I woke up in a black mood this morning, due to a variety of things but predominantly the fact that Yonah has been insisting on getting up at 5:30 each morning for the past week, ever since we moved the clocks back an hour. Both of us get very cranky when we’re tired; let’s just say that by the time we leave for Rivka’s at 8:30 we’re both ready to raise the white flag.

This morning, our landlord Yossi drove us up Mount Ramat HaGolan, saving me my usual shlep. After we dropped Yonah off we headed over to the bank so I could take out money to pay our rent (first of the month…). We chatted easily in Hebrew–Well, he did, anyway. I struggled along in my adorable, brain-farty way, but at least I was able to follow the conversation–about classical music. Yossi is a big classical music fan, but Carmela and his son Doron have banned it from the house. He gets his fix while he’s driving in the car. I play Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin for Yonah (and no, we’re not just talking the Baby Einstein stuff here), which he seems to like a lot, though not as much as the new kids’ album I bought him by Barenaked Ladies called, “Snacktime!”. He actually dances when I play it for him, which is, of course, the most adorable thing that has ever occurred in the history of humankind.

Anyway, the black mood persisted despite a flawless trip to the bank. I tried to set myself straight by jumping into cooking, but after catching my finger in my new hand blender (no worries; all phalanges are still attached), I dissolved into tears. Shuie came to the rescue, wrapped my finger up and tried to boost my spirits. “We’re going out,” he said, and despite my protestations, took me for a walk to the Mercaz to run some errands. We bought a midmorning snack from the local bakery and sat at a table outside, watching the passersby. Shuie took a bite into his mini-cheese danish and smiled. “On days when I’m really depressed, seeing the sun and life going on changes everything.” Whether I wanted to admit it or not, he was right. By the time we got home, my mood was turned right around. Our little trip gave me the boost I needed to jump into a marathon cooking session, which I am only now giving myself permission to stop, seven hours later.

So far, I have made:

1. 5 Challahs
2. Morrocan Pumpkin Soup
3. Penne with Pumpkin Seed Pesto and Roasted Peppers
4. Apple Brisket
5. Chicken Breast Rolls Stuffed with Apple, Fig, Leek and Barley
6. Chicken Wings with Mango and Fresh Basil Marinade
7. Kidney Bean and Chickpea Dip (we had to get a little experimental with that one)
8. Carrot and Apple Kugel
9. Yellow Peppers Stuffed with Onions, Mushrooms and Barley in Tomato Paste

In case you’re interested in stealing some recipes, I will tell you that I find most of mine online (except the challah, which is my mother’s). My good friend Katherine just turned me on to this fabulous blog site called http://www.twobluelemons.com, which features the culinary adventures of two vegan/vegetarian sisters. While I am not vegan nor vegetarian, they have recipes that are so fabulous you won’t even miss the meat.

Now that we’re on the subject of blogs, I have something to say, so listen up, people. Aside from a very select few of you who send me messages (and you should know that I love and appreciate you for it), the feedback I’m getting from this blog is pathetically scant (cue the crickets…). I feel like a comedian tapping on the mike over here: “Is this thing on?” While I talk to myself a lot more than I should probably admit, the idea of sitting in front of a computer and blogging to myself is not just depressing, it’s a little bit scary. So if you’re actually reading this, even once in a while, let me know. You can either post a comment on the blog itself or just send me an email at reamiriam@gmail.com. And if you’re feeling extra adventurous, you could hop on a plane, fly to Israel, knock on my door and tell me to keep my day job.

Sukkot starts tomorrow and I am gearing up for entertaining. I never considered myself the domestic, hostess-y type, but this past Passover I did my first Big Cook, making 3 days worth of food for 10 people. Since then, I have never looked back (I guess a little opportunity can go a long way toward a change in perspective). Now I actually love the whole process, especially when I can experiment with different recipes and watch people enjoy them. The other day I actually considered buying NAPKIN RINGS; pretty soon I’ll take up macrame and start wearing white gloves everywhere.

If I stay up any longer I may start writing in Swahili, so it is goodnight for now. Sleep well. Pleasant Dreams.