Catching up...

Lots to catch up on, without further ado...

I've been nesting. No, not for my own chickie, but helping my friend Esti get ready for her little bittie, who happens to be coming in just 3 short weeks! I spent the day helping her sew items for the nursery, and in return she made me some delicious food (my biggest motivator in life, and she knows it, she understands, because she's the same way). I was angry I forgot my good camera, but she let me use hers, so at least we have some pics of the day.

She had picked out some great material, so first we cut it into panels

And ironed, and ironed, and ironed, hem after hem after hem...

And my trusty Singer friend click-clacked the entire day away, tirelessly creating beautiful seam after seam

And of course we took a lunch break to have this amazing Chicken and cheese souffle

Took us a while to determine if it was done (you really don't want it to fall!)

And it was quite delicious, I think she did it just right

She also made some delicious blueberry muffins (sorry no pic, but really really good).
Once we resumed our sewing after filling our bellies, we did eventually finish, and were both quite pleased with the finished products:

What an adorable little nursery corner (and yes, the wicker hamper and baskets I bought found a home :)
It's such a great feeling of accomplishment to make something by hand!

On a completely different note, a few days before...

My dear Jewish-American friend recently arrived back from a trip to Israel. She and her family were kind enough to host us for a Shabbat celebration dinner. It was a lovely evening, the table was set beautifully

and my friend did a wonderful job of reciting each blessing, in Hebrew no less!
Candles were lit, symbolic for...I don't remember

Wine was passed and shared

Hands were cleansed (I think this was symbolic for washing off the past week and starting the new week fresh)

And the meal was blessed. And then we dug in. Delicious matzo ball soup

Which we dipped our challah bread into

and then had beef brisket, red cabbage salad, twice-baked potato, and sauteed veggies (not pictured) and then ended the night with this Jewish dessert, called "halva"

It was quite interesting...like a loaf of smooshed, compacted cotton candy that was almond flavored and melted in your mouth. I think I liked it. Then we ended the night with a wonderful slide-show of her pictures from Israel. Thank you friends for a wonderful meal and time of celebrating the Shabbat!!