HAPPY HANUKKAH TO MY JEWISH FRIENDS

Tonight at sun down started the Hanukkah Holiday celebrated by Jewish people everywhere.

While I do not celebrate it, I do like to learn more about it each year. You see, I have a Jewish friend and every year she invites me to her Hanukkah party so it always makes me want to know more about all the different ways they celebrate and why.

Most people know that the menorah is lite each of the eight nights to symbolize the time in history when the Greeks had defiled the oil needed to light the lamp and the Jewish people only had enough oil for one night. But, miraculously, the lamp stayed lit for eight days, the time it took to prepare fresh supply of oil for the menorah.

The original menorah only had 7 stems. A place to be lit for each night of the week. However, most menorahs now have 9 stems to represent the eight nights the lamp stayed lite and one space to keep the candle used to light the others.

The original menorahs were oil burning lamps. Now days most are more like a candle holder and the candles are burned rather then oil.

The dreidel is a game that is now played by the Jewish children.

However, it originated during the rule of the Greek King Antiochus who had banned the study of the Torah.

The Jewish people would go off and study in secret and took toy tops with them.

One story I have heard is they would write parts of the Torah on the top and when the soldiers came around they would spin the top so they could not see what was written on the top and it would appear they were just playing a game.

The other version I heard is they would hide their Torah and bring out the top and pretend they were only playing a game.


For the past four years it has become a tradition of friend and me to spend a day together and turn pounds and pounds of potatoes into a yummy dish she serves at her Hanukkah Party.

Wonderful, crispy fried latkes or better known as potato pancakes.

So, that is what we did today.

I enjoy my time we spend each year doing this. We also exchange gifts. I give her Hanukkah gifts and she gives me Christmas gifts.

I hope this is a tradition we continue for a long time.

While I may celebrate Christmas, I will always remember the traditions of Hanukkah and each year I will try to learn a little bit more about the customs.

So, to my good friend, Sandra and all my Jewish friends out in blogland have a wonderful Hanukkah!

A HOLIDAY TRADITION

My good friend, Sandra, has a Hanukkah party every year at her house. She serves the traditional Jewish dinner.

For the last four years I have gone over to help her make potato pancakes. Or Latkes as they are called.

It's become a tradition for us and we always have fun doing it.


Sandra makes her own invitations to her parties. She makes some really cute ones.

She spends days wrapping presents.

Decorates her house with so many cute things. I don't know where she finds some of the decorations because it's hard to find different Hanukkah decorations. It's not like Christmas decorations that flood the stores every year.

She has ever inch of her house decorated at her parties. Even her chandelier in the dinning room.

This is where we got the recipe for the potato pancakes we make. It's very good.

You can click on the photo to get the recipe if you like.

Sandra always peals the potatoes every year.

Depending how big of a party she is having will of course depend on how many potatoes she has to peal.

This year we used 10 lbs. We divided them into batches as the potatoes start to turn brown if left out to long.

Rather then grate the potatoes we puree them.

That's my job. I know, I know. I have it made!

Since we don't want there to be to much water in them we drain them by putting a paper towel over a strainer and let the water drain off for a few minutes.

Then we add in the eggs, pureed onions, flour and salt.

It's into the pan after everything is mixed up.

They are then cook until golden brown and crunchy.

Drain over paper towels after they are removed from the pan.

They are best eaten warm. They can be served with apple sauce, sour cream or strawberry jam. If you have never had these before I'm sure you are thinking "Potato pancakes with strawberry jam????" I thought the same thing. Until I tried it. The taste is wonderful together. It's sort of that crunchy, salty and sweet taste together. It's hard to describe without trying it first.

We decided today that not only will make these next year but we are going to make the strawberry jam too. I love to make jam and she has never made it so I will teach her how.

Even though Sandra and I are different religions we have found a way for us still to have a fun Holiday tradition together. It's one I look forward to every year.