I love cooking.  I love setting an attractive table, and feeding people.  I love having people over to the house, putting out snacks, fixing drinks, and entertaining.  I love holidays once they actually are here and everyone is together and enjoying the holiday.

I love grocery shopping.  I love buying new dishes and serving pieces.  Particularly this adorable soup tureen and bowl set I treated myself to for the holidays this year.

What I do not love is cleaning.  In any form.  I’m trying to do the Fly Lady thing, but instead of flying, I find I’m barely fluttering.  I have toddlers who hide apples in the sofa cushions.  I have a husband who says the dishes are done and what he means is that he loaded and ran the dishwasher, but anything that didn’t fit was left on the stove and in the sink.

But really, it’s my fault.  Not theirs.  I should be the one following my routines and getting my house clean so that I don’t have to do a pre-Shabbat freak out every week to get things presentable.

Instead, I’m blogging.

Did I mention I really hate cleaning?

I need a domestic.  Oh well.  Until I can hire one (probably half past never) I need to get up off my tush and get to work.

Little Man in the lobby

Today was Rosh Hashanah.  Actually, it started last night, but that’s beside the point.  My family attends (and helps organize) a very small, fairly organized free community service for the High Holidays.  The service has been going on for something like 35 years, and it is free to everyone, we just ask for a small donation. Anyway, the same cantor has led services for the last 24 years, and the same man has read Torah for the last 17.  They couldn’t do it anymore.

So this year, we hired a new cantor, and yours truly read Torah.  I was so nervous that even though I knew the portion perfectly, I tripped over my tongue something awful once up there on the bima reading.  I managed to pull it together, and made it through the portion, but my stress level was through the roof.

At that point, my toddlers were done with services.  We lasted long enough to hear my sister blow shofar (the first portion), and then my kids and I high tailed it home.

It’s a good thing too as I barely managed to get the sleeping 1 year old into his crib before my migraine hit full force and I ran to the washroom and lost my breakfast.

Princess in the lobby

I managed to take a pill and curl up with my 2 year old on the sofa, where my family found me when they all arrived for Rosh Hashanah dinner (served around 2 pm).

My mom and sister saw the situation, and stepped in to save the day.  All the food was already cooked, but the table wasn’t set, nothing was heated up, or even organized.  They did it all.  My sister’s soup and rice pilaf were excellent.  Mom’s salad was delicious.  My chickens reheated just fine, and everything came together like clockwork while I lay practically comatose.

I pulled myself together enough to eat, and then they all sent me to bed.

They cleared the table, entertained my children, and just made everything so easy for me!

I can’t thank them enough.

My new year got off to a rocky start, but with family like this, I know that whatever life throws our way, we’ll be okay.

L’Shana Tova Tikatevu to you and yours.  I hope that the new year brings you blessings, peace, and happiness.

The windows of my house are completely fogged up because of the heat and humidity outside.  My kids got into my spice drawer today and managed to open and dump 3 spice jars all over my floor.  My 2 year old decided to try her hand at disassembling furniture today and took a shelf out of the television stand.  The same one she hid the remote under the other day and we couldn’t find it for ages.  My 1 year old is sick, and refused to nap at all.  My husband is still working at 7:30 at night.  He started before 6 a.m. this morning.  My basement is flooded and the carpet goes “squish” whenever I take a step.  The same 2 year old discussed above is refusing to sleep in her own bed, but is (Thank G-d) willing to sleep in the guest bed.  The sheets for the guest bed are in the washer right now, but she doesn’t seem to mind sleeping on a mattress pad, so okay.  The light in my kitchen burned out.

But, I have a lovely glass of Riesling, and am hereby telling the world it can go take care of its own self.  Mama is done for the day.

My To-Do List is crazy today and tomorrow:

1. Take kids to chiropractor
2. Get diapers (we travel with disposables.  I don’t even know what size!)
3. Get munchies and drinks for the road
4. Finish all the laundry
5. Change all the sheets
6. Make a cheesecake (decided to take the easy road and buy one)
   
7. Clean up the main level of the house
8. Clean out the car
9. Get new tires for the car
10. Pack everyone’s suitcases
11. Pack toys and books for the kids (both for in the car, and for at Grandma and Grandpa’s house.)
12. Try to get Asher some new shoes (may get skipped)
13. Decide if I’m taking any knitting with me, and if so, what project?

Tonight we are getting together for some very good friends who moved way too far away so we never get to see them anymore!  I’m really looking forward to seeing them, but I need like 27 more hours in my day.

It’s hot outside.  Too hot.  It’s 93F with 90% humidity.  It feels like a sauna out there, and I just can’t deal.  Normally after lunch we are outside for playtime in the backyard.  I take a book to read, and the kids play in the sandbox, run around looking at bugs, and just burn off some energy.

Today, I can’t do it.

So, we are inside, and Miriam is engrossed with the television.  She’s watching Julia Child make French Bread, and I’m okay with that.  Asher is sitting next to me while I type, enjoying his graham cracker.

Sometimes a quiet, inside day is just what the momma needs.

Or letting go of perfectionism.

My cousin has a travel delay, and poor guy, he is stuck here in one of the “flyover” states until tomorrow.  So, we chatted through Facebook (isn’t technology grand) and he’s going to come on down for dinner tonight.

Historically, this would send me into a tizzy.  My house isn’t spotless.  My 2 year old has scabs on her face from a run-in (fall-in?) with our concrete patio on Father’s day, and I wouldn’t have any idea what I was making for dinner for my family, much less for my cousin and my folks who also are really looking forward to seeing him.

Today, that’s not how things are going though!  My house isn’t spotless, but it is clean enough.  I need to sweep up some cheerios from morning snack, and put away the cheerios and raisins which are still on the counter in the kitchen, but that’s it cleanup wise.  My house doesn’t NEED to be spotless.  Clean enough is totally clean enough!

I know what I’m making for dinner thanks to FlyLady and ChiveTalker.  I just need to run out to the store, which was already on the agenda today, and pick up a little more stuff to fill the meal out.  Two fish fillets won’t feed 5 adults and 2 toddlers, no matter how much rice goes with the curry. 

So, basically, I’m not flipping out and running around like a chicken without a head.  I’m letting my children watch Dinosaur Train while they play.  I’m enjoying my coffee.  Heck, I’m writing a post on my blog.

You know what, letting go of perfectionism is a really good thing for my sanity!

Hey, when the kool-aid is this inspiring, I’ll drink right up!

1. I’m grateful for my husband. He works crazy hours, but is still willing to get up with the kids in the morning so I have a chance to catch a few more zzzz’s.

2. I’m grateful for my adorable children. Their minds work in incredible ways and I’m always surprised by what they come up with.

3. I’m grateful for my friends, without whom I totally would be in a loony bin

4. I’m grateful for my mom, who knows when to help make grandiose plans, and when to reign me back in before I go off the deep end and buy 47 yards of fabric or a dog.

5. I’m grateful that we have a roof over our heads, and food in the fridge. All my worries are pretty much silliness because we have the things we need.

I’m actually grateful for more than just this, but the kool-aid is to list 5, so 5 it is!

I have two munchkin stories for you.

Story the first:

Yesterday, I took the kids to a shopping mall that had a wonderful indoor play area.  Due to the rain, it was packed, there were probably 50 kids crawling, climbing, and running around.  Through tunnels, over plastic animals, driving pretend cars, etc.

Fifteen month old Asher was happily crawling back and forth through a tunnel, when he was surprised by a little girl about his age crouching down at the other end of the tunnel and peering at him.  Being the bulldozer that he is, Asher barreled forwards, probably intending to plow right over this little girl.

Instead, she stopped him with a single hand, and kissed him!  Asher froze, unsure of how to react, and the girl kissed him again!

At this point, Asher started crawling backwards as fast as he could, and scurried back to me.  The girls mother and I both laughed.  It seems Asher has a girlfriend!  I wonder if he thought to get her telephone number . . .

Story the second:

We were in the car, on expressways for a long time yesterday.  Miriam, age 2.5, took it upon herself to point out every single “Yellow Bus” that she saw, and count them.  “One, Two, Three, Eight, Nine, Ten, Giggle, Two . . .”  She did a very good job, counting yellow buses for mile after mile.

There was a long pause, with nary a yellow bus to be seen, when suddenly she cried out at the top of her lungs “BABY BUS!!!”.  Just then, a bright yellow sports car zipped by.

I love how her mind works!

Lots of people have been asking me for my challah recipe recently.  I’ve tried countless recipes over the years, and honestly this is the easiest and tastiest one I’ve ever found.  My family likes it so much they have me make the challah every week.  Homemade is better than any store bought, from a grocery, bakery, or wherever.  My recipe is based on Recipezaar’s “The Best Bread Machine Challah”, which in turn is based on Susie Fishbein’s Kosher By Design – Picture-perfect food for the Holidays and every day.

My recipe calls for a bread machine, if you don’t have one (and I didn’t for the longest time), you can use your stand mixer with a dough hook.  If you don’t have one of those, you’ll have to knead by hand.  I’m assuming that you already know the basics of bread baking. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 5 extra-large egg yolks (yes, the extra large eggs make a difference!)
• 1 1/8 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/3 cup oil
• 4 1/4 cups bread flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar or honey
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• sesame seeds or poppy seeds

Directions

Add the first 7 ingredients to your bread machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions, or in the order given combine them in a large bowl.  If using a bread machine, set it to the “dough” cycle and walk away until it is done.  Otherwise, use your mixer’s dough hook and allow to rise once then punch down before moving on to the next step.  If kneading by hand, knead everything until well combined, allow to rise for 1 hour, then punch down and knead again.

Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured board and divide in half.  Set one portion aside.  Divide into 4 equal portions and roll them out into snakes.  On a Silpat
pad or parchment paper lined cookie sheet, braid the 4 snakes together.  Repeat with the second portion.  Cover with a dish towel and allow to rise for 35 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350F. Brush the risen loaves with beaten egg, and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds.  Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

Immediately remove loaves to a cooling rack.  Let them cool at least 20 minutes or you will burn your mouth!!!  (It’s difficult, I know).

Celebrate Shabbat!

Asher is trying so hard to walk, but he’s not quite there yet. Which explains one of the reasons he really loves it when my dad comes over.

Watching the little dude steal my dad’s walker, thereby trapping my dad on the sofa makes me laugh, every single time.