Vegas Confessions & Light ‘n Easy Matzo Ball Soup

Confession

I came to look up the points values of the Matzo Ball in an attempt at distracting and preventing myself from having another one—and then ended up doing an entire blogpost on it. I guess it worked because I was too busy typing to eat any more.

This is only day three back on plan since our trip to Las Vegas for a family Bar Mitzvah. I’m happy to report that I did manage to pull it together before Vegas and felt pretty good in my silk dress.

But, while my husband was hanging out with his family and gambling, I was babysitting the toddler and inhaling the Top Deck (South African chocolate) that we took with us.

Can you believe that he had the chutzpah to ask me how I managed to eat most of the slab while we were there.

He “only got one piece.” I guess if I was out hanging and gambling I would also only have had one piece! Just kidding—I take full responsibility for everything I ate. And since it was his family, of course he should be hanging out while I babysit. Only a few more years of this anyway, right?

But since tomorrow night we are off to see an INCREDIBLE show at the NAMM Music show for Yamaha’s 125th anniversary—Elton John, Chaka Kahn, Toto, Earth Wind & Fire, Michael McDonald and more—I need this to be a really good food day. (Probably wasn’t the best choice to drink all that sodium… oh well!)

I got strict instructions from my hubby to look “hot and sexy”, so I will be sucking myself into my skintight black pants and hoping for the best!

The Matzo Ball

Growing up in South Africa, I couldn’t wait for Pesach (Passover) because that meant Auntie Phyllie’s Matzo Balls—which we called “Knaidlach.”

When I moved to Los Angeles in 1995, I was ecstatic to discover that you could order a bowl of matzo ball soup all-year-round at the famous Jerry’s Deli. For a whopping $8.95 (crazy) you get a humongous matzo ball with chicken, carrots and noodles. (I usually order it without the noodles.)

I used to think that matzo balls were really fattening. Probably because back home they were made from scratch with lots of chicken fat! (At least, that’s what I thought.)

But, turns out that a Manischewitz Matzo Ball is only 2 PointsPlus values. Well, actually only 1 point if you make little mini balls like they direct you to on the box. Not for this cowboy! I think a happy medium between the tiny ones and the huge ones at Jerry’s Deli is perfectly satisfying and doesn’t break the points bank.

Add some cooked carrots and shredded roast chicken breast for a complete and satisfying meal.

If you’ve never tried Manischewitz Matzo Ball & Soup Mix please just try it! All you do is mix 2 eggs with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and then add the matzo mix. Refrigerate for 15 minutes and then form into balls. The box recommends 9 – 12 balls, but I use a medium cookie scoop to make about 5 balls. (The extra little ball you see on the side was rolled by my little three-year-old.)

If desired you can make some noodles in a separate pot for the rest of the family. (recommended: Manischewitz Wide Egg Noodles.)

Or I just made my hubby a few Trader Joe’s Potato Latkes on the side with some applesauce for dipping and he was a happy camper.

A friend recently told me that she prefers Streitz’s Matzo Ball mix, but I have yet to try it.

Which one do you prefer—Streitz or Manischewitz?

Or do you think it’s worth making them from scratch? (Not just for a cold winter’s night, of course, but for the holidays.)

If you have a fabulous matzo ball recipe please send it my way!

How to make the carrots in the microwave

Peel 3 – 5 large carrots and slice into rounds. As you get closer to the narrow ends make the slices bigger so they will cook evenly.

Put in a microwave safe dish with 1 – 2 tablespoons of water; I use a pyrex dish with a lid.

Microwave on high for 3 – 5 minutes, depending on how many carrots you have. Check and stir for even cooking. You can leave the lid on to let them steam for a few more minutes if they aren’t quite soft enough.

Pour water off and add carrots to soup.

Makes a tasty snack and is a nice change from raw carrots.

If you’re doing the Simply Filling Technique like me you only pay 2 PointsPlus values for the matzo ball and the rest are Weight Watchers Power Foods.