Spring Cleaning for Passover

Well folks....Harry's just helpin' get things cleaned for Passover!  For those not familiar with preparing for Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, de-leavening the home involves a THOUROUGH cleaning job with hot soap and water in EVERY nook and cranny of the home....if you have a big home (like my mother did with nine children!) you best start early and have a game plan!  When cleaning, every item that is or has leavening agents is to be put in a sealed container outside the home (garage/storage room/etc) where it can't be seen or opened during the Festival or thrown/given away.  This has been an annual celebration and ritual commanded by G-d since the Israelite's were freed from Pharaoh's slavery and led out of Egypt by Him in 1445 BC.  This, my friends, is where we get the term we use today, Spring Cleaning.  

Want to know more?  Okay!  We are commanded to clean leaven out for a couple reasons.  First is because when Israel was told to flee Egypt, they didn't have time to let their bread rise before baking....they had to bake it as it was, and it was flat, cracker-like, but edible.  We remember their hasty flight to freedom with this flat bread (matzoh) that we eat during that week.  Secondly is the symbolism that leavening has in our lives.  It only takes a tiny bit of yeast to leaven a whole loaf of bread-it spreads and spreads and takes over the entire mass of dough.  Sin has the same relationship in our lives--it only takes allowing a tiny bit of sin in before it takes over your life and you take G-d out of the equation.  :-(  Going through the home and removing EVERY crumb symbolizes what we are to be doing within our bodies, going through our soul, our mind, and our heart and tearing out every bit of sin we can find and asking forgiveness for it.  Spring Cleaning - A fresh start for your home and your heart!  <3  Betcha didn't think you were getting a Bible lesson today, huh?!
~Christine

Matzo Making

Pesach is just around the corner!  We practiced our matzo-making skills today with a SUPER-SIMPLE recipe!  The key to making kosher matzo is to let no more than 18 minutes lapse from the time you mix the liquid and flour until the time you put it in the oven or on the griddle.  We don't want there to be any chance of fermentation!  :-)  


Ingredients:
2 c Flour (Kosher for Passover - no self-rising flour)
1 c Water
Salt to taste (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 475*F or griddle to 400*F.  Remember that you have to mix and cook within 18 minutes, so make sure the preheating is done BEFORE you mix anything together!!
Mix well, knead slightly if necessary.  Dough will be somewhat thick.  Break it into 2 sections and use a rolling pin to get the thickness you desire.  Cut it into the size of squares/rectangles that you prefer and transfer to the griddle/oven immediately.  
For an oven:  Prick with fork after putting on baking sheets/stone.  Bake for 6-8 minutes.  
For the griddle:  Cook until each side is slightly browned.

These end up having a soft composition like a tortilla instead of being hard and cracker-like.  It works great for wraps, matzo pizza, dipping...anything you can think of!  We tested this batch warm with a touch of butter and my homemade Spiced Manischewitz Apple Jam (yes, I used wine in making jam.....and it is GOOOOOOD!!)

I remember the matzo PBJ sandwiches we took to school during Passover week when I was younger!  We thought it was fun being different that week.  Back in those days Wheat Thins and Triscuit were both made with no leavening, so they were a treat we could have that week, too.  These days they are not kosher for Passover anymore.  :-(  

Have a wonderful evening....and remember....only 4 cleaning weeks till Passover!  

~Christine