Shabbat Dinner in Ramla

I woke up this morning around 9 AM and headed to the market and then the Shuk to buy for Shabbat dinner.  After having some lunch, I started cooking around 1PM beginning with a vegetable soup, which I simmered for about 6 hours.  I wasn't able to find squash, but it was still quite good I think.

Nicole and Whitney lit Shabbat candles (almost perfectly on time with Shabbat, I might add, they lit at 6:51 - Shabbat started at 6:48 today according to the sticker on the candles), we said Kiddush and Hamotzi and then went into the first course of the soup.  It was accompanied by homemade baba ghanoush (making the abab ghanoush was a first time for me), a hummus plate with zatar (a green spice) and olive oil in the center.

I made lemon schnitzel (breaded chicken) and stuffed onions for the main course.  There was an israeli salad to accompany the main course (cucumber and tomato with lemon juice and a little salt).

Afterwards, we moved to the living room space (Izy and I put together the dining room table earlier today) which is not much of a move, maybe 5 - 7 feet, where we enjoyed the rest of the wine, strawberries fresh from the shuk today and pecan bars for dessert.

Nicole, decided to nap, so I made Whitney and I some turkish coffee (her first!) and then had some tea and biscuits as we chatted.  Something about dishes and me, it's a neurosis I have so that I decided after a while to do the dishes despite the specific instructions to leave them.  I got into a cleaning mode and did the counters, stove top, floors and cabinets as well.

Jeff and Izy returned from Mazi's (there was a small party there that I skipped so I could make Nicole and Whitney their last shabbat dinner in Israeli together - last shabbat dinner at least for the time being).  They played music, we talked about things, and agreed to make a meal together next week.  I fed Jeff while they waited for a phone call to meet up with friends from Ness Ziona in Tel Aviv later tonight.