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Sorry Divash, but deep-fried anything is not my thing. blaugh

And I have two friends who are vegetarian, actually! (And another who's just vegetarian because she doesn't like meat_

I've got two boxes of matzah shmurah for us, one box of gluten-free oat matzah for my friend with Celiac disease, and that'll be enough for the two sedarim. After those first two days, we'll be using matzah meal or other starches, rather than matzah boards.

Even still....

*shivers* xp gonk

No one's meeting up, to my knowledge. Divash has her own, Neuf is solitary and us two are just too far away. Plus, I'm going to Amsterdam. xp

Okay, here's what I've done so far in preparation for Passover:

Last Monday and Tuesday:
* Bought the special Passover foods that we will need for feeding ourselves, five guests, and various drop-ins during the eight days of Passover. Fresh fruits and vegetables are fine for Passover, but everything else requires special certification that it has never been, nor been mixed with, nor been looked at suspiciously by, products of the Five Grains (wheat, oats, barley, spelt, and rye), unless it contains matzah, in which case it must specifically state, "May Be Used For Passover."

Last Wednesday and Thursday:
* Opened every book I own, flip through pages to find stray crumbs (which then fell to the floor), set it on a table, repeat until entire shelves were empty, clean shelves, replace books. I've got three large bookcases, two of them with books stacked two deep, plus my computer desk, plus RLSO's computer desk.

Sunday:

* Washed, dried, folded, and put away six loads of laundry. I still have to do the bed sheets and blankets.

* Thoroughly clean the inside and outside of my microwave, oven, stovetop, countertops, cabinets, refrigerator, freezer. Separated all refrigerated, frozen, and shelved foods into foods that may, and may not, be used for Passover. Dusted every single food container. Cleaned out shelf. Replaced food by category (Passover foods in the lower, more accessible shelves).

* Pulled out every eating or cooking vessel or utensil I own and cleaned it. Separated them into those that may be used for Passover and those that may not. Those that may not be used for Passover (because they're made of porous or semiporous materials) are now stacked in my guest room in neat piles: those that are used only for foods containing dairy products or byproducts, those that are used only for foods containing meat products or byproducts, and those that are used for foods that contain neither dairy nor meat.

* Set the dishes that can be used for Passover on the dining table. And the living room coffee table. Both tables are now quite crowded.

* Cleaned and put away toaster oven, food processor, hand blender, and other small appliances that may not be used for Passover because they may emit some flour dust or other grain product during their operation.

I still have to do these things today (Monday):

* Shop for the dairy items and fresh produce that I'll need for Passover. This obviously couldn't be done any earlier, because the items would spoil.

* Run my oven through a self-cleaning cycle. Turn on the burners to HIGH heat for a full hour. Neither the oven nor the stovetop has been in use for a little over 24 hours.

* Place a glass of soapy water into my microwave and run it on HIGH power until the water bubbles and boils out, then clean up the mess. This is in an already spotless microwave, you understand. The microwave has not been used for a little over 24 hours. (By now you're wondering what, and how, I managed to make dinner, aren't you? Well, I didn't. We ate out. Thank G*D for kosher restaurants!)

* Pour boiling water over the kitchen sink, faucets, and fixtures; all countertops; the stovetop; and the kitchen floor. The sink, countertop, and stovetop have not been used for a little over 24 hours.

* Clean out my dishwasher and run an empty load with bleach and soap. The dishwasher hasn't been in use for a little over 24 hours. (By now you're wondering what, and how, I managed to make dinner and then clean up afterward, aren't you? Well, I didn't. We ate out. Thank G*D for kosher restaurants!)

* Boil a 50-quart pot of water and immerse each and every cooking or eating vessel or utensil which can be used for Passover,in a process called "hagalah," which means boiling, and will make that item kosher for Passover use. Then they can go back into the newly cleaned-out cabinets.

* Pour more boiling water over the dining table, which will be moved into the tiled kitchen and off of its usual spot on the nice hardwood floors for this little operation. The dining table has not been used in 24 or so hours. Actually, much longer, but only because it's been covered for days with dishes, and before that books, and before that a pile of laundry that wanted sorting.

* Wash the sheets and blankets, as well as all the washrags and towels I've been using to do all this cleaning (in the interest of not filling up landfills, I don't use disposable products until all of my reusable products are in the laundry hamper).

* Change the shower curtains (not a requirement for Passover, but it's about time to do it, and I like a nice fresh one for the holiday).

* Swap out all toothbrushes and toothbrush heads, since they contain minute traces of chametz (grain products and byproducts, the very things we're not supposed to own, use, taste, or benefit from during Passover).

* Bring out all the special utensils and vessels that I keep only for Passover use. They've been hiding in a high, tall, out-of-reach cabinet since this time last year, and now I get to use them again.

* Wipe down the coffee table in the living room, then cover it with a sheet of plastic and some duct tape. I'll also cover the dining table similarly. No one will see this layer of plastic because each one will have a pretty little table cloth on it. Then I'll put another sheet of plastic over the table cloth, so that drips and spills from Passover foods won't mar my pretty table cloths.

* And then I still have to find a way to make dinner, that won't muck up my kitchen. I'm thinking we may eat out again.

And that's my BOOYAH moment.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) I have to start making the various foods that can be made ahead for the holiday. The holiday arrives Wednesday at sundown, and all preparation must be finished by then.

And yes, if you're going to be in Chicago during Passover, and especially if you still haven't found a seder to attend here, PM me and we'll work something out.

My Done list isn't growing nearly as quickly as my Still Gotta Do list. crying I keep remembering "just one or two more little things" that have to get done before I can even start food prep for the sedarim.

B"H
Oyvey, tomorrow evening is Pasach! * Sigh* We are nearly done with the cleaning, now I just have to get my brothers to KEEP from messing in the kitchen and well.....eating any where XD. Nah just refrain from making messes....which will be hard for them...

Yup. I'm counting down the hours until I have to be sedated and put into panic attacks.

What fun. stare

But, as my earlier queation impicitly asked, will there be a JGG Passover event?