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Your C.H.A.G. Shavuos Resources Guide courtesy of the Yom Tov Planning CenterCuisineDo you feel like you "should" be making cheesecake this yom tov? Do you want to? I don't really want to bake my own cheesecake. I'd rather buy it. I'm not a baker. Instead, I'm posting an easier recipe that I myself will be using. Here it is, a recipe from Susie Fishbein's cookbook Short on Time that feels comfortable to me. Even though I have not made it before. But I don't feel a "should" around it so I'm going to go in that direction. Chocolate Pull Apart Babka Preheat oven to 325. Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit the bottom and up the sides of a 51/2 by 10 1/2 inch loaf pan and spray with cooking spray. The parchment paper will enable you to remove the babka from the pan and transfer it to a serving tray, without it, you may need to serve it from the loaf pan. Open the packaging of the challah roll dough. Allow the challah rolls to stand at room temp for 10-15 minutes until the rolls are soft enough to un-knot. In a medium bowl, mix the cocoa powder, sugar, flour, and vanilla. Stir. Break each strand of challah dough into 5-6 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Drop the balls a few at a time into the cocoa mixure. Dip each ball into melted marjarine, shake off excess, and then drop back into the cocoa mixture. Drop into the prepared pan. Pour the remaining cocoa mixture into the remaining marjarine and use your fingers to pinch it into coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the babka. Cover the pan with a kitchen towel. Open the door of the preheated oven and set the pan on the open door. The indirect hear from the oven will help it rise quickly. Allow to sit for 15 minutes. Alternatively, microwave 2 cups of water until boiling, about 5 minutes. Quickly remove the measuring cup and place the babka into the microwave. Alow it to rest in the warm microwave for 15 minutes. Close the oven door, or remove the babka from the microwave and allow the oven to return to 325. Bake the babka for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm. To remove the babka from the loaf plan, slip a spatula under the parchment. Hold a platter over the pan and flip the cake out. Carefully flip back over so that the chocolate crumbs face up. HalachaThere's not much in this category for Shavuos!Aesthetics1.  This dried flower table arrangement requires minimal effort. All you need are 2 glass plates and flower leaves or herbs.You can use 2 glass plates or 1 china plate and one glass plate.On top of the bottom plate arrange a grouping of dried flowers and herbs. Place the second glass plate on top of the dried flower table arrangement and voila'! When I learned of this dried flower table arrangement, I got really excited, because I tend to like things that are not complicated and are impressive. 2. This picture is a little Xmas-y, I’m looking for new pictures from our own Jewish homes. Please send me them! 3. 4. And while you are working with single stem flowers, why not put one flower in each person’s cup, adding even more punch to the Shavuos table? 5. If you wish to make your own, go to Michaels and purchase floral tube and paddle wire, foliage, and flowers. - To attach the foliage in bunches, form a length of paddle wire into an "L" shape. - Lay the "L" shape parallel to the foliage stems, then wrap the wire around the stems. The long part of the "L" should be wrapped alongside the stems. - Add another bunch of foliage to the stems of the first bunch and attach in the same manner. Soon you will see a progression of foliage (figure B). - Cut the stem of each flower short and insert them into a floral tube (found at most florist shops). - Insert the flower and tube directly into the foliage. Continue in this manner until the entire garland is the length of the table you are featuring. - Embellish with ribbon or other themed items. 6. 7. Materials: red and white carnations spray roses, regular-sized roses leaves
Steps: 1. Use a knife to carve the floral foam into a cylindrical shape. 2. Soak the foam in a bowl of water. 3. Cut the stems off the carnations (leave about 1/2 inch). Stick the red carnations near the bottom of the foam to build the first layer (figure A). GuidanceI think because Pesach is so involved and Shavuos involves minimal preparation, I have in my head that there are a lot of things I "should" be doing for Shavuos. My "shavuos shoulds". Shoulds are things we expect of ourselves, usually due to other people's expectations or admonitions. Or even when you see someone else doing something and think that is what you "should" be doing. Stop "shoulding" on yourself! The word "should-ing" does not sound nice and that is because it doesn't feel nice! The whole word "should" invokes lots of guilt- at least in me it does. In order for me to release some of my "shoulds" about Shavuos (come on, it is so much easier than Pesach, now is the time to potchke with really difficult recipes...), I'm going to tell you what they are. And then, I'm going to figure out ways to minimize my shoulds. You may have received my Shavuos Floral Creations download. It's beautiful, isn't it? But is it a should? Do you feel like you "should" be making some kind of fancy decoration for Shavuos but can't? That's okay! If it feels like a should, smells like a should, it IS a should. Let the "should" slide off your back. Okay, so she is making some really fancy floral decorations for Shavuos, and I am going to just pick some flowers from my garden, bring in some potted flowers, and cut some tree branches and put them into a vase. Or- here is another one of my shoulds. I should be making really complicated cheesecakes and dairy entrees. Smells like a should to me, because I feel really uncomfortable about making complicated recipes! So instead of shoulding on myself to create something really complicated, I'm going to go with my personal comfort level. To me, the recipe I've put here doesn't seem so hard. And I'm going to make it for Shavuos, and not because I feel like I should :)
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You can create this floral/fruit arrangement for erev Shavuos. Get fruit of your choice- apples work well, as you can see from this picture, pears, peaches, anything hard and round! Use an apple corer to core a hole out in the center. Insert Shabbos candles and you are done!
Speaking of fruit, I love using this floral/fruit centerpiece because it requires little work. I used this last year just before Yom Tov started. Get yourself 2-3 cake stands. Use whatever fruit you have in the house and then go outside and pick some pretty flowers to intersperse between the fruit. 
Create a “table runner” by placing large flowers without stems down the length of the table, either on top of white plates or on top of a white tablecloth.
When I look at this picture I think of Har Sinai in a table! Drape garlands around your table and/or coming down your stairwells. What I would do to get this look easily is to simply order green garlands from Michaels already made, and intersperse more colorful silk flowers in between the garland. That’s me, keeping it simple! 
You can always pepper flowers and leaves around your Shabbos candles, whether you keep them on the table, or up on a shelf, anywhere! Here is a picture that gives some idea of flowers around candles. (I haven’t decorated my candles yet for Shavuos that’s why I don’t have a picture of my own for you!) Keep your leichter where it normally is and cut branches and leaves from outdoor trees, adding some greenery to what has become a “regular” staple of your home.
Look at this doozy! Wow! And it is not as hard as it looks. With 2 weeks before Shavuos, you still have time to make this! Jonathan Fong demonstrates how to make an unusual floral centerpiece shaped like a cake. 
