The New Megilla

Even if you didn't know the "old" Gantseh Megilla,

you'll like the new one!

It has been totally revamped.

And there's something for everyone!

Should we take the plunge?

As I painfully freeze here, even with the heater, on an extension cord, I wonder if we should get one of the those heater-cooler things. The ones people use here are wall-mounted and controlled by remote control and timers.

Of course it won't help me here in the den, just the livingroom, diningroom kitchen. But they have "fans" which make them heat quickly. That means, I'd only need it on when home, instead of hours before to get the chill out. But by not being on the floor, like my oil-filed radiators, the floor won't heat up.

But they are also air-conditioners, so the house will be cooler in the summer. Using the air-conditioner option means that whatever money we save in the winter, by not needing it on so much, will be spent in the summer...

Hmmm... I'm still cold.

Very Literary Recipes

The latest Carnival of the Recipes is a real treat. There's somthing for all tastes. Take a nibble.

Meeting An Old Friend

I hadn't been to "Luigi's" for a while. It's one of the more veteran restaurants in Jerusalem's Nachalat Shiva, the old neighborhood, near the center of town.

They advertise that they've changed the menu, and they have. The decor also seemed nicer, or maybe I just don't remember.
We had the "business lunch." It included soup or salad, plus a main course and hot drink. We both started with the "orange soup." I had a salad, nothing special, but my friend's meal looked much better.

The filter coffee wasn't as good as I had remembered, but I think that ever since I started making myself good, strong coffee at home, nothing tastes as good.

Do the Mitzvah Before Going to Sleep

It has been a very busy day, and bli neder (don't hold me to it--not a vow) I'll blog about it tomorrow.

But it's Sunday night, and this week's wonderful, post-packed Havel Havelim has been up for hours.

So, if you're in a different timezone, and it's not almost midnight after a long, long day, dig in and visit all those great jblogs. HH as the addresses. Enjoy!

And, of course, if you see this later in the week, the posts don't go stale. And of course, don't forget to tell them that I sent you!

Freezing!

I suffer from cold hands and feet.

Today was particularly painful. Somehow my feet felt frozen solid.

I've had this problem for years. Many, many years ago, my toes were pink and swollen, and I was sure that I had infections around the nails. So I'd put ointment and heavy cotton socks, and they'd get better, but after wearing regular socks, they got worse. Finally, I went to a top dermatologist who told me that there was no infection. I had chilblains. I had seen the word in old books, but I never knew what it meant. It's actually a form of frostbite.

Once the skin tissue is damaged, there's always a tendency for it to return. I can't clean out my freezer, because my fingers blow up. If I'm desperate, I'll wear heavy gloves.

I must buy some special thermal socks, if they exist.

The Countdown Begins!

The pre-Pesach, Passover, that is.

Parshat, Torah Portion, Bo, Exodus 10:1-13:16, teaches us two important things, to observe the Pesach Holiday and about Rosh Chodesh, beginning of the lunar month, which is the basis of the Jewish Calendar.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who gets stuck with too much chametz, the food forbidden on Pesach, as the Holiday approaches. I used to find myself with enough time when I began checking a month before, Purim time. Now, with fewer people home and a bigger freezer, I need more time.

Not too bad.
I ought to get creative!

The Bagel Blogger is Blogging!

For those who have missed the Bagel Blogger, he's back blogging.

From what I understand, it'll still take a while for the "other" jblogging couple to resume anything like their previous frequency. BB has asked us to let y'all know that they're alive and well and adjusting to the big city.

Shabbat Shalom!

Why?

Every morning, very early, soon after I have everything set up on the computer, and I'm checking mail, blogging, etc. Suddenly, an "announcement" that Explorer has to "close down." Sometimes I actually do "lose" things, and sometimes it's just time, having to open programs/whatever again.

But why?

ps, It just happened before I did this.

Is The Crockpot All That It's Crocked Up To Be?

I was a bit slow to get involved with slow-cookers. I may not be as surprised as Hillary, but surprised I am.

I have not had great luck with the slow-cooking crockpot my daughter gave me from among the duplicate quadruplicate gifts she got for her wedding. But I'm not a quitter and, three grandchildren later--she has had three kids since she gave me the pot-- I've tried again. First, I decided to forgo the low settings and now I only cook on high.

Experiment, Second Round, Number 2

I placed cooked chicken and a meatloaf from the freezer into the crockpot.

Then I added some vegetables and red rice. To "speed things up," I poured boiling water. Then I set it on high, covered it and placed a heavy towel on top. Then I went to work.

I imagined myself walking through the door, after dealing with those teenage boys, and drooling over the yummy fragrance of my fully-cooked, ready to eat dinner.

At the same time, I kept trying to repress the nightmare which popped into to my head. I was afraid that I'd come home to a black house, electricity shorted, cold, uncooked food.

Yes, I was in suspense.

When I got home, the electricity worked, but I didn't smell any food awaiting me. So, I gingerly walked into the kitchen, afraid of what I'd find.

I lifted up the towel from my very slow cooker.



It looked cooked. Just to be safe, I took off the cover, and Baruch Hashem, Thank the Good Lord, the crockpot cracked out a good meal.

Yes, it even tasted delicious, OK, don't exaggerate. It was good!

Not Original Material "Humor for Lexophiles"

I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.

Police were called to a day care where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.

Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He's
all right now.

The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference.

The butcher backed up into the meat grinder and got a little behind
in his work.

thanks ss

To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

When fish are in schools they sometimes take debate.

The short fortune teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.

A thief fell and broke his leg in wet cement. He became a hardened criminal.

Thieves who steal corn from a garden could be charged with stalking.

We'll never run out of math teachers because they always multiply.

When the smog lifts in Los Angeles , U.C.L.A.

The math professor went crazy with the blackboard. He did a number on it.

The professor discovered that her theory of earthquakes was on shaky ground.

The dead batteries were given out free of charge.

If you take a laptop computer for a run you could jog your memory.

A dentist and a manicurist fought tooth and nail.

A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.

A will is a dead giveaway.

Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

A backward poet writes inverse.

In a democracy it's your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your
Count that votes.

A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.

If you don't pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.

With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.

Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.

When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.

The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.

A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France , resulting in Linoleum
Blownapart.

You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.

He broke into song because he couldn't find the key.

A calendar's days are numbered.

A lot of money is tainted: 'Taint yours, and 'taint mine.

A boiled egg is hard to beat.

He had a photographic memory which was never developed.

Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.

When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.

If you jump off a Paris bridge, you are in Seine

When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.

Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.

Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.

Acupuncture: a jab well done

No Olive Oil!

Yesterday, before the Human Chain Around the Jerusalem City Walls," I needed some physical nourishment and went to Sambooki for lunch. I ordered the breakfast, which is served all day. It was less than ns40, but with today's dropping dollar, that meant $10- and change.

The restaurant is on the way to the Jaffa Gate, where the demonstration was to start, and as they say in business, "location is everything." I've eaten their breakfasts before and enjoyed them.

As you can see, there's plenty of food:

• juice
• coffee
• 2 egg omelet
• raw salad
• choice of 3 other "salads"
• wholewheat roll
• salad "dressing"

But I didn't want the mayonnaise-based dressing. I asked for olive oil. There seemed to be plenty displayed.

For the first time ever, in an Israeli restaurant, I was refused olive oil! The idiotic, little girl waitress, tried to tell me that the white gop she called vinegarette was without mayonnaise. She claimed that the white was from "garlic." I should have demanded that she bring her boss over, but I didn't want the stress. Instead, I was stingy with the tip. And... I'm writing this!

Sorry, No "After"

The cooked chicken is underneath.

As you can see, there are:

• carrots
• onions
• sweet potato
• squash
• uncooked rice

Maybe I should have added more water than I did and a squirt of ketchup.

This slow cooker is very slow. On "high" it needed a towel on top of the glass top to cook, but then it did cook. It took less than five hours.

Call it "crockpot #1."

Today?

Well, first and most important, it's Rosh Chodesh Shvat, the first day of the Jewish month of Shvat. That means that Modern Shiloh's 30th Anniversary begins.

Thirty years since Jews returned to our ancient capital.

We started with seven young families, some newly-wed, and a few yeshiva boys. There are now over 250 families, a hesder yeshiva, two elementary schools, one for boys and the other for girls, stores and more. Ken yirbu, may we grow and grow.

I was sure I'd sleep better, or...

... never expected it to be one of those insomnia nights!



Davka, yesterday I got a lot of exercise. I walked all the way down to Tel Shiloh, over a kilometer, on the old road



and then walked all over the area of the Tel with a neighbor who lives nearby.


We wandered

and climbed





and enjoyed the view




and said T'hilim (Psalms)

and talked. And I pointed out what the various buildings in her neighborhood once were. That's where modern Shiloh began thirty years ago!


And then I walked all the way up the stairs to go home and finally got a ride for the tail end of the "trip."

Usually when I can't fall asleep, I blame the fact that I wasn't active enough. Yesterday I certainly was, and early in the day, but it took ages to sleep, and I didn't sleep well.

Nu? New? Nu?

What's cooking is that I'm attempting to use my* slow-cooker again. I tried a few years ago, trying some lentil stew on "low," but it never cooked. So now I added cooked chicken and various veggies on "high," it still looks like nothing's cooking. If it doesn't "cook" by the time my husband makes it home, I'll have to transfer it to the stove.

*I got it from my married daughter, who got a few as wedding gifts.

Sorry, but I'm posting more on Shiloh Musings. That includes pictures and that's more where my head is at present.

And while I'm here, just to remind you...
Don't forget that it's never too soon to send in your links for the Kosher Cooking Carnival. If you're interested in hosting a future KCC, please let me know, shilohmuse at yahoo dot com. Please submit your posts and any others you deem suitable for KCC via blog carnival.

Have a great week!

And a Good Morning to You, Too!

I wonder if my neighbors ever spy me all robed, armed with my flashing camera.

I wonder what this dawn portends...

I have my plans, and G-d willing, I'll report when the time is ripe.

What antiquated and cliched English this morning...

Ahhh, Yes, We Were Away

I was captive in a car, and it actually rained a bit, but not too much, not enough by half. There's a drought in them that hills.

Yes, we went away for Shabbat and had a wonderful time. It didn't really rain all that much.

The company was wonderful. Where were we? Oh, we were in Tekoa via Har Chomah.

More pictures and commentary here

It Is Friday Morning

So, as much as l'd love to stay here and chat, I do have things to do, and boy do I have a lot on my plate, and it's not food.




So, don't worry if I don't get back for awhile.




Have a wonderful and Holy Shabbat

What's for Lunch?

No, no, those were just things sitting around the science lab where I was testing students.

Here's a picture I took today, eating lunch out with my daughter and baby grandson. Well, he ate, but not the restaurant food.

Can anybody guess where?

A lot of Israeli restaurants have fully stocked bars.

This one is called Shakespeare. I don't think ol' William ate food like they serve there. It's one of those typical Jerusalem dairy restaurants. I've had better, and I've had worse. We took the "business lunch." My daughter had onion soup and ravioli, and I had salad and quiche. The waiter should have told me that the quiche came with a salad; then I would have had the tomato soup. The problem with the food was that it was oily, and the salad was salty.

Yesterday, before I went to a wedding, I ate out with my son. We went to a little place on the corner of the Clal Building, on Jaffa Road, Jerusalem. I had lentil soup, the best soup I remember in a restaurant for years and years. I used to love the vegetable soup in a health food restaurant on Yabetz Street, owned/run by someone named Sarah. Oh, and my son had some other things, very unusual, special stuff and he loved it all.

While we're talking about food, don't forget to send in your posts for the Kosher Cooking Carnival!