It’s a Girl! And a Girl!

I’m a great-aunt again. My niece gave birth to twin daughters yesterday. They were premature (30 weeks), but since she started having contractions at 20 weeks, we’re glad they held out this long. My niece was on bed rest for the last 2 months – I hope she got her fill of it, because she sure won’t be getting much of that for a while. (They also have a 2 year old boy.)

Anyway, mama’s doing great, and the babies are doing well. They’re about 3 pounds. One is on a vent, but should hopefully be taken off today.

Since they’re on the other side of the country, I won’t be seeing them any time soon other than in photos, but I’m sure they’ll be in NICU for a while anyway. Because of the flu scare, even their grandparents can’t see them yet – just their parents.

Their names are something that starts with “Me” and something that starts with “Tz”. Being a gentile,  I’ll be lucky if I can remember them, much less pronounce them. The names are full of meaning for the parents, but basically they mean light and shadow (among other things).

I think I’ll just call them Mer ‘n Tzimmes.

There might actually be one or two of you who are laughing at that joke.

For everyone else, I’ll explain.

There’s a traditional Jewish dish called Meren Tzimmes (or just Tzimmes), which is basically stewed carrots sweetened with honey, though there are many variations of the recipe. It often includes sweet potatoes as well. “Meren” means carrots, but also “to multiply”. Tzimmes refers to the dish itself, but according to the Wikipedia, “To make a big tzimmes over something” means to make a big fuss.  Somehow, both words seem appropriate for the birth of twins. Plus, it’s easier for me to remember.

So, in honor of Mer ‘n Tzimmes, here’s my late mother-in-law’s recipe for Meren Tzimmes. I have not actually made it, so I can’t vouch for it. But I think I’ll have to give it a try. Oddly enough, although my husband loves carrots, he said he never ate this when he was a kid. There are also some other great-sounding variations  here, here, and here.

Carrot Tzimmes (Meren Tzimmes)

1 pound carrots, scraped and cut in 1/4″ pieces
1 1/2 cups pitted prunes and/or dried apricots
1 1/2 cups water
1 can orange juice concentrate (6 oz), defrosted
2 Tbsp honey

Cook carrots in boiling, salted water until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and put in a 1.5 quart casserole or saucepan.

While carrots are cooking, bring dried fruit and water to a boil in a small saucepan and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes. Drain and save liquid. Add fruit to carrots.

Mix the orange juice concentrate, honey and 2 Tbsp of reserved fruit stock. Pour over carrots and fruit.

Heat over a low flame, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring gently a few times, or warm in a 350F oven for 15 minutes.