We're having orchim this Friday night. The kinderlach should be up since the time changed. There will be 3 orchim, 3 kinderlach (only 2 of whom eat solids), 2 parents. Let me know what I'm missing from this fairly basic menu. (I was too tired last night to start so trying to keep it do-able)

Challah
Fish OR salmon (If I have time to get the salmon)
Chicken Soup
Hawaiin Chicken
Green beans (the type with a bit of margarine and almonds)
Stuffing (the yummy type with Tam Tams)
??? (do I need another kugel or something here)

German chocolate cake
Some type of cookie/bars/cake - any ideas?!?!

Yes.

I would say, include another side (the kids will probably pass on the green beans and may or may not like the stuffing). You might want to throw in a traditional potato or lukshen kigel. Adding a few dips if you don't have might not be a bad idea either (as they're pretty much universally liked, even with fussy kids).

For dessert, how about rice krispie bars? You could throw in candies, or top it with drizzled chocolate to make it fancier. Kids love them and they're super-easy to make. (I'm pitching a kid-friendly idea here since it seems you have the adults covered with the cake.)

Ok. Another side it will be. How about apple kugel instead of peeling potatoes and since my husband is not a lukshen fan? ALso, I think the kids will like it.

I made those recently and used up all my marshmallow fluff (I sent my husband to store after maariv last night so we won't do any of the 'stressful last minute shopping' as he likes to deem it). Also, the problem with the cake is there's coconut and I've found that most people have a love/hate relationship with coconut - they either love it or hate it.

You don't find chocolate cake makes a huge mess?

Apple kigel should be good.

How about saving back some of the batter from the cake, and baking ice cream cone cupcakes? You could use a non-coconut frosting or just dust with confectioner's sugar.

With the adults, no.
With my son, he's pretty good about it.
My daugther is only allowed to have it if she's not wearing any clothes and that's because skin is much easier to wash than shabbos clothes. (And she doesn't mind)


The german chocolate cake is not being made by me. The bakery already has the order so I can't really change it at this point.

Don't you have to peel the apples for apple kugel as well?

Yes, the kids will like it.

You think so? I think she needs something more substantial. I personally love apple kugel, but not everyone does, and it's not something you fill up on.

Yes, but it's okay if they turn brown while I'm peeling (also the kids snack on them, so that's healthier). And I only need to peel 4, not 8


What would you suggest.

OH MAN!!! I realized I just used all of carrots/celery for soup (i.e. peeled and cut already) BUT didn't leave any for the stuffing...oy yoy yoy.... (I hope my neighbor has 2 extras)

Stuffing is full of carbs, in my opinion, and can be pretty filling. And with all the appetizers, chicken, veggies, I don't know really how much else is needed.
Instead, what? Maybe a rice pilaf (to be posted in AC )?

A chocolate cake batter is uber quick and easy to whip up (alternately, you could do a white cake with chocolate frosting). I'd suggest roll cake, but I'm thinking you probably want to keep it as simple as possible.


I think the adults have plenty to eat, and kids ARE they type to fill up on that. She should be fine with chicken, grean beans, stuffing, AND kigel (plus challah and soup). Oh FYI, you may want to include lukshen or knaidlach or soup mandels with the soup; a lot of kids will eat those even if they don't like soup (and it will fill everyone up more quickly).

I forgot to mention that we do have chumus techina and babaganoush that I plan to serve


How do you make a oll cake?
I plan to make knaidlach but I don't like soup mandel because they always get stale before we finish the bottle and my kids want to eat them plain the whole meal and they're not very nutritious.

I was thinking more about the guests.



We would do that too - strip them naked [and sometimes we'd also send them outside naked to eat].

why would you need cookies/bars/cake if you already have chocolate cake? i would suggest fruits or baked apples (recent hit by me and oh-so-easy kosher by design short on time even has some fancy-ish version), but if you are making an apple kugel, then it's not a good idea... maybe another kugel - broccoli? or maybe couscous or quinoa for a side dish?

Yeah, you need to ration the soup mandels. [You can get spelt mandels now I think from either one of the heimish companies]

nah. They're adults and hopefully, they understand how to use a fork properly.
[we do that in good weather, but it's a bit chilly for that now]


Because there's coconut and many people have a love/hate relationship with coconut.
Fruit - hmm...didn't think about that but it's too late to go to store (after last week's escapade)

Oh, and broccoli is made on RARE occasions due to it's pricey-ness.

how about "mandels only with soup?"

yeah, that, too. (I thought that was understood)

forks for cake?

yeah, that's me, unless the coconut flavor is VERY subtle

there is still half a day today and some time tomorrow

Obviously that's the rule - kids are good at picking out the mandels and asking for more. SO to avoid saying 'no' we just don't have them at home.

We have enough stuff we say 'no' to I don't see a good reason in adding these to list, since they get stale so quickly anyways.

(the only time i use croutons is with lettuce salad, so i'm a bit unfamiliar with the situation )

b'h, my daughter likes soup, so even when we go somewhere for a meal and they serve mandels, i give it to her, cause she sees everyone eating it, and eats it together with soup

(I have yet to live down the story of when I was 2, and well, decided to invite myself over to a neighbor's house during a seudah. My parents from then on used smocks instead )

I suppose if you serves salmon (more filling than gefilte fish), you'll be okay. For the extra kugel/side, maybe deli roll (you probably don't want to go out to buy the deli), scalloped potatoes, some sort of pasta dish (like Chinese noodles), or rice, like agent suggested. Or you can just make an 8x8 of potato kugel, which should be enough. I would actually make the apple kugel AND an extra side, but people always say we make too much food, so maybe my opinion isn't so valid.

My kids go over to my neighbors in a diaper and vice versa all of the time. It's not even something we notice. (although I did find it odd that an almost 4 year old came over in a t-shirt and pullup/nighttimediaper this morning since he's a bit older)


YEs. My husband doesn't like TOO much food because then he feels obligated to eat all of the leftovers. So I like to try and balance it a bit.

I know all about such men. Never touch the fresh food if there's something remotely edible in the fridge...

Far be it from me to bring down the food pyramid, but don't you people eat salad/veggies?? (besides stuffing and green beans with lots of margarine??) What if someone (like me) doesn't particularly like green beans (or margarine)?? They will atkins it for the evening?

And you just eat the Challah and fish by itself?? Don't you get the hiccups? And NO that tiny piece of carrot on top of the gefilte fish does NOT count...

Unfortunately, that's a week point by me. Nonetheless, my husband got a cucumber, tomato, red and green pepper so I guess we will have some salad.

Yes, we do. I serve mayo and chrain, but I assume you mean something else that is more substantial, but am not sure what you are referring to.

in one family, i saw them covering the whole piece of gefilte with those small carrot pieces. was actually pretty



took me a minute to decipher that i'm also not good with veggies and fruits but i'm trying now, with at least one salad on shabbos and fruits always in the fridge. talk about kids changing your lifestyle

i think he meant salads.

Well, for me it was to go to a "boyfriend"'s house. That's part of the reason I can't live it down.
Not my husband. He doesn't like too much food because it's too much work for me, but he has no problems leaving leftovers alone. His rule: heat up leftovers once, after that, not edible anymore

Mayo is NOT a vegetable, and Chrain is only slightly higher on the list than ketchup...

Melech talking about soup mandels, and you talking about vegetables? Has the world gone mad?? (If it has, let me know, so I can start looting...)

I once served ??? on Shabbos but all I got was a bunch of quizzical looks from the guests.