Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Groceries...

In order to get through the week, we really needed to buy some more fruits and vegetables! 

Here's what we were able to get without breaking the bank:

Potatoes - 1.89/kg
Onions - 1.89/kg
Carrots - 1.99/kg
Kohlrabi - 1.99/kg
Lettuce - 1.99/head
Cucumbers- 1.99/kg
Tomatoes - 1.99/kg
Watermelon - 2.99/kg

Then we added in a few other, slightly pricier items that we really like, and found for a decent price today:

Artichokes - 4.99/kg
Bananas - 4.99/kg
Kishuim (summer squash) - 5.99/kg
Cherry tomatoes - 2 pints/10 shekels
Garlic - 2 pkgs/12 shekels (about 8 bulbs)

I thought I had taken a picture before it was all put away, but someone had messed with the memory card. Sorry 'bought that!

Then, we bought a few other things to keep us going - pasta, granola (could not be bothered to make my own this week), sugar (cutting back but still using sugar in baked goods), 1 kg peanut butter, milk...


And we've spent less than 250 shekels this week!
Just need to buy fresh chicken for Shabbat, otherwise I think we are all set!
(But chances are, on Friday I'll pick up a few things for 10% off the already-sale price at mega. They actually have a few decent sales right now.)

And I have this cute reusable bag from iHerb to bring it all home in! It just arrived today (a freebie with my order)!

I'm curious what my total grocery bills for the month have been - I feel like it's less than usual. I usually tally it up on the 9th... Here's hoping we've saved some!

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Weekly Menu

It's the beginning of another week!
I'm sure it will shape up to be very busy, as usual.

I know many of you are probably having a cookout or two today or tomorrow, but we asthmatics are going to have to stay indoors and hope we can avoid exposure to the highly polluted outdoor air, so my menu will not be featuring special Lag Baomer foods, sorry.


So here's my quick, off the top of my head plan!

Sunday
Lunch: pancakes (trying out an eggless version, if it's good, I will share), carrot sticks with hummus, not sure what else
Supper: most likely whatever was left from Shabbat

Monday
Lunch: Sandwiches on homemade whole wheat bread, shesek from our tree, carrot muffins
Supper: Stuffed red peppers (with rice and lentils), baked potatoes, cabbage and carrot slaw

Tuesday
Lunch: Cornbread, Rice and Lentil stew
Supper: Spaghetti with tomato sauce and cheese, garlic bread sticks, whatever vegetables are left in the house for salad

Wednesday
Lunch: Carrot muffins, Rice and Lentil Stew
Supper: Noodle soup, Grilled cheese sandwiches and hopefully some fresh vegetables (must go shopping!)

Thursday: 
Lunch: Bagels with spreads, vegetables
Supper: Pizza, perhaps?


Do you make a basic meal plan so you don't get stuck? I've found that while I don't stick with my posted menus all the time, it really does help me to have an idea of what I can make using the foods in my house!

Friday, April 26, 2013

Fudgey Chocolate Chip Cake


I've been doing eggless baking for a while now, and I'm pretty sure it's a good way to go. While there may be room in our diets for eggs (please don't slam me, vegans!), I have come to believe that the average family relies on eggs a lot more than necessary.

I am going to encourage everyone to consider baking more eggless baked goods. It is so easy to do, and most people have no idea that they are eating anything "different" when they eat my baked goods. They are usually surprised to discover that I've left out the eggs!


bulk whole flaxseeds
ground flaxseed
I encourage you to... get to know your flaxseeds. They are awesome. Flaxseeds make an incredible binder for all of your favorite baked goods. And they work out cheaper than eggs, as long as you find an inexpensive place to buy them. The best price I've found in Israel is at the Nizat HaDuvdevan chain, where they sell flaxseed for about 7 shekel/kg (give or take, I don't remember exactly at the moment!). I grind them right before use, in my coffee grinder.


Today I threw together a chocolate chocolate chip cake for our Shabbat dessert. It was pretty easy, and it's so satisfyingly chocolatey!

Fudgey Chocolate Chip Cake

4 T. ground flaxseed
1/4 cup boiling water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup lukewarm coffee (not too strong)
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 bag chocolate chips

Note: if you are using commercial vanilla extract, it isn't as strong as the homemade kind. so you may want to use more.

First combine flaxseed with boiling water, stir, then allow to cool for 10 min. Add everything else, and mix well (super easy if you have a mixer). Pour into a cake pan and bake at 190 C for about 35 min.
The pan in the picture is 8" X 12" (approx). And yes, it is disposable, because I don't have any good cake pans at the moment. So if anyone wants to surprise your favorite blogger with something - I need stainless steel baking pans

Have a wonderful Shabbat!


chocolate chocolate chip cake before it went into the oven





Thursday, April 25, 2013

Food Recall (Israel)

I feel like Misrad HaBriyut has awoken from a long slumber.

Olive oil, eggs... now a food recall.

Here's what's being recalled, due to possible listeria contamination:



Of Tov Smoked Turkey Pastrami (Glatt) - barcode 155821

Of Tov Hungarian Peppered Salami (300g container) - barcode 152141

Of Tov Turkey Breast Salami (Glatt) (300g container) - barcode 155838





The affected products have a production date of 23.04.13, and an expiration date of 29.7.13

Consumers are warned NOT to eat these products.

Please call Of Tov's customer service hotline to arrange a refund: 1-700-500-775



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Dioxin in eggs: Follow up

So many people have asked me so many questions about the practicalities surrounding the dioxin in eggs announcement. To be honest, I have many questions myself, so the time has come to find some answers.

What are dioxins?
image source: Wikipedia


They are in a class of environmental pollutants, that are commonly referred to as "the Dirty Dozen". The World Health Organization has a very thorough factsheet about dioxins.

To sum it up:

While dioxins can contaminate our environment through natural means like fires and volcanos,  most of our dioxin-pollution is from industrial waste that is not properly treated.

90% of our exposure to dioxins is from our food supply. It builds up in fatty tissues of animals, and when we consume those fatty tissues, we are exposed to dioxins (and other persistant pollutants as well). So most of our exposure comes from eating fatty animal-based foods.

The WHO says that all people have "background exposure" to dioxins. They are concerned that we need to find ways to reduce our background exposure, because it is highly toxic.

So when Misrad Habriut announced that they found dioxin in eggs, it means that they found dioxin in a too-high concentration in the eggs, as most eggs contain some amount of dioxins (sadly, in my opinion).

According to Misrad Habriut, dioxins cause the most damage when there is long term exposure to higher than "acceptable" levels. 

According to Mako (channel 2 news), who broke the story, Misrad Habriut is saying that (even though they won't release the names of the farms) the four egg farms that were found to have high dioxin levels are ALL very small and are scattered throughout the country, and they stopped distribution from those farms immediately upon learning the results of the lab tests (and destroyed any remaining inventory).

They maintain it is unlikely any one person had a consistent exposure to these particular eggs, daily, over the long term.

So as far as the nitty-gritty of what we all need to know: Misrad Habriut says you can buy new eggs, as they have removed the tainted ones from the market. 

As far as the ones in your fridge. My personal feeling is that it is a gamble. Let's say 3% of the eggs on the market were problematic. Are the eggs in your fridge (or mine) likely to be part of that 3%? No. But how would you know? I am going to have to leave that up to each person to make their own decision.


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Olive Oil Scandal

Last night, Kolbotech on Channel 10 was finally able to air their olive oil investigation. Apparently, the segment had been blocked by the courts, but the ban was lifted yesterday.

And they have caused an uproar. We all know that olive oil has made it into the news nearly as much as honey - fake olive oil abounds, the world over.

Kolbotech revealed that not only are we being sold fake olive oil here in Israel, but we are being sold olive oil that contains toxic substances. Yes, some of those pricey, fancy olive oils claiming to be pure are low quality oils, unfit for human consumption. Quality testing for the show was done in Spain.

The show focused on two importers: איבו and חוסן, who were found to be selling olive oil that is unfit for human consumption as premium olive oil. Among the brands that are rebottling EVO oils are "Gaya" and "Adama". The problematic oils include some that are sold as Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as well as Cooking oil. 


There is a way to avoid the fake and unsafe oils: Purchase the brands that they tested that appear to meet quality standards - Zeita, Etz Zayit, Shufersal, Yad Mordechai, and Meshek Ahiya. And if you can't get those, the bright light at the end of the tunnel is the Olive Leaf seal of quality. It is only given to domestic oils, so if you buy imported olive oil, you will have to do additional research to be sure you are not buying a fake or dangerous product.



Interesting fact: projected domestic olive oil production for this year is 19,000 tons - which producers are claiming should suffice for the entire population. Perhaps it's time to support local producers! (My problem with that is it is sometimes MUCH more expensive than imported versions, but now, it seems, we know why...)

If you found this post informative/useful/important, etc, please follow this blog (links on the right!) and find us on Facebook!


 

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Suburban Harvest

I'm in the middle of this (mostly) pantry challenge week, and what I love most about it is that we are managing just fine. Which means my house was better stocked than I had realized.
(Well, we did buy some bananas and 1 kg of carrots)

So we are getting closer to the end of the week, and I KNOW that I have to pick up a few things on Friday. But I'm really loving not having my bank account depleted. And that got me thinking more about harvesting...

So I was out walking...

 

I came across a couple of large bushes with fruit on them that look like not yet ripe raspberries. Do raspberries grow around here? I'd love to take the kids to pick some when they ripen, if they ARE really raspberries!




And as my girls and I walked home from their dance and gymnastics classes, we happened upon a crate of red peppers in a driveway (remember the people who just put "spare" produce in their driveway? They've been putting stuff out in smaller quantities, and with less frequency, so I think they are trying to rein in their overbuying.)... I took a whole bunch, as I know that stuff just rots there if I don't! So now we have lots of red peppers! (They look like "sug bet" peppers, but I really am not picky about that!)

 

And lastly, as we walked up our walkway, I remembered our almond tree. I'm wondering how we can tell if our almonds are the sweet kind, and when they are usually harvested. And how we would know when to harvest them?

Egg Recall (Israel)!



New testing shows that eggs from at least 4 major egg suppliers in Israel are tainted with Dioxin. 10 egg suppliers were tested, but there are other egg suppliers that were not tested this time around.

Dioxin is no joke, it is a known carcinogenic material, and can also cause reproductive damage, immune system damage, and more. It is a known toxin, that is a member of the "Dirty Dozen" persistant environmental pollutants.

Despite the fact that news outlets are saying this information is coming from the Ministry of Health, I cannot find a word about it on their website.

Eggs from the 4 suppliers that tested positive for dioxin are being removed from the marketplace, and efforts are underway to determine the source of the pollutant.

I will update as I get more information, but it is usually slow in coming. 

I do not have further directives. Some people are asking me to post a "don't panic" line. But I really don't know what to do. The testing was done on conventional eggs. I have been using organic eggs almost exclusively for a decade now, but since I do not know if organic eggs are tainted, I cannot recommend that as a way to deal with this problem. 

The best thing I can say for now is DO NOT BUY EGGS right now. It will take stores and suppliers some time to weed out the tainted eggs. They will have to check for codes on the eggs (they are not labeled with a brand for each farm) to figure out which ones are tainted. It will not be an instant process.

Personally I will be cooking without eggs until I know more. 

If you found this post informative/useful/important, etc, please follow this blog (links on the right!) and find us on Facebook!






Monday, April 22, 2013

Style J discount code!

Great Pre-Mother's Day Sale! Use code ME30N to get 30% - 70% off your order from Style J! (Have I mentioned I love their jean skirts?)

Code valid April 22- 26, 2013

Printable Coupons! (Israel)

New Tnuva printable coupons are available!



Flavored Gevinah Levanah for 5 shekel (valid thru May 19th)






 


 Cream Cheese for 8 shekels (valid thru May 19th)





 


Whipping Cream 500 ml- 20% off (valid thru May 19th)





 



Milk, 2% fat, 1.5 liter carton - 15% off (valid thru May 19th)

  




 



Camembert Cheese - 20% off (valid thru May 19th)











Kashkaval Cheese - 20% off (valid thru May 19th)










Yoplait "Shutzim half&half" multi pack for 9 shekel (valid thru July 31)










1.5 liter jug of pourable Yogurt "Bio" for 12 shekel (valid thru May 19th)






 

 4 cups of Carlo swirled puddings for 9 shekel (valid thru May 19th)






 


 C'naan Cheese - 20% off (valid thru May 19th)





 



Spreadable Cottage Cheese - 2 for 10 shekels (valid thru May 19th)








Flavored Cottage Cheese - 2 for 10 shekels (valid thru May 19th)





 


Any Yoplait "shtuzim" multipack - 25% off (valid thru Dec 31)




 




"Napolean" Cream Cheese - 20% off when you buy TWO (valid thru May 19th)





 


 Parmesan Cheese - 20% off (valid thru May 19th)





 




Roquefort Cheese 20% off (valid thru May 19th)







Don't forget about the Chocolate Milk and Low Salt cottage cheese coupons too! 

Phew! That was a long list!
Happy Savings! 









Sunday, April 21, 2013

Weekly Menu!






This week I am running dangerously low on all sorts of staples, since I never really did grocery shopping or a health food store trip last week!


This ought to be interesting. Now that I'm thinking about it though, maybe we'll skip the grocery run this week and do a pantry challenge...

Sunday 
Lunch: Whole wheat biscuits, Vegetable-noodle soup
Supper: Fried rice (with soy sauce, vegetables (mostly cabbage) and egg) Not sure if we need more than just this one food. If yes, well. Really not sure what it would be.

Monday
Lunch: Grilled cheese sandwiches on homemade whole-wheat bread, tomatoes and cucumbers
Supper: Bulgur with lentil "meat balls" and sweet and sour sauce, lettuce, honey-cinnamon oranges (we're harvesting the last of our oranges this week)

Tuesday
Lunch: PB&J sandwiches (on homemade bread), kohlrabi, shesek from our tree
Supper: Red lentil soup (the last of the red lentils), Homemade pizza 

Wednesday: 
Lunch: Red lentil soup, whole wheat biscuits, cabbage salad?
Supper: Pasta with tomato sauce and cheese, some sort of vegetables and sprouts, assuming the sprouts are ready! (I'm sprouting this week - I have mung beans and a clover/radish/fenugreek mix for sprouting)

Thursday
Lunch: whatever is left from the week
Supper: Grilled cheese sandwiches and any fruits and vegetables that are left

I am actually planning a freezer-take-out Shabbat this week, so we'll just need to buy some fresh fruits and vegetables and milk to take us through to next week!
 

Friday, April 19, 2013

Shabbat Menu Plan!







I have no idea how this week flew by. It's Friday. I haven't made it to the supermarket. I haven't made it to the health food store. I haven't made my challah dough.

This ought to be interesting!


So here's the plan:

Homemade Challot (gotta get going on those, pronto!)
Split Pea Soup
Black Bean Cholent for Lunch
Roasted Chicken with herbs
Burgul (it was pretty popular last week, and it's pretty inexpensive)
Spicy Roast Potatoes
Apple Crisp
Veggie platter (we have tomatoes, cucumbers, yellow pepper, and kohlrabi)
Cookies

Seudah 3: Challot, veggies, cheese, etc





Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Printable Coupons (Israel)

Tnuva has added some new printable coupons to their coupon page!

Low Salt Cottage Cheese for 4 shekels, coupon valid thru May 31

Chocolate Milk 30% off, coupon valid thru June 30.




Recall! (Israel)

Shkediah-Geva Industries and the Ministry of Health have announced a recall of the following product:

Chocolate Cranberry Granola Bars - 25g, sold in boxes of 5.

They are manufactured in Macedonia, by "Vitalia Nicola".

The product is marked PAREVE, but lab tests have shown they contain milk protein.

Consumers are asked to call 08-915-8888 to arrange for a replacement product.

The product is being removed from store shelves.

image from pricez.co.il

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

12% off at Vitacost!

Today only - April 16 (ends at 9 am EDT April 17, actually)!

Get 12% off your order at Vitacost with code FRESH12

Or, if you are a new customer, you can get a code for $10 off your first order of $30 or more. Just sign up here!

Cheap shipping in the USA. Reasonable international shipping rates, too! Find all those hard-to-find products!

Extra savings tip: Sign up for ebates, and use their rebate program to get 6% cash back on your Vitacost purchases! Easy rebates via paypal.


Monday, April 15, 2013

Lego Discount!

If you join the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op (FREE!) you can get a great discount on Lego Educational sets!




We love Legos. Even my 14 yr old still builds with them. He'd be so embarrassed if I wrote "plays with them," so we'll stick with "builds with them".

Sorry, this offer ships within the USA only.


This was also posted on my Homeschool Resources blog, which I have been seriously neglecting.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Weekly Menu Plan





Here's a menu plan for us for the week, using the foods we have in the house.


My children are in a very big "we love cheese" stage, so I'm trying to see how far I can stretch the cheese I bought for the week - just how many meals can we make with a limited amount of cheese?!
I plan to shop again only at the very end of the week... And if all goes well, I hope to cut the grocery spending ANOTHER 10-15 shekels. Wish me luck.

Sunday
Lunch - Green vegetable soup, sandwiches, cucumbers
Supper - Red lentil soup, pasta with tomato sauce and cheese, freshly picked shesek (loquats)!

Monday
Lunch - Cheesy baked potatoes, red lentil soup, carrot sticks, tomato slices
Supper - Shabbat leftovers

Tuesday is Yom Ha'atzmaut so we may not wake everyone up quite as early as usual...
Brunch - Pancakes, scrambled eggs with cheese, fruit salad, oat bran-honey muffins
Supper - homemade felafel, home-fried potatoes, roasted kohlrabi

Wednesday
Lunch - Sandwiches (on homemade bread), make-your-own-salad
Supper - Tomato soup, Cheesy baked potatoes (yes, I plan to make extra on Monday), carrots and cucumbers

Thursday
Lunch - Red lentil soup, Cottage Cheese or Leben pancakes, whatever vegetables are left!
Supper - homemade pizza and whatever else we find!

Friday, April 12, 2013

Shabbat Menu!



It's time for a Shabbat  menu again!

Homemade Challot - from the freezer this week (trying to minimize my kitchen time this Friday)

Vegetable Soup

Chicken (roasted with some sort of spice rub)

Bulgur (cooked with the chicken, and a pan of vegetarian bulgur as well - I try to be accomodating)

Roasted Kohlrabi (so delish, but I'm going to make then not spicy this time, as my little ones complained)

Apple Crisp

Salad - whatever we have (we have lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and more)

Vegetarian Cholent (we'll serve that with lunch)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Seudah 3 - we'll have challot and pitot with chumus, cheese, and veggies. And melon.

Shabbat Shalom!



Thursday, April 11, 2013

Free attractions on Yom Ha'atzmaut 2013



65 Historical sites will be open and FREE on the 65th Yom Ha'Atzmaut, next week!
These are sponsored by Misrad HaTarbut V'HaSport and the Mo'etza L'Shimur Atarey Moreshet.
That is April 16, 2013, just so there is no confusion.

I'm sure there are other places that are offering free programs or free admission.
Please add information for other places in the comments, or send a note to ester@kosherfrugal.com and I'll add it in! Thank you.

I have tried, wherever possible, to link to websites in English. There were some museums/historical sites that only had Hebrew websites, though. My apologies in advance.

Have a wonderful Yom Ha'atzmaut. May it bring us closer to the Geulah Sh'laymah! 

p.s. I just stayed up way too late researching and translating this list, so please share it with all your friends, so it will have been time REALLY well spent! :-) Thanks! 

South:

Yad LaIsha HaLochemet in Nitzanim - guided tours 9 am - 1 pm. 08-6727895
The Open Museum in Negba -  050-55605540
From Holocaust to Revival Museum in Yad Mordechai - 08-6720599 , 052-3923104 
The Water and Security Museum in Nir Am - 050-5709042
Mitzpe Gvulot - Kibbutz Gvulot - 054-7919000
Ben Gurion's Desert Home (Sde Boker) - open 10 am to 4 pm. Last admission at 3 pm 08-6560469
The Joe Alon Center for Bedouin Culture at Kibbutz Lahav 08-9913322
The Museum Revivim Museum named for Yosef Weitz. 10 am - 2 pm  08-6562570 \ 08-656263
Metzudat Yoav, The Givati Museum  08-6611316

Jerusalem Area

The Old Yishuv Court Museum, 10 am - 3 pm. Guided tours available 02-6276319, 052-4002478
Ammunition Hill Memorial Site - 02-5829392/3, ext 115, 
The Yellin House - in Motza -  052-4257345
The Gush Etzion Visitors' Center - in Kfar Etzion. 02-9935160
The Tower of David Museum - 02-626533
The Underground Prisoners Museum in Jerusalem - interactive programs 11 am - 4 pm, open from 9 am - 6pm. For more info:   02-6233166 
 Rav Kook's House -  02-6232560, 02-6251517
The Shai Agnon House - open 9 am - 4 pm -02-6716498
The Bank of Israel Visitor's Center - with advance reservations 02-6552828,0 2-6552520, 02-6552718
Alone on the Walls of Jerusalem - open 9 am - 5 pm - for more info: 02-6265906
Menachem Begin Heritage Center - free tours, fee for the movie. 02-5652020 02-5652011
Yad LaShiryon at Latrun - for more info: 08-9784321

Tel Aviv and the Center

Independence Hall -03-5106426,  03-5173942 
The Israeli Museum at the Rabin Center - with advance reservations only.*4585 
Ben-Gurion House - 03-5221010
The Jabotinsky Museum - open 8 am - 4 pm. 03-5287320
The Joseph Bau House - 054-4301499
Rokach House - for more info: 03-5168042 or email  info@rokach-house.co.il 
IDF Historical Collection Museum - (Toldot Tzahal) -03-5172913 , 03-5161346
Etzel Museum - 03-5253307
The Hagana Museum 03-560862
The Lechi Museum - guided tours at 10:30, 12:00. 1:30. 3:00. Trivia contest at 1 pm. Reservations required. For more info: 03-6820288 or email lehi_museum@mod.gov.il
The Etzel 1948 Museum - open 8:30am - 4pm. 03-5177180 , 03-5172044
The Nachum Gutman Museum of Art - 03-5161970
The Hosmasa Museum - Holon -  03-5050425
The Mikveh Israel Visitors Center - with advance reservations.  03-5030489
The Rishon L'Tzion Museum - open 10 am - 3 pm. 03-9598862,  03-9598890
The Eran Shamir Moshava Museum in Mazkeret Batya. Open 10 am - 4 pm. 08-9349525
Ayalon Institute, Rechovot. Open 9 am - 4 pm. Last guided tour at 3 pm. 08-9406552
The Minkov Orchard Center - open 10 am - 4 pm, with advance reservations. 08-9469197

The North and Northern Coast

The Sliqim at  Kfar Giladi - Guided Tours every hour from 9 am - 3 pm. 052-2512915
HaShomer House Museum - Kfar Giladi. open 8 am - 4 pm.  04-6941565
Tel Hai Courtyard - 10 am - 2 pm -  04-6951333
 The Birya Fortress - open 9 am - 4 pm. 04-6922433
The Restored Pioneer Village at Rosh Pinah, open 10 am - 2 pm. 04-6936913 
The Kinneret Courtyard - guided tours at 10, 12, and 2.  04-6709117
 Naharayim Experience in Gesher. Guided tours at 12:30 and 1:30. Open 9 am - 4 pm.  04-6752685
 The Palmach Cave - guided tours on the hour between 9 and 5.  04-9898946 ,052-4471109
The Historic Nahalal Police Station - guided tours every hour from 10 am to 1 pm.  04-6415073
The Nahalal "Sliq" - guided tours every hour from 9 am to 3 pm.  052-3347194
 The Pioneer Settlers Museum - Kibbutz Yifat. Open 11 am - 4 pm. 04-6548974
The Chaim Shturman House - at Kibbutz Ein Harud.  04-6486337 |  04-6486328
The Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum in Haifa - 04-8536249 
The Tower and Stockade Museum at Hanita.  04-9859677
 The Jezreel Valley Train Museum - Kfar Yehoshua. 04-9534226  
Clandestine Immigration Boat Tour, Atlit. For more info and reservations: 04-9841980
The Goara Museum of the Hagana. 04-9597402
The Treasures in the Walls Museum, Akko. Open 10 am - 4 pm.  04-9911004
The Underground Prisoners Museum, Akko.  04-9911375
The Fisher House, Kiryat Ata. Open 11 am - 6 pm.  04-8440207
The Museum of the First Aliyah in Zichron. Open 10 am - 4 pm. 04-6294777
The Chanah Senesh House, Kibbutz Sdot Yam.  04-6364366   052-8795366 
The Gdudim House Museum. Open 9 am - 4 pm. 09-8822212  
The Khan Museum, Hadera. Open 9 am - 3 pm.  04-6322330 , 04-6324562
The Haifa City Museum. 04-9115888  
The National Maritime Museum. 04-853662


 Other FREE attractions and activities:

The Gush Etzion Chenyon Tzahal is free, it's in Nokdim this year, from 9:00-16:00. (Exhibit of all sorts of Army vehicles. technology, supplies, etc)
The Israel Museum, free admission. Herod Exhibition will cost 20 shekels 
Future Train, with advance reservations. *UPDATE* I am told they are "sold out"
Neve Tzuf Forest - family celebration, 10 am - 4 pm - 02-9977101