Shabbat Menu

It's Thursday. Again - it came very quickly! Time to plan for Shabbat, and it's a special one - Shabbat Shira and Tu B'Shvat! Unfotunately, my kids and I have been taking turns being sick, so we're not up to having guests - just trying to avoid having to go to the ER is enough effort (asthma is awful). But despite all the coughing, wheezing, ear-aching, sneezing, and sniffling, we will try to make sure we have an uplifting Shabbat.

Here's the menu:

Homemade Challah (making a batch today)

Vegetable Soup with lots of kishuim (squash) (special request for lots of kishuim)

Black Bean Cholent (for lunch)

Pineapple Chicken (special request from my daughter)

Rice

Apple Kugel/Apple Crisp

Potato Kugel

Roasted Carrots and Beets

Make-your-own-salad, with whatever veggies I happen to have on hand

Fruit Platter for Tu B'Shvat: So far I have pears (which I haven't bought yet this season, so we can even make shehechiyanu), persimmons, kiwi, grapefruit, oranges, bananas. We'll see if we get any other fruit today or tomorrow.

Birthday Cake for my daughter, who was born 8 years ago, on Tu B'Shvat!

Here's my favorite vegetable soup recipe. It's actually not so much a recipe, as it is a method:

Chop/dice/ slice your soup vegetables - I usually use onions, garlic, celery, tons of carrots, zucchini, and other veggies as the mood hits me.

Sautee all the veggies in extra virgin olive oil, then cook, covered, to reduce, for 10-15 min. before adding any liquid. Fill the pot with water or vegetable stock (if you don't want a vegetarian soup, feel free to use your chicken stock). Season with salt, pepper, parsley, dill, and any other herbs you love in your soup! Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 1/2 an hour. You *could* cook it longer, making sure not to boil off too much liquid, but you don't need to.
It's a really easy soup.

What are you making for Shabbat Tu B'Shvat/Shabbat Shira? Anything special?