Happy Passover, Joyous Easter and Happy Sunday to all.

We are busy chopping onions, mashing potatoes and running to the supermarket for more butter. I wanted to go out to look around for a new dryer (alas, ours is dying) but basically everything is closed. The kids are going slightly stir crazy as it is actually snowing outside, but I plan on getting everyone out of the house to synagogue tomorrow. Enjoy ther rest of Passover - I'll catch up with all on the other side of the holiday!

Something that I have overlooked talking about is the fact that the Passover story is perhaps one of the earliest records of an adoption taking place. Moses, as an infant, was placed in the Nile River in a basket (because Pharoh had decreed that all male infants should be killed, Moses' mother was trying to save him) and he was retrieved by the daughter of Pharoh himself and raised in his household. The name Moses, as the Bible states, comes from "because I drew him out of the waters." Although one could say that there is an earlier adoption story in the Bible with Abraham and Lot, I think that was more of a case of Lot being taken under Abraham's wing and helped out in life. Besides, Lot... more

Okay - here we are in the final stretch. I think it's hard to imagine what prepping for Passover is unless you have experienced it. There's the full house spring cleaning, turning your kitchen inside out, purchasing large quantities of food, cooking, more cooking and getting ready for the seders.

But there's still time! Passover begins Monday evening, so there is still a bit of time to do some last minute crafts. Here's Naomi's top 5 list of things you can still do (with or without kids) before lighting candles for Passover.

1. Make a matzah cover. We always seem to run short of these at our seder. An 18 inch-ish square of light colored material from a craft store will do... more

So many, many people complain - I think everyone does - that there's nothing to eat on Passover. Or at least nothing decent. One may not eat "chametz" on Passover, that is, anything "leavened" as well as certain food that are also restricted. This includes - for example - crackers, bread, pasta, cereal etc. Beans, rice and legumes are also not allowed for most Jews - check with your rabbi.

I guess if you've been on the Atkin's diet, it can't be that bad. The "Passover diet" might actually be healthy - a good time to try more fruits and veggies that we all ignore a bit too often. And it's a time to be creative in recipes - many... more

How does it work? I'm still stuck on figuring out how Anna will relate to her older relatives, her religious heritage, etc. both adopted and biological. When we thank G-d in a few days for taking us out of Egypt, will she too feel that she can in some way connect to the story, even though she wasn't born Jewish? Or will she feel a disconnect, finding it easier to relate to being African American. When I tell her stories about my grandparents and great-grandparents - the stories that my mother told me before bed - will Anna really and truly feel that they too are her relatives? Or will she always look at them as mine?

I think that having Anna involved in the preparations for the holiday... more

Adam has been extremely clutchy as of late. And when I say 'clutchy,' I actually mean "DO NOT PUT ME DOWN UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES." So, I've been spending my days basically holding him the whole time or having my husband take a turn. Which is really what I need right before Passover. On the other hand, there were so many years that I really wanted to be here - so, I suppose I should say thank G-d I get to complain about my kid being cranky.

Meanwhile, I have figured out how to vacuum, sweep and fold laundry while holding a 21 pound kid at the same time. I have not yet figured out how to wash dishes while holding him - any suggestions welcome. My husband has long since figured out... more

One of my favorite memories growing up was helping my father make Charoset on erev Pesach (Passover eve). Somehow, it was always his job in his family, and it became our thing to do together. We had this old world chopper and a wooden bowl, and we'd stand at the table making Charoset together. Charoset is one of the food items that are included on the seder plate. Charoset symbolizes the mortar that the Jews used in Egypt as slaves working with bricks. Though all Jews share the same idea behind Charoset, and it is included in some form on all seder plates, Charoest itself also serves as a symbol of where your family comes from - geographically speaking.

In our family, Charoset is... more

When I was little, I marked the passing of time with the coming and going of Jewish and secular holidays on the calendar. Chanukkah was exciting, full of goodies to eat and little presents, and also meant that Spring was just around the corner. New Year's eve was a special treat to stay up way, way past bedtime and drink champagne with my parents at midnight. July 4th brought a huge family bar-b-que at my parent's house, but also a sad reminder that we'd be going shopping for school supplies soon.

In general, I dislike shopping for clothing and clothing related items. However, shopping for new shoes for two of the holidays was always something to look forward to. We got black or dark... more

We are blessed to live in a diverse neighborhood with a large Jewish population. Once, while in the local kosher supermarket, Anna picked up a bag of potato chips or something and asked if it was kosher. She was amazed to learn that everything in the store was kosher. But this is how she is growing up; any time we are food shopping, Anna knows that she needs to check to all items to see if they are kosher.

Although a good number of Jews keep kosher year round, you will find many more who make a special effort to be "kosher for Passover" even if they do not observe the laws at other times. My... more

Matzah, or unleavened bread, is the traditional food of Passover. As the story goes, the Jewish people were in such a hurry to leave Egypt that they did not have time to let their bread rise, hence Matzah. Today, Anna went with her class to bake matzah at a local event sponsored by Chabad. There are often events like this in major cities or Jewish centers throughout the country around this time - check your local Jewish paper or online for information.

Matzah needs to be made in a certain way, with restrictions on time and ingredients and other... more