jewishfeminist02

No, you don’t have to get used to it! Don’t wear heels if you don’t feel comfortable in them. I personally only wear heels to weddings (and my high school graduation). The right shidduch will not insist that you wear something that hurts you and leaves lasting damage.

If you really want to try again, however, I recommend a short, chunky heel as opposed to a tall, spindly one. This type of shoe will give your feet the necessary support. Alternatively, you can wear espadrilles or wedges, which I find to be just as comfortable as flats.

I happen to be dating someone who is approximately the same height as me, but if your shidduch is taller, you can experiment with different types of shoes. Payless has some great styles, or if you’re like me and enjoy shopping online, try zappos.com and 6pm.com. You can also join a shoe of the month club, such as JustFab.

Everyone has different standards & different rebbeim will tell you different things. I wish you much mazal in finding a better shidduch.

Cool, I’ll have to try it 🙂

A Dutch oven is just a large pot.

This reminds me of the Facebook group “if you wanna be forgiven before yom kippur” that everybody joins and supposedly, by joining, indicates that they forgive everyone else who has joined.

I don’t know, I get suspicious of these things. I’m not sure that there’s a reliable halachic basis.

I know boys who like healthy food and girls who like unhealthy food, as well as many people of both genders who appreciate both.

Friday night cholent is an interesting idea. How do you keep it from burning since the crockpot stays on for all of Shabbos? Or do you make it in a Dutch oven instead?

In legal usage of the word “whereas” (generally for contracts) it is taken to mean “considering that…”

Why are pleated skirts required at Bais Yaakov and seminary? Are the skirts somehow supposed to be more tznius if they have pleats?

I never went to Bais Yaakov or seminary, so I’m genuinely curious.

Healthy does not have to taste bad! It is easy to make cholent and kugel healthy and no one will know the difference. Kishka is significantly more difficult, but not impossible.

Well, if you’re nervous about passing your test, then the stress from studying could legitimately ruin your Shabbos even if you normally enjoy learning Torah. But again, I think hachana is a more important issur.

Oneg shabbos is the issue? I would think hachana is a larger problem.

It can’t be nearly Pesach until Purim comes!

So what’s wrong with healthy? Healthy can be delicious too. Even cholent and kishka and kugel can be healthy.

Rebbetzin Jungreis is indeed more well-known than her husband. I heard her speak in Baltimore a few months ago and her book The Committed Life, given to me as a high school graduation gift, is one of the most inspirational and uplifting books I have ever read.

Speaking of names and titles, Rebbetzin Jungreis married a third cousin and never had to change her name.

Have you ever heard of a shul hiring an unmarried rabbi? No serious shul will accept a rabbi without a rebbetzin, and most mandate that the rebbetzin be present throughout the interviewing process. She is not just the “first lady” of the shul. She has an integral role in the spiritual leadership of the shul community.

No, it was all the different cookie recipes- but I have Crisco on the brain anyway. One of the books I’m reading for my journalism class has a really long section on the marketing of Crisco by Procter and Gamble and the effect it had on the advertising industry.

August 27th, 1892- Fire at the New York City Metropolitan Opera House.

August 27th, 1927- Parks College of aviation opens.

August 27th, 1932- 200,000 textile workers go on strike in England.

August 27th, 1955- The first edition of the Guinness Book of World Records is published.

August 27th, 1967- Naomi Sims becomes the first black model to pose for the cover of an American magazine.

August 27th, 1983- Haiti adopts a constitution.

August 27th, 1984- President Ronald Reagan announces the Teacher in Space project.

August 27th, 1985- The 20th Space Shuttle Mission is launched.

August 27th, 1991- Moldavia declares independence from the U.S.S.R.

August 27th, 1995- Tiger Woods wins his 95th U.S. Golf Amateur Championship.

Certain types of epilepsy run in families. So a person with epilepsy would be more likely to have a child with epilepsy, but the risk is still very small.

Back off and let the other person have some space. If you are constantly together, you will continue to fight. If, however, you keep a distance, you’ll soon forget why you were so angry in the first place.

My brother once did something that upset me, and immediately afterwards said, “I’m sorry I did that to you yesterday.” Confused, I said, “What?” and he responded, “Yeah, we should pretend it happened yesterday so you won’t be mad at me anymore.”

Strong familial relationships can withstand fighting. Sibling rivalry is normal; the trick is to keep it contained to small quibbles and not let it blow up into an ongoing, festering grudge.

I have a similar problem, since I’m vegetarian, my mother gets heartburn from spicy foods, and my brother doesn’t like vegetables. It seems like it’s impossible to cook a meal that we all like! Actually, what usually ends up happening is that whatever I cook satisfies two of us and the other one can at least tolerate it, and since it rotates like this, no one starves.

Another technique that I use is to cook two or three small “side dishes” instead of one big entree, so we can pick and choose.

Cooking always requires creativity. This is just another type of challenge.

Caffeine, not sugar, is the greater concern with soda.

I know too many people who have to slowly decrease their soda consumption a week before fast days so they don’t get caffeine withdrawal symptoms. This applies to coffee as well, though coffee (in moderation) has other health benefits that soda does not.

Some notes from the resident vegetarian in the CR:

Seitan is a meat substitute made from wheat gluten. I don’t know how to make it from scratch and would not recommend trying it, but you can find it packaged in blocks or strips in health food stores or Asian markets. Many brands are kosher; I use the Westsoy brand, which is under the Star-K. (I like the Chicken-Style variety, but it comes in other forms as well.) It’s very versatile and can be used in many different dishes. It’s been eight years since I last tasted meat, but my determinedly carnivorous little brother says that seitan does a good job of mimicking the taste and texture of real chicken. I would definitely recommend trying it. The only downside is that you can’t find it in supermarkets, so it does require a trip to the health food store.

Tofu is similarly versatile and delicious, although it doesn’t have the same meaty taste. Last night for dinner, I made Tofu Teriyaki, which requires very little preparation. (recipe below) If you try to make tofu by itself, you won’t be impressed, since it’s naturally bland. The trick is to cook it with or in something else, whether it be vegetables or a sauce or whatever you want– tofu easily acquires the flavor of whatever you cook with it.

Quinoa is great for Pesach, since it tastes like a grain but is classified as a flower (not a grass) and therefore passes the kitniyot test. You can prepare it just like you would rice, boiling it with water, then covering to simmer until the quinoa cooks and the water evaporates. This should take approximately 15 minutes. The one extra step is that you should soak and strain it before cooking to remove the external, somewhat bitter coating of saponin. Oomis, if you didn’t do this first, that’s probably why you didn’t like the result. After cooking, quinoa should be light and fluffy and look kind of curly– it’s hard to explain, but you should understand what I mean when you see it.

I would also recommend trying polenta, a dish made from boiled cornmeal. I made this from scratch once and it came out great, but it took so much time and was such a hassle that I buy it packaged now. I can’t remember the brand name of the kind I like (might be Goya? I’ll check the fridge when I get home) but it’s under the Chof-K and comes packaged in tubes. An easy way to prepare it is just to slice the tube into thin rounds and bake or fry, but there are other ways to make it as well. I’ll post some recipes later if anyone’s interested.

Tofu Teriyaki

Preheat oven to 425. Drain tofu and blot with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Cut into thin slabs and place on a greased baking sheet. Make triangular slashes on the surface of the tofu so it will better absorb the sauce. Spoon some teriyaki sauce over the tofu. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip tofu slabs, spoon teriyaki sauce over the top, and bake for another 10 minutes.

You can use store-bought teriyaki sauce, but I like to make my own. Here’s the recipe:

Combine 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 cup water, 3-4 tablespoons of brown sugar, and 1-2 minced garlic cloves in a small pot and bring to a boil while stirring. Dissolve 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in 1/4 cup of water and add to mixture, stirring to thicken. You can also add ginger to this recipe, but I don’t because my mother doesn’t like it.

“and if his sons needed money to go learn, well he didnt [sic] say, but i can be pretty sure he would have been happy to support them”

Really? Why is that? Very interesting isogesis you have there.

Pastiche

Definition #1: A glued-on mustache.

Definition #2: The condition of one’s skin after treatment for mosquito bites.

Adumbrate

A disgruntled customer’s description of product fees.

Dulcet

A particularly boring day at work spent sitting at a desk.

Pesach is much harder for me. Then again, my cooking during the nine days is no different than my cooking during the rest of the year, so I guess I’m biased. (My mom and brother aren’t vegetarian, but while I’m living at home, we keep an entirely vegetarian household.)

I love allrecipes.com and use it all the time. You can find so many different recipes there and they are all submitted by regular people. Members of the website rate and review recipes once they have tried them. It’s very helpful to read through the reviews before making the recipe so you know what modifications to make to it. I’ve had an account for about five years, and I also get the e-mail newsletter. It’s extremely helpful with meal planning. One little gadget they have is the Recipe Finder, where you can type in ingredients you want and ingredients you don’t want and a list of recipes meeting your criteria will come up on the screen.

I also subscribe to Vegetarian Times magazine. I’m not at home right now, so I don’t have access to my collection, but here are a few recipes from the issue in my bag. (You can also find thousands of recipes on the VT website.)

Orange Israeli Couscous with Carrots and Raisins

1 1/3 cups Israeli couscous

1 cup plus 1 Tbs. no-pulp orange juice

3 medium carrots, grated (1 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup raisins

1 tsp. ground cumin (I use chili powder instead)

Coat medium saucepan with cooking spray, and heat over medium heat. Add couscous, and toast 4 minutes, or until pale brown, stirring frequently. Add 1 cup orange juice and 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper, if desired; and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 12 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, and steam, covered, 5 minutes. Stir in remaining orange juice, carrots, raisins, and cumin. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Braised Seitan Cutlets in Mushroom and Red Wine Sauce (Nine Days Version!)

1 8-oz. pkg. seitan, drained and halved into 2 thin cutlets (the brand I use comes pre-cut into smaller pieces, which works just as well)

1 Tbs. unbleached flour

1 Tbs. olive oil

1/4 lb. mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

1/2 cup red wine (you can actually use apple cider instead, unless you’re making it for Shabbos, in which case definitely use the wine)

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. thyme (I tend to use Italian seasoning, which contains thyme)

1 tsp. cornstarch

1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

1/4 cup chopped parsley (dried parsley flakes work well if you don’t have fresh parsley on hand)

Coat seitan pieces in flour. Heat oil in large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add seitan, and cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side, pressing pieces down to brown evenly. Remove seitan from skillet, and keep warm.

Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic to skillet. Saute 7 to 10 minutes, or until softened and lightly browned. Whisk together red wine, mustard, and thyme in measuring cup (I like to add an egg yolk too). Add to mushroom mixture; season with salt and pepper, if desired; and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Whisk together cornstarch and vegetable broth in same measuring cup, then add to mushroom mixture. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes, or until thickened, stirring constantly. Place seitan cutlets on plates, top with mushroom sauce, and sprinkle with parsley.

I skipped my coffee this morning and I feel fine. Maybe I’m not (yet) addicted to the caffeine, but I do like the taste.