Games with Jewish content

Hi, there. I've been thinking about having our families visit for Thanksgiving and how good to have things to do other than shopping and cooking. (Yeah, I know that some people would offer football, but the Eagles aren't playing, so I'm not interested.) Also, while movies are OK, there's no real interaction - plus we have a problem with one member of my family who I won't name who tends to recommend movies that no one else likes.

So what to do? There are two games we really enjoy, both of which are suitable for various sized groups and very amusing. One is Fluxx by Looney Labs. There are a number of versions, but the basic or family versions are simple. (Perhaps wait to bring out the Monty Python version until late in the evening!) It's a card game for 2-6 players, age 8+. The idea of the game is that the rules are constantly changing (i.e., in fluxx). What's Jewish about it? There's actually a 7-card Jewish booster set that includes cards for Torah and Hebrew Knowledge. Toss that in with one of the basic decks and it makes it just a little bit more special. It's sold directly by the manufacturer and at local game stores.

The other game with Jewish content is Apples to Apples. It's another card game for 4-10 players. You're dealt cards and the goal is to offer the card that the judge for the round would say is most like her card. The basic version is advertised as 12 years+ and there is a junior version for 9 years+. There are both Jewish and junior Jewish versions. There is a Yiddish version, too, but we don't have enough folks to enjoy that at our holidays. The games are sold at online retailers and many JCC/synagogue gift shops may stock them, too.

Both of these games are easy to learn and we've gotten lots of non-gamers involved. Pick them up soon and learn the rules so that you can explain them to your families. (Fluxx is very portable and even if you are traveling, you can play. We have played in an airport, using our luggage as a table.)

I'll keep an eye out for other Thanksgiving weekend activities, too!

Simchat Torah celebrations

Are you looking for a Simchat Torah celebration but aren't affiliated with a synagogue? Well, of course most would be glad to have you join them regardless. However, there's a novel celebration downtown at the Sixth & I Synagogue. On Saturday night at 8 pm, there will be dancing in the streets! You must RSVP for the event, but everyone is welcome.

Amazing apple cake recipe

Here's an apple cake recipe that my aunt has made me promise never to take home to a family gathering. She's claimed it forever. I am only to make it south of the Mason-Dixon line for people who have never met her. (Much of my family is in Pennsylvania.)

Batter:
3 c flour
4 eggs
1 c oil
2 c sugar
1/4 c orange juice
2.5 t vanilla
1 t salt
2.5 t baking powder
Mix together until blended.

Apple mixture:
6-7 peeled and sliced apples
2 T cinnamon
2 T sugar
Mix together.

Alternate adding batter and apples in a greased tube pan.
Bake at 350 F for 1.5 hours.

Enjoy!

Sukkot without your own sukkah

Not all of us have a suitable location for a sukkah, and there's only so much we can do about it. There are pop-up sukkah kits that you can re-use from year to year, though, as long as you add s'chach (the greens covering the ceiling). However, even without a kosher sukkah, there's no reason you can impart the spirit of the holiday to your family.

Eat a meal outside, even if it's a bit chilly.
Eat a variety of seasonal vegetables.
Serve lemon desserts to honor the etrog. (This idea is from a Jewish Journal article.)
Talk about what it would be like to be on the move all the time. (Maybe you can talk about homelessness and send a donation to a local shelter, food bank, or advocacy group.)

There are also a number of community sukkah events, including one at the JCCNV on October 6th. Local synagogues and Chabad houses are almost all hosting events, also. There are several sukkah "hops." If you've never been to one, consider it - it's really neat to see how differently people decorate their sukkot!

Apples for the New Year

I hope your New Year has been going well. I'm practically detoxed from caffeine and ready to take on Yom Kippur.

One of our favorite things to do in the fall is to pick our own apples. There is a great web site with a list of orchards in Virginia. The fall apple season is happening right now and it would be great to have hand-picked apples adorning your holiday table. Many of the orchards also sell honey. (This is where I tend to buy mine for honey cake - so much better than anything in plastic at the grocery store.) Seeing the pre-picked bushels of apples also helps reinforce the feeling of a plentiful harvest that we talk about during Sukkot.

We always wind up with more apples than we planned and have a handful of easy recipes (including some that are pareve so you can easily serve them at a meat meal). I'll post a few of them soon.

a crafty mitzvah

Today is the last day to register for Beads that Bind, a project this coming Sunday that will be held at the JCC in Rockville and at Gesher Jewish Day School in Fairfax. Beaded projects created by volunteers will be donated to Dominica Orphanage. Bring your older kids, too, and do something crafty for tzedakah. You can register online.

fall harvest and gardening

As we begin to think about the Holidays, I have been thinking about vegetables - not only because of all the wonderful recipes that we'll pull out in the very near future (more about that another time), but also because of the fall bounty that we think of with Sukkot. One of the things we like to do is visit local Farmers Markets and the season for the outdoor markets is coming to a close sooner than you think. It's an opportunity to buy local and fresh and feel better about what you're buying. It's also a reminder to our kids that real people grow food and it doesn't magically appear in the supermarket. More than one of the Jewish parenting books I have read suggest that raising a garden with your child(ren) is a fantastic idea. In lieu of that, at least visit a Farmers Market together! Of course, winter indoor markets are great, too, but they don't have the same magic of the warmer months, in my opinion.

I am proud to say that we planted a few veggies this year and my son happily helped us pick a monster zucchini, several bell peppers, and lovely tomatoes. Now if I could only get him to eat those particular things... But he helped water and was as excited about the yield as we were. In fact, when we had some contractors here to paint the house, he even showed them the peppers! We already have grandiose ideas about what we will plant next year. If you want to think about planting for next year to have foods for traditional meals and recipes, there's a book by Michael P. Brown (The Jewish Gardening Cookbook: Growing Plants and Cooking for Holidays and Festivals) that might be of interest. Not all the ideas are perfect for our climate, but it could motivate you to get out there and prepare your garden beds for the winter.