I had a very nice Yom Kippur yesterday. Thank you to everyone who wished me a “meaningful fast.” This actually was the best fast I’ve ever experienced. It could be my new perspective on fasting during the high holy day. The day seemed to go quickly with minimal thoughts of food. Once the sun began to set, we headed to my grandparents’ along with the rest of my family to break the fast. The evening began as we congregated to recite the blessings over the wine and challah.
After the blessings, we all ate like savage beasts filled our plates, took our seats, and dug in to the delicious food my grandmother worked so hard to prepare. It was quite the spread, as it always is, and there was enough food to feed an army, as there always is. Nobody went hungry. Usually I stuff myself to the point of feeling sick because I am so hungry, but I did a little better with moderation this time. Also, I wanted to make sure I saved room for the amazing dessert I made. #priorities
My dear sister, Stephanie, and I actually made the exact.same.dessert. This happened once before and it was naturally a competition to see whose was better (mine was). When it came time for dessert, Stephanie’s was missing. (My family is known for taking plates of food and hiding them.) I made her play the “hot – cold” game until she found it. You know the one, “You’re getting warmer… warmer… nope, colder,” until she found herself in my grandpa’s closet. Heh heh.
The dessert was cake batter blondies, and you know how I feel about the cake batter flavor! I followed
Stephanie and I made everyone try a bite of both. In the picture above on the bottom left is both of our platters at the end of the night. Guess who won? Itz Linz - one point. SCP - zilch. Mine was much gooey-er while Stephanie’s was more cookie-like. I’ll definitely be making it again as it totally and completely replicates the cake batter flavor! By the end of the evening when our bellies were stuffed, Jonny was waiting so patiently while I helped my mom and grandma clean up. But a day of fasting, and then making up for it during a decadent dinner and dessert is hard work! First, he closed his eyes while reclining on the couch. Then, my dad came and saw the opportunity to photo bomb. When I came back later, Jonny was full-fledged asleep on the couch – green and orange Miami socks sticking out and all. It was a lovely evening with delicious food. Tomorrow will be lots and lots of water for me, as well as greens at every meal. Time to get back to a regular schedule again. Many thanks to my amazing and beautiful grandmother for preparing their house and cooking quite the feast. Mama, you made this Yom Kippur as special as always. I’m lucky to be a part of the best family ever and I cherish the time we spend together. What are your family celebrations like? Have you ever fasted for any reason?
Glad you had an easy fast!
haha i guess have a ‘meaningful fast’! i just read your previous post!
haha well thank you!
Glad you had a meaningful fast, and a great meal with family to conclude it!
I used to play the hot/cold game with matzah bread on Passover with my family! My mom would wrap it in a napkin and hide it around the house and my brother and I LOVED searching for it. Especially because we got to slather it in butter at the end
How funny!! We def hide the matzah during Passover with the little ones!! So fun!!
Thank you for sharing your ‘meaningful fast’. Great photos of the family.
Your dessert looks great…I’ve never had a blondie b4!
Thanks! Well if you like the taste of cake batter then you should try these!!
Those are some crazy socks :-p
haha he got them for our wedding… along with the groomsmen & ushers!
Thank you so much for sharing your Meaningful Fast with all of us. It’s so easy to tell how close you & your family are. I love that about you hunnie.
I am lucky to have them!
That’s so great that you had a meaningful fast
I actually really love reading about people’s traditions because it’s those kinds of things that I think really enrich our lives. I fast during Lent and around Easter, and our family celebrations are usually intimate and quiet because most of my family lives in Europe so it’s usually just me and my parents, but if we all get together, things get a little bit crazy lol.
I find it interesting to learn about other people’s traditions and religous celebrations, too! Hey, at least you have a really cool place to visit family members!!
I love this! I love anything family related and, of course, this is such a special event. Glad you had great food and your blondies look to die!
I’m pretty sure anything would have tasted good, but my grandma’s cooking is especially delicious!
I think it is so important to get together and have fun as a family! So glad to see you all enjoying yourselves:)
Agreed! We had a great time!
what a great end to your day! You are so lucky you live near family
I most definitely am. Now if we could only convince my lil bro to move back!
Thanks for sharing this celebration! I know very little about the Jewish religion, but it fascinates me. So glad you had a wonderful celebration with your family.
Well thanks for reading and learning even just a little bit
Happy Yom Kippur, love! I commend you for fasting…I could not have done it. But I am sure it just made that night spent with your family that much more enjoyable. I honestly do not know much about the Jewish faith, so lately I have been really enjoying reading about it via the blogs!
Thanks, girl! And I’m glad you’re learning a little about it!
Love the socks! Glad you had a meaningful fast! Those cake batter blondies look SO good.
Thanks! They were totally sinful!!
Those blondies look great!! Good job with the fast
my boss is Jewish and was telling me all the background behind it, it definitely sounds tough!
Very cool! Love to hear that there is conversation going on!
So glad you had a wonderful fast/holiday! I’m sure that food tasted like heavennn
It sure did!
Happy New Year (a week late)! The food looks delicious…. and that totally cracks me up that you and Stephanie made the same dessert. Excited to see everyone in a few weeks =)
Can’t wait!!! It will be an epic Williams weekend for sure! (per usual!) And uhhh my dessert was way better… practically a given!
Awww I love your family! It’s so fun to ‘see’ them again
Glad you had a meaningful fast & you got to eat deliciousness at the end!! WAY to go on the dessert! You’re too cute, & look super beautiful in all those pics, missy.
Thanks, lady!
I feel the same when you post about your family! The dessert was seriously ridiculous. I brought the rest to school and my co-workers finished it off!
I had a really easy fast yesterday too! I was so surprised because I’m usually lightheaded and cranky, especially in the afternoon, but I felt fine yesterday. Still, I’m so glad we have a whole year until we have to do it again
That’s how I usually am!! This upcoming year must be a good one then!!
Looks like a wonderful time! I love anything cake batter flavor so those blondies look amazing!
ok now itz your turn to turn it paleo!
it’s probably similar to your gluten free funfetti!
I’m glad the fast was meaningful to you, and went by well. It looks like it was a wonderful time!
thanks, lisa!
So I just asked about the recipe for those blondies, but then I saw them here! Sounds like such a lovely time and that it was meaningful for you
hehe yes they are super easy – i’d highly recommend making a batch!
I used to fast from food a lot more during my college years, but I must say it’s been awhile. I realized that I started using it as a way to lose weight. Now I try to fast from things that I spend a lot of unnecessary time on..for instance, I closed my facebook account for a whole year.
Crazy that you and your sister made the same exact dessert!! You guys had no idea?! What are the chances! Oh man that must have been so hard to refrain from licking that spoon! We all know that’s the best part!!
Ok so my sister emailed me a different recipe for cake batter something like a week ago… but then a few days prior to Yom Kippur I asked her what she was making… and got no response! So I assumed she wasn’t making anything! At the same time, I found this amazing recipe so I made it. Then she accused me for being a thief! I told her it was her fault (plus she was just mad mine was better! ha)
Totally forgot to tell you.. I tagged you in an award on my page yesterday
Check it out dear!
I saw it girly!! xoxo
I can’t even fast for a few hours. LOL
I normally never skip meals or any opportunity to eat!