I’m so happy to share my annual “best-of” for the holidays! This year’s list is packed with goodies that will make your Festival of Lights explode with happiness…. and a full tummy, of course. From our family to yours, happy holidays! I’ll start you off with a Chanukah poem that’s sure to please.
‘Twas the night before Chanukah…
Oy! What a shock!
Somebody outside
Was picking our lock!
And there at the door
Stood a ‘Zayda’ in blue—
And he wore on his kupp
A blue yarmulka, too!
And none in your family
Will be a shlemazel,
For life will bring each of you
Simchas and mazel!
And all through the future
Your hopes will come true,
And himmel will bless
Your mishpocha and you!
~Unknown
Hope you enjoy my 2018 fab favs. As always, I welcome your feedback. Please feel free to leave me a comment or tweet me at @mindylevy.
Day One
Anyone who has read my previous lists has met Irving, my Mensch on a Bench. Every year he puts more Funukkah in our Hanukkah! If you don’t have one, you need one. If you DO have one, Dreidel Dog, his faithful sidekick, is your go-to 2018 gift to yourself or fellow Mensch enthusiast.
2018 marks the fourth year The Mench has made my list. Irving lights up our lives and our holiday. And, while others aspire to be the person their dog thinks they are, he is the quintessential mensch- a person of integrity and honor.
Round out your bench with Ask Bubbe, the talking Grandma doll. She’s full of wit and wisdom, and sounds just like my Bubbe!
Remember: Even a secret agent can’t lie to a Jewish mother. – Peter Malkin
Follow Mensch on a Bench on Facebook and Twitter.
Day Two
I can’t get enough of Modern Tribe, the Jewish gifts shop and Judaica store for people with innovative minds, spirits, & style. They have everything you could imagine for even the most finnicky friends and family.
This year’s list features two fun ways to honor the Festival of Lights. With the “Texting” Wood Dreidels, Modern Tribe brings an ancient game into the 21st century. You’ll find yourself thinking, “A great miracle happened here,” when the kids drop their cell phones to “text” (in a good way) all Hanukkah long. Start your holiday with this fun-filled tradition.
After eight days of latkes and brisket, it’s time to get back in the gym. Go in style with the Shvitz It Out gym bag. Made of black canvas, it features a removable strap and industrial black zipper. Schlep this baby to the gym or, better yet, a quick weekend getaway to recover from eight days and nights of extended family in small quarters!
Here’s your day two humor. You’re welcome.
How much Hanukkah gelt did the skunk get?
One scent.
Day Three
With Schmaltz Deli we all have a Jewish deli right in our back yard! These folks say they deliver goodness, and they do! So keep calm, eat latkes & knishes and read on.
Looking for those hard-to-find tastes from your childhood. Of course you are. You could spend all day in the kitchen rolling rugelach or frying latkes, but why? Let our friends at Schmaltz Deli take care of it for you. They will ship Jewish deli goodness anywhere. Really.
I recommend the Latke and Brisket Dinner for Chanukah. I order one for our family and our besties every year. It’s delicious, packed with traditional tastes and, best of all, you don’t turn on the oven OR clean pots and pans. Doesn’t get much more Jewish than that, does it? My mom bought her dream retirement home, insisting on a double oven. Oh, not because she loved to cook. I don’t think the dials were ever turned in the “on” position. “It’s for resale value, honey.”
Click here to order your Schmaltz online now!
Day Four
Latke flipping, it’s a thing! For the perfect potato pancake, you need the perfect kitchen tools, right? Well, I have them for you right here on day four of my list. This dishwasher safe set includes a set of dreidel tongs and a menorah latke spatula.
Here’s a little latke trivia. According to Bravotv.com, Latke literally means pancake. In Yiddish, that is. Latke was originally derived from the Ukrainian word for pancake, oladka, according to Merriam-Webster, though other sources say that oladka actually stems from the Greek word eladia, which means “little oily thing.”
Now that you’ve shopped the National Museum of American Jewish History store, plan your visit to the museum! It’s located in the heart of Philadelphia’s historic district, on the corner of Fifth and Market Streets, across from Independence Mall and within view of the Liberty Bell.
Day Five
You MUST have this cookbook. Jerusalem takes your on a virtual trip to a city packed with culture & history, tradition & religion. Authors Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi explore the cuision of their native city, Jerusalem. This unique and amazing city boasts a combo of diverse communities…Muslim, Jewish, and Christian.
“Both men were born in Jerusalem in the same year—Tamimi on the Arab east side and Ottolenghi in the Jewish west. This stunning cookbook offers 120 recipes from their unique cross-cultural perspective, from inventive vegetable dishes to sweet, rich desserts. With five bustling restaurants in London and two stellar cookbooks, Ottolenghi is one of the most respected chefs in the world; in Jerusalem, he and Tamimi have collaborated to produce their most personal cookbook yet.”
Get the latest from Ottolenghi on Twitter and check out their debut cookbook, Ottolenghi: The Cookbook, on Amazon.com.
The remarkable thing about my mother is that for 30 years she served us nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found. – Calvin Trillin
Day Six
Oh Em Gee. It’s Day Six and you forgot a gift for your bff? First, shame on you. What were you thinking???? Second, don’t panic. You can send them this gorgeous Village Festival of Lights Hanukkah Gift Basket by Gift Basket Village.
And it will get there just in time to save your friendship!
This gourmet Chanukah gift basket is a tribute to the colors and customs of the holiday. Oh wait, you forgot (how could you?!)… she keeps kosher. Mindy to the rescue
again. Select this Eight Days of Hanukkah Gift Basket, filled with 100% kosher snacks
Day Seven
Okay, we’ve eaten. We’ve spun the dreidel. We’ve hidden and found gifts. It’s time to give back. Don’t wait and think, “I’ll get involved next year.” Or “I don’t have time or money to donate.” Kindness is free, from the heart, you can’t buy it in a store and everyone needs it.
Looking for a way to get involved in your local community? Visit http://www.volunteermatch.org/.
If you don’t have time to donate, please DO find gifts that GIVE. Year Up is an extraordinary organization that envisions a future in which every urban young adult will have access to the education, experiences, and guidance required to realize his or her true potential.
Year Up’s mission is to close the Opportunity Divide by providing urban young adults with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education.
You can make a donation here OR volunteer to be a mentor here.
Day Eight
Laughter. Everyone can, and should, give the gift of laughter to someone. I challenge you to bring at least one smile to the face of a family member, neighbor, coworker or stranger each and every day. Laughter is indeed the best medicine. It’s free, has no bad side effects and is available to EVERYONE!
Get a copy of my book, Mindy’s Musings, free. Tweet me at @mindylevy and I’ll be happy to send you a copy. My little way of passing along that smile to you.
Happy Holidays and keep smiling!
XO
Mindy