Fun Family Hanukkah Nights

1. FAMILY SLEEPOVER

A wild night of family fun and laughter where Chanukkah Matching Pajamas are the dress code! Bring out cozy blankets and have some pillow fight fun!

Camp out in the family room on sleeping bags or everyone pile into one bedroom for a magical night!

Wake up in the morning and make pancakes or waffles for breakfast!

2. MAKE YOUR OWN DONUTS!

For just $25 on Amazon, buy the donut maker that makes 7 Donuts at a time! Choose your favorite batter and place it the donut maker, they will be ready in minutes! It’s so simple, even your kids can use it!

BUY HERE

3. DANCE PARTY

Turn up the music and dance! Everyone!

Turn your home into a makeshift dance floor. Add some disco colorful lights and let loose!

4. TZEDAKAH DREIDEL NIGHT

Each player chooses a tzedakah organization. All the dreidel winnings are donated to the tzedakah cause of the winner’s choice! All you need is dreidels and coins! 

5. GAME NIGHT

Pictionary? Poker? Rummikub? Hullaballoo?

Uninterrupted play time is rare, and treasured!

Play games you have in the closet or order a new game in advance that your family never played with before.

6. VIDEO NIGHT 

Get some popcorn and watch something Jewish with friends or family. Don’t know where to start? Head over to YouTube to watch some Hanukkah themed movies.

Check out The Maccabeats’ Perfect Latke Recipe or their other Hanukkah videos.

7. BAKING NIGHT

As long as everyone’s in the kitchen together whisking, measuring and stirring, it doesn’t matter what you make.

We vote for Chex Muddy Buddies, Brownies, Dreidel shaped cookies, Rice Krispie treats, mini donuts… yum!

Take out those aprons and kids recipe books. Make a mess and have fun!

8. MITZVAH NIGHT

Join with another family to visit a nearby nursing home or read a story to elderly neighbors.

Consider making a Berachot Party! Spread out a variety of foods with all the Berachot and have each child make Beracha out loud.

Have your children go through toy closets to pull out toys to donate to those that can use it or for the refugees and displaced families in Israel.

The point is to spend quality time together! (And eat latkes :))

Hanukkah Charcuterie Board

Hot Cocoa Board

Cookies Board

Sweets and Treats

Blue and Silver

Annual Toy Drive

Winter Date Night Ideas

Home Spa:

Pamper yourselves with a little Home Spa in the evening! You can make DIY fruit masks or use the products that you already love! Start with giving a nice back massage followed by a face scrub and mask, hair masks if you’d like and end it with a nice bubble bath! Make some aromatic Tea or sip on your favorite wine while enjoying the Home Spa with dimmed lighting and spa music and it’ll be one of your most relaxing dates ever!

Board/Card Game Night:

If you’re a couple who likes games and love having game night with friends, it probably isn’t a bad idea to turn gaming night into a date night as after all the idea is to do something that you both love and if board/card games are fun for you two, its a perfect date night! Order in the food and setup a causal fun mood for this night and make it just about the two of you 🙂 Some cool game ideas for a couple can be Uno, Rummy, Codenames, Scrabble etc. 

Order Take out and Chill night:

This might happen often but calling it a Date totally makes a difference! It implies no distractions such as phones, office work, house chores and makes it just about the two of you! Have a nice Netflix and chill night, couch cuddles and order takeout from your favorite restaurant or from multiple restaurants based on the mood!

Go Ice-Skating 

Find your nearest ice-skating rink—indoor or outdoor—and give it a try! You may not be graceful, but that’s OK. Enjoy the afternoon skating…or falling and laughing…on the rink with your spouse and family. 

Go on a Hot Cocoa Tasting Tour 

A steaming hot cup of cocoa…or three…should definitely warm you up. If you’re a hot chocolate connoisseur, go on an afternoon date to a couple of local coffee shops. Try each of their hot chocolate recipes to decide which is the best!

Cozy Winter Soups

Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients

  • 6 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
  • 1 cup uncooked wild rice*
  • 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 2 ribs celery, diced
  • 1 large (about 1 pound) sweet potato, peeled and diced
  • 1 small white onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
  • 1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk (or see cream sauce option below*)
  • 2 large handfuls of kale, roughly chopped with thick stems removed
  • fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

Instructions

Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Method:

  1. Combine base ingredients. Combine vegetable stock, wild rice, mushrooms, garlic, carrots, celery, sweet potato, onion, bay leaf and Old Bay seasoning in the bowl of an Instant Pot pressure cooker.  Stir briefly to combine.
  2. Pressure cook. Cover and cook on manual (high pressure) for 25 minutes.  Let the Instant Pot rest and naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes.  Then carefully open the vent and quick release the remaining pressure.  Remove lid and discard the bay leaf.
  3. Add final ingredients. Add the coconut milk and kale to the soup, and stir gently until combined.  Taste and season with salt and pepper (plus any extra Old Bay seasoning, if you would like) as needed.
  4. Serve. Serve warm and enjoy!

Stovetop Method:

  1. Sauté the veggies. Heat (an extra) 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.  Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.
  2. Add base ingredients. Add in the vegetable stock, wild rice, mushrooms, carrots, celery, sweet potato, bay leaf and Old Bay seasoning.  Stir to combine.
  3. Simmer. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add final ingredients. Add the coconut milk and kale to the soup, and stir gently until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper (plus any extra Old Bay seasoning, if you would like) as needed.
  5. Serve. Serve warm and enjoy!

Zucchini Corn Chowder

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 cup yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound russet potatoes, washed, peeled, diced into ½-inch cubes
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 medium zucchini, diced into ½-inch cubes, (about 1 ½ cups)
  • 4 ears sweet corn, husk + silk removed, kernels cut from cob (2 ¾ cups or 2 cans corn kernels, drained)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Garnish

  • fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon jalapeno, seeded, minced
  • cayenne pepper, optional

Instructions

  • In a large heavy-duty bottom stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter.
  • Add onion and garlic. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring a couple of times.
  • Add potatoes and broth.
  • Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Decrease the heat to medium and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
  • Add zucchini, corn, heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Simmer for additional 8-12 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are completely tender.
  • Remove half of the chowder, pouring it into a separate bowl. Using an immersion blender, puree the remaining chowder until smooth. Stir the other half of the chowder back into the pot.
  • Salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with freshly chopped parsley, jalapeno, and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, optional.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

  • 2 heads of cauliflower (about 4 pounds)
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground sumac
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 32 ounces (4 cups) low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 cups whole milk or unseasoned, unsweetened plant-based milk of choice
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 cup chopped fresh dill

Instructions 

  • Get ready. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Cut the cauliflower in half from top to bottom through the stem, then use the tip of your knife to slice off each individual floret. Slice any larger florets into smaller pieces so all of them are about the same size.
  • Season the cauliflower. Transfer the cauliflower to a large sheet pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle generously with olive oil. Toss to coat, then spread evenly without overlapping–use two sheet pans if you need to.
  • Roast the cauliflower. Roast, turning at about 25 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender and deeply browned in some parts, about 45 minutes in total. Remove from the oven.
  • Sauté the onions. In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium until shimmering but not smoking. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, sumac, and turmeric and and stir just until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Simmer. Add 3/4 of the cauliflower (reserve the remaining for later). Stir to coat well with the spices, then add the broth and 1 cup of water. Turn the heat to high to bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium and cover part-way. Simmer until thickened slightly, 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Blend. Uncover and remove from heat momentarily. Use an immersion blender to blend until you achieve your desired smoothness–I keep mine a bit on the chunky side. You can also transfer to a blender or food processor, just be sure to leave plenty of room at the top and blend with the steam cap off.
  • Finish and serve. Return to a medium heat and stir in the milk, lemon juice, and reserved cauliflower. Cook briefly so that the soup is all warmed through. Test and adjust salt as needed. Finally, stir in the dill and serve hot.

Mom’s Challah Bake

Parent’s Sip and Paint Night

Chol Hamoed Family Fun

Easy Muffin Side Dishes

Roasted Bell Pepper Muffins

Popping with color and a hint of basil, these muffins are the perfect side dish to round out any meat dish.

Yields: 12 muffins

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup each chopped green, yellow, and red peppers

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon basil

1 egg

¼ cup seltzer

1 cup soy milk

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Place the peppers and oil in a baking dish, toss to coat, and roast in the oven until tender. Remove from the oven and turn the temperature down to 400°F.
  2. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and basil. Mix.
  3. Add in the egg, seltzer, and soy milk and mix until just combined.
  4. Add in the peppers and mix.
  5. Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes.

Sundried Tomato & Pesto Muffins

These muffins are easy to make and fabulous to taste. If you love pesto, you can double up on it in the mixture for a deeper pesto flavor.

Yields: 12 muffins

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

6 1/2 oz. soy milk

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons pesto

4 tablespoons oil from your jar of sundried tomatoes, or olive oil

3.5 oz. (100 g) of sundried tomatoes, either jarred or vacuum-packed, chopped

4 scallions, finely diced

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, pepper, and salt.
  3. In a small bowl mix the eggs, soy milk, vinegar, pesto, and oil.
  4. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Add the tomatoes and scallions to the dry ingredients too.
  5. Mix until just combined.
  6. Spoon into muffin cups.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes

Onion Garlic Muffins

With a short ingredient list, these look easy to make, and they are! Crispy outsides, tender insides, the blend of sweet and savory makes this the perfect accompaniment to that roast.

Yields: 12 muffins

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

1 egg

1 cup soy milk

¼ cup oil

2 fresh garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, diced

Garlic bread spice (or a mixture of oregano and garlic), optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
  3. In a separate bowl mix together the egg, soy milk, onion, and garlic.
  4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the egg mixture and the oil.
  5. Mix with a fork, taking care not to overmix. The batter will still have small lumps in it.
  6. Divide the batter among 12 muffin cups and top with garlic bread spice, if using.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes.

Recipes by Bruchy Duschinsky from the Ami Whisk

Holiday Haircuts for Special Needs Kids