Hanukkah

(First of all, you guys are all awesome. Thank you soooooo much for all the kind and generous responses to my request for help--I'm getting through your emails/offers and will be in touch soon, if I haven't responded already. I appreciate each and every one of you! A ton!)

I had a request to explore other winter celebrations, such as Hanukkah, which starts tonight at sundown. I want to learn more, too, and was happy to comply. I found more information here, along with a handy little list of traditions and activities. Guides, texts, prayers, a video about lighting the menorah, answers to FAQ's can be found here.

Recipes? Okay! I pulled some from AllRecipes.com.

Latkes!

2 cups peeled and shredded potatoes
1 tablespoon grated onion
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup peanut oil

Place the potatoes in a cheesecloth and wring, extracting as much moisture as possible. In a medium bowl stir the potatoes, onion, eggs, flour and salt together. In a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until hot. Place large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the hot oil, pressing down on them to form 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick patties. Brown on one side, turn and brown on the other. Let drain on paper towels. Serve hot!

Applesauce Noodle Kugel

1 (16 ounce) package wide egg noodles
1 cup reduced fat margarine
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1 1/2 cups egg substitute
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 (16 ounce) jar applesauce
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain. In a large bowl, mix together margarine, sour cream, egg substitute, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and applesauce. Stir in noodles and raisins. Spread graham cracker crumbs on the bottom of the prepared dish. Pour the noodle mixture over the crumbs. Sprinkle top with cinnamon. Bake 45 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, or until set. Cover with foil if it browns too quickly.

Raisin Rice Stuffed Chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 (2 to 3 pound) whole chickens
3 cups cooked white rice
1 cup raisins
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small skillet, heat two tablespoons of olive oil. When oil is hot, saute the chopped onion. Add turmeric and raisins. Saute. Add cooked rice and salt. Mix well. Butter the outside of both chickens and sprinkle a little pepper on both. Stuff the rice mixture into both chickens. Place in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish and bake in preheated oven for about 1 hour (or until chickens are nice and brown and the juices run clear).

Hopefully these links give some insight into this celebration. I've learned a lot reading through the articles, but know there is so much I'm not touching on...does anyone have more to share?

Edit: Also, hey, I have to admit that I'm a little, um, deficient in some areas, and perhaps (perhaps) I am a bit mystified by "feeds" and "RSS" and people have been asking for my feed, and...what am I doing wrong?