Norwitz Notions

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Freestone Fermentation Festival 2010

May 22nd, 2010 · 5 Comments

Quick, name some fermented foods.  What did you come up with?  Beer? wine? cheese? pickles?  Let’s not forget yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, miso, kombucha, natto, tempeh, vinegar, and bread.  These and more were the focus of the second annual Freestone Fermentation Festival in Sonoma County, California, May 15, 2010. This was my first time at this […]

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Categories: Food · Food Commentary · Meals & Events
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Shabbat Dinner for 20

May 17th, 2009 · 2 Comments

Once a month, our synagogue, Ner Shalom in Cotati, California, holds a family Shabbat dinner.  Sometimes it’s a potluck, other times they order platters from a local restaurant.  A few months ago, I volunteered to do the cooking.  I had two motives here: 1) I love to cook for large groups of people.  Seriously, I […]

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Categories: Desserts · Food · Grains · Judaism · Main Dishes · Meals & Events · Recipes · Religion & Holidays · Shabbus · Vegetable Dishes
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Miriam’s Photography

December 20th, 2008 · 5 Comments

Miriam has always been more of a director than an actor.  Since she was old enough to hold a camera, she would grab one at any opportunity.  A child’s digital camera is a promised present (anyone know of one that is kid proof, has a display screen, and is under $30?) but, until then, she […]

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Categories: Family Life · Miriam Updates
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Peterson’s Pumpkin & Honey Farm (Petaluma, CA)

October 27th, 2008 · 4 Comments

After all our travel posts, I thought it was time to share some places close to home.  Really close to home in this case. Peterson’s Farm 636 Gossage Ave, Petaluma, CA 94952 ettamarie@petersonsfarm.com http://www.petersonsfarm.com/ Yes, we are lucky enough to live across the street from a small, working, chemical-free farm.  In a mere 6 acres, […]

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Categories: Farms · Food · Food Markets · Picnics · Places to Go
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Building a Sukkah (2008)

October 23rd, 2008 · 2 Comments

This year the spirit possessed us and we decided to build a sukkah for the holiday of Sukkot.  We’d done a poor attempt a few years ago but this was the first real one for all of us. Sukkot occurs 5 days after Yom Kippur, in late September or October.  It reminds us of the […]

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Categories: Building · Family Life · House & Home · Judaism · Religion & Holidays · Sukkot
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Passover Seder 2008

May 4th, 2008 · 8 Comments

I’ve hosted a Passover seder at my home every year for the last 20 or so (except for the year my mother died the night before Passover 1996 and the following year, the first with Michael, when Michael and I both had the flu).  Each one has a different mix of people, cultures, familiarity with […]

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Categories: Family Life · Food · Judaism · Meals & Events · Passover · Religion & Holidays
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Boys & Girls Club of Petaluma

April 9th, 2008 · No Comments

When it came time for Miriam’s 3rd birthday party, we didn’t know where to hold it. Our house is too small and full of cats. The weather is too iffy to plan something outdoors. And we can’t stand most of the venues that turn children’s parties into entertainment extravagances. Fortunately, we discovered the Boys and […]

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Categories: Indoor Playspaces · Places to Go
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Foodlab Gathering: Los Angeles, CA, 3/17/08

April 1st, 2008 · 7 Comments

Foodlab is an internet mailing list for sharing recipes, tips, support and more while discovering and living with food allergies/intolerances. Monica started the list a couple of years ago, after realizing that off-topic discussions of food allergies were starting to take over a parenting list. Most of the folks on Foodlab (the active posters anyway) […]

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Categories: Food · Food Commentary · Meals & Events · Travel
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Crab Cakes

March 24th, 2008 · 3 Comments

This recipe comes from Foodlab listmom Monica, who has graciously allowed me to post it here. She made them for our recent Los Angeles Foodlab potluck and I took some pictures. Not only are these cakes delicious, but they’re free of eggs, dairy, gluten, soy, corn, and even low in carbs. Alas, they are not […]

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Categories: Food · Main Dishes · Recipes
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Halibut Ceviche

March 23rd, 2008 · 2 Comments

Let’s see…it’s raw, it’s lowcarb, it’s lowfat, it’s high in protein, it’s filled with healthy stuff, it’s dairy & egg-free, it’s gluten-free, it’s legume-free…what’s not to love? Oh yeah, and it is astoundingly delicious and not hard to make either. The basic recipe is for Mexican Ceviche at http://www.recipezaar.com/8899. There are as many ways to […]

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Categories: Food · Main Dishes · Recipes
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Carrot Cake: Vegan, Gluten-Free, and Delicious

March 10th, 2008 · 1 Comment

Miriam has been planning her birthday party all year. When we would ask what she wanted, all she would say was: “Carrot cake and all my friends to be there!” That would be the same carrot cake we had last year, for her 2nd birthday party. Fortunately, she loves it. When you’re dealing with food […]

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Categories: Desserts · Food · Recipes
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An Organic Thanksgiving 2007

February 1st, 2008 · 5 Comments

Most of our Thanksgiving dinners are in the community room of Ecology House, an 11-unit government (HUD) complex for people disabled with chemical sensitivity. Every year, with the help of the Environmental Health Network, the residents there host a (supplemented) potluck dinner for the entire chemical sensitivity community. It’s great fun. I share the disability […]

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Categories: Food · Living Spaces · Meals & Events · Places to Go · Religion & Holidays · Thanksgiving
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