Sour Cream
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah
Did you know that Simchat Torah is actually a ceremony during Shemini Atzeret? I didn’t, or at least I didn’t remember it. Most people I know simply refer to the upcoming holiday as Simchat Torah. Shemini Atzeret is a two-day holiday, beginning on October 21, 2011 (don’t forget, Jewish holidays are not celebrated on the same date on the Gregorian calendar as other non-Jewish holidays do) and ending on October 23, 2011. We celebrate Simchat Torah immediately following the end of Succot. The word “simcha” means “joy, celebration, rejoicing” in English. So, on Simchat Torah, we are rejoicing over the Torah (the Five Books of Moses). This is because on Simchat Torah we complete our reading of the Torah and we begin it all over again.
Many things happen in our celebration of the Torah, we eat, and eat, and eat. We say Yizkor, which I explained in my Yom Kippur article. We add a blessing for rain. This is the only time that we give a Torah an aiiyah (aliyah has two meanings, 1) a high honor; 2) immigrating to Israel. In this case it means “a high honor”). This is the only time that we have three Torahs out during a Torah service. And this is the only time when we take all the Torahs out and we dance with the Torahs and sing joyous songs. The children get a Jewish Flag on a stick and an apple and they parade around waving their flags and holding their apples. It is a great celebration and a lot of fun.
The traditional dish of Shemini Atzeret is stuffed cabbage. Although Paul loves it, you won’t find this dish in my house! I can’t stand the smell of the cabbage cooking, let alone eat it…yuk! But this is a menu that I can live with and yes, I’ll post a recipe for stuffed cabbage also.
Shemini Atzeret Menu With A Scottish Bent To It
Wine for Kiddish (blessing)
Challah (not a round one) for Hamotzi
Carrot Soup With Honey And Ginger*
Paula’s Mozzarella and Tomato Salad*
Scottish Baked Brown Trout*
Peas
Dairy Noodle Kugel*
Caledonian Cream*
Iced Cherry Cake*
Carrot Soup With Honey And Ginger Recipe
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This is a Scottish soup recipe.
Ingredients:
10 cups water
1-1/2 cups butter
3 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons grated ginger root
12 turns of freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoons sea salt
3 pounds carrots, peeled and shredded
Juice of 1/3 small lemon
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon quality honey
GARNISH:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chives
Directions:
Place a large Dutch oven on the stove with 10 cups of water. Bring water to a boil and keep it warm on the stove top.
In a separate stockpot, add butter and onions and cook over medium-high heat until the onions turn translucent. Add the ginger to the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the shredded carrots to the stock pot and mix well to combine the ingredients. Squeeze in the juice from the lemon and pour in the honey. Stir the mixture well to blend.
Pour in the 10 cups of hot water and cook the soup on a gentle, rolling boil for 45 minutes. When the soup is cooked and the carrots are tender, transfer the soup into a food processor in batches and puree until smooth. Dish the soup out into individual serving bowls and add a little cream to each bowl, running it through with a butter knife or spatula. Garnish with the chives.
Yield: 10 servings
Graphic Source: Acclaim Clipart
Paula’s Mozzarella and Tomato Salad
Recipe courtesy Paula Lambert, The Cheese Lover’s Cookbook and Guide, Simon & Schuster, 2000
Total Time: 10 min
Prep: 10 min
Yield: 4 servings
Level: Easy
Ingredients
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 fresh basil leaves
Directions
Arrange the tomato and mozzarella slices on a platter or individual salad plates, overlapping the slices and fanning them out like a deck of cards.
Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
Drizzle with the oil.
Garnish with the basil: Cut it into very thin slices or tear into bits and sprinkle on top or leave the leaves whole and tuck them here and there between the mozzarella and tomato slices. Serve immediately.
Scottish Baked Brown Trout
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“Trout, freshly caught from the river, is a dependable dish to have in Scottish restaurants, especially in the Highlands. In this recipe the fish cooks in its own juices, with baking foil keeping it moist. Quantities below are for four people.”
Ingredients:
Four half pound (250g) trout
4 tablespoons dry vermouth
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs of fresh herbs (dill, fennel, chives or parsley)
1 lemon
Method:
Pre-heat oven at 450F (230C or Gas Mark 8).
Clean the trout if required, remove the scales and fins and wipe with kitchen paper. Season the inside of the trout with salt and pepper and insert the herbs.
Cut four pieces of kitchen foil into oval shapes which are long enough to take the fish plus an extra 3″ (7cm) foil. Brush the foil with olive oil and place each trout in the centre. Brush the outside of the fish with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and pour a tablespoon of vermouth over each fish.
Pull the foil up to make a boat shape for the fish and pleat over the top to totally enclose the fish, making sure it is pinched together. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven at 450F (230C or Gas Mark 8) for 8 to 10 minutes. The time will vary, depending on how plump the fish are. Check by opening up foil and examining the flesh at the thickest part. There should be no opaqueness or pinkness. The fish can be served in the foil with fresh vegetables.
SOFTA’S DISCLAIMER: This photo is not a photo of this recipe. It is a Photo I found on the internet that looks similar.
Dairy Noodle Kugel
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Ingredients:
8 ounces fine egg noodles
1/4 pound butter, melted
4 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
16 ounces cottage cheese
16 ounces sour cream
1 can crushed pineapple
Topping
1 sleeve graham crackers, crushed
Cinnamon and sugar to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 330 degrees F.
Cook noodles and drain.
Beat eggs and sugar until light. Add melted butter and vanilla. Add cottage cheese and sour cream. Add noodles and mix well.
Put in greased 9×13 pan. Mix crushed graham crackers with sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over top.
Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour.
Photo Source: All-Free Download.com
Caledonian Cream
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Here is a refreshing dessert which uses marmalade which is a popular ingredient in Scottish cooking since its invention in Dundee in 1797.
Ingredients for the cream:
4 ounces cream cheese (about half a cup)
4 fluid ounces double cream (about half a cup)
1 tablespoon marmalade (thick, bitter marmalade is
suggested but use what you have on hand)
2 tablespoons brandy or rum
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Sugar to taste
Ingredients for base:
4 oranges, segmented and the pith removed
Method:
Blend all the ingredients for the cream in a liquidizer till smooth. (SOFTA123’S NOTE: what the Scottish people call a liquidizer is what we Americans call a blender.)
Place the oranges in four long-stemmed glasses and, if you want, add a teaspoon of brandy (or rum) to these. Add the cream on top.
Garnish with some orange zest (boil for a few minutes in water to reduce the bitterness).
Serve chilled.
Servings: 4
Iced Cherry Cake
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Cherry cake, with icing on top, is one of the mainstays of Scottish home baking tearooms.
Ingredients:
8 ounces (250g/One and a quarter cups in North America) self-raising flour
(all-purpose flour with baking powder)
8 ounces (250g/one cup) margarine
8 ounces (250g/one and a quarter cups) caster sugar (fine granulated sugar)
4 eggs (medium)
8 ounces (250g/one cup) glacé cherries
8 ounces (250g/one and a quarter cups) icing sugar (frosting)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3 (or slightly higher if not an electric fan assisted oven) and line a baking tray (8″ x 12″ x 1½” or 20cm x 30cm x 5cm) with parchment paper.
Wash, dry and chop up the cherries to remove the glacé coating (but retaining some as quarter cherries to decorate the top later). If you coat them in some flour it will stop them sinking to the bottom of the cake.
Cream the margarine and sugar together thoroughly until light and fluffy (to help the cake rise with the trapped air). Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth.
Stir in the flour and then add the cherries. Spread evenly into the tin and bake in the middle of the oven for about 40 minutes. Allow to cool in the tin.
Add a little water at a time to the icing sugar (frosting) until it has a consistency which coats the back of a metal spoon without running off.
Remove the cake from the tin and spread the icing sugar evenly on top.
Decorate with quartered cherries.
SOFTA123’S NOTE: The next recipe, the recipe for stuffed cabbage, does not go along with the above menu as the stuffed cabbage recipe is for a meat meal and the menu is for a dairy meal.
Holishkes (Stuffed Cabbage)
===========================
By Sharon Lebewohl and Rena Bulkin
The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook
The Second Avenue Deli
Recipe Reviews (43)
User rating 88 % would make it again
Main ingredients: Cabbage, Vegetable, Citrus, Onion, Egg, Rice, Garlic, Tomato
Cuisine – Jewish
Dietary considerations – Kosher
Yield: Makes 7 pieces
Ingredients:
Stuffing:
1-1/2 pounds chopmeat (SOFTA123’S NOTE: ground beef, ground veal or ground turkey is fine to use in this recipe.)
3/4 cup uncooked white rice
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon finely chopped or crushed fresh garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Sauce:
2 cups plain tomato sauce
1-1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1/2 orange, chopped with peel into 1/2-inch pieces; remove pits
2/3 lemon, chopped with peel into 1/2-inch pieces; remove pits
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 cups water
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 large lightweight young green cabbage
1 medium green cabbage. You’ll need 4 cups (if you don’t have enough, supplement with leftovers from the large cabbage).
Preparation:
In a large bowl, combine all the stuffing ingredients. Stir them with a fork, then mix thoroughly with your hands. Cover and refrigerate.
In another bowl, thoroughly mix all sauce ingredients. Cover and refrigerate.
Fill a very large stockpot three-quarters full with water and bring to a rapid boil. While bringing the water to a boil, use a thin, sharp knife to make deep cuts around the core of the large cabbage (cut into the cabbage in a circle about 1/4 inch out from the core). Lift out the core, making a hole about 2 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches deep. This is a bit difficult — persevere.
Set out a baking tray neat the stove. Stick a long cooking fork into the core hole of the large cabbage, and plunge it (carefully, so you don’t splash yourself) into the pot of rapidly boiling water. The outer leaves will begin to fall off. Leave them in the boiling water for a few minutes until they’re limp and flexible enough for stuffing; then take them out one at a time, and place them on the baking tray. Try not to tear the leaves. When all the leaves are on the tray, transfer it into the sink and pour the boiling water from the pot over them. Wash the leaves carefully in cold water. With a small, sharp knife, trim off the tough outer spines and discard them.
Find your largest leaves, and set them out on a plate. Set out all other leaves on another plate. One at a time, line each large leaf with another large leaf or two smaller leaves. (The idea is to strengthen your cabbage wrapping so that the stuffing stays securely inside during cooking. Be sure to align the spines of inner and outer leaves.) Stuff with 3/4 cup of the meat-rice mixture, roll very tightly along the spine, and close both sides by tucking them in with your fingers. The spine should be vertical in the center of tour roll.
Stir the 4 cups of chopped cabbage into the sauce. Pour 3/4 inch of the sauce into a large, wide-bottomed stockpot. Arrange the cabbage rolls carefully on top of the sauce, and pour the remainder of the sauce over them to cover. Cover pot and simmer for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Serve with boiled potatoes and a vegetable.
Paul and I wish everyone at Gut Yom Tov!
YOM KIPPUR COUNTDOWN – DAY 4
Personal Change is another theme of Yom Kippur…personal change and a return to values and ideals that you know are right. Are those two themes contradictory or are they the same? Hmmm, I wonder. I just read a great post about personal change and the High Holidays. I am copying it right here with the express permission of the website and writer. This is very generous and I hope you will go to their website to check it out. The name of the website is Positive Articles and here is the link http://www.positivearticles.com .
The High Holy Days: A Time of Personal Change and Spiritual Return
by Nina Amir
As the leaves on the trees begin to turn, local Jews, as well as Jews all over the world begin the process of t’shuvah, a Hebrew word meaning repentance which comes from the root “to turn or return.” For them, autumn ushers in the High Holy Days, during which they turn their attention away from the distractions of everyday life and toward God, away from outward denial of wrongdoing and toward acknowledgement of sins, away from unwanted behavior and toward repentance. At this time of year, change is in the air for Jews all around the world.
The High Holy Days include Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Repentance. Thus, this period marks the joyous beginning of a new year as well as a somber period of introspection. However, preparations for the “Days of Awe” – the period between Rosh Hashanah and the end of Yom Kippur, begin on September 8 with the observance of Selichot, a late evening or nighttime service involving the recitation of penitential prayers. Many Jews take time both with their community and on their own to begin the process of evaluating their own behavior over the past year on this night, and then continue doing so until the last sound of the shofar, the ram’s horn traditionally blown on this holiday, at sundown on Yom Kippur.
Although some Jews observe Selichot for a full month prior to Rosh Hashanah, others begin their observance approximately a week before the start of this holiday. In either case, this religious observance might be likened to a “warm up” for the High Holidays, my old Rabbi Steven Bob of Congregation Etz Chaim in Lombard, once told me. “Before you go running, you want to stretch a little bit. This is spiritual stretching. The Selichot service introduces the theme and melodies of the High Holy Days while also stressing God’s royalty and our modest position. We recognize that God is judging us, but…we don’t want justice, we want mercy,” said Bob.
Selichot marks the first time during the High Holidays that Jews hear the shofar blown. Much symbolism surrounds the blowing of the shofar, but it is most commonly seen as a wake-up call. Likened to an alarm clock, the shofar says, “Wake up and take a look at the way you’ve been living, and do something about it.” Blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah represents a call to return to God. During the year, we tend to stray from the path or get distracted, and we have to come back, turn towards God once again.
At the conclusion of the Selichot service, Jews have a week to begin their self-assessment before Rosh Hashanah. Although this holiday is a joyous one, it does mark the beginning of 10 days of introspection and repentance. On Rosh Hashanah the liturgy speaks of people “being written in the Book of Life.” If they sincerely repent for sins and rectify wrongs from the last year, on Yom Kippur their names are “sealed” in the Book. If they do not, their names are erased. While this language can be seen as a liturgical poetic image, it serves to remind Jews that what we do counts whether it is well known or whether it is secret. With our deeds, we write on the pages of our own Book of Life.
The Book of Life also provides a beautiful metaphor that reminds us we are fragile and don’t know whether we will survive the year or not. Should we not survive, it seems a good idea to atone before meeting God and facing whatever fate lies before us.
The stress on being written in the Book of Life also allows Jews to think about the fact that our fate is not sealed forever, that we have an active role in what the future may bring us. Judaism has a doctrine of fee will; thus, we not pawns that play out Divine Will. The Yom Kippur liturgy stresses this fact, repeating over and over again that repentance, prayer and just actions can avert the severity of the decree.
Change YOUR Channel!
We don’t often think of change as easy. It seems easier to stay the way we are and where we are. Yet, change is inevitable and often forced upon us. At this time of year, the Jewish tradition doesn’t force us to change but asks us to change. We are reminded of the necessity of change – change for the better.
We can see this as an obligation. We can see it as an opportunity.
Either way, the Jewish New Year offers us a chance – for some of us a second chance in addition to the secular New Year – to look at ourselves, our relationships and our lives and to set new goals, to create new priorities and to make amends for the wrongs we might have consciously or unconsciously, purposefully or accidentally committed over the past 12 months. This, too, can be difficult – to honestly look at ourselves and our deeds. If we are willing to do the work, however, the period from Selichot to Yom Kippur provides a chance for t’shuvah, to turn towards what we want in our selves, in our lives and in the world, to return to our best selves. It’s a time to write our life for the coming year, to envision the year as we would like it to be and ourselves as we would like to become. And then when we hear the shofar blown in those last moments of Yom Kippur, we know that change has descended upon us. Or, more accurately, we have brought change upon ourselves
Nina Amir, a writer, motivational speaker, workshop leader, and Kabbalistic conscious creation coach, teamed up with Karen Stone, a life and love coach, writer, speaker, and workshop leader to publish “Planting Seeds of Change…And Watching Them Grow.” They co-lead a 4-part Teleseminar Series based on their booklet. The next series begins on September 6th. To enroll, visit http://www.purespiritcreations.com.or call 408-353-1943 or 770-435-2030.
I have been doing a lot of thinking about changing my life and turning it back around. I have decided that after the holidays I am going to make three changes in my life. First, I am going to choose a charity project, then I will begin once more to get my house in order and I am going to return to better eating habits. Possibly, I may even throw some exercise (YUK!) in!!! I’m not making promises, but I am at least going to try to do these things. If I fail, well, maybe someone will GENTLY help me get back on track. I know I can’t go on living the way I have for the past three years.
So how does one change? First you have to have a self improvement plan and a system for your personal development and growth. Then you need to take consistent and continuous action. When you know in which direction you want to go, you will work on yourself, do all that you can and do your best. This is self help. And you will change and grow.
- Identify what is in your control to change.
- Identify your options.
- Create a support system.
- Examine your attitude.
- Remain flexible.
- Give yourself a break.
- Strive to achieve balance and perspective.
Remember, “You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself.”~ Jim Rohn Quotes
The above quote is a good one. If you think about that quote, it will make you remember that you can’t blame anyone for your life. You’ve made your choices, so you have to blame yourself. For example, you are really upset with your boyfriend today so YOU decide to splurge on a pint of ice cream, you cannot blame the “fall off the wagon” on him. It was YOUR decision to “fall off the wagon, not his. And ok, so you “fell off the wagon” today. Don’t punish yourself, just get back on that wagon and take it day-by-day. Soon your preferred behavior will become habit and you will make the changes that you want to make.
If you want to make lifestyle changes that last, you must be open to changing it up and not necessarily reusing the same tired plan of attack. Be open to new approaches and to the idea that you might not get to the finish line in the exact way you are currently imagining. In fact, it might even be easier and more fun than you are planning on.
A good example of changing a life style and making it last is when I tried to quit smoking. I had tried going cold turkey, I tried acupuncture and I tried cutting back. None of these methods worked for me. Then one day my Dad said that he would buy me a computer if I quit smoking within a month. My husband said he would sweeten the deal and buy the printer. I wanted that computer very badly! So my husband suggested that I use the filter method to quit smoking. I did and I had, as the directions suggested, a quitting partner. The bribery and the filters worked! To maintain the habit of NOT smoking, my Dad said that if I reverted to smoking, the computer would be his! To this day, I have been smoke free…that was almost 15 years ago now. Do I crave cigarettes still? Yes, but I remember how hard it was to give up the habit so I try not to think about it. Also, I’m still afraid someone will take my computer away, and I’m hooked on the computer habit! Good luck on whatever you choose to do to make a positive change this year! Let me know how you are doing, I’ll be very interested in hearing your stories, success stories, I hope!
Today’s sour cream cake recipe:
Cinnamon Crumb Cake
Cinnamon Crumb Cake
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If you like crumb topping as much as cake, this recipe’s for you. A thick layer of cinnamon-spiced crumb topping sits atop coffee cake that starts with a cake mix.
Makes 24 servings.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 cups flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons McCormick® Cinnamon, Ground
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into chunks
1 package (18 1/4 ounce) white cake mix
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, sugars and cinnamon in large bowl. Cut in cold butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
2. Beat cake mix, egg, sour cream, melted butter and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or just until mixed.
3. Spread evenly in greased and floured 13×9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle evenly with topping mixture.
4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cake pulls away from sides of pan.
Cool on wire rack. Cut into squares to serve.
Tips
To make a Blueberry Crumb Cake: Prepare topping and batter as directed. Spread batter in baking pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup blueberries, then the topping mixture. Bake 45 minutes.
NUTRITION INFORMATION – per serving
Calories: 265
Fat: 13 g
Carbohydrates: 34 g
Cholesterol: 41 mg
Sodium: 226 mg
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 3 g
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )YOM KIPPUR COUNTDOWN – DAY 5
The theme running through Yom Kippur that I like the best is remembering and honoring our ancestors. In our busy daily lives, we often don’t take the time to remember those we cherish who are no longer with us. We don’t take the time to remember those past generations that we might not have had a personal recollection of but who are a factor in who we are.
Yizkor-Remember
In Judaism, a memorial service, called Yizkor (meaning “remember”), is recited as part of the prayer service four times during the year. This is based on the Jewish belief in the eternity of the soul. Although a soul can no longer do good deeds after death, it can gain merit through the charity and good deeds of the living.[1] It is a proven fact that more people attend services on Yom Kippur Day than any other time of the year because Yizkor is said on Yom Kippur. In the synagogues, not only do we pick up a prayer book and a Chumash (Jewish scriptures are sometimes bound in a form that corresponds to the division into weekly readings (called parshiyot in Hebrew). Scriptures bound in this way are generally referred to as a Chumash.), but we also pick up a pamphlet that gives the names of the congregation’s deceased and a form to fill out for charity.
In many, if not all, the synagogues, you will find a large plaque with the names of deceased loved ones of the congregation and next to it will be a lit light bulb, and in our homes we light a Yahrzeit (memorial) candle or plug in one of the more modern Yahrzeit lamps that is left on from Erev Yom Kippur (the night before Yom Kippur Day) until we end our fast on Yom Kippur at sundown. We do this in honor of our beloved ancestors, especially for a parent, a grandparent or a child as we believe that the candle flame symbolizes the human soul. We only light one candle that includes everyone.
History is of the utmost importance in Judaism. Whereas the sacred texts of most ancient religions focus on myths and philosophical concepts, the Jewish Bible is centered on historical narrative; and most Jewish holidays are intended to connect modern Jews with their historical ancestors and traditions. We see this most acutely on Yom Kippur when we remember our own recent history.
We remember our ancestors during the year in others ways too. If there is a birth, the baby is named after a deceased relative. We do this because people believed that if they would not name their children after their ancestors, their heritage would be forgotten. Naming children for the grandparents (which is normal but a baby can be named for any deceased ancestor) fosters a sense of continuity and purpose.
At Passover we recall our ancestor’s Exodus from Egypt and their journey to the Promised land. As children we are told bible stories which tell the history of our people. Each time the Torah is read, we remember those of biblical times that came before us.
But the best way to remember and honor our ancestors is to practice charity in whatever way we are able to. We should strive to be the best person we can be so we can live up to their expectations of us. We may fail, but if we at least try, that is a mitzvah (a good deed).
So, this year, as you sit around the table at your break fast, tell family stories, remember and pass those stories down to the next generation and remind your own generation of stories that may link them to you whether you know it or not.
This year, I will take the time to remember my beloved father, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles who are no longer with us. I will remember my cousin, Roger, who died way too young, and I will remember my best friend, Beverly Clark. I will remember my friends Sam & Florence Vyner, Elaine Rubin, Sam Goldstein and Florence Epstein. I will remember those that died during the Holocaust at the hands of Adolph Hitler and the Nazi Party. I will remember those martyrs that died because they were Jewish. I will remember those who have fought to protect our freedom and our country in all the wars that we have been involved in. I will remember those who died on September 11, 2001. May they all rest in peace. Amen.
To help sweeten the remembrance of these special people, I offer you this sour cream cake recipe:
Sour Cream and Cherry Coffee Cake
Sour Cream & Cherry Coffee Cake
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1 – 18 oz package white cake mix
1 – 8 oz container sour cream
3 – eggs
1/4 – cup water
1 – 21 oz can Lucky Leaf cherry pie filling
1/4 – cup sliced almonds, optional
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a jelly-roll pan or 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
Mix together the sour cream, eggs and water. Combine with the cake mix. Spread mixture into a greased baking dish and drop the pie filling over the batter in spoonfuls. Make sure to swirl the pie filling throughout the batter. If not the pie filling will settle in the middle.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through. Test with toothpick for doneness. Cool in pan and drizzle with a simple icing if desired.
Simple Icing
1 ½ – cups powdered sugar
2 – tablespoons milk
½ – teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
Blend all the ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle over coffee cake and garnish with sliced almonds.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )
YOM KIPPUR COUNTDOWN – DAY 6
Remember!
Remembering our past is another theme of Yom Kippur. I don’t know about you, but I have trouble remembering what happened yesterday! Ok, so I shouldn’t make light of this. Yes, I can remember the past, but mostly in feelings about a specific event tied to that time, whether it is a year or a decade. But it’s not only years and/or decades etc. that we are asked to remember on Yom Kippur. We are commanded to remember the times we hurt someone or misspoke. We are commanded to remember the times that we created difficulties. The reason for our remembering these things is so we can truly repent because it is only after we remember our past acts that we know what it is we need to change. And by remembering what it is we are supposed to do, we can grow. Memory is what allows us to do teshuvah (repentance).
Remembering in the context of Yom Kippur also means remembering those times we were hurt by someone or we were someone’s victim. Without remembering these times, even though the feelings of those times may still hurt, we cannot practice forgiveness. Are we supposed to forgive a Hilter, an Idi Amin or an Osama Bin Laden? I don’t think so. Their crimes were too evil to even contemplate forgiveness on a human scale. Their crimes are against all of humanity and G-d, thus I think their forgiveness must come from G-d. But we should remember their crimes and evil and we must never let anyone forget them. To do so would be to forget our martyrs. That, to me, would be a sin!
Remember to share your memories!
Figure 1 Remembering Our Lives
Remembering our lives is very important and is probably one of the most important things we are to do in our lives. It most probably is what G-d intended the gift of memory to be. The High Holidays are a “time for remembering the all of our lives—where we have been in order to set the course for the future. This is a time for remembering your life, your own story. We have engaged much with stories over this past year, our own personal narratives and experiences. We shared them around tables, over food. And we did so with the goal of building connections among each other. That by sharing our stories we will come to understand that we all have stories to tell, that they are uniquely ours, that they are no more valid or correct than anyone else’s story, and that among our narratives there may be common themes or situations, challenges and emotions.”[1]
Some suggestions for remembering your life and for sharing those memories are:
- Keep a personal journal or diary.
- Make a regular or digital scrapbook.
- Write a book.
- Make a family tree.
If you don’t have someone to leave these gifts with, inquire at your local historical society, genealogy society and libraries to see if you can leave it to them for posterity. If you have more than one person who would like a copy, make photo copies for each person, but leave the original with someone. Encourage your children and grandchildren to start their own now so they will have a love of these arts and will remember their whole lives. As we say, “from generation-to-generation…”
Here is a beautiful poem about remembering that I came across on the Internet at Poemhunter.com.
Write things down to help you remember!
Remember This
By Kat Mercado
Remember where you came from.
Remember you name.
Remember where you have been.
Remember whom you have encountered.
Remember whom you have known,
Remember joyous moments.
Remember sorrows too.
Remember the choices you’ve chose,
Remember the mistakes you’ve made.
Remember all the lessons.
Remember the lessons you forgot.
Remember your Father.
Remember Mother.
Remember your Mentor.
Remember to remember.
Remember gratitude.
Remember to be humble.
Remember your heart.
Remember always to love.
Remember This
And now, today’s sour cream cake recipe!
Sour Cream Pumpkin Bundt Cake
SOUR CREAM PUMPKIN BUNDT CAKE
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A surprise filling of brown sugar streusel makes this pumpkin-flavored cake a special treat. Save a bit of icing for drizzling over each serving of this wonderful cake!
STREUSEL:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons butter
COMBINE brown sugar, cinnamon and allspice in small bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly.
CAKE:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 cup LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 container (8 oz.) sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan.
COMBINE flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Beat granulated sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin, sour cream and vanilla extract; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
TO ASSEMBLE: SPOON half of batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle Streusel over batter, not allowing Streusel to touch sides of pan. Top with remaining batter.
Make sure batter layer touches edges of pan.
BAKE for 55 to 60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes in pan on wire rack. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with Glaze.
GLAZE:
COMBINE 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar and 2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice or milk in small bowl; stir until smooth.
Estimated Times:
Preparation – 12 minutes; Cooking – 55 minutes.
Yields 12 to 16 servings.
[1] http://www.bethhatfiloh.org/sermons.html, Rabbi Seth Goldstein
YOM KIPPUR COUNTDOWN – DAY 7
A theme that is central to Yom Kippur is forgiveness. I think this is one of the most difficult themes we have to deal with throughout the High Holidays as well as throughout our lives. “Forgiveness” is defined as :
1. The act of forgiving or the state of being forgiven[1]
2. willingness to forgive[2]
A Mothers Kisses by Jared Kendall
A Mother’s Kisses by Jared Kendall
(God) pardons like a mother who kisses away the repentant tears of her child —Henry Ward Beecher
“The overarching theme of Yom Kippur is repentance. During the holiday all thoughts are supposed to be centered on this theme. From Kol Nidrei to the repeated Viddui to Neilah, the day revolves around the theme of communal repentance for sins committed during the past year, in order that both the community and the individual be inscribed in the Book of Life for the coming year.”[3]
“There are two distinct relationships in Judaism: person to person and person to God. To atone for deeds committed against another person, Jewish tradition teaches, you must confront that person directly and apologize. Yom Kippur will address the impact that deed had on your relationship with God, but without the personal apology, the deed remains uncorrected. This element of the day often leads to difficult self-assessments and personal accountability for the choices made in the previous year.”[4]
I find it very easy to ask G-d for forgiveness, but I am not sure he forgives me or not. Some years I really wonder. I also am not confident at this point that I know how to truly ask him or anyone else for forgiveness and I’m not sure I know how to be truly repentant. I wonder if it is the same feeling for the criminal who wants to repent his crime. Perhaps he/she is truly wishing to repent but does not know how. What does that person do and how does he/she approach G-d for forgiveness?
We are taught by the Rabbis that repentance is the prerequisite of atonement. So, without repentance there is no forgiveness, but we are given chance upon chance upon chance to repent. Every day we can repent, not only during the High Holy Days, and not only during Yom Kippur.
“Rabbinic Jewish literature contains extensive discussions on the subject of repentance. Many rabbinic sources state that repentance is of paramount importance to the existence of this world, so that it was one of the seven provisions which G-d made before the Creation (Talmud Bavli, tractates Pesahim 54a; Nedarim 39b; Midrash Genesis Rabbah 1).”[5]
It is too bad that repentance doesn’t work with countries. Perhaps, if it did, there would be fewer wars. But, countries are made out of people, and it seems that the people in charge don’t want to repent or don’t think they need to repent. Perhaps if they really cared and if they really understood the 10 Commandments and their religion’s version of the Bible, there wouldn’t be so many wars. Taken on a purely personal basis, perhaps there would be fewer divorces and torn apart families. And perhaps neighborhoods would be safer places to live in.
In Order To Repent You Need To Turn Your Behavior Around!
G-d saw the importance of forgiveness so why can’t we practice it more? I know it hurts to admit to being wrong. I know we would like to think of ourselves as perfection. I know that it can be humiliating to ask for forgiveness. But we need to try. We need to focus on our actions not just on the words, “I am sorry.” The core of a true apology is the recognition of injury or wrong-doing, and a genuine expression of repentance for it. You have to recognize and admit the wrong-doing; and you have to be genuinely sorry. Let go of the wrongs, let go of the engrained patterns — forgive and be forgiven.
I have an idea. Try to truly forgive one person this year. That is a good starting place. Then next year try to ask forgiveness from someone you have wronged. To start off, I ask anyone whom I have offended in any way during the past 64 years of my life to please forgive me. I will try harder this year to be a better person. So, here, publicly, I forgive Bonnie Stoler, a girl who I went to grammar school with who was not very nice to me. I am finally going to let go of my grudge against her. Please, Bonnie, if you are reading this, and I hope you are, I forgive you.
To help sweeten my apology, I am offering this recipe:
Bananas Yummmm!
Banana-Sour Cream Coffee Cake
=============================
Yield: 1 (10-inch) coffee cake
Ingredients
1-1/4 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed banana
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Stir together 1/4 cup sugar, pecans, and cinnamon; sprinkle half of mixture in a well-greased 12-cup Bundt pan. Set remaining mixture aside.
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy;
gradually add remaining 1 cup sugar, beating 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears.
Add banana, sour cream, and vanilla, beating at low speed just until blended.
Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; fold into butter mixture.
Pour half of batter into prepared pan; sprinkle with remaining pecan mixture. Top with remaining batter. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan, and cool on wire rack.
Source: Mrs. H.W. Walker, Richmond, Virginia, Southern Living OCTOBER 1997
[2] Ibid.
[4] Op Cit. http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Yom_Kippur/Themes_and_Theology.shtml
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repentance#In_the_Hebrew_Bible
YOM KIPPUR COUNTDOWN – DAY 8
YOM KIPPUR COUNTDOWN – DAY 8
Reflections
Figure 1 Winter Reflections by Josephine Wall
I hope everyone had a wonderful Rosh Hashanah! In reflecting on Yom Kippur I know it has always been the least favorite of my holidays. Why? Because I had to fast and I had to go to shul for a whole day and be bored and not at all where I wanted to be. My mind always wandered during services and until I was an adult I fled at sermon time. It wasn’t until Rabbi Shamai Kanter of Temple Beth El in Rochester, New York entered my life (I credit him with bringing me back to Judaism and giving me the knowledge that not all Rabbis are bad.) that I really listened to a sermon. But I had respect for him (and I had none for most of the Rabbis I had come into contact with in my lifetime). The first time I heard his sermon for Yom Kippur I couldn’t believe how cool this Rabbi was. He made me listen because his sermons always featured a movie he had seen. So year to year I would wonder what movie he would talk about this year and how would he tailor it to his theme. He never disappointed me! But, I mostly looked forward to going home, having a cigarette or two or lots more, and taking a nap before I would break my fast at 4:00 p.m. I would not fast any longer than that. And then, at 4:00 p.m. the holiday really began for me as I set up the trays and serving dishes with holiday delights so that my parents and their friends could have a pleasant break fast. I was very sad when my Mom decided that it wasn’t worth doing because no one every reciprocated and money was tight in our household. A few years later we would go over to the house of one of my parents new friends and join her wonderful break fasts.
When I got to college, I hosted my own break fasts if I couldn’t get home for the holidays. I was often the only Jew there, but I wanted to share my holidays with my friends. I continued this tradition when I got married. We would have a house-full of friends and family members and the attendees were 50% Jewish and & 50% Jewish. I would set out lots of goodies and everyone ate well. So, in remembering the pleasure I got from feeding everyone after fasting for however long they did, I don’t think I really minded Yom Kippur.
One of the themes of Yom Kippur is self-reflection. According to Wikipedia,
“Human self-reflection is the capacity of humans to exercise introspection and the willingness to learn more about their fundamental nature, purpose and essence. The earliest historical records demonstrate the great interest which humanity has had in itself. Human self-reflection invariably leads to inquiry into the human condition and the essence of humankind as a whole.”
I think that by keeping this blog, I do open myself to self-reflection. I try to be honest with myself and you, my readers. Therefore I sometimes open my eyes to things about myself I never really thought about or realized before. But, I didn’t realize that that was the role of Yom Kippur in the life of a Jew. I just assumed that it was all about self-denial and asking G-d to forgive us (as in me) for who knows what sins. Oh yes, I could enumerate on my sins while I was in temple. I could name them and ask forgiveness for them. But, they were not the deeper, most important truths and sins. I don’t think I ever really understood that it was only the sins against G-d that I was supposed to be asking for and via that mechanism, I might find a way to ask for forgiveness from fellow human beings whom I had wronged in one-way-or-another. It is very hard to ask for forgiveness, but we’ll cover that in another post. Now, as I am reading more, I am looking at Yom Kippur’s self-reflection in a different manner. I am looking at it as a journey to G-d and to me. I am going to begin a private journal for that purpose and I am going to look for just one way to make a difference in the world. Just one. If I can find that one thing, it is a start. I have decided that the one thing I will do this year is to do a volunteer project. I haven’t decided upon one yet, but this is something I just decided, so between now and the end of Yom Kippur, I will make a decision. I am not going to promise G-d this, just in case I fail in carrying this task out. I will not make a deal with G-d that “if you forgive me, I will do this,” as I don’t want to make light of his more important works. So, I will keep you abreast of my quest .
Now, for the big reveal of how I will commemorate this countdown, I have decided to include a sour cream cake recipe for each day of the Yom Kippur countdown and thought I would start the countdown recipes with this easy to make sour cream cake recipe:
We have the pan ready, now we need to pour the batter into it...
Sour Cream Bundt Cake
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Submitted By: Sue Smith
Servings: 12
“This recipe is great for both yellow and chocolate flavored cakes! It makes a Light, fluffy, and SERIOUSLY moist cake.”
INGREDIENTS:
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1/8 cup confectioners’ sugar for dusting
DIRECTIONS:
Make the batter following the directions on the box, EXCEPT replace 2 teaspoons water with an equal amount of vanilla. Fold in sour cream.
Bake according to directions given for baking a Bundt cake. Cool on
rack, place on serving plate, and dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Nutrition Information Servings Per Recipe: 12
Calories: 234 Amount Per Serving Total Fat: 9g Cholesterol: 9mg Sodium: 293mg Amount Per Serving Total Carbs: 35.8g Dietary Fiber: 0.5g Protein: 2.5g
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