Celebrating Hanukkah

Today I'm wishing all those who celebrate - a most happy first night of the 8 days of Hanukkah!

 I work for 3 surgeons who celebrate  - so every year I make each of them a gift basket of some sort.  Here is what I filled their baskets with this year.

 I'm always on the lookout for blue containers to put their treats in.  I found these lovely baskets this past summer at The Christmas Tree Shop.  I always make the sweet little Pecan Rum Cakes for them -  their families tell me how much they love them every year!  I also made some homemade fudge and Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans (see the recipe for the coffee beans on this post)

I made the tags using a Waltzingmouse tag die,  the silver star around the hole at the top of the die is from another Waltzingmouse tag die, a sentiment strip die from MFT, and the Star of David die is from PTI.  The little star and dreidle stamps are from Casual Fridays Stamps.

 I found this Hanukkah information on the Web

Hanukkah Traditions

Hanukkah is the story of a great victory of the Jews over the Syrian-Greeks. In 165 BCE, led by the Hasmonean family of Mattathias the High Priest and his youngest son, Judah, the Jews succeeded in evicting the Syrian-Greeks from Israel and restored the Temple.

According to the Talmud, after the Temple had been cleaned and the Priests were ready to light the Temple menorah, they could find only one jug of oil that was fit to use. This was only enough for one day, but it lasted for eight. This is why Hanukkah is eight days long. For eight days beginning on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Kislev we light the menorah to celebrate the victory and the miracle of Hanukkah.

Hanukkah comes from the Hebrew word "Khanu" meaning 'and they rested,' and from the Hebrew date Kaf Hey which equals 25. That is why we celebrate Hanukkah beginning on the 25th of the month of Kislev.

You will find other Hanukkah projects I've posted over the years here.

In case you are interested - here is the recipe for the Pecan Rum Cakes - I found it in a magazine many years ago!  They are SO easy to make - and SO delicious!  (they taste best if heated a bit in the microwave before eating!)

Bert's Rum Cake

Makes 1 large bundt cake or 12 Bundtlette cakes 

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 box yellow cake mix

1 box (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding mix

1/2 cup light rum

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

4 eggs

GLAZE

1 cup sugar

1 stick unsalted butter

1/4 cup light rum

1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a 12 cup bundt pan or 2 - six bundtlette pans with cooking oil spray with flour.  Sprinkle chopped pecans over bottom.  Stir cake mix and pudding together in large mixing bowl.  Add rum,  water, oil and eggs.  Beat for 2 minutes with an electric mixer.  Pour cake batter over nuts and bake for 45-50 minutes.  If you are making the smaller cakes, spoon batter evenly into each mold (about 2/3 cup each) and bake for 20 minutes.

5 minutes before cake is done, prepare the glaze.  Place sugar, butter, 1/4 cup rum and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan and boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Remove cake(s) from oven and slowly drizzle the glaze over the top while cake is still hot.  It will take several applications to use all the glaze.  Cool cake in pan for 30 minutes before unmolding.  Finish cooling on a wire rack.