Shana Tova!

Getting ready: Last night's cleaning session leaves the house fresh and tidy, while a gentle rain during the night leaves the yard dust-free and bright. All is ready for erev rosh hashana except for the cooking. As a terribly lazy cook, I like things that can be thrown together with minimal effort, so tonight's festive meal is built around our favorite simple dishes. The one exception is the challah (traditional sabbath bread, braided in a complex pattern and brushed with egg yolk), which is a family recipe handed down from my great-grandmother (and namesake). Time-consuming and tricky, it requires a major effort to make, but has a texture and flavor that is worth it. Nadine and Gill will both gorge themselves into a carbohydrate coma on it, if allowed... I usually only make it a few times a year, including a special rosh hashana version that is round and studded with raisins to symbolize a sweet new year. I have many good memories of my mother baking this amazing bread for shabbat. Since I have no children to pass the recipe to (at least, no children with opposable thumbs), I decided a few years ago to teach a friend how to bake it. The challah lives on!

In light of the holidays, there won't be any new entries for the next few days. To keep you amused, here is a festive grab-bag of the fun, the weird, and the whacky. Enjoy.

1. A cat fatter than Nadine. Really fatter.
2. Another compelling reason why professional editors are a Good Idea. Thanks to reader, co-trainer, and also-blogger LC.
3. Ready to play a round of Jewpardy? Thanks to Northern LS.
4. Geeky British guys and treadmills: a winning combination. Thanks to reader MN.
5. We can all rest easier knowing that when a cow falls into a well, someone will find a way to get her out.
6. It's sick, it's twisted, and it's very funny. Northern LS sends us this special shana tova greeting from Nasralla and his friends. We especially like Osama's orange Crocs...

Shana tova to all of you. May this be a year of peace, sanity, and justice in the world. May all of you enjoy the best possible health, the love of your friends and family, satisfaction and success in your careers, good chocolate, fat kitty bellies to rub, and enough adventure to provide a little spice.