#passover prep

[garlic-and-cloves]

How to make charoset

Step 1: Argue about how much charoset you're going to make

Step 2: Argue about how you're going to slice the apples, and is it worth it to pull out the machine?

(Complain about how many apples there are to be sliced)

Step 3: Argue about how small to slice the apples

(Complain about the machine not working properly)

Step 4: Argue about whether the walnuts are ground up enough

Step 5: Argue about how much of each seasoning to add

Step 6: Argue about whether or not you did everything right in the end

(Complain about all the dishes)

Eat delicious charoset with matzo

Step 7: Argue about why we eat charoset, anyway

[reaching-ruchnius]

This is soooo reassuring I was beginning to get obsessive about like, the cracks in my couch or floorboards but that isn’t necessary. Deep breaths. It’s seriously not as scary as I thought. Ein od milvado fr fr

[internerdionality]

I can’t stop doing this… it’s hypnotic

Also after a year of making ramen, wow did I forget how much easier hardboiled eggs are to peel compared to softboiled.

[supercantaloupe]

very good beans and rice for dinner tonight

[quinnfabrayapologist]

I don't thing christians having things for a Seder is them stealing it from you I think they just planned ahead

I didn't say the Christians broke into my house and took food off my plate, but the fact the local church was planning for a Seder in the first place is literally them stealing the concept of a Seder from Jews, and it's made worse by the fact that this area is so heavily Christian-dominated is the reason Jews can't get stuff for Seder.

[nycfoodieblog]

[shapesofglory]

This is for my pesaj prep prior to purim gang

Tanakh Sexyman Finals

[audley-and-cherry]

I'm having an absolutely rollercoaster of a day today.

First, I snapped at my kid over basically nothing and haven't been able to apologize (she's in school, so you know) and I feel like shit for ruining her morning.

Then I got an email from my boss saying, "I love what you're doing with the social media accounts [I've started "a day in the life of an independent bookstore" series of posts] but from now on we'll be providing the writeups." Which is just incredibly fucking insulting and a waste of both my time and skills.

Am I tempted to quit because I make more money from painting AND ALSO don't have anyone sending me insulting emails? Yes, yes I am.

But I'm also thinking of exercising some good ol' malicious compliance— you want to write what gets posted? Okay fine. I will copy/paste as-is without fixing your spelling, grammar, removing all of those fucking elipses, or making your copy readable. Have fun looking like an asshole on the internet.

Then I went to the kosher supermarket and the upscale market co-op and found both schmaltz AND chicken livers, meaning that chopped liver is a go! Struck out on beef tongue and duck fat, tho.

(I did not buy the huge can of gefilte fish, but rather the smallest jar I could find. The huge can was for comedy purposes only.

It has just occurred to me that I forgot horseradish.)

Anyway, now I'm laying on the couch with Cherry, debating taking a small nap before I have to pick my kiddo up from school.

[disgruntled-detectives]

I had this really weird realization in therapy earlier this week.

When we wrap up our sessions, she always asks what I have to look forward to for the week and weekend ahead, and we spend a couple of minutes talking about it. And so at the end of this one I was like “oh nothing much. Gonna relax this weekend, I have class on Sunday night…” and that’s when it hit.

I genuinely *forgot* Easter is this weekend. Like I remembered because my mom is hosting a brunch like she does every year and I’ve been asked to make a bread. But we hadn’t talked about it in a couple of weeks, so it genuinely slipped my mind.

I have been so immersed in Jewish culture and classes and conversion stuff, I completely forgot that the second biggest day in the Christian calendar is coming up.

It feels amazing. I have Jewish class on Sunday night because *of course I do*. It’s obvious. It’s truly just another day. The day no longer means anything to me. Like. Christmas doesn’t either but still. The world shuts down for Christmas. I can’t forget Christmas exists. But Easter is different. It’s another huge Christian holiday that truly doesn’t mean anything to me anymore because of course it doesn’t. Of course my Jewish life continues on.

I don’t have classes the last two Sundays of April because of Passover beginning Monday evening of the 22nd and going to the 30th. Because of course I don’t. It’s Passover. (And prep for) It’s obvious.

Idk. I think other people who have converted and those in the process will know what I mean. I haven’t been a Christian in over 15 years. But still. Living in a majority Christian country with a dominant culture it’s like…I’m still surrounded by it.

Not anymore babey!

[girlactionfigure]

🔅Wed evening - ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

🔻ALERTS..  

Rockets - from Hezbollah - at Kiryat Shmona, Tel Hai, Ma'ayan Baruch, Kfar Giladi, Kfar Yuval

Drones - from Hezbollah - at Beit Hillel, Kfar Giladi, Kfar Yuval, Metulla, Manara, Ma'ayan Baruch, Margaliot, Misgav Am, Kiryat Shmona, Tel Hai 

▪️DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS.. “We will enter Rafah and enter the center camps. Hamas is defeated and in hiding.”

▪️GERMANY FINDS OUT.. Tens of millions of Euros from Germany for the sewer infrastructure of Gaza were diverted and used to build the terror tunnels of Hamas.

▪️FOLLOWING INFO THAT AN OCT. 7 TERRORIST WAS AT HADASSAH HOSPITAL.. Hostage and Soldier family members made their way to Hadassah Mount Scopus hospital following information that a terrorist from the Oct. 7 massacre was receiving medical treatment in the intensive care unit.  Security officials quickly removed the terrorist and took him to an on-base medical facility.

▪️IDF WARNS.. via “sources”,  "We will have difficulty meeting the commitment to create a buffer zone one kilometer from the Gaza border." At the same time, sources warn that Hamas is making an effort to restore its capabilities in preparation for a future attack, while Israel is promoting unprecedented humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. (Walla)

▪️HAMAS BANKER ASSASSINATED.. Muhammad Sarour, 57 years old, who has been under US sanctions since 2019 for transferring funds from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards to the military wing of Hamas, was found dead yesterday in a villa in the village of Beit Mary, east of Beirut. He was found in the villa when he was shot (6 bullets) and the 2 Glock pistols used to kill him were found in the kitchen of the villa while they were in a special cleaning agent to eliminate traces.

▪️HAMAS LEADERSHIP - SONS OF LEADER, ASSASSINATED..  Hazem, Amir and Mohammed, three of the sons of Ismail Haniya, chairman of the political bureau of Hamas, were killed in an airstrike on a car in the Shati camp in Gaza.  Haniya says, “I thank allahaha for this honor he gave me. My sons died a martyr's death.”

▪️WAR PREP? .. Min. of Education instructs schools to instruct their students to take their books and supplies home for Passover - possibly allowing for remote teaching.  Min. of Health has instructed hospitals to move primary operations to hardened operating rooms, particularly in the north.  Wise basic prep, or?

▪️YEMEN WAR PREP?  The Yemeni forces raised alert on all land fronts, the explanation, unusual military movements related to the United Arab Emirates.

▪️US WAR ACTIVITY.. Intensive flights of American spy planes in the Persian Gulf and over the airspace of Saada province in northern Yemen. 3 aerial refuelers were also observed over the bay.

▪️IRAN - DEFENSES UP.. “The joint defense base of Khatam al-Anbiya has put all missile units and radar systems on full alert throughout the country.”

🟠 CEASEFIRE TALKS..  Hamas: “The resistance informed the mediators that it is not ready to give up a mechanism for a complete end to the fighting and that it rejects the Israeli threats regarding military action in Rafah.”  The Hamas delegation that left Cairo will not return soon.

[rolandtowen]

Chapter Six of I'm Doing This For Revenge is live! Which means this fic is now completed. My utmost love and appreciation to everyone has read so far. Merry Christmas and Chag Sameach!

Read on Ao3 or under the cut:

Saturdays are Bucky's meal prep days. He's slowly been working his way through a variety of cuisines and tweaking them to suit his enhanced metabolism. This week, he's settled on a pot roast. He can't remember his Ma's recipe, but thanks to the internet, he easily found a New York community cookbook from 1938 that had been digitized. Should be close enough.

The recipe calls for brisket, and that element he does remember. Even with his and Steve's families pitching in together, they had to settle for the toughest cuts of meat, and even those were only bought sparingly, saved for special occasions like their joint celebrations of Passover and Easter or Hanukkah and Christmas. Pot roasts cook low and slow, tenderizing even the toughest of cuts, so a pot roast was an all-day commitment.

Bucky knows there's new cooking tools these days – some kind of special pot Sarah had mentioned? – to speed up the cooking process for long dishes like these, but Bucky's found that he prefers the process. It's grounding, having to check on a pot throughout his day. The fact that his apartment smells delicious for days is just a bonus.

Since his impromptu cooking lesson with Sam, his skills have improved considerably. He now knows dozens of types of knife cuts, from roll cuts to various bias cuts. Carlos had recommended art therapy early on, and to Bucky – food is art. He loves learning and mastering new techniques, experimenting with new flavors, and refining even the smallest of details, like plating. The last time he'd cooked for Sam, his boyfriend had looked at him with a little bit of awe at the bowl of Coq au Vin set in front of him. Bucky liked that look. He loved being able to kiss it off of Sam's face.

Bucky smiles fondly at the memory as he seasons and sears his brisket. Into his thrifted dutch oven go the brisket, his chopped vegetables, and enough beef stock and red wine to almost cover everything. The pot goes into the oven at a low temperature, and Bucky takes a few minutes to methodically reset his kitchen.

He'd cleaned a lot when he was a kid – primarily as part of his chores, and then to keep Steve from getting sick so often. But he'd never thought of cleaning as a form of mindfulness until Carlos suggested it. “Mindfulness doesn't have to mean seated meditation or yoga – cleaning ties you to your present moment and your surroundings.”

Bucky dumps his dirty dishes into the sink and turns on the hot water. Though his apartment came with a dishwasher, like so many things he does, he finds the manual, traditional process grounding. After thirty minutes, Bucky has a spotless kitchen. He checks the temperature of the brisket, then curls up in his armchair with his copy of The Fellowship of the Ring. A hot meal, a clean kitchen, and a good story. It is a good Saturday. He writes in his notebook:

glimmers: the smell of pot roast, a clean kitchen, reading

Sundays are even gentler than Saturdays. When Bucky's in New York, he likes to take these days to enjoy the city. Sunday mornings are his favorite time for this. Though Brooklyn could never be described as “quiet”, there's a calm that covers the borough for several hours on Sunday mornings, when the rest of the neighborhood either sleeps off last night's indulgences or attends church services. The contrast amuses Bucky. This Sunday, he orders his usual online, before retreating to Prospect Park. He'd never tell Sam, but he'd gotten into birdwatching recently (blame Banner), and he likes to spend a few hours walking the grounds of the park and soaking in the birdsong.

glimmers: a caramel latte, spotting a Dark-Eyed Junco

On Monday and Tuesday, Bucky shops. He's been invited to the Wilson family Christmas, and he has no idea what to bring. He visits Lydia at the bookstore and asks what a good gift for a chef would be. She gives him several recommendations, and he lands on Julia Child's book, The Art of French Cooking, which Lydia tells him is a classic.

The whole of New York must be shopping too, judging by the crowds in the stores. Bucky came well prepared with his headphones and his fidget, weaving through the crowds with a practiced ease. For Sam, he buys several records in the Motown genre, plus one record the storekeeper has insisted on. “Diana Ross,” the young woman tells him. “If your guy likes Marvin Gaye, he'll love this one.”

Bucky's last stop is the gaming store on the way back to his apartment. Cass and AJ have started calling him “Uncle Bucky”, so of course he has to spoil them. Even if Sarah might not appreciate every one of his gift selections.

glimmers: seeing Lydia, buying gifts, getting music recommendations

On Wednesday, Bucky flies to New Orleans. Being Avenger-adjacent does have its perks – including a private Stark jet. It'd probably be damn near impossible for him to go through TSA anyway. When he lands four hours later, Sam's waiting for him at the airfield.

“Look what the cat dragged in,” he teases affectionately, opening his arms to Bucky. Bucky folds into them, nuzzling into the warmth of Sam's shoulder. “How was your flight?”

“Can't complain,” Bucky says. “A lot smoother of a ride than with Torres.”

Sam laughs at that. “Come on, Sarah's got dinner all planned out.”

Louisiana is almost balmy compared to New York, mid-60's and drizzling. Sam catches him up on the last mission he'd gone on, something about freeing a few more Widows with Kate and Yelena. He'd been working the two of them off and on since the fall, trying to finish what Natasha had started.

Sarah greets him at the door with a warm hug. “Come on in, I've got dinner all laid out. Oh!” She gasps when she sees Bucky's duffle bag full of wrapped gifts. “You shouldn't have!”

Bucky grins. “You might actually mean that tomorrow.” He whispers to her: “I might've gotten the boys a drone.”

Sarah laughs. “Lord have mercy, as if Redwing wasn't enough.”

Sarah pulled no stops in creating her Christmas feast: roasted carrots, mashed potatoes, homemade rolls, and on and on. What she was most proud of was her roast turkey, beaming when Bucky shyly passed his plate to her for seconds. At the end of the meal, she sends the boys upstairs to get ready for bed. When they protest, she emphasizes: "PJs, then presents.”

Bucky flicks his eyes to Sam. “Tell me they haven't been waiting all day for me to get here before opening their presents.”

Sam waves it off. “Of course not. They opened the stuff from us this morning. They have stuff to give you though. Which, while we're alone,” Sam pulls out a box wrapped in blue paper.

“Kate and I talked a lot on our first mission together, and I wanted to get this for you. I don't know how much you still practice, but–” Sam cuts himself off, thrusting a box into Bucky's arms. “She told me about Hanukkah, and how it's about rededication, and with all the work you've put in this last year, it seemed – I thought you might want to celebrate.”

Bucky unwraps his gift from Sam, and tears spring to his eyes. It's a beautiful gold menorah, but it's so light, which must mean���

“I had Shuri make it out of vibranium.” Sam's breath catches, like he wants to say more, but doesn't. Bucky quirks an eyebrow at him and he continues. “I thought – Hanukkah is supposed to be about resistance too, so –”

“You made an indestructible menorah.” Bucky's at a loss for words after that, turning the gift over in his hands, running his fingers down the stems. “Sam, I…I don't know what to say.”

“It's okay if you don't like it,” Sam offers quickly, worried he might have overstepped. He knew Bucky was Jewish, but was this too far? Did Bucky want to keep this part of his life private?

“Sam.” Bucky's voice pulls him out of his spiraling thoughts. “I love it. You don't know what this means to me.”

When the sun begins to set, Sarah gathers the boys as Bucky places the menorah in the window and gathers two candles, placing one in the furthest right stem, and one in the center stem. Bucky searches his memories, worried he's forgotten, but the prayers fall from his lips like water in a stream.

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah

Baruch atah, Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, she-asah nisim la’avoteinu bayamim hahem bazman hazeh

Baruch atah Adonai, elohenu melech ha’olam, shehecheyanu, v’kiyimanu, v’higiyanu lazman hazeh

Bucky strikes a match, lighting the center candle, the shamash first, then using it to light the candle on the right. He feels a flicker of a memory, his mother's hand on his wrist, guiding him in lighting the menorah for the first time, and then it's gone. He lets out a sigh and opens his eyes.

Sam squeezes his hand. “All good?”

“Yeah,” Bucky breathes out.

“Does this mean Uncle Bucky can open our presents now?” AJ asks.

“Wait, I want him to open mine first!” Cass protests.

Sarah shoots Bucky and Sam a look, mouthing “boys”, while shaking her head in a laugh. AJ and Cass run to the tree in the living room to get their gifts for Bucky, and the two men savor the momentary quiet. “Happy Hanukkah, Buck.” Sam murmurs.

“I think this is my first Hanukkah in eighty years, Sam.” Bucky's voice cracks from the weight of his words. “I didn't think I'd ever have this again. Carlos said it might be good for me to go to temple again, just try it one time, but I –” Bucky's words end in a choked noise. He tries again, his voice small. “I know it wasn't really me, Sam, but…this body…my body, it followed Nazi orders. And I can't bring it – myself – into a synagogue. I won't.”

Sam's heart clenches. He is so out of his depth here. “Listen, I'm no expert, but my mama used to say that sitting in church didn't make you any more Christian than sitting in a garage made you a car. So I imagine the same is true with Judaism. Your religion ain't a place, it's your actions. So make it whatever you want, sweetheart.” Sam takes both of Bucky's hands in his. “I'm here for wherever that leads you.”

glimmers: Hanukkah, Sam, family.

fin.

[baravaggio]

sophia do u have any vegetarian/vegan holiday recipes 🤲🏼

I'm so glad you asked, of course I do!

Some of these things are from my cookbooks, so anything with a book emoji will be shown below the read more just to save space

Starting with desserts:

Vegan chocolate pie (Nora Cooks) - my favorite one to make for thanksgiving, my family (all meat eaters) loves it so much that I end up making two every year! It's really important to use the tofu that comes in aseptic packaging (the kind that's shelf stable) because the refrigerated kind WILL taste like tofu and you don't want that lol...works great in an Oreo crust or just as a mousse too!

Chocolate pecan pie (Isa Chandra Moskowitz)

Cranberry Spice Oatmeal Cookies (Isa Chandra Moskowitz) - these have great flavor but I recommend subbing butter for coconut oil so they don't spread super thin

Vegan Coffee Cake (Vegan Richa) - great for breakfasts! You could easily make them into coffee cake muffins too

📚 Pastry Crust (Isa Chandra Moskowitz's The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook) - great staple pie crust that gets its flakiness from a mix of olive and coconut oils! I use this for savory stuff like quiches and pot pies too. Highly recommend the cookbook, it covers everything from Valentine's Day to Passover to Halloween!

📚 Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies (Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Isa Does It cookbook)

📚 Chai Spice Snickerdoodles (Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Isa Does It cookbook)

Savory Thanksgiving & Christmas things:

Easy Vegan Gravy (Nora Cooks) - really simple & much better than the store bought stuff

Easy Vegan Quiche (Jessica in the Kitchen) - more for lunch/brunch than anything, but I like to make a couple these around the holidays because they're so easy to customize & put together

Vegan Alfredo Sauce (Purely Kaylie) - you can put this on pasta of course but I like to use this to fold into mashed potatoes or make a gratin with during the holidays!

Green Bean Casserole (Isa Chandra Moskowitz) - made this one year at the request of a family member, it came out great!

📚 Maple-Mustard Brussels Sprouts with Radicchio and Pecans (Isa Chandra Moskowitz's I Can Cook Vegan cookbook)

Creamy Polenta and Mushroom Ragout (Good Food) - just comfort food tbh!

📚 Glazed Tofu Ham (Isa Chandra Moskowitz's The Superfuntimes Vegan Holiday Cookbook) - I swear by this and make several before thanksgiving because I inhale them - imo works better as a filling for sandwiches or on the side for breakfast, but could be used as a main dish as well!

📚 Winter Squash Cups with Wild Rice, Hazelnuts, and Cherries (Isa Chandra Moskowitz's The Superfuntimes Vegan Holiday Cookbook) - made this once and used cranberries instead of cherries!

Some Hanukkah stuff! which I highly recommend trying even if you don't celebrate Hanukkah, my family does a mixed holiday celebration so I keep these in my rotation for those occasions:

Latkes and Vegan Sour Cream (Isa Chandra Moskowitz) - can also dip in applesauce or top with caramelized onions if you prefer sweet!

📚 Raspberry Rugelach (Isa Chandra Moskowitz) - classic, chocolate, and raisin variations from her holiday cookbook

📚 Matzoh Ball Soup (Isa CHandra Moskowitz)

And I have to include a couple heavy hitters, these are for if you're serious about spending a lot of time in the kitchen and maybe want to show off a little lol - well worth the effort, but not for everyone!

Succulent Roast Turky (The Gentle Chef) - I haven't tried a seitan turkey that's come close to being as good as this one. Lots of time & ingredients, but well worth the effort

Anything from Miyoko's Artisan Vegan Cheese cookbook - the best vegan cheese you will ever eat. Requires a couple weeks prep because you have to allow time to ferment the base liquid and culture the cheese - I'm starting mine today! I made a detailed post about my experience trying this out here, and there's images with instructions for making the rejuvelac, cashew base, and a Boursin-style cheese in it as well! Of course if you don't want to do all that you can buy the Miyoko's cheese that's sold in stores, those are great too 😅

Peter Reinhart's Bagels (Smitten Kitchen) - if you suffer from lack of good bagels in your area, this is one way to fix that! Bagels are essential to any holiday celebration in my family so I figured I'd include this lol

Here's the stuff from the cookbooks!

Pastry Crust:

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies:

Chai Spice Snickerdoodles:

Maple-Mustard Brussels Sprouts with Radicchio and Pecans:

Glazed Tofu Ham:

Winter Squash Cups With Wild Rice, Hazelnuts, and Cherries:

Vegan Sour Cream:

Rugelach (Classic, Chocolate, and Raisin variations highlighted):

Matzoh Ball Soup:

[rose-in-a-fisted-glove]

I have confirmation that my sister's fiance will be joining us in the kitchen for holiday prep and cooking starting with Passover this year. Its going to be fun!

[justleaveacommentfest]

Last weekend was both Passover weekend and prepping for finals, but I still managed to leave two comments! Which isn't the best but it's something!!!

I still have several bookmarked for commenting, so I think I'm gonna try and hold a self-comment fest this coming weekend to try and make up for it. Hopefully that counts for something?

IT SURE DOES!! AS LONG AS YOU'RE COMMENTING, THIS SKELETON IS PROUD OF YOU!

[aloysiavirgata]

Have spent the past week madly prepping for Passover. Will attend to my inbox over the next few days. Thank you, lovely kind people!

[fairfieldthinkspace]

Easter tells us to embrace the fullness of our humanity

Rev. Paul K. Rourke, S.J.

Vice President for Mission and Ministry

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;

For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow

Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me…

One short sleep past, we wake eternally

And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

-John Donne

I find comfort in these defiantly hopeful words from one of Donne’s “Holy Sonnets,” which I first read as a high school freshman. Since last Easter, death has been a persistent and menacing addition to my year. Unexpectedly, I lost my brother, John, last June. Over the last few months, I have lost a friend to a violent carjacking and two Jesuit brothers dear to me and the whole Fairfield University and Prep community: Frs. Charlie Allen, S.J., and Jim Bowler, S.J.  I loved and looked up to all these men, and miss them terribly. Death has robbed and humbled me, but I no longer feel in the mood to be deferential.  With Donne I feel defiant, and following his example, I say, “Death, I’ve had enough of you!” Surely, Easter is a time for all of us to join in defying death. For our Jewish brothers and sisters, too, the Passover commemorates the Lord’s deliverance of his people from death. The Angel of Death did not claim the first-born of the Chosen People or defeat the Lord’s covenant, but freed the People of Israel from bondage.

The Paschal Mystery the Church celebrates in the Easter Triduum defies death in a singular way: instead of sanitizing or ignoring it, death is confronted head-on and elevated just as it is consigned to oblivion: gory, ignominious death becomes forever the sacrament of our salvation, a reality utterly transformed and transforming. The Risen Jesus is a Wounded Jesus, but his wounds no longer define his destiny: they led to his death, but the Son of God has given them their ultimate meaning: marks of death’s ultimate powerlessness and proof that he will never abandon his humanity. 

Whether or not we have tasted much death in our lives, we, too, are wounded in a world simultaneously infatuated with, and in denial of, death. If the news out of Ukraine or Israel and Gaza have not wounded us with grief, then death has wounded us even more grievously: with stony hearts. However we are wounded, Easter tells us to embrace the fullness of our humanity as Jesus did (his own and ours). The voice of Death tells us to fear our weakness and hide our wounds in shame, but Jesus reminds us that God wants to raise, transform, and glorify every part of us, not just the parts we are proud of. He wants to do the same for all of us, and we are commanded to embrace the wounded brothers and sisters all around us with sacrificial love. When we hide from their pain, or ignore their dignity, we keep our tomb closed with the stone of indifference.

When we defy death and embrace the fullness of life God offers (in ourselves and each other), Easter becomes more than another day on the calendar: it becomes the center and meaning of every day.  When that happens, we can say in the same joyful confidence of Donne’s poem, “Death, thou shalt die.”

Image by Freepik