Overheard

Batya: Today is the second day of the nine days.

Shira: That's right! Chaya, did you hear that? We get to have cheese pasta for dinner tomorrow night because we can't eat meat!

Chaya: Woo hoo!

Choices Made, Paths Taken

Being a ba'al teshuva, Aba has some guilt over things he did during his wayward youth. One of the largest guilt producers is his choice to travel Europe and study the great architecture of the classical regions. He wishes he would have studied in yeshiva and learned more. Never mind the fact that he was not at the point where learning was a serious option for how to spend that summer.

I've told him often a variation on "everyone has a path" and "if you hadn't spent that time studying, you wouldn't have the skills to do what you now do" but that missed opportunity of youth haunts him.

This week's haftorah deals with Rahav the "innkeeper" (read: harlot) who helped Caleb and Joshua. She ended up converting, marrying Joshua and becoming the ancestor of eight kohanim and prophets. Why did she merit such descendents?

Rebbetzin Chana Bracha, in this week's email, explains that Rahav reached such heights because she used the tools of her sin to repent. The rope and window that allowed men to enter her home were used to lower Caleb and Joshua safely out of the city.

And so I found myself last night sharing this with Aba. The knowledge that he gained during that summer touring Europe has allowed him to design synagogues, religious schools and kosher restaurants. He has even designed (though it was vetoed by the army) a new hechal at Ma'arathaMachpelah. 

It takes time to release the guilt of a decade, though.

I encourage all women to sigh up for Rebbetzin Chana Bracha's email about the weekly haftorah and to purchase her book Women at the Crossroads about the weekly parasha. Both are very inspirational.

Bad Planning

My freezer is full.

Packed.

Stuffed to the gills.

As part of my attempt to have fun this summer and not become overwhelmed with September's holidays, I undertook a major preparation, preserving and packing campaign. I wrote out a month full of menus for July. I cooked a month's worth of rice and quinoa. I soaked and sprouted a month's worth of beans. I hulled, pitted, washed, peeled and cut the various batches of fruit picked or bought for a steal at the farmers market. I cut apart six chickens and repackaged a month's worth of meat. All of this got labeled and put into the freezer.

As we use up the weekly produce, I save the bits heading towards decay. I chopped onions, carrots and garlic and sauté them in some coconut oil. I whiz melon in the blender, strain and pour it into ice cube trays. Left-over chicken bits are picked clean. All of this is packed into jars, bags and boxes and head into the freezer.

I am using what I freeze. Last night Aba finished off the last of the grapes, the girls had watermelon popsicles and I removed 2 pounds of ground beef, some veggies and buns for dinner. I did put 2 more meals' worth of sloppy joes into the freezer, though.

The problem lies with space and containers. I've written out a schedule to prepare the main proteins and baked goods for the Yamim Noraim and Sukkot. (This year they come early and fall Wednesday night to Friday night. Adding in Shabbat, we have three day blocks September 3 to October 3.) This week I should be making six batches of Moroccan fish. But where shall I put them? I don't have any of the ingredients in the freezer to remove.

Even if I switch it with next week's cooking (cookies) it won't help. I don't have flour in the freezer so I'd be adding instead of taking.

I'll have to play around in both freezers and see what room I can make. And add more containers to the budget.

That said, there are less than two months until Rosh haShannah. If you are like me and want to have time to prepare yourself and your children for the beauty of the Yamim Noraim and Sukkot now is the time to start thinking about menus and cooking.