Hanukkah Hacks
Hanukkah is a minor holiday on the Jewish calendar. Even so, it is one of my favorite holidays. I love how it is relatively low demand and spread out over eight days. It brings light and fun into one of the darkest times of the year. But like all holidays, it can bring the potential to introduce unwanted stress into our lives. And no one wants that!
So here are a few ‘Hanukkah hacks’ that help me around this time of the year.
Using Pre-filled Vials for your Hanukkia
Although hanukkias (or ‘menorahs’) that hold candles are widely popular, the miracle of Hanukkah occurred with olive oil. So I light an oil hanukkia in my home. Traditionally, for an oil light, you would fill a small glass cup with oil; assemble the wick and float it in the little cup. I did that one year and needless to say, it can get messy.
I then discovered these very cool pre-filled vials of olive oil that you could buy instead. The vials are sealed with thin glass stem on the top. A special tool is included and you break off the stem and the wick is right there in the center. Much cleaner and quicker than pouring oil yourself! You can also get colored oil — which I personally prefer.
This year, I saw a new product in my local kosher grocery store. Instead of having liquid oil in a sealed vial, there was another company that made jellied oil in an open vial. These are even quicker and cleaner since there is no breaking off of the tops and the oil is solid until burned (in rare occasions the sealed vials of olive oil cracked or broke in an expected way – making a bit of mess — and also leaving you scrambling for a replacement light!). You can also buy these in natural color or rainbow colors. I personally prefer the look of the liquid olive oil; but I’ve received plenty of compliments on the jellied ones — so it really comes down to personal preference (both are very easy to deal with).
Easy ‘Homemade’ Potato Latkes
Homemade latkes are infinitely better than the boxed mix ones that are sold in the supermarket. But grating potatoes is not a walk in the park.
What I do is skip the grating all together by buying frozen hash browns. I pretty much follow this recipe – with some small changes:
- I add in onion powder to the list of seasonings
- I use 3 eggs instead of 2
- I use a blend of all-purpose flour and matzoh meal
I also use a container of pre-chopped onions. Which makes preparation super easy. Here are my latkes:
So easy and tasty in the end!
Buy a Hanukkah Gift Box…Online
I try to not make Hanukkah into a holiday about materialism and consumerism — but let’s be honest; it feels nice to buy a gift for someone. And this time of year, the feelings of generosity are contagious. But instead of fighting the crowds in the stores, I just go online and have my gifts sent. Here are some of my favorites:
(Super) Affordable Hanukkah Decorations
If you are really looking to get some bang for your buck, the best places to get Hanukkah decoration are from Asian suppliers. Just Being totally honest! Check out the links below:
Also try Etsy for some really unique, affordable Hanukkah items.
I hope these tips are helpful. Have a wonderful holiday season!
