| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| KatyDid |
Posted - Mar 15 2013 : 2:20:40 PM
Hi Everyone!
My husband's family is Jewish. We don't tend to get together terribly often as a family, because one of DH's brothers lives in NJ with his family, and another lives in MA near their mother. My MIL is not a big cook, and last year she was living in an apartment. Anyway, last year I had a spur-of-the-moment idea, and thought it would be nice to have a family dinner/Seder at our house (especially since we are really the only ones with a dining room that can accommodate his whole family!).
Now, I am no expert on Passover proceedings, so tried to keep it relatively casual by making it a potluck, not trying to structure it too much, but I did reserve some readings to try and get a sense for how everything should flow during a Seder. And luckily his family has a sense of humor and were fine with the "flexible" arrangements! His mother brought the Seder plate and some readings, which we all took turns reading at different points. My brother-in-law's family brought salad, and my parents brought lots of wine! It was so fun.
So this year, I thought I'd offer to host a second annual Passover dinner, again doing potluck. I have mailed out invitations with dish requests (basic stuff like the salad, dessert, wine; and MIL has been asked for the Seder plate again).
I would love to hear your suggestions of other dishes to serve. Last year we got some books from the library and made great versions of matzoh ball soup (low-fat and popular!), a pumpkin kugel, tsimmes, and I must have made some other main dish - I forget what it was!
I am not sure whether the NJ branch will be coming, and if so, they will be bringing our 5 year-old nephew. I am not sure whether he has ever done a Seder...any suggestions for Passover-related activities that kids would enjoy? (My niece would also be coming - she is not yet two years old.)
Thanks!!!
Farmgirl Sister #4527
You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.
- Mae West |
| 5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| KatyDid |
Posted - Mar 17 2013 : 2:25:35 PM
Mmm, that sounds, good, Mara! I'll have to see about the dessert - I was hoping the NJ contingent could bring some, but if they're not able to visit I'll have to incorporate that into the menu, too.
Farmgirl Sister #4527
You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.
- Mae West |
| Rosemary |
Posted - Mar 16 2013 : 8:50:18 PM
How about a nice brisket? Use red wine, olive oil, herbs and honey as an overnight marinade, then roast. The drippings make a terrific gravy. Potato latkes would be great, and baked springtime veggies like asparagus, sugar snaps, maybe a salad. Even though this is a casual seder, you want to try to observe the most basic kosher laws -- no dairy with meat dishes, separate meat/dairy courses and so on. Or just leave dairy out entirely and let the good times roll :) I love blini for dessert. You can have a choice of fillings and sauces, even make them ahead of time. Some people think they're too heavy, but everybody seems to like sherbet. |
| KatyDid |
Posted - Mar 16 2013 : 2:55:31 PM
Thanks, Tracy! Yes, last year we hid the Afikomen and did a hunt between the main meal and dessert :) I'll have to look into the printable activities and coloring!
Farmgirl Sister #4527
You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.
- Mae West |
| Evening Breeze |
Posted - Mar 15 2013 : 10:19:57 PM
My children love finding the Afikomen and taking turns asking the questions during the Seder. There are a lot of printable coloring and puzzle pages that are easy to find as well with a Google search. While the traditional Seder is quite long, the whole purpose of it is to teach the children about our heritage. My two youngest are 5 and 6. We do use some nicer dishes but still keep everything quite casual so that when the juice spills or the bitter herbs get spit back out ( ;-) it's not a big deal. We also make our own matza and the kids love being involved in that too. Your menu sounds great already. I always do roast chicken as well. |
| Evening Breeze |
Posted - Mar 15 2013 : 8:54:22 PM
My children love finding the Afikomen and taking turns asking the questions during the Seder. There are a lot of printable coloring and puzzle pages that are easy to find as well with a Google search. While the traditional Seder is quite long, the whole purpose of it is to teach the children about our heritage. My two youngest are 5 and 6. We do use some nicer dishes but still keep everything quite casual so that when the juice spills or the bitter herbs get spit back out ( ;-) it's not a big deal. We also make our own matza and the kids love being involved in that too. Your menu sounds great already. I always do roast chicken as well. |
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