Everything happens for a reason. A cultural commentary with a lotta rock-n-roll, semitism, and parenting. See our Etsy Shop! Buy HeadyBands, Hoodies and more at www.wholephamily.etsy.com
Every year around this time I try to find something fun for my children to watch about the birthday of the trees. Usually there's nothing great. Not this year!
With Tu B'Shvat just around the corner this Friday night and Shabbat, you gotta check out this video. My old friend Elana Greenspan is the talent behind it. Actually she is my old friend Chana's friend but who's counting.
So cute!
And funny!
This is one great mama doing good things for her family and the world. Love you Elana!
Only thing to improve is: Let's see your smiling face, Elana!
Last night Stango and I attended Taste of Hazon: A Culinary Celebration of Tu B'Shvat. I already blogged about this event as I looked forward to the night. Fully impressed, this was my first Hazon event. And I only hope there will be more in my future!
At this benefit for Hazon, founder Nigel Savage stated that Hazon is about taking Jewish tradition seriously and eating Jewishly in the 21st century. It is both about the past and the future. Hazon means vision, which is a vision the organization itself embodies.
Hazon "creates healthier and more sustainable communities in the Jewish world and beyond." The group runs environmental bike rides in many cities (Bay Area friends: the California Ride is coming up on May 10-13). They sponsor CSAs across the country. Along with The Jewish Daily Forward, they co-sponsor the blog The Jew and the Carrot, covering food issues as they relate to the Jewish world. They have a food conference in December, complete with composting, pickling, and other sustainability and food workshops.
Back to the event...
The food: superb. My menu included smoked duck carpaccio with passion fruit, barley soup with fenugreek and mushrooms, and braised short rib of beef with pomegranate and figs.
The message: Create sustainable communities inspired by Judaism.
The speakers: Manageable since we were able to pick at the edible centerpiece featured below.
Edible centerpiece at Taste of Hazon
Chana Rothman performed "We Shall Not be Moved," which is one of Stango's favorites. Chana is also a Philadelphian and therefore I hope I will get to hear her perform another time in the near future!
Here is the title song of Chana's newest CD. Though not a Tu B'Shvat song per se, I pointed out to Chana (naturally, the rock star in me of course will seek out the musician after the show if possible) that it has a clear message for Tu B'Shvat.
Thoughts from benefit honoree Mark Dornstreich, proprietor of Branch Creek Farm and a 1970s pioneer in Pennsylvania in organic farming included the following inspiration:
"Sweat. Art. Food. Family. Sharing. Bonding and the continuity of your life's work and the people that are part of your being.:
At the end of the evening, Savage quoted the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach:
My high school friend Mike posted a lovely rendition of "Lively Up Yourself," from 6/13/80
As you know I love numerical synchronicity. When I saw the date of this YouTube, I livened up myself!
6/13 or, 613 is a significant number in Judaism. As you know, I am Jewish and I live a Jewish life, so when I see that number of course I make the connection. I have mentioned how I love when I go to Madison Square Garden, especially to see my favorite band, I view the jersey hanging high above for "Horowitz" with the number 613.
613 refers to the total number of mitzvot or commandments in the Torah.
Don't know if my friend Mike looked at that date or realized, but I think it's pretty cool.
So, there, I have linked Rastafarians with Jews. Not such a huge stretch.
Tong Yuen
family recipe from my friend Hannah
Serves 2
1 tsp oil
2/3 c glutinous rice flour (use up what’s left from making nian gao)
Cold water
Roasted, crushed peanuts
Sugar
Add water gradually to the rice flour and mix by hand until melded. Shape into bite-sized balls.
Boil in water until they float to the top. Cool before sampling! Serve, sprinkled with peanuts and sugar.
Naturally, I am a mother and therefore I relate to the whole mother imagery.
But I love nature, and this week is Tu B'Shvat, which is the Jewish birthday of the trees, and so I am thinking about Mother Earth a little bit more these days. I love this holiday since it is all about nature and trees and Israel. All things I love.
I also love the children's book The Story of the Root Children, which is a lovely story written by Sibylle von Olfers, about 100 years ago. It has a lot of Mother Earth imagery in it. It is the type of book that Waldorf families read. We aren't a Waldorf family, but we do like homemade toys!
you can buy this at Amazon.com. No, I get no compensation for providing you that link. Am I too nice?
Speaking of Mother Earth imagery, I simply love the album art from the Grateful Dead's sixth studio album, Wake of the Flood.
Talk about a very in-shape Mother Earth! Look at those well-sculpted arms. Don't think my own mother would be as jazzed about this album cover as me. Oh well, variety is the spice of life, as they say.
Now, getting back to the title of my blog post.
You see the ocean that is flowing in her veins in this album cover art?
If you don't, maybe you want to at least listen to the song that my friend The Nunever reminded me of this morning, and how its lyrics have great depth and connection and real meaning and all that.
Never a huge fan of chocolate cake, I bake the tastiest recipe for chocolate cake. I have made it for numerous potluck luches. It is a crowd pleaser. The recipe is from the back of the Hershey's can of cocoa, but I use Nestle's. It has a better flavor. I also keep it dairy-free, changing the cow's milk to either almond or coconut.
Rachel's Potluck Chocolate Cake
inspired by Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake
2 Cups sugar
1 3/4 C flour
3/4 C cocoa (preferably Nestle's)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 C almond or coconut milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 C canola oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 C boiling water
preheat oven 350
spray two 9-inch pans with canola cooking spray
place 1st 6 dry ingredients into a mixing bowl; mix
add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.
mix at medium 2 minutes
gently stir in boiling water (batter will be thin...not to worry!)
pour into prepared pans
bake 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
As mentioned, I use Nestle's. I have swallowed my pride despite that I have issues with that company since they are a huge lobby group for formula in Washington, and I am a breastfeeding supporter. Still, they are better tasting than Hershey's. For supermarket cocoa, that is. I guess Droste is available some places, and it has a good taste but it is simply too expensive for me. I always loved the Nestle's cocoa tin. It was shaped like a Toll House. Then they switched it to plastic, which I saved. And now they are getting rid of their traditional design and are using a more generic container.
Old Nestle's cocoa on the right, new container on left.
The Jewish New year of the trees, Tu B'Shvat, is coming up.
To be festive, we made a tree-shaped Chocolate cake.
Frosting recipe is from the side of the confectioner's sugar box.
I used coconut oil and non-hydrogenated Palm oil as the shortening.
Yes, those are mixed lettuce greens on the bottom.
From our melava malka on Saturday night (with Stango and Concealed Light and, if you listen closely, the Wolfman or his brother on percussion which was a plastic bottle):
Here is our Concealed Light yesterday afternoon.
And then a coupla minutes later she picks up our new melodica.
Tune written by Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach z'l
Recently, I had the greatest honor to meet the acquaintance of Nigel Savage, founder of Hazon. He has transformed Jewish philanthropy through his organization. Hazon wants you to help "create healthier and more sustainable communities in the Jewish world and beyond." Sue, a new friend of mine who was introduced to the organization through its trademark bike ride, told me that involvement with Hazon has transformed her life. She recently celebrated her Bat Mitzvah, having previously only a minimal knowledge of the alef-beit. I met her last summer through the Hazon CSA, thinking it would be a good way to connect with the Jewish community here in Philadelphia.
I invite you to join us for a shmooze at "Taste of Hazon"
(it is a Tu B'Shevat benefit, and by invite I mean you register for yourself. One day we would love to sponsor a table. We'll get there.)
February 7, 2012
cocktails at 5:45pm
program and dinner at 6:45pm
National Museum of Jewish History Gala Ballroom
101 South Independent Mall East, Philadelphia
We didn't really love to watch TV when we were growing up in the 70s and 80s (strange, right?), but we became acquainted with Schoolhouse Rock's "Three is a Magic Number" at a Gathering of the Vibes outdoor music festival some time in the late 90s or early 2000's. Its writer, composer, and original performer, Bob Dorough, was there in Bridgeport, Connecticut on a side stage performing some of Gen X's most iconic memories from Saturday morning cartoons. While the main stage mainly occupied jam bands such as the Radiators (we linked you to their Zeke's copyrwritten "Fish Head Manifesto," a deep piece of prose in its own right), Rat Dog, Deep Banana Blackout and moe, we were drawn to the side stage. We remember getting really down with this song in particular. And we mean reallllllllllllllllly digging it, grooving to it, and thinking of its meaning other than simple math.
Wait, isn't that what Schoolhouse Rock intended to do?
Get its listeners to rock out?
First, a posthumous thank you to its brilliant creator, ad exec and Yalie David McCall. and industry exec Michael Eisner (whose Wikipedia entry attributes much of his success to canoe camp in Vermont as a boy...good stuff!), for bringing it to the American people. Wow, that is pretty early in Eisner's career.
A little bit of background with regard to the number 3 in Judaism:
1. The 3rd day of creation (Tuesday, duh) the only day during the creation of the world when the infamous line "and it was good" is mentioned twice. There is a custom among certain Jews to get married on this day because it offers good luck.
2. There were 3 patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob)
3. (Question: are you thinking, well, there is also the Holy Trinity in Christianity, so it's not just Jews who hold this number is high regard? Indeed, you are correct! Dorough himself said it is an "ancient magic trinity." There is something there, we agree, but this is a site leaning more Jewish but we'll give you that. There is something there. Indeed, when a person can be named after their father and grandfather and given the suffix "III" and then from there get the nickname "Trey" that, too, is significant.) Ok, so there's your answer for number 3. Meaningful and unifying all the same.
4. Three is strength, in Hebrew "chazakah." When something occurs once in the world, this is normal, this is usual. Two times, now we're talking. Three times? Now that is a miracle. And that miracle is strength. Check out Askmoses for more on that. The holiest of holies the Lubavitcher Stango, a concealed great of our time, said as much the eve of his wedding just moments before the start of Chanuka in the year of segula b'yisrael. For further reference, check the video Makin' it Halachic which is currently unavailable online. Hoping to upload it one of this many moons (if you read thus far, you should know that we aren't too terribly off on a tangent, but it's not like this is available to put out there for the masses. Yet).
Ok, we lost you there, let's get back to earth.
A quick check on the covers of this song include a sample by De La Soul, a cover by Blind Melon, and a modern version by Jack Johnson with regard to the environment.
Here is Blind Melon's cover, a nice sound.
Jack Johnson went to Hawaii to discover the meaning of aloha. (We are big believers in being here, now. Not sure if Johnson is acquainted with the Ram Dass, nee Richard Alpert.).
He gets to the number 18 (3 times 3 times 3) the 18th letter of the alphabet is R. He takes Bob Dorough's iconic song and uses it to talk about the environment.
We are only guessing that Mr. Johnson, who is singing the environmental message about reduce, reuse and recycle (very different 3 R's that existed in the mid-century rubric of reading, 'riting, 'rithmetic) didn't realize at the time that 18 is the numeric equivalent in Judaism to life. and one very important to Judaism and Torah values (indeed, we are approaching Jewish Arbor Day called Tu B'Shvat, the birthday of the trees) ).
Or maybe he did.
If so, he wasn't overt.
In any event, thank you to the Annenberg Foundation for funding this very wise re-writing of this iconic song for us Gen X'ers.
Back to the number 18. Or was it the 3 Rs?
L'Chayim! L'Chaim?
We actually never fully watched Fiddler from beginning to end, but you do remember this scene, we hope:
L'Chayim, that famous word to so many even bagels and lox Jews, is equal in gematria, or Jewish numerology, 18. To life, as it were, is a combination of the Hebrew letters "chet" and "yud." You know, "Chai"? How many Jews have you known to wear a gold chai around their neck (ugh, a bit gauche for us, but maybe that's just a hangup of ours). A nice, big hairy chest with a nice thick gold chai nestled somewhere in there. Reminds us of Grandpa Al, whom we loved so much, especially when he was all leathery tan after a winter in West Palm. Remember the trips to Boca and Delray, and how can we pass up Worth Avenue. End the day with an early bird special (dinner at 4pm, we are so glad we had grandparents in Florida) and pick up some groceries at Publix, and we're golden.
So essentially, we have been thinking a lot lately about how 3 is a magic number. It is currently a Tuesday as we write this, and we woke up in the middle of the night thinking about this tune. We didn't know that Jack Johnson made it into an environmental message. Our friends' connection to the Jewish concept of Teva, or nature, would appreciate that. (yes, there is also the Teva sandal company and Israeli-based Teva pharmaceutical company, both worthy ventures in their own rights...we aren't sure if the sandal company's founder, Mark Thatcher, is Jewish, but he spent time in Israel from which he borrowed the Hebrew word for nature).
And it's getting very close, about 2 weeks to go, to the Jewish Arbor Day, aka
In summing up, the moral seems a little bit obscure (it often comes back to Phish, doesn't it? Check out this video of their song Cavern where they perform the "in summing up" phrase towards the end of the song):
