Shavuot, the Jewish festival that commomerates the receiving of the Torah (Old Testament), was one of my favorite holidays as a child.

I would love to tell you my appreciation of this holy day was because of a deep spiritual connection to my ancestors, and maybe it was a bit, but the real reason I adored Shavuot was the food.

Unlike other Jewish festivals with their gefilte fish, chopped liver and other traditional ashkenazic foods I disliked, the holiday of Shavuot was a dairy-filled wonder of cheesey goodness.

From blintzes to lasagna, I loved all the lactose-laden meals I indulged in during the holiday.

But, why dairy?

Well, according to biblical interpretation, when they received the Torah, the Jews were promised they would be entering the land of Israel, a land “flowing with milk and honey.”

Not that you ever need a reason to enjoy delicious, cheesy goodness, but why not do it to honor our ancestors?

I took to Facebook to ask my friends and family to share their favorite Shavuot dishes, and received lots of mouthwatering suggestions for celebrating this festival. Turns out, many people love the foods of Shavuot as much as I do.

Of course, traditional dishes, such as noodle kugel and cheese blintzes were among the more popular choices. And many can’t pass up a delicious cheesecake.

Shavuot meals can get creative. such as this spin on shakshuka, a traditional sephardic egg-based dish.

Or, you can be like me and eat lots of Italian-inspired meals like pizza, baked ziti and lasagna.

And what better excuse to serve your kids tons of mac ‘n cheese? I provide an easy recipe, along with some more simple dairy-based dishes, here.

And if nothing else,  you can always open up and enjoy a delicious pint of your favorite ice cream!

Whether you celebrate with a delicious cheese plate or tons of cheesy pasta, Shavuot is a fun and joyous holiday for the family, and PJ Library has loads of fun projects, recipes and more to make the festival even more fabulous.

If you are not yet familiar with PJ Library, I encourage you to visit their website and sign up to receive a free — yes, free — book every month for each child you enroll.

In addition to the wonderful books your child will recieve in the mail, PJ Library provides families with great resources for strengthening your family’s connection to Judaism.

Disclaimer: As a PJ Library influencer, I am compensated for promoting this program. All opinions expressed are my own.