No, not another baked latke recipe. I’m traditionalist, and Chanukah is the one time each year I actually fry food in oil. This week, my kids and I fried latkes one night and donuts the next, and the holiday is only half over.Here are my tips for other aspects that can be lightened up:
- DREIDEL- The first night of Chanukah, kids wanted to play after lighting candles, and we didn’t want them stuffing themselves with candy. Nuts are out as choking hazards for the two-year-old. On the spot, my husband told them to play with hugs and kisses.
nun/ נ– Nothing.
gimmel/ג– Get a hug and kiss from the other players.
hey /ה– Get a hug from the other players.
pey/פ– Kiss from the other players.
My kids LOVED it. They had so much more fun than if they had been players for candy. No fighting over who got more, and no complaints if the two-year-old didn’t follow the rules and gave out too many hugs.
Home-made dreidels, made from marker covers and cardboard circles. They spin wonderfully. (afternoon activity for day 3)
- Day trips- Okay, this isn’t specific to Chanukah, but when I was walking around the zoo with a bunch of my own hungry little monkeys, I heard no complaints about eating cut veggies from the container I left open, balanced on top of the stroller. Even Mr. Can-my-lunch-vegetables-count-for-supper-if-I-didn’t-eat-them-at-school kept coming back for more.
Wishing you all a happy and healthy Hanukkah!
