Liveblogging the Latke-palooza

Wow, November 30th already?? I can’t believe NaBloPoMo is over today: I’ve blogged every single stinkin’ day (sometimes twice!) for the entire month of November. This has been the best NaBloPoMo/NaBloPoMoFo for me personally and I’m not sure why. I’m ending the month with almost all of my “just in case” drafts still snug in the draft folder, and I never once felt like I was struggling with finding something to write about. (Most of the time, LACK OF TIME was the problem!) Of course, it helped that I did a little traveling this month: it’s always easier to write about things when you’re not living the normal routine.

Anyway, I thought I’d celebrate the end of NaBloPoMo with a Latke-palooza.

Not really.

It’s the fourth night of Hanukkah and that’s why we’re having a Latke-palooza around here.

I DID decide to combine the two though, in honor of today. I didn’t want to phone it in on the final day of NaBlo but I have to be in my kitchen for the next three or four hours, so I thought to myself, “Self, why not LIVEBLOG the Latke-palooza? That way you’ll have some fun, get a post done before 11:59 p.m., and finish November with a bang?”

As usual, I thought my idea was brilliant.

So if you’re just hanging out tonight, check back in later to see what I’m up to!

Melisa's Latke-palooza

4:35 p.m.
I know from experience this long-sleeved shirt is going to have to go: I’m warm and haven’t even turned on the stove yet. I should probably go change now, so as not to interrupt the cooking flow later.

4:37 p.m.
Short-sleeved t-shirt made out of thin fabric. Much better.

4:38 p.m.
This post is going to be really stupid. I’m having second thoughts already. Oh well. Apologies to my readers.

4:54 p.m.
Making noodle kugel first. While the water is boiling I could be preparing the countertop for the crepes that I’m making next but instead I’m just staring at my nails, wondering why I peeled off my Shellac nail polish earlier today even though I know better. Adriana (my nail tech) is going to kill me on Wednesday.

5:02 p.m.
My Spotify shuffle is not cooperating: it doesn’t seem to know what I want to listen to while cooking. I may have to just take it off shuffle and queue some Pitbull.

5:10 p.m.
Noodle kugel is assembled and ready to put in the oven in about thirty minutes. The last time I made this I was at Liz’s house. HEAVY SIGH.

Noodle kugel

5:21 p.m.
Breaking eggs directly into my mixing bowl for the blintzes (crepes) rather than one at a time into a smaller bowl first, despite warnings from my mom when I baked as a kid that I should never do that in case I ended up with a fertilized one. LIVING ON THE EDGE. Still cringing every time I crack one.

5:32 p.m.
Crepe batter mixed. Just covered half of my kitchen island with waxed paper to make a landing pad for the hundred or so crepes I’ll be flippin’ momentarily.

5:39 p.m.
Butter in crepes? haha NO. Okay, yes.

Blintzes/crepe batter

5:41 p.m.
Let the crepe-making begin!

Blintzes!

5:58 p.m.
Crepes are cooking. Jim just got home and offered to help, so we’re tag-teaming it. He’s mixing the cheese filling for the blintzes.

6:05 p.m.
Sometimes I want to weep at how pretty these are.

Pretty crepes

6:12 p.m.
Did I say “one hundred crepes”? I was wrong. I forgot that I have new, bigger pans now. Only about fifty crepes. Dang.

6:14 p.m.
I bet you’re wondering when I will put the “latkes” in Latke-palooza. Patience, my friends. They’re last.

6:19 p.m.
“Bang that Beat” by C+C Music Factory just came on, inspiring at booty-bumping dance party with Jim. He cooperated for about ten seconds.

6:29 p.m.
I just finished the last two crepes, which were a buttery mess and didn’t hold their shape, so I’m snacking on them. Don’t judge.

6:38 p.m.
Filling the blintzes with cheese mixture now. YUM.

cheese filling

Folded blintzes

6:40 p.m.
Finally, latkes! Jim is getting the potatoes and onions ready.

latkes

6:52 p.m.
Frying is ready to begin! Cheese blintzes, jelly blintzes, and latkes coming up. I’m sweating.

Filled blintzes

latkes

7:08 p.m.
It smells SO GOOD IN HERE, you guys. Also, it’s highly likely my smoke detectors will be going off soon.

latkes

7:21 p.m.
I’m laughing inside because I’m listening to Mohombi’s “Bumpy Ride” on blast and my parents are hanging out in the kitchen:
“I wanna boom bang bang with your body-o
We’re gonna rough it up before we take it slow
Girl let me rock you rock you like a rodeo
It’s gonna be a bumpy ride”

7:29 p.m.
People keep asking me if I want them to start frying the blintzes in another pan. NO I DON’T. I HAVE A PROCESS.

7:40 p.m.
Dinner is ready! Noodle kugel, blintzes and latkes. YUM. BRB with family feedback.

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8:09 p.m.
Dinner is over. Amazing that you can spend three hours on something and then it’s gone in fifteen minutes. But the reviews are in!

Julesie: “F-ing delicious!”
D: “Scrumtrulescent.”
J: “Phantabulous, with a PH.”
Jim: “Scrumtrulescent.” Me: “That’s already been taken.” Jim: “Oh.”
J’s girlfriend: *speechless*
My mom: “I enjoyed every morsel.” (OMG)
My dad: “I give the beat a ten, but the lyrics a six.”

And there you have it, you guys. Latke-palooza is a huge success, once again. I’m off to collapse on the couch. Thanks for reading, Happy Hanukkah if you celebrate, and Happy End of NaBloPoMo! (But I’m still blogging tomorrow, you poor things.)

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