upsherin menu | Imamother

Squash

Sat, May 03 2008, 10:37 pm

not sure where to put this.

I am iyH making an upsherin in july.

I want to make a simple affair. dairy. maybe have 2-3 hot dishes and some cheese cake, drinks, pekelach. it's not gonna be fancy by any stretch.

will you please share menu ideas with me? stuff that can be made in advance. this'll take place in the country about two weeks after we get there iyH and I want to bring everything up all prepared and just reheat it.

thanks.

yo'ma

Sat, May 03 2008, 10:42 pm

lasgna or a macaroni and cheese
blintzes, knishes (unless too much of a potchka)
salads (I find lettuce ones are usually the biggest hit)
fried fish
small/regular tuna and egg sandwiches

When I made the last upsherin, I made tuna and egg sanwiches in a small roll with a toothpick and olive stuck in it, potato empandas, fruit and veg. platters with some chips and stuff and candy and a cake. Someone brought sandwiches (I didn't know they were going to).

imokay

Sat, May 03 2008, 10:48 pm

I don't know if u specifically want hot dishes, or if this is practical in the country, but u can do bagels with assortment of spreads, fish platters, tuna fish, egg salad, vegetable salads, pasta salads, etc. (this way no cooking on your part- e/t comes prepared)

(this was part of my original menu b/4 my breakfast themed upsherin had to be rescheduled to the evening... )

and mazal tov :-)

sbs

Sun, May 04 2008, 1:34 pm

all kinds of pastas can be frozen and reheated, I.e. lasagna, baked ziti, fettucini alfredo.
quiches also freeze great, mushroom and cheese, brocolli and cheese or blintze quiche.
puff pastry dough potato knishes, or cheese bourekas can be frozen raw and then defrosted completely before baking.
cheese cakes freeze great.
the only thing needed to make fresh is salad, and I made also tuna, avocado, and cheese wraps (each separately) with lettuce, tomato, onion, and cut them into small pieces.
I also had some people who wouldn't eat pasta so I made a few pieces of fish, teriyaki salmon takes 2 minutes to prepare or dagim sell bags of breaded tilapia, and I sprayed it with cooking spray and baked in the oven.
mazal tov, and good luck!

chaylizi

Sun, May 04 2008, 1:39 pm

little sandwich platters with toothpicks. or platters with put it together yourself- bagels, cream cheese, lox, spreads, veggies. cake, cookies & drinks. maybe fruit. july is hot for hot dishes.

justanothermother

Sun, May 04 2008, 2:53 pm

I did a very simple menu for DS's upsherin.

Hot dishes:
Lasagne
Mini bagel pizzas (store bought-fave with kids)
Puff pastry knishes (cut in small squares, drop of filling, pinch corners together)

Cold dishes:
home made mini challas (lots of compliments but also lots of leftovers)
bagels
asst rolls

cream cheese (with minced veggies inside)
tuna
egg salad

taco salad
caesar salad
cut up veggies and dip

The biggest hit was my wraps. I took 3 colors of wraps and filled with different fillings. Then I rolled and cut the wraps into slices. Depending on the color of the wrap, I put either a grape tomato or on olive on a fancy toothpick and stuck it in the wrap.

Mama Bear

Sun, May 04 2008, 3:00 pm

I'm IYH making an upsherin in August. But other than cake and coffee I'm not serving anything. I dont even see when the ppl have a chance to eat - they come up, cut the hair, the kid is wrapped up and taken to cheder and the men rush back to work. my mother and mother in law dont need any fancy hot foods, and there wont be any other women here.

Squash

Sun, May 04 2008, 3:12 pm

so here's what happened.

my sister tells me "oh so you think I'm coming to the country for an upsherin on a thursday morning? no way. I work, remember? are yo uinviting me for shabbos?"

I'm like halevei I could invite you but you'd have to sleep on the porch with all your kids.

so now we're thinking of making it thursday (his bday) late afternoon.

if so, it'll be fleishig.

my last upsherin was also fleishig.

we had franks in blanks and potato kugel and a salad or two. then dh insisted on buying some sesame chicken (which already made it fancier than I would've wanted. but it was good)

we had some cookies/cakes/chips/drinks.

if it'll end up being fleishig we'll probably do the same as last time.

justanothermother, your upsherin must've been massive for all that food.

justanothermother

Sun, May 04 2008, 3:29 pm

It was about 100 people including children. I set up a buffet in my kitchen and dining room and rented tables for my backyard.

yo'ma

Sun, May 04 2008, 3:39 pm

The last upsherin I had in the states, I invited all my bro. and sis. and told them that they have absolutely no obligation to come, but I'm inviting them out of courtesy Very Happy

. I had a small apt and all (married ones), but one lived out of NY. They didn't really want to shlep and they knew what I meant, so it all worked out well. I lived near my parents, so they came also with a friend and cousin. It ended up being a little squashed without them.

Mama Bear

Sun, May 04 2008, 4:44 pm

wow, by 'us' upsherins are a strictly men-inthe-family-only affair besides for the 2 grandmothers, and is done early in the morning, so there are no kids. the kids do keep coming for pekelech all afternoon, but there's no real party... the party is in cheder....

mummiedearest

Mon, Aug 04 2008, 5:59 pm

hmmm....

I've got another year before upsherin, but I remember my brother's....

my mom's shaitel-macher gave him a haircut in her basement (next to all the shaitels). he came home. we had pizza and his babysitter made him a nice cake decorated like tzitzis. she also decorated his first pair of tzitzis with puff-paint. so he got his fancy tzitzis and we (the siblings) had some pizza and cake with him. zehu. not until I joined this site did I hear of buffets, pekelach, rented moonwalks, clowns, caterers, halls, lack of money for such things...

what do people do for bar mitzvahs if they spend that much on upsherin?

Chocoholic

Mon, Aug 04 2008, 7:10 pm

I would keep it simple.

Cupcakes with different frostings, 3 different colors of lemonade, some easy kid-friendly snacks....

It's a kids event, not a wedding.

I would give him tzitzit and a big boys kippah.