Happy Pesach!

Tonight is the first night of Passover. I'm doing much of the cooking this year, since Dr. Skull is not able to stand or to grip things well. He did make the broth for the matzo ball soup, and he is supervising me on several other dishes. What are we having?

• Matzo ball soup
• Roasted chicken
• Potato kugel (made with actual schmaltz)
• Grilled asparagus
• KFP matzos
• Several desserts of affliction, including candy fruit slices, macaroons, and KFP chocolate cake
• KFP wine (not Manischewitz, actual wine, which is available here in our new city)

The kids and Uncle Charger are coming to the Seder. I'll share pix if I remember to take any.

Chag sameach! Gut Yontif! Don't forget to throw out your yeasted things*!

*We did not throw out our yeasted things.

Late Hanukkah

 The kids had to work during actual Hanukkah, so we had a late Hanukkah dinner with them here on Christmas eve. The kid and I made latkes, Dr. Skull made brisket and matzah ball soup, which the kid helped with, and the kid's boyfriend made deviled eggs. (He has unwisely revealed to me that he knows how to make excellent deviled eggs, so now I compel him to make them on every occasion.) 

It's cold and rainy here. Tomorrow the boyfriend flies out at dawn, to visit family in Pennsylvania.

Previous to the actual meal -- you can see the Hanukkah candles burning

the famous deviled eggs -- that's my mother's deviled egg plate

Latkes frying in the pan

ETA: The latkes recipe

Return to the Fort

We spent the past week in New Orleans, with (most) of my family, celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah combined. My oldest brother and SIL were only in town briefly, since she had to work Christmas; but we did see them the first night we were in town.

Now we are back in the Fort, and all of us are sick -- fever, sore throat, fierce headache. Since we always get sick for the holidays (being academics) this is NBD.

Home for the Holidays

This year, we're driving down to New Orleans to stay with my parents for the holidays. Christmas and Hanukkah coincide this year, interestingly -- or at least the first day of Hanukkah coincides with Christmas. I'll be hauling bags of presents with us, is what this means, mostly.

Also, I have to remember to do about six billion things. So far I've reserved the rental car (our car being unreliable), reserved a space for the dog (we have to board him, though the cats will stay here and be looked in on by a friend), bought presents, and plotted our route.

Rosh Hashanah 2015

Every year at Rosh hashanah, we go down to the river and throw bread in the water.

Here at the right, you can see (barely, that's me and the kid, very tiny) us at the river this year.

This is a Jewish custom.  When you throw the bread in the river, with each piece, you say the thing you're sorry that you're did that year -- for instance, "I'm sorry I yelled at the dog!"  "I'm sorry I was mean to people on Facebook!" "I'm sorry I used gender-specific insults!"

That sort of thing.

Then we walk along the river, as the sun goes down, which some years is nicer than others -- this year it was very nice, because today was a lovely day -- and then we come home for a holiday dinner, which always includes Challah and honey, so that we can start off the New Year sweetly.

L'shanah tovah, y'all.