HANUKKAH: OUR FAMILY TRADITIONS - HOLIDAY BLOG TOUR

**UPDATE**
The Holiday Blog Tour is from 2017


What's a nice Jewish girl doing in a Cozy At Christmas Holiday Blog Tour? 
Writing about Hanukkah traditions, of course!
 Thank you, to my friend, Katie, at Let's Add Sprinkles for including me!
At the bottom of this post, you will find links to 25 bloggers participating in the tour.
I hope you will visit them........
But first, let's talk about Hanukkah! 

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Hanukkah is six days away, and how much have I done so far?
Zero, zilch, nada.
It's not that it takes much time to get ready..........
There's no decorating involved, as I've explained before.
Really, all I have to do is go down to the basement and bring up a few things.........
it will probably take me all of 20 minutes, but I'm procrastinating.  

Okay, I'm getting off my lazy derriere right this minute to haul that stuff upstairs. 

As I pull out menorahs, dreidels, and the like,
it's hard not to get caught up in the memories that each piece conjures up.

There's the big brass menorah that belonged to my grandparents, who I never knew.
I think it's one of the only things they brought with them from Russia,
and although I'm not 100% sure of that fact, I like to think it's true. 
There are no markings on it that I can find, 
and I'm guessing this menorah is both worthless and priceless, if that makes any sense.  
Perhaps if Antiques Roadshow makes a stop in NJ some time soon,
I can have that question answered.
I polish it up, and it looks pretty darn good for being at least a hundred years old.

 
Oh, here's the cheapy one I bought at CVS -- I don't even remember when,
but probably at least 20 years ago.

I don't remember if I bought the menorah "house" for Junior GS, or if someone else did.
Regardless, it was his clear favorite throughout childhood.
He loved deciding which candles to use each night.

I remember the first time we let him use the Shamash (the main candle) 
to light the other candles.......

It was a rite of passage!

Junior GS made the other two menorahs back in his pre-school days,

and they'll be on display just as they are every year.

I wonder whose brilliant idea it was to make a menorah out of wood???
Needless to say, we don't light that one, lol! 

I check the bulbs for the electric menorah I've had since my first apartment.

Still working! I don't think I've ever replaced them, lol!
Its place of honor is in the living room window for all to see,

as it's considered a "mitzvah" (a religious good deed) 
to remind the world of the Hanukkah miracle.

The menorah we bought in Israel is so beautiful,

and such a work of art, I can't bear to see it only at Hanukkah,

so it stays on display in the family room all year round.

 For Hanukkah, it comes off the shelf to join the other menorahs.

I place the 2,000 year-old pottery pieces we got in Israel next to it,

which brings a lump to my throat, as it does every year.

 The menorah and the pottery have a special story (read about that here), 

the telling of which has become a tradition of mine for the past five years,
and will continue as long as I can get people to listen!

As far back as my memory goes, 
this is the menorah my parents lit when my sister and I were kids.
We'd fight over who got to choose the candles each night.
It's in terrible shape, and probably of no monetary value, 
but I'll never get rid of it.
 Boy, it brings back memories..........
especially the tradition we had of finding the presents 
which my parents hid under the couch, in a plant, on a shelf.

After saying the blessing over the candles, and lighting them, 
half the excitement of Hanukkah was searching for those gifts......
the other half was opening them, of course! 
I still remember when I found a Barbie Dream House behind the dining room drapes.
Man, that was the best Hanukkah ever!

We've continued the gift-hiding tradition with Junior GS all these years.
I wonder if he'll still want to play that game now that he's in college!
"You're getting colder, warmer, burning hot!' 
I'm preparing myself to hear that this is a tradition we should put to rest. 

Eighteen years ago, our friends gave this dreidel to Junior GS when he was born!
 


Oh, and this one? Such fond memories of finding it on clearance 
at TJ Maxx a couple of years ago, lol!

Junior GS bought me a little pillow at the school holiday fair
back when he was in elementary school.
I still adore it. 
 I hang it on the door knob, and that is the extent of my Hanukkah decorating.
Done and done. 

Okay, now I need to start thinking about gifts, which are mostly for Junior GS.
He's away at college, so our tradition of a gift (or two) 
on each of the eight nights will have to be modified.
Is he too old for that?
Nah, I don't think so........
Maybe I'll mail a couple to him, and then when he comes home, 
we can do the gift-a-night thing.
Our tradition has been to give him his big gift on the last night.
But what-oh-what will we give him????

As I'm looking to see if we have any Hanukkah wrapping paper,
my eyes drift over to the ping pong table, which was the "big gift" a few years ago.
It still makes me laugh my head off when I think how the table was delivered, and set up, literally behind Junior GS' back........
He was so oblivious to everything while he was playing his video games,
that it wasn't until the table was completely set up that he noticed it for the first time.

I can't forget a present for Sadie -- she loves Hanukkah!
She gets so excited when she hears us singing the blessing over the candles! 
She starts barking and howling,
because she knows it means a gift for her -- usually a few treats in wrapping paper.

On the last night, she gets her "big" gift, too -- a new toy.

I better contact Aunt Goo Shoes and figure out a date 
for our annual family Hanukkah party. 
Every year, she brings Junior GS a pile of gifts..........

 and she always makes potato latkes!

I'm a wee bit teary as I think about how our Hanukkah traditions 
need to be modified, now that Junior GS is grown. 
Things change.........that's the way it's supposed to be, right?

But, the great thing about traditions is that 
it's never too late to start new ones!

Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate!

 

 I am honored that my Hanukkah post is included in 

the Cozy At Christmas Holiday Blog Tour!

Thank you, Katie, at Let's Add Sprinkles for organizing this extravaganza!

Each day this week, a talented roster of bloggers 

features their takes on the holiday season.

Please visit them, and you are sure to find something that inspires you! 

Cozy At Christmas 

Day 1
County Road 407
The B Farm
Decor To Adore
 Let's Add Sprinkles

Day 2
Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Ever Evolving Home
DIY Beautify
Opulent Cottage
Joy In Our Home

Day 3
My Heart Lives Here
Patina and Paint
Hyacinths for the Soul 
My Thrift Store Addiction
Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Day 4
Poofing the Pillows

Botanic Bleu
At Rivercrest Cottage
White Spray Paint

Day 5

Art and Sand
At Home With Jemma
Monica Wants It 

The Dedicated House

Ash Tree Cottage

LINKING WITH:
Best Of The Weekend
Wow Us Wednesday
Share Your Style

OLD BAY SHRIMP SALAD AND FAMILY DINNER TIME

 Does your family eat dinner together every night?

From the time I was a kid, dinner time was equated with family time.

It was important to me to continue this ritual throughout Junior Goo Shoes' childhood.

True, I was aware of the many studies which showed eating together as a family 
reaps a multitude of benefits, such as kids making healthier food choices,

being less likely to be depressed,

and decreasing the chance that they will turn to drugs and alcohol.

But in my house, it was also a matter of practicality. 

It was the only time of day that we were all together, 
and could sit down to share the details of our day.

Admittedly, those "details" from Junior Goo Shoes 
sometimes consisted of just one word -- "Good."

The nights when he was more verbose 
compensated for those meals of monosyllabic utterances.
And, not for nothing, it gave Junior GS a chance to hear about things 
that were important to us........
our political views, insights into what we were like in our younger days, 
our values, and the like.  
Sometimes, it was a chance to be plain old silly together.

Just before the end of the school year, 
 the dinner dynamic in our household began to change. 

"I won't be home for supper. I'm going out with my friends."
If I was lucky, I was told this early enough in the day to plan accordingly,

but more often than not, I'd be setting the table for three,

when Junior GS finally let me know it was one place setting too many.

This went on for a good week or two, and I became increasingly frustrated.  

If I prepared a meal for the three of us, undoubtedly he'd have other plans.  
If I assumed he wouldn't be home, 
it was a sure bet that he'd bound through the door, asking what was for dinner.

On one of these nights when I didn't know whether Junior GS would be home or not,

 Mr. GS said he felt like having a light supper..........

"Something like shrimp salad would be good."

I did a quick google-search for "something-like-shrimp-salad,"  

and, in the end, went with a recipe from Southern Living, but made a few modifications.

 I used more mayo than the recipe called for, and added worcestershire sauce for flavor. 

I knew Junior GS wouldn't eat anything-like-shrimp-salad,

so I kept some cooked shrimp on the side for him to eat plain, 
should he decide to grace us with his presence.

As it happened, he didn't eat home that night.

I mixed the shrimp I had set aside for him into the something-like-shrimp-salad,

which gave Mr. GS and I more than enough for two meals (yay, leftovers!).

Two things were made clear that night.

First, I'd be making this shrimp salad again and again - it was delish!

Second, I had enough of Junior GS' BS about dinner time.

So, I made a suggestion to him that went something like this:

"Since you work Monday - Thursday till 5pm, 
why don't you plan to have dinner with us on those nights?

One, you'll get a healthy meal into you, instead of eating Taco Bell seven nights a week;

Two, it's free. You won't have to spend half your paycheck on buying your own dinners;

Three, in a couple of months you'll be off to college, 
and nightly family dinners will be a thing of the past."

(True, this last one was a risk - 
I wasn't sure if it would be an opportunity for him to assert his independence).

Four, which remained unspoken, was that we hardly ever see him anymore, 

and I really missed the three of us having dinner time together.
A sappy sentiment from mom would have surely backfired.

Mr. Goo Shoes had a "good-luck-with-that" look on his face 
as I uttered my "Declaration of Mom-Dependence,"

but to our utter surprise, Junior GS simply said, "Okay."

And just like that, family dinners were back on the table, at least for four nights a week.

If you want the original shrimp salad recipe from Southern Living, click here.

If you want to take my word for it that this was the best 
some-thing-like-shrimp-salad I've had, follow my adaptation, below. 

OLD BAY SHRIMP SALAD
Recipe adapted from Southern Living


1 1/4 pound cooked shrimp, chopped
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/3 cup finely diced onion
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp old bay seasoning
1/4 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
salt to taste 

Mix together shrimp and next six ingredients. 
Cover and chill 2 hours before serving. 

Today, as you ponder what to make for a light meal,

give this recipe a try.

It might just be the best something-like-shrimp-salad ever.  

LINKING WITH:
Best of the Weekend 
Home Sweet Home
Home and Garden Thursday  
Cooking and Crafting With J & J 
Metamorphosis Monday

I'M IN A "SUNSHINE STATE" OF MIND: DISCOVERING DEERFIELD BEACH

You know that feeling when you just need to get away from the beat of the everyday drum? 

If anyone would have told me that after I stopped working,
I'd still feel, at times, like I badly needed a vacation, I'd have said,  
"Vacation from what?"

I would have bah-hah-hah'd them from here to Florida.

 Work pressures, crazy bosses, deadlines piling up faster than a teenager's laundry...........

that's what warrants a vacation!
Certainly a non-working, blog-writing mom doesn't NEED a vacation. 

Oh, but she did. 

Even without stress of the corporate variety, 
I found myself pining for warmer climes, a change of scenery....

and a break from the day-to-day. 
Maybe the fact that I couldn't shake a bronchial virus for weeks earlier in the winter 
had me desperate to feel the sun on my face, and sand between my toes. 
Then again, I don't really need need a reason 
to pack up my travel-size toiletries, and head for somewhere.....anywhere.
Travel is my caffeine, and I crave it constantly. 

And, so when Mr. Goo Shoes decided he wanted to see his cousins in Florida,

we booked a last-minute, long weekend in the Sunshine State.

The only time we could get away was over President's Weekend,

when Junior Goo Shoes had a couple of days off from school.

Unfortunately, it's the most popular (translation: expensive!) week of winter to travel.
As we we didn't book this trip until January,
 I didn't hold much hope for finding a hotel room, 
 let alone one that didn't cost the equivalent of a semester at college.

We were hoping to stay in the Delray Beach area,

as close to the ocean as possible,  
but everywhere I searched, I was met with virtual "No Vacancy" signs.  

When a hotel popped up in Deerfield Beach,

I had to google-map it to see exactly where it was.
Located mid-way between West Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale,
and only 15 miles from Delray, it seemed like a good destination.
It was a tad risky, as we knew nothing about the area.
What if Deerfield turned out to be more like Drearfield?

  
We needn't have worried.
 Deerfield Beach proved to be a fantastic location!
 
 We stayed at the Embassy Suites Hotel......
it wasn't fancy, but was nice enough for the purposes of this trip.
It met several criteria:

Beachfront.
All suites
Pool.
Breakfast Included.

An all-suites hotel was a win-win:

 Junior GS could have his own room, bathroom, and TV,
and we didn't have to deal with his mess.
It was a very spacious room, had a narrow balcony,
and a partial ocean view.

Considering its oceanfront location, and the fact that it was a holiday week,
the rates were quite reasonable.  
The free breakfast buffet was impressive,
and included made-to-order omelets, if you didn't mind waiting.
I minded, so I stuck with oatmeal.   
(Okay, to be honest, I was rationing my calories for alcoholic beverages). 

Junior GS preferred to sleep late, and skip breakfast.
Fortunately, the pool restaurant opened for lunch at 11am,
and he had no problem with buffalo chicken wings being his first meal of the day. 
When he couldn't finish them, I polished them off,
and I must admit, they make a fine mid-morning snack.

The beach was just across a narrow street from our hotel.

 

Mr. Goo Shoes and I consider ourselves something of beach connoisseurs, 
and this one was fabulous!

Junior GS walking down the beach.

The beach is public, so chairs were not supplied by the hotel.
We had to rent them from a third party.
They didn't come cheap ($12 per chair, $12 per umbrella, $15 per cabana),
but at least we were able to charge them to our hotel.
It would have been more economical to purchase inexpensive chairs and umbrellas 
at a local store, and toss (or give) them to someone when we left.
Had we done that, 
it would have guaranteed that we'd have rain for the remainder of the trip.
Better to spend an arm and a leg to keep our limbs from getting sunburned,
  rather than risk jinxing the weather pattern
(which turned out to be perfect, by the way 😎).

That's Junior GS, in the lounge chair.

We didn't realize until we arrived, that our hotel was on the quiet end of the strip,
This was totally fine with us, as it was only about a half-mile walk 
 down South Ocean Way to the main hub of Deerfield Beach.

The small "downtown" area was quite lively.
The restaurants and bars, all within a walk-able distance of each other, 
were hopping at night.

One of our favorite restaurants was JB's On The Beach.
Unfortunately, we didn't get a table outside on the deck,
but inside was pretty cool, with a giant Hobie Cat hanging from the rafters......
 and the cocktails ......er, I mean, the food -- was great.

JB's On The Beach

 
The main attraction in Deerfield Beach is the pier,
right in the center of all the action.

 The $1 fee to walk on the pier
was cheap entertainment for our last night in town. 

Junior GS seems to have lost his head.

The view from the pier.

It wasn't until we got home that I found out there were three live webcams set up at the pier,
including one in the water where you can watch the sea life swim by.
Cooooooool.

One night, we took a ride 15 miles north to the very happening town of Delray Beach.

Anyone who is anyone, and everyone who is no one
(meaning, us) was on trendy Atlantic Avenue that night.
With Junior Goo Shoes on a one-teenager quest to find the ultimate burger,
we skipped the fancy restaurants and headed straight to The Office, 
an upscale gastropub with expensive casual food and craft beer.
Junior GS had to forego the beer, 
but he did proclaim the burger to be one of the best he's ever had. 
I had a tuna steak sandwich, 
which was actually like a giant piece of sashimi on a bun.
Yum!
It's rare that I allow myself an order of french fries,
but when the waitress said I could "upgrade" to truffle fries,
well, friends, all I can say is, I'm only human.

It's hard to a get a good picture at night without people snarling at you,
so this blurry one will have to do.  

After telling the waitress we were too full for dessert,  
we waddled across the street to It's Sugar, a candy store.
If you know anything about me at all, 
it's that I have ZERO self control when it comes to sugary confections.
It does not help matters at all, that Mr. Goo Shoes is as bad as me.
Fortunately, Junior Goo Shoes was there to slap our wrists:
"Mom, Dad, that's ENOUGH candy!"

All Junior GS wanted was some salt-water taffy,
and we all had a good laugh when this is what he found.

All in all, Deerfield Beach was a terrific place to stay.
Next time, I'd LOVE to stay at the swanky boutique hotel -- Royal Blues,
or rent a gorgeous condo right on the beach. 
But, I've got no complaints about this last trip.



It was just long enough to change my
New York state of mind into a sunshine state of mind.
 
   

Resources:
Deerfield Beach, FL (official site)
Deerfield Beach Live Webcams
Embassy Suites Hotel, Deerfield Beach
JB's On The Beach, Deerfield Beach 

Cafe Med, Deerfield Beach

The Office, Delray Beach 

It's Sugar, Delray Beach 
Royal Blues Hotel, Deerfield Beach

   

LINKING WITH:
Best of the Weekend