Nice People Thread No. 15, a Cyber Summer

Pyxis

silvercar wrote: »

We begin Passover tonight.

Not sure what is more stressful, all the pre-passover cleaning and cooking* or how everyone around the table is going to interact tonight. Rare occasion for in-laws and mother to be with us at the same time, add the boys and DS2-GF to the mix and hope everyone will get along!

*Passover story is of the Jews leaving Egypt in a rush, to symbolise that the bread they had baked did not have time to rise, any food containing bread products is forbidden, which basically means cooking every meal from scratch without any foods containing wheat or rice. as there are a lot of family staying, that means a lot of cooking.

Why is rice considered to be a bread product?
Or is it all grains?


I didn't know that all bread products were forbidden, only that matzos are eaten instead of ordinary bread., due to being unleavened. Am I wrong about that?


Does one say "Happy Passover?"

silvercar

Pyxis wrote: »

Why is rice considered to be a bread product?
Or is it all grains?


I didn't know that all bread products were forbidden, only that matzos are eaten instead of ordinary bread., due to being unleavened. Am I wrong about that?


Does one say "Happy Passover?"

There is a debate about rice, but most Jews that originally came from Europe don't eat it on Passover. All the main grains are out. It should be a diet week, but instead you tend to eat to much of everything and never feel full.

We eat matzo and use ground matzo as a (very poor) flour substitute. Other than that all bread products are forbidden.

DS2 is relieved that he moved out 2 weeks ago! He will take a couple of boxes of matzo back with him as a token gesture. DS1 has supplied a list of passover biscuits he would like me to make!

Very strange to have in-laws and mother staying here and no kids; I hope the weather is nice!

Pyxis

silvercar wrote: »

There is a debate about rice, but most Jews that originally came from Europe don't eat it on Passover. All the main grains are out. It should be a diet week, but instead you tend to eat to much of everything and never feel full.

We eat matzo and use ground matzo as a (very poor) flour substitute. Other than that all bread products are forbidden.

DS2 is relieved that he moved out 2 weeks ago! He will take a couple of boxes of matzo back with him as a token gesture. DS1 has supplied a list of passover biscuits he would like me to make!

Very strange to have in-laws and mother staying here and no kids; I hope the weather is nice!

Do they get on? The inlaws and mother?

chris_m

silvercar wrote: »

*Passover story is of the Jews leaving Egypt in a rush,

The Israelites, surely?
Didn't the term "Jew" come later?

Pyxis

chris_m wrote: »

The Israelites, surely?
Didn't the term "Jew" come later?

That got me wondering, so I googled...........found this.....


"Originally, the word referred to members of the tribe of Judah, but later it described anyone from the kingdom of Judah. This would include those from the northern kingdom of Israel who moved to Judah, including Mordecai’s ancestors. Also, as those who returned after the exile settled in Judea, they were called Jews regardless of their ancestoral tribe. In the New Testament, the words, “Hebrews”, “Israelltes”, and “Jews” are used interchangeably to describe the descendants of Jacob (Jn. 4:9; 2 Cor. 11:22). And this is the case today – the words “Hebrews”, “Israelltes”, and “Jews” are used as synonyms."

Reference georgesjournal.net, which seems to be a forum for questions on all things Jewish.

silvercar

Pyxis wrote: »

Do they get on? The inlaws and mother?

They live 300 miles apart, so they don't actually see each other that often. Last time they saw each other was 2 years ago, but they weren't all staying with me then, so that was only for a shorter time.

On the surface they are fine together but MIL is wary that anything she say's could be misinterpreted by M, so tends to keep much quieter than her usual bubbly self. OH and I notice the undercurrents.

I am sure things will be fine.

Pyxis

silvercar wrote: »

.

I am sure things will be fine.

that was typed with furrowed brow and semi-gritted teeth, wasn't it?

Pyxis

PasturesNew wrote: »

I think, for a lot of people, the "problem" is that hosts insist on visitors staying at their house - and/or guests "expect" to stay over.... when, for a lot, the nearest B&B would be better - visiting all day, returning to the B&B to change/sleep/get away from the others

Maybe silvercar could book into a local B&B and leave them all to it

Sounds like a plan, Pastures!

Conrad

For the first time yesterday evening I fired-up the fire pit I've been building. Would it work, would there be enough air flow, would it cook properly, was the grill too high, would it smoke like heck and upset the neighbours who were in their garden, would it explode? Bit windy too.


Don't know how to post own photos onto MSE - tried photobucket, did not get on with it


Pruned off some Juniper and Rosemary boughs and put them in water.


Spent an age wandering back and fourth to the house trying to think of everything I'd need. Home cured salmon, home made 'Swedish' pickles, lamb chops, bread, salads, on and on it went.


Where to put all this stuff - the fire pit is not by any table


Dragged over table tennis table - it's wonky


Precariously set everything out - have I got rubbish sacks for fish bones etc, where will I wash my hands after handling raw meat - I know I'll take out a bowl of washing up water - oh and lemon water to wash sticky fingers while eating


Just kept coming to a standstill wondering if I'd prepared everything for this new adventure. Where are the matches? What if my new bark area around the pit catches fire?


Got all the fire wood together ready for the moment of truth - dried birch wood was strongly recommended in the Nordic fire pit cooking books.


Well, the heat was just like a blast furnace - this birch wood thang is true - the heat and evenness of heat were extraordinary.


Put boughs of wet Juniper on the grill, damn started catching light right away, this cant be right


Moved it - eyebroughs singed


Nervously added first fish - Salmon - damn one side is cooking the other isn't - is it?


Heat is extraordinary - too many logs I think but very little smoke so neighbours wont be put out


Added Mackerel etc


Damn the whole pit is alive - groaning and moving - little bits of slate fire out from the outer walls into my brother bare legs - what a laugh


The inner walls crack - I expected this - but it's dis-heartening after all my weekends slaving on it


Anyway, this post is getting too long


In the end the food was great, this Nordic cooking turned out perfect, but many lessons learned


Next time will cook large slabs of meat so it's not such a frenetic cook


8pm knackered


6am awoken by tapping - the mad Finch is still flying into all of our windows. Doesn't seem affected. His mate a Bullfinch that never moves far from the windows due to his having a club foot, looks at me as if he owns the place.

Pyxis

I recently got fed up with photobucket, and now use postimage, as it's much easier.

https://postimage.io

On the page, click on CHOOSE IMAGES
(Don't click on the other options about resize or expiry).

You then have the option of taking a photo or choosing from your camera roll etc.

So, choose your photo, and when it has loaded, you will have a choice of URLs. Use the Direct Link option and click on the icon at the far right of the URL....that automatically copies the URL address for you.

Come out of Postimage and go into MSE, then on your post, select the mountain icon (don't know what it's called) and paste the URL address on the address bar that comes up, firstly deleting the http thing that's always in the address bar. (Why is it there, when you always have to delete it?)
Check in preview.