Chanukah Family Style
Originally published on clearasmud.blog on December 20, 2020.
Can you believe Chanukah is upon us? I love Chanukah, and I am used to throwing big parties and fun celebrations in our Montana community. It is going to look really different this year, as we are not going to be able to have our annual Chanukah Bash. It’s one of our favorite events of the year, and my kids really look forward to it. So, I decided to throw a Chanukah party for my family like I would for our guests—something practical and fun, kid-friendly but also elegant. This was as much of a treat for me as it was for my family. We need to be able to create that special holiday spirit, no matter what.
Nothing does that for me more than a thoughtfully planned party infused with lots of love. But let’s be real—I’m not a content creator at all. So, I decided to go out of my comfort zone. I created a family-friendly Chanukah party that I hope will inspire you to take the time and put in the effort to make this Chanukah special for your family too!
I like to find that one item that helps drive the stylish decor. This time, I found a gold menorah at Target that gave me something concrete to work with. I then found paper goods that matched. Personally, I didn’t want the typical Chanukah plates, and blue and white wasn’t speaking to me. I was happy to find something locally that fit perfectly with my vision.
Let’s talk about candles for a minute. In my humble opinion, you cannot have a party without candles—and flowers, for that matter.
Once I had the décor figured out, I got busy with the menu. I wanted to have fun with specialty foods that are also kid-friendly, staying away from the typical “kids' menu” of hot dogs and French fries.
There are so many good cookbooks and resources out there that it can be overwhelming to sift through them all. A trick that I started implementing is that when I prepare for an event, I choose one or two cookbooks as my creative source, and that’s it. It really helps me streamline and not get buried under too many ideas.
I chose Between Carpools’ new cookbook, Dinner Done, and a previous Chanukah issue of Fleishigs Magazine. I have been enjoying the magazine from the day they printed the first issue and highly recommend it! The menu was a hit, liked by adults and kids alike.
Here’s what I did:
Flavored water in mason jars (get creative, anything goes). I made three flavors:
1) Strawberry, lime, and mint
2) Mango, peach, and basil
3) Mixed berries, lemon, and basil
They were all delicious—a great alternative to a sugary drink; it’s yummy and healthy.
Sheet Pan Latkes inspired by Fleishigs Magazine. This is brilliant for so many reasons! Firstly, I hate everything about frying—the smell, the time it takes, etc. In this recipe, you put four types of latkes on one pan. Everyone gets to try them, find a favorite, and there’s no frying involved! It was delicious, by the way. And I got permission to share the recipe. Enjoy! :)
Sheet Pan Latkes
By Shifra Klein, Editor-in-Chief of Fleishigs Magazine
Serves: 20
Ingredients
¾ cup vegetable oil (I used avocado oil)
4 eggs
3 potatoes, grated
½ cup chopped scallions
2 sweet potatoes, grated
3 Granny Smith apples, grated
½ cup cranberries
3 zucchinis, grated
¼ cup grated onion
4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons za’atar
Chopped chives (for garnish)
Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F. Pour ½ cup oil onto a sheet pan and preheat in the oven for ten minutes.
Prepare four medium bowls. Place one egg in each bowl.
Place potatoes, scallions, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in the first bowl. Place sweet potatoes, 1 teaspoon za’atar, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in the second bowl. Place apples, cranberries, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in the third bowl. Place zucchini, onion, remaining teaspoon salt, and black pepper in the fourth bowl.
Mix ingredients in each bowl and carefully spoon them in even strips lengthwise onto the baking tray with hot oil. Drizzle remaining oil over the latkes and bake for forty minutes.
For an extra crunchy top, place the pan under the broiler for 3–5 minutes.
Top the remaining za’atar over the sweet potato section and the remaining cinnamon over the apple section.
Serve warm.
Note: For even rows of flavored latkes, measure out precisely 2 ½ cups of each vegetable.
Gluten-Free Donuts: I got the donut pans and baked them as the recipe called for. They were good but not amazing. So, I am still on the hunt to find a really yummy gluten-free donut recipe.
Yummy, creative, special, and fun—but if you noticed, there wasn’t a million things or a ton of variety, which I find to be unnecessary and overkill.
When I started setting up, I realized that I didn’t have a tablecloth that worked. So, I ran back to Target, but they were sold out of all their tablecloths. I improvised by getting some table runners and made it work. Remember, perfection is not the goal, and usually, the best ideas come from having to improvise.
I set up an art corner where the kids could do some Chanukah projects. I had some velvet art, and I got some Lucite plaques from www.coloritacrylic.com. Kids love them.
At the end of the party, I gave out small Chanukah presents to the kids. Honestly, gifts are not our family tradition, as we do gelt, so I do this to make myself happy. Gifts are my love language. No, they don’t need them, and yes, it’s great to teach them to be happy without gifts, but it’s also really fun. :) So, I use these special opportunities to spoil them a bit!
I hope this was helpful in motivating you to do something fun for your family!
Happy Chanukah!!!