I've spent the better part of the weekend in the kitchen and actually I couldn't be happier about it. It's been such a long time since I've been able to do anything like this. Zvi's been really helpful and Bayla has been a really wonderful girl too... She's been napping and playing by herself and with daddy. Of course I've loved the time we've spent together while nursing, it's still a really special time for me to bond with her. But I do think that all the extra daddy time from this weekend really made her happy. It's truly magical to see Bayla's eyes light up and the huge smile take over her whole face when she's with Zvi. No wonder he wanted a girl!

So all the china and silverware and glasses/stemware are washed and dried. Table still needs to be set. The charoset is made and the hot radish sprouts we'll be using for chazeret are growing but I still need to prepare the rest of the seder snacks. I'm done with the gefilte fish and matzah stuffing but I still need to make the potato kugel, the spinach dish, the brisket, the chicken and the matza ball soup. The cake is baked but it still needs to be iced and decorated and the cobbler needs to be made.

Lots is done but still lots more to do. The brisket is defrosted so I'll make that and the kugel tomorrow. My MIL said she'd come by in the morning to help me with Bayla while I cook. That'll be great! And when I go to drop her off at home I'll swing by the store for pepper and some flowers. I've also got to iron Bayla's cardigan before she can wear it tomorrow night. I wonder how she'll react to wearing tights and a dress. I hope they won't be too tight on her tummy.

And then it's my big day. Tuesday. I'll make the soup first then the chicken and spinach. Later I'll make the matzah balls, the salad, and finish up with decorating the cake. Zvi's going to be home with me thankfully so he can help out with setting the table and plating everything on serving dishes. Brian and my mom will also come by to help out. Awesome. I really can't wait!

It's my very first time planning a seder all on my own. It's a little nerve-wracking, but also very exciting. I just hope I can pull it all off. I know Zvi will help me but we've got Bayla to take care of so things may be a little challenging.

I've just decided on the menu:

Matzah Ball Soup
Bitter Greens and Oranges Salad
Smoked Whitefish Gefilte Fish
Braised Brisket With 36 Cloves of Garlic
Spice and Lemon Roast Chicken
Spinach With Pine Nuts and Raisins
Potato Kugel
Matzah Stuffing
Pineapple With Honey and Mint
Apple Rhubarb Cobbler
Mock Chestnut Torte With Caramel Matzah Crunch
* and if I can find it ... Pareve Vanilla Ice Cream

Wow, that is a LOT of food. An obscene amount of food. And of course there's also going to be all the seder snacks. I may not be a true balabusta yet, but my copious menu definitely proves that I'm a real Jewish mama. I just hope Zvi doesn't kill me when he sees the next shopping bill in addition to the one shopping trip I've already made for all of this!

About this blog

I started out just being me but I always wanted to be a little like my grandma. Then I became a wife. Then I also became a mom. This is the story of how I learn to put it all together :-)