Tuesday as additions to Wednesday's burritos. Part of the noodles that I'm going to make for Thursday will be set aside for the third meal on Shabbos. It's all about planning to avoid those extra steps.

My Cutie-Patooties

Is there a Pteradactyl in the House?

My 5-month-old daughter has discovered her vocal chords. It's like living with the Jurassic Park soundtrack playing in the background. G-d bless her.

Welcome!

Well, hello, and thanks for stopping by. We're always having guests over, and it's nice of you to come visit, too.

The kids are resting and I thought, "What better way to make the most of my time than start my own blog?"

I should be making dinner.
I should be folding the pile of laundry on my bed.
I should be working.

But I'm not.

Instead, I'm writing to you, because what kind of a host would I be if I didn't stop what I was doing to say "Hi"? I'd offer you some of the cinnamon buns I baked last night, but this is virtual after all.

Anyway, just to let you know a little bit about me: I'm a happy wife and mom of 3 kiddies under 3 and 1/2, B"H. I live in Jerusalem (for the time being, don't worry, Mom). My husband is studying and I work from home for a non-profit.

Anyway, that's about it for now. I hear someone stirring in the crib.

Come back soon!