Plan Overboard!

Sparse Servings

“I never had specific requests about how I wanted my simchahs to look,” says popular children’s author Menucha Fuchs. “I was willing to go along with whatever my husband, child, or mechutanim wanted when it came to halls, bands, photographers, and waiters. But there was one thing I promised myself: At my simchahs, there would always be plenty of food. I know that people come from afar to attend a simchah. It’s not pleasant for them to sit and talk without having a full plate of food in front of them.

“My daughter got engaged right before Pesach. We didn’t want to push off the vort until after Yom Tov, so we held it during Chol Hamoed. But what do you serve all the guests when it’s Pesach?

“I thought of a great idea: I’d buy large quantities of fruits and vegetable from the shuk, and I’d hire someone who’s an expert at making artistic fruit and vegetable creations to make fruit and vegetable platters.

“Two days before the vort, our whole family drove to the shuk. We filled our car with tremendous quantities of fruits and vegetables, barely looking at the prices. We also bought out-of-season fruits like peaches, apricots, and grapes, which were incredibly expensive.