Shavua tov!

I received one of the best stories ever for Yuletide and I want everyone to read it. :)

Esther and the Egg

I am alive. I am well. I am cooking at work. I'm just not feeling the blog right now.

I'm active on twitter and in Adam Lambert fandom, and I'm actually writing, and seeing my therapist. I'm very sorry if people worried.

I've been needing new bras for awhile, and I know I've changed shape, so I went to a lingerie shop and got measured. ( tmiCollapse )

It's been a very long month - longest month of June, ever (and I know it's July.) jonbaker has one more day of sheloshim (first thirty days of mourning) before he...doesn't change a huge amount for the next ten months, except that he will now alternate leading his work minyan with another mourner instead of being the only one.( Read more...Collapse )

During the period of mourning, one is not permitted to get new clothing (although some limit that to *good* clothing, the kind worn on Shabbos or for celebrations.) However, sometimes it's necessary.

An example - not only is jonbaker doing extremely well on Weight Watchers (so proud of him!), but he was in desperate need of a new suit before his father passed. His current one is very, very worn. We just didn't have time to get him one. So, is he stuck?

There's a solution - have someone else wear the clothing - really wear it, not just try it on - first. Then it's no longer new. Jonathan's a big guy, and probably always will be despite the weight loss, but we do have a close friend who is, if not equally large, at least not small.

He's contemplating the phone call he'd need to make. "Hey, Stuart! I want your body!"

(Note - I was drinking coffee when he told me this. Barely averted disaster.)

June 21, 2010

June 16, 2010

I probably should have written about this before, but it's been very emotional for all of us.
( Read more...Collapse )

We spent Shabbat at home. ( Read more...Collapse )

New cooking blog post

I am overwhelmed with the sympathy and love I'm feeling from your comments tonight. He was a wonderful, gentle man who played trumpet and taught music. I will miss him so much.

Damn. mamadeb1963@gmail.com

I'm very sorry. Will edit previous post.

My beloved father-in-law, Sydney Baker, passed on today.

Funeral will be 1:30PM tomorrow at the Plaza - 630 Amsterdam Ave at 91st St in Manhattan.
Shiva will be at the family home starting that evening. Please email me at mamadeb@gmail.com or debra.baker3@verizon.net for more information. mamadeb1963@gmail.com I'm sorry.

He was a wonderful and special man, and the world is now a poorer place.

This can be passed on or posted to appropriate communities.

( 1. My ears are now pierced againCollapse )

http://mamadeb.wordpress.com/2010/06/08/working-cook-june-7-2010/

June 2, 2010

June 1, 2010

Our stove died a week ago, the first night of Shavuot. Well, the oven did. Today, my new one arrived. My first new stove. All the burners work! It has a high output burner, a simmer burner, a self-cleaning oven and a Sabbath Mode. I'm VERY happy.

May 25 and 26, 2010

May 21 and 24, 2010

I was really busy beforehand,so here's my yom tov menu.

I started with a major handicap - I discovered on yom tov that my oven isn't working. The burners are, but not the oven itself. It won't ignite, not even with a match. This made for some menu changes. We'll get it fixed next week. Shabbat dinner will be made in the crockpot and we're going out for lunch.

Tuesday night - whole wheat penne with ricotta cheese, pine nuts, sundried tomatoes, scallions, garlic and olive oil. And salad. No guests.

Wednesday lunch (very late because people stay up all night) - Salad with tehina dressing (mixed with olive oil, lime juice and lemon juice to salad dressing consistency), guacamole, humus, cucumber spears. 2nd course - scrambled eggs with heated salsa. WAS going to be shakshuka, but I always have to finish that in the oven. Thus - compromise. Also, whole wheat pita and mimosas made with Proseco - delicious. And my guests brought pareve ice cream cake because she can't eat dairy right now.

Wednesday dinner - chicken filet, noodles and green beans.

Thursday lunch - pan-cooked tuna steak, leftover noodles (couldn't bake the potatoes as planned) and asparagus. And more ice cream cake.

May 14, 17 and 18, 2010

May 12 and 13, 2010

Working Cook May 7 and May 10, 2010

Also, I seem to be writing an Age of Sail Kradam story.

I started wearing my new scrub skirts today. They're a bit cheesy in material, but lightweight, comfortable and have large pockets. They're also straight skirts and more slimming, according to jonbaker, than the knit a-lines I've been living in.

Now I need to find NICE straight skirts with kick *pleats* because I don't like wearing slits. It's a modesty thing.

May 6, 2010

May 5, 2010

May 4, 2010