creative jewish mom

Cheesecake From A Neighbor For Shavuos!

The Jewish holiday of Shavuos will start here in Israel in another four hours or so, and I really hadn't planned to get back on the computer and post anything.....that is until a neighbor's daughter knocked on our door with the beautiful little sampling of cheesecakes and blintzes, and of course I just had to share this with you.

Plus they added the little tissue paper flower on account of who they were giving it to, so sweet!

Shavuos is the holiday of cheesecake and all things dairy, and while I don't go all out with the cheesecake or the dairy dishes on account of the fact that my husband quite simply does not like cheese, others certainly do! This time of year the grocery store is suddenly filled with all kinds of cheeses we don't normally see, as well as white cheeses in larger tubs for baking.....and or course you can find recipes everywhere. 

And since no Shavuos is truly complete without a little cheesecake, I'm so happy to have this nice little gift from a neighbor. I didn't do any baking for the holiday on account of a freezer packed to the brim with left over Moroccan cookies and all kinds of cakes....(more on that anther time) and so when my husband brought home another little cheesecake gift from a baker friend this morning, I was doubly happy!

And now, I must run to finish cooking the meat, the Moroccan fish, some challahs, and more. And to coax my kids into taking a nice long nap, as tonight the men (and women who so desire) stay up all night in the synagogue learning, as part of the holiday tradition. And I might add, the cheesecake is traditionally eaten after this long night, before going to sleep in the morning.

As we say chag sameach, have a joyful holiday! 

Today Is Holocaust Remembrance Day.

This year I am choosing not to post an image, as no photo can communicate the horrific nature of the injustice referred to as The Shoah.

Shoah means catastrophe, great calamity. It is used by some (and universally here in Israel) to refer to what is know as The Holocaust, as the word holocaust has misleading religious implications. (Holocaust is derived from a Greek word meaning whole offering, burnt sacrifice, namely on an altar)

The period between the second day of Passover and the holiday of Shavuos, forty nine days later, is a time of mourning for the Jewish people, and during this period, or in some cases up until the thirty third day of this period, many of the rules of mourning are observed: no weddings, no music, no haircuts, no festive parties etc. 

Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed now, as this is an appropriate time period to mourn the 6 million innocent Jews whose lives were taken simply because they were born Jewish. In today's world this seems so improbable, and is so very difficult to understand. And yet it did happen, and so our task today is to never forget and to make sure that a tragedy of this magnitude never ever happens again.

The Hula Valley And Migrating Cranes!

Last week, on Shushan Purim, the kids were off from school and we decided to take a little trip to one of our favorite spots, the Hula Valley. While it was a slightly hazy day, there was still a stunning view of the snow capped, Mount Hermon and the lush green fields were so lovely.

Little did we know that we were in for a big surprise........

We rented one golf cart and two bicycles, and started to make our way around the lake, when suddenly we heard the sound of a bunch of birds squawking........

.......and lo and behold there in front of our very eyes was a field full of migrating cranes, who had stopped in the Hula Valley for a little rest. Now, of course, this is the place that these cranes always visit on their way south, it's  just that we had not merited to witness them, partly because I had been looking for them in the wrong part of the Hula Valley! I thought the cranes mostly visited the Hula Valley Preserve, and had even taken the kids out of school once to hopefully see them, with no luck whatsoever. 

But dear readers, next to the Hula Lake, which is farther north, the birds are fed grain of some kind in a field, so one is sure to find them there if it's migrating season.......so happy to finally have sorted this one out! And now I understand what the tractor was doing in the field in a movie we had seen at the preserve — the tractor spreads the grain around the field, making the birds go wild, which is the noise we heard!

So amazing! I didn't actually get this close, but thought I'd show you a magnified version of my photo, to give you a better idea of what you're actually looking at. Stunning.......

And equally stunning!

We continued on our way around the lake...........

......enjoying the wild life, like these birds, which are called Spur-winged Lapwing ......

........and quite a few of these funny fellows, who are called coypus, and are about the size of full grown rabbit. They're not native to the area or even to Israel, but have flourished in the Hula Valley after being dumped there when a fur trade idea didn't work out! And for some reason they're quite unfazed by people and you can get fairly close to them, that is when they decide to take a break from swimming and come up on shore for some munching!

For those of you who are wildlife buffs, I thought I'd share with you a photo of this sign next to the lake. I have seen wild boars near our home 40 minutes south, but we didn't see any here in the Hula Valley!

Before heading home, we had a picnic in this beautiful spot on the lake......an amazing time was had by all, and I'm hoping to go back again soon to catch some more cranes on their way south!

Almond Trees In Bloom In Northern Israel Once Again!

The beautiful almond trees are in full bloom once again in Northern Israel, and this year our mountaintop city is virtually covered in a blanket of pink and white blooms! The almond trees are the first to bloom, signaling that spring is on it's way, and it's so very exciting every time!

There's nothing quite as beautiful as a blooming almond tree set against blue sky.......

and interestingly enough, each tree is on it's own schedule, so there are still buds to enjoy.

I really don't know why some of the almond trees have pink blossoms and others white, and I will admit though to loving the pink ones as they remind me of cherry blossoms from my childhood!

A view looking at Mt. Meron, the second tallest mountain in Israel, after Mt. Hermon.

Delicate blossoms and green grass!

 Oh, and look, it's a cave! 

And a lovely stone arch from an archaeological ruin which sits beside the road just a few minutes from our home. 

That's all for now, I just took a walk in the nearby forrest, and the red poppies are already in bloom, so I hope to be sharing that with you again soon as I do every Spring! I don't know about you, but with the longer days and warmer weather I'm starting to feel like I'm coming out of hibernation! Stay tuned for lots more nature photos as we get re-acquainted with our lovely surroundings!

A Jewish Henna Celebration!

A few nights ago we enjoyed a Jewish henna celebration, in honor of my neighbor's daughter, who will be getting married in a few months. After the young couple is engaged, many families have the custom of making if official with an engagement party, that is thrown by the bride's family. Since my neighbor is of French Algerian descent, they, like most of the Sephardic Jews from North Africa (and the Yemenite Jews as well) have the tradition of honoring the bride with a Henna party, which in this case was done at the end of the engagement party.

In Hebrew, the three letters which spell henna stand for the three mitzvot that an observant married woman takes on, and that are unique to her as a married woman. One of those is lighting two candles just before shabbat, so two lit candles are placed in the bowl of henna, and the lights are turned off as henna is applied to the hand of the bride and then the guests.

Off course, this is proceeded by special music and dancing and a ritual in which the bride receives jewelry from the family of her groom. There is great excitement and festivity and platters of cakes (wrapped in cellophane usually) are waved above the bride's head and giver's of gifts also dance around with the gifts.

At the end, henna is placed on the palm of the bride and the guests, in some cases it is nicely wrapped with a little cloth and ribbon so as not to make a mess, but here it was done simply. The henna is left on the hand long enough to leave a mark, as a reminder of the special meaning of the things the bride will do once she is married. Lots of fun was had by all, and my seven year old slept until two in the afternoon the next day. Quite likely from all the beautiful French tarts that he gobbled up, more on that later!

That's all for now, gotta go cook for shabbat! Oh and of course bake my challah. Which reminds me, the letter chet, which is the first letter in henna (which is really spelled chenna) stands for challah, one of the precious mitzvot unique to the Jewish woman. Not to mention the amazing smell that fills the house... that's all for now!

Have any questions? Send me an email at crafts@creativejewishmom.com, and I'll try to answer them!

Cooking For Shabbat.....And Doing Acts Of Kindness!

Actually this short story is about being blessed with the opportunity to do acts of kindness! Yesterday we went to a new store in town to do our weekly shopping, and I thought I was buying enough food for two shabboses......double chicken, double fish etc. When we were unpacking the groceries the phone started to ring.

Ring Ring Ring....."Hi Sara, I know it's a little late to be asking, but could you make salads for Limor again this Shabbos?" Limor just gave birth to baby number 10 or so, and we the community cook meals for two weeks following birth. Last Shabbos I give them a nice spread of salads and they even sent a rose and a note as a thank you! So who can say no, knowing how much pleasure I was able to give them, plus I had purchased more than enough vegetables.

And then the phone rang again. Ring, Ring Ring....."Hi Sara, Smadar isn't feeling well and hasn't even been able to enter her kitchen. (Neither have I, I'm thinking!) I'm trying to find meals for them (a small family of five), could you possibly host them? These are newish neighbors that I've been wanting to invite, so here was my chance! So, yes of course, we'd love to have them Friday night. And of course I did have more than enough fish and chicken on hand, having bought what I thought was enough for next week as well!

So here's the menu:

• White challah (I have two loaves in the freezer, that will have to be enough white bread)
• Spelt oatmeal rolls Ended up making a double batch of rolls below....added too much water!
• Spelt yeast free rolls

• Moroccan Fish
• Moroccan Hummous
• Moroccan Beet Salad
• Moroccan Carrot Salad
• Egg Salad with carmelized onions
• Kohlrhabi, carrot and red pepper salad, with fennel and celery
• Moroccan Roasted Pepper salad, with mostly green peppers
• Moroccan Roasted Eggplant salad
• Techina
• Moroccan cabbage salad  Mixed salad with baby greens, yellow peppers and sprouts
• Raddishes marinated in salt water
• Roasted hot peppers
• Sprouts with olive oil and lemon juice vinaigrette Used sprouts above

• Moroccan Yellow Chicken with Fennel and Garlic
• Yellow Basmati Rice  whole wheat couscous
• Cholent/Hamin, for lunch tomorrow, without guests

• Spiced Apple Cake (served with a little store bought ice cream) Forgot take ice cream out of deep freezer, whoops but below was a great accompaniement
• Baked Apples and Pears (maybe, if there's time!) Yes, baked sliced pears in maple syrup, yumm

Fortunately, all of these recipes are tried and true, and found on this blog! When I have a moment I'll post the links to them all, or you can do a search for them in the upper right corner of this blog. 

Ring, Ring Ring....."Hi Sara, I'm hosting a meal for Esther, the bride, do you have some centerpieces or decorating ideas for the table? You have those vases of flowers you did for party earlier in the week right?" Of course, come on over!

Being busy helping others is the very best kind of busy one could wish for! Gotta run!

PS: I just added some comments regarding what the final results were, and fortunately I received rave reviews on the salads that the neighbors enjoyed, and on the meal that we hosted Friday night. Phew! Oh, and I even had some left overs which I took to a women's gathering at a neighbor's for the third meal on Shabbat to celebrate with a kallah (bride) who will be getting married on Wednesday, mazel tov!

And I got a few more ideas for some delicious salads from my a friend, that I can't wait to try, maybe next week! Until then, back to crafting....one can dream right?

Two Snow Days In Israel!

Gotta love a mosaic pot in the snow! If you're up for a fun mosaic project, so take a look at my DIY mosaic pot tutorial for making mosaic pots like this one, that will weather a good storm once in a while! (Meaning those of you who live in zones 5-7, with frost, and occasional snow, like our region here in Northern Israel.)

It's been a good four or so years since we've had anything more than a slight dusting of snow here, so we were very thrilled when a real winter storm came our way and left our mountaintop city looking like a winter wonderland! I know, snow and Israel don't seem to go together, and much of the country did not look like this, but our city, in the North, and well as Jerusalem, are high enough for real winter once in a while, yippee!

I always say, that I love one day of snow, enough to enjoy it, but not too much that it becomes very inconvenient, as we are not equipped to deal with snow. At the slightest flurry, schools are closed and the majority plan to just stay home. No problem, I've got a few crochet projects  underway, and the kids certainly don't mind a little unexpected vacation!

Here's the snowy view from my kitchen window.... (above)

And the view (above) looking North, with Lebanon (Oh right, I live in the Middle East, I keep forgetting!) just beyond those hills on the horizon!

Oh, and here's a little cutie on his way out to play in the snow with two scarves, ear muffs and the works! I'm so happy for him! 

The Beauty Of Grape Vines

I started off the week showing you photos of dates just beginning to mature, so I thought I'd end the week with some photos of lush vines with grapes in my neighborhood! Grapes, pomegranates, olives, dates and figs are together in a category of special fruits that have an inherent holiness to them according to Jewish law, so we are particularly excited to witness their growth and to enjoy eating them when they are in season.

Traditionally, when one built a home in Israel, a grape vine was planted in the yard. Many also aspire to plant trees from each of the fruits mentioned above in their gardens. And those who are fortunate enough to live in old stone homes very often have a wonderful grape vine growing in their yard that generally climbs to a second story and provides share on a pergola on a second floor balcony! Dreamy.

Many of these grape vines are so old that their trunks are thick like trees, as you can see in the photo above. And while they do loose all their leaves in the winter, they come back with vigorous growth in the spring. It's so exciting to walk around the neighborhood and witness the first signs of grapes! 

And while we're walking around the neighborhood, we always take a few minutes to appreciate the beauty of our little haven here in Northern Israel, and the spectacular view of Mount Meron! 

Note: On a side note, as far as grape vines and container gardening are concerned, one can grow grape vines in containers, but the likelihood of actually growing grapes is fairly slim, and getting a vigorous vine that would cover a pergola is also not so simple. I tried it myself a few years ago, and did not succeed, and my little vines succumbed to the winter cold, alack alas. So if you're craving a grape vine, the best thing is to plant one in the ground, and the second best thing is a very large, and especially very deep pot, as the roots need depth. 

Date Palms And A Word About Dates

Most of you probably don't walk out of your dentist's office and see a date palm with tiny fruits forming, so I thought I'd share these photos with you from a recent trip to Rosh Pina, not far from my home in Northern Israel.

Dates are a big part of life here in the Mediterranean, and we enjoy them in so many ways. I love to bake with sugar-free date syrup, know as silan, and a big dried date spread on a rice cake is a super healthy way to enjoy a little treat. Just be sure to buy the dates called Medjoul, they're the best! Though do open them up before eating as they can be infested.....yuck!

I can't say that I personally enjoy eating fresh dates harvested in the fall, as it's just unfamiliar to me, but I do love how they look, and we often buy a branch full of dates to use as decoration in our succah! When ripe they are golden yellow and just a large version of what you see in the photo here.

That's it for your little peak into life here in the middle east, got some craft projects under way, but no time to photograph them! See ya soon!

Dreaming Of A Cutting Garden......

Nothing can compare to the beauty of fresh flowers, and in my mind, nothing compares to the wonderful idea of casually fillings vases and bottles with flowers from your own garden. If I do have a little garden patch to call my own, I do think that I will dedicate the space to growing flowers for enjoying indoors. Rose bushes, well of course, but what I'm really talking about is that idea which is referred to as a cutting garden.

I really don't know too much about it, but from what I've seen the garden itself isn't necessarily gorgeous, it consists of a raised bed or area in the garden dedicated to growing flowers for cutting. Sounds great to me, what about you?

Oh, and the roses in this photo? My friend Batya, who also happens to be our local ceramicist and teacher, gave these to me from a climbing rose bush in her garden. Which got me thinking and dreaming once again. And as I write this I remind myself that I certainly don't have to wait for a cutting garden to enjoy flowers, I've got a container garden that's beckoning me to add some annuals to the mix. So however you can, do bring flowers into your life, they are one of life's very simplest pleasures!