Crockpot French Toast

I am always looking for breakfast ideas for Sabbath mornings.  Bagels are delicious for breakfast but sometimes I'd like to serve something hot on Sabbath mornings and especially on cold Sabbath mornings.  I just found a recipe I will try this Sabbath and it sounds great.  It is a French Toast made in the crockpot with leftover Challah.  Since I am serving corn bread with my dinner this Erev Shabbat, there will be most of a loaf of Challah leftover after we do the Ha Motzi so this works out perfect this weekend.  I found the recipe at BHG and have included it on the Recipes page.

The recipe lists a product I've never used before but look forward to trying.  It is called "Plastic Slow Cooker Liners" and Reynolds makes them.  You place the liner in the slow cooker and the food cooks inside the liner.  Afterwards you can just toss it in the trash and you have a clean slow cooker.  Perfect idea to use these on Sabbath and have one less pot to clean afterwards.  I cooked oatmeal in my slow cooker one evening and it was delicious but it was so difficult to clean afterwards.  I wish I would have known about these liners then.

Friday night plans

Well, another Sabbath is almost upon us and I am really looking forward to some personal bible study.  I recently discovered a bereans website that has some fantastic bible studies to download.  I have been searching for quite a while for some sort of meaty bible study complete with worksheets, discussion, and outlines.  So I was so excited to find this resource.  These scripture studies are just the sort of thing I love to do on Shabbat mornings.  The study I am currently working on has to do with faith in action and explores different Hebrew words depicting faith actions. 

I'm not sure I'm going to have as much time for elaborate meal preparations tomorrow as I usually have because I am trying to finish the 2nd of those teddy bear rag quilts I am making for my expecting daughter and daughters-in-law.  I broke three sewing machine needles last week-end and have had to wait all week to have time to finish it.  The baby shower is Saturday night so I am anxious to put the last few stitches in and get it scratched off my to-do list.

So I am going back to a hearty one pot meal for this Sabbath's dinner and have decided to make a rich beef stew with potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, parsnips and turnips.  Homemade french bread will allow liberal dipping and dunking and then a quick box mix chocolate cake for dessert.  I occasionally use boxed cake mixes but always make my own frosting and will top tomorrow's cake with cream cheese buttercream frosting.  This meal sounds like it will be delicious and satisfying even though it will not be too labor intensive. 

The busyness of Sabbath preparations seems to heighten my anticipation of the Sabbath rest beginning Friday night.  I grow weary from my workload as the day draws to a close and the promised rest motivates me to keep going and finish everything needing to be cleaned, polished, boiled, or sliced.  I always manage to save about 45 minutes to shower and read the Psalms before we gather at the table to light the candles.  As the candles are lit and the blessing is sung, I feel my body relax and welcome the blessed Sabbath along with my spirit and soul.  I love the fact that the L-rd has given us 52 weekly holidays to spend with Him in addition to the feast days.  The L-rd gave us life, instructed us in how to live this life, and has given us opportunities to enjoy and rejoice in this life - not just exist.  What a great G-d we serve.  His commandments are not burdensome but are joyful and full of blessings.

I hope your Sabbath preparations go smoothly and that you allow your spirit, soul, and body to rejoice in the G-d of your salvation.

L'Chayim

Inspiration and Preparation

Doesn't this look good? - the color of the sauce and the chicken just screams flavor!  This is supposed to be the final product of a recipe I snagged from an internet search for crockpot lemon chicken recipes.  I hope mine comes out looking this good.  The recipe calls for prepping a whole chicken for the crockpot which I'd like to try but am afraid one chicken may not be enough for my guests tomorrow night.  So I am going to follow the recipe as much as possible but will cut up two chickens.  I'm serving this with a Brown Rice and Barley Pilaf I will make up as I go.  I love doing pilafs - the ingredients depend on what's on hand in the fridge.

Will also prepare a salad with croutons and ranch dressing.  I found a great recipe for the croutons and dressing at the Food Network and it was so good when I made it last week I've been wanting it again.  If you decide to try this, my advice would be to reduce the garlic in the dressing.  It calls for 5 cloves but it was way too hot.  I think 1 large clove is probably enough.  And I omitted the cayenne pepper.  Would have liked it myself but no one else would have....Here's the recipe link: 

So my dinner this week was inspired by this picture but also by the fact that I need to try and cook from my pantry this week - no big grocery store trips for this meal plan this week.  I have the whole gang coming for Shavuot this week-end and even with everyone bringing a few things, the expense is enough that I wanted to be extra frugal for the Sabbath meal.

In thinking about my Sabbath plans this week I also began thinking about my spiritual plans for Shavuot.  The omer counting is supposed to prepare our hearts spiritually as we anticipate the approaching feast day but every year I start out with a bang and end up in a scramble to prepare my heart just before the count ends.  This year is no different.    I'm not really happy with myself right now - very disappointed actually.  But I have hope that as I delve into the Word I will find the inspiration I need to prepare my heart before my L-rd.  His Word never fails to inspire me and motivate me to come clean before Him and to seek His will once again.  Sanctification is a process and G-d has set up His feast days to get our attention as we veer off the path.  His ultimate purpose is to draw us close to Him (korban) through the sacrifice and covering of Yeshua so that we will be ready when He calls us home.  My salvation prayer when I was six years old was that G-d would never forsake me and would do whatever it took for me to make it to heaven.  I am so glad He pursues us relentlessly. 

When I feel so disappointed in my failures and shame overwhelms me over my sins, I have only to read the wilderness journey and the frequent failings of my ancestors to be reminded that G-d's faithfulness never fails and His mercies are new every morning.  I also remember David and his huge failures but also the beautiful prayers he left for us from psalms like Psalm 51 - take not thy Holy Spirit from me and restore unto me the joy of my salvation.....David's sins were ever before him also but he leaned on His G-d to preserve his life (vs 3). 

So if you are looking for inspiration for Shavuot preparation, you need look no further than your Scriptures.  It is true that G-d is only a prayer away.

Old Favorites

This Erev Shabbat I've planned a menu of old favorite recipes instead of digging through new ones.  Not sure what led me to plan this Sabbath's meal this way but I know that each week an inspiration will hit me and I'll go with it.  My sons and their wives will be joining us and banana pudding is their all time favorite dessert.  It's one of those desserts that no matter how big a pan I make, there will be no leftovers. 

For the main meal I've planned Chicken Stew with Lemon and Rosemary over Poppy Egg Noodles and Romaine Salad with Croutons and homemade ranch dressing.  My 14 month old grandson loves tomatoes and ranch dressing so this salad was created with him in mind.  I'm really looking forward to preparing this meal for my family and watching them devour it with pleasure.  There is no better way to see the Sabbath in than this.

I found a recipe from Pioneer Woman for a Cinnamon Toast flavored French Toast casserole that can be made ahead which I think will be perfect for a Sabbath morning's breakfast and carry on my theme of comforting and familiar.  It takes 8 eggs so I hope my chickens are good to me this week.  My Buff Cochen hatched 4 baby chicks and for some reason the other chickens slowed down their egg production around the same time.  I'll have to hoard them this week to be sure I have enough eggs for the week-end.

Have a great time preparing your family's Erev Shabbat meal this week and enjoy the weekly holiday G-d has provided for you.

Shabbat Shalom

Beef Stew for my Man

I celebrated my birthday this past week-end and my husband and family made it such an enjoyable time I didn't even mind that I was one year older.  Well, this week, my husband and I will be alone for Sabbath - no kids or grandchildren so I thought I would show my appreciation to my husband and make a meal I know he will love.  He is a meat eater and loves beef stew.  I recently came across several beef stew recipes with Guiness beer as an ingredient.  My husband loves dark beer and especially Guinesss so I thought it appropriate.  The recipe I am using comes from Tasty Kitchen and is called "Beef and Guiness Stew" and the reason I selected this version was the diversity of the ingredients.  It has all of the standard beef stew ingreds with the addition of turnips, rutabaga, parsnips and barley.  I chose this recipe also because I wanted to try browning the meat the way they suggest - coating it with oil then a seasonsed flour mixture.  I've been wanting beef stew myself so am anxious to try this out. 

My husband has also been wanting sourdough bread and I think this menu is the perfect meal to serve it.  When I want a new bread recipe I always go to King Arthur Flour's website first and so I came across a great recipe for Rustic Sourdough Bread.  Check out the blog with detailed step-by-step instructions for recreating this bread.

Unleavened Bread - Corn Tortillas

I want to make a enchilada casserole this Erev Shabbat and thought about layering the ingredients with matzoh which I still may do but I may just go ahead and follow the recipe as is using corn tortillas.  Corn tortillas are not leavened but I am sure many would frown on this because they probably do not follow the widely accepted "kosher for Passover" rule to bake the unleavened bread within 18 seconds of mixing the dough.  I'm not sure I totally agree with that though I certainly understand the premise for it as there are yeast spores in the air.

I'm not sure how the recipe would come out using store-bought matzoh but may try it to find out.  I have seen lasagne recipes made this way and have noticed that the cooks soak the matzohs in liquid first.  I'm not sure I understand this - the sauces used in the casserole would certainly soak in and soften the matzoh so why pre-soak as well? Seems like they'd lose their form completely.

Anyway, I am serving my Enchilada casserole with Pico de Gallo and for dessert I was thinking of Sweet Plantains in caramel rum sauce with vanilla ice cream.  I am also planning to marinate some boneless chicken thighs in a yogurt mixture so that Saturday night I can make schwarma.  This is a great recipe developed by Guy Fieri and is absolutely fabulous.  Saturday night I will also make homemade matzoh to serve with the schwarma. 

If you are interested here are the recipe links:
Fabulous Schwarma
White Chicken Enchiladas

The weather is so gorgeous I want to get myself out of the kitchen as much as possible Friday so I can play in the dirt.  I love to grow herbs and I'm so anxious to get my spring herbs in the ground.  Found a luscious basil plant at Home Depot with leaves about 3 inches long.  This year I am going to try growing my dill in a container and see if I can get it to do well this way.  My amaryllis are on their way to gorgeous blooms and I'm so excited by the profusion of buds about to open.  My husband, who says he hates bulbs, admits that they are lovely.  And finally a dear friend gave me a 4 foot high English Dogwood that she separated from the mother plant - I'm so hoping it takes root and provides me with lots of blooms in the years to come.  Maybe it will even send off shoots and I can spread the love with other friends.

So Happy Spring -  life is blooming.

Shabbat HaGadol

This is the Sabbath before Passover. This is to remember the 10th of Nisan which originally would have been a 7th day Sabbath according to documents I’ve read. I haven’t researched this extensively but according to chabad.org the Sabbath before Passover has been called The Great Shabbat to remember the 10th of Nisan when the Israelites were commanded to select a one-year old lamb and keep it in their home for four days before sacrificing it for Passover. Of course on that eventful 1st Passover, the lamb’s blood was applied to the doorposts so that the death angel would Pass Over the homes and spare the first born son. So even though today is not the 10th of Nisan, it is a good time to mark the remembrance of that day and recall what our Passover Lamb did for us. Today I plan to read the gospels and recall what Yeshua would have been doing this 10th day of Nisan and meditate on that while I prepare my Shabbat HaGadol meal.


Today I am fixing my second favorite Shabbat dinner – Matzoh Ball Soup, Roast Chicken, Rice Pilaf, and Israeli Salad. Had a spice cake mix in the pantry I need to get rid of before Passover so decided to make Pineapple Upside Down Cake for dessert. I use Ina Garten’s recipe for Roast Chicken and stuff the cavity with Lemon halves, fresh thyme, and a whole bulb of garlic. It is simply prepared by washing and drying well then salting good with kosher salt. I truss it before roasting and it always comes out perfect which is good as she calls the recipe, “Perfect Roast Chicken.” For the Rice Pilaf, I generally add carrots, mushrooms, onions, parsley, etc. This week the leek’s were absolutely beautiful so I am adding a healthy amount of chopped leeks. I reserved some of my chicken broth from my soup to add to my pilaf which always ensures the pilaf will be moist and fluffy. Israeli Salad is always a hit in my house no matter what I serve with it or what meal I serve it with – we even eat it for breakfast. I make it several different ways but today I am making a traditional version with cucumbers, tomatoes, and parsley.


For Passover week I am making an Olive Israeli Salad my husband and I love to eat with matzoh. I only make this version for Passover so it gives us something to look forward to. I use a variety of olives and usually have to make it every other day throughout the week because we just can’t get enough.

Our G-d is a G-d of remembrance and we can thank the Jewish people for remembering and preserving our heritage, our Torah, and G-d’s commandments over the centuries in spite of constant obstacles and aggression. This Passover, let us not lose hope – let us persevere in spite of our current world events and personal tragedies. Romans 5:2 states, “we exult in the hope of the glory of G-d” and verse 5 says that “hope does not disappoint because the love of G-d has been poured out within our hearts through the Ruach HaChodesh.” Finally, Revelations 12:11 says that we overcome [HaSatan] “because of the blood of the lamb, because of the word of our testimony, and because we love not our life even unto death.”

Hope is a powerful thing – it can keep us going when everything we see and touch says there is no hope. But somehow that hope cannot be taken away – I believe it is what allowed many to survive the Holocaust and to endure impossible physical limitations. The nazi’s stripped their victims of seemingly everything there was to take including human dignity – but the one thing they could not take was hope – a hope in a living G-d. A hope that He will deliver us once again.

Celebrate your deliverance today – past deliverance and future deliverance.


Chag Sameach!

March 3, 2010
Sabbath preparations actually go on all week if you consider the thoughts and plans for the menu and guest list. I usually begin thinking about Sabbath plans on Tuesday at least. Even though my children have homes and families of their own at least one of them will come for Sabbath but getting them to let me in on their plans before Friday afternoon is a work in progress.


I spend considerable time planning the menu but as I love to cook and try new recipes this is a joy and something I always look forward to doing. I usually tuck a few ideas away early in the week and anxiously wait for the supermarket to post their new sale ads so I can make my final decisions.

I work full time at a local college and I'm fortunate and blessed to have Friday off after working four 10 hour days. Therefore, Friday's are usually busy catching up on my housework in addition to cooking and cleaning for Sabbath. For Friday nights supper, I especially like one pot meals because I am not left with lots of dirty pots as we go into Sabbath.

At any rate, I plan my menu not only for Friday nights dinner but also Sabbath lunch on Saturday. In those plans I make sure I have ingredients for something quick and fun for Saturday evening's meal that can be made after Havdallah.

I'll be posting some of my recipes, menu ideas, and tips for Sabbath and other Holy days. I'm always on the lookout for sites with this kind of information so thought I would share my own experiences.