For Shabbat

Do you see that funny little metal thing? It covers the "light fan switches" for the fridge/freezer, and it's attached by two small magnets. Do you want to guess how much it costs?

A couple of weeks ago, when I was sick of course, I couldn't get the Shabbat light-stopper to stay on. That meant that we could neither open nor close the fridge, since by opening it the light went on and closing it went off, which is forbidden on Shabbat.

On the old fridges it was easy. As soon as the fridge arrived we would just unscrew the bulb and live happily ever after, until the death of the fridge. Our previous fridge had a little thing which held back the light switch. We put it in Shabbat mode and that's how it stayed until we dumped the fridge.

We were told that this new one was more complicated and we spent a fortune for a little plastic thingee, which began misbehaving. Like some severely hyperactive kid, it just wouldn't stay put. This fridge isn't even two years old. I called the store and they said that I can buy a special "magnet."

OK, but the store is only open in the morning and not every morning. I finally made it there yesterday. The lady remembered my many calls and handed me this little metal thing. When I balked at the price, she even offered to hold my check in case it didn't work and only deposit it if I gave my OK. Yes, I could return it.

As You can see in the picture, it does work.

Do you want to guess the price? Would you believe ns100? Yes, one hundred shekels. At today's rate, that's $25- including tax!

But it's for Shabbat...

Catch It While You Can!!

Chez Gita is closing down. Yes, that lovely little restaurant on Chavatzelet Street in downtown Jerusalem.

Instead of my usual rushed felafel, I made a point of having a meal there and even treated myself to a piece of cake... which was so rich I couldn't even finish it.


I sat by the window and enjoyed the view. OK, you probably think I'm nuts to enjoy watching a "construction scene," but I always get a kick out of the reflections on windows.
There's a certain elegance to the restaurant, though some other diners were speaking so loudly, it was hard to control myself. I felt that I should join their conversation. The music was lovely; I tried to concentrate on that and the view.

If you can, pop in for a lovely meal or snack.

Good luck Gita...

Finally tried it out

For whatever reasons, I kept thinking that the Shammai 12 restaurant in Jerusalem was similar to the Hillel chain.


Maybe that's because the streets are parallel. But the Aroma chain is the one similar to Hillel. Shammai 12 is something else. It's one of those "Italian" ones.


I finally tried it out not long ago.


The waitress tried to talk me out of having spinach ravioli in pesto sauce. She said that many customers are turned off by so much green, but I liked it. The only mistake was that I was at a "social occasion," the screening of Refusenik afterwards, and I kept having to clean my mouth with mint strips because of the garlic.


The location, music and food, all fine.

EDUCATION-- Read all about it!

The Latest Carnival of Education is truly great! The various posts from all over the world deal with important issues.

Take a gander!

ps thanks to sara g for the correction

What's Your Favorite Chanukah Food?

What do you eat with your latkes?

Do you prefer yeast sufganiyot or the quickie type?

What's you favorite filling for sufganiyot?

In what type of oil do you fry all that special Chanukah Food?

Have you eaten in any good kosher restaurant lately?

Shemitta: How has it changed your life?

TU B'Shvat's approaching: What's your favorite fruit?

Do you celebrate the holiday with a special "Seder TU B'Shvat?"

and now...

If you've blogged about these things and other kosher food topics, and if you haven't... nu? How about it? Please send me your posts for the next

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 you deem suitable for KCC via blog carnival. The Kosher Cooking Carnival is more than just recipes. Any post about kosher food or kashrut is welcome.

Thanks

Strange Tag

I was tagged to the the 7 Strange Things About Yourself meme.

Now, strange and me, that's an easy combo. Let's start with the obvious...

1. I was actually double-tagged. I just got back from the morning in the Dead Sea and was excited to see two comments to my blog, both tags. One from Babka and the other from Fern Chasida. They had both been tagged by Juggling Frogs, and they both tagged me.
2. My married name (before we Hebraized it) rhymed with my "maiden" name; I went from Spiegelman to Winkelman.
3. Not only isn't "muse" my real name, but Batya isn't either.
4. I am one of the oldest female jbloggers. I know of one older than me, for sure.
5. But most people can't tell how old I am, since I inherited good genes.
6. I may be eligible for "senior discounts" before I decide what I want to do when I grow up.
7. My very first TV appearance, probably before most of you were born, was on the "Allen Berk Show," the summer of 1967. If you want details, please ask... yes, it would make a great post.

And I tag: my husband, (poor guy, being married to me can't be easy,) Cosmic X, Soccer Dad, The Muqata, and Joe Settler. And please, if anyone else is interested, please, post the meme and let me know.

The Rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs
4. Let them know they are TAGGED by leaving a comment on their blog

Must Get Picture CD's Organized

Somehow I must make time to put them in some sort of order, and it would help to get better "holders."

When my camera was new, I took some pictures at a friend's party and she said she never got them. At least I found them on the other computer. If I can't find the CD, I'll have to burn them again and email the pictures.

Other things to do now...

New Version of Potato Latkes

Yes, Baruch Hashem, the house was pretty full last night to celebrate the 7th night of Chanukah.

I tried a new version of the classic, raw potato Potato Latkes (pancakes.) Using my food processor, I shredded about half the potatoes, onions and a nice big carrot. Then I used the knife attachment to "chop" the rest really fine. Everything was then put in a big bowl with the eggs, seasonings and matzah meal to sop up the liquid. No, I don't pour out any liquid from the potatoes and onions, and I didn't soak the potatoes in water, nor did I bother peeling the potatoes.

Everyone agreed that it was a great success! Doing it this way is the "best of both worlds."

Exact measurements? Sorry. There's really no way of measuring exactly. I'd estimate that you should have approximately twice the bulk potatoes to onions. You can add carrots and squash. This isn't some exact chemistry formulae.

And this is our traditional game. Pin the candle on the Menorah.

Murphy's after me!

Usually Murphy visits, most annoyingly, when I've finished work in Beit El and I have to go to Jerusalem, rather than home to Shiloh. It's hard to get a ride to Shiloh, or even to Ofra which is on the way. The vast majority of rides from Beit El are to Jerusalem. But when I need to go to Jerusalem, yes, you guessed it. They're all to Shiloh, Ofra or further north.

Otherwise, bli eyin haraa, Murphy's pretty polite. Of course he only comes, when he does, uninvited, and I didn't invited him to today's family get-together. My Israeli kids and the grandkids, who still aren't the age to travel alone, are coming for candle-lighting, latkes and my famous vegetable soup. I also found a bag of ground fish in the freezer and made my easier than you would expect gefilte fish.

So last night, after I had wrapped all the gifts, for the big kids, too, of course, I suddenly noticed that the ceiling over the front hallway was wet. I've seen those sort of drops before... Yes, it means that the boiler is leaking. It was late at night, so I called the cellphone of our plumber, who doubles as the local synagogue's Ba'al Koreh, and was a childhood friend of my older girls... I figured I'd just let it ring a couple of times, in case he's sleeping... Good news, he answered quickly. Bad news, he's in the army, reserve duty. He promised to send someone over in the morning.

My husband decided to check it out in the attic. He climbed up and reported a small leak from the tank. How long could that have been going on? So he set up a pail underneath, and we went to sleep.

Good news, this morning, just over six hours later, it was only a third full.

And... more news when there is some...

Party's still on. Chanukah Sameach!

I'm Glad I'm On Vacation!

That means I'll have plenty of time to read all the great posts in Jack's Havel Havelim.

Enjoy!

Great News! You CAN Enjoy Your Latkes!

And have it with sour cream, apple sauce--all the trimmings!

This article, from The New York Times, says that the statistics for dying are worse for the skinnies.

And don't forget that if you don't eat enough cholesterol, your body will overproduce it. Don't forget to stay active, and I don't mean reaching for seconds, thirds and more.

Stress is also a killer, so if all the dieting is making you "nuts," it's not a healthy diet.

Now, after exercising to an anti-osteoporosis DVD, and too much sitting by the computer, I'm off for a walk, and I'll buy some sour cream for the latkes.

A healthy baby was always enough for me

When I had my first couple of kids, we never expected anyone in the delivery rooms with us besides the medical staff. In Israel, that meant a midwife. If an obstetrician showed up, you knew you were in trouble. They only were called when there were signs of complications.

The only presents were for the baby, besides flowers and hand cream if you were lucky. Before my third was born, I went shopping and bought myself a new hat and a bathrobe. Really, what else could I get myself in the middle of my tenth month?

It never occurred to me to expect or hint for fancy jewelry, like these mothers got. A healthy baby is sure worth more than all the diamonds in the world.

How do You Light Your Chanukah Menorah?

Growing up, we knew one way and one way only. No matter how religious or not your were, there were only those little, easily broken, colored candles. That's if your menorah was standard, because I have these vague memories of a small child-sized one, and for that we put in tiny candles, like from a birthday cake.

I must credit Lakewood Venter for starting me on this thread.

My husband still prefers the "no muss, no fuss" candles, but years ago, here in Israel, of course, I got hooked on olive oil.

One year my in-laws were visiting from New York, and we were also having other guests, and the kids were getting older, and I had to buy a slew of new Chanukiyot, so I took the plunge and bought a bunch of simple oil Chanukiyot. The first year was great fun, but the next year I had to replace some of the little glass holders, and the next year some more. Before I knew it we had every size and shape and many blackened with oily soot.

Some years we tried to save money and bought "special cheap light only olive oil. I should have been suspicious at the "not for food consumption" label. Well, I'd say that they shouldn't be lit either. The smell and black smoke, and bright green color all mean that there's something in there that didn't grow on a tree.

This is how it stands, about how I light:

I light real olive in oil and set a unraveling wick in a metallic-coated piece of cardboard, I have lots of oil pots, all different sizes, but some of the oil pots are too small, so I cut the cardboard, but if I cut the cardboard too small it sinks...

Chag Orim Sameach, Have a Light-Filled Holiday!

Last Night

Last night we saw the documentary, Refuseniks about the Soviet Jewry Movement and the unstoppable Soviet Jews. Thrilling, inspiring! What else can I say?

"E" is for Education and Eating

And "C" is for Carnivals, more specifically, the "B," Blogger Carnivals.

There's a great new edition for the Carnival of Education, worth reading the links, and don't forget to send me links for the Kosher Cooking Carnival, the more the merrier, as long as it's Kosher! And if you want to host one, please write to shilohmuse at gmail dot com. Thanks!

Really ought to go to sleep

Very busy day.
Usual busy morning, writing, laundry, a bissel cleaning--not my specialty.

Then work, proctored two long tests...
Will post pic's bli neder in the future.

Then a wedding, friends' first grandchild. They've entered another stage.
Will post pic's bli neder in the future.


Past my bedtime...

Panic!!!

Wow! Did I start to panic this morning.

While showering, I suddenly noticed that my grandmother's earring wasn't in my ear.

I have three holes for earrings. Two in one ear, and one in the other. My daughters had the third one done as a birthday present for me almost ten years ago. I love the lack of symmetry, and it's great for single remaining earrings, missing their partners. For the past few months, I've had my maternal grandmother's earring in the extra hole, and then I just add a matching pair in the other two holes.

When I discovered that it wasn't there, I was in no condition to run and look. I checked what I could in the bathroom and then calmed myself down. It's not a limb, an eye or anything dangerous to my health. It's not like I discovered someone close to me was dead or dying. Either I'd find it, or I won't.

I had my ears pierced when I was almost sixteen, after close to ten years of begging my mother for permission. A couple of weeks later, we were visiting my Aunt Sadie, and she presented me with two pairs of earrings, which had belonged to my grandmother. Why to me? I don't know. I'm not the oldest granddaughter, and two were born after me, and after her death when I was almost three, who are named after her. But for some reason my aunt, who had never married nor had any children of her own, decided that I should get the earrings. I wasn't yet religious, but I was very involved in Jewish youth activities, being at that time a regional officer in NCSY, but I don't know how aware the family was of my status. Even though the time, when I was told it would be safe to remove my first earrings hadn't passed, I quickly put them on. I've worn them a lot over the decades, like in this picture.

Being pretty sure I hadn't taken the earrings off the night before, I remembered that I had once found an earring, from my other grandmother, in bed. It had somehow opened up and fallen off when I was sleeping.

Just yesterday, when I was already in Shiloh, almost home, talking to a friend who had gotten the same ride, but she needed one direction and me the opposite. So we chatted. Then a neighbor who lives right near by stopped in his car to ask if I wanted to get in a go home. I did and told him that I was glad that they have a new car, big enough for the whole family. Those of us who have lived in Shiloh a long time are still, and will always be, traumatized by the terrible car accident of the Deutsch Family. The father, HaRav Shlomo, and half of their children were killed in a terrible accident. The whole family had been squeezed into a tiny car.

So how could I obsess over an earring, even my grandmother's earring? I'm sure that she would have been the first to tell me that health is most important.

I didn't rush into my room to check to see if it was in my jewelry box or on the sheet someplace. Yes, that's where it was. Easy to spot, right there on the sheet. I guess my grandmother wanted to remind me of what's really important.

Chag Orim Sameach
Have a Wonderful, Light-Filled, and Very Healthy Chanukah

"In America It's Sunday"

Funny, when I was lunching with my friend yesterday, and she was debating when to call the states, it took me a while to click about why 9am NY Time would be considered "early."

Yes, I've been in Israel a long time. In Hebrew, Sunday is called יום ראשון Yom Rishon, the First Day, since it's the first day of the working week. It's starts bright and early with post-weekend traffic jams.

It looks like Soccer Dad spent his day, not being a Sunday "soccer dad," but by being the premier jblogger and putting together the latest Havel Havelim. I guess one can say that HH is one of his "babies."

Thanks, Soccer Dad, for the great job and all the care to us jbloggers all over.

Beautiful and Inspiring!

Today I visited with one of my best friends, a true inspiration to me. She's a full generation older and is younger in so many ways. So when she told me that she had something special to show on her computer after lunch, I was very willing. Yes, she has a computer. Why not? I find that age doesn't hold people back from being computer savvy, but that's not the point of this post.

She opened a link and two dancers, a man and a woman, began dancing a ballet duet. Let me just say that they're not your typical dancers. They're both disabled. One disability is easy to spot, and the other, less so.

The name of their dance is "Hand in Hand," rather ironic in a sense. They won a dance contest, and the other contestants were not disabled. If you haven't done so yet, click here, watch and read about Ma Li and Zhai Xiaowei.

Thank G-d, Better

As Shabbat began, I was bundled on the couch with a high fever. I had my husband cancel our Shabbat meal at neighbors. To make matters worse, I couldn't get the Shabbat "thing" into our fridge, meaning that the light and fan would go on if opened, so we couldn't use it. Good thing I wasn't hungry. Later he went to a neighbor and stored things in their fridge. Now I have to get the "service" to repair it.

But Baruch Hashem, thank G-d, I'm feeling better. The 24 hours have passed, and by tomorrow it'll be 48 and back to business.