My Matzah Week: What Celebrating Unleavened Bread Looks Like

A unique element to the Feast of Unleavened Bread (and Sukkot) is the duration of it: one whole week. That's something Western culture is not familiar with. Holidays, from birthdays to weddings to Christmas are one and done. There is anticipation building up to one special day and then it's over. This can create a lot of pressure to make that day spectacular. One of the great things about these Feasts is that since they are so long there is less pressure to have a big blowout day. But this can also seem a little underwhelming. A few times I have come out of Matzah Week thinking that it wasn't terribly different from any other week.

I decided to intentionally make this week a little bit different. I didn't take off work entirely but I did take a few days off. I also spontaneously decided to limit my internet consumption, and didn't read the handful of blogs I check regularly. I put zero thought into this decision but it worked out super well, as when I caught up with them the following week I realized many of the posts centered around easter preparation. I'm happy to have missed that, particularly during a set  apart time of YHWH. Spiritually, I focused on the final days and statements of Yahusha.  A couple of things I did weren't really feast themed but they were things that I enjoy that make the week a little more special, like picking fresh flowers and reading a new book.  Another thing I'm glad I did was to jot down a few of the Feast centered things that I did each day. It's cool to see that not only was I taking steps to celebrate a Feast of YHWH but that this week really was different for me.

I'm sharing with you what my week was like not because I think everyone should copy my schedule, but because the first few times I celebrated Unleavened Bread I kept wondering, but what should we do? So here is what Matzah Week was like for me this year. I think we don't have more instructions on this holy day because YHWH doesn't want us to be carbon copies of each other. We have a few guidelines, the no-work days, not consuming anything leavened, and celebrating but we also have a little creative wiggle room in how we choose to honor him this week.

Monday was a no-work day. My husband and myself took the day off from our professional jobs and also set aside the perpetual to do list for the day so that we could rest and enjoy YHWH's feast.
-We read the Exodus story together.
-The house had some decorations up already but we set out the decorations I brought back from our Pesach celebration. Including my matzah pinata, chocolate Seder plate, coasters, and lots of printables.
-We ate leftovers from the Passover meal, including matzah.
-We watched The Prince of Egypt.

Tuesday:
-Made a fresh batch of homemade matzah.

-Read the Prince of Egypt story.

-Watched the Joshua episode of Stories from the Bible (since it happened right after Passover).

-I got my flair omer counter set up and ready to go.

-Made spaghetti squash with marinara for dinner.

Wednesdays I run errands with my grandmother. Our tradition is visiting a coffee shop at the end of our outing. This time we had to be mindful of not consuming leavened treats.

-Wore my matzah socks!

-Read a new cookbook from the library.

-Matzah for lunch and dinner. Homemade matzah can be soft like a pita or tortilla, so I used mine to make 'tacos' of roasted root vegetables from the Passover meal. Great with cream cheese and a sprinkle of tabbouleh.

Thursday I worked most of the day. I made it a point to still be mindful of this being a special time.

-Read a verse related to Unleavened Bread every few hours.

-Listened to some Passover music throughout the day.

-Wore my clay matzah ring.

-I baked unleavened coconut cookies.

-Watched Torah to the Tribes' Passover.

Friday:

-Made plenty of fresh matzah to prepare for the back to back Shabbats this week.

-Listened to Torah to the Tribes' Unleavened Bread teaching while cooking and getting ready for Shabbat.

-Finally assembled my clay matzah picture frame for an extra decoration.

Shabbat:

-Attended congregation.

-Had a family lunch of black bean soup with matzah.

-Read the Last Supper accounts in the Besorah.

-Got a card around to send to friends also celebrating Matzah Week.

-More Passover music.

Sunday was the other no-work day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

-We slept in.

-Began our omer counting. (There are many different theories on when to start this, so don't feel bad if you started another day.)

-Went for a walk in beautiful weather.

-Picked a few flowers. The first of the year for me.

-Read the remaining Scriptures from this list.

How do you like to spend your Matzah Week? Again, please don't feel like your week needs to be just like mine. Hopefully this gave you some visual inspiration for keeping this feast. More ideas for Unleavened Bread can be found here.
How do celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread?

Coconut Cookies for Passover

It's Matzah Week! At least for some of us. My congregation just started observing the calendar that Torah to the Tribes uses so we are celebrating a little earlier than most this year. I wanted to share this cookie recipe today for those of you who are craving something sweet for this Feast but don't know what to make. Or if your Passover is still coming up I think this would be a great addition to the menu.

(Menorah lattes. An ongoing project in my life.)

I don't know if you've had a Passover cookie before, but often other than the name and the shape they bear no similarities to real cookies. They tend to be dry, crumbly, and not very good. These however are nice and chewy with a little bit of toasted coconut crispness on the edges. Since they contain no refined sugar or flour they fit with the GAPS diet and are Paleo friendly, so this should be a winner even for those on restricted diets. They don't taste like a diet cookie though; if you like coconut, this is the Passover cookie of your dreams!

You know how the best part of a coconut macaroon is the edge that got toasted? Flattening before baking makes the entire cookie that good!

You will need:
1 egg
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup finely shredded coconut flakes (unsweetened)
3 tablespoons almond meal or almond flour
2 tablespoons chocolate chips (I used 100% cacao but feel free to use whatever kind  you like)

Preheat your oven to 350°.
Mix together the egg, honey, and salt until smooth. Then add in the remaining ingredients. You will end up with a sticky mixture that is not as together as a typical cookie dough. This is what you want.
Since it is so sticky you'll want to line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Scoop about two tablespoons of your dough per cookie. I ended up with 9 cookies. Then using a clean, wet hand pat your cookies until they are flat. Since they have no leavening they will stay whatever shape they are.
Bake for 14-16 minutes. Your cookies are done once the coconut is nicely toasted and golden brown. When your house starts smelling heavenly of toasted coconut it's time to take them out.
Let cool before eating.

I really like that these aren't cloyingly sweet but if that's more your thing you could add an extra tablespoon of honey.

I know the food restrictions can be a little confusing during this week. If you need a little clarity or inspiration check out these posts for more meal ideas.

Happy Feast of Unleavened Bread!

DIY Clay Matzah Jewelry

Here's an easy craft you can make to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

You will need:
air dry clay
paint - I used brown, white, and yellow acrylic
rolling pin
knife
fork
hot glue gun
plain pin back, barrettes, and ring

Step one: roll out your clay. How much depends on how many matzah pieces you'd like to end up with. I used about a golf ball sized piece of clay and wound up with 15 matzos. Roll to about quarter-inch thickness.

Step two: decide what size you'd like to your matzahs to be. I cut mine into roughly one inch squares, with a few bigger ones for pins. Use your knife to cut out squares. A pizza cutter might also work well. You can be as perfectionist or not as you'd like.

Step three: this is a fun part! Lightly press your fork onto each piece several times to give it that matzah texture. The holes need not go all the way through the clay and the end product will be sturdier if they don't. 

If you'd like to use your matzahs to make a necklace with, now would be a good time to poke a hole so you can string it up later.

Step four: let your matzah squares dry out. Mine were good to go the next day, but yours may vary depending on thickness and the type of clay you use. Just wait for them to be completely dry before the next step. It shouldn't take more than a few days!

Step five: when your squares are dry, it's time to paint. I mixed brown and white paint to make a shade of tan, and then used yellow and more of the dark brown, going for the golden brown look of matzah.

I started off with painting the squares tan, then adding small specks of the dark brown and splotches of yellow. This helps to mimic the speckled look of traditional matzah. If you're not happy with how one looks, just paint over it and try again!

Step six: I'm sorry but you'll have to wait one more time for these to dry. Mine were okay after a couple hours.

Once they are dry, congratulate yourself. You just made clay matzahs!

Step seven: grab your jewelry backs and hot glue gun. I painted the barrettes cream before hot gluing on the matzah, but other than that, just decide which direction you'd like your pieces to go and hot glue them into place.

Now you have matzah jewelry! Pretty easy, wasn't it?

There are many other things you can do with with these matzah pieces too. Instead of gluing to a ring or barrette you could attach them to magnets. Leave them as is for Lego sized matzah. Put pushpins on the back for your Count the Omer Flair Calendar. I'm planning on getting a picture frame and gluing these matzos around the edges for a cute decoration for the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Matzah Week Pictures

Happy Feast of Unleavened Bread! My sister arrived in town a half hour before our Seder started, and it's been a great week having her here!

Remains from the Seder meal are my new centerpiece. Obviously couldn't bring myself to eat the chocolate Seder plate.

My new favorite way to eat matzah. Cream cheese and mushrooms and kale sauteed in garlic and shallots.

A friend surprised me with a copy of Paula Shoyer's The Holiday Kosher Baker. It's so fun to have a book devoted to sweet treats for the Feasts!

Another great way to eat matzah: cream cheese, smoked salmon, red peppers, and arugula.

The Passover section of The Holiday Kosher Baker.

Counting the Omer! And putting the Passover stickers to good use.

 This was not a bad situation.

Pavlova, chocolate ganache, cheesecake (sans crust), raspberries, and freshly whipped cream. All organic! Perfection.

The Passover pup!

Kosher For Passover Chocolate Mini Doughnuts

Do you believe in miracles? This cute little chocolate doughnuts are grain free, contain no refined sugar, and are kosher for Passover. You can eat these all the way through the Feast of Matzah. Yay!

These are chocolatey and oh-so delicious! I have served them to brownie lovers and sweet tooths year round and no one ever suspects that they aren't made with refined flour and sugar and oil. These mini doughnuts are made with whole food ingredients and baked instead of fried. I used a mini doughnut pan but don't worry if you don't have one. I have also made with recipe in a muffin pan with great results!

I am not a fan of baking with matzah meal and don't use it during the Feasts. It is expensive, hard to find, and doesn't always produce the best results. On top of that it is typically made of refined flour and isn't particularly healthy. While I do enjoy decadent desserts, we should all have a few healthy baked good recipes up our sleeves that we can feel good about snacking on and serving others--especially children.

Made with coconut flour, eggs, honey, and cocoa powder these are friendly with the GAPS and Paleo diets. They are also friendly with many allergies as they are free of gluten and nuts, and can be made with coconut oil instead of the butter for anyone with a milk allergy.

For an even more wholesome treat use local raw honey, organic eggs, and fair trade cocoa, chocolate, and vanilla.

I drizzled tempered chocolate on these for fun presentation and an extra burst of chocolate. I'm sharing an easy way to temper chocolate below but you can leave this out if you want or mix mini chocolate chips into the batter.

Kosher for Passover Chocolate Doughnuts Recipe

6 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup melted coconut oil or butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup coconut flour

1/4 chocolate chips (be sure they are free of allergens if needed)

Preheat oven to 350° and grease a mini doughnut pan.
Whisk together the eggs with the salt for three to five minutes. They will become airy and a lighter shade of yellow.
Continue whisking and add the honey, then the coconut oil or butter, vanilla, cocoa powder, and the coconut flour. This should have a similar consistency to cake batter. Coconut flour absorbs lots of liquid so if it is too stiff, add a tablespoon or two of water.
Put the batter into a clean ziplock bag. Once the batter is inside snip a corner off of the bag to use as a piping bag. Pipe batter into the doughnut pan, making the molds about 2/3 full.
Bake for 12-15 minutes (for muffins 15-20 minutes) until the doughnuts spring back when pressed lightly.
Tip the pan onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
Meanwhile melt your chocolate. The easiest way to do this is the double boiler method. Use a small saucepan and bring about an inch of water to a boil. Put about half of the chocolate into a bowl that will sit on top the pan without touching the water. Set the bowl above the water and stir the chocolate until it is completely melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Not adding all of the chocolate at once ensures that your chocolate will be tempered and harden on the doughnuts.
When the doughnuts have cooled put them on an easy to clean surface (a plate or parchment paper), and lightly drizzle the melted chocolate over them. Let set until the chocolate has hardened.
Makes about 18 mini doughnuts or 12 muffins.