Hump Day Distractions

I find this extremely amusing.

Happy Channuka (Chanukah/Hannuka) my friends! I hope those of you celebrating the festival of lights kicked things off in style last night and that your latkes were extra tasty. Here to help us get one step closer to the weekend (a holiday we all celebrate!) are some goodies from the world wide web. Enjoy!

* For those of you who want to take your latke game up a notch, check these recipes out!

* Looking for the coolest menorah on the block? Some suggestions HERE.

* This super chill piglet yawning will calm your nerves and make you smile.

* So gorgeous. So cool.

* Simply adorable Christmas ornament/decoration DIY.

* Looks like Pixar has another "hysterical for kids and adults" (maybe even more so for adults!?) movie coming out way!

* Some pretty awesome Christmas movie "did you know?" factoids.

* Sparkle (New Year's Eve is coming. Where can one buy this dress!?)

Holiday Cheer!

Holiday Cheer & Charm.

Greetings friends!! This Monday feels particularly momentous because Channuka starts this week and Christmas (including the lovely vacation time that accompanies it) is officially NEXT WEEK! Talk about a reason for holiday cheer!! Here to help you prepare for the holidays are some seasonal eats, treats and crafts I've spotted around the web. Happy (almost) Holidays!

I love this simple and seasonal placeholder which even the less Martha Stewart inclined can definitely pull off! Pin it HERE, full instructions HERE (as well as some other unique place card holder ideas.) 

If Channuka is your holiday, fret not, I've got a simple and sweet centerpiece for you too! These white roses surrounded by golden gelt are the perfect decor idea for serving up your latkes in style. Pin it HERE, (super easy) full instructions HERE. 

What a festive and simple way to bring some snowman cheer to your Christmas tree decor!

As long as we're talking about snowmen... So easy, so cute. Now you just have to hope there aren't any serious Olaf lovers at your dessert table!! Pin it HERE, full instructions (and some other pre-school aged holiday crafts) HERE.

Pomegranate seeds are one of my favorite fall/winter seasonal treats and combining them with cheese clearly takes my love affair to the next level. Add some tasty honey and a cute serving dish and you'll have the holiday appetizer game in the bag. Pin it HERE, full recipe HERE.

Thanksgiving + Hanukkah =

This post brought to you by the fabulous 

(parent)thetically speaking.

Thanksgivukkah. Are you familiar? Ok good, glad that’s taken care of (but please please please do not brine your turkey in Manischewitz, it would be much more fitting, and tasty, to deep-fry it). To me, Thanksgivukkah is like when two of your fav movies are on 2 different channels instead of back-to-back, or if the Golden Globes and Oscars were on the same night, or like a traffic jam when you’re already late (oops, nope, sorry, lost it there for a minute). Spread the joy around a little, wouldja? I know Merry Meri and I agree that, at first, we were not so merry about these holidays overlapping.

I like my Thanksgiving - time with family, in a warm house, eating warm, yummy food and feeling blessed to have all of those things, and more, in my life. And then roughly three weeks later (give or take) our houses fill with warmth once more, this time, from the light of the Menorah at sundown. We eat fried potato latkes with sour cream (so so so good) or applesauce (also delish) and fried dough (sufganiyot). We fry, ok? It’s alllll about the oil (but isn’t everything, really?). Oh, and I watch this video multiple times daily. I love these holidays. So while the overlapping is fun, and a chance to change things up, I’m a wee bit disappointed that within a week, both holidays will be over.

But it IS once-in-a-lifetime, and next year the holiday season will be back to normal (and it’s not in my nature to be a scrooge). So, let’s celebrate! Buy the Menurkey  (g-e-n-i-u-s!) Wear the shirts! Or if you’re me and my family…

* put colorful dreidels in glass vases and DIY a mini pumpkin menorah for centerpieces

* serve chocolate gelt pecan pie!

* Pop a super cute printable into an 8x10 frame for instant décor. Oh wait…I couldn’t really find one that worked…

Soooo…I made one!¹ And I’m sharing it with you! Click the image above to open it, save it to your computer and print as an 8x10. Use it to jazz up the dessert table, or add to a mantle display, or don’t, because you’re either A. not Jewish or B. don’t believe in Pilgrims or sweet potato pie. Enjoy!

¹ I ‘designed’ this in Photoshop Elements. While this is an original, with the prevalence of Pinterest, and Etsy, and general interwebs, I’m sure that the inspiration sunk into my subconscious at some point. I also used a few fairly ubiquitous phrases that have popped up along with Thanksgivukkah.

For previous posts from (parent)thetically speaking, click HERE.

Eat, Sleep, etc.

I'm with ya kid.

When I found that picture, I couldn't believe how perfectly it embodied how I'm feeling on this sunny fall Friday. Really hungry and pretty darn tired... I'm ready for a tasty meal and a serious nap. Way to get things done kid.

Also, want to hear something kinda nuts? In two weeks from today, Thanksgiving will be over and Channuka will already be underway. Holy holiday season how quickly you've snuck up on me!! (And don't even get me started on the turkey/dreidel overlap, more on that next week...) This will be my last weekend hanging at home for a bit, so I'm hoping for a solid combination of productive (I need to get gift shopping!) and relaxing (family Sunday brunch reservations made.) And since we've still got plenty of football to be watching:

"Feed Your Football Face" Recipe of the Week: 

Cranberry, Butternut and Brussels Sprout Brie Skillet Nachos

* brought to you by Half Baked Harvest

These my friends, are not you're average nachos. These are a high brow, brie-tastic, fancy feasting treat perfect for your "it's too damn cold outside, this game will be better from the comfort of my couch" viewing party.

Since this recipe has a whole lot of ingredients (and some pretty drool-inducing photos) on the Half Baked Harvest site, why don't you just click HERE to learn how to cranberry, butternut, brussel sprout brie nacho your weekend or click HERE to Pin it for later.

And for all of the "Feed Your Football Face" recipes of the week, click HERE.

Hump Day Distractions

A promised, here are your weekly goodies from around the web (with a holiday theme of course!):

* 'tis the season to get your party on, but how "festive" you can be depends on where you work.

* Someday I will do this craft (there's been an empty tomato sauce jar sitting in my sink for the past 10 days... maybe in time for Valentines?) 
* I'm not sure about all 10 fingers, but how about making it an "accent" on one? (via Cup of Jo) 

* Get into the Channuka spirit (enough oil to out-do the Maccabis):  (not mentioned but a personal favorite: the latke appetizer at Noho Star ; 2 latkes topped with tuna sashimi, seaweed salad and a wasabi creme fraiche) 

* "guess why I smile a lot?... 'cause it's worth it" - Marcel the Shell (part 2). 

You're gonna like this a latke!

On the lower east side of Manhattan lies one of my favorite nights out. Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse is like your grandparent's old basement (think linoleum floors and wood paneling on the walls) meets old-man wedding singer, meets amazing jew food (like stuffed cabbage, fried kreplach and latkes). The place can not be done justice in writing, you have to see it to believe it. 

get things started with pickles and rye.

soak up the sounds. This guy does everything from Sinatra to Streisand.

chopped liver. Don't knock it 'til you try it... Sammy's "jewish guacamole" on rye is out of this world.

bring on the beef. Also note the shmalts (Yiddish for chicken fat). Disturbingly our mixer (oj) is the exact same color.

And what tops off the Sammy's experience (other than the Kettle One bottles frozen into blocks of ice) is that the place is meant to be done as a group. You MUST be with family and friends, in all likelihood celebrating something, to truly fit in at Sammy's. So get some people together and celebrate. Happy Channuka to you!

First image from Lost City