Hadassah’s Thanksgiving Shabbat Dinner

We decided to make Thanksgiving dinner on Shabbat – to save me the insanity of cooking for two days straight.

After reviewing our options and consulting with those in the know, I present to you my menu.

Of course I will be baking challah to start off our meal – does one make braided challahs or round ones for Thanksgiving?

We will start with a Butternut Squash Soup (I hope the kids don’t complain that there is no gefilte fish or that there isn’t chicken soup).

Main course will of course be the turkey that is currently defrosting in the fridge. It’s 14lbs so it will take a while to cook. I don’t think I am making stuffing – there will be plenty of side dishes, so I don’t think it’s necessary. I will just put some lemon wedges in the cavity with an onion or two. I will (gulp) buy cranberry sauce – never having had it, I have no clue how to make it or how it should taste. I usually have my turkey with applesauce. Hmm. Maybe I should make my own….

The KoD has requested my crustless sweet potato pie with marshmallows on the top. I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, who got it from a friend…

I will also be making my “Crapple Cobbler” – ok that’s short for cranberry-apple, or cranberry-pineapple. What I love about this dish is that you can eat it hot, cold, with a main course, on its own. It is yumminess personified.

Another side will be steamed green beans, either with slivered almonds or toasted sesame seeds. I may even make them into a cold salad and add sliced Italian tomatoes and make a zesty vinaigrette.

I will also be making mashed potatoes just in case my boys won’t eat the sweet potato pie. I mash them with a little margarine, some chicken stock, some dill, salt and pepper. We like them very creamy. (I am so hungry right now.)

For dessert – well, I doubt anyone will have room for afters, but I have to prepare something, maybe baked apples? Or apple pie cake a la mode? Suggestions?

The kids are so excited to have turkey – I haven’t roasted a turkey in donkey’s years – all they remember is that when I last roasted one I roasted it upside down. I shall see if I can do the same this year, and follow in the family tradition.

Gobble gobble ya’ll!

The Kindness of Strangers

One of my boys had to come home by cab yesterday after school. The school was kind enough to call the company and have him driven home safely. This morning (no school) it was time for him to go to shul to daven and he realized he did not have his tefillin with him. He was absolutely convinced he had brought them in the house, but once we had turned the house upside down, it was obvious that he had not. He knew he had left school with them, but then again – maybe not.

I had him call the cab company himself to find out if anyone had handed them in. He ended up leaving a message for the lost and found person to call him. Luckily it was a Jewish firm – Emunah Taxis, yes I am naming them, because they were awesome!! Ima could totally have done this for him, but I wanted him to learn to fix his own mistakes. If parents keep swooping in to solve problems, the child never develops problem solving skills.

The lost and found lady called back and we set about trying to narrow down the list of possible cabs his tefillin could have been in. I asked my son about the car, about the driver. She said she would call her list of drivers and get back to me. Within a half hour she had called me back, said that they had found his tefillin. What an absolute relief. That band that was squeezing my heart loosened considerably.

Before I could even ask her where I should come to retrieve them, she said that she would have her husband drop them off at our house, after he had picked them up from the driver. These people went out of the way to return the tefillin safe and sound. She sympathized with me, and told me that if her son had lost his tefillin she’d also be stressed.

My son learned an important lesson – to keep track of his things, but I also learnt that there are people out there who do believe in common decency and who do go out of their way to perform a mitzvah.

Do you have any stories where people went out of their way to return something to you? Or where you went out of your way to return something?

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Shaken

I didn’t get much sleep last night. I have been sleeping so well since I moved to NY – and I must have given myself an ayin hora (evil eye) telling someone yesterday how my insomnia improved as soon as I was settled here.

But it wasn’t that I couldn’t sleep. I fell asleep perfectly well. Then I had dream upon dream featuring someone in my life that is no longer on this mortal coil. In every dream this person was telling me very strongly “I never liked you”. I gave up sleeping at around 2 am because repeatedly waking up with my heart beating out of my chest was just scaring me.

I don’t know why this person was infecting my dreams – I hadn’t thought of them in a quite a while. Now I am groggy and cranky and a little bemused….

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Thanksgiving

I am not attending a Thanksgiving meal this year. However, we are making turkey and all the trimmings for Friday night dinner. The gobbler is defrosting in the fridge as we speak.

I love that there is a day for us to sit back and think about what we are thankful for. I have such a long list – but firstly:

• I am thankful for the opportunity to count my blessings.
• I am so thankful for my children – they are happy and healthy, and are such good kids.
• I am thankful for my KoD, my husband – my life! To be able to spend my life with such a decent and honorable and loving man – God must truly be shining his light down on us. The day I met him was the day my life improved a hundred-fold.
• I am so thankful that our immigration nightmare is well and truly behind us and that I am here in the USA with my family living my life the way it was meant to be.
• I am thankful to have an awesome job that will give me a great career – it’s only been a few days, and even though I am exhausted and my brain is exploding with information I love what I do.
• I am thankful that we are all healthy, that we have a roof over our heads and food in our bellies.
• I am thankful for my loyal blog readers and commenters who enrich my life with lively discussion.

But mainly, I am thankful to God for his many blessings.

What are you thankful for?

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