Quote:
Hi Jim,

Thanks for remembering this Special time and for providing us with an opportunity to Celebrate with Peter and all of our Friends of the Jewish faith.

Hello Peter,

I almost didn't realize the time was already here. It seems to me like it's a bit earlier this year. Anyway, Hanukkah is that treasured time of year when family gathers around the menorah to say those age-old words, "Does anyone have any matches?"

But seriously though, I bring warm Hanukkah Wishes that the light of faith, the warmth of home, and the love of your family and friends, all be yours this coming year.

Light and joy to you at Chanukah and all throughout the year,

And may everything in the coming year turn up "Gimel"!

Shalom - May you have peace my Friend, at Hanukkah and all of the year long,

Phil

Happy Hanukkah, Peter,

I grew up in suburban Philadelphia until I was 20, the public schools there have a very large Jewish population and are closed on Jewish holidays, so I heard a lot about Hanukkah and Passover and all the traditions when I was in public schools from 7th thru 12th grade.

As I've said before I was raised very Catholic, very...as in my father spent a lot of his income on sending 5 of us to Catholic school for as long as possible, even at times when money was very tight. The older kids attended until 8th grade, then tuition went up so my brother & I only went until 6th grade.

So the transition from extreme Catholicism, the part of the community we lived in had 3 Catholic churches within a square mile, to suddenly being immersed in public school every day with kids from the Lafayette Hill area, was very different, more than just changing schools, it was a learning experience that other kids my age were going to Temple classes on weekends, studying for their bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah.

It was interesting and sometimes kids don't get along, if they don't understand each other, or have questions.

Thanks, Jim for the great info and videos.

We do choose our family, but sometimes (unfortunately, LOL!) our biological family still wants us to go to church on mornings when we'd rather just sleep late or read the funny-paper.

I'm taking my kids to visit my parents for Christmas, and then realized we'd have to go to church, then felt slightly better knowing there's now 5pm Saturday church, I'm not a morning person, my parents attend a church without padded pews, that just recently got air-conditioning and entered the 20th century. Maybe it will get padded pews in 50 years!

Happy Hannukah, I'm most intrigued with 7 days of gifts, most Christian kids are very interested in that part, even us big kids.

Thanks for visiting my forums recently!
Have a great holiday week.

~Kathleen

Sorry to be so Tardy stopping back by, however the Flu has once again decimated our Volunteer pool over at the Hospital, so I've been a little busy the past few days. As you asked, here's a couple of recipes that my Friend just shared with me not too long ago. May you enjoy them my Friend, I know that I'm going to.

Traditionl Hanukkah Latkes (Parve)

I understand that fried food is traditionally eaten on Hanukkah, in commemoration of the oil that miraculously burned for eight days when the Maccabees purified and rededicated the holy Temple in Jerusalem. Fried Potato Pancakes (called Latkes in Yiddish and Levivot in Hebrew) seem to the hands-down, mouth-open, holiday favorite.

Ingredients:

• 5 potatoes
• 2 onions
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• between 1/4 to 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• oil for frying (canola is recommended)

Preparation:

1. Peel potatoes. Place in a bowl of cold water so they won’t turn brown.
2. When ready to prepare the latkas, drain the potatoes. Place potatoes and onions in a food processor fitted with a knife blade. Pulse until smooth. Drain mixture well.
3. Pour potato mixture into a large bowl. Add beaten eggs. Add salt and pepper. Add enough flour so that the mixture holds together.
4. Pour 1 inch of oil into a large, deep frying pan. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
5. Carefully drop 1/4 cup of the potato mixture into the hot oil.
6. Flatten the pancake slightly so the center will cook.
7. Fry for several minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.
8. Drain on paper towels.

Homemade Applesauce (Parve)

A very good Friend from Greensboro, NC, who happens to also be Jewish, shared with me her Mother's special Applesauce recipe. It seems that her Mother's secret was to cook the apple peels and cores in water to make a nice apple juice, then drain, and then to add the sliced apples. Susan created a quick version of the recipe, using bottled apple juice, which achieves the same delicious results, so I have included both the traditional and the quick version. May you add some happy memories to your Hanukkah celebration, by serving this homemade applesauce with those crispy Potato Latkes.

Ingredients:

• 8 Granny Smith apples
• 1/2 cup bottled apple juice
• cinnamon sugar to desired sweetness
• 3 whole cloves
• craisins (optional)

Preparation:

QUICK VERSION
1. Peel, core and slice apples. Put apple slices in a large pot. Add bottled apple juice to barely cover apples. Since the apples give off liquid, start out slow with the apple juice. More can be added later if needed.
2. Add cinnamon sugar to desired sweetness. Add cloves.
3. Cook on medium-high heat until the apples are chunky. If you like it smoother, cook longer and add more liquid.

ORIGINAL VERSION
1. Peel and core apples; save peels and cores. Slice apples and set aside.
2. In a large pot, cover peels and cores with water and cook on medium heat until peels are soft and water is the color of apple juice (15 to 20 minutes). Drain off liquid into a bowl and discard peels and cores.
3. Put sliced apples in a pot and add "apple liquid" to barely cover apples. Add cinnamon sugar to desired sweetness. Add cloves.
4. Cook on medium-high heat until the apples are chunky. If you like it smoother, cook longer and add more liquid.

VARIATION: Add craisins.

Quote:
Hello Peter,

Sorry to be so Tardy stopping back by, however the Flu has once again decimated our Volunteer pool over at the Hospital, so I've been a little busy the past few days. As you asked, here's a couple of recipes that my Friend just shared with me not too long ago. May you enjoy them my Friend, I know that I'm going to.

Traditionl Hanukkah Latkes (Parve)

I understand that fried food is traditionally eaten on Hanukkah, in commemoration of the oil that miraculously burned for eight days when the Maccabees purified and rededicated the holy Temple in Jerusalem. Fried Potato Pancakes (called Latkes in Yiddish and Levivot in Hebrew) seem to the hands-down, mouth-open, holiday favorite.

Ingredients:

• 5 potatoes
• 2 onions
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• between 1/4 to 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• oil for frying (canola is recommended)

Preparation:

1. Peel potatoes. Place in a bowl of cold water so they won’t turn brown.
2. When ready to prepare the latkas, drain the potatoes. Place potatoes and onions in a food processor fitted with a knife blade. Pulse until smooth. Drain mixture well.
3. Pour potato mixture into a large bowl. Add beaten eggs. Add salt and pepper. Add enough flour so that the mixture holds together.
4. Pour 1 inch of oil into a large, deep frying pan. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
5. Carefully drop 1/4 cup of the potato mixture into the hot oil.
6. Flatten the pancake slightly so the center will cook.
7. Fry for several minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.
8. Drain on paper towels.

Homemade Applesauce (Parve)

A very good Friend from Greensboro, NC, who happens to also be Jewish, shared with me her Mother's special Applesauce recipe. It seems that her Mother's secret was to cook the apple peels and cores in water to make a nice apple juice, then drain, and then to add the sliced apples. Susan created a quick version of the recipe, using bottled apple juice, which achieves the same delicious results, so I have included both the traditional and the quick version. May you add some happy memories to your Hanukkah celebration, by serving this homemade applesauce with those crispy Potato Latkes.

Ingredients:

• 8 Granny Smith apples
• 1/2 cup bottled apple juice
• cinnamon sugar to desired sweetness
• 3 whole cloves
• craisins (optional)

Preparation:

QUICK VERSION
1. Peel, core and slice apples. Put apple slices in a large pot. Add bottled apple juice to barely cover apples. Since the apples give off liquid, start out slow with the apple juice. More can be added later if needed.
2. Add cinnamon sugar to desired sweetness. Add cloves.
3. Cook on medium-high heat until the apples are chunky. If you like it smoother, cook longer and add more liquid.

ORIGINAL VERSION
1. Peel and core apples; save peels and cores. Slice apples and set aside.
2. In a large pot, cover peels and cores with water and cook on medium heat until peels are soft and water is the color of apple juice (15 to 20 minutes). Drain off liquid into a bowl and discard peels and cores.
3. Put sliced apples in a pot and add "apple liquid" to barely cover apples. Add cinnamon sugar to desired sweetness. Add cloves.
4. Cook on medium-high heat until the apples are chunky. If you like it smoother, cook longer and add more liquid.

VARIATION: Add craisins.

Shalom My Dear Friend,

Phil