Sunday, March 23, 2008

A Computer is a Balabusta's Best Friend

Long ago I realized that a lot of the headaches involved with making Pesach, indeed with making any yom tov, are organizational ones. What needs to be done and in what order? What needs to be purchased, how much and when? What needs to be cooked if yom tov comes out before Shabbos, coinciding with Shabbos, directly after Shabbos?

A computer is absolutely a great help when it comes to making any yom tov. I keep the records from year to year, updating as necessary. Deep in my records and available at the click of a mouse is the information of what I cooked the last time Pesach came out the way it does this year, going from Shabbos to yom tov. No more guessing as to how I'm going to manage.

I also keep the guest lists with what was served and if the dishes "went." Helps in planning meals for this year.

There are the lists of perishable items, divided by type, that I use to go shopping with. There are the lists of non-perishable items that are checked off when purchased and that also form a shopping list. No guessing as to how much oil is needed or how much potato starch or how many chickens. And no trying to remember if you have X in the freezer--the list tells you all.

All the pesachdike recipes are on the computer as well, including how to double or triple or quadruple them--no guessing needed.

There's a list for the k'orah, with everything that has to go on, when to prepare it and how much to prepare. No last minute glitches that way. Need an eruv tavshilin? There's a reminder to post on the fridge so it doesn't become a last second thing.

And yes, I also keep a cleaning list, room by room, although that list tends to get edited depending on how nuts I plan on being before any given yom tov.

My first step in making Pesach is to take a cup of coffee and commune with my computer. Not only is it more organized this way but there is a secondary benefit as well. Those lists prove to me that Pesach got made in other years and it's going to get made this year. No use in panicking because it's "only" 28 days to Pesach.

4 comments:

Bas~Melech said...

You don't need a computer for that, though it may save some time and look snazzier. You sound exactly like my grandmother, who's been doing Pesach and everything else that way for decades... on paper.

Anonymous said...

Nice thing about keeping records on the computer is that you don't spend 4 hours trying to remember where you put away last year's lists to be available for this year. Some good ideas of what info to keep from year to year.

Anonymous said...

When my mother stopped making Pesach for all of us at her house and came to me the best gift she gave me was her lists from all the years. I put them on the computer because they were kind of brittle and stained at that point. Made copies for my children also.

concernedjewgirl said...

Okay so I thought I posted but its not showing up.
So here goes again.
I am looking for some examples of lists you all seem to know about. I am out of the loop! Is it possible for more examples to be shared?
Lea: maybe you can share some great list examples with the rest of us?
I am pretty organized generally and feel like I had this whole Pesach thing under control. Yet, after reading some of these posts I realize that I fall into the category of the young married one that is making pesach for the first time...and is indeed clueless!
So far we've been using Pesach lists in the form of what we need in terms of pots, pans, appliences etc. Food, drink, menu I have not even begun. In terms of cleaning...I think I'll be fine with that since so far its the two of us and we won't be having guests with kids until after Pesach :)
Help!?!