lakewoodwife

MAZEL TOV!!!!!!

I recall when a couple in our community had this situation (I grew up in a small community & this happened when I was in high school- a long time ago).

They invited the whole community- including high school students (prob about 100-150 people, total)to the ceremony and a small reception (cake & drinks) and dancing afterwards. Then they had a seuda/sheva brachos with a minyan+ (I think about 10 couples they were friendly with). The dancing with everyone was very leibadik and quite beautiful!!!

I went to sharfman’s (many eons ago) and have friends that are still involved. 20+ years ago sharfman’s was exactly what you are looking for. Now it has a much more modern (almost OTD) crowd from what I’ve heard (and seen- we met some of the girls recently). That being said the teachers and staff are AMAZING and it is a great place to grow as a person and as a yid.

There is alot less freedom there now then there used to be, curfew, sign-outs, madrichot, etc and they also serve meals these days. If you want more info, find someone who has been recently (like last 5 years) and speak to them.

Hatzlacha!

Without more details, it’s hard to comment. I read the situation very differently: I imagine that whoever it is is trying to make your life easier. They probably figure that you would want them to go via public transportation but that your kid is giving you a hard time so they were trying to help you.

I could believe that a Rebbe or member of Hanhala noticed you dropping your kid off one day and was surprised because many/most classmate come on their own. When they asked why you had driven, your son answered “she drives me every day” at which point they encouraged him to come on his own. They probably thought they were teaching derech eretz!

DY- A hefsek of time is also considered a hefsek. The klapping is definitely a halachik hefsek. My husband is a Baal Koreh. He told me that the Mogen Avrom discusses this issue in the halachos of krias hamegilla (He’s not near his sefer right now so he couldn’t give me the exact location).

try vinegar or alcohol (I can’t remember which). Just be very careful not to get it in his eyes.

If you mix it with whip (as soon as you make it- before it ‘jels’) then it is quite good in a pie crust.

And we still eat Jello on a regular basis- it is the easiest, quickest dessert when you’re running out of time on friday. Doesn’t even leave any dirty dishes (I mix it in a 16oz hot cup with a plastic fork, using water from the urn).

My husband says there is a warm crowd at 31 Spruce (in the Beis Medrash at the back of the house). He doesn’t know the schedule there but said you should check it out. If that ends up not being a good fit for you, the people there can guide you to other places in the neighborhood.

I agree with ‘from Long Island,’ the first step is a deep breath. Then LISTS!

What you buy/invest in will depend on a few factors:

Is this going to be a one-time thing or is this just the first year you will be making and you hope/plan to continue making for many years? If the first then you probably want to buy only a minimum of stuff & just manage with bare basics for this week, if your starting your “Pesach collection” then it makes sense to invest in certain things.

What’s your budget like? can you afford to do nice disposables or are you better off buying a cheaper set of dishes & cutlery? Can you get cleaning help? can you buy takeout the week b4 Pesach?

What minhagim/chumros do you have for Pesach (other than gebroks)? Can you buy processed ingredients or will you be making everything from scratch? do you need to peel all of your fruits/veggies? are there any items you don’t use? (also can you use things that fell on the floor? We don’t so I have alot of duplicates for things I can’t be without- knives, peelers, etc.) If you aren’t sure, make sure you clarify this ASAP.

How much help will you have over Pesach?

How fancy do you like your food?

Will you be kashering your oven/stove/sinks/counters or do you need to buy replacements or cover them?

Now for a basic list:

Cleaning/covering:

various cleaning supplies (depending on your surfaces)

covering material for counters/fridge/cabinets/stove- there are lots of choices, depending where you live, if you need guidance on this, let us know.

Real items-generally get better quality if you will be using for many years:

knives (the sizes you usually use)

cutting board (even if you usually cut on your counter- covered counters are different)

Pots-you can do it with 1-2 large ones plus a decent fry pan for meat (and a pot and fry pan for dairy if you want, you can also get pareve-I use it for hard-cooked eggs & boiled potatoes so that they can be used for meat meals & dairy without worrying). More pots mean more things can cook at once. I love my deep, covered, non-stick fry pan for pesach- I use it to cook the food for the Seder and it’s amazing.

peelers- whichever kind you like- remember there are alot of potatoes to peel so get good ones

cooking utensils (any you use)-spatula, ladle, spoon, slotted spoon, tongs,

urn- if you want hot water on Shabbos/YT

crockpot- if you use one (also great for Chol Hamoed suppers)

mixer- this depends on what you will be making- If you’re doing alot of cakes, get a stand mixer

food processor- I use my Pesach one more than my Chametz one. grating marror, making charoset, salads,etc

juicer- if you don’t buy fruit juices this can be very important

can opener- if you used processed products

cork screw- even if you don’t buy cork wines (someone might bring you one & that can be really awkward)

measuring cups/spoons- if you will be baking or generally follow recipes exactly

Baking sheets/pans- depending what you are planning to make (disposables are generally fine)

kitchen shears- if you use them

Dishes- You can do all disposable:

serving- depends what you will be serving & if you serve family style and plate each persons food: platters, large bowls, small bowls (even if you usually don’t use you will need for the seder for additional salt water, marror, charoset, etc), something for salt

eating- you will need extras of EVERYTHING!!

kosos- we got small crystal glasses that are the shuir- glass is better for the wine then silver.

pitchers- unless your drinks come in bottles

other non-foods:

foil

parchment paper

dish soap

sponges (shabbos ones too if you use them)

paper towels

dish towels

kitchen hand towels (if you don’t use your chametz ones)

containers

ziploc bags

dish drainers or mats (or you can let stuff dry on towels)

candles or oil for nairos

matches

toothpicks

bentchers (or you can use hagados all week)

hagados

matza cover (or use a napkin)

k’ara

kos shel eliyahu

For food-it really depends on your menu- once you have an idea of what you want to make sit down and make a list of EVERY ingredient (including spices, salt, sugar. oil, etc). Then go through a regular week in your mind and add all the things you use (milk, ketchup, chips, whatever). Add the seder items (I like to go through each step of the seder & list everything we need for that step) If you buy processed stuff- that’s your basic list. If not, break down the components into what you will need to make them.

Hope this was helpful! You CAN do this!!

I would love that person your husband found. I’m looking for 10-1 on monday.

I think it has more to do with how sheltered the children are. It is much easier to shelter a first child (or first children), then it is to shelter later ones. As the older ones grow they have more interaction with the outside world and bring that back to the home where it influences the younger ones. As a mashal, many oldest children do not get ‘nosh’ until they are older, whereas younger ones often have it very early, why? The older ones only know what they are given by their parents whereas the younger siblings see what their big brother/sister has and want the same.

I also find that oldest children are usually the most similar, personality-wise, to their parents, I think for the same reason.

I don’t have Amex so I didn’t do the deal but I did see some Amex ads about it & they specifically said small business or non-profits (don’t remember the exact wording, but they definitely had in mind that you could give your $25 to charity)

How far out of town do you want to be? Lakewood has a new sem this year. It’s seems like a great place!

equal parts (or just about)honey & mustard with a little soy sauce, garlic powder and dill

duck sauce, ketchup, brown sugar a dash of mustard and some lemon juice

olive oil, crushed garlic, salt & pepper

good italian dressing (we use la jolla- lite ones do not work as well)

soy sauce, ketchup & garlic

I do have one, which I’ll try to post soon, but in most recipes you can replace the milk with some other liquid. I find that orange juice or lemonade work best as they have the sugar and acidity like milk but I’ve used apple juice and even seltzer or water. If you still want the recipe let me know (it is for ‘lemon cupcakes’ but they are not really lemony)

All the best recipes have eggs- but NOT raw eggs. The best ice creams are based on a custard. I do have recipes I’ll try to post them later. We use 2 basics, a chocolate & a vanilla. The vanilla serves as the base for most other flavors. We’ve done coffee, strawberry (when bugs weren’t such an issue), & mint quite successfully.

We have an ice cream maker and we use it- a few points:

– It completely depends on the recipe you use. A good recipe will produce a good ice cream (to compare to cholov stam…our ice creams have been likened to Haagen Daaz and Ben & Jerry’s). A bad recipe will not be as good.

– It is cheaper (or at least it comes close) to buy ice cream (even at current prices) then to make it. Also remember that making ice cream also requires an input of time (better ice cream=more time)

All that being said I think, if you have the time, it can be worth it- you control the ingredients & flavors, no additives, and some of the best Cholov Yisroel ice cream we’ve ever come across.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

for refference we paid about $20 for our machine about 16 years ago)

Actually I do try to say thank you to people who hold the door for me AND to people who move out of my way on the street!!! I was taught that that is the proper way to behave.

Actually, preheating is not so important unless you are baking a cake. When I am baking (cookies, cake, etc) I try to preheat the oven when I start the recipe, but if I forget “oh, well!” unless it’s a delicate cake it is usually not a problem. For food (chicken, kugel, veggies) it is almost never needed, just add a couple of minutes to cooking time (which usually aren’t so precise anyway). For the record, one should not preheat an oven for baking bread. It will rise higher if it goes into a cold oven.

there are a couple of Shmuel Kunda tapes that were made with no music (for s’fira). I think ‘There’s Zaidy’ & at least one other one. Aso Rebbe Hill generally does not have music.

Maybe this will help people who are torn between calling it minhag or Maase imahos. A friend of mine once asked a big poseik (it’s been a while & I don’t remember whom she asked) about buying things for a baby before it’s born (I think this falls into a similar category as the other items that have been mentioned). The response- There is no known mekor for not buying however you must ask rishus from the Bubbies as if it will upset them it should not be done. (He did say that if she could do it in a way that there was no way the Bubby would find out and it really made a difference to her, then she could do it)

Perhaps we can say something similar here: There is no known mekor, but there are definitely families in which this is the respected practice. If you are a member of such a family, it might be worth your while to try being careful.

Also try “Every Man a Slave.” Amazing book, everyone I know who read it thoroughly enjoyed it.

I’ve noticed this situation quite a bit lately (I’m not getting involved in the halachic debate). What concerns me even more, though, is the number of times that I’ve seen uniform skirts that barely cover the girls’ knees. There is no way these skirts cover their knees when they are doing anything other than standing perfectly still or taking tiny steps. While there may be opinions that allow showing part of the knee, I think we all can agree that that is not the chinuch we expect from our girls’ schools. I’m talking about the “good” schools in Lakewood, not “modern” schools. Schools that won’t accept people because of the way a mother dresses or because of what a father does for a living. Schools that won’t accept girls who have internet at home, or who occasionally watch a (Jewish) video. Can someone please explain to me why they seemingly have no problem with their students walking around advertising the lack of tznius in their schools. This is where the problems start. I can just imagine the conversations “but why does my Shabbos skirt have to be longer than my uniform?” “The principal saw me today and she didn’t say anything, so it must be fine” “everyone’s uniform skirts are this length”. I know good families where this is an issue, the mothers’ don’t know what to do and the schools do nothing (I know at least a few girls who have been wearing skirts this short for a couple of years already and the school has said nothing). How do you tell a teenager that it is inappropriate to wear skirts that short when the heads of the tznius organization/ club in school wear skirts that are shorter. These are girls that were chosen by the hanhala to help teach and encourage others in their tznius. What is happening here????

moved comment to other thread as it seems to be working now

On the main page & story pages it seems to be fine- will take some getting used to- however on coffee room pages the ads on the right (and the reserved space for ads that continues the entire length of the page) are cutting off some of the (longer) posts. The last word or two of each line is behind the ads. (also part of the ‘send post’ button)

I am using IE8

I’m not sure what makes one company better than another when it comes to DSL. We were happy with Verizon although we recently upgraded to their Fios. We use them for pretty much everything and have always appreciated their customer service.