Day One Without Abba

Abba got off safe and sound to the States, tiptoed out in the middle of the night.  And then Noam woke up. 4 times. It was like a bad joke.  He did finally go back to sleep soundly at around 5, but that was the first reminder that I am single parenting for a little while over here.  It makes me thankful for the zen-like balance that usually exists in my life.   Dear Don, Thanks for getting up in the middle of the night with the baby. Love, Debra.

And it's a rainy, rainy day. The first one of the year.  But our great carpool partners called to ask if it would be okay if they came to pick up the girls today in their car rather than having me drop them off at their house. They knew that Don was leaving town and are lovely and thoughtful. Hooray for good carpool friends.  Racheli got off without a hitch. Hadara and I waited politely for Noam to wake up (7:45) and then the three of us dripped into our car. Noam's teacher met us at the car so we wouldn't have to park and bring him in (!) and then Hadara and I sang our way over to her school.

Once all children were in their proper places, I returned home and did what any reasonably sane single parent on sabbatical would do in this situation.  I climbed back into bed. 

It seems like Don's flight has landed in Amsterdam as expected and in celebration, I am polishing off the pot of beautiful chicken soup from Shabbat.  The dinner menu is set for the week, the girls' school clothes are all layed out, the dishes are done (for now).  I will continue to lay low, stockpile my strength, and prepare for the unexpected hiccups this week has in store for us.

Friday's Blustery Winter Soup

For anyone suffering from the Blustery Winter Blues, I highly recommend the following concoction. I also highly recommend having Friday's off, so that these concoctions can get concocted. Love from Jerusalem, Debra

Debra’s Super Yummy Israeli Tomato Vegetable Soup

Splash of canola oil for sautéing onions

2 onions, diced

3 zucchini, diced

1 or more carrot, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

2 tomatoes, chopped

6-10 leaves of beetroot, whites diced and leaves sliced into bite-size strips [or spinach if beetroot is not available]

2 teaspoons each of chopped garlic, cilantro, and basil

One small container of tomato paste – around 260 gram

Osem chicken soup mix (pareve)

½ cup red wine

½ jar of your favorite tomato sauce – around 13 ounces (400 gram)

Can of chick peas

Can of black beans (insert any bean that you like here, think of minestrone soup and tinker accordingly)

7-14 Frozen kubbeh, depending on number of people you want to feed [If you don’t have access to kubbeh, consider adding pasta and turning this into a minestrone soup]



Heat oil in bottom of large soup pot. Add diced onion and sauté til translucent (around 3-4 minutes), add diced zucchini, carrot, celery, beet root (white part only) and spices if frozen now, and sauté for 2 minutes. [If spices are fresh, add with liquid.] The diced veggies should take up 1/3 to ½ of the pot. Cover with water and add 1 container tomato paste. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 30 minutes. Add ½ jar of tomato sauce, red wine, and osem pareve chicken soup powder to taste. Add chick peas, black beans, and beetroot leaves and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add kubbeh and cook for at least 40 minutes or as long as you’d like. I cooked mine for about 3 hours and it thickened into an amazing broth, chock full of veggies in every bite. Made around 12 servings.