Get your Jewish Blogging Here!

For all who want the weekly roundup of Jewish blogging, stop over to Shtetl Fabulous for her excellent debut edition of Haveil Havalim. And she makes sure to include what I think was one of the more interesting things that happened this week in j-blogland (okay, besides the once-in-28-years blessing and oh, yeah, that holiday that started this week), the controversy over the JTA's recent solicitation email. Scroll down in Shtetl's post for those links.

Have a great week!

Counting up the Omer

The second day of Pesach begins the Counting of the Omer, the period between Passover and Shavuot, a 49 day period.

The period between these two holidays represents the journey between them - from the Exodus from Egypt (celebrated on Passover) to the Revelation at Sinai (celebrated on Shavuot). Receiving the Torah isn't something that can just be done at the drop of a hat, it takes preparation and work. The period of the Omer gives us that time to reflect and consider, to pay attention to each and every day, and to literally "count up" until the Torah comes into our lives.

It's also considered a period of semi-mourning. Traditional Jews won't cut their hair, shave, listen to live music, or celebrate weddings or other parties. The 33rd day of the Omer (Lag B'Omer) has some lifting of these restrictions. Tradition says that a plague killed 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva during this period, hence the mourning.

In case you want to count the Omer, feel free to come back here every day to Ima on and off the Bima. Over <------------------ there is the counter that my dad wrote for my blog (last year!) and it works really well! If there was a market for this kind of thing, I think he could make a good business with the J-bloggers. What do you think, Dad???

Okay, so how do we find contemporary and interesting meaning in the Omer? Just as we do with any of our holidays and observances, we have to find a way to make it relevant to how we live our lives. One tradition is to study various texts during this period as a way to improve oneself. Another way is to choose a story or other reading to meditate upon daily. Maybe this is the time to introduce a new practice - do you want to take up yoga or daily prayer? There's something wonderful and finite about making a 49-day commitment. And when the Omer ends, you can choose how to proceed from there. Revelation has an incredible life-changing-potential. But it won't happen if you don't welcome it in and prepare yourself in some way for it. We have the chance each and every day to open ourselves up...and Judaism gives us the structure and program to do it...

How will you observe the Omer this year?
May it bring enlightenment and personal nourishment...

Huevos Haminados

On July 19, 2008, I was first introduced to the concept of Huevos Haminados. I know it was this date because I went around and bookmarked three different sites/recipes. 

Huevos Haminados, which means "baked eggs" in Ladino, a Judeo-Spanish language spoken by Sephardic Jews, are served primarily on Pesach, when eggs are so important to the meal. But because of their long, slow cooking time, they work for any Jewish holiday because of all the prohibitions on cooking/lighting fire.

There are various recipes available, all of them use onion skins and some use coffee grounds. I used this recipe from the Kitchn blog which had the coolest illustrations. I went to the grocery store and asked for onion skins...voila, they gave them to me! And so we proceeded....

First we sorted out some pretty cilantro leaves and David helped me to press them onto the eggs.

and then tie them into old pantyhose, tightly. (Tight is key, I've learned, and skip the seams if you can.)

Put all the onion skins into a pot, add water to cover, and bring to a boil. That was the longest and hardest part....waiting.

After it comes to a boil, add peppercorns and salt, a few glugs of white vinegar, and the eggs. Drop to a simmer. Cover the water with a few glugs of olive oil. Cover and cook for HOURS. We started with one or two and it ended up being three hours before we turned off the stove (I would have left it longer but we were going out) and then I left them sit there while we went out for dinner. When we came back, I couldn't wait any longer - I was hoping they'd be cooled off but they weren't really. It didn't matter....

This is what it looked like:

And this is what came out of that mess:

Aren't they bee-yoo-tee-ful??? I actually dropped one while putting in the pantyhose but it only cracked slightly so we kept it in. It was already tied in, so the hose helped hold it together, I think. It worked great.

Tomorrow we're going to taste. I was given advice to serve them with lemon.
I think they might be the coolest looking thing I've ever made.

Pesach is here tomorrow!
May this celebration of freedom bring joy and peace to you and your family...and to the whole world.

Reading Over the Haggadah

I definitely don't like to step up to the Seder unprepared. I like to re-read the text and prepare something new and different for each year.

I totally stole this idea from this post by Tamar Fox.

 

from wordle.net  

Off to continue practicing the Four Questions with my oldest....

and the Frog Song with my little ones!

Haveil Havalim #211: The Preparing for Pesach Edition

(also known as: The "If You're Not Done Prepping You Now Have More Excuses to Procrastinate" Edition)

What's going on here today?
Founded by Soccer Dad, Haveil Havalim is a carnival of Jewish blogs -- a weekly collection of Jewish & Israeli blog highlights, tidbits and points of interest collected from blogs all around the world. It's hosted by different bloggers each week and coordinated by Jack. The term 'Haveil Havalim,' which means "Vanity of Vanities," is from Qoheleth, (Ecclesiastes) which was written by King Solomon. King Solomon built the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and later on got all bogged down in materialism and other 'excesses' and realized that it was nothing but 'hevel,' or in English, 'vanity.'

Please please please publicize HH on your own blog

and share the news about it!

Preparing For Pesach Posts...

(I tried to group them all here but I might have a few below too. It's been a busy week!)

Especially for bloggers: tips on cleaning your computer of chametz (obviously, we can't do anything about the cookies...)

If you, like me, are always looking for the new Pesach video, here's an article from JTA about the phenomenon.

Here's Passing Over into Spring? (with a delicious-looking lemon Pesach cake) posted at Manely Montana.

Tikkun Olam posted So You Think You Know How to Run a Seder? (funny stuff!) and also Pesach Cleaning.

Following my Judaism explores the difference between Pesach and Spring cleaning.

Read Passover is Coming! (in case you hadn't noticed) by Beneath the Wings

This made me laugh: Why do I (almost) turn into someone else on Passover? posted at Home-shuling. Cocoa-o's anyone?

Mottel wants us to Help this Pesach and Give the Gift of the Exodus from Egypt!

At Shiloh Musings this week: Missionary Christians Hijack Passover, and Preparing For Pesach--Is There A "Rabbis' Sons" CD?

Jacob Richman presents The Passover Humor Files posted at Good News from Israel. (it's a very extenstive list!)

Blog d'Elisson reveals Eliyahu ha-Navi for who he really is...or not... at PASSOVER.

Desperate to clean with your kids around? Read this post: Children and Passover Cleaning. Do you think it's helpful?

Me-Ander muses on Dairy Passover Seder? and Pesach Food-- Lots More Than Potatoes And Matzah

Soccer Dad feels that We were slaves... as he contemplates pickle and sardine sandwiches. Eww!

If you live in Israel, you might find this post useful: Machon Shilo: Pesah Links.

Here's my favorite Pesach dessert and some of my favorite YouTube Pesach Vids ... (hey, it's my blog and I'll link if I want to!)

Israel

Esser Agaroth wants to know Did Anyone Catch This? and Fear Of Jewish Revenge Attack?

Israelity hopes May the new Israeli government live to a ripe old age and also shares Hassidism at Boombamela and Sabra happiness.

Ricki's Mom presents Ricki, Language, and “Machtesh(im)” - a language and geology lesson.

Joel Katz presents Religion and State in Israel - March 30, 2009 (Section 1) and Section 2.

If you want to know How to Be Israeli read this post: Don't be a Fryer. Funny!

Interesting posts: Impressions of TheMarker's COM.vention from a new immigrant and 15 Israel-related headlines from the week March 22, 2009 posted at Israel Innovation 2.0.

Yechezkel wants to know: Children: National Assets or Liabilities? - The Child Allowance Fallacy.

Shmuel Sokol shares this reprint of a JPost article he wrote: New Balad MK praises Iran's nuke quest.

Me-ander is taking A Walk Down Memory Lane.

Judaism

ProfK wants us to drop our European ways...interesting thoughts in this post: And the Song Plays On... And here's another one by ProfK: On Minhagim

Adventures in Chinuch examines the practice of Parent-Teacher Conferences.

Schvach Yid chuckles as the Amish visit Brooklyn...I chuckled too!

The Velveteen Rabbi is in Buenos Aires, spending Shabbat morning at the Libertad, the oldest synagogue in that city.

The Rebbetzin's Husband writes about Science and Religion and Explaining the Holocaust and also Come on, Rabbi, finish what you started.

Shira Salamone is puzzled about Women and ritual: A survey for Conservative Jews. She mentions the movie "Praying in Her Own Voice," about the Women of the Wall. I'm very excited that we're bringing this film and one of its producers to our synagogue in June!

Tuvia is changing his diet: Disposing of the un-kosher food part 1.

Ilana-Davita shares a shiur by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik on First Born Sons.

Should Modern Orthodox Jews say Birchat HaChammah? Or is it a bracha levatalah? Great question and a great post. This could have been the Birkat HaChammah edition of Haveil Havalim. Maybe next week...

Funny Stuff

Toby Curwin presents Just the guys you want to help you keep time posted at A Time of the Signs.

Shira Salamone thinks that there are many Mysteries of the Hebrew language...

The Real Shliach is giving advice: Dear TRS: advice for the masses. Do you think it's funny? Go see!!!

Benji Lovitt presents Maybe Ivri's Just Doing a British Accent posted at What War Zone???.

Jewish Life, Culture, and Everything Else...

Soccer Dad shared this piece of news: LeBron Picks... Schottenstein? LeBron James is Jewish? I'm so confused. That info is missing from his Wikipedia page .

tooyoungtoteach presents On A Scale From One To Ten posted at Sporadic Intelligence.

Seraphic Secret tells us how Hebrew Hollywood Hottie Risks Life for U.S. Troops.

Yisrael Medad shares Multi-faith/Interfaith/Nondenominational Minister and Ignatius Misleadingas well as "Partner for Peace" or Partner of the New York Times?

Rivka with a capital A shares the lighter side of chemo with Chemotherapy Induced Time Travel. As she says: Please daven (or send happy, healing thoughts) for RivkA bat Teirtzel.

Mottel is having One of Those Ripped Pants Days.

Sef presents Shabbos Kodesh and Ain't nothin to do.

Yitzchak Goodman presents Why some Jews should take it easy on the le'chaims? posted at Judeopundit.

Our great leader JackB wrote about When Parents Die and Don't Die Dad. He's having a hard week, I think, so stop by and send him some positive energy. (Or at least good stats, which might translate...)

A Simple Jew is Returning The Next Day.

Chaviva asks Why am I converting Orthodox? - make sure you read the comments too. Great personal post about Jewish choices...

That's all for this week's Haveil Havalim!

Note to self: don't sign up to host four days before Pesach...

Please send your posts for the next edition of the Haveil Havalim Blog Carnival via the Blog Carnival Submission Form. If you're interested in hosting or receiving more information about the carnival, please contact Jack at talktojacknow-at-sbcglobal-dot-net(and please, for the sake of our hosts, try not to submit more than 3 posts a week!)

Please please please publicize HH on your own blog and share the news about it!

You can just copy and paste this nice little sentence into your blog if you'd like:

A very lovely edition of Haveil Havalim, the Jewish Blog Carnival, is now up over at Ima on and off the Bima. Check it out!

Chag Sameach!

My Favorite Pesach Dessert

It does seem like everyone makes this stuff now. I have never heard of it or had it until about 10 years ago, when we were in Israel. Now I make it every year....

Matzah Candy Buttercrunch

5 boards unsalted matzo
1 cup margarine, unsalted
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
6 ounces semisweet chocolate,chopped, coarsely (or chocolate chips, these work great)

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a jellyroll pan. Line bottom of pan evenly with matzo, using what you need and cutting pieces to fit any spaces on the cookie sheet. Combine margarine and sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Continue cooking 3 more minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour over matzo. Bake 15 minutes, checking every few minutes to make sure mixture is not burning. (*If it seems to be browning too quickly, remove from oven.) Remove from oven, then sprinkle with chocolate pieces. Let stand 5 minutes, then spread chocolate evenly over surface. Cool thoroughly, refrigerating if necessary to set. Break into randomly sized and shaped pieces.

Variations: one year I found coffee-flavored chocolate chips. They were delicious! Also, lots of people like nuts in this. I'm sure you could make it with white chocolate chips, if you could find them l'Pesach. I'm sure some dried fruit, fancy nuts....it could be a real grown-up dessert! Also, you could leave the chocolate out entirely, I bet it would be yummy with just the caramelized sugar.

What's your favorite Pesach dessert? The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune both published some in today's paper.

{{{Giggles}}}

Mabel's Labels has created new Invisble Sticky Labels - so cool! Go and see...

And while you're at it, check out You Tube today...

and see this new feature of Gmail.

and Amy's getting a cow! I'm so jealous.

In other news, today is the English date anniversary of my Bat Mitzvah...