PJ Library Recipe of the Month: Vegetable Stew with Chickpeas and Butternut Squash
This year, Sukkot begins the evening of October 13. Sukkot is a harvest holiday that is traditionally celebrated by building a temporary booth, shaking four specific plant species, and inviting guests to spend time together. During the eight-day celebration, many families welcome guests into their sukkah or visit friends in theirs, enjoy delicious seasonal foods, and feel thankful for what they have.
Here are some kid-friendly ideas for celebrating Sukkot with your family:
Build a sukkah
A sukkah doesn’t have to be complicated, and it doesn’t have to cost much money. If you want a fun, simple sukkah for Sukkot, here are a few ideas to help make it easy:
- NeoHasid provides framing plans that are relatively simple to follow and construct. “Sukkah kits cost upwards of a few hundred dollars,” the website writes. “A homespun sukkah is way better for the earth, for the wallet, and for the spirit.” You may decide, in the end, to go a contemporary route and buy a sukkah kit.
- Or, you may decide to be more Earth-friendly, and build an edible sukkah.
Decorate your sukkah
Once you’ve built a sukkah, you’ll want to decorate it (or, you may choose to decorate a friend’s sukkah instead). Here are some good ideas:
- On CreativeJewishMom.com you can find a great tutorial for crafting paper starbursts and medallions to hang in your sukkah.
- Another idea is to create a leaf collage, like this one from Kveller.com. It's a fun way to prepare for fall and the holiday of Sukkot.
Eat in your sukkah
The best part of Sukkot is having snacks and meals under the sukkah with family and friends. Be sure to stock your sukkah with kid-friendly snacks like trail mix, dried fruit, and nuts. For a heartier meal, try making this simple yet satisfying Vegetable Stew with Chickpeas and Butternut Squash. This recipe from popular cookbook author and overall inspiring “Jewish food celebrity” Jamie Geller.
So, there you have it: a sukkah, some fun decorations, and some tasty treats. Chag Sameach! Happy holidays!
