Limmud and some more Limmud

From the Hebrew to learn "Limmud" is not only the definition to learn but a wonderful one of a kind experience.

As I am writing this post I am watching a music performance by Craig Taubman with all prayers and Hebrew songs modernize.

Monday was such a special day. I started the day full of enlightens by beautiful human beings who have so much to teach and share with this community of learners. 

I went to a session who spoke about Maria Montessori and her believes in religion and how should be teach on a classroom.

Later it was follow by a class taught Lee Lewis about the history of Bagels and how to make a bagel. I met an amazing women called Carole who will be hosting me during the three nights that I am staying in London. 

I also attended two sessions about on how to improve/make our own Limmud a better program/conference/experience for our community. There were over 30 people from different parts of this wonderful world who are also VOLUNTICIPANTS at there Limmud. 

The day only got better by the hour. I people are great! We built a whatsapp group, a micro community of Spanish speaking Limmudniks however we accepted Eli from Atlanta. There are Argentinians, Mexicans, a colombian and a Spaniard.

I saw a music show and finished with a comedy stand up with Jewish jokes, literally laught the whole time.

Picking sessions is hard, every hour I am missing something that I wished I had attended, 35 Sessions per hour... Can you imagine!! And in Miami we only have 12, ha... One day one day.

Today I attended my first Talmud Chavruta learning session by the wonderful Yaffa Epstein (who will be at Limmud Miami and hope I can attend).

Amazing sessions, great brainstorming on how to make Limmud communities better!! Ohhhhh how much I love this place! Is it a place? An experience? Or just magic?

Heard Ari Shavit and had a conversation about Latin Jews and the relationship of israel with southamerica! He remembered me from the day before! How honored!

Today I spoke with Natan Sharansky, thank him for everything he does code the Jewish world! 

Days only get better and tomorrow is the last day!!! Off to enjoy the next day!

L'itraot

Jewish Disney World

There are experiences that say with you forever. I am experiencing one of those.

There is a place in the world called Limmud. Limmud takes you one step forward in your Jewish journey. No matter where you are, what you do, who you are. A meal is an experience in itself. 

I arrived yesterday, Friday December 26, in the morning. After wondering around the airport and napping at the coffee shop I met with another 40 participants which whom I shared the bus. When you arrive at the Warwick university you can already feel the magic, it's like a Jewish Disney World. Everyone is happy, everyone welcomes you with a smile, everyone helps you, and most of all, everyone is friendly and wanting to meet new people.

Yesterday I attended 2 sessions: shmita and Jewish food ethic, and a shabbat celebration: here they have some 3-d glasses that when you looked at light you see hearts! Spread the love! (Look at the picture below) Both were special, in both of them I learned and grew.

Today was different. I started the day with a 2 miles run in a sunny but cold morning (38F). At 11:30 there was a stretching and relaxing session which I thought it was great to do after my run. When by 11:45 we realize that the presenter was not coming and my need to stretch my body I asked the other 5 people in the room if they wanted to do yoga. Asking around nobody felt comfortable to start the session so I just lead the first 15 minutes, one of the most important core values at Limmud. We can all teach!!!! Alex led the stretching, Mijal some more yoga and we left feeling inspired!

Lunch followed where I met Michelle, the Limmud shabbat co-chair and we had an interesting conversation about immigration and food.

The afternoon followed by a deep relaxation and vocal vowel meditation. I felt like I was picked up and remove from my body. After an intense hour of meditation and relaxation I feel like new! New energies, new blood, new experiences. May shabbat finished and let this week be as powerful and meaningful as this shabbat has been.

Shavuah Tov!

Birthday Cake

Do you have the birthday of a relative or friend coming up?

What's best that a good chocolate cake with buttercream frosting... and when the frosting is green, even better! This cake came up super moist and fresh! The recipe is definitely a keeper. Original recipe from Martha Stewart

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for pans
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pans
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
• Shaved dark chocolate

Directions

1. Step 1

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-by-2-inch cake pans, tapping out excess flour. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2. Step 2

   In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined.

3. Step 3

   Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake until cakes pull away from sides of pans, 32 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pans 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pans and invert cakes onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.
    

 
  

4th of July- US Flag cake.

Thirteen years ago I immigrated to the United States together with my family: parents and 2 brothers. This past November (2013) I became an US citizen. Too many this might have been paperwork, for me: a life of working, sacrifices, and choices. Some choices might have been easier done others, some might have involve more than myself, and some others have been life changing.

Today, I am here, I am happy, I am an US citizen who is able to make choices, is free of speaking and enjoying a country with all it has to offer.

July 4th was approaching and I felt the need to make something different. I had never done anything to celebrate the 4th of July. We (together with the family) might have watch few fireworks over the years and spent the day at the beach as any other day in Miami.

This year, I found myself in Eugene, OR. Been invited to a BBQ was the perfect excuse to make this cake that I found on Pinterest. 

This is how my cake look:

 

For the cake Red Velvet cake I used a recipe from Sweet Peas Kitchen (personally I did not like the recipe. The cake tasted like flour. I did not have my recipe box with me where I have the BEST Red Velvet recipe). The guests did not commented of the flour, they were too overwhelmed with how the cake look. 

For the Vanilla cake I used a recipe from Sallys Baking Addiction (the cake was delicious!!!!!) I double the recipe. After palcing half of the batter on the cake pan I added blue food coloring. 

The Cream Cheese Frosting is my own recipe:

-2 8oz Cream cheesse

-1 cup of butter

-4 cups of Powdered Sugar

-1tsp of Vanilla extract

Hope you and your guests enjoy it!

Healthy Friday- Sweet Potato Quinoa Patties

Maddy suggested this recipe. I was feeling creative, I twisted the recipe a bit. Had dinner with Karina and she loved them!

Great side for a salad or roasted/grilled veggies.

SWEET POTATO QUINOA PATTIES
makes 8 patties

INGREDIENTS:
- 1cups baked sweet potato, skins removed & mashed (approximately 2 medium sweet potatoes)
- 1 cups cooked quinoa
- half sweet onion, chopped
-1 tsp of brown sugar
- 1 tbsp of sun dried tomatoes
- 2 cloves of crushed garlic
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper


COOKING:
-  Prepare quinoa according to package instructions

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees, pierce sweet potatoes with fork and bake for 45 minutes or until soft. Remove skins, mash with a fork to remove all chunks and place in large mixing bowl.

- In a sauté pan combine onions, olive oil, a hearty pinch of sea salt and cook over medium-low heat until onions are translucent. Add the brown sugar, and then  add garlic and cook an additional minute, stirring continually to prevent the garlic from burning.

-   Add onions, quinoa, 1/4 teaspoon salt (more to taste), a bit of fresh cracked pepper to large mixing bowl with sweet potatoes and stir until well combined.

-  Form mixture into golf ball size ball, flatten into a patty, and cook in the greasy pan from onions for approximately 2 minutes on each side (you want them to brown up and crisp!).    Enjoy with a generous sprinkling of asiago or parmensa cheese.

Original recipe from A house in the hills.