Chanukah Sameach! Wishing you a wonderful Chanukah and all the best for 2026 🀩


Hello my friend, and welcome to my final email of 2025! 😳

Yes, I know there's a few weeks left, but my plan for the rest of December is to enjoy Chanukah with my family, and then take some time to regroup, refresh and make plans for 2026. So I'll see you again in January raring to go!

In the meantime, here's a rundown of some highlights from the past 12 months:

And behind the scenes...

  • Countless hours spent researching, cooking, baking, tasting, refining recipes, taking photos, and putting it altogether, just for YOU!

Cheers and L'Chaim to a year full of good things!

A big thank you!

Of course I couldn't do it without YOU, so here's a huge THANK YOU to everyone who's subscribed, read the emails, cooked the recipes, sent me messages, commented on FB, shared my posts, bought me a cuppa, and generally been here and been awesome!

As a little gift to you, here's a ​​handy calendar of Jewish dates for 2026. Download and print it out and you'll always have the info available. I hope you like it!

Wishing you a very Happy Chanukah

I'm sure you're aware that Chanukah starts in just a few days. The first candle is lit this Sunday evening, 14 December. So I'd like to wish everyone a Chanukah Sameach - a very happy Chanukah indeed!

May your lights be bright, your latkes be crispy, and your maoz tsur be tuneful and harmonious. I hope this Chanukah is a joyful time that brings 2025 to a happy and uplifting end.

If you missed last week's newsletter, which included Chanukah meal plans and quick links to helpful guides and resources, you can find it here. ​

And in case you need them, you'll find all of my Chanukah recipes and ideas here.​

Shabbat Shalom

But first, my final email Shabbat Shalom of 2025! I can't believe this year has gone by so fast. I'm definitely ready to take some time to breathe and realign myself before the start of 2026, and I fully intend to get started on that this Shabbat!

I hope that you and yours have a wonderful Shabbat, that brings love, joy, happiness, health, peace and all the good things in heaven and earth! May the next few weeks be everything you wish, filled with blessings and celebration.

Wishing Shabbat Shalom - a Good Shabbos! - to one and all.
With much love, Helen x.

PS Don't forget your instant download of my Ultimate Family Chanukah ​ebook. Pay as you feel, and get 35 pages of recipes, crafts, games, printables, family activities and more!

Tip Jar/Tea Fund!

If I have ever given you value from any of my emails, recipes, social media posts or comments, please consider leaving a tip, so I can continue to do the same for others for free.

​You can buy me a cuppa here β˜•οΈ Thank you so much!

NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE

If you've ever searched your inbox to find a recipe link, recommendation etc, you can now find the Family-Friends-Food newsletter archive here.

Family Friends Food, Unit 138524, PO Box 7169, Poole, Dorset BH15 9EL
​Unsubscribe Β· Preferences​

Family Friends Food

Hi, I'm Helen. I share easy, nutritious, seasonal, flexitarian recipes, often with a British-Jewish twist. Expect a weekly dose of delicious dinner ideas, news and positivity!

Read more from Family Friends Food
Close up image of a spoonful of miso mushroom barley soup. The bowl of soup is in the background, in soft focus.

Hello again my friend! It's time again for the clocks to change*, giving us an extra hour to do something fun - like enjoy a new book! Read on for my book giveaway, and be in with a chance to win a copy of Cholent: The Most Jewish Food on Earth. Shabbat recipe of the week - vegan humous basar Humous basar is a delicious Israeli dish of creamy humous topped with a spiced beef mixture. In this vegan version I've swapped out the meat for hearty, savoury mushrooms, cooked down and richly...

A bowl of porridge, topped with sliced banana, blueberries and pieces of walnut.

Hello there my friend! Tomorrow is World Food Day, celebrating the UNFAO and its work towards creating a sustainable, prosperous, and food-secure future for all. It's a great opportunity to consider the origins of our food, and to thank the people who worked tirelessly to get it from a seed all the way to our plates. Shabbat recipe of the week - Quapple Spomble!! Quince and apple sponge crumble, or 'quapple spomble' as it's known in our house, is an absolutely gorgeous pudding that I'm sure...

Overhead image of slices of pear and apple crumble cake on a paper-lined board. On the left is one of the slices on a plate with a fork, and a white napkin.

Hello there my friend! High Holiday season has finally come to a close, and regular, everyday life can resume. After a month of special foods, it's good to be eating a bit more 'normally' again! And while we've been distracted with festivals, loads of gorgeous Autumn fruits have appeared. So this week, I'm suggesting some delicious ways to enjoy them. A post-YomTov treat, if you like πŸ™‚ Recipe of the week - Baked mujadara Mujadara is a classic Middle Eastern dish, combining lentils, rice, and...