Holidays: Passover 2013 aka St. Pats-over

We got sloppy.  That would have been the theme in Passovers past.  My adorably wonderful and game-for-anything friends are a passionate group that really embrace the 4 glasses of wine during the Sedar, Jewish or not.

This year was slightly more tame given the rising number of toddlers crashing the party these days.  Still we set the table, sat back and toasted the day with the official honorary chugging of the first bottle of Maneschevitz.  (Yep, it's a thing and it actually made the Haggadah this year!)

Our 2013 Sedar was held early, on St. Patrick's Day actually.  We honor the spirit of Sedar but as many travel for the holidays there is rarely an opportunity to celebrate together.  Additionally, there are no concerns for those observing Passvover with an accidental (delicious) breadcrumb topping.

As a co-host of the 7th annual Glassman Gershon Sedar, I take great pride setting a huge, gorgeous table and insist that each year I kick it up a notch. This year was no different and since this shindig also took place on St. Patrick's Day I knew green had to be in the mix.

We set a long table for 30 with navy tablecloths and custom napkins I made from a selection of fabrics I found online. I adore, among many things, a bold, printed napkin and when looking for massive quantities without breaking the budget, making my own was the ideal choice.

Placed on top, we had our custom printed Haggadah. For placecards, I painted a river rocks from my local Lowe's in color blocks and personalized each for our guests. What's better than a dinner where you are forced to drink 4 glasses of wine? Getting a new pet rock of course!

Each year, we split the parts among our friends and give this amazing group of nutty people an outlet and some (an abundance of) creative freedom to really go for it.  We are always impressed but this year was even better than expected.  We got an infomercial-style pitch of the Super Saver Sedar Plate from Schlomo himself, a "Let My People Go" style rap to Thift Store by Macklemore and among others, a really smart baby Springer answering the four questions from the womb (we clearly spared no expense on technology). 

Our meal was really a massive contribution of potluck and convenience but it tasted delish.  Ordering rotisserie chickens is my go-to for the main dish for the last 2 years as brisket for 30 just isn't in my repertoire with a toddler running around.  We had some unbelievable latkes made in a cupcake pan.  No frying and thanks Pinterest for the how-to!  Yummy potatoes, roasted veggies, stupid good charoset and so much more. 

More than anything, it was a lovely day with lovely friends.  Passover is always the start of Spring and one of my favorite times of the year.  And in the Spirit of Spring cleaning, my co-host tossed a partial pot of matzo ball soup on my new entry rug so it got an early deep clean.  #SilverLining

And for a disclaimer, we find Passover to be a celebration of freedom and love of our friends and family. While we depart from the traditional Haggadah, some parts in rather bold fashion, the spirit of the content is there and our creativity is not meant to offend anyone.  This is likely one of the least offensive things I will post, so if you hate this, you  might just want to jump on this train as it's only getting better.