Eulogy For Elle

Celebration of My Sister 

Elle Gerardo Borlin Smith

9/29/2023

 

At sunset Elle's ashes swim with the dolphins.

Bring peace to her struggle and let us sleep.

Fall's a favorite, forever monarch butterflies

return to spin a chrysalis to become again. 

Will pieces of Elle sink into the sea deep?

Summer fades into the earth, brown spiders

weave to survive, and milkweed goes furry.

Planted garlic in your garden, season to 

harvest the scapes and roast the crowns,

keep away squirrels who steal in a hurry.

I'm blessed to have loved you sister.

Left with the golden glow to share.

Love you created, your smile of joy,

be brave, strong enough to compare. 

9/23/2023

Challah Recipe

Catholic girl goes to Rabbi G's house to make challah 

Since my sister passed I'm on a mission.

I started with exercise and hiking but that

lead me to making changes in myself.

I've cared for someone dying for more than a year but

the climb to heaven has taught me so much about love.

Glioblastoma is a nasty diagnosis, I am creating new

what I learned a gift to you all.

Here's the recipe and videos about the evening shared with 

thirty orthodox and reformed Jewish women. I hope you

practice making this rather easy bread as a gift to those

you love. Once you get the texture down, it's simple.

·      1½ packages active dry yeast (about 3½ teaspoons)

·      1 tablespoon plus ½ cup sugar

·   1/2 cup vegetable oil, more for greasing bowl

·      5 large eggs

·      1 tablespoon salt

·    8           to 8½cups all-purpose flour

·      Sesame seeds for sprinkling

·      Parchment paper

·      Cooking spray

·      Your largest bowl

·      Clean hands no gloves

 

 

Dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1¾ cups lukewarm water in the big bowl.

 

Whisk oil into yeast, slowly beat in 4 eggs, with remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add flour by then handful. Use both hands gently.  

When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading.

 

Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease with spray, then return dough to bowl.  The amount of flour may vary with the relative humidity in your kitchen. Getting the feel right is practice.

 

Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size.

 

Punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour.

 

 

Divide dough in half and then take a handful ball from each half. You will have about 38% in each large ball and 7% in the two smaller baseballs.

 

See video how to punch down one large ball into a disc shape and then cut the sides like a flower into 18 sections – watch her count. Then fold in every third to the center and repeat. The baseball goes in the center. The bread will be in the shape of the Star of David but when it bakes it will become round like a crown. Some cultures hide an egg under the ball, add hidden currents or surprises.

 

Remaining egg wash brushes over and sprinkle with sesame seeds

 

375 preheated oven

Bake on cookie tray for about 30- 42 minutes until golden brown

 

If you want all the loaf to be even brown color at 25 minutes you may add a little egg wash into the valleys and sprinkle more seeds but do it fast and on the rack in the oven (wear mitts)

 

Your kitchen will fill with warm bread perfume.