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Forum -> Yom Tov / Holidays -> Pesach
How do I make Pesach??
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southernbubby




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 13 2019, 2:55 pm
At this point, eat up the chometz foods that you have. Use 'em up.
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Sebastian




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 13 2019, 3:01 pm
tichellady wrote:
Feel free to ignore me but honestly I would not be able to make pesach in my first trimester. Everyone is different and there are no guarantees you Will be pregnant but just something to keep in mind. Is takeout an option where you live if you are unable to cook?


There will be 7 weeks until Pesach at the end of the month. She isn't ttc until next month. At most she'll be 6 weeks when Pesach starts. That's when morning sickness starts. She'll be prepared for the chag by then.
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 13 2019, 3:17 pm
Two words. Pesach Hotel! If you hurry, you can still get your reservations in.

Next option, stay at yours or his parents for the week.

If not, then get cleaning help. Schedule it now, because everyone will be booked up soon.

If no help available, hire some teenagers in your area. High school girls or yeshiva boys are always looking for some extra cash, especially if it doesn't involve babysitting. Bonus, they've been helping their parents make Pesach for several years already, so you don't to worry about explaining everything.

Doing it all on your own? I've done that too. If you don't remember taking food into a room, you don't have to clean it unless you want to. Dust bunnies under the bed are not chametz. Same with the laundry room.

DO clean out all of your purses and coat pockets. I've found a LOT of money that way. Very Happy Once I found a ring that I thought I'd lost. Same thing for chair and sofa cushions. Not only are they chametz magnets, they can also be full of things you've been looking for since last Pesach.

Save 99% of your energy for the kitchen. Start from the top, and work your way down. Gravity will make sure that anything you miss will fall on the floor, and do your sweeping and mopping last.

Play very perky music while you work. Anything that makes you want to dance. I like 80's Euro-Pop, but that's just me. Pick what works for you.

If your rabbi lets, shove all chametz stuff in the cabinets and tape them shut. If you have a guest bedroom and are not expecting company, you can shove everything in there and tape the door shut. Easy peasy. You can buy it all back after the chag.

Final tip. The halachic definition of chametz is "something that even a dog wouldn't eat." I'm considering renting out my dog this year for bedikas chametz. Reasonable rates for member of the community. She will check your entire house, eat what she finds, and what ever is left over in not chametz. LOL
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Sebastian




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 13 2019, 3:30 pm
FranticFrummie wrote:
Two words. Pesach Hotel! If you hurry, you can still get your reservations in.


Um why? I was in my first trimester the first year I made Pesach with morning sickness going strong. Cleaning for Pesach lifi halacha is not difficult for 2 adults, it's no harder than cleaning the house. Even if she is pregnant (many ppl don't get pregnant on their first try), she won't be far along enough to have morning sickness until closer to the chag.

She can cook very simply for the chag if she isn't feeling well. Her dh can do the kashering if it's too much for her or she can just clean her oven and use only that.

Pesach isn't a big deal until there are cute littles undoing all your work.
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levlongnprosper




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Feb 14 2019, 7:13 am
amother wrote:
I've been married for 2.5 years, no kids yet. My husband is in very full-time graduate school and is busy after school with work. I work 40 hours a week, and often don't end my day until 6. We live hundreds of miles away from both of our families due to his program. As of now I am going off of birth control at the end of this month.

How do I make Pesach?? Can everyone please tell me their hacks, their schedules, etc.? We're only in a 2 bedroom apartment, but the thought of potentially being pregnant and working 40 hours and cooking and cleaning is mind-boggling. I'm someone with a sensitive composition who needs to be well rested. So waking up at 6 and going to bed at midnight is not the answer.

Words of encouragement are also welcomed Smile


Get a notebook and a pen and a calendar.

Jot down all of the cleaning and kashering tasks-- use/Google a pre made checklist if it helps. Plan out your cleaning schedule in manageable chunks and add to calendar. Enlist DH or paid help if you can!

Also, write a list of all of the meals you will be serving. From there plan out modest menus that feel do-able for you. The. Write up the list of prep work and a grocery shopping list. Then add to your calendar the shopping and the prep work in manageable chunks.

Honestly, because I'm gluten free with other allergies, we eat almost Pesach-dik year round so we can kasher the kitchen for Pesach crazy early and not feel like we're missing out (DH keeps his gluteny treats at the office) giving me time to prep and freeze things.

I've always found it helpful to do spring cleaning earlier in the year (aka now) so that when Pesach cleaning season comes, I have an easier job getting to all the books and crannies.

Also I remember one year as a single girl, I had been ill and couldn't travel home and didn't want to eat out all the time, so I pretty much sold my kitchen, and I made Pesach (and the sedarim) for myself and whichever friend wanted to join on a hot plate and toaster oven with a mini fridge. A lot of my food was based around salads made out of things that didn't need so much refrigeration.

You can keep it simple!
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Feb 14 2019, 7:18 am
Sebastian wrote:
Um why?


Why? Why not? Some people really hate housework, and it takes all the joy out of the simcha. We are not all cut out to be a balabusta. Some men really hate pitching in. If the cleaning is going to cause you stress, it's worth your shalom bayis to go somewhere fun where you will be pampered.

We stayed at the Ramada in Jerusalem, it was very affordable.

DD and I love to swim. DH loves to learn. We found a hotel that had women's hours for swimming, and there was always men's learning, and a minyan could be found any time he wanted.

The food was amazing, especially the desserts. The service was awesome. What's not to love?

If that's not your thing, that's fine too. There's nothing wrong with having a cozy seder at home, and getting to sleep in your own bed. To each their own.
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southernbubby




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Feb 14 2019, 7:44 am
Every year it seems, there are very negative reviews of some Pesach hotels so do the research carefully. If they are too cheap, they run out of money half way through the holiday and the end of the holiday is not too good.
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tichellady




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Feb 14 2019, 8:56 am
Sebastian wrote:
Um why? I was in my first trimester the first year I made Pesach with morning sickness going strong. Cleaning for Pesach lifi halacha is not difficult for 2 adults, it's no harder than cleaning the house. Even if she is pregnant (many ppl don't get pregnant on their first try), she won't be far along enough to have morning sickness until closer to the chag.

She can cook very simply for the chag if she isn't feeling well. Her dh can do the kashering if it's too much for her or she can just clean her oven and use only that.

Pesach isn't a big deal until there are cute littles undoing all your work.


I disagree. Pesach is a lot of work! Just because it’s harder with kids doesn’t make it not hard without kids.
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tichellady




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Feb 14 2019, 8:56 am
Sebastian wrote:
Um why? I was in my first trimester the first year I made Pesach with morning sickness going strong. Cleaning for Pesach lifi halacha is not difficult for 2 adults, it's no harder than cleaning the house. Even if she is pregnant (many ppl don't get pregnant on their first try), she won't be far along enough to have morning sickness until closer to the chag.

She can cook very simply for the chag if she isn't feeling well. Her dh can do the kashering if it's too much for her or she can just clean her oven and use only that.

Pesach isn't a big deal until there are cute littles undoing all your work.


I disagree. Pesach is a lot of work! Just because it’s harder with kids doesn’t make it not hard without kids.
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Sebastian




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Feb 14 2019, 9:12 am
FranticFrummie wrote:
Why? Why not? Some people really hate housework, and it takes all the joy out of the simcha. We are not all cut out to be a balabusta. Some men really hate pitching in. If the cleaning is going to cause you stress, it's worth your shalom bayis to go somewhere fun where you will be pampered.

We stayed at the Ramada in Jerusalem, it was very affordable.

DD and I love to swim. DH loves to learn. We found a hotel that had women's hours for swimming, and there was always men's learning, and a minyan could be found any time he wanted.

The food was amazing, especially the desserts. The service was awesome. What's not to love?

If that's not your thing, that's fine too. There's nothing wrong with having a cozy seder at home, and getting to sleep in your own bed. To each their own.


OP and her dh would also need to take off the entire chol hamoed (almost a full week this week) and possibly pay for flights etc. It's probably not doable for her.
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Sebastian




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Feb 14 2019, 9:15 am
tichellady wrote:
I disagree. Pesach is a lot of work! Just because it’s harder with kids doesn’t make it not hard without kids.


kashering the kitchen is a lot of work. Cleaning the rest of the house isn't.
If OP just covers the counter and burns the oven and only uses that it's a lot simpler.
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amother
Forestgreen


 

Post Thu, Feb 14 2019, 10:21 am
I have been making pesach since I’m married (over 20 yrs) and one year I was due with my second on pesach. You can do it! There is lots of good advice here and I think you should read other pesach threads as well.
-Limit chametz to kitchen/dining area. I recommend doing this all year round- makes pesach prep so much easier.
-make a pesach notebook or use an online note taking program such as Evernote. Keep menus, shopping lists, cleaning lists from year to year so you don’t have to recreate the wheel. Write notes to yourself for next year about what worked well and what didn’t and any items you need to buy.
-start with your second bedroom. Make this room “pesach central.” Someone mentioned above buying a shelving unit. There are inexpensive ones that can easily be disassembled at Home Depot. You can start buying utensils,non perishables, foil pans, cleaning and covering supplies and store them there.
-there are houseware stores such as the Peppermill in Brooklyn that will tovel everything for you and ship anywhere. I once heard a great suggestion that as you cook a regular dinner, write down every utensil you touched to make the meal. This will give you a sense of what you need.
-speak to your rav and find out exactly what is required in cleaning and how to kasher everything. Keep notes on this from year to year in your notebook
-making pesach is more time consuming than other yamim tovim. Leave yourself lots of time to cook and prepare erev pesach. Based on your work schedule, you should probably turn over your kitchen the Sunday before. You can keep cold chametz and kitnios (bread, cereal) in a small box on the living room to tide you over. If you live in a nice climate, eat outdoors for these few days. You can cook klp proteins in your oven to supplement the meals.
- if you can afford cleaning help, get it, especially a day or 2 before when your are busy with cooking.
-use as many disposables as possible
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southernbubby




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Feb 14 2019, 10:36 am
Didn't imamother have a master list for Yom tov years ago?

Dubi Litvin also published and sold lists every year.

These lists also have a clothing list for each family member as well as toiletries such as chometz free toothpaste and lipstick.

There are hardware lists such as extension cords and a metal garbage can for burning chometz unless your community has a fire for that.

I saw on Succos that Evergreen supermarket put out a Yom tov planner so hopefully they make one for Pesach too.
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saralem




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Feb 14 2019, 12:40 pm
eat mostly kitniyos the week before Pesach. that makes it soooo much easier! maybe you can set up a small area of bedroom #2 for eating, with coffee maker, toaster oven--and some disposable utensils--for that last week. if you can possibly have a cleaning lady help you, she can vacuum, etc all the rooms, and maybe even clean the fridge and stove. then you simply go over it, and check it well. so much easier after someone has already done the hard scrubbing. self clean your oven. don't empty any cabinets--just tape them closed. use lots of aluminum foil pans and disposables for pesach, and make very simple meals. No one needs desserts and kugels--make roasted vegetables and easy main dishes--and you'll be so much happier.
It feels so intimidating--I'm married many years and I always feel Pesach looming--but it doesn't have to be complicated. For me, kitniyos is the lifesaver!
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Raisin




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Feb 14 2019, 1:42 pm
If your oven doesn't have automatic shut off, you can easily cook as needed on yom tov. Roast veggies, chicken, meat roasts.

Try and get invites for at least some of the meals. Its more fun as well as a lot less work. Maybe you can offer to bring some food.

Don't stress about cleaning - the main thing is to make sure you have no packs of cookies lurking in your clothes cupboard or under the couch.

chocolate brownies are pretty fullproof if you want to bake for pesach. No mixer needed. But don't feel guilty about buying stuff ready made if its too overwhelming.
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sarah58




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Feb 14 2019, 1:43 pm
maybe get cleaning help...
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