Happy Chanuka!

[Estherfromjerusalem]

Well, while all of you preparing for Xmas are making all your wonderful cookies and planning your menus, those of us who celebrate Chanuka are already getting fatter and fatter on all sorts of fried goodies (we celebrate the miracle of the oil by eating all sorts of goodies fried in oil). So it is doughnuts, potato pancakes and apple fritters for us. As well as pfefferkuchen, which is a sort of spicy cookies that my mother used to make. We light the candles every night, and the atmosphere is lovely. My older (former, but still with traces) difficult child, who will be 40 next month, was here with his girlfriend who is only 22. Help!! difficult child was in and out, and Yehuda who just got married came in with his wife. Tomorrow is a big family celebration at my sister's home. Monday night my children and grandchildren will be here. And in-between, we have to go to work . . .

Sorry, didn't mean to ramble on. I just wanted to wish a happy Chanuka to all who are celebrating.

Love, Esther

 

[mstang67chic]

I'm not celebrating Chanuka but I will gladly wish you and yours a Happy and Blessed Chanuka! (Pass me some of those potato pancakes, would you?) I hope you all have a wonderful holiday.

Oh...and um.....I don't suppose you'd care to share any recipes???

 

[smallworld]

Happy Hanukkah to you, Esther! I hope you enjoy your celebrations with your extended family throughout the week.

We have been celebrating here in Maryland. My husband, daughters and I lit candles and ate latkes with applesauce last night. Yum! Tonight after lighting candles, we forgot about Jewish tradition and went out to a Japanese restaurant for sushi. At least I didn't have to cook.

Happy Hanukkah to those who are celebrating the Festival of Lights this week!

 

[ML]

Happy Chanuka! I celebrated with my girlfriend a few years ago who is Jewish and it was soo beautiful. I wish everyone a happy and blessed Chanuka who celerates xo

 

[klmno]

I hope you have a wonderful Chanuka Esther! Thank you for thinking of us!

 

[gcvmom]

Oh, Happy Hanukkah to be sure! Our local pancake house that makes AWESOME potato pancakes was SWAMPED yesterday morning (and I'm sure it's due to holiday) despite the fact that it was absolutely raining cats and dogs here. You know that the food must be good and the day must be special if Californians will brave a cold winter rainstorm to go out for breakfast!

Enjoy the remaining days!

 

[LittleDudesMom]

Happy Chanuka Esther and Smallworld!!!!


Mmmm, apple fritters and my mailing address is..........

Sharon

 

[Estherfromjerusalem]

Thanks all. Yes, it is a lovely week. This evening (Sunday) we three sisters lit candles together with our children and grandchildren at my younger sister's home. I wondered if my parents in heaven could see and enjoy seeing us all together. Not everyone came -- that would be too much, but there were loads of us.

Tomorrow night we are doing it here in our home -- with our children and grandchildren. I think everyone will come (except for two sons who are doing reserve duty in the army at the moment). We are about 40 people now, quite an enormous tribe. I know it is very late, but I still haven't finally decided what I'm going to make. Tomorrow morning I'll have to shop. I will make my lists now (it's 3 in the morning -- I've just finished some work I promised an old professor I would do!). I've still got to check that I've got presents for everyone. Not to mention enough candles and oil and wicks for everyone to light their menorah. My husband likes to light with pure olive oil, in special little glass cups. It looks so beautiful.

Two granddaughters have already arrived (they live up north), aged 14 and 12. They are asleep here in the lounge near me as I type this, on our two sofas.

I will be happy to share the recipe of pfefferkuchen. It is quite a complicated recipe. Please forgive me if I wait a few days, until I get some peace and quiet. I've still got another little job I have to do on the computer now. I wish there were more hours to the day.

Love, Esther

PS. I'll happily give the recipe for potato pancakes now.

6-8 large potatoes
1 large onion
3 or 4 eggs
salt
pepper

Grate the potatoes on the smaller holes on the grater. Squeeze some of the liquid out of the potatoes. Grate the onion. Add the eggs, salt and pepper. Put a lot of oil (I use Canola oil) into the frying pan. When it is really hot, put the mixture into the frying-pan in spoonfuls with a larg-ish spoon. I can get about 10 at a time into the frying pan. When golden brown, turn over and "do" on the other side. We eat it with apple sauce. It is devilishly tasty and you just feel the pounds jumping on to your body!

Bon appetit!

 

[klmno]

My mother made what she called potato pancakes the same as your recipe except using left-over mashed potatoes. She isn't Jewish- but we all loved them!

 

[Fran]

Esther, if you scroll down, I posted a Happy Chanuka(spelled differently) on Friday. It's probably on page 2 or 3 by now.

I love that you and your sisters lit the candles together.

I may be tempted to have an apple fritter. Good wishes to you and all of your family.

 

[Hound dog]

Esther I hope you and your family have a very happy and blessed Chanuka!!

 

[Suz]

Happy Chanuka!

Suz

 

[JJJ]

Baruch ata Adonai, elohanu melech ha olam, sheheheyanu, v'kiyimanu, v'higiyanu, lazman ha zeh.

 

[timer lady]

Esther, Happy Chanuka to you. Enjoy your holiday with your "tribe" - the candle lighting with your sisters seems so significant; so poignant. I would think it would be an honor to be a part of that ritual.

Thanks for sharing the potato pancake recipe - I think it's something kt & I could do Christmas morning.

 

[ScentofCedar]

Lighting the candles together sounds wonderful, Esther.

This is such a lovely time of year.

Happy Chanuka, Esther.

Barbara

 

[DDD]

Have a wonderful holiday and know that I am sending my warmest thoughts and hugs to your family. DDD

 

[Estherfromjerusalem]

JJJ, I say "Amen" to your bracha (blessing).

Thank you all for your good wishes. Fran, sorry I didn't see you had posted already. I would have answered on that. I remember last year or the year before we had quite a discussion about potato pancakes! Apple fritters are also great.

Tonight my children and grandchildren were here. It was wild, just lovely. They all behaved so well (the grandchildren) because they knew they were going to get presents. Thank heavens they were all satisfied with what we got them, and all were happy.

Now it's 2 in the morning, and I am going to bed. I am exhausted from preparing all day long, but it was truly worth it. We only do it once a year, getting the whole lot of us together. I thank the good Lord for everything I've got. difficult child even behaved more or less well.

Love, Esther