Monthly Archives: December 2011

Love It A Latke!

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Alison in Featured, Jewish Recipes, Jewish Traditions

It’s Chanukah! This means presents, fun with family, and lighting pretty candles for eight nights.

This also means food. Food, glorious food. Chanukah is my favorite holiday for food simply because of the latkes. I get sick of matzo after so many days and I’ve never had an appetite for gefilte fish. I can do without coconut macaroons and jelly donuts just aren’t my thing. But latkes. Oh latkes, and your oily, starchy goodness. Come to me and cuddle up on my plate.

If there’s one thing I thank Judah Maccabee for, it’s for my latkes. I also thank him for giving me a reason to have an electric skillet. Brides, grooms, people in the market for new kitchenware: Register for an electric skillet! You will use this every year at Chanukah to make latkes and you can get them at almost any store with which you register.

Macy’s, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Williams-Sonoma, and Bloomingdale’s all have great options for electric skillets that will keep you sane in the kitchen during Chanukah.

Latke photo (left) courtesy of: The Smitten Kitchen

So get your guns, bring your partner-in-registering-crime, and shoot this baby with the scanner so you can make sure you receive this appliance that’s almost as miraculous as the holiday on which you’ll use it!

While you’re registering with Chanukah on the brain, make sure to scan a food processor for shredding your potatoes, some mixing bowls for your potato and onion mixture, and durable spatulas to flip your pancakes.

When I dashed through the store with my handy-dandy registry lethal weapon, I had the holidays in mind. I knew that one day, I’d be a Jewish domestic diva (okay, still waiting for the diva part to happen), so I went through the calendar and thought about what I’d need to accommodate each big day of the Jewish year. Let’s face it: our people eat. As the saying goes, they tried to kill us, we survived, let’s eat. So a lot of my registry had our holidays in mind. Shout out to my mother-in-law who knew we’d need an electric skillet to emulate her fabulous potato latkes.

And in case you need a refresher course on how to make latkes, or, if you just want to see an A.DOR.A.BLE bubbe teach you how to make them, tune in below for a little latke love!

I think my favorite part is the end: “I’m packing this up for you.” Love it.

Pingback: The Bubbe Shows You How: Latkes & Ketubahs Edition! – TINAK – This is (not) a Ketubah

Real Jewish Weddings | San Diego, CA

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Alison in Real Jewish Weddings

Nurit and Clayton met in math class in 2002. Who knew linear algebra could lead to love and marriage? They dated for about a year and then went their separate ways. Two years later, while talking with her sister, Nurit remembered how great of a boyfriend he was and realized that she was trying to replace him with every date she met, but no one measured up to Clayton. Nurit decided to give him a call and left it up to fate that if it was still the same number, maybe it would be a sign. Well, the number was the right one, but he guessed the wrong girl upon answering the phone! She called while he was at a party and it wasn’t the best circumstance for chatting with an old girlfriend from a couple years before. But because he’s a gentleman, Clayton called Nurit the next day and they met for dinner to catch up on their lives. After dinner, as Clayton was dropping off Nurit, he asked why she really wanted to see him. She came clean and told him she wanted to get back together. But, since timing is everything, he had to tell her that he was seeing someone else he liked and wanted to see where it would go with her. Nurit said she understood and that was it.

A week later Clayton called Nurit and told her that he couldn’t think of anyone else, broke up with the other girl, and wanted to give it another try. Shortly after, they moved in together and after Clayton finished his masters degree, he proposed.

Clayton proposed to Nurit on a random weekday evening after asking her to pause a TV show that they were watching. Nurit was sitting on the couch waiting for him to come back from what she thought was the restroom, and suddenly he was just standing there in front of her. He said, “I cant have this in my nightstand any longer,” and added more beautiful sentiments that Nurit can’t remember because in the moment, all she could make sense of was the ring! She couldn’t believe that after four years together this was finally happening and she said “yes!” right away!

Judaism was very important at Nurit and Clayton’s wedding. Nurit called the wedding “conservaform,” as it was both Conservative and Reform. Rabbi Ian made sure to explain each blessing and symbol so all the guests felt included. They drank the blessed wine, broke the glass, and later danced the Hora along with all their guests.

Mazel tov, Nurit and Clayton!

Venue- Hyatt Regency Mission Bay
Photographer- Sara France Photography
Coordinator & Stationery/Invitations- Something Blue
Florist- Tessilk Flowers
Cake- Auntie M’s Cup’ncake Bakery
Jeweler- Diamond Gallery
Entertainment/Music- Artistic Productions
Rabbi- Rabbi Ian Adler
Favors- Brown Pashmina Shawls from Wholesale Sarong
Bridesmaids’ Dresses- Alfred Angelo
Tuxedos- Friar Tux Shop
Yarmulkes- Skull Cap.com
Ketubah- Art Ketubah, Nishima Kaplan

real-jewish-weddings-|-san-diego,-ca

Tales From The Veil: The Miracle of Marriage

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Alison in Tales from the Veil

Another “Tales from the Veil” story is brought to us by Rachel Kitt who is the Executive Assistant at the Jewish Federation of San Diego County. She loves to run competitively and for pleasure, bake gluten-free sweets, and hang out with her hubby, a San Diego attorney. After eloping to the island of Oahu in December of 2007, Rachel finds herself looking back on her Jewish destination wedding adventure and laughing out loud. Her story will show you how any bride can take wedding disasters and turn them into wedded bliss. Lemons into lemonade. Grapes into Manischewitz. We’ll be hearing more from Rachel as a regular contributor to The Wedding Yentas.

So you’re married (or engaged, woo hoo!) and Chanukah is literally breathing down your neck. I mean, it’s Monday and we light the first candle on Tuesday night! Whether you have been with your special someone for a long long time or a short time, holidays do seem a little different now, don’t they? You and your spouse may have many reasons to get lazy with gift-giving. Perhaps it’s, “Well, we have the same bank account, so why bother spending our money on a present?” Or maybe it’s the “I’ve already given him ___ gifts (fill in the blank with a big number) over the past ___ years/months/holidays (fill in the blank with an appropriate number) so I’m exempt this year, right? RIGHT?”

Ladies, I’m here to tell you to stop with the excuses. As a woman who has never given her husband even one Chanukah gift over the past ten years, I’m going to give you some advice, and this year, I’m even planning to take my own.

In comfortable and wonderful relationships, sometimes we get apathetic. It’s like “Eh, another birthday? So soon? Didn’t we have December last year?” But here’s the thing. Close your eyes. Walk down Memory Lane. Think back to your favorite Chanukah warm-fuzzy when mom/dad/Uncle Pete/Grandma Dolly/Some Other Fabulous Relative gave you that special gift that made you go “Yessss!” Remember how good it felt? It felt good because you knew that they listened to you. They remembered and they made special effort to buy you the one thing that meant a lot to you.

So why not do that for your main squeeze? So what that we aren’t kids anymore? Who cares that we have bills to pay and share bank accounts? Part of the romance is the surprise and the “Oh I didn’t think you were listening or remembered!” I promise it’ll be fun.

So unlike the past ten Chanukahs where I’ve been too lazy, too cheap, and too indifferent to buy The Mr. a present, this year I’m going all-out. That’s right. This year, I’m doing it up big: one gift for each night of Chanukah. Each gift is special. It’s something he either has on his wishlist, or something that shows him that I pay attention. I listen. I care. Winning!

We may not go out for Valentine’s Day dinner in February, or take a special trip for our five-year anniversary, but this year, I’m shooting to make this Chanukah special for my husband. He deserves it. And nothing makes a marriage stronger than a happy husband.

Happy Chanukah!

Real Video Weddings | Los Angeles, CA

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Alison in Real Jewish Weddings

Remember Desiree and Rich’s g-g-g-g-gorgeous Los Angeles wedding that we all gushed over? The photos by Heidi Ryder Photography captured their every detail and emotion. Didn’t you feel like you were just right there by Desiree’s side the whole time, except, in reality you were looking at the wedding photos on your computer from your desk, procrastinating your work even though you have a deadline by the end of the week, but work is just not as fun as wedding blogs and so it’s either read The Wedding Yentas, IM with your office wife, make a bag of popcorn, or go home “sick?” Right? Isn’t that what you do all day?

I digress.

As a reminder, here are some favorites from Desiree and Rich’s special day, but below these images, a surprise!

real-jewish-weddings-|-los-angeles,-ca

Open up that bag of popcorn anyway and watch their beautiful wedding highlights reel by Timeline Cinema!

Richard + Desiree | highlight from Yoni Oscherowitz on Vimeo.

If I Could Do My Wedding All Over Again… Part II

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Alison in Inside Scoop

Last week, real brides dished on certain elements they wish they coculd have changed about their wedding day. Nothing was catastrophic. The wedding was still just as dreamy as they’d hoped. But The Wedding Yentas asked if there was one thing, just something, that they could change about their weddings, what would it be?

Here’s Part II of the series with some additional woulda-coulda-shouldas that might help current brides who are deep in the planning trenches!

If I could do one thing over it would have been a trial run for my hair. I somehow managed to do trial runs for every other little detail, but the hair trial run was pretty pricey so I skipped it. I knew exactly what I wanted, including bringing pictures, but somehow the stylist took my request to wear my hair down with a poof in the front to look like a Jersey Shore girl! My friends, makeup artist, and photographer saved the day with a re-do, but I definitely shed a tear or two in the process.
— Elana K., Washington

I do wish that someone would have been in charge of all of the groomsmen during picture taking. It was like trying to make a bunch of three year olds focus on nothing.
— Renee S., Kansas

Towards the end of the wedding night, I decided to order a glass of red wine at the bar. BIG MISTAKE! As I was holding the glass of wine, one of our guests walked right into me accidentally spilling the whole glass of red wine down the front of my beautiful WHITE dress. My husband’s Aunt saw the whole thing and immediately pulled me into the restroom to try to remove the stain. Luckily, she got most of the wine out and also luckily it was at the end of the evening so most of our guests were either leaving or did not notice the wine on my dress, but if I were to do it all over again, I would have been drinking clear liquids all night long!
— Alli S., Illinois

Acknowledge the elders as much as you can! My grandparents felt special walking down the aisle and being front and center during all the action. I wish we included them in our special slow dance or did something at the reception to acknowledge them as they are responsible for so much love in my family and are so special to me!
— Nicole P., California

If I had to change one thing, I would have hired a videographer. We went back and forth and ultimately decided not to have one because we didn’t think we would really watch it and we decided to spend the money somewhere else. Going to weddings after mine, I realized it would have been nice to have a video of our loved ones wishing us well, not to mention being able to watch my niece walk up and down the bima throughout the ceremony. I also would have loved to have had the video for my children to one day watch.
— Bethany L., New York

Having dance lessons just slipped right off the to-do list. We talked about it, did a little research but never pulled the trigger on it. When the big day came, all worked out but my husband, my father, and I, as well, could have all used a pointer or two!
— Sarah G., Washington

I wish I had asked my photographers more questions in order to know about the kind of photos they’d take because the day of the wedding was stressful and I didn’t get some of the photos my family members and I would have wanted. The photos and the album are amazing, but that’s one thing I think all brides should do: ask specific questions so you don’t get caught off guard the week of the wedding when it’s too late.
— Alicia D., Pennsylvania

The biggest regret I have was having a bridal party. It’s such a traditional thing to do, and I felt obligated to have a couple people in my wedding party because I was in theirs. I’m really not even close to two of them and I pressured my husband into having groomsmen (it’s a tradition that’s not really done in Israel, which is where he is from) just because I was having bridesmaids. The groomsmen were all so annoyed about having to wear matching suits, and it was a hassle dealing with them. Looking back, I should have just had my Maid of Honor and my husband should have just had his Best Man. It would’ve been so much easier.
— Wendy Z., California

I wish I had worn my hair down. Everyone told me to put it up because it would “keep” well all day and I wouldn’t have to fuss with it. But looking back, that was silly! I’ve never been an up-do girl, and my hair was gorgeously long at the time and would have been amazing if left down with big curls.
— Rachel K., Hawaii