Shabbat before Passover

Shabbat diary

This week was the Shabbat before Passover.

I have started clearing out all the`chametz` (things with yeast) and cleaning the cabinets.

Its funny the challah this Shabbat came out much less "puffed up" than my usual Challah.
Ordinarily I would have minded that, but this time it seemed perfect for the week before Passover.

As we prepare to remove all yeast from our homes for Passover, it just seemed to make sense that the challah too were beginning to reflect the season.  Yeast is said to represent pride, our ego, and sin.  We eat unleavened bread for one week as commanded by God for the seven days of Passover, and these weeks before are a  time to prepare and clear out the leaven from our cabinets and from our hearts.

So these humble challah seemed right.

It was also a special Shabbat in our home, as my daughter will be leaving for college next week! It was her last Shabbat home before her new and exciting time of living on her own begins.

For the dinner, I made a brisket!  (recipe LINK below and on sidebar, ours was smaller,  for 3, and cooking time was one hour and a half) It came out perfect!  I  decided to make it a feast tonight while my daughter was still here.  We had celebratory dessert to celebrate her entrance to school.    I usually don't eat sweets but it was a special day!! My daughter chose the "Mon Balon" , a chestnut creme tart,  I chose the sakura cake! , and so my husband got the Roll Cake!

This offering, with cakes of leavened bread added, he shall offer along with his thanksgiving sacrifice of well-being.

--Leviticus 7:13

יג  עַל-חַלֹּת לֶחֶם חָמֵץ, יַקְרִיב קָרְבָּנוֹ, עַל-זֶבַח, תּוֹדַת שְׁלָמָיו.

This scripture is from the Torah reading in Parsha Tsav from this past week.  The Hebrew verse contains both the word `challah` (in the English in this case, "cakes")  and `shalom` (peace, well-being).  Two of my favorite words!!   It also contains the word `chametz`, which is the word for leaven, which is what we must do without on Passover.  I love that all these words are in this verse which we read in the readings just before Pesach (Passover).  And it also contains the word "Corban" which means "offering" or "sacrifice".  Oh, and it also contains the word `todah`which means Thanks.  I think this verse is very amazing to meditate on all these things as we prepare for Pesach.  Heavenly Father, we give You thanks for this Passover and for setting us free from bondage in Egypt.  We give thanks for the Lamb of God, the Bread of Life, who became the ultimate offering for our sins.  He sets us free.  He is our Shalom.  Yeshua.  To You we give Thanks!!!

Shabbat Shalom!
Shavu`a Tov!!

Blessings and Love,

♡
Shayndel

Note and recipes:
A recipe variation that I discovered this Shabbat.
I wanted to make Chicken Marsala as one of the dishes.  When I went to the wine shop to buy wine  I saw a small bottle of local wine called Pione.  Pione are grapes that are grown unique to Japan!! Pione wine is from grapes grown in our Prefecture!  So I changed the Chicken Marsala to Chicken Pione, and may add it to my Challah and Cherry Blossoms Cookbook!!

The base recipe I used, with a few variations, for the Chicken Pione is from Joy of Kosher, THIS recipe for Chicken Marsala.

The recipe I followed for the brisket is THIS recipe from Torey Avey`s blog. My variations in this recipe  include, 1.   reduced the recipe greatly as ours was for 3 people, and so reduced accordingly; ginger instead of garlic; Japanese Tensai-to for the brown sugar.  I recommend making it using your variations.  P. S.  I was very happy, my daughter asked for this recipe to take with her!!  Along with recipes for some of her favorite Japanese dishes!

Love and Blessings and Shalom!♡ Shayndel