April things

April was an unexpectedly busy month. January, February, and March felt very business as usual, but the moment the sun came out and False Spring arrived, things have been happening. 

Next Year In Person

Passover is a holiday centered around a few key themes: sacrifice, preparedness, and liberation.

It is a story that features a hero with a disability who finds his courage with the help of his family and his faith, perseveres, and ultimately prevails against tyranny.

It is a story that teaches us to fight oppression with every means we have; it calls upon us to identify personally with the subjugation of others and fight theirs as we would our own.

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Last year, we skipped Passover. It was out of an abundance of caution (remember those days?), when Covid hadn't really come to our corner of the US yet but was enough of a threat that we wanted to adhere to that very Jewish-feeling aphorism: better safe than sorry.

We told each other that in 2021, we'd have Passover together.

While that didn't come to pass, the spring of 2021 is starting to look hopeful. As I prepped and planned to host Passover at Scott and Robby's (it would be the first year they'd joined us for this particular holiday), I received a notification that I was eligible to sign up for available appointments for my Covid vaccine.

The vaccination date was Saturday, March 27, the same day I was planning to host our Seder.

I couldn't say no, of course. I booked a morning appointment, and that was how it came to pass that my first step toward liberation from Covid-induced fear, anxiety, isolation, and uncertainty coincided with a holiday that pretty much beats you over the head with the significance of liberation in all forms.

Our Seder went over well. There were only four of us, but I didn't skimp on the cooking. We had all the usual: matzo ball soup, charoset, brisket, and — of course — my flourless chocolate cake.

Scott and Robby were good sports about reading from the Haggadah. They even picked up Manishewitz! Alas, I was unable to find gluten free gefilte fish, so they were spared that particular aspect of Ashkenazi cuisine.

Note to self: whip this batter less intensely next year!

Over all, it was a perfect day, and now I can start to believe that next year things will be back to normal enough that I'll be able to make a trip to Florida to celebrate with my parents and siblings, my nephew, my aunt and uncle, and maybe even my cousins. 

I've got my fingers crossed and a sore arm to give me hope.

ABK

My Next Race

I hope you all had a nice holiday weekend! We originally had Easter Monday off as well, but because of Hurricane Irma (the storm that keeps on giving), we lost that day off. But I was glad to have Good Friday off.

On Friday we went to see an old student of mine in a play (She Kills Monsters). It was hilarious and moving - I'm a nerd and totally choked up a little. We rarely get a chance to go out like that, so it was really fun to do something different.

Saturday we went to my aunt and uncle's for Passover. Our house is still a construction zone, so it was really nice of my aunt to offer to host. She is basically a bonafide chef/baker, so everything was sooo delicious. My sister was out of town, so as the only gluten-free person there, I got to take home the best leftovers.

Leftovers! Passover has the best food.

Matt and I spent Sunday lounging around. He did a timed paddle in his OC1 and I got a little run in. It started to rain about halfway through, but I didn't mind at all. My plan was to keep it short and see if I could avoid walk breaks. I've had a little cold for the last two or three weeks, but despite that I still held a sub-10 pace and didn't walk at all.

This brings me to this weekend's 5k. I am running the Fast & the Furriest 5k on Saturday. This was actually the first race I ever ran by myself back in 2012. When it changed venues, I stopped running it, but I've always liked this race and I'm excited for it.

I actually set some goals for this one. I am very in-tune with my body but my runs have been a bit all over the place, so I don't really know what I'll be capable of. That said, I think running a race with a few goals in mind will help move me into the next step of recovery.

A: Run a sub-30:00 5k. This is a goal that really brings me back to my early days of running...and after all, I am starting all over from scratch, so it's a good goal to have. I'm skeptical I can achieve this goal, but I'll be ecstatic if I do.
B: Don't walk. Even if I have to slow down to a more manageable pace and miss a sub-30 finish, if I can avoid walk-breaks for this 5k, I'll be happy.
C: Take managed walk breaks and finish at a run. If I end up feeling weak or strained, if I can keep my walk breaks to pre-planned, brief breaks and finish mile 3 at a strong, full run, I can live with that.

When I ran A1A, I felt really strong, and by the end I felt like the walk breaks weren't necessary but I stuck with them. I have come a long way since then, but I am still not consistent, so even with these goals my performance at this race is probably going to end up being a surprise to me.

At least two colleagues are running F&tF this weekend, too; I always like when I can look forward to seeing familiar faces at a race! (When I registered, I messaged all my running co-workers but I'm not sure if anyone else ended up signing up.) After I registered I saw that there would be finishers medals this year, so that's a nice bonus, too.

I am nervous about this 5k but in a good way; A1A was my first start/finish line post-surgery, but this will be the first race I actually...well...race.

ABK

Passover Photos & Recipes

Even though Passover was last Monday, we had our Seder on Saturday. This year my aunt and uncle joined us, so we had a full house! It was really fun to host this year, as usual.

Steph and Gordon came in Friday night. They made the matzah ball soup on Saturday morning and then went paddling with Matt while I kept an eye on the brisket.

When I went to buy brisket this week, Publix was cleared out! The butcher told me some lady had come in earlier that day and bought seven. Who does that?! I was able to pick some up at another Publix nearby. I bought about 6.5lbs for the nine of us.

Brisket Recipe:

-In a large baking pan, place baby carrots, diced potatoes (I prefer the mini red skin potatoes; I use about 10), and two small onions (chopped) in a single layer.

-Put the brisket on top, fat cap up.

-Mix 8oz tomato sauce with 1.5 or 2 cups beef broth and season with pepper, salt, garlic, and seasoning to taste (I like to use an Italian mix of seasoning).

-Pour the mixture over the briskets.

-Cover tightly with tin foil and place in an oven preheated to 300 degrees. Cook for ~5.5 hours, basting every two, and allow to rest for 30-60 minutes before eating.

You know it's done when the brisket is super fork-tender...No knife necessary!

While that cooked, I did a quick workout and then did my hair and makeup for the first time in months.

Then I set the table. As usual, my grandparents sent us a beautiful flower arrangement for the centerpiece.

We added a little plastic table to the end to make space for everyone!

Our Seders are very casual and seem to get shorter every year. I use the Haggadah we've had my entire life, where my dad highlighted the portions we read and wrote notes in the margins. We skip a lot of it and just focus on the "important stuff": the story of Passover, the Seder plate, the plagues, and how the lessons of Passover are still relevant in fighting oppression today.

Honestly, when you look at the state of the world today, I feel like Passover gets more and more significant every year.

As usual, mom made her amazing charoset. She also tried her hand at homemade horseradish, and it was singe-your-nose-hairs level spicy.

For dessert, we had the usual flourless chocolate cake I make every year. It's super easy and always a crowd-pleaser.

Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe:

-Heat 1/2 cup water, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

-Melt 18oz bittersweet chocolate in a microwaveable bowl, then pour into a mixing bowl.

-While mixing, chop 1 cup of butter into tablespoons and slowly add to the chocolate, one piece at a time.

-Add the sugar-water-salt mixture, still stirring.

-Finally, add 6 eggs, one at a time, to the mixture.

-Place a well-oiled 8"-10" cake pan in a large pan filled halfway with water. (I like to also use parchment paper in the cake pan because de-panning this cake is the hardest part.)

-Pour the batter into the cake pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes. It will still look soft in the center. Chill in the fridge overnight.

The easiest way to de-pan the cake is to cut along the edges, then dip the bottom of the pan into hot water, invert the pan onto a plate and bang the bottom until you feel it loosen.

It's so rich and fudgy, a thin slice is plenty, and it pairs very well with ice cream.

This is my favorite holiday of the year! I love hosting, and each year I feel a little more confident in my cooking. I hope next year my cousins can come, too; then we'll have a full house and will need a second table!

Happy Passover from all of us!

ABK

Passover 2016

One reason I love hosting Passover is because it makes me feel like an adult. Despite having a mortgage, car payments, and career, I often feel like I'm only pretending to be a grown up. (Surely I'm not the only one who feels this way!) Cooking a big meal and having family over for the holiday makes me feel like I've hit an adulthood milestone.

Like last year, I decided to make a brisket for our main dish. I lost the recipe I used last year but luckily had been pretty detailed in how I cooked it in that blog post, so the blog saved the day!

This year I couldn't find one 5-pound brisket so I got two 2.8 pounders...We have tons of leftovers!

For next year's self: chop a large onion, quarter ~10 tiny potatoes, and scatter a single loose layer of baby carrots in the roasting pan. Put the brisket on top, fat cap up. Mix 8oz tomato sauce and 3/4 container of beef broth in a bowl with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Pour over the brisket. Cover tightly with foil. Stick it in a 300F oven for about 5.5 to 6 hours (this year I did 5.5), basting every two. Take out an hour before serving to rest.

The table.

My grandparents sent us a centerpiece again this year, but the florist delivered it too early. I was worried it wouldn't last until Seder, so the florist sent us a second one! Our table looked very lovely.

The good stuff.

Mom made her usual perfect charoset, and Steph made GF matzah ball soup. The matzah balls were so fluffy and perfect; the best we've had since I was diagnosed with Celiac! And Manischewitz makes gluten free matzoh now, too! Passover has never been so easy!

For dessert I made my usual flourless chocolate cake, which I'd been looking forward to all week.

The most I can say for this health-wise is that it's full of protein - the batter takes 6 eggs! But it sure is delicious.

Our Seders are short and sweet - 20-30 minutes from the Haggadah and then dinner is served! They used to be longer when we lived up north and had lots of family over, but now we like to get down to the good stuff as quickly as possible.

The fam :)

We made Gordon join the picture-taking this year, too.

It was a good evening; all the food turned out successfully and it was wonderful to have everyone over. The best part is that I'll be eating delicious leftovers for the next week!

Which holidays or family traditions do you host?
What's the biggest/most difficult meal you've cooked?

ABK

Chag Sameach!

Since getting married, Matt and I have taken on Passover as the holiday to host. This was the first year we hosted in our new house! I planned the menu carefully, knowing that I would be out of commission entirely the day before due to surgery.

Our menu was as follows:

Charoset (and not just for the Seder plate, because YUM!)

Matzah (we order it from Israel made with certified gluten free oats)

Matzo ball soup

Green beans almondine

Brisket

Flourless chocolate cake served with vanilla ice cream

You've got to love a meal that is 100% gluten free! (Well, Steph and I do anyway.)

I did all the shopping Wednesday and made the cake. It was a feat of pure willpower not to sneak tastes before Friday night.

Friday morning started on the right foot when flowers arrived from my grandparents! They are so thoughtful; they knew we were hosting Seder and wanted to provide a centerpiece! 

I prepped the brisket and got it into the oven by 10am. I had spent about a week trying to figure out the perfect recipe and taking advice from various sources and friends. I finally decided to pick and choose among all the insights I'd gathered and ended up with a recipe I felt confident in.

I've never cooked something this immense or so rife with cultural significance before; the stakes were high!

With onions, garlic, potatoes, and carrots in the roasting pan, I seasoned the brisket with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, then poured a tomato sauce infused beef broth into the pan and cooked it at 300 degrees. It was fork-tender by 2pm but I kept it cooking until 3:00, then pulled it out and let it rest for an hour. It was absolutely perfect: fork-tender, juicy, and flavorful.

This was seriously a rite of passage; being able to cook a full brisket for Passover really made me feel like a full-fledged adult.

Dad is striking his usual "no pictures, please" pose as we set the table.

My parents and siblings arrived that evening and I led Seder. As usual when my family all gets together, it was hilarious and just barely on-topic. (I think Seder was interrupted twice to discuss movies and other completely random stuff.) The food was fantastic and basically the evening was just what I wanted it to be!

Mom's matzo ball soup and charoset.

The main course!

The funniest part of dinner - second only to my sister singing the four questions - was Zach asking if there were rolls to go with the brisket. (On Passover, you don't eat bread. I was like, "Um, matzah?")

I made that!

After dinner, we hung out a bit and I showed off the development of our baby pineapples and bananas. Steph and Gordon spent the night, but everyone else headed out after a few rounds of family pictures.

Zach testing the Indo Board.

Steph taking a turn.

Zach and Matt are matching and didn't even plan it!

The family :o) We're all pretty much color-coordinated now that I think about it. We must have read each other's minds.

Passover is definitely my favorite holiday. Its message of freedom has always resonated deeply with me, and our particular Haggadah draws our attention to the fact that the Jewish people, having suffered oppression, are called upon to seek freedom for all oppressed people. I love that Passover is still so relevant today; although the current situation in Israel is tenuous (to say the least), the holiday gives me hope for the future.

Do you ever host holidays at your house?

What's your favorite holiday?

What's your favorite holiday meal?

ABK

Spring Break Plans

Thursday afternoon, as I finished my grades for quarter three and cleaned up my room in preparation for spring break, I realized something...I have a glorious 11 days off!

Depending on how spring break and Easter coincide, we either get 7 days of SB and then a long weekend later for Easter, or one extra-long break. That's what happened this year!

We had the 27th off in exchange for our Saturday open house early in the year, and because grades were due before we went on break, I have lots of free time to plan quarter 4 and relax this week!

I am so excited. After traveling to Houston last week, I've been dragging this week. We worked all through the weekend and didn't have a single day to recuperate afterward, so all of us were pretty wiped. I truly feel this break was earned...and I plan to spend it wisely.

Here are some of the things I hope to focus on over break.

Running. I have a 10k and a 5k in April that I need to get back on track training for. I originally wanted to PR this 10k, so if I still want to stick with that plan, I have a lot of work to do in the next couple weeks. It may be tough because it's hard to run in glasses and I'm officially out of contacts until my surgery, and then after surgery I'm supposed to take a few days off from exercise...but I need to get some running in!

Meg messaged me and Kristin about this one...we'll be running it together and dressing appropriately for the theme!

Music. There are so many songs on my running playlist I need to purge, and a bunch of new songs I can't wait to add! It's been much too long since I've made any updates to my playlist.

A few songs I'll be adding to my list.

LASIK. My surgery is happening over break! Like I mentioned before, I'm currently on a contact-lens ban until the day of surgery, which may conflict with my running plans...but it also means that I wore contacts for the last time ever on Thursday!

Passover. Matt and I are hosting Passover again this year; it will be the first time hosting it in our new house! I'm going to try my hand at brisket and hope it comes out well. I've already eaten my weight in GF matzo...I may be the only person on earth who actually likes matzo.

This was a no-brainer...why did I even ask?

Cleaning. Over the last couple weeks, I've been putting housework aside in order to grade some big projects from my students and prepare for the Houston trip; now that I have some downtime and we're having family come for Passover, it's time to give the house a deep cleaning.

Painting. Our house is pink, but it hopefully won't be much longer! Matt and I want to try to get it painted over break...but first we have to pick a color! We've been using a virtual painting tool online to get an idea; it's kind of hilarious.

Spoiler alert: we are not going for this canary yellow, much to my chagrin.

Needless to say, I'm going to be keeping myself busy. Spring break always marks an interested turning point in the year... the last quarter of the school year is already upon us! Quarter four is always the most stressful, but also the most rewarding. I'm grateful to have some time off to relax and prepare myself for what's to come.

How did you usually spend spring break when you were a student?
Do you still take a spring break vacation?

ABK

Next Year in Jerusalem

I really like running on holidays. There's something about it that really helps to focus me, while at the same time giving me something to reflect on during the run. My Christmas morning run was perfect, serene, and life-affirming, a perfect example of what a holiday run can be.

Passover began Monday evening, but it wasn't really a good day for a run. While I am on spring break, I was planning for the Seder all day, and we had our running group the next evening with six miles planned. On top of all that, I've been having some pain in my left hip/buttocks that I'm almost positive is shoe-related. I needed to take Monday off and do my Passover run Tuesday. Luckily, the holiday lasts a full week, so it's hardly cheating.

Seder was special this year. My brother Z moved back from Colorado and was in town just in time to celebrate. S came up from school, my parents drove in, and M and I hosted a family-focused Seder.

Something else made this an especially important year for me. My dad's mom passed away this week, and I was reflecting heavily on the fact that her family line is where our Judaism comes from. It meant so much to have everyone back in town on the heels of receiving that news.

This was the first year I got to use my Grandma's (mom's mom) Waterford crystal that she gave us for our wedding.

The family milling about in the background and taking pics...how many cell phones can you count?

Passover is a holiday of remembrance, of celebrating freedom, and of accepting responsibility for all people who still fight under the hand of an oppressor. It's probably the holiday that I identify with most and find the most relevant to our world today.

Even Archie got in on the celebration...he really enjoys his matzo.

We were too quick for my camera! The flourless chocolate cake was half-gone by the time I snapped this pic.

The run today was a good way to celebrate freedom from bondage. I chose to only run four miles today because of my hip and the race on Saturday. (I feel like an actual mature runner, keeping my injuries in mind!) AP was there, but I ran the majority of it alone, and that was fine. Bright sun, strong wind, 59-degrees, and a peaceful run was just what I needed. I hated every step today, but I'm grateful for the ability to run, the time I have to dedicate to things I love, the people I can share it with, and the freedom it affords my mind.

How can I run this path and not feel totally at peace?

I layered my socks again...but you can barely tell! Talk about matching!

 On a final note, I was talking to KS about the race on Saturday and this really cracked me up:

She thinks an inter-coastal bridge is small for me! Who am I, Superwoman?!

I'm looking forward to a PR Saturday, so here's hoping ice, foam-rolling, ibuprofen, and lots of stretches help get me in tip-top shape. I'm thinking I won't run again this week until the race.

The sacrifices we make for the sport, eh?

ABK