Rebecca feels like she's dropped the ball. Several balls.

[rebecca_in_blue]

Last night, the director of the closest Jewish summer camp (which I visited back here) was our guest at services, and we used him as an excuse to hold a congregational dinner. I usually bring deviled eggs to these things, but I got tired of being so predictable, so I made nacho casserole instead. There was none leftover, and I even got compliments and requests for more, which has never happened before! This dish might become a regular one for me, so here's the recipe for my own future reference (and if anyone else who reads the blog is interested).

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 can rotel tomatoes and chilies
• 1 can Campbell's fiesta nacho cheese soup
• 1 handful chopped onions
• Tortilla chips
• Grated cheese
• Shredded lettuce

Brown the ground beef. Add the seasoning, rotel, cheese soup, and onions. Mix until evenly distributed and let simmer. Layer the tortilla chips in the bottom of a casserole dish (you can use Dorito's or whatever kind of chips you want; this is a good way to use all the broken little pieces at the bottom of the bag) and spread the beef mixture over them. Top with grated cheese and bake until the cheese is melted. Sprinkle with shredded lettuce just before serving. (I found this recipe for taco casserole and made a few changes to it.)

Over dinner, Rabbi W and I threw together a lesson plan for the religious school this morning. I found a copy of Jewish Holiday Crafts for Little Hands (lifesaver!) in a classroom in the back of temple, and we did a craft project where the kids made their own mini Torah scrolls from paper and straws, then we took them into the sanctuary and showed them how to dress and undress a real Torah scroll. It just sucked that the infinitely better teacher was out of town, and Rabbi W and I just are not great at teaching or maintaining control of kids. I hope no one could tell that we threw the lesson together at the last minute.

After religious school, I went to Torah study with some trepidation, but now that the election is over, we actually talked about the Torah parshah instead of yelling at each other! Hallelujah! I'm glad because the Torah parshah for this week happens to be Chayei Sarah (Life of Sarah, a deceptive title because it begins with Sarah's death is more about Rebekah), one of my favorite parshahs.