Happy Hanukkah! We started our celebration last night, because that's when both kids were here, and marked the occasion with presents and fried potatoes. I gave up on latkes a few years ago (as much as I love them), mostly because the kids really just prefer the potato and oil part, ha, and not so much the onion or egg. So I did my favorite Grandma Meyer version of hashbrowns (she wasn't Jewish, but oy was she good with hot oil) - peeled and diced (quite small) russet potatoes, fried in a big skillet in about 1/2-inch of hot oil until crisp, drained on paper towels and generously salted. Pretty hard to beat, I must say. And John and the kids would agree. Snip, snap, gone, baby, gone.

Hope your Hanukkah is filled with good times, lovely gifts, and deliciously fried food as well!