Free Concert (Jerusalem)

To mark 75 years since the Terezin (Theresienstadt) Ghetto was formed, Yad Vashem is hosting a concert that is free and open to the public:

The concert will feature the works of composers who lived in the Terezin Ghetto who later died in Auschwitz, as well as other composers who were killed in the Holocaust.

The concert will take place TOMORROW, November 21, 2016 at 6pm at the Yad Vashem Auditorium. Free admission.

Please consider going to honor the memory of those who were murdered in the Holocaust.

The concert will last about 1 hr, 15 min

 

Sabra Hummus Recall

Readers in the USA, please take note of this HUGE hummus recall!

Sabra Dipping Co, LLC has announced that a large number of their hummus products may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.


The affected products were produced prior to November 8, 2016 and include the following popular varieties:

Hummus Classic
Hummus Garlic
Hummus Jalepeno
Hummus Olive
Hummus Pine Nut
Hummus Red Pepper
Hummus Supremely Spicy
Hummus Spinach and Artichoke
Hummus Lemon
Hummus Tuscan Herb Garden
Hummus Carmelized Onion
and others

For the full list of recalled products, including barcodes and packaging information, click here!

iHerb coupon code!

Now's the time to buy those things in your iHerb cart - From now until Monday, November 21st, at 10:00 am PST, enjoy 10% off all orders over $40! (Or time to stock up on items that never go on sale!)

 

Use coupon code BFWU10 at checkout!

 

Are you new to iHerb? Then you'll automatically get 10% off your first order when you click any of these links (sorry, you cannot stack the new customer discount with this coupon code)! Remember, you will get the best shipping deal if your order is either very small and light, or if your order is up to 4 lbs and totals $40 or more. Otherwise, you'll pay a slightly higher shipping rate than you might have in the past - but it's still a highly competetive rate. (just choose the "mail" option at checkout - DHL shipping is expensive!)
Want to know more about Shopping at iHerb? Be sure to check out this post - "What do I order from iHerb?"
Happy deal hunting!

 

 

New Salt, Sugar, and Fat Content Labels

The Ministry of Health has announced plans to start labeling foods that have high sugar, salt, and/or fat content. The new labels will be RED warning labels on foods.

It seems that we are in for a big shock when these new labels hit the market - although it is still not certain that they will - in the first stage of implementation (higher thresholds) a whopping 39% of packaged food products in supermarkets will be sporting a warning label (or more than one)!

If the stricter standards being discussed are adopted, an incredible 51% of the packaged products in the supermarket will carry the warnings.

I don't know if this new plan will actually pan out. Obviously, major food manufacturers are lobbying against it. But just KNOWING about it should be a wake up call. 

Clearly, packaged food that many, many people buy regularly is being scrutinized for nutritional content - and much of it is failing. We all should keep that in mind when shopping. Personally, I advocate buying fresh, whole foods instead of packaged foods, but I know that is not always possible. Many people need to find some shortcuts in order to be able to fit it all in to the day!

So, whether or not the new labeling rules are implemented, I think it's a good thing to become more aware of the nutritional content of the food we're buying. Next time you pick up a package of food, look carefully at the nutritional content and the ingredients before you decide to buy it!

(And cutting back on packaged foods has another added benefit - you'll save money!)

Which packaged foods do you buy? Do you think seeing a red warning label on it will influence your decision to buy them in the future? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Reusable Shopping Bags - You're Going to Need Them!

Did you hear that the plastic bag law finally passed in the Knesset? Sometime next year there will be a mandatory fee of 10 agurot for each plastic shopping bag.

SO I think it's time to stock up on a few reusable bag options. They are definitely the better option for our planet. We all know that the initial outlay for enough bags to do a family shopping may feel like a lot of money. Some people will be making their own bags, but if that's not for you, I wanted to help you source some inexpensive bags that will work for your shopping!

Here are some 5-star rated bags from there that will help you deal with the new law:

5- pack of Reusable Totes (your choice of 3 patterns) (a bit more than $1 per tote)

Foldable Shopping Bags - pack of 6 (less than $1 per bag)

Insulated Large Capacity Bags that clip onto your shopping cart (2-pack) 

Canvas Bags - 2 pack

I'll be sharing other sources of inexpensive shopping bags over the next few weeks, as well as lots of other deals! Be sure to follow me on Facebook so you don't miss out!

Books!!

The Better World Books 48 hr Flash Sale is BACK!

Right now, Shop the Better World Books Bargain Bin, and get 20% off your order of 5+ books! 

Here are the details:

If you don't find what you're looking for at BWB, don't despair! There are a number of other booksellers who ship worldwide for free.

Try out these:

Book depository -  Free worldwide shipping!

Wordery - Free worldwide shipping!

Recall!

M'Ta'am L'Mehadrin announced the following recall, due to the presence of listeria in the product:

Deli Meat in the "Delicatessim" (Specials) line of M'Taam Chafetz Chaim - Turkey Breast in Honey, 250g packages with the following production dates:

27/10/2016 (sell by 27/12/2016)

31/10/2016 (sell by 31/12/2016)

01/11/2016 (sell by 01/01/2017)

Consumers are instructed NOT to eat this product. Please return it to the place where purchased for a refund/replacement.

Please call the company at 02-654-2737 with any further questions

Split Pea Soup (Quicker Cooking Time)

It's soup weather, or it will be soon! It's November after all, and they keep saying the rain is coming! (I'm still waiting for it to show up. But other than the fact that I know we need rain, I don't mind the sunny days in the meantime!)

Here is one of my favorite soup recipes, updated to have a much quicker cook-time:

I discovered that if you SOAK your split peas in a large bowl with water, for a couple of hours before cooking them (and drain and rinse before adding to the soup pot), you can make a split pea soup in less than half the time!! My latest batch was ready after simmering for  about 1 hr -- which I consider a major improvement!
If you are looking for a really quick soup, check out this one or this one.

Split Pea Soup

Split pea soup simmering on my stove.

1 onion, chopped

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

3-6 carrots, cut however you like (I slice in thin circles)

Any other soup worthy vegetables - I sometimes use potatoes, celery, kishuim, and more

1 kg split peas, picked over and pre-soaked
boiling water to fill the pot - it's best if the water is filtered if you live in an area with hard water. Filtered water significantly reduces cooking time

salt, pepper, dill, parsley 



Place onion, garlic, and vegetables in the pot, then add LOTS of water from that you already boiled in your kettle (preferably filtered water - this reduces cooking time, too!). I find starting with the water already hot helps a lot to reduce cooking time Turn the burner to high. Drain and rinse the split peas you pre-soaked, and then add them to the pot.
Bring the pot to a boil, and then turn down the flame.

Simmer, covered, until it's fully cooked...stir occasionally, and add water as needed... Skim the top as needed, too.
(You'll know it's done when the split peas have all gone soft and it's the perfect texture. If your split peas are still too hard, you're not done cooking it. Just keep going!)
Add seasonings and cook for 10 minutes more.

Enjoy!

International Science Center & Science Museum Day!

In honor of International Science Center & Science Museum Day (find out more about it at http://www.iscsmd.org/about/ ), there will be special events with discount admission at the following institutions in Israel on Thursday, November 10, 2016:



Carasso Science Park, Be'er Sheva:
International Museum Day is coming and you are invited to come and learn about Iran's nuclear program.
Thursday, 10.11.16 – 17:00-20"00
17:00 – Series of experiments and demonstrations in the field of nuclear energy
17:30 – Lecture by Dr. Erez Gilad from Ben Gurion University of the Negev
19:00 – Screening of the movie the 112^th element and directly following a discussion with Rama Marinov-Cohen
₪30 for all | free for Carasso Science Park Members

Bloomfield Science Museum, Jerusalem:
Fields of Tomorrow Exhibit will be open from 4-6 pm for a reduced ticket price of just 10 shekels per person


If I hear of other participating venues I will update this list. Please leave me a comment or drop me a note if you know of a venue with a special event for International Science Center & Science Museum Day! Thanks!

Think the price went down? Think again...

Consumers beware!

Unilever, a major player in the Israeli food marketplace, has been lowering prices per package of certain food items...

Unilever owns many brands: Telma, Strauss, Beigel Beigel, Hellmann's, Blue-Band, Knorr, Lipton, Axe, Vaseline, Dove, Pinuk, Roxana, and many more.

They SEEM to be lowering prices.

But really, they are raising them, by changing the weight of the package and lowering the price a bit. But overall, per gram/kilogram, the price has INCREASED.

Show Unilever you are not willing to put up with their price gouging and stop buying their products! I highly recommend home-cooking and store labels as a good alternative. I will be trying harder NOT to buy Unilever products. Will you join me?