Reflections of My Passover, AWESOME Recipes, and Spring is Here!

MY PASSOVER SEDER

Now that the Passover holiday is over – how was your holiday?  Mine was jam packed with family and lots of good food!  Like everyone who hosts a Passover Seder, I put a lot of time into it – not just preparing the meal, but preparing how I was going to run the Passover Seder.  I had 19 people over at my house for the first night of Passover.  This was the second time I did a Seder and I put my own spin on it, with a heavy emphasis on symbolism and singing.   After sitting through Seders all of my life, there were many parts of the Seder that I, admittedly, really just did not know the meaning of.

I prepared a  Passover Seder agenda (pdf) that I distributed to everyone,  not only to keep me on track and know which page I would ask people to turn to, but so that my guests would know how far along we were as we made our way towards the highly anticipated meal.  Also attached to the agenda were explanations of the symbolism I discussed, some prayers,  and the song sheets of very funny Passover songs(pdf).

THE SYMBOLISM OF THE PASSOVER SEDER

The first thing  I discussed at the Seder was all the symbolism of the Passover Seder Plate.  Next, I discussed who Elijah was and also talked about those four cups of wine I had always wondered about.  When exactly are you supposed to drink them and why does my family never seem to get to all four?  Now I know why!  Because we never continue the Haggadah reading after the meal!  Then the matzot – why are there 3, and why do you break the middle matzah, and what’s the symbolism of the Afikomen?

I explained all of it, as best as I could.  Where some parts of the Haggadah were a little dry or long-winded, I told the story in my own words (using a lot of what I learned from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat).  I told the story of Joseph (sold as a slave by his jealous brothers) and how he eventually became Egypt’s #2, and then the children of Israel moved to Egypt, and the 80 turned into thousands, which is why Ramses enslaved the Jews and ordered the killing of all first born sons.

SYMBOLISM OF MIRIAM’S CUP WITH A NEW RITUAL AND PRAYER

Another symbolic part of my Seder was the “Cup of Miriam.” I had everyone pour a little bit of their water into Miriam’s cup, and it was placed beside the customary “Cup of Elijah,” which was filled with wine. I wrote an extensive article about Miriam’s Cup last year and told the story of  Miriam, Moses’ sister,  and Miriam’s Cup.   One of my cousins said, “Miriam?  She’s someone new I haven’t heard of before!”  Perfect!  This was exactly what I hoped for during the Seder – have everyone learn something new.  Even after the Seder, Joshua remembered the three reasons water is symbolic to Miriam.

1. Miriam saved her brother’s life by placing him in a woven basket in the water of the Nile River.  She followed Moses until he reached the arms of Pharaoh’s daughter, who raised him as her son.
2. She led a victory song and dance after walking through the waters of the Red Sea.
3. She was followed by a continuous well of spring water that sustained the Israelites in the desert.

I ended the Seder with a new ritual that I think is a combination of my own and reading a lot of other rituals.  I explained that Miriam represented the present and Elijah represented the future.  I had everyone pass around Miriam’s Cup and Elijah’s cup and dip their finger into the water of Miriam’s Cup, make a wish for the coming year, and add a drop of water into the wine of Elijah’s cup to mix the present and the future together. We all recited:

“Miriam is beginning; Elijah is end. Miriam is present, Elijah is future. Miriam is place; Elijah is time. Elijah is the mountain, Miriam is the sea. The water of Miriam rises from the earth, the fire of Elijah descends from the sky. Together they are the circle of sunlight and rain, not separate or dissimilar, for both are needed for growth. We must have consciousness of both in order to be free.”

GREAT FUNNY PASSOVER SONGS

Last year, a lady sent me a collection of AWESOME funny Passover songs (pdf).  Whenever appropriate, I substituted a song for the reading from the Haggadah.  I started off with “There’s No Seder Like Our Seder” to the tune of “There’s No Business Like Show Business.”  Then “Take me Out Of Egypt” sung to “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”  We sang, “Moses’ Island” to the tune of Gilligan’s Island, and instead of reading about the Four Sons, we sang the song , “The Ballad of the Four Sons” to the tune of “Clementine.”  A very popular song was “Just a Tad of Charoset” sung to “Just a Spoonful of Sugar,” and then on a slightly more serious note, after the Jews passed through the Red Sea and the Pharaoh’s Army was drowned and the Jews were free, my son, Joshua had queued up on his iPod, “Miriam’s Song,” and with a “5..6..5,6,7,8″ we played “Miriam’s Song” by Debbie Friedman and I passed out tambourines and the little kids danced around the room!  The whole Seder took about 45 minutes, and I know I’m  biased, but I think everyone enjoyed it.

THE PASSOVER MEAL – WHAT I SERVED

Then, onto the meal!!  My 9-months pregnant sister, Jennifer, made the apple kugal and onion and mushroom kugal.  Benjamin, my 6 year old, made the matzah balls.  We learned our lesson from last year and, since we quadrupled the recipe, we DID NOT cook all the matzah balls in the soup at the same time, but cooked them in three batches (if you put them all in at once, there is no room for them to expand and the matzah balls come out small and dense – although they still taste  good!)  I also made an amazing broccoli salad that I got from my sister-in-law Elaine (who got it from someone else).

For the main meal, I cooked a meatloaf from an Ann Lander’s recipe (pdf) from 1959, and turkey teriyaki (my butcher’s recipe), and both came out great.

I made my famous Sweet Potato fries, which just involve microwaving sweet potatoes until almost done, cutting into slices, brushing with olive oil, and baking until the top gets crispy.  Yum!! They taste even better when they are fried in olive oil and the outside gets caramelized. They are delicious!

OMG THE BEST DESSERT EVER!!!  MATZAH CRACK(ERS)!

For dessert, I followed a recipe that Lana read about on the blog Kosher On A Budget for Smitten Kitchen‘s version of Matzah Crack(ers) and here is a link to the Matzah Crack(ers) recipe (pdf).  It was AMAZING!!!   I think it might be one of the best tasting sweets I’ve ever had.  Although, I have to admit, when cooking it, it was so sweet I got a headache, but it was worth it.  One of the steps is making caramel which is melting butter in light brown sugar.  The entire house with filled with sugar fumes.

Daniel helped me out with this recipe and here are photos of him spreading the chocolate chips on the hot caramel.  People could not believe how good it was!! I covered some with almond flakes and coconut flakes.  Some people, like my cousin, said that it was really like crack and she couldn’t stop eating it.  When another cousin dropped a big piece on the floor, I said, “You’re NOT throwing that out!” and she said, “No Way!”  So there you have it with proof – it’s really, really amazing.  Atlhough the recipe says that it can be made on other kinds of crackers, I can’t imagine it tasting better than on matzah because matzah is plain enough to really mix well with the other strong flavors.

JILL ZARIN’S AMAZING CHOCOLATE DIPPED MACAROONS

Another AMAZING dessert I made was Jill Zarin’s Chocolate Dipped Macaroons (pdf).  I was at a doctor’s appointment just a few days before Passover and was reading a People magazine while waiting.  On the last page was this recipe and I asked the receptionist to photocopy it for me (she couldn’t believe I didn’t just swipe the magazine).  Now, as everyone here knows, Lana LOVES Jill Zarin and that whole gang of NY Housewives, and if I had saved just one chocolate covered macaroon for Lana, she’d love Jill even more, but those macaroons are long gone…Check out these photos.  They’re real beauties and even better than what you would buy at the bakery, and pretty simple to make, too.

I didn’t have time to make the Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe (pdf) that Lana wrote about in her blog post, Passover Recipes: Vegetarians, Vegan, Celiac, Dairy-Free and More!, but I bought the Springform pan, so I’m ready for next year!

TIME WITH FAMILY

Although my kids have only been off from school for 11 days, it seems like it was a lot longer.  We did A LOT!  On Tuesday, we celebrated Passover in Stamford, CT at my sister-in-law’s house with her three kids, her in-laws, and my other sister-in-law and brother-in-law drove down from Burlington, VT with their two kids.  My boys saw all of their cousins last week, including two cousins who flew in from England.  My brother and his two beautiful kids flew in from Maine.  We only see them a few times a year but the kids get along so well, it’s like we just saw them yesterday.  We went to the Queens Zoo and also saw a Mets game ($5 a ticket at StubHub!!! – they lost).

RETURN TO THE COVE – A ONE NIGHT STAY AT THE CHAMPAGNE TOWERS BY CLEOPATRA

Mike and I totally imposed on Jenn (she’s very pregnant) and asked her to watch two of our three boys, and went away for the night to the Cove Haven Hotel at Paradise Stream and got upgraded to the Champagne Tower Suite.  Check out the video I took of our Champagne Tower Suite.  You can read about our trip to the Cove Haven Hotel last year for our 20th Anniversary at All About Caesars Cove Haven Hotel in the Poconos (Well…Almost Everything…)

I LOVE SPRING!

Yesterday, the last day off before school, the weather was incredible and I had 7 boys over here playing with the hose, getting soaked and loving life!  Spring is totally in the air and below are some photos I took of the beautiful trees in my backyard, and Bert, the cardinal Joshua named about five years ago who returns every year and has the most distinctive and beautiful bird songs!  We always know when he’s around.

Please share with me your Passover stories!

Jill Zarin’s Secrets of a Jewish Mother and Evil Eye Jewelry Spotting

Another Evil Eye jewelry spotting! While I happily settled in last night to watch the season 4 premiere of the Real Housewives of New York and, of course, the 100th episode of Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live!, I caught a glimpse of Jill Zarin wearing an evil eye necklace! I jumped up and grabbed my iPhone to take a picture of the TV screen so I could show you all! I read on www.dailyfrontrow.com that Jill gave the evil eye necklace as her signature gift last Hanukkah season. Of course, her Jewish gifts cost considerably more — upwards of $10,000! That’s fine if you’re a housewife, but for those who want to dress like Real Housewives but are on a REAL housewife budget, there are plenty of options. (Check out our entire collection of Evil Eye Jewelry and learn a little bit more about the symbolism of the evil eye in our article called, “What is the Evil Eye?“)

The video clip that Andy showed last night where I noticed the evil eye necklace on Jill was actually from last season and that got me thinking — how many other other pieces of evil eye jewelry have I missed on the Real Housewives ladies? Well, a little research revealed that the answer is at least one! Caroline Manzo of the Real Housewives of New Jersey has also been sporting this fashionable symbol. I’m sure there are others, and I’ll keep my “eyes” open and report back!

Secrets of a Jewish Mother

Andy Cohen may have been having poking fun last night at how many times Jill Zarin and her mother, Gloria Kamen, plugged their now year-old book, Secrets of a Jewish Mother, on his show but, hey, who can blame them? Jill’s been taking a beating on the show so there should be a little payback! Their book is an opinionated guide to life, with advice on all areas of life from friendship to career, marriage to parenting. There is even a cute quiz at the back of the book to determine if you are a Jewish Mother. A portion of all the proceeds of the book are going to charity, so it’s a worthwhile buy.

At Jewish Gift Place we have a special place in our hearts for Jewish mothers, being that we are all work at home moms! I myself have been trying since last Mother’s Day to get in touch with Jill Zarin (through tweets, emails, blog comments, phone calls) so that I can ask her some questions about her book, Secrets of a Jewish Mother, and her experiences with Jewish motherhood. Well, Jill is a very busy lady, and I haven’t made any headway in getting a shot at this.

Melanie Notkin of Savvy Auntie and her bff Jill Zarin (photo credit to www.savvyauntie.com)

I must say that Melanie Notkin at www.SavvyAuntie.com has made this look easy because she posted a great interview with Jill Zarin, Jill’s mom, Gloria Kamen and Jill’s sister, Lisa Wexler, called, Secrets of the Real Jewish Aunties. Melanie explains that she has a soft spot for the Zarin family because her own Jewish mother died over two decades ago. She found Jill Zarin and her family to be warm, genuine and generous of heart. Bravo Melanie! (No pun intended!) Great interview! I must admit, I was more than a little envious when I read Melanie’s post entitled “Real Friendships of New York City” on her instant and lasting friendship with Jill. (…here’s what, Melanie, I grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, not far from Zarin Fabrics, so I kind of feel like Jill and I are meant to be besties too! We’ll talk…)

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 8, 2011

With Mother’s Day approaching, we need to start thinking about our Jewish moms, these women of valor, and how we can honor them this year. There will be more to come on this topic in the coming weeks but I think it’s fitting to end on this note and pay tribute to Jewish moms ( and all moms!) everywhere, “A woman of valor, who can find? Far beyond pearls is her value.“

Our New Passover Knowledge Base!

It’s almost time for Passover! In spirit of the season, we’ve created a new Passover Knowledge Base to explore the special meaning and history of the Passover holiday and the Passover Seder feast. From the Passover Seder Plate, to the table, to the dinner itself, there is so much to know about this special time of year.

Passover (also called Pesach) is held to celebrate the beginning of Exodus on the 15th of Nisan. The holiday celebrates the release of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. With such an enormous significance, it is no wonder that such special care is taken in conduction and arrangement of the beautiful ceremony. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with these traditions and you will certainly be this year’s most interesting Passover host or guest!

Remembering Elizabeth Taylor: The Death of A Great Jewish American Actress

Elizabeth Taylor, a beloved actress who spent much of her life in the public eye, died of congestive heart failure last week at the age of 79. The news of her passing saddened me and admittedly, sparked a desire within me to want to know this star once again. I know I was not alone in this sentiment. Across the world our media has been flooded with stories and details remembering Taylor, a woman whose persona was larger than life. Really, who can forget those eyes?  Taylor was a child star but grew up to be so much more – an iconic beauty, an Oscar winning actress, a savvy businesswoman and a trailblazing philanthropist, and an ardent Zionist.

In the last week, details of her burial have emerged. There was the humorous note how Taylor made arrangements to be late for her own memorial service. A poke at her own record for lateness, perhaps, but the gal still knew how to make a grand entrance!  Another detail found was the near forgotten fact that Taylor was Jewish. She had converted to Judaism in 1959.

At Jewish Gift Place, we take a moment to remember Taylor and her path to Judaism, as well as discuss other notable stars that also made the choice to convert to Judaism.  Read more at  Elizabeth Taylor, Her Conversion to Judaism and her Devotion to Israel.