I'll be reading... reading... reading... til shavuos...

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Forum -> Hobbies, Crafts, and Collections -> Reading Room

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junam

Sun, Apr 17 2011, 8:08 pm

Just wondering, when do you have time to read? I feel so guilty reading when the kids are awake, and when they finally get to sleep I am shattered too! Do your kids 'let' you read in peace?

Tova

Sun, Apr 17 2011, 8:33 pm

Seraph, I hope my post wasn't too harsh. I was concerned about it since I posted (but had no time to go back and edit/clarify). Again, just my opinion. For all we know you will get rave reviews on it. I was coming from the standpoint that the only way I could really even understand what you were getting at was because of your similar type posts on your blog. I still had to read it a couple of times to "get it" and understand your calculations (and I'm a numbers person). So I'm extrapolating that the average reader would be totally lost.

Hmm - I definately know people that are cost-concious when planning out a menu, but not to the extent of the method of preparation. IE - they want a potato side but will decide on potato kugel versus roasted potatoes versus mashed potatoes based on effort involved and family tastes. The intricate calculations to the hundreth of a gram and fraction of a penny I feel are beyond, at least for me, what I should be doing hishtadlus-wise, especially for Shabbos/Y"T. But again, just my opinion.

Tova

Sun, Apr 17 2011, 8:34 pm

junam wrote:

Just wondering, when do you have time to read? I feel so guilty reading when the kids are awake, and when they finally get to sleep I am shattered too! Do your kids 'let' you read in peace?

Before falling asleep.

Mama Bear

Sun, Apr 17 2011, 11:24 pm

No, I dont feel guilty reading while my kids are up. they play very nicely near me and when they need me, they get whatever they need. I spend time reading with my older one - he reads from his book, I read from mine, then he goes on to play with his legos, clicks etc. I dont have to sit on the flloor and play with a 5 yr old all yomtov afternoon. and yomtov morning he's in shul. my younger one entertains himself as well. I have plenty of time to read on yomtov... but I dont expect to finish it all. On a typical shabbos I manage to read the binah and mishpacha, that's all.

gp2.0

Mon, Apr 18 2011, 12:34 am

Experts also say that the best way to teach your children to love reading is for them to see YOU reading...so no need to feel guilty, they're learning from your actions! Wink

Seraph

Mon, Apr 18 2011, 1:46 am

Tova wrote:

No, totally not offended. It wasn't too harsh.

Quote:

Hmm - I definately know people that are cost-concious when planning out a menu, but not to the extent of the method of preparation. IE - they want a potato side but will decide on potato kugel versus roasted potatoes versus mashed potatoes based on effort involved and family tastes. The intricate calculations to the hundreth of a gram and fraction of a penny I feel are beyond, at least for me, what I should be doing hishtadlus-wise, especially for Shabbos/Y"T. But again, just my opinion.

Think about it this way- if you want to feed potatoes to a crowd and want to make french fries, or you want to make mashed potatoes, you'd need to cook at least 2 times as many potatoes to make enough french fries to feed people as you would need to cook potatoes if you were making mashed potatoes.
Potatoes may be cheap per pound, but they're also really heavy, so once you're making a bunch of potatoes, the difference between making french fries and mashed potatoes isn't just pennies.
I know my calculations definitely made me reconsider making french fries. You start off with a ton of potatoes and get left with barely anything!

HindaRochel

Mon, Apr 18 2011, 2:45 am

I think when you come to make a decision about what to prepare you have to incorporated time as well as how one eats.

I usually, for most of my cooking, calculate one potato or two if they are smallish, per person. One doesn't need more than this.

I would never make french fried potatoes for a crowd because of all the work involved, and probably I'd go to baked potatoes for a lot of people, one or two potatoes per is enough. People don't need more than that...less time (wash and bake) and easy...

If making for under 20 say, I'd make mashed potatoes. Kugel is fine as well, but I'd use less potatoes and add other veggies.

I wouldn't use more potatoes for making french fries, I'm not sure why someone would...the work would be the reason I'd avoid it.

flowerpower

Mon, Apr 18 2011, 4:42 pm

I read mishapacha and family first on shabbos, both were boring!

ILOVELIFE

Wed, Apr 20 2011, 11:53 pm

my reading this Pesach has been so so.

Here's my personal take (note: I only bought Hamodia, Mishpacha and Binah)

1) Mishpacha:

a) Calligraphy- I enjoyed calligraphy immensely. I think if they would've had a few more images to break up text and fixed up the font-- it would've been perfect but each story was a winner. This was a huuuuuuuge improvement over last year.

b) A father to follow- awesome! There were some quotes in Rabbi Mannis Friedman's piece that I could've lived without but the supplement was well done.

c) Kolmus-- I don't read

d) Junior I don't read

e) Teen-- I found the story of the mother with bipolar disconcerting in a teen mag. I have a lot to say on the topic and felt it was the wrong wrong place for the piece. I read a couple of other things there and it seemed nice.

f) Mishpacha main-- very big variety. I found there were too many interviews and no real features. I loved the one with Rabbi Pincus's son though I think it was censored by the family cuz there was nothing new about the family now and how they manage on a day to day. The one with the story tellers was nice but a bit weak. Rav Karelitz had some interesting stuff in it but a lot of it was too technical to enjoy. The piece with Arye Deri was amazing-- well done! The one on the matza bakery of Satmar was also good. My take: it was great for the men and pretty ok for the women -- I had a lot I could read though I must say some pieces were too long for me.

g) Family First- this was their weakest link in my opinion. I was very disappointed. I found the bulk of it uninteresting and they usually do such a nice job.

Sum total: I don't regret buying it since I did enjoy some parts but I expected better. They've done better.

Binah:

Ok very hard for me to be perfectly honest here cuz I do work for them but since I read only little bits of the magazine and nothing of most of the supplements prior to Pesach, here goes:

a) Upstream- fiction supplement-- I love the writers included so I enjoyed it very much.

b) Our Home (or whatever it was called-- the one with the paintings) is something I think I'll save. I enjoyed the pieces I read and am reading it slowly savoring each little bit. I don't say I agreed with every piece of advice (in fact, there were some I vehemently disagreed with) but I still loved the overall feel.

c) Dayeinu-- nice. not sure if all of it worked together but there were some gr8 stories in there particularly the one on the girl who was suicidal.

d) Main Binah- I just want to say one thing: I LOVE RELISH. I have nothing to do with that part and it's a complete yummy surprise each week and I made most of the Pesach recipes and I'm lovin' them. (2 soups, 2 kugels, 1 dessert, 1 main) The main magazine had some nice variety-- some I liked some were weak. I'm excited about the two new novels. Etka Gitel's story on kriyas yam suf was incredible. And the story My Yankele had me crying. I also enjoyed the interview with Reb Wolbe's daughter. The rest-- some I liked and some I didn't.

e) Binah Bunch-- I don't read

sum total: I enjoyed the supplements more than the main but I don't regret buying (and yes, I had to buy this week cuz my toddlers soaked my free copy!!!!!)

Hamodia:

I didn't read the main magazine yet nor did I finish the story supplement so I'll comment after Y"T.

The 100 year supplement is s/thing I'll save and is GORGEOUS!

nechami1

Thu, Apr 21 2011, 9:26 am

and there I was innocently thinking I would manage to read most of the mags already!! I read quite a bit between setting the table, clearing the table at the end of the meals, sleeping, looking after my kids and baby who hasnt been well over yom tov, and having my parents with me! I found the main mishpacha very holy although the story about the shidduch being stopped was good. I have learnt not to be shocked because in this day and age it seems like all people want is to be supported forever.
How will these people support their kids?
I enjoyed the Binah and Relish- etka gitels new story looks promising!! I havent managed the zman or hamodia yet and only read some of the supplements- liked the story about going to a Miami hotel for pesach!
it was a bit frustrating as I really wanted to read more- sometimes I even had the urge to bring the mags to the table during the meal! I didnt though.Crazy I know, but I love reading and when I have to sort everyone else out and cant read its frustrating.
I also thought the story on bipolar shouldnt have been in the teen mag. I bet u every teen out there, after reading that thought-hey, sounds like my mom!!! u know what teens r like.

Mama Bear

Thu, Apr 21 2011, 10:40 am

I only managed to read the mishpacha, family first, and calligraphy. The stories in calligraphy were so touching and moving... I was almost crying sometimes. Mishpacha itself was AMAZING - the writeups on R' nissim karelitz,, Aryeh Deri, r' Shimshon Pincus, satmar matzah bakery.... FASCINATING stuff. I actually did think the bipolar mom story did belong in teenvoices.

I'll probably read the rest of the mishpacha supplements, and the ami, on shabbos, and Binah the 2nd days... leaving as always Inyan to be read sometime next year lol

beentheredonethat

Wed, Apr 27 2011, 9:09 pm

I really enjoyed this forum-lots of intelligent minds sharing opinions & observations.
I have been writing about real life scenarios for Ami. LOVE working with Rechy Frankfurter.
She's brilliant, elegant and kind. She makes you strive for perfection.
I think the Pesach issue was superb- a real eye opener! Next issue, 5/5 will have a story
about a girl struggling with severe acne. I will also have stories on diabetes with a fascinating
side bar on the history of insulin-the protagonist in story volunteered on imamother to tell me her story!
Also a story on a child with FD. All were interviewed, taped and their story told with minimal dramatization.
Everyone is free to share an extraordinary tale, esp medical as that's my specialty, so we can all learn & grow

Mama Bear

Wed, Apr 27 2011, 10:21 pm

Beenthere, I had some issues with one of your articles in ami, I sent you a PM actually, did you get it?

Grandmama

Wed, Apr 27 2011, 11:48 pm

Seraph wrote:

Tova wrote:

Seraph had a column re: different Pesach starches.

What did you think of it?

Starches are way overdone as it is on Pesach, so I was not so interested in that part of the article. What I did gain from was your calculations of the actual cost of cooked chicken, and I realized that although we love wings, we are paying so little for them, (.75 a pound) but in reality we are buying lots of bones. So is the amount we are really paying worth while? Although chicken cutlets are the most expensive, the way you figured it they are in reality the cheapest, as the bones are not being paid for.
(We discovered cutlets dipped in potato chips, which made a great meal the last day of pesach. Much cheaper than the $25 a pound matzoh meal.)

That said, I always try to buy meat with the least amount of bones, but the butchers are smart enough to figure that into the price. As we are eating more protein as opposed to more carbs, I realized that to get the most value, eggs are the cheapest, followed by certain forms of canned fish, and cheeses, and followed by fish chicken and meat. Butter is expensive, but the healthiest fat for the type of diet we follow, and we also use only the highest quality of olive oil which is not cheap either.

When you are young, you can eat anything, if you can afford it.
At my age, even if you can afford it, you still have to follow a specific diet for your health needs.
Which may sometimes mean spending more money to eat a healthier diet.

HindaRochel

Thu, Apr 28 2011, 1:50 am

Grandmama wrote:

Seraph wrote:

Tova wrote:

Seraph had a column re: different Pesach starches.

What did you think of it?

But see, I would eat at a regular meal three chicken wings, but probably a whole chicken breast. I think it is more than poundage, but also how the food is prepared, and how the food is generally eaten.

Mama Bear

Thu, Apr 28 2011, 11:12 am

I was, by the way HHORRIFIED!!!! at Rochelle Krich's fiction story. I love Rochelle, have read all of her books, but this time, she made a major boo boo. You dont write a fiction article about such a delicate, fundamental topic and end it that way. I was really disturbed.

zigi

Thu, Apr 28 2011, 11:17 am

Mama Bear wrote:

I agree! I was disturbed when I read it. what was the point? I don't need my fiction to have happy endings but a frum publication to have this? if I want something unorthodox to read I have secular lit to read.

PinkFridge

Mon, May 02 2011, 1:43 pm

zigi wrote:

Mama Bear wrote:

I'm pretty sure I read this before in a mystery anthology.
Yeah, not at all what the dr. ordered. Probably a fun exercise as a writer with NO payoff for the reader. Not to mention it wasn't too appropriate.

PinkFridge

Tue, May 03 2011, 1:13 pm

b) Our Home (or whatever it was called-- the one with the paintings) is something I think I'll save. I enjoyed the pieces I read and am reading it slowly savoring each little bit. I don't say I agreed with every piece of advice (in fact, there were some I vehemently disagreed with) but I still loved the overall feel.

d) Main Binah- I just want to say one thing: I LOVE RELISH. I have nothing to do with that part and it's a complete yummy surprise each week and I made most of the Pesach recipes and I'm lovin' them. (2 soups, 2 kugels, 1 dessert, 1 main) The main magazine had some nice variety-- some I liked some were weak. I'm excited about the two new novels. Etka Gitel's story on kriyas yam suf was incredible. And the story My Yankele had me crying. I also enjoyed the interview with Reb Wolbe's daughter. The rest-- some I liked and some I didn't.

In the Our Home section: we all loved the story By the Book.

Re the main Binah: I really liked the interview with Rav Wolbe's daughter. And the sidebar by R' Blumenfeld (especially the last bit).
About E. G.'s story: non-fiction? Scratching Head

Smile1

Tue, May 03 2011, 1:51 pm

Mama Bear wrote:

Soooo I still have 3 unread ami's, 3 months worth of unread Inyan's, and..... here is my Yomtov Reading material. I shall be reading til Shvuos most likely... It's a little sickening, is there *really* so much to write about??? has not everything yet been written? unbelievable.... Eveyrthing is so thick, expanded, with multiple additional supplements ...

(Der yid has 400+ pages!!!)

As long as older singles exist, in fantasy rather than in reality, those publications are in business.

Calligraphy was the best, in my HO.

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