S/O - Shavuos menu

thunderstorm

Wed, May 09 2018, 4:27 pm

Mommyg8 wrote:

I guess I'm slower than you. I also usually make four pounds at once, so I can freeze half. But it takes me at least 30 minutes - so maybe I'm doing something wrong.

I do two and half lbs at once usually. When I make stuffed cabbage I use four lbs. so of course the more to roll the longer it will take. But I'd never bother if it took me that long. I'm not a perfectionist in how the shape looks. They don't need to be perfect smoothe balls

PinkFridge

Wed, May 09 2018, 4:32 pm

https://www.kosher.com/lifesty.....s-392

I haven't read them all yet, but I salute them all in theory. We could go bonkers looking at the supplements, or seeing other people's menus. They're not real life.
And there's real life and real life. I made and prepped simple franks in blanks: cut hot dogs (because the mini ones are more chicken than beef), rolled out puff pastry (because if I don't use puff pastry at least once people might start to doubt my yichus Twisted Evil

), spread a mix of mustards, cut in strips, wrapped around the hot dog chunks, froze overnight in a single layer, put into a zipper bag this morning and will bake some other time. Not too elegant, not cut out shapes, but tasty.

And this might be too much for some people. Or not feasible due to lack of freezer space.

And that's ok.

Do what works for you. Aim for tasty and a cut above something you would do during the week. Your family's favorites can be simple and cheap but they will mean special to them. Have a wonderful yom tov!

amother

Hotpink

Thu, May 10 2018, 5:48 am

Dont cry.
we are all good at different stuff.
Those of us that are good at cooking get to brag about it before yomtov.
But I will never ever ever let you open my closets. Thats just not my strong point.

PinkFridge

Thu, May 10 2018, 6:14 am

amother wrote:

Loved (and kind of identified with) this post!

amother

Honeydew

Thu, May 10 2018, 7:45 am

Here’s my short cuts

Heat up a box of imagine soup - comes all prepared in a box

I will buy a box of rice pilaf that comes with a spice packet. Empty into an 8x8 pan with 2 cups of water and bake for 45 minutes.

I’ll even heat up cans of string breans with a little salt a drop of sesame seeds

I started baking drumsticks since there’s basically no cleaning chickens with drumstick preparation- just rinse off// and then I’ll add a can of sliced potatoes- pour on spices and duck Sauce and bake

That’s a short cut meal
Do it all the time since that’s all I can handle sometimes

If more time I’ll do potato, lukshen Kugel
Deli rolls aren’t hard

I have one pan cutlet recipes too

If you serve things that are fresh and taste good it really doesn’t matter how hard your prep was
It’s not a competition!!!

smileyfaces

Thu, May 10 2018, 8:13 am

I’m making really simple meals and not having company.
One meal is chicken, orzo, veggies
Meat, potatoes, cauliflower
Shabbos I’ll do the usual so a chulent and salads.

I’m not at the point in my life that I can stress about fancy menus. I do sometimes but this Yom Tov I’m keeping things simple and low key.

amother

Pink

Thu, May 10 2018, 8:19 am

I just had a baby last week, and I’m literally making nothing for Yom Tov. There is a very lovely lady arranging meals for me, and we will literally have what shows up on my doorstep. My oldest is a little upset about this, and I told her she is welcome to ask her father to get her ingredients and she can make what she wants to supplement. I think she might make a cheesecake and some kind of milchig pasta. This is not my first baby (by far) and I’m just not up to it, so I’m not. And my kids will learn that a kimpeturin is allowed to take care of herself and not run herself ragged.

amother

Blue

Thu, May 10 2018, 8:24 am

We have guests coming for 4 out of 6 of the 3-day-yom-tov meals and I haven't even thought about making a menu. Then again, it's Thursday and I haven't even thought of what I'm making for this Shabbos, so I guess I'm just a procrastinator. I'm not too worried about it though. I tend to make recipes that are tasty yet simple - I'm not about patchke. And I also don't need to offer 12 items per course. Nobody wants to eat so much anyhow.

PinkFridge

Thu, May 10 2018, 8:28 am

amother wrote:

Mazel tov!

tichellady

Tue, May 15 2018, 10:02 pm

I said I would come back to post my menu. In the end we are hosting two meals, going out for 2 meals and are home for two meals. I’m making 2 meals and relying on leftovers for the other two. Don’t have exact menus yet but using dairy desserts from Trader Joe’s to make my life easier ( for the dairy meal) and know that I will make Macaroni and cheese ( totally unhealthy and delicious) I a tofu or bean dish, and some veggie sides for one meal and will make lentil squash soup, chicken, rice in the rice cooker and some roasted veggies for the other meal ( maybe Blondie or a bundt cake for dessert). Nothing too elaborate or crazy. I will have fake crab in the freezer and avacado in the fridge and can always pull together a crab salad if I decide we don’t have enough leftovers for our two other meals ( also have cheese and lox that can be served with challah if need to bulk up a meal)

amother

Seashell

Tue, May 15 2018, 10:15 pm

I decided many years ago that nobody needs the weight gain involved in serving 4-course meals.

My girls who were home at the time were not pleased, but we made a rule.

Either fruit, or a soup (usually cold nights in Succah) or a salad.
On to main course.
Simple desserts like bought ice cream over a brownie. (My biggest patchke is slightly defrosting two colors sherbet and layering with vanilla I.c., then serve a slice with a slice of kiwi.)

I seem to remember doing some patchking when I was quite young. I have since lost interest and koach.

(In fact, I look at people making elaborate dishes and wonder, why would you do that? I guess lkovod Yom Tov... but I still can't relate.)

[Wait - last Shabbos I did a fancy plate for DH. A large plate divided into spokes - flaked salmon, orange peppers, sliced beets, purple cabbage, arugula, a small row of chickpeas (that's the yellow, get it?) and some roasted portobello mushrooms. But we were home alone, so this was one plate, as I wasn't in the mood for salad. Bless me if I could stand to do this for more than one person!]

For those who enjoy it, enjoy it! (But please remember the weight-challenged and offer some light choices.) For those who don't enjoy it, please don't feel you have to compete with anyone!

tichellady

Tue, May 15 2018, 10:17 pm

May wrote:

Can you share your recipe for your avocado crab salad please?

No real recipe. I chop up the Kani and add some avacado cubes and scallions. I mix some mayo with sesame oil and sriracha and then mix it all together ( can add mango or cucumber if you want to bulk it up) . Or sometimes I do it with lime juice and cilantro and a little chili powder and garlic and mayo ( can add tomatoes and red onion to this version) . It depends on what I have in my house

crust

Tue, May 15 2018, 10:57 pm

Thanks Gd for tradition.
I make the same simple things for every seuda

fish baked in the oven
chicken soup (heard o that?)
meats
ONE sauce for all of YT frozen weeks before
challah
fresh salads
apple strawberry compote frozen
I make a big kokosh dough, divide it and put it in the freezer. I will take out a few of them erev yom tov and have fresh cake.

If I will be I the mood I will bake milchigs. If not I will buy. (Gasp)

I understand you OP because when I see the names of food listed in the menus here my head starts to spin.

Is a pity you dont know me because I promise you would feel like a geshikt balabusta next to me.

Last edited by crust on Tue, May 15 2018, 11:02 pm; edited 1 time in total

tichellady

Tue, May 15 2018, 11:00 pm

crust wrote:

Thanks Gd for tradition.
I make the same simple things for every seuda

fish baked in the oven
chicken soup (heard o that?)
meats
ONE sauce for all of YT frozen weeks before
challah
fresh salads
apple strawberry compote frozen
I make a big kokosh dough, divide it and put it in the freezer. I will take out a few of them erev yom tov and have fresh cake.

If I will be I the mood I will bake milchigs. If not I will buy. (Gasp)

Is a pity you dont know me because I promise you would feel like a geshikt balabusta next to me.

Wow, you don’t get sick of eating the same thing for every meal? I wish I could do that but I need variety

crust

Tue, May 15 2018, 11:09 pm

tichellady wrote:

Wow, you don’t get sick of eating the same thing for every meal? I wish I could do that but I need variety

lol you remind me of this joke-
There was once a man with a very long beard. One day a person asked him; Sir where do you keep your beard at night? Do you place it on top of your cover or do you tuck it in under your cover?
As of that night, the man couldn't fall asleep. He didnt know where to place his beard! On the cover or under his cover? He couldn't figure it out!

Reading through all these posts and menus I start thinking hey maybe we need variety? I am eating these foods for close to 40 years now. How come we are all so happy and content and looking forward to my simple meat and sauce?!!
Go figure.

amother

Honeydew

Wed, May 16 2018, 12:40 am

I ended up preparing traditional foods too that are not hard
Challah (yes homemade- baked it Sunday)
Gefilte fish
Corn beef
Chicken
Soup
Sesame chicken
Apple kugel
Lukshen kugel
Potato kugel
Broccoli kugel
Deli rolls
Baked rice
Coleslaw
Cucumber salad
Chulent
Tomato salad

We will eat these foods divided up over 5 meals

One meal is milchig

Baked tilapia
Lukshen cheese kugel
Greek salad
Corn salad
Cheesecake

amother

Mauve

Wed, May 16 2018, 1:37 am

amother wrote:

And I also don't need to offer 12 items per course. Nobody wants to eat so much anyhow.

I used to go all out and make huge pans of multiple dishes, and then I realized that I was throwing out so much food!

This yom tov I simplified my life by simply making doubles of whatever I am/was making for Shabbos or doing something that can be dressed up that is fancier than the weekday version. One day was meatballs, one day was chicken nuggets which will become orange chicken, blueberry kugel, etc.

Everything is made in SMALL pans -- the ones that are half the size of 9x13. And it will be more than enough I am sure.

amother

Aqua

Wed, May 16 2018, 3:54 am

Mommyg8 wrote:

I guess I'm slower than you. I also usually make four pounds at once, so I can freeze half. But it takes me at least 30 minutes - so maybe I'm doing something wrong.

ETA: And I cook my meatballs for about two hours. I think I'm going to look into Six's pressure cooker suggestion.

I buy the mixed meat and chicken. Roll it into balls, pack it into 2 9x13 pans, cover with roasted garlic marinara sauce (whichever company I got on sale) cover and pop into the oven on 350. After 1/2 hour I uncover and cook another 1/2 hour. Sometimes I cover the meatballs with sliced salted potatoes. I consider this an easy supper