It's that time of week again....

Shabbos cooking time, that is.

This photo isn't from this week (I have yet to cook the food this time), but it gives you an idea of the happy chaos and wonderful aromas that fill the house every Friday.

In case any of you are confused, Shabbos is what we call the Jewish Sabbath--basically, we don't use electricity or do a whole bunch of other things from Friday night to Saturday night. Instead, we have big meals with friends, pray, spend time with our families, learn Torah, socialize, read scrapbooks with coffee cups on the couch, etc. Since we don't cook on the Sabbath itself I make it all in advance.

This week's menu? Zuchinni soup, tomato and portobello mushroom salad, olive chicken on a bed of rice, asparagus, roasted potatoes, a sweet kugel (aka casserole) that my neighbor's making, banana chocolate chip cake, and double chocolate chip cookies. I asked S if he thought that was enough food and he looked at me like I was crazy! Must be something about that overfeeding gene:)

Challah is one of our favorite Shabbos foods. I bake a ginormous batch once every 6 weeks and freeze it. I LOVE experimenting with different toppings!

Some raisin loaves for S....

Zatar is my new thing--it's an Israeli spice and gives the challah a cool savory flavor!

Cinnamon sugar is my old faithful. Love this stuff on challah. It's like eating cake at the beginning of the meal. At least almost.


Another new experiment is chocolate chip challah, and I have to say I love it so far!

What are YOUR favorite bread toppings? Alternatively, can you recommend any good side dishes? I'm always stumped for side dishes!