I Was Planning on Showing You My Tofu Meal, but...

... it got a bissel burnt, but it tasted great! According to Start Fresh, we can eat lots more tofu than cheese, fish or poultry.

I made it in my large covered frying pan by sauteing the tofu with onion, carrot and squash. I took a large, too soft tomato and put the cut up pieces on top of the other vegetables. When I realized that I had cooked it a couple of minutes too long, I poured some tamari sauce over it. I ate it with beansprouts and an orange pepper.

This is a picture of my Friday omelet, made with vegetables and served with salad.

And here's today's very late lunch. I was in Jerusalem until 2 and didn't want to spend a fortune on a salad. Earlier in the morning I ate the cucumber I had taken along. I just bit into it, as if it was a long giant cookie. Then on the way to the bus, I bought a plain yogurt, low fat. So I had my snack before lunch. Then when I got home, I heated up some vegetables from Shabbat, poured in a can of tuna, packed in water. I wasn't looking forward to the dry tuna, but the cooked vegetables made it much easier and more pleasant to eat. That's the trick. Of course, I had some salad with it.

And for supper I had the tofu. I'm sort of getting used to the idea of dieting. I visited my sons in Nachlaot while walking from the Center of Jerusalem to the bus station. I told them and the other guys in the apartment how I ended up being on a diet. Everyone was very polite. Nobody pointed out that I really need to be on a diet.

Following is some very nice music to eat by from the dinner in Honor of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz.

Jack, By Any Other Name...

...is still top honcho for Havel Havelim! Take a look at the latest HH.

Hat tip to Jack for this inspiring movie:

Controling Food and/or Predicting Meals

I've always done best when eating very "routinely," but my present life is harder to predict. Every day is different. On the diet I'm doing, I have to plan, so I'm trying to be pretty general, just worrying about the restricted foods. If I'm allowed unlimited "undressed" salads and vegetables, then does it really matter if I eat differently from what I "clicked" on the computer?

One reason I've avoided dieting for years is that I don't want to obsess about food. I'll see what the Start Fresh customer service says about this. There have already been days, like Friday, when I didn't eat the planned snacks. There just wasn't enough time. In general I have trouble with the snacks, the latest dieting wisdom on most diets, which requires eating every 2-3 hours to prevent low blood sugar and hunger. I understand it and agree with it, but it doesn't usually fit my routine. I like it when I suddenly find myself hungry. Then I know that I can eat and should.

On with my day...

Old Age Is Getting Closer-- "I'm A Sandwich"

We're four generations, bli eyin haraa, shouldn't tempt the "evil eye." Even though I'm approaching "senior discount age," my parents are still alive. I also have grown children, empty nest, and grandchildren.

I babysit pretty regularly, a couple of times a week and go to the states to see my parents once a year.

My parents, like many, have stayed in their house too long. Almost nobody likes to move when they're "on top of things" and functioning OK, but once everyday life gets too hard, moving is almost impossible. I'm checking out old age, independent living "homes" for my parents in Jerusalem. I don't know if they'll really come, and with today's United States economic depression/recession, who knows what they can afford. As ridiculous as the prices are here, it's worse there.

My kids are concerned and wonder how we'll be in another decade or two. I don't blame them. My parents, in their prime, were much more competent than we are.

Something to Read and Diet Update

Never in a million years did I ever imagine that I'd be posting a "public diet." And even though it has been decades since I could deny my need to lose weight, I haven't tried a "real diet" for many years.

Today I mentioned to a friend that b'mikreh, by chance, I found myself dieting, and she reminded me that according to Jewish lore, nothing is "by chance." The "hand of G-d" controls all of these unexpected things.

Since I've been blogging, I've been sent books to review, but it never occurred to me that I'd be offered a diet. You can scroll down to hear more of my experiences with my Start Fresh diet.

For a religious Jew, there are many advantages to dieting according to Start Fresh. Of course, the recipes are kosher and meal planning has meat, dairy and parve options. In addition, Shabbat and Jewish holidays are taken into account. Even though carbohydrates are forbidden in the first week, they're allowed for the three Shabbat meals. And since it's almost Chanukah, they post suitable recipes, since forced deprivation usually causes irresistible urges, cravings and binging.

As usual, I'm making trouble, or bending rules. I didn't have any whole wheat matzah, which is supposed to be eaten instead of challah. So I had a bit of whole wheat challah, dry and not sweet. I really didn't have more than a couple of bites, since I wasn't allowed to eat it drenched in olive oil. My teaspoon of olive oil went no further than the salad and vegetables.

At the Shiur Nashim, Women's Study Class on Shabbat, I wasn't very tempted by the goodies. There were lots of fruit, but I stuck to the seasonal ones, persimmons and kiwi. I had just one bit of cake, dry and nothing special. The walk there and back covered my exercise requirements, no exaggeration.

And about the reading material I had promised... The Gantseh Megillah is back online. There are some great articles, so enjoy!

You'd Think I Was Working Full Time, and...

It must be the principle:

how little you have to do fills the day as if you have ten times as much to do

or if you want something to get done, give it to a busy person

I guess I'm getting inefficient, with so little to do. There are still dozens of emails I have neither read nor deleted, and my house is a wreck, and I haven't visited even my most favorite blogs all that much this week.

It's Friday morning, and my husband had to go to work. He does Friday duty every couple of months. That means that I have to go down to shop.

I planned my Start Fresh diet menu, but I couldn't get it to print off. Shabbat is the most difficult, though not for the expected reasons. I generally eat only one real meal. It starts 11am at the latest and is just, when we eat at home, a beef or poultry meal with lots of salad and vegetables. I don't eat cake, but I do adore challah in olive oil. I guess, that has to go, or at least be seriously limited. Early in the morning I drink water and instant coffee. When I go to the "Shiur Nashim," Women's Torah Class, I sometimes nosh and sometimes not, depending on how irresistible the nosh is, and davka, this week it's at the best French baker... Later in the day, I don't have a proper Seudat Shlishit, Third Meal, but I do have salad and whatever, sometimes with techina . At night yogurt and shalva, puffed wheat, but I can cut up an apple instead. So, as you see, just one meal, which doesn't fit the diet plan.

Enough kvetching.

Now for some food for thought. I read this wonderful article about how questions shouldn't be asked on the OU Shabbat page. It's related to the "misplaced" generosity I mentioned in an earlier post. It's hard to know when you're butting into forbidden territory.

Shabbat Shalom

It's Amazing What People Relate To

I don't always "guess it right" in predicting how people will react to my posts. Just today I wrote about my "Hebrew disability" on The Eye of the Storm.

I wrote it very quickly, aggravated, because I had all sorts of technical problems, the second time this week, and I had to call the A7 office for help.

I lamented my written Hebrew skills and phobia about reading the Holy Tongue. It was a lot more personal than I normally post there. Amazing, truly amazing, the letters people sent to my email, besides the comments to the blog.

Please don't get me wrong. I speak Hebrew perfectly fluently, though with an accent that one can't misidentify. My grammar isn't all that awful, and at times it's even good. The sincere shock I see on neighbors' faces when I confide that "I only write in English," reinforces the revelation that they consider me capable of writing Hebrew.

I wish I could join some sort of "support group" for writing in Hebrew. Or if someone would just edit my work, but not too heavily.

The most important skill an immigrant to Israel, oleh chadsh, must attain is Hebrew fluency in speech and also in writing. Sometimes I think of all the great immigrant writers in the states, who somehow trained themselves to write in English and other languages. Am I just dumber? OK, maybe not intellectually, but a screw of mine must have had been loose. I should have known that my lack of full Hebrew functioning would hold me back.

Sorry for the kvetch.

Prayer Requests for A Refuah Shleimah, Complete Recovery

Yair ben Bella, heart surgery

Ruchama Chaya bat Sarah, suffered a complication during childbirth and has been unconcious ever since

Pnina bat Sofia Zlatta, seriously ill

Thank You

Diet Food and Vanilla

Here's the vanilla extracting in the vodka. I started it a couple of weeks ago. It's definitely getting darker, but when I opened up for a sniff, it was still more vodka than vanilla.

Today, so far, not counting the sugar in my morning coffee and the fact that the fatless milk makes me nauseous and isn't a staple in my fridge, I've been keeping to my Start Fresh diet. I even had a snack, a cup up apple in goats yogurt.

I started the day, the meals of the day, with tzfatit cheese, a white cheese, tastier than feta. I calculated that instead of my 1/3 of a pack per portion, I should only have 1/4 package. As you can see, I had it with salad and dressed it with olive oil. I think I function better with cooked vegetables in the morning. I was hungry, unless it was just the "davka diet hunger" I was suffering from.


The following picture is from yesterday's breakfast, a vegetable omelet and salad served with freshly chopped horseradish, "preserved" in vinegar.

Next you'll see the first course we had last night, a "nuveau" version of sushi, with avocado and vegetables. I should have skipped it and walked around socializing, instead.

And here's yesterday's lunch, fish, vegetables and salad, sprinkled with some Tamari sauce. It kept me full for ages.

It's cold out, but I should really go for a walk. And then I'll make supper.

PS I really ought to let you know that the diet plan has a customer service which answers my questions. That really does make a difference. I've also made requests, explaining that I find certain foods, like my techina very filling with salad.

Tough First Day

Is there really an easy day to start a diet? OK, maybe when weak and convalescing from a bad virus, when you have no appetite...

Photos of yesterday's food will, bli neder--not an oath, be posted later.

I sort of started my day #1 of Start Fresh alright. I think I'll count my early morning coffee with milk and forbidden sugar as a snack, since I don't snack, and a few hours pass between that and breakfast. It's a major ingredient of my "elimination" routine. I once read that you should "eliminate" yesterday's food from your body before putting in new food, and that's how I do it, first thing in the morning, lots of water and then coffee. Afterwards, I don't drink coffee during the day, with very rare exceptions, like having a "restaurant breakfast" for lunch which includes coffee.

My breakfast and lunch were great and followed the no carb rule, though I don't know what fish I ate and didn't weight it. A chunk came out of the package of frozen fish and that was it. I cooked it up with lots of low calorie, low carb vegetables and served it with a great salad. I sprinkled some tamari sauce for extra flavor; I didn't cook it with salt.

I wasn't tempted to buy anything for myself at the grocers, when I took the grandkids in for a treat, but that night's fancy dinner in honor of Rav Adin Steinsaltz was my downfall. At first, I had no problem sticking to my plan of only having salad, diet veggies and protein. Of course, my quantities were well over quota, but it really wasn't hard to ignore the carbohydrates. Then they served dessert... I didn't "clean my plate," but I should have refused it. At least it fit the rule:

"If you're going to pig out on something fattening, it should really be delicious."

I walked a lot yesterday, well over 3 kilometers total, probably 4 plus. Two kilometers were a pre-lunch walk and I walked with my husband from the Begin Center to the Plaza Hotel, and there was plenty of walking in Shiloh and Ofra. And I almost forgot my jacket at the hotel and had to go down and up the stairs there an extra time.

Now to plan today's meals according to Start Fresh.

...When You're 73

No, I'm not that old! True, that in five months I change "kidomet" decades (first number in the tens) as it's said in Hebrew. I'm actually looking forward to it, hoping that I won't have to wait more years for discounts. I paid my dues.

I just read the most inspiring story about a 73 year old man who returned to university to play basketball. I'm impressed. I actually tried basketball a few years ago, but I kept getting injured. It was so much fun.

At least I can still walk a few kilometers without any problems. I'm going out for a walk soon. Exercise is part of the Start Fresh routine.

Day 1 To Starting Fresh

Today's Start Fresh diet I chose last night looks better than I had remembered. I wanted to print it out, but I couldn't get it into the right format. So I'll just save it in word.

The customer support is great and has answered some of my questions, like what's the "tsfatit" cheese equivalent etc. I didn't really notice it then, but week number one is sans carbs. It's a good thing I bought myself extra squash in Machane Yehuda market.

Bad me, I had my usual coffee with sugar and milk. I know that the sugar is forbidden, but... G-d willing I'll get to that. There's a little box on the page, once you're signed in asking how much water you drank and how you feel. I think it should also have a box to check about exercising.

Since I'm blogging about it, I feel like I'm working at this new profession I heard of where you "check out" computer programs. My neighbor is taking a course in it. In a sense, that's what I'm doing in this diet site. I can't follow something unless I can "tweak" it. I hate taking orders.

Time to leave the computer and start the day. That's why I wanted a print out of the diet.

Losing Weight

It's no secret that I ought to lose a lot of weight. Just one quick glance at me will tell you that. Over the years, I've wondered if those internet diet plans would be any good. But since I'm an Orthodox Jew with kosher dietary restrictions and the Jewish Shabbat and Holidays, I could never go on just any diet plan.

Recently I heard of one which is according to Jewish Law. Of course, anyone can use their diet. You don't have to be Jewish... It's especially good for vegetarians, lactose intolerant and allergic to milk, since kosher eating distinguishes between the various types of food. You have meat, dairy and parve. Parve means that it has neither dairy nor meat.

The name of this internet diet program is Start Fresh.

One thing I need which I don't have is a scale, so I went to my neighbor's house to weigh myself. It's an old scale, a doctor's scale from the states. So it's in pounds. I calculated the weight into kilos. You can use the program in either, but I figured since my kitchen scale is in grams, and the food here is sold in grams, that would be best.

For me the site, when it appears, always gets me confused, since it comes up in the exact same orange as this one. Strange coincidence.

Now I'm trying to set up tomorrow's meals. I feel stupid. It's more complicated than I expected. You can ask them to assign foods. There are lots of choices, but they don't have my sesame paste or techina. At least, so far, I haven't found it. And I couldn't find the cheese I eat, but they do have avocado. It seems to be an American site, at least according to the foods. One of the hard things for me will be to eat more than three meals. I know that the five meal routine is what the experts are promoting.

So wish me luck. I'm hungry just thinking about it. Let's see if Start Fresh will really give me a good dieting start.

Best Sandwich Deal in Jerusalem

Not long ago, I was blogging about the NS20- price limit for lunch. That's about $5.50 at today's rate. Besides sandwiches, it's hard to find anything for that price or less. That's not too good for a dieter for sure.

So, I get stuck eating sandwiches out. I try to stick with tuna.

This week I had two very similar faux bagel sandwiches. Neither had that heavy "real bagel" taste and texture. Real bagels are boiled and then baked. The fauxs are lighter.

One of these sandwiches cost almost double the other. One I ate seated at a table, relaxing and wasting time. The other one was in a less "formal" setting, but I did sit and enjoy it. Actually the cheaper one didn't have mayonnaise. I was able to choose the "unadulterated" tuna.

By looking at the sandwiches, could you really see why one should cost me NS18 and the other NS9.90? The only problem is that the less expensive one can't be found where I bought the other one.

"Sam's" was bought in the Ramat Eshkol shopping center and the other one was at the "Ne'eman" in the Jerusalem Central Bus Station. It's sold in two restaurants on the second floor. I guess they saved money by not having the sign proofread.

Sometimes It's Hard To Know When To Stop

How many times should we offer something after someone says "no?"

Recently at a gathering of friends, someone brought a delicious soup to give us as a treat. One friend said that she couldn't have any; she was in a rush. But the one with the soup, offered again:

"Just a little. It won't take long to eat it."

And the neighbor shrugged and took a bowl.

Another friend refused the offer, saying that she didn't eat one of the ingredients.

"So, I'll give it to you without that."
"No thanks."
"Just a taste?"

I could see my friend getting annoyed. I don't know her medical problems, but I do know that there are foods she doesn't eat. So, I quietly whispered to the friend who brought the soup that the other one is on a very restricted diet. And that was that.

Sometimes it's really hard to know if a person wants to be "urged," or "begged," or if it's really a non-negotiable issue.

Picture Perfect JPIX #21

A Mother in Israel has compiled an absolutely gorgeous JPIX carnival with links to picture posts from all over the world.

The pictures chosen to illustrate it make it clear that it's definitely a good idea to check out all the links. Enjoy!

Weird, In The Middle Of The Night...

... yes, in the middle of the night, I suddenly woke up startled. It was pitch black dark, and usually I have the hall light on. So, I figured that the light must have suddenly gone off. I tried to see if there was light from the windows, because if so, it meant that there was electricity in the neighborhood. If that's the case, it means that our fuses blew. I couldn't settle back to sleep.

So I put on my robe and scarf, since the electric box is outside and left my room, walked down the long corridor. Yes, the planning of the house was stupid; we wasted too much space on that long hall and should have put the bedrooms upstairs, but I digress.

So, towards the end of the hall, I passed the open-doored den and saw the modem lights flashing at me. That meant that there was electricity in the house. So, nu, it must also mean that just the hall fuse blew. Or maybe it was just that light bulb...? I touched the switch, and... the light went on.

Weird. I must have had been so exhausted after the Likud Primaries chaos that I went to bed without turning on the hall light.

And a good morning to you, too.

PS Yesterday was a very long day for me. I got up before dawn so I could take the 6:30am bus to Jerusalem to go to my Tanach, Bible class in Matan. Then I did some shopping in Machane Yehuda Market and walked to the bus station. At the bus station I met with an agent to inquire about Jerusalem old age homes for my very elderly parents. Then I took the bus to Ofra and babysat. And then I went home, had some dinner and went down to vote in the LIkud Primaries. Thank G-d the voting station was barely a kilometer from my house, so I didn't have to travel like many others did.

Was It Worth It?

Many of the comments I got concerning the Havel Havelim I posted yesterday, on both me-ander and Shiloh Musings, wondered how much effort it took. I honestly don't know how many hours of actual work. I do have my tried and trusted method, How to Host a Blog Carnival #1 and How To Host a Blog Carnival #2. In all honesty, a bonus for hosting any blog carnival is the rise in visitors and page views.

Most people checked out Havel Havelim on Shiloh Musings, not here. Yesterday's statistics were much higher than usual, as you can see in the graph. Even better was the amount of people who also read my own posts. Of course, I have no idea how many of those new people will visit afterwards. Last week Benji Lovitt hosted, and I got a lot of hits from that. The previous (by a week or two) HH on Jewlicious gave me almost none. I guess that the Jewlicious readers aren't interested in blogs, while WWZ readers are. Also, more and more bloggers mention the carnivals, which bring even more readers.

So, if you're interested in hosting a Kosher Cooking Carnival, please let me know. From February onwards, the months are available. For Havel Havelim, contact Jack., and for JPIX, contact jpixcarnival@gmail.com .

Easy Sandwich

Recently, I've been taking a course in Matan, a Women's Torah Learning center in Jerusalem. To get there I have to leave home very early, so I take a sandwich or two.

Whole wheat bread or pita, spread with the sesame paste you use for making techina and slices of apples. It's very tasty and keeps well. No sugar, salt etc.

My Eyes Need A Rest

Too much screen time doing Havel Havelim, the post previous to this one. I'm turning off the computer soon. There's tons to read on HH, so please do, and don't forget to tell them where you got the link.