Three Passover Lunch Box Ideas

I have been fascinated with bento lunch box ideas for a while. At that point I invested in these ziploc containers for my kids' lunches. Using those resources, it wasn't very hard to organize some lunches for my children to take to school for Passover.

Three lunch box ideas for Passover:

Box 1: Clementine, hardboiled egg, cheese stick, matzah, broccoli
Box 2: Raisins, broccoli, sun butter on matzah, cheese stick, maccaroon, and Matzah crack
Box 3: Matzah pizza: Matzah split into fourths, tomato sauce to spread, mozzerella cheese, broccoli, maccaroon, and Matzah crack

I made matza crack yesterday after finding it on the Kosher on the Budget website. It's actually a link to Smitten Kitchen. I think it is so called because it is just as adictive: Matzah Crack(er).

What are your favorite Passover Lunch Box treats?

And Now To Recline

In all this preparation for Passover, it is easy to get busy. I get rather bogged down cleaning the house to get rid of the chametz. It is chaotic trying to figure out what needs to be stored and what cannot be eaten. Then there is the effort it takes to host a meal for family and friends. If you are like me, a social introvert, it may not be the easiest thing to accomplish. So the last few days before Passover are full of things to do. It’s a very Martha way of being.

Do you remember the story of Mary to be with Him. Martha snaps at her sister (are we told if she is the older? She acts older.) Mary should be helping with all the work. But Yeshua says that Mary has chosen what is important.

and Martha in the Bible? In Luke 10:38-42, sisters Mary and Martha are hosting Yeshua in their home. Martha is in hustle mode – everything must be perfect for this amazing teacher. Mary, on the other hand, sits at His feet to learn from Him and just

It reminds me also of things I’ve heard online recently to not be doing for your children when you are with them, but to truly be with them. Martha was doing for Yeshua; Mary was being with Him.

I have just about always related to Mary. The work can wait. The important part is learning and spending time with Yeshua at His feet.

And then there is Passover. The process of getting ready for Passover consists of a lot of work, trying to get the house “just right”. The thing is, though, no matter how hard you try, no matter which set of rules you follow, you will always fall short. In my own power – in your own power- there will always be something forgotten. There will be a cabinet that is not perfect, or a bag of goldfish you didn’t notice in the car. Something. And that’s the key. The physical prepartion for Passover is useful in just that – it shows us how much we are in need of God’s grace and mercy.

The redemption that happened so many thousands of years ago is timeless. When we finally let out a breath and sit at dinner, we must allow the story to wash over us. God heard the cry of His people. God still hears the cry of His people, down to the groans we cannot articulate.

So Martha, dearest, whatever your name is, sit down and recline at the table next to your sister Mary. Let the story of redemption pierce your soul. The message is for us all. It is not just those who were redeemed way back when, it as if we all crossed the Red Sea and were redeemed. We have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb!

Chag Sameach, dear ones!

Shabbat Shalom and Passover links

This has been a crazy week! Field trips and volunteering and shopping and planning oh my!

Passover is in one week, and despite my brainiac attempts to organize, I am hardly ready, so this coming week will be a heavy push to get things done. I think I can do it. The checklist I made will certainly come in handy!

I've been spending my "down" moments in research and planning. I have the starts of a menu for next week, but nothing concrete yet. I have been setting aside some great Passover resources from various sources.

Here is a great resource for Passover planning, kosher on a budget, Kosher on a Budget is a great website that sends all sorts of amazing daily deals. I have been following this blog for probably two years now, and I love reading a saving/organization blog from a Jewish perspective. This year she put together her Passover Menu and published it. I love her.

If you are interested in learning more about Yeshua in the Passover, Chosen People has a free resource here.

This is an older Messianic Haggadah, but it does the trick. I remember using it at our Synagogue for many years.

First Fruits of Zion is publishes and sells the most beautiful Messianic Jewish resources. I have their Erev Shabbat Siddur. I have not seen their Haggadah, but if it is as beautiful as their other resources, I would highly reccomend it.

What is the difference between a Messianic Haggadah and a non-Messianic Haggadah?
I'm glad you asked :) A Messianic Haggadah mentions the redemption brought by Yeshua, whereas a non-Messianic is about the departure from Egypt.

Should Messianic Jews only use a Messianic Haggadah?.
Not always. The redemption of the Jewish people from Egypt is a powerful story to remember, and stands on its own. The story of Yeshua is not meant to overshadow that story, but to bring even more meaning to the story of God's redemption.

So. If you are like me, and think about which Haggadah to use very last minute, have no fear. The Maxwell House Haggadah that you see in your local grocery store will work just fine. The language is a little archaic, but the story gets told.

Oh! And if you are crunched for time, the 30 minute seder looks pretty incredible. Even though many traditional seders last into the wee hours of the morning, it may be a challenge to do so with little ones running about. Our seders tend to run short, but we tell the story in such a way that the kids know what is going on.

(And then there was last year. That was one short seder. You can read that story here.)

Shabbat Shalom dear ones and Happy getting ready for Passover!

Preparing the House for Passover: What Must I get rid of?

Preparing the House for Passover: What Must I get rid of?

The object of this exercise is to get rid of anything that may have leaven, or chametz in it. “What constitutes leaven?” you may ask.

The rabbinic authority in Ashkenazi tradition has created three basic groups for us to understand Passover foods: foods permitted for Passover, Pesadic; foods that are not exactly forbidden by Torah for Passover, but are not traditionally eaten, Kinyot; foods that are forbidden for Passover, Chametz.  

According to Chabad.org, Chametz is defined as, “...any food product made from wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt, or their derivatives, which has leavened (risen). Our sages have determined that flour from any of these five grains that comes in contact with water or moisture will leaven, unless fully baked within eighteen minutes.” 

Kinyot are legumes, bean, rice, peas and corn. They were prohibited in the Ashkenazi tradition because in certain forms they can be confused with chametz. Sephardic Jews permit eating kinyot on Passover. Aside from kinyot, fruits, vegetables and meats are kosher for Passover.

Can Messianic Jews eat kinyot? Kinyot are not strictly forbidden for Passover, so technically yes. It is important, however, to stay true to your family traditions. If you were raised Sephardic, eating rice and beans over Passover, by all means, continue to do so. If your family was Ashkenazi and even eliminated kinyot, abide by those rules. I think, however, that Jewish observance has changed over the years in that Sephardic and Ashkenazi are no longer the only choices in family upbringing. I would stipulate, (many would disagree with me, possibly your local rabbi!), that if you were raised Reform Ashkenazi, then you should continue in that tradition as well. There’s no reason that your favorite Passover lunch of peanut butter and jelly on matzah shouldn’t be passed down to your children(Peanuts are kinyot). If you are unsure or don’t have a tradition to draw from, ask your local rabbi.

What about the use of separate dishes? Once again, I think it is important to stay true to family traditions. If it is a meaningful tradition to take out Passover dishes and completely turn over the kitchen for the week, do so. If you are not observant in this way during the rest of the year, I find it more meaningful to focus on what we can do for Passover without stressing me out. I do have a set of china that I use during the week. Using the china reminds my family that this is a special time, and we use special dishes to commemorate.

One of my favorite resources is the MJRC Standards of Observance. Although I don't agree with everything in the document, I think it is a good document to read when you are learning about Messianic Judaism.

Armed with knowledge, we are ready to move on to cleaning.

To help you with this, I created a downloadable file that you can use as is, in a .pdf, or adjust to meet your need, in a Word document. Go here to download the Passover Cleanup Checklist.

Messianic Times: A Practical Passover Preparation

A Practical Passover Preparation

It’s mid-March, and I am thinking about Passover preparation. As soon as Purim passes, the next few weeks fly by. If I get organized the week before Passover is much less crazy than it could have been. My preparations focus around three major areas: Home preparation, Menu preparation (including the Seder menu) and Spiritual preparation.

Home Preparation

The object of the game is to get rid of anything that may have leaven, or chametz in it. The kitchen and dining room areas are most important because that is where food is. If you already have rules about where food goes in your house, then there’s no need to clean there. Many people use this time as an opportunity for a comprehensive spring cleaning, but this is not necessary.

I make a list of things that need to be cleaned for Passover. I wipe each shelf down, getting rid of crumbs. I run a self-clean on the oven and clean the stove. I wipe the outside of the cabinets, and give the entire downstairs a good vacuum. Ideally, I also give the car a once-over.

Around this time in March, too, I start taking inventory of my pantry, and start to use up the chametz. I also start watching the sales. Our local grocery store often has coupons for matzah and great discounts on grape juice and all things Jewish.

Read the rest over at the Messianic Times. If you are intersted in my Passover Checklist, click here. For what I've written in the past about Passover, click here. Stay tuned for more Passover content tomorrow!

Passover Cleaning Checklist 5775 (2015)

I know that I make lists and lists all the time to get things done. There is something about a list that someone else starts that is comforting - they have to list the same things you do to get it done! So, here is my Passover Cleaning Checklist for this year.

You can download the .pdf file here:  Passover Checklist5775.pdf

You can download an editable Word file here: Passover Checklist5775.docx

Let me know if the links don't work. This is the first time adding a download to the website! Email me at fingerprintsinthedust@gmail.com.

Passover is Coming!

Have I ever mentioned that Passover is definitely up at the top of my favorite Jewish Holiday list? The whole turing your life upside-down for God for a week helps make my faith tangible.

Here are a few posts about Passover from last year. I hope you enjoy them! As I reread some of my work, I see that I repeat myself. I think I really mean these things that I say!

Path to Passover Series:
Not Perfect: In which I first outline my Passover ideas

Passover Pantry Challenge: Last year's pantry challenge to myself.

Last year I was honored to put together a couple of lovely interviews with women within the Messianic Jewish world. Read these lovely interviews and learn how different people observe Passover. Interview with Miri, and Interview with Michelle Schiffman.

When I say you Passover doesn't have to be perfect, here is the perfect example! Also could be titled, "What to do when sickness hits your house in Passover." The Perfect for us Passover Seder.

Shabbat Shalom dear ones!

The Perfect (for us) Passover Seder

It seems to me that there is never a perfect Passover, no matter how hard you try. I wonder if God does that on purpose, then we can look for His grace. With my husband being out of town, we decided to have our Seder on Wednesday instead of a first night Seder on Monday. Well, my new curve-ball this week was my dear tired husband came down with a fever on the day we were doing our Seder.

We kept things super small. Looking at the Seder plate, I figured it looked an awful lot like a snacky dinner (crackers, cheese, fruit and veggies!), so that's what we did. We reclined in our recliners and sofa, and had a perfect for us Seder. This ended up being quite a lovely Seder!

How do you keep going despite the curve-balls thrown you? Happy Passover!

Path to Passover:: Passover!!!

Dear ones, sometimes life throws you curve balls. This Passover season I have a couple. And despite my good intentions, I'm not perfectly ready for Passover...and we're a couple of days in! But it is Passover, and Matzah is king! Have a great holiday!

Path to Passover :: Interview with Miri

Welcome to my second interview in my Passover series! Today's interview is with Miri from miriinthevillage.com (check it out!). I've never met her in person, but I have followed her blog for a while. I love the projects she displays. It makes me wish sometimes that I lived in LA to see in person some of the beautiful things she makes. Enjoy the interview!
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Please introduce yourself, including the Congregation you attend as well as the role(s) you play. No role is too small :)

My name is Miri, and my blog is miriinthevillage.com. I attend Ruach LA. Because I was married only last June, my husband and I have taken a much needed break from any kind of leadership or service position, and we are really enjoying just being attendees.

How would you describe your level of Jewish observance? 

My Jewish observance is really what I can handle without pulling my hair out. I used to be very Conservadox, especially when it came to abstaining from certain things on Shabbat. This last year when I got married, I did everything myself: The bridesmaids dresses, the decor, the food, the cakes. I basically killed myself slowly for 6 months, then after the wedding work became very demanding, and I was pulling down at least 60 hours a week. Shabbat became more of a break from the trauma. Throughout all this, I've always kept a kosher kitchen with separate dishes and hechsher-only foods. Now that my husband and I are working for ourselves, we are working to get back to a better Shabbat observance.

How long have you been celebrating Passover? Did you grow up celebrating it?

I did not grow up celebrating Passover as my parents became Christians when I was young. We also lived in a very remote place. A couple years ago I was at my mom's local grocery store looking for Matzah Meal and it was no no where to be found. The Messianic Movement introduced me to seders, and you can imagine for a while that looked like big congregational seders. When I became a little older, I started existing in both Messianic and non-Messianic communities, so I've been invited to many a home seder on both sides. I've actually never hosted an actual seder at my house.

What do you do to get ready for Passover? Please give me a brief description of your preparations. When do you start? How do you plan?

About 3 weeks before Passover I begin baking like a mad woman. This year we got a Costco membership, and bought the big bag of flour. I made a ton of bread and desserts, and most of them were distributed. I usually go overboard, as I did this year, and all that flour is almost gone. Once I've gone through eating the chametz, I go through all my cabinets in the kitchen, take everything out, toss anything containing the five grains, separate any kitniyot, wash all the dishes, deep clean the oven, refrigerator, stove and the inside of all the cabinets. Cover all the counter tops with tin foil, replace my cooking dishes with Passover dishes, replace plates and utensils is disposables and we're ready to go!

What do you and don't you eat during Passover? Do you follow a particular tradition?

I follow and Ashkenazi observance regarding Passover restrictions when it comes to food (I don't worry about toothpaste or shampoos). And, admittedly, sometimes in the middle of the Passover week I'll decide I'm actually Sephardic.

Describe your seder. What is your favorite part?

As I mentioned previously, I've never hosted a seder, but I do usually host something called Slumdog Pesach. It's a completely kosher for Passover Indian Buffet dinner party on the Saturday during Passover (as long as it's not the 1st or 2nd day). 

Do you have tips on getting through eight days without bread?

Quinoa, merengue, potatos, potato starch, tapioca flour. Or just decide you're Sephardic and there are plenty of options.

If someone were to come up to you never having kept Passover before, what advice would you give?

Take it slow. Don't plan a seder yourself, go to someone else's house. Give everything a deep a thorough cleaning, and get rid of the five grains. Don't worry about hechshers or corn and all that. As with anything done well, take you time and add restrictions each year.

How does Passover fit in your spiritual journey?

Cleaning the house is a very cathartic experience for me. In fact, one year I had just moved to a new place before Passover, and volunteered to clean someone else's house so I could exercise that discipline. Preparing for freedom requires a lot of work, self-examination. Cleaning does that for me.

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Path to Passover :: Interview with Michelle Schiffman

This is my first interview in what I hope will be a short series to see how some women across the Messianic Jewish movement prepare for Passover. I first met Rebbetzen Michelle Schiffman when my daughter was still nursing. It must have been nigh on 6 or 7 years ago! (It's amazing how time flies when you compare years to a child's growth.) I learned quite a bit from what she has to say, and I am encouraged by her words. I hope you'll be encouraged as well.

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Please introduce yourself, including the Congregation you attend as well as the role(s) you play. No role is too small :)

My name is Rebbetzen Michelle Schiffman. My husband and I are part of the rabbinic staff at Aydat Ha Derekh messianic synagogue in Fort Myers, Fla.  I focus on meeting  visitors and answering their questions. I also keep track of the schedule for the Talmud class we are currently holding  at the shul, and the Chavurah my husband and I host at our house once a month

How would you describe your level of Jewish observance? 
I consider myself Conservadox in general. I keep a kosher home but come from a Conservative Jewish background so I live my life with that perspective.

How long have you been celebrating Passover? Did you grow up celebrating it?

Even though my mom was Jewish I did not observe Passover until about 20 years ago. I remember going to seders but not cleaning the house of chametz, no.

What do you do to get ready for Passover? Please give me a brief description of your preparations. When do you start? How do you plan?

I start getting ready for Passover about two weeks ahead by changing my shopping list. I find that if I begin to leave items like bread, pasta, rice, etc., off the list it helps me when it comes to cleaning the house, and I also begin to plan what I will be buying for the holidays. We live in a one-story house with a tile floor so a basic mopping and vacuuming takes care of most cleaning on that end.  Our oven is a self-cleaning one so we clean it about a day before the holiday begins. Our toaster oven is covered and put aside in another area. When it comes to the non-Passover food , we do one of three things; give it to a friend in need, donate it to a local food bank, or put it in a separate part of the closet or our second freezer.  All of our dishes, pots, etc., are dishwasher safe so we clean them accordingly.

What do you and don't you eat during Passover? Do you follow a particular tradition?

Our tradition is to follow the Ashkenazi guidelines; no beans, no rice, no pasta, and no corn. We eat more fruit, vegetable, meat, and if we want to bake anything we use matza meal, or farfel.

Describe your seder. What is your favorite part?
We have a very relaxed seder with family and some close friends.  We use the Artscroll Family Haggadah, and everyone does the four questions together. One of the things that makes our seder special is that everyone brings something for dinner. It helps keep the atmosphere relaxed and makes everyone feel included. My favorite part of the evening is when we open the door for Elijah. It reminds me that we are always to keep our door open for guests.

Do you have tips on getting through eight days without bread?
I plan ahead as much as I can. There are certain things that are automatically part of our Passover. For example; matza pizza, matza lasagna, extra amounts of charoset. and we do buy kosher for Passover chicken wings. Many things that are available in the store are kosher for Passover. All it takes is looking. Also, there are tons of recipes online for Passover, including ones for vegans, gluten-free etc.

If someone were to come up to you never having kept Passover before, what advice would you give?

For those who have never kept Passover I suggest keeping things simple. Take out the obvious items; bread, yeast, baking soda, the typical types of flour, or flour based items. Cereal is out because it always has some flour product in it. Avoid spending money on kosher for Passover ketchup, coke, or cereal. It is much easier and less expensive to just take them out of the diet for a week. More fresh fruit, vegetables, and non-breaded meat fit in well with the holiday diet. Don't overdo it. Make friends with someone who has observed Passover before and get some tips from them. Go to a seder. Fellowship, enjoy and ask questions. Above all enjoy the holiday!

How does Passover fit in your spiritual journey?
For me Passover reminds me that G-d is always with me no matter what is going on. It is also a time when I take a look at myself and my relationship with others. It is very easy to get busy doing  ‘everything right” for the holiday and not see the needs of those around us. Here is the thing, what good does it do if our house is perfect but we have ignored those around us? Maybe there are new people who are going to be alone during this time, or don't have money for food, etc.  Caring for others should always come before anything else.  It’s a great time for removing the things that draw us aside from G-d and replacing them with ‘new growth”. Kind of a spiritual spring planting.

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Path to Passover :: Doing it all

Today I pulled out my notebook of Passovers past. I've been sticking my to-do lists in this binder since about 2005. As I page through, I see my journey as I have learned how to get my home ready for Passover.

One of the things that I learned a few years ago not to go overboard. It stressed me out trying to spring clean my house. I finally found a teaching that said you don't have to clean the entire house, just the areas food generally goes. I breathed a huge sigh of relief after that. I don't have to clean the whole house, just mostly the kitchen. I can do that. I started small. Now, if it works for you to deep clean the entire house, go for it, I am amazed and awed by those who do.

But I cannot do it all. So I tackle some, and I do what I can do. As hard as I try, there is still a crumb somewhere. I'm pretty sure I won't ever be able to do a perfect job of cleaning. That is where grace steps in. And I'm really thankful for that!

Path to Passover :: Pantry Challenge

One of my favorite blogs is Life as Mom. She helps me understand ways to successfully manage a kitchen with many kids. She has more kids than I do! I love her pantry challenges. See how much you can eat out of  your pantry without buying much new foods. Every time she runs one, I think, "Wow, if only that challenge happened the month before Passover, now THAT would be something for my kitchen!"

So that's what I'm doing. This week for me, I start to think about what needs to be done to eliminate chametz (foods with leaven in them) from my kitchen. Sounds perfect for a pantry challenge.

The scripture says, "Seven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses; for whoever eats what is leavened, that person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is an alien or a native of the land. You shall not eat anything leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.’” (Ex. 12:19-20)

This week I'm going to go through my pantry and make plans for the bread, flour, grains, pasta, etc that's in there. I'll also clean out the freezer and fridge and use up things in there, too.

What's in your pantry?

Path to Passover :: Not Perfect

This is about the time of year where I'm simultaneously planning and freaking out. Keeping Passover isn't something I grew up with, so my traditions have been developed over the last 15 years or so. So I'm not an expert.

And there's lots of resources, recipes, and directions out there on how to get ready for Passover from people who know what they're talking about.

Despite this, Passover is probably my favorite Jewish holiday. The center of celebration is in the home. It's in the searching for leaven, and cleaning it out. The mundane becomes holy. Our daily chores become a work of sanctification. Spring cleaning becomes more than just spring cleaning. It becomes a spiritual discipline.

Having said that, my work is always far from perfect. The first thing I do, even before I make lists of things to clean is to modify my current routines. Once the spring hits, I start thinking of the things I can start to do to make things easier on myself when it gets to the final push. I'm working to keep things clean and not let it get too dirty. So that when I go to wipe down the counters the week of Passover, I don't have to scrape down the counters. I'll just wipe and go.

Oh, and my first favorite resource for how to get ready is here, Kosher on a Budget. Her lists and how-tos for getting ready for Passover helped me a ton last year!

Let's get ready for Passover!

Path to Passover: Take stock

I was excited when I looked at my calendar this morning, and up popped my Passover reminder that I wrote to myself as Passover ended last year. 

As soon as Purim ends, I like to start thinking about getting ready for Passover. In these weeks leading up to it, I'll be writing about some of the things I've done to get ready for the season.

What do you do to get ready for Passover? Please share in the comments!