Preparing for the big day

The nature of the Jewish holiday that begins tonight, Yom Kippur, involves a lot of preparation for those who observe the day. There's the process of reflecting upon the past year, apologizing and making amends with the people who you may have wronged / hurt / offended this year, and thinking about what to eat as the last meal before the 25 hour fast. I've been giving all of these things a lot of thought and like to think that I emerge from the High Holiday season a better, more self-aware person. This year, for the first time, I also had to think about what to eat before the holiday.

All week long I've kicked up my hydrating efforts and have been eating relatively cleanly in order to help ease any potential withdrawal symptoms. I had my last coffee on Monday, green tea Tuesday - Thursday, and nothing but water and caffeine free tea today. I didn't drink when I went out last night and made sure all of my snacks this week have had some substance and nutrients to them. OH, and I found a great recipe to inspire dinner tonight!

To continue the clean eating streak, I had a bowl of hot cereal this morning with blueberries. I had my standard mix with extra cinnamon, a splash of vanilla and maple, and ~1/3c of berries all topped with 1/2T peanut butter.

Lunch was a low-sodium, minimally seasoned stir fry that wouldn't leave me searching for extra water later today. This mix contained diced onion, bell pepper strips, broccoli, 1/2c wild rice, and baked tofu. I also had a salad and a clementine on the side for extra nutrients and filling power.

Since dinner came early tonight there wasn't really a need for a snack today. When I got home from work, the intoxicating, mouth-watering smell of my beef stew captured my attention. It motivated me to clean up, shower, and get ready with enough time to enjoy the meal.

Last night I chopped my veggies and prepped the crock pot to be cooking while I worked today. This morning I pulled the pot out of the refrigerator as soon as I woke up for it to warm up a bit before sticking it into the crock pot. I used the recipe as inspiration for my stew which contained:

• 1/3c diced onion
• .75lbs local, grass-fed beef (cut for stir fry)
• 2/3 of a sweet potato, chopped (I peeled half)
• 3 red potatoes
• garlic powder
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• bay leaf
• salt, pepper, rosemary, and 21 seasoning salute
• 1c fat free and low sodium beef broth

With ketchup and my grandmother's homemade horseradish

Of course, I had to end the meal on a sweet note so I had a slice of Udi's whole grain bread defrosted with some honey, to make it like challah.  

This meal tasted exactly like the roast my mom makes before every Yom Kippur and was the perfect way to go into the holiday.

I won't be blogging again until tomorrow night or Sunday so I hope you kick off the weekend right!

What traditional foods do you make to remind you of home? What meals are associated with specific days for you?