Crackers

Just a quick reminder about snack foods!

If you really want to stretch your shekels, don't buy snack foods.

I know, you still need to feed the kids snacks, and fruits and veggies are not the only thing they want to eat.
And you don't want to serve cookies or muffins every day. Too much sugar.

So what do you do?

Go ahead! Make your own crackers! It sounds hard, it seems intimidating, but really it is simple.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes!
Click here for the recipe 

 

Menu

Our supper menu for the week, using what's here in the house.

Sunday:
Tomato Soup, Lentils and Rice with vegetables, oranges

Monday:
Whatever is left from Shabbat

Tuesday:
Split Pea Soup, Homemade bagels with homemade cream cheese, olives, carrot sticks, and sliced peppers

Wednesday:
Split Pea Soup, Pizza (I made a batch of individual size crusts and they are already in the freezer!), carrot sticks, sliced cucumbers

Thursday:
Garlic bread, Pasta with tomato sauce and cheese, salad

Simple Cake (that's not chocolate)

It started with a jar of cherry preserves. They had been sitting around for a while. My daughter found the jar and asked if she could open it for a sandwich one day, and I told her, "no, I'm planning to use that for a cake I'm going to bake." That was six months ago. Every so often, she has asked, "Eema, when are you going to make that cake with the cherry jelly?" Of course, I kept telling her, "soon," and for some reason, never did.

So, as her birthday approached, my daughter asked if I would make the cherry jelly cake for her birthday. "Of course!" - it was a great idea, since I didn't want to make the same ol' chocolate cake. BUT my husband always claims not to like cakes with fruit in them.

I wanted it to be a cake EVEN my husband would eat, and I succeeded! I know this, because apparently he came downstairs at 3 a.m. and ate a piece of cake...

Here's my recipe:

2 T. ground flaxseed + 1/4 cup boiling water (or 1 egg)
1/4 cup oil
1/2 c. milk or milk substitute (I used soy milk)
1 1/2 c. flour (I used white flour this time. gasp!)
1/4 c. ground flaxseed (optional)
2/3 c. sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 jar of cherry preserves or your favorite no-sugar added fruit preserves

Topping:
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts or ground flaxseed (I used flaxseed, because it was handy)
1-2 T. oil

Directions:
Mix 2 T. ground flasxeed with the boiling water, allow to cool for 10 min.
Add oil, and milk. mix well.
Add flour, ground flaxseed, sugar, baking powder, salt. Mix well.
Spread about half the batter (it will be thick) in a lined round cake pan. spread 1/2 jar of cherry preserves over this. Spread the remaining batter on top.
Mix together the topping, and cover the whole top of the cake.
Bake at 180 C (about 350 F) for 30 - 35 min. Check with a toothpick to be sure it's done.

Allow to cool before cutting.
It was a big hit in my house! Please be sure to tell me what you think if you try it!

Shabbat Menu

It's Thursday. Again - it came very quickly! Time to plan for Shabbat, and it's a special one - Shabbat Shira and Tu B'Shvat! Unfotunately, my kids and I have been taking turns being sick, so we're not up to having guests - just trying to avoid having to go to the ER is enough effort (asthma is awful). But despite all the coughing, wheezing, ear-aching, sneezing, and sniffling, we will try to make sure we have an uplifting Shabbat.

Here's the menu:

Homemade Challah (making a batch today)

Vegetable Soup with lots of kishuim (squash) (special request for lots of kishuim)

Black Bean Cholent (for lunch)

Pineapple Chicken (special request from my daughter)

Rice

Apple Kugel/Apple Crisp

Potato Kugel

Roasted Carrots and Beets

Make-your-own-salad, with whatever veggies I happen to have on hand

Fruit Platter for Tu B'Shvat: So far I have pears (which I haven't bought yet this season, so we can even make shehechiyanu), persimmons, kiwi, grapefruit, oranges, bananas. We'll see if we get any other fruit today or tomorrow.

Birthday Cake for my daughter, who was born 8 years ago, on Tu B'Shvat!

Here's my favorite vegetable soup recipe. It's actually not so much a recipe, as it is a method:

Chop/dice/ slice your soup vegetables - I usually use onions, garlic, celery, tons of carrots, zucchini, and other veggies as the mood hits me.

Sautee all the veggies in extra virgin olive oil, then cook, covered, to reduce, for 10-15 min. before adding any liquid. Fill the pot with water or vegetable stock (if you don't want a vegetarian soup, feel free to use your chicken stock). Season with salt, pepper, parsley, dill, and any other herbs you love in your soup! Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 1/2 an hour. You *could* cook it longer, making sure not to boil off too much liquid, but you don't need to.
It's a really easy soup.

What are you making for Shabbat Tu B'Shvat/Shabbat Shira? Anything special?

Price Controlled Foods in Israel

Some readers wanted more information about government regulated prices for certain foods in Israel, a.k.a. price controls.

Here's a quick rundown of what you need to know:

The price listed is the MAXIMUM price for the specified item - of course a store can discount it further, if they want to!

If a store is selling price controlled items for a higher price, they are in violation of the law. You can (and should) report these violations.

I'm showing prices for the entire country, excluding Eilat, by the way. Eilat is exempt from Ma'am, so prices there will be lower.

Lechem Achid (I believe this is about 65% whole grain) - 750g loaf, 5.29

White bread, 750g loaf, 5.29

Challah or yeast cake, 500g, 5.77 (don't ask me what kind of yeast cake this is referring to, I have no idea!)

Lechem Achid, sliced and packaged, 750g, 7.93

White bread, sliced and packaged, 500g, 7.05

Regular Kitchen Salt, Fine Kitchen Salt, Fine Table Salt, and Coarse Table salt, 1 kg, 2.07

3% milk, 1 liter, bag, 5.04

1% milk, 1 liter, bag, 4.74

3% milk, 1 liter, carton, 6.27

1% milk, 1 liter, carton, 5.87

Eshel, 4.5% fat, 200ml, 1.59

Gil, 3% fat, 200ml,  1.45

Sour Cream, 15% fat, 200ml, 2.37

Butter, regular, 100g, 3.73

Emek Cheese (at the cheese counter),per kg, 44.52

Gilboa Cheese (at the cheese counter), per kg, 42.21

XL eggs, regular, 1 dozen, 13.90

L eggs, regular, 1 dozen, 12.80

M eggs, regular, 1 dozen, 11.80

If you see a store charging higher prices, you can report them to the regional supervisor.

Last year, the Ministry of Finance decided that Badatz milk products are also price regulated products, so stores cannot be charging more for the Badatz-supervised milk, leben, butter, sour cream, and Emek and Gilboa cheese, FYI.

Election Day Deals

There are a bunch of election day deals out there.

Yesterday I posted about free coffee at Ilan's, and a discount at Shemo.

I found a few other discounts worth sharing, and I'm sure you'll find plenty of others that are only being advertised in your local area. Some establishments require proof that you voted - most say a picture of you at the voting station (on your phone) will do.

Gali has BOGO offers- Buy one, Get one Free for election day! You'll find this deal on Children's and Women's boots, and sneakers for the whole family, from the Winter 2013 collection. (Hush Puppies and Saucony are not included in this sale)

TNT is offering Buy one, Get one free, on clothing, beginning election day. Offer not valid on New Arrivals.

Honigman is offering 50% off clothing for election day. (excludes New Arrivals)

Honigman Kids is offering Buy one, Get one Free, for election day. (excludes New Arrivals)

Avis has a special for one day car rentals, for election day.

Merkaz Canada in Metulla is offering discounted admission for election day.

Leonardo Club Hotel in Teverya is offering 15% off room rates, plus 50% off spa treatments, and more

Ceasar Premier Hotels in Jerusalem, Eilat, and Teverya is offering an 18% discount to those who vote. Valid for reservations between Jan 22-24

Customers of Tifuach V'Yofi (Or-tal Eliav) in Ramat Yishai, who vote, will receive a gift of hand cream with the purchase of a beauty treatment

Machon Claudia in Karmiel is offering 30% off pedicures and select fingernail treatments

Ofan B'Teva, Moshav Ben-Ami, in the Western Galilee, is offering discounted bike rentals. Contact David  054-4441587, 04-9824339

Cycles Bike Shop in Hadera has special discount offers on Election Day. 04-621-1400

Devorat HaTavor is offering 30% off admission and tours on Election Day.

HomeStyle Stores are offering a variety of discounts, from 30% - 50% off, this week. In addition, on election day, every purchase over 200 shekels will receive a free gift.

Grand Beach Hotels (Tel Aviv and Jerusalem) is offering 10% off hotel stays, offer valid thru Feb 28

Cinema City (Rishon LeTzion, Gelilot, Ra'anana) is offering discounted snacks for those who vote

Science Park at The Weizmann Institute in Rechovot is offering 50% off admission for those who show they voted.

Park HaKerach in Eilat - 50% off ice skating!

Botanical Gardens in Eilat - FREE on election day

Ricochet is giving a 30% discount on their winter collection.

Budget is offering 30% off rental cars, and 1000 shekel off the purchase of a used car

Eden Teva Market - with proof that you voted, 5% off your entire purchase on Election Day!

Ben & Jerry's - free cone for voters - at  Cinema City Rishon LeTzion and Glilot, at Be'er Tuvia, and Yavneh

Max Brenner Chocolates - 20% off

I'm sure there are many more... Please share the deals you've found in the comments below!

Election Day Discount at Shemo!

After you vote, tell the friendly folks at Shemo Bakeries that you voted (hitzbati) and you'll get a 10% discount off your purchase!

I once had a cake from Shemo. It was heavenly. Buttery, rich. No shortcuts. Tasted AMAZING.

I might have to go, but I warn you - even with a 10% discount, this won't be a frugal purchase. It will be a major splurge!

image from www.shemo.co.il

Free Coffee on Election Day

Ilan's Coffee is offering a free cup of coffee to anyone who votes on Tuesday.

Just walk into your closest branch, and tell them "I voted" ("Hitzbati"). You'll get a free cup of coffee!

They have a number of branches in the Merkaz, so find the one closest to you!

And let me know if it's good coffee!

New Style J Discount Code

Style J has a new discount code! For those of you who haven't shopped at Style J before, they have an AMAZING selection skirts - denim and more. Plenty of styles perfect for modest dressing.

Get 25% - 70% off select styles, use code BA25CK

Valid Jan 18 - 22

Cheese

I wanted to make pizza, but we needed cheese. It was a busy day and the easiest thing to do was to call my husband and ask HIM to get some.

So he went to Mega. He told me that's where he was going, so I asked him just to get a block of cheapest cheese at the cheese counter - usually that's Gilboa, because it is one of the price controlled items in the supermarket.

Ok, he did.

And then he got home. I pulled out my grater and started grating the cheese by hand. My husband stood there, not quite comprehending, and asked, "why didn't I just have them shred it?"

I told him that a while ago they told me if I wanted it shredded it was going to cost more, I couldn't remember exactly HOW MUCH more - somewhere in the 50 shekel/kg range, so I stopped buying shredded cheese (I have a grater at home, I can shred cheese myself).

Little did I know that I should have reported them, as today Globes reported they are investigating the situation... apparently they are charging 53 shekel/kg for shredded Gilboa cheese, claiming that the price controls are only in effect on Gilboa sold in a block or sliced, but not shredded.

Have you seen this anywhere?