Hello!

Thank you to all the bloggers out there who inspired me to share some of my inspiration!

6 months ago, I was working a 40 hour plus week for a mental health counseling clinic in the Baltimore city public schools.  I loved what I was doing, but I also wished I would have more time to play with my children, make supper, and just relax without being anxious about relaxing!

My life took a 360 degree turn when my husband got accepted to medical school in Tel Aviv, Israel (bet you didn’t expect that ;)).  In the beginning, it was chaotic setting up a new home, in a new country, with 2 children. A couple months down the road, life <miraculously!> took on a normal routine again. I think one of the biggest indicators that we had a home was when our couch arrived at our apartment. Then I could properly read a bedtime story to my toddler! A plastic lawn chair will never measure up!

Living across the ocean from family and friends is the hardest part of this journey. I miss my parents, my in-laws, and my closest friends that I left back home. Being a stay-at-home mom is an added bonus. When we moved my son was 3 months old. He had started going to a babysitter at 2 months, so I could go back to work. That broke my heart. Now we get to spend every day together! My daughter is currently 2 and a couple of months. She is extremely active and a bit of a dare-devil. I am constantly on Pinterest trying to find parenting advice for parenting 2 year olds! I love her to death, despite everything she puts me through! She is currently in “gan” (Hebrew term for playgroup) in the mornings, which is my sanity time during the day.

Now I am going to be brutally honest and tell you that when we first moved here I would constantly find myself missing my job! Weird, right? I missed my co-workers and clients; I missed feeling accomplished and productive; and I especially missed making money ;). I had spent the last year getting up at 6:30AM and coming home at 4:30PM. I thought I had hated it! Now that I am home and busy being a mommy, I realize that it is a lot less glamorous than the “working world”. Which brings me to the reason why I invented Polkies. I wanted a space where I could feel productive and accomplished. A space where I could feel less isolated and connect to people around the globe! I especially would like to share my activities in the kitchen!

There is something magical about cooking and baking in the kitchen. It’s not very expensive, but it has a way of making the whole house smell heavenly! When my husband comes home tired, cold, and worn-out after a long day of studying, the greatest gift I could give him is a warm wholesome supper. I love it when my daughter takes a bite out of a fresh bread roll and says, “Like it, Mommy.” I’m sorry for being all dramatic here, but I believe in these words! Food is powerful…let me help you use it to your advantage!

The real truth is that throughout my marriage I barely had time to cook! At first I was in college full time, and then I was working full-time, all while juggling family life. For Friday night dinner, my mother would drive by with a pot of chicken soup with matza balls and a pan of chicken. I write this shamefully, as every Jewish wife and mother should be competent enough to cook a simple Shabbos dinner. Now though, I am repenting from my past and becoming a real expert in the kitchen (or trying..)! So come join me as I navigate the kitchen in my new home in Israel!

As for the name of the blog…why polkies? Well I needed to find an original and non-cheesy name that was not yet taken. “Polkies” is a term that is sentimental to my heart! It means thighs in Yiddish, typically referring to the thighs of a baby or chicken. My grandmother and mother always made a big deal about babies’ chubby polkies by saying things like, “Oysh, these polkies are delicious!”. Then they would dramatically pretend to eat them up; Babies would love it! I thought it blended the idea of motherhood with cooking really well!