PURIM MISHLOACH MANOT THEMES....

Happy Rosh Chodesh Adar.  

Here are Mishloach Manot ideas for you. 

Please share yours.  More to come... :-)  

Chodesh Tov!

Italian Theme:

Things you will need:

• Strainer
• breadsticks
• biscotti
• garlic
• pasta
• pasta sauce
• oregano
• garlic bread

Do you like Purim, or do you find it a pain?
So much to do and all of that strain…
Don’t you wish you could just leave your home,
Go to places like Venice, Milano or Rome.
We know that’s too hard, so we brought it to you,
The pasta, the sauce and oregano too.
You’ll enjoy these delights, we can guarantee,
We added the breadsticks and some biscotti.
The garlic was included- I’m not quite sure why,
I guess it’s a sign to ward off the evil eye.
Enjoy your fresh garlic bread, it is so divine,
And you could top it all off with some Italian wine.
Oh- if you can’t find the wine- then you must not recall,
Right when you got this- you finished it all!!!                                                                                                                     

     Ginzei Hamelech:

Ginzei Hamelech 
The King’s treasure chest,

We put in all this treasure, found only the best.

But the real hidden treasure is right in front you can see,

It is the chesed and care 
from friends and family.

Enjoy these rich treats, 
We hope that you have fun,

Wishing a Happy Purim 
To everyone!!

What you will need:

Chocolate coins, treasure chest box, necklace candy, any treat you desire.

     Hodu Vead Kush:

Achashveirosh had 
a lot of possessions- rechush,

He ruled from Hodu 
all the way until Kush.

So here for you 
is a kush- chocolate cake,

And a Hodu (Turkey) sandwich for you to take.

Wishing you happiness, and lots of good health,

Happy Purim to you and enjoy all your wealth.

What you will need:

Chocolate cake, Turkey Sandwich

      Shushan Habira:

One Hundred Twenty Seven lands 
Achashveirosh did own,

In Shushan Habira 
he sat on his throne.

Bira- the beer,
and Shushan that’s the rose,

This is the theme that for this year we chose.

Enjoy your great Purim, 
time quickly passes,

And don’t forget; 
look at life through rose colored glasses!

 What you will need:

Beer, Chocolate rose, rose shaped muffin, rose colored glasses

   Dagim:

Did you notice we have a theme?

Mazal of Adar is Dagim.

We even added extra spice,

We thought it would look very nice.

Munch on crackers with tuna fish,

And make sure to tovel the pretty dish.

We hope you like the things we sent,

We’re fishing for a compliment

What you will need:

Fish dish, fish spice, fish crackers, jelly fish, water.

  Vayimalei Haman Cheima:

Everyone bowed down to Haman 
except Mordechai,

He simply refused, 
he did not even try.

Vayimalei Haman cheima,
he was angry 
what should he do?

Cheima also means butter, 
we prepared some 
with a roll for you.

Peanut butter, butternut squash 
and a butterfly you can see,

A Happy Purim to you
and your whole family!

What you will need:

Peanut butter, butter, butternut squash muffins, butterfly...

Naddeda Shnat Hamelech:

The King couldn’t sleep, 
he was twisting all night,

Something he felt 
was just not quite right,

He asked his servants 
to bring his memory book,

He opened it up
 to have a good look.

He found out a story 
that he did not know why,

He never rewarded 
this man Mordechai.

Maybe he should have   
tried to count sheep,

And drink milk and cookies
 to fall back asleep.

What you will need:

milk, cookies, notebook.

Migadol vead Katan:

Achashveirosh made a party 
and invited everyone,

It tells us in the megilla- migadol vead katan.

BIG COOKIE, little cookie and the same with the wine,

BIG CHOCOLATE,
little chocolate we think it’s divine.

So here is a little something it was not a BIG deal,

Have a wonderful Purim and enjoy your Purim meal!

What you will need:

big chocolate, little chocolate, big petit bars, little petit bars, big wine, little wine.

 Venahafoch Hu:

Etihw rehto eht dna kcalb syas eno fI,

Thgir syas eno dna gnorw syas eno fi

?od uoy nac tahw ?yas uoy dluohs tahw

!uh hcofahanev yas ffo ti hgual tsuj

Enjoy this opposite theme, and the inside out,

Because having fun on Purim is what it is all about.

(read this poem from right to left…)

 What you will need:

Bag to turn inside out, anything you want that you could put upside down or backwards.

Enjoy!

I would love to hear your creations.  More to come...

Have a great week!

Ruchie

VAYERA

PARSHA POINTS:

•  Avraham is sitting at the opening of his tent, when he notices three "men" approaching.                        
•  The three angels inform Avraham and Sarah that Sarah will bear a child in her old age.
•  Sarah responds to this news by laughing. 
•  Two of the messengers make their way towards Sodom, while Hashem tells Avraham the plan to destroy the sinful city. Avraham tries to convince Hashem that there are righteous people in the city.     
•  When not even ten righteous people are found in Sodom, Hashem proceeds with the city's destruction. 
• Avraham's nephew Lot,  escapes the destruction with his two daughters.
• Avraham then moves southward, and settles near Gerar. Avimelech,the  king of the Philistines, tries to take Sarah, but through Hashem's intervention, she is released unharmed.
• Yitzchak is born to Avraham and Sarah. Avraham, who is now a hundred years old, circumcises his new son with great celebration. 
• Sarah noticed that Yishmael, Avraham's son with Hagar, was a  negative influence on her child. She told Avraham to kick out Yishmael, and his mother Hagar. 
• Hashem tells Avraham: "Whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her voice!"
• Hagar and Ishmael wandered in the desert and soon ran out of water. Suddenly, a malach (angel) opened Hagar's eyes and showed her a well of water.
• This is the final test for Avraham.  Hashem appears to Avraham and commands him to go and offer his son Yitzchak as a sacrifice. They travel to Mount Moriah, where Avraham binds up Yitzchak and is about to slaughter him. Hashem stopped him and  provides a ram instead.
• Avraham then returns to his home at Beer Sheba.

PLAYING WITH THE PARSHA:
 This week's Parsha teaches us about the mitzvah of Hachnasat Orchim and Bikur cholim.  A nice activity to do with your kids is visiting a sick person.  If you live near a hospital or nursing home, you could buy little treats and give them out there.  You could also bake a cake for someone you know who is sick and bring it over.  You can pick up the phone or send an email to someone you know who is not feeling well and let them know you are thinking of them.  These suggestions can really brighten someone's day :-).

If you are having Shabbat guests, this is a perfect week to talk about Hachnasat Orchim and making them feel good.  You might even want to serve the Parsha cake just like Sarah prepared cakes for the malachim.

PARSHA PUZZLE: 

Avraham broke his leg; he could not go to school,

And for the same reason, he could not attend shul.

The car he  was sitting in had skidded in the rain,

He got hurt, not that badly but was in lots of pain.

Baruch Hashem, he was buckled up in the car,

Or G-d forbid he would have been thrown pretty far,

When he was sent to the hospital and was seen by a nurse,

She said, “Bee thankful  to G-d, it could have been worse.”

The other people in the car were luckily not hurt,

Though one of the others gott some blood on his shirt.

Avraham was shaking and scared and at first unable to speak,

And the doctor told him that now he must rest for a week.

He thought staying at home might actually be fun,

But he was stuck in his bed; he could not walk, play or run.

He missed all his friends, what was there to do all day?

He wished he could feel better and go learn, run and play.

His friends allsurprised him; they each wrote a letter,

And when he read all their wishes he felt so much better.

In shul one late morning, the men could not begin,

They were nine all together, not enough for a minyan.

Since Avraham was 13 he could be counted with the men,

Because to have a minyan, you must have at least 10.

Two men were determinded to have their minyan

And knocked at the door of our hero, Avraham

They carried him all the way to the car

And brought him to shul, which wasn’t that far

We know Bikur Cholim we learn from Vayera,

What else in this rhyme talks about this Parsha?

PARSHA CAKE:
What You Need:

Apple Cake Delight (recipe below)

People figures or cookie figures

Paper Towel roll

Green construction paper

Round red stickers

Apple Cake Delight:

3 apples, peeled and slice thinly

Sprinkle cinnamon/ sugar to cover the apples

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

3 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla

¼ cup orange or apple juice

Grease a bundt pan. Slice the apples and place them in a bowl.  Mix the cinnamon and sugar mixture, and sprinkle over the apples.

In another bowl, beat the oil and eggs.  Add the sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir in vanilla and orange juice.

Pour half of the batter into the bundt shaped pan.  Place the apples over the batter.  Pour remaining batter on to the apples.  Bake for 1 hour or more.  The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Allow to cool.

Make a tree by cutting strips ¾ of the way down the green paper.  Roll it into the papertowel roll and fan out.  Place stickers on the paper.

Place the tree inside the bundt cake and lean the people figures against the tree.

Place a figure on the side to represent Avraham.  You can take a round paper plate and cut a triangle and form it into a tent.  Cut 4 doors around.

Answer to Parsha Puzzle: Hashem wanted to destroy Sedom and Avraham pleads with him not to destroy the city if ?are were at least 50 righteous people there. He goes down in numbers until he reaches 10. Avraham did not ask for less than ten men, because less than that is not a community; the minimum number for a minyan (quorum) of men. 

Wishing you a wonderful and restful Shabbat!  All the best!                                                  Ruchie

VAYEITZEI PARSHA IDEAS

Parsha Points:

• On His way to his Uncle Lavan's house, Yaakov has his famous dream.                                     
• Yaakov takes 12 stones and puts them under his head before he goes to sleep. (The 12 stones turned into one).

• Yaakov dreams that there is a ladder that stretches from the earth until heaven.

• On the ladder the malachim are ascending and descending.                                                               
• Hashem appears to Yaakov and  promises that he will protect him.                                                                    
• Yaakov goes to Charan and meets Rachel at the well.                                                       
• Yaakov knew that he was destined to marry Rachel.                                                              
• Rachel ran back to tell her father Lavan that Avraham's grandson had arrived.                 

• Yaakov contracts with Lavan to marry his daughter Rachel.  He agreed to work seven years, and then get her hand in marriage.

• Lavan switches daughter's and secretly puts Leah instead of Rachel.

• Yaakov has to work another seven years before marrying Rachel.

• Yaakov loved Rachel more than Leah. 

• Leah gave birth to Reuven, Shimon Levi and Yehuda.

• Bilha (Rachel's maidservant) gives birth to Dan and Naftali.

•  Zilpa (Leah's maidservant) gives birth to Gad and Asher

• Leah gives birth to 3 more children, Yissaschar, Zevulun and Dina.

•  After many years of being barren, Hashem grants a child to Rachel.  She names him Yosef.

•  After 20 years, Hashem tells Yaakov that it is time to go back home.

• Yaakov went to ask Lavan permission. 

•  Rachel steals her father's idols without telling anyone.

•  Yaakov flees from Lavan.

•  Lavan catches up to him and asks him why he is running away and why did he steal      his idols.

•  Yaakov, not aware that anyone took the idols announced that whoever stole the idols will die.

•  Yaakov and Lavan separate.  Lavan goes back to Canaan and Yaakov goes to Eretz Yisrael.

 Parsha Puzzle:

Devorah, Adina, Nechama and Miri,

Were busy with the design.

Aliza, Malka, Yehudit, Lior, and Chedva,

Worked hard to reach the deadline.

Esti, Sara, Daniella, and Raizy,

Worked together as a team.

Talya, Nitzan, Shoshana, and Avigayil,

Wanted to fulfill their big dream.

Morah Tzippy gave them a project,

And somehow they had to try.

To design an item or object,

That somehow could reach the sky.

Rachel, Ruchie, Racheli and Rochel,

Put their heads together in thought.

Can they think of something unique?

From all of the things they were taught.

The big day finally came,

It was such an exciting day.

All of the girls together,

Had to prepare their display.

There were planes, rockets and gadgets,

Birds, kites and fancy cars.

One of the groups prepared,

All kinds of shooting stars.

Rachel, Ruchie, Racheli and Rochel,

Were forgotten amongst all the rest,

All they had with them was a ladder,

They thought that their answer was best.

Can you look in your Chumash,

And find out 2 things from this rhyme,

What does this have to do with the parsha?

Can you guess the answer this time? (answer on the bottom...)

Playing with the Parsha: 

Here is something fun to play.  Before Shabbat, prepare random words from the Parsha. (i.e. dudaim, naftulay, be'er,vayashk etc... Place Chumashim on the table and have a race at the table who could find the word and the pasuk first.  This gets everyone into the parsha (literally :-).  Have fun!!

ShABBAt  IMABBA:

Here is a great way for my father and I to learn a little bit of Parsha each week. ( I like the play on words of Abba in the word Shabbat and Imabba meaning "with Abba" and Ima Abba written together!  Thanks Abba and Ima :-)!

• In this week's Parsha it says about Yaakov,  "Vayeitze" and "vayelech."  Why does it say he went out and he went?  The two seem redundant. We learn from here that Yaakov was torn.  His father told him to go out to find a bride and his mother told him to run away from his brother Eisav.  The 2 words show that he listened to both of his parents and had kibbud horim.

• We know the famous story that Yaakov put his head down on 12 rocks (the 12 shvatim) and they were all fighting and it turned into one stone.  Why did the one stone not quarrel?  Yaakov should put his head on my corner, or no he should put it on mine...  This shows us, that when everyone unites together, and there is unity, Achdut, then there are no quarrels.

• The gematria of Sulam is mamon= money.  If you use money wisely,for tzedaka, mitzvot, then you will reach "hashamayma" towards heaven.  If you do not use it wisely, then  you will be on the ground, like an ostrich with his head in the sand.

• "Hinei Sulam mutzav artzah" behold the ladder is on the ground.  The word Hinei in Hebrew is spelled the same forwards and backwards.  When you use a ladder you can turn it either way and use it.  Notice how you need to lean a ladder against something to hold it up.  The same is true of human beings.  You need other people to lean on.  One gives to the other and one should always care and help the other person out.  If you place a ladder straight without it leaning on anything it will not be useful, so too, you should bend sometimes and be flexible.

 Parsha Cake:

In this week’s Parsha, Yaakov has his famous dream where he sees angels climbing and descending a ladder to Heaven.  We are familiar with the Medrash (quoted by Rashi) that relates how Yaakov gathered the stones and placed them around his head. The stones began quarreling with one another. "I want the tzaddik to place his head on me!" "No, I want him to rest his head on me!" Hashem performed a miracle and the 12 stones combined into one.

You can make 12 chocolate balls to resemble the 12 stones.  You can add one big one with the leftover dough.  You will have a ball making these- and then eating them up!

You will need:

Chocolate Ball Recipe

Round cake (to lean the ladder)

Toy ladder or ladder made from cookie dough

Man cookie or figure

Chocolate Ball recipe:

Ingredients:

·         1 pound (500 grams) chocolate biscuit cookies

·         1 cup (2 sticks) margarine

·         100 grams bittersweet chocolate

·         1 cup sugar

·         6 tablespoons cocoa powder

·         1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

·         1/3-1/2 cup soy milk

Preparation:

1. In a food processor, grind biscuit cookies into finely crushed crumbs.
2. Melt chocolate and margarine in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes.
3. Using an electric mixer, combine biscuit crumbs with melted chocolate and margarine, sugar, cocoa powder and coffee granules.
4. Add the soy milk  slowly.

5. Shape the mixture into balls (1-2 tablespoons of mixture per ball).
6. Roll each ball into sprinkles or coconut.
7. Chill in the refrigerator.

How to assemble:

Lean the ladder on the cake.  Place the 12 balls on the side of the cake and lay “Yaakov” on top of them.  Enjoy your heavenly treat!

Have a wonderful and relaxing Shabbat!  Ruchie :-)

Answer to Parsha puzzle:   (Yaakov 's dream: There was a ladder set on the ground and its top reached the heavens. Vayeitzei 28:12 and the second part is found in Vayeitzei 30:22 when Hashem “remembered” Rachel and she had a child.)

PARSHAT REEI

This week’s parsha is called Re’eh which means see.  What better dessert to make then a happy face with glasses?  You will SEE - everyone will love this treat!

Educated Guess:

For six  years you’ve worked very hard,

In the seventh you must let down your guard.

You must leave well enough alone,

On all the land that you own.

All who want to take produce, let them be

Your land is now public property

Those who keep this law, it is promised to them

Their land will be fruitful; blessed by Hashem.

The mitzvah was given so that we know

It’s Hashem, not us, who makes things grow

We give up our fields, and forgive any loan

Because it’s thanks to Hashem, all that we own

Which mitzvah is this - go have a look,

Tell us which perek and which pasuk!

Answer to Educated Guess: The mitzvah of Shemittah, Devarim  15:1

Parsha in Action:

The end of this week’s parsha talks about the Shalosh regalim.  Three times a year the Bnei Yisrael make pilgrimages to the Beis Hamikdash.  

The Torah reviews the shalosh regalim and reminds the Bnei Yisrael to come to Yerushalayim with offerings.

You can play a game called Fruit Basket that is fun for all ages.  Have everyone sit in a chair in a circle, except for one player who is in the middle.  Every other person will get a name, Pesach, Shavuos or Succos.  The person who is in the middle calls out one of the chagim.  Those who have that name must get up and switch chairs.  The person in the middle must try to catch a seat in one of the chairs.  The person who does not have a seat calls out the next chag.  When someone calls out Shalosh regalim, everyone has to get up and switch seats.

This game is a lot of fun!  Enjoy!

Parsha Treat:

Easier Version:

What You Need:

Graham cracker pie crust

Cherry pie filling (or your favorite filling)

1 10 oz. container non dairy whip

I package instant vanilla pudding

A few pieces of sour sticks or licorice

Round cookies or fondant shaped in circles

Open up the pie crust.  Pour the cherry pie filling over the crust.  Pour the whip into a bowl.  Add 1 package of instant vanilla pudding (can use a little less).  Whip until it is stiff.  Pour the whip on top of the cherry pie filling.  Put in the refrigerator for an hour.  Take out and place the round glasses on top.  Shape the sour sticks into the glasses’ rims.  You can add a smiley face with the licorice.

This will be a great surprEYES!

Would love to hear from you.

Have a great Shabbat!!  

Ruchie