Leora – Page 47 – Leora Wenger

Washington Monument Skyward

This photo of the Washington Monument was taken in late August by this watery World War II memorial.

These photos were taken directly under the monument:
washington monument blue sky

For more photos with sky, visit Sky Watch Friday.

Nature Notes: Fall Reds

I photographed this cardinal in my backyard in early September. Today I saw a robin in my backyard. I usually see the cardinals in pairs or groups – the bright red birds are a delight.

profile
Here’s the September cardinal again, profile view.

I looked around in my backyard for what to photograph for Nature Notes, and the rose hips caught my eye. “Rose hips are red, my kale is green, one evergreen died, my harvests are lean.” I’m growing kale in my front and back yards instead of grass. The ones in the front are doing quite well; the ones in the back look like someone nibbled on them. One of my little evergreen bushes died this summer — it could have used extra watering in our drought-like August. Oh, well.

There is a rowing of burning bush plants near our supermarket. They are starting to turn red, though I noticed one was brown. Perhaps those also could have used more water this summer. Will fall foliage be less brilliant than last year’s due to the summer drought?

For more Nature Notes:

Red Flowers Red Panels

red mum buds
How pretty when the buds of my chrysanthemum start to show red. Last week, those buds were closed and green.

This sole red petunia graces the front of my front yard. My other petunias are mostly fuchsia.

taking the sukkah down 2010
This is what the men in my family (my husband and two sons) were doing while I photographed fall flowers – they were taking down our sukkah, the temporary dwelling that we eat in for one week each fall. At this point, all the decorations were already down. The panels are sort of red – a brown that is a cousin of red, perhaps.

For more red posts, visit Ruby Tuesday:

Blueberry Orange Cake

blueberry orange cake
I made this cake last week, and oo la la, was it yummy. Here’s the recipe: take my orange cake recipe and throw in a pint of blueberries.

And perhaps this week I will make mabul cake. A friend just told me how to marbleize cake: pour in the white batter. Pour the chocolate batter in stripes over the white batter. Move a knife back and forth in the opposite direction of the chocolate stripes. Will it work? Advice welcome.

Apple for Ruby Tuesday

apple on a tree
Two weeks ago we went apple picking (at Terhune Orchards near Princeton, New Jersey), and I made a cake using this recipe (but without the nuts). I am planning to make an apple pie this week.

What do you like to make with apples?

For more photos with red, visit:

Basil Meatloaf

I invented this recipe because I have lots of basil in my garden. I discovered meatloaf freezes well, so I made it today, and I will serve it to my guests this coming Shabbat.

Ingredients:

1 lb. chopped meat
1 handful or more of basil leaves, chopped
1 onion
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup matza meal
2 eggs (if the mixture looks dry, add a 3rd egg)
seasoning (use any or all of these): salt, pepper, cinnamon, dried ginger, cumin, coriander, allspice, nutmeg, crushed clove

How to Make the Meatloaf:
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Transfer to a baking dish – I used a covered casserole dish, but a loaf pan with aluminum foil covering is fine. Bake for 1 hour at 350°.

Leftovers: If you happen to have leftovers, warm up half a jar of tomato sauce and throw in the leftovers. You can add more fresh basil, if you have. I served this on spaghetti, and my daughter said it tasted like special restaurant food.

For more kosher recipes, be sure to visit KCC – the Kosher Cooking Carnival. Please thank Batya while you are there.

Another basil recipe: Basil Pesto on Noodles

Yom Kippur Tune

This beautiful tune, El Nora Alila, is sung at Congregation Etz Ahaim in Highland Park at nei’la time, the last prayer of Yom Kippur. My husband said the first tune on this video, the Turkish one, is the melody used at our synagogue, which makes sense since it was founded by immigrants from Salonika and Turkey.

Hat Tip: a friend who used to belong to Congregation Etz Ahaim and now lives in Israel; and another friend who was pleased to hear it sung at his father’s Reform temple in a suburb north of New York City.