What I love! | Peaches Prattlings

{April 5, 2015} My day…starts with a Science party, ends with a Seder!

What a day, you may want to sit down for this, get a cup of coffee, it was a crazy day!

The day started at a reasonable hour, about 8:15am, this was after I woke up about 7am and said “no way, good night!” and went back to sleep!

When I got up, it was time for breakfast, matzoh brei was on the menu, Y U M! One of my favorite breakfasts and I think a favorite of many people who celebrate Passover, it’s basically matzoh fried with egg [or scrambled eggs with matzoh in it]. VERY simple recipe, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matzah_brei. You can eat it as is, you can eat it with salt, or something sweet, I like it with sugar and jam or preserves, I found out today, people like it with syrup, your choice. The funny thing about matzoh brei is that people who love it say they’d eat it throughout the year, but don’t, it’s not something you think about or always have a box of matzoh just hanging around waiting for you to want to make matzoh brei!

After breakfast it was time to finish the prep for EJS’ birthday party…I don’t know if you remember me telling you that she was sick on her birthday a few weeks ago and had to postpone the party, well today was the day. EJS is a huge fan of science and experiments, so for her birthday, she wanted to have a science party, how cool is that!

She has been fascinated with science and experiments for a long time and I’ve done some experiments with her and her friends, they all love it! She even wore the lab coat and protective goggles I got her for Chanukah!

So…the prep…we had already set out the pans with glass jars and glitter, but this morning, we had to prep a whole bunch of dixie cups with the ingredients for the experiments. We had baking soda, soap, vinegar, raisins and water, they were doing three different experiments, Dancing Raisins, Tornado and a Volcano.

The kids all started arriving about 11, they watched a video about 3D printing and then ACS gave a demonstration, very cool. Next they watched a video about the first experiment, then gathered in the dining room to try it. They followed the same pattern for the next two experiments, they had a blast!

After the experiments, it was time for lunch! Matzoh pizza it is! I told you we can get creative when the need arises! Then dessert and singing, soon after, it was time for everyone to leave.

But wait, there’s more! About an hour after everyone left, EJS went to a birthday party for someone else and two hours later, came back with two friends for a play date and during that time, MGS had a friend from across the street came to play with her, his dad was here too.

During this time, we finished cleaning up from the party, I did some organizing, which I love [cabinets, drawers], then it was time to get dressed, PSM was coming to take me to his second night Seder.

I think I told you last night that some people will do a second night Seder, well, I was invited to one tonight and as we weren’t hosting a second night, I went. Their Seder was a little more in depth, especially since there weren’t any teeny tiny tots running around. There was singing and prayers and food, oh at the food!

The awesome thing was that his aunt and uncle keep kosher, so I couldn’t even bring something if I wanted to, so we brought dried fruit for dessert, now you might be saying, what’s so awesome about that? I’ll tell you…his aunt made me a special meal that was 100% vegan, it was great! I appreciated it so very much.

The family is silly and funny and every engaging and welcoming and warm. I was comfortable and really enjoyed myself…I even got an invite for next year! So flattered!

Now, I just need to remember to send them a thank you!

Let’s just say it was a very long day. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I had taking them and participating!

{April 3, 2015} A Zissen Pesach

A sweet Passover to you.

Now, I know I have talked about Passover with you before, but that was a year ago and I don’t remember what I said, so I’m going to tell you again, and you’re going to like it. [so bossy!]

Tonight was the first night of Pesach, or Passover, and it is the first of eight nights. Some families will celebrate the first an second night and the last or last two nights. In my family, traditionally, we celebrated the first night. A few years ago, my sister started hosting first and second night because there were so many families to celebrate and some would do first night with us, second with their families and vice versa, it’s been a great tradition was started and enjoyed.

Now, growing up, the Passover Seder would take us a few hours, because of all the food, talking and fun. Today, because we have so many wee tots, and I mean soooo many, the Seder takes about thirty minutes, tops, because the little ones can’t really sit still that long and it’s ok, we do the important stuff and more importantly, we are all together.

The Passover Seder is the telling of the story of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and Pharaoh’s evil reign. It includes the killing of the first born, Moses’ mother putting him in a basket and sending him down river, his sister saying she would watch over him, Moses being found and brought up in the palace and eventually leading his people out of the land of Egypt. There is the parting of the Red Sea, the ten plagues, from boils, to locusts, to the killing of the first born, pretty harsh, I know.

There is a saying “Jews and Catholics are the same, just different foods” and that is pretty true, we like to tell stories through food and there is so much symbolism in the food we eat at different holidays. I don’t know if you’ve heard of matzoh, but it’s unleavened bread that we eat for the eight days and the reason is that when the Jews fled Egypt, they didn’t get a chance to bake their breads in the oven so they baked it on flat rock and matzoh was born, therefore, we do not eat anything that rises, nothing containing flour, things like that.

Matzoh, or the idea of eating matzoh, is entertaining at first, a piece with butter or margarine, I prefer egg matzoh, it’s a little sweeter, then you are coming up with new and exciting ways to eat matzoh, for example, tomorrow is EJS’ birthday party, they are having matzoh pizzas, creative, huh?

We dip our greens in salt water to symbolize our tears, we eat matzoh with maror, or horseradish, to symbolize the harshness and bitterness of being slaves, we make a sandwich with matzoh and charoset, which is a sweet brown mixture, a lot of times made with apples, cinnamon and sweet wine, to symbolize the mortar that held the bricks together that formed the pyramids. See how much symbolism there is!

And that was just the beginning! The Seder plate holds all the symbolic items that we will partake in and talk about, imperative to the Seder. My sister and I crack ourselves up because every year, we try to remember everything that’s on the Seder plate, it’s right there in Hebrew and English and we still can’t figure it out! We write it down, take pictures, doesn’t matter! We are very smart women, but sometimes…forget about it!

We go through the Seder, reading, holding up foods, eating at particular times. Now, the food I’ve talked about is just a touch of what is served, and those are things that are symbolic! Then there is the spread of food that we eat because it’s tradition! The turkey, matzoh apple kuegel, carrot soufflé, brisket, chicken and matzoh ball soup. Hungry?

But wait, there’s more! There’s dessert! Candies special for Passover and so much more!

The Seder is participatory, everyone reads something and then there are the Four Questions, those are supposed to be asked by the youngest at the Seder, the kids take turns asking them, unless the youngest has practiced them in Hebrew, then it’s all eyes on them! After the four questions, we sing, Mah Nishtana HaLeila HaZeh, which means “Why is this night different from all other nights?”

Then there is the hunting for the afikomen, or matzoh. Someone, traditionally my dad, will hide half of a piece of matzoh somewhere and all the kids will hunt for it, there doesn’t seem to be an age limit on the kids who can hunt for the afikomen, yours truly still hunts every once in a while. You would too if there was a cash prize to the winner! The hiding and searching creates interest , aside from the cash, and the kids of all ages love it and get in on the action “you’re getting warmer” “brrr, so cold”! When the piece is found, you join the two pieces together to symbolize the reunification.

If all that didn’t get you, how about the four glasses of wine? There are different times during the Seder that you drink a glass of wine and then there is the glass of wine for Elijah, always have a place for him at the table, as well as anyone who is hungry could come and sit and eat with us, the Seder is rich with symbolism and tradition.

Now, I think you can probably imagine why it takes us so long to get through the Passover Seder. Maybe next year you will join us and get to experience it for yourself, you are most welcome.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover

{April 2, 2015} Cooking with my sister, a wonderful tradition.

Tomorrow begins the holiday and festivities of Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew and one of my favorite traditions is cooking with my sister.

When we were kids mom would go to her mom’s to cook for a few days before and on the dad would bring us later to participate in the Seder and eat and eat and eat. As tomorrow is the first night, I will go into more details about the holiday and the food and the traditions, but today, I just want to tell you about my favorite tradition, cooking with family.

So, as I said, when we were kids, mom and grandma would do the majority of the cooking, then as we got older, first I would go and help, then when GES was a little older and could help, she joined us. What an amazing experience it was, the four of us cooking together in my grandmother’s kitchen.

Now, let me tell you, there was food and food and food, apparently we were cooking for an army and didn’t realize it! There could be 30 people at grandma’s house and there was still food left over! As my grandma got older, the celebration moved to our house and my mom, sister and I took over the bulk of the cooking, grandma was still responsible for certain things, very important things, like making her home made applesauce, oh my!

Then the year after my mom passed, GES and I took over, we didn’t have a huge crowd like we did when we were kids, but we made a fabulous meal and I know my mom would have been very proud of us, I know dad was, he told us, made us teary eyed, but it felt great. Ever since then, it’s been the two of us cooking for the sedar together. The year EJS was born was the year we established Passover in Boston and it’s been there ever since. Tomorrow I might tell you about the very expensive champagne turkey that year!

GES and I have been making our mom’s and grandma’s recipes for the Passover Seder since we were kids, why mess with perfection. We’ve added some things, taken some things away, maybe even tweaked a recipe or two here and there, but to be honest, not much has changed and we still use the prayer books and some of the serving pieces from when we were kids.

Every so often, we have help with cooking the meal, this year, GES “farmed” out the responsibility for some of the foods, but we still do the main dishes and we love doing it, no matter how tired we get, being on our feet for hours, after working a full day and then cooking. I got in about 7, they got back from dinner and we dove right in! She had already made a few things today, to save time, because tomorrow will be crazy busy and still more to cook and reheat, we have 24 people coming!

We talked, caught up and reminisced, what worked, what didn’t work, “didn’t we say the same thing last year?” “We need to write this stuff down so we don’t forget next year!” Yeah, we said that last year! Like I said, no matter how tired we get being on our feet all day, this is something we love to do together, we measure, spoon out, spoon in, taste test, kibbitz, a Yiddish word for chatting or ‘shooting the…’ I think it brings us closer and it feels like we’re kids again and mom is going to walk into the kitchen at any moment and join in with the cooking.

We even followed in mom’s footsteps and put the food that wouldn’t fit in the fridge on the porch, this year, we have actual snow and ice to keep things cool!

I may not come home for all the holidays, but I always made sure, no matter what, I would always be home with my family at Passover and I would always cook the meal with my sister and I do not foresee that ever changing. I look forward to being much older and enjoying her girls preparing the Passover feast!

{March 31, 2015} Dinner with the Team vs Team Dinners

It may not seem it, but there is a difference and this project reinforced it for me.

Dinner with the team is without really talking about it, the entire team goes to dinner, everyone takes turns deciding where the group will go to dinner, maybe everyone comes up with a list to try or one person says “ooh, what about here?” As well as when they will go, a lot of times you are all working together and decide when you’re done for the day, “ok, who’s ready to go?”

This group might even send a meeting invite for dinner, location TBD, but with an agreed upon time, it kind of sets an expectation of ‘we are so getting out of the office by …’ The main point is, you are going to dinner as a team and everyone knows it. That’s the way it’s been with the team I am working with now and I love it.

A team dinner is when there is an occasion or maybe it’s a once a month thing and someone organizes it, sends out the invite and everyone goes to dinner and socializes and has dinner and, I find, talk mostly about work. Not that you don’t talk about work at dinners with the team, it just doesn’t seem to be as much.

I enjoy team dinners because it gives you the opportunity to catch up with some people you might not get to see on a daily basis, but I’ll be honest, I really like dinner with the team a little better, when you work with people, then go to dinner, it’s like you’re with family, then when you don’t see them, you miss them. Since I’m training now, I don’t see them every day,so when we can get together for dinners, it’s a treat! We catch up on life.

As the project is wrapping up in the next few weeks, people are beginning to roll off and we won’t see each other every day, so these dinners are extra special, this team has been so much fun to be on, working with great people and going to fun places with great food, wahoo.

I wonder what’s in store next for us!

{March 30, 2015} My day! Surprise snow…twice! Niagra Falls…once!

This morning started early, as every day does, so what else is new?

I get to the airport in Boston, drop my bag, get through security, weather is chilly, but nice, skies are clear. I got breakfast, had a nice sit down, well, as nice as the food court at the airport is, but nice is what you make it, right?

I went to the gate, hung out, had to put my jacket back on when they opened the door, brrr, still clear skies, then I walk down the jet-way and get to the door and what? Snow? Really? Come on! Ok fine…but someone needs to have a chat with Mother Nature, seriously!

So, then we wait and wait and wait some more, the flight was supposed to leave at 9:25, it was about 10:15 that the de-icing truck finally showed up from the other side of the airport! They only have one?! I’m glad I wasn’t teaching today! We finally took off and got in about 11:54, getting off the plane, SNOW! What? Not on the menu! I got my bag, rental car had apparently been cancelled, but they gave me one, thankfully. Headed to the hotel in the snow.

By the time I got to the hotel, no snow, clear skies, so I decided I was going to take a trip to Niagara Falls, the Canadian side. Skies were clear, only about a thirty minute drive, parked, walked down to the water and what started happening? Rain, fun. But I did not let that damper my spirits, truly amazing! I walked to the welcome center, taking some great pictures along the way, ignoring the rain, what a site, so majestic and breathtaking!

I picked up a few things, I don’t bring things from each week I am away, but I went to Canada!

When I came out, it was really coming down, walked to the casino, had some lunch, then headed back to Buffalo…In the snow and rain and sleet and it stopped when I got to the hotel! The sky is beautiful and clear and bright. I was done for the day!

Up to the room, jammies on, chilling out, getting some work done and hoping to get some much needed rest before I start teaching classes tomorrow morning.

I hope you enjoy my photos as much as I enjoyed taking them and being there. A great way to end the day. Amazing!

{March 29, 2015} A good veggie burger

I love a good (veggie) burger.

When I say I love burgers, I always mean veggie burgers, I have to explain as people give people me a funny look.

What I don’t understand is why more places don’t offer veggie burgers, it’s such an easy thing to have on hand. You can buy a box and keep them on hand in the freezer, especially burger joints or pubs, just saying.

I’ve told you about some good ones I’ve had, but tonight, while I was thoroughly enjoying my home made veggie burger, baked in the oven, not on the grill, at The Common Man restaurant with PSM, http://www.thecman.com/m/restaurants-and-menus/common-man-concord.aspx…let me just say Y U M!!! I decided that I need to keep track and share with you the different veggie burgers that I experience around the globe.

Who knows what other veggie burger lovers are out there, you know I love to share!

Here’s to a new venture of tasting and sharing!

{March 27, 2015} Setting the tone

So many different things can set the tone for, well, things, right?

There are so many things I could give examples for here, but I’m only going to focus on my classrooms today, well, actually everyday. The class or students really set the tone for the class and how it’s going to progress, wouldn’t you agree?

I start every class full of energy, vigor and vim and I try to keep that momentum going for the entire class, but it doesn’t always work, especially if the class is full of duds. Perfect example was today, I taught three classes and the great thing was they were all full or close to full. SO much better than the majority of my classes over the last few weeks, no-shows, no registrations or really small classes.

Sometimes I tell jokes while we are waiting for other students to arrive, I think I’ve told some of them to you [What’s smarter than a talking parrot?…a spelling bee! wah wah wah], try to keep the mood light, especially since, for the most part, most of them don’t want to be there to begin with, I need to keep them entertained and learn something. I’m not sure that some of them realize how much it takes to be up there in front of them, especially when you look out and see blank stares when you ask a question or see someone fighting to stay awake. I think I told you sometimes at the end of the day, I don’t want to talk anymore, I know, me, JJ does not want to talk to anyone at all! What?!?

My first class today was pretty good, there was a good mix of people, they laughed when they were supposed to, followed what I was saying, took it as it was intended when I called them out on something, especially if they did something they knew they were not supposed to. I feed off of that and it helps keep me going and keeps them engaged.

My third and final class of the day, it was a mixed bag. I could feel some resentment from some people, who just did not want to be there, or felt that they were too good to be there, does not help keep the energy level up and I tried. In almost every class, especially the ones with more people, there are going to be slower learners or less than computer savvy students, those folks need a little extra love and I do what I can to give it to them, if the person next to them isn’t helping them, maybe because they are one of the other challenged students. When they left, I was done, officially for the day and emotionally for the week, done, stick a fork in me!

My second class was great, it was on to capacity, but we made it work. They were energized, motivated, asked good questions, laughed a lot and learned a lot. One women even kept saying “yes mommy” when I would tell her to do something, it was cute! Then I got my greatest compliment…someone who had taken the same class the week before said to me, as I was helping her, “you’re a good teacher” she said she was getting a lot out of my class today and I really was a good instructor, that made my day and helped a lot to keep me going and motivated.

I love getting feedback, from the students especially, it reinforces that I chose my profession well and it is where I am supposed to be. Doing what I love and loving what I do.

{March 26, 2015} Oh my my my…I want…ALL of them!

What a treat!

Tonight, I was walking to dinner, my first solo dinner since being on the project in Buffalo, well, solo outside of the hotel/room service and I saw a Shelby Cobra [for those of you not in the know, that would be the dark blue car with white stripes] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_Cobra.

My mouth dropped open and I crossed the street just to listen to it start up, rumble and watch it being driven into the convention center. Oh my! I started talking to one of the guys working and asked a few questions, it was the Buffalo Motorama 2015 showing this weekend and when he asked if I was going to be around this weekend to see it, I told him I wasn’t and he told me I should go in and take a look! What? You don’t have to tell me twice!

I walked in and did my best to keep my mouth shut! I was drooling! It was classic car after classic car, beautiful, as you can imagine. There were Mustangs, Corvettes, Chevelles, Novas, to name a few… Buggies, hot rods, muscle cars, custom jobs, amazing paint jobs, fantastic engines, just wow! I am going to be vulgar and I apologize…this is a class car lovers wet dream, oh my!

I am no CKM when it comes to taking photos, but I did what I could. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed viewing the cars and taking the pictures!

I need to hit the lottery, I want them all!

{March 25, 2015} Seeing old friends

Now, by old, I don’t mean “old” as in their age, I mean as in friends from way back.

Now that we got that out of the way, let me get to the heart of this post. Tonight I had dinner with two old friends from college. Let me clarify even further, two of my best friends from college.

One is ‘my twin’, who I have told you about before and the other is Bo or Oz, as it were and that is due to his name, and that’s all I’m going to say on the subject. I believe it was junior year they were roommates. Now, I know I’ve known them both since freshman year and what’s funny is they were trying to figure out how they met, who knows, it’s been bliss ever since.

One of the funniest thing about tonight is that we were talking about our college experience and our degrees and how no one that was in our respective circles went into the field they majored in, but isn’t that the way?

We talked about classes, GPAs, people we dated, people we were friends with, things we did, like watching Star Trek, TNG [The Next Generation, for those of you ‘not in the know’] and rearranging the furniture like the bridge of The Enterprise, how goofy and fun was that!

We ate, drank, talked, laughed, reminisced, but it really was as if no time had passed, we are just a bit greyer in the temple and maybe softer around the middle, but that’s not what I saw, I saw us exactly as we were in college, young and goofy, hanging out eating 3-mile island pizza, definitely them, not me! Geeking out the way we did, talking about nothing and everything all at once.

It was a place neither of them had been to and it was a success, the food was good, conversation awesome and the memories fabulous. It was so great to be with both of them, I have such great affection for them.

Then, on the way back to the hotel, what was on the radio but one of my favorite Van Halen songs “Hot for Teacher”…that was the cherry on the sundae! I can’t wait to see them again!

{March 23, 2015} A very long day…There was good and bad, but…Ended quite well!

Today was a travel day, so get ready!

The day started at 4:15am, more like 4:30 with snoozing…two hours after I fell asleep, just one of those nights, unfortunately! My flight was at 7am, so the taxi was arriving at 5:15am, to be on the safe side.

Arrived in plenty of time, the airport was quite crowded at 6am on a Monday, a lot of high school and college teams traveling places. The agent at the counter where I dropped my bag off wasn’t in the best mood when she started helping me, but got a little better. Much better than the “oh so pleasant” security officer who got incredibly snippy with me due to the fact that in the 10 seconds from receiving the slip of paper regarding modified TSA pre-check and getting to the security screening, I had not read the piece of paper. I hope you have a pleasant day…

The flight was fine, eventually, I fell asleep, thankfully, sometime before we took off…30 minutes late. So at least I got a little sleep. Got the rental car, headed to my first class, stopped off at Wegman’s to pick up some provisions for the week [coconut milk yogurt, some yummy bars from Don’t Go Nuts, http://www.dontgonuts.com/, no nuts, just soy! I tried one at the wellness expo yesterday, really yummy and healthy! I also found some dairy-free ricotta cheese! I am so going to have to try that!

Off to the first class, wait for the room to be opened, which it’s supposed to be unlocked at all times…Eventually got in the room and set everything up, then start getting emails that there is an issue and part of the application won’t load. So…until they were able to get it fixed, I reviewed the PowerPoint with the guys that were there and I’m sure they will reschedule soon to get into the application and have hands on. A solution was finally found and all was right with the world. Classes could be taught again.

Except when no one registers, then the class is wide open, but I have to be there in case someone shows up. I left the first location, went to the second and performed the fix on the desk tops as everyone was effected.

I headed to the hotel, checked in, chilled out in my room, did some expenses, stuff like that. Then it was time to go out to meet my friend and his main squeeze for dinner in Rochester. Get the car from valet, head out, it was a little over an hour’s drive, not too bad, especially to see one of my best friend’s and his girlfriend.

Dinner was good, the conversation was great, they make a great couple, I can tell how much she likes him and that is all I ever wanted for him. Then it was time to go, kids to get, blog to post and sleep to be had.

Are you tired? If not right now, you will be when that alarm goes off at 5:30, so I will bid you a fond farewell, until we meet again upon the morrow!

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