Sunday, April 19, 2020

IHerb: Impressive service!! (my report)


This post contains my iHerb referral link. You'll save money using it (even existing customers), and I may be compensated by iHerb. It won't cost you extra - but it WILL save you money!




I love to share iHerb deals whenever I hear about them, and right now, with many websites scaling back and delivery delays due to global shutdowns during #pandemic2020, I decided to jump in and place an order from IHerb, with delivery to my door (about $12 for the delivery fee - not much more than Rami Levy charged!). I was curious how things would play out.


I'm super happy to report that I placed my order on April 16th and by April 19th in the late morning, the order was delivered to my door! The DHL guy left it on the table on my porch.


Pretty amazing! I'm so happy that I filled in some of the things I was missing this way (like fragrance free laundry detergent, french roast coffee, and eco-friendly dishwasher detergent. I couldn't get those in my grocery delivery, for some reason...)!

Be sure to use any of the links in this post to get a discount - the code will be automatically loaded into your cart - right now it should get you 5% off your entire order! IF you don't see it in your cart, you can manually enter code QEJ101 for your discount.


More PRO tips for shopping at iHerb:

If you use Shipping Savers, you can get really affordable shipping, even if you choose DHL to your door (I highly recommend this shipping method and sometimes it's as low as $2!)

You can sort for Shipping Savers on iHerb by clicking the Shipping Saver checkbox on the left-hand side of the page. Check out my Shipping Saver suggestions, too - click the link for some, read below for others!
 
Here are some of the things I like to buy at iHerb:


Toothbrushes - this 2 pack includes brush covers AND a small roll of floss, and is less than 10 NIS. That means less than 5 NIS for each brush plus cover and some floss! Try beating that price locally! BONUS: this is a shipping saver item, so your shipping cost will GO DOWN when you add it to your cart! Pretty Amazing deal right there!

Neosporin and Neosporin with Pain Relief - you can't get these over the counter in Israel! And this is one of the only ways to get neosporin here! It's a bit pricey, but it's a shipping saver, so it should offset some of your shipping!

SilverGel - similar products, that are great healing creams for skin, are all Rx only in Israel, and are about the same price or more. If you want to keep a silver based cream handy without needing to prove to your doctor that you need it, stock up at iHerb! AND this product is a shipping saver!

Mederma - this scar reducing cream is widely used in the USA, and is not available, as far as I know in Israel! So ordering from iHerb is a great option. Bonus: it's a shipping saver!
 
Palm Oil (this eco-friendly version is not available in Israel at all, and is perfect for making frosting or vegan fudge)

Magnesium Tablets (these and many other supplements are quite pricey in Israel)

Stash Teas (I buy these when they are on sale, as the sale price comes out to less than the lowest price I can find herbal teas for locally, and these are just SO MUCH HIGHER quality than teas I can find for an affordable price!)

Vitamin D (so many people are deficient, it turns out! And my doctor prescribed a rather high dose, and what's sold here is very low dose and more expensive)

Probiotics are far less expensive from iHerb than any I've found in Israel, and they don't weigh much! Many of these are "shipping savers" - so they'll lower your shipping costs for the whole order if you add them in!

Ricola throat drops (these work out to be only slightly less expensive than the local price, so I use them as a "filler" product, never as my "reason for buying")

Witch Hazel (it's really difficult to find witch hazel products locally, and if you love witch hazel, you'll be thrilled with iherb's price. This one is a toner with alcohol in it - some people like the alcohol in it, but if you don't, they also have plenty of no-alcohol witch hazel products)

Essential Oils (I use them in homemade cleaners) - for a fraction of the price here in Israel! Yes, they are real and natural (and very importantly, not an MLM)!

Soy-free Teriyaki Sauce (for my soy allergic child) - I've never seen this in Israel!

I also regularly check the Specials Page to see if products I use are on sale and work out to a better deal thru iHerb during a sale, and I also occasionally will order a hard-to-find spice.


Let me know what your favorite deals are!

Don't get surprised by import taxes! If you are ordering items from overseas, be sure to familiarize yourself with the most recent personal import regulations!



Want more deals? Join my Facebook Group and/or my Whatsapp group!

Thursday, April 9, 2020

Recipe: Pesach Brownies (GF, Pareve)

What is Pesach without brownies?
I mean, this year we are all home in our houses, no guests, and feeling a little out of sorts... It's a very different experience that Pesachs past. (I'm sure one day we'll tell our grandkids about the Pandemic Pesach of 2020, right?) So we needed something to jazz up our day - and I decided it would be a new brownie recipe!

I know that we are the lucky ones, we're not alone - there are six of us living in this house. So there's always someone to talk to when you don't want to feel alone. On the other hand, there's also always someone right there - even when you need some space! I'm sure you understand.

Anyway, brownies have always been a favorite in this house, so for the chag, we had brownies for dessert to help make sure everyone was feeling the holiday cheer! And they were a hit, so I'm sharing the latest variation with you.

Pesach Brownies (gluten free, non-gebrokts, pareve)

4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp pesach vanilla (optional)
1 3/4 cups sugar
2/3 cup potato starch
1 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Optional: chocolate frosting (I used part of a jar of pareve chocolate spread) or chocolate chips to mix in to the batter

Mix together eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar. In a second bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Make a well in the dry ingredients, and add the wet mix. Mix well with a wooden spoon. If you want to use one bowl, you can, but you'll probably find this needs to be mixed with an electric mixer, rather than a wooden spoon. (Optional: mix in 1/2 package of chocolate chips)

Pour into a large pan (I used a lasagna size pan), and bake at 180 C for about 25 min. I actually baked these in my "Shabbat mode" oven on 140 C (the highest I can leave it on Shabbat mode. I know, that's very strange, but that is what it is) for about 35 or 40 minutes, and it was perfect. But not everyone leaves the baking for the chag, so if you're baking on a weekday, go ahead and bake it at 180 C for 25 min!

Allow to cool before frosting.

Cut. Serve.


YUM. Chocolate craving solved.

Hope you are managing this Pesach, and please know that you're not alone, we're really all in this together. Hang in there!