Horseradish All Year Long

Many people Jews associate eating sharp strong horseradish only with the Passover Seder. If they have it during the year with gefilte fish, it's usually sweetened or diluted with beets. I davka like the pure horseradish all year long.

When my husband makes it for the Passover Seder, he uses the "coffee bean grinder" on our rather ancient Moulinex blender, adds a bit of vinegar, and it lasts a couple of months after Passover. I usually have some in the morning on my eggs. But that stock doesn't last forever, and the time had come for me to grind some more.

Yes, it's my job to peel and cut the horseradish root into chunks. And those chunks go into the food-processor. I use the cutting blade. And when the pieces are as small as they can get, I put them in glass jars and add vinegar. The jars then go into the refrigerator.

This should last a couple of months, and then I have to prepare more.

PS there are people who consider this condiment medicinal. It sure adds flavor.

Fun in Pisgat Zeev Mall

Yesterday I was in Jerusalem for the day and ended it in the Pisgat Zeev Mall, which is a relatively small one. It's also the easiest to get to from Shiloh or as a "last stop before going home," which was yesterday's occasion.

I'm generally surprised at how empty the mall is. Some storefronts are empty, and even the Bank Leumi left, although other banks still have branches in the mall. Downstairs there's a "Shufar Sal Deal" and a "Superpharm" among the clothing, shoes, jewelry and phone stores.  FOX has their clothing departments, but not a FOX HOME, but there's a Naaman Outlet and Home Center.

Unlike most malls, there are few places to get a meal. Most of the restaurants have closed. There are food places in Pisgat Zeev which apparently the locals prefer to entering the mall. Actually, there are lots of neighborhood stores, not the usual chains, in Pisgat Zeev on the street of the mall, the nearby center and also the other neighborhoods. Pisgat Zeev and neighboring Neve Yaakov are more like a separate city, than a couple of neighborhoods, in terms of population and services.

On a hot summer day, like yesterday, the children's entertainment in the mall seemed like a perfect solution to "What should we do with the children today?" summer vacation dilemma. I was surprised that there weren't more kids there. 

Small Salad, Big Enough

As you must know by now, I'm trying to knock off a few kilo. They snuck back this past year or so. I must admit that my self control has gotten pretty weak, and I've been eating out a bit more than in the past. No doubt these two factors have contributed to the weight gain.

The other day I went out to lunch with a few friends. One was in from abroad, and we really wanted to spend time with her. We met at the Greg Cafe in Center 1, Jerusalem, between the Central Bus Station and the String Bridge. There's a Greg in most Israeli malls, and most probably other locations, too. They somehow manage to keep up standards.

We ordered different foods, fish, quiche, vegetable patties, and I ordered the Small Greek Salad.

Usually, I don't have any problem stuffing a full-size Israeli restaurant salad into me, even though they are humongous. A couple of weeks ago, I met some other friends, actually in the Greg in Hadar Mall, and shared a big salad. Afterwards, I wasn't hungry. This time I didn't have a salad partner, so when I noticed that there was a Small Greek Salad on the menu which only cost about NS35, I asked the waitress, "how small?" After her pantomime, I decided to go for it.


Cafe Greg
Floor 1
02-6249213





It's actually a perfectly adequate salad, and for a restaurant salad, it was a decent price. In terms of diet and budget, I have no complaints. And I certainly recommend it. It's kosher dairy mehadrin.

Post Fast Vegetable Soup Simmering on Stove

As I had written on Shiloh Musings, it's a fast day today. I like breaking the fast on a nice freshly cooked vegetable soup. Yes, it's on the stove right now.

I trust it will be fully cooked in time to eat it right after the fast.

This is a very easy to make soup. The peas have been soaking for hours in boiling water, which has since cooled. Then before cooking I added fresh garlic, onion, carrot and squash. On top of that I poured a bit of oil and sprinkled some dill.

After it came to a boil, I lowered the heat to a simmer. Thanks to the facebook friends who helped me remember the proper word which didn't come to my fuel starved mind. I'll probably add some more water, boiling so as not to slow down the cooking and also some salt and pepper.

The delicious cooking aroma of the soup is driving me mad...

B"H the fast is over in less than an hour.

Just adding a picture. Here's the soup. I had a few bowls...

On Being a Morning Person

I love the sunrise. I'm so happy that the front of my house faces east. The biggest mistake we made in planning the house was putting our bedroom in the back; it's like a dungeon. But the upside of that is that I just can't wait to get out of bed.

My body doesn't need great amounts of sleep, and frequently after about six hours it just wakes up. If I nap or have too inactive a day, I have trouble falling asleep. Today I awoke an hour before the alarm went off. I was on my second mug of coffee when I heard my alarm.

When I travel to different time zones, I combat jetlag by forcing myself, frequently with the help of lots of coffee, to go to bed at about midnight, and then my body wakes up about six hours later. Yes, that's on time for me.

This morning I had great fun photographing the sunrise.

And I'm sure that I'm one of the only 52Frames members who had an easy time getting the Golden Hour "extra credit" by photographing dawn.

"Magic Morning Coffee"
Luckily for me I kept waking up very early last week, with plenty of time to drink my coffee and photograph the dawn during "Magic/Golden Hour."

woke before alarm
got to see gorgeous sunrise
now drinking coffee
#morningcoffeehaiku

Psyched up for the pool
Today's another scorcher
Coffee cold and strong
#morningcoffeehaiku

rescued by coffee
sometimes sleep isn't enough
grey sky but still hot
#morningcoffeehaiku

Enjoying coffee
Wonderful Day Yesterday
but need much more sleep
#morningcoffeehaiku

Grey summer morning 
Cold brew coffee, jar, filter
No need for French Press 
#morningcoffeehaiku

ripe cold brew coffee
perfect for hot summer's day
yay, pool, here I come
#morningcoffeehaiku

Yes! Cold Brew Coffee
Perfect hot day summer drink
Must plan in advance
#morningcoffeehaiku

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #22 "High Tech" Loo, Not for Use

This is a continuation in my ongoing series about public toilets in Jerusalem. See #21, #20, #19, #18, #17, #16,  #15a, #15,  #14, #13, #12, #11, #10, #9,  #8, #7,  #6,  #5, Saved by The First Station aka #4a, #4, #3, #2 and #1

A few years ago, the Jerusalem Municipality put these cute little loos, WCs, one-person prefabricated Public Toilets around the city. No doubt they had seemed like the perfect solution for areas in which didn't have the space for anything more conventional.

Since they are designed for just one person at a time and handicapped accesible, only one would suffice. Nowadays, there aren't too many left. This one is in the small public plaza on Hillel Street near the Italian Synagogue Museum and the back entrance to Music Square. I was happy to discover it, since there aren't any public toilets in that area at all.

But then I checked it out, following the posted instructions. The door opened easily, too easily, but it no longer locks when you shut it. The mechanism is gone. It was awful. Luckily I was there more for research than actual use. You'd need a "buddy" to guard yourself if you were going to use it for what it was designed.

Too bad; it was nice in theory. If you really need a WC in that part of Jerusalem, either go into one of the restaurants or walk to a different part of the city centre. #20 and #19 aren't too far away.

I hope that this was helpful. If you have any suggestions, please mention in the comments, thanks.

Our Local Kupat Cholim Leumit Clinic

As you can see it's large, lovely and pleasant.  The Kupat Cholim Leumit Clinic is located in the center of Shiloh, near the supermarket, clothing/toy store and library. Across the street there's a pizza place, dairy restaurant, special "soldiers nosh place" and a bus stop.

The Kupat Cholim Leumit Clinic has a nurse, baby care clinic and hours for all sorts of doctors, plus lab tests, "alternative" medicine, a pharmacy and other services. Most things nowadays are by appointment which can be done by phone or on the internet.

Shiloh also has a Kupat Cholim Clallit Clinic in my neighborhood. So for people who want their basic medical care locally, there's a choice.

A Year, Memories

My brother, Hal Thomas "Tommy" Spiegelman, died just a year ago after a "short" illness. He was diagnosed with cancer soon after the death of our father. He had just enough warning for me some of our extraordinary cousins to visit and say goodbye. Our sister, who had become rather expert at dealing with all the "logistics" of caring for people since our parents had chosen her as "guardian," used the skills and knowledge for him, too. Tommy had never married, and there were no children.

Tommy visited Israel twice. First he spent most of the summer here when my eldest was born, and the second time was just a year later, for over six months. He did the kibbutz-style ulpan that had been in Moshav Argaman. I think that was one of the happiest times in his life. He loved the work and life in the moshav, though he had an awful time trying to learn Hebrew. People loved him there from what I heard. He spoke of staying in Israel, but somehow after our parents showed up, he changed his mind.

In all honesty, we weren't all that close, but there was a bond for sure. He was my witness and always confirmed that I hadn't imagined the difficulties I had experienced with my parents. If I ever get my act together to write about Emotional Abuse, the book would be dedicated to him, לעילוי נשמתות li'ilui nishmato, to elevate the soul of צבי הירש בן זיסקין Tzvi Hirsh ben Ziskin.

Entertaining Evening in The Israel Museum

Last night I joined with thousands of others at a beautifully entertaining evening in the Billy Rose Gardens of the Israel Museum.

We were davka entertained by one of the newest and most veteran Israeli singing sensations. The main attraction was Yehoram Gaon, who has been an Israeli favorite for half a century. He sang and spoke, as if he was shooting the breeze with old friends, which in a sense we all were. He even cracked some jokes at his own expense, recognizing that he's an "antique" of sorts. More sadly he mentioned that the singers he started out with are no longer in This World.

Yehoram Gaon's performance was an old time Israeli style singalong, and the lyrics were posted on the enormous screens framing the stage.

The opening act was a young couple, young enough to be Yehoram Gaon's grandchildren. They are known as "Yonina" and came to people's attention not very long ago when they began posting their singing on facebook.  They sang in Hebrew, English and even some original songs. They are marvelous, and the audience was impressed, especially  those who had never before heard of them.

As is customary at Israeli events, there was a "pop up" minyan as soon as it had become dark enough, just before the show began. 

I must say that the crowd was extremely well behaved and seemed to enjoy both parts of the show. 

Indoor "Picnic" Spot in Jerusalem

Yesterday I had to travel to Jerusalem just before lunchtime, and I took food with me. It was my usual cooked vegetables with some techina paste. Especially since I really am trying to get my weight down again, I must bring food and not buy whenever possible. But because of the heatwave, the idea of eating outdoors just didn't appeal to me.

A week or two ago, I had breakfast at a table in Center 1 very early in the morning, before the nearby food place was open. That wouldn't work yesterday, since it was midday.

Luckily, I noticed some girls sitting and eating at a table that wasn't next to any food joint. I decided to find a place there, too, which I did. In the end nobody bothered me or sent me packing.

The only problem was that my food was frozen. I had left it in the freezer too long after making it that same morning.

I presume that these tables are for customers of the various "fast food" places in Center 1, and I'm glad that nobody stopped me from sitting there. I really needed to eat in a nice relaxed way and not holding my food container in my hands or on my lap.

Diet-Phobic, Don't Call it "Diet"

One reason many people just can't "diet" to lose weight is that the recommended portions are just much too small. Yes, I'm one of them. For decades I refused to hear about diets, because the idea of eating a few spoonfuls of food and shrinking the plate just made me phobic.

Yes, diet-phobic!

Am I the only one diet-phobic? I honestly doubt it.

Another, probably related, thing I don't particularly like is when people serve me, deciding how much of the various foods I will eat. Inevitably I would have prefered less of one and more of another. Maybe I'm just contrary and it could be called a "control" thing. Whatever you want to call it, the psychological effect on "dieting" is pretty bad.

And the most important part of "dieting" is the ability to make it a life-changer, finding a way to permanently eat in a way that the weight will stay off.

It certainly doesn't pay to work hard, lose weight and have it return with interest before you've worn out your new clothes. Let's say you manage to lose weight for a special event, get some great clothes, look spectacular in the pictures and then just a few years later people look at the album and say:

"Who's that?"

I've always said that it's best to make a few livable, sustainable changes, which may not produce the perfect body of your dreams, but you can continue eating that way.

I basically did that almost ten years ago. The weight stayed off until just over a year ago, and all that came back was barely a third of what I had lost. That is considered successful weight loss. And I'm already working hard at banishing them again. I have no doubt that this will happen periodically for the rest of my life.

My basic eating plan is to include a lot of cooked vegetables, which are filling and tasty. Here's yesterday's lunch.

The beef was cooked for Shabbat, and I heated it up with an onion and and a big chunk of cabbage. Salad was simply a cucumber and tomato. Since my husband and I have an empty nest, I cook a week's worth of meat, mostly chicken, when I cook for Shabbat and we reheat it during the week. That's most efficient for us.

I hope this helps, me, you and all.

Summer Treat, Cold Brew Coffee

Last summer I discovered a new coffee-making technique, Cold Brew Coffee.  Apparently, there are a number of ways to do it, anything from tying the coffee grounds in a clean cloth (like for cheesemaking) or piece of stocking, just make sure there's no detergent, thing for holding tea leaves in water or French Press. Since I have a nice big French Press, that's what I use.

Today I finally drank some.

At first it looks like the coffee will be too light.

But in the morning after a nice stir, you can see that it brewed perfectly while sitting in the refrigerator.

And it tastes absolutely delicious. 

For Shabbat's cold coffee, when it is forbidden to use a filter, I simply perc a nice large quantity, and when it has cooled enough. Then I pour the coffee into glass jars to put in the fridge. That way it's ready and waiting for me in the morning.

And I'll let you in on one more little coffee secret. You don't need hot water to make instant coffee. Stir it in cold water; add your usual sugar/milk plus a few ice cubes, and you'll be surprised at how good it can be... That is of course if you have an instant you like.

Beauty Routine at My Age?

One of my friends of "similar age" goes to a lot of lectures and seminars about good health and looking young. Then she reports to me about what we really should be doing. Grrr... I'm too lazy to change much.

Since, bli eyin haraa, I'm pretty healthy, the only major health issue I have is my weight, too much of it.  It's no secret that I'm looking for a super easy, non-stressful way to lose weight. I think that lots of people would like that. Actually, if I could figure it out, I'd be a gazillionaire.

To lose weight, I have to do two basic things. One is to stick better to the eating routine, very little carbohydrates and none of those high calorie desserts or treats, which worked so successfully a few years ago.  And the other thing is to reduce food quantity, which doesn't have to be by all that much. I already exercise "enough," though more physical activity would be better. And since I'll be getting a salary from "teaching" until the end of August, I don't have a busy schedule. More to do would help the weight stay away, as long as I remember to pack meals and snacks. Too much idleness increases the appetite.

As you can see,
my bathingsuit has
sleeves and covers me up.

Actually there are two conflicting things when it comes to busy-ness and weight. If you don't have much to do, eating becomes a too frequent activity. That's no good of course. But if you don't eat frequently enough, every three-four hours, just a simple snack like a few nuts, no sugar yogurt, a fruit etc, your metabolism can go down causing weight gain, and also, when you finally eat, you may be so hungry that you eat too much and lose control.

But the recommended Beauty Routines that really turn me off. Every single one requires slathering something on your face, which then requires very careful cleaning. Now I'm going to admit something you may not believe. I don't put any creams and stuff on my face, with very few exceptions.

Before going to the outdoor pool in the morning, I will use a good sunscreen and even wear a cap with sun-visor plus dark glasses for some of my exercise in the water. aka Water Aerobics And if I know I'll be in the sun for a very long time midday I put on a hat and sunscreen whenever possible. I keep a hat in my bag that will give me some protection.

But I don't cream my face daily, nightly or even weekly. Besides lipstick, I don't wear make-up at all. I really like like the feel of cream or any other gop on my face. Periodically, I also find that soaps sting. I just prefer some water and a hot shower. Then I can scrub it clean with my towel.

From what I hear from friends, if you use any of the recommended creams, to make your skin look younger, you then must use special cleansers nightly to clean your face. To me that's just too many chemicals, and unnaturalness on sensitive skin.

What do you think?

Now Another New Watch

Less than two years years ago I bought myself an inexpensive watch. I didn't even have to pay real money for it. I got it for 59 FOX points, and it was great until just under two weeks ago. While eating at the "farewell" luncheon in honor of my husband's 70th birthday and retirement from work something suddenly clanked/fell on the table. It was my watch. The band just broke, clunk.

I realized that the time had come to replace it, but since the watch itself was still working, I didn't rush. In all honesty, I don't believe in buying expensive watches. I try to find one with a simple plastic band that cost not much more than a replacement battery. I also hate the digital ones and like an old-fashioned one, which doesn't even need numbers.

A lot of the inexpensive ones are junk and even overpriced. When I was in Jerusalem last week I passed some stores with lots of watches and claimed that they were 50% or even 70% off. Now, I'm not that dumb. If a store is making such claims on all their stock, either the initial price is super-inflated or they've been holding the stock so long that the batteries are due to die really soon. And to top it all off, when I looked in the windows, none of them attracted me.

The next day I noticed that the watch, which I kept in a pocket, was losing time. Oops. So it was useless. Of course, six days a week, all I need is my phone, which has a clock. But then I realized that Shabbat was approaching when I couldn't use to phone to see the time. So that night when I saw a neighbor who has a great clothing, toy and misc. store if she sold watches, she said "yes, a few." The next morning, Friday just before Shabbat, I went in and after seeing a few which didn't really appeal, though the prices did, suddenly he daughter pulled one off of a shelf behind her.

It was perfect, and only costs NS45, about $12.

What do you think?

Baile Rochel and Me, Too, Dieting Blues, Burnout

The weight has been creeping up. Not all of my clothes fit all that well anymore. A few things are no longer even wearable. Yes, I need to somehow re-energize, re-motivate myself to stick to the "guidelines" that got 15 kilo, over thirty, yes, 30 pounds off less than a decade ago.

Yesterday I was at our local clinic for another stage of the usual, not quite, annual check-up. After relaxing a few minutes, Blood Pressure was fine, Baruch Hashem, bli eyin haraa sans medication. But then I had to be weighed... That is not my favorite thing. OK I do weigh myself at home almost daily, but here the numbers are between me and my scale. At the clinic there was this super skinny, anorexic-looking nurse who not only saw the number, but she recorded it for everyone who can access my file, which is computerized, to see.

As if my weight wasn't bad enough, it calibrates some body-fat index according to recorded height, and mine was too high. Thank Gd she didn't recheck my height. At my age one does not get taller, and it's not just that more of my grandkids are taller than me, but my grown daughters seem to be getting much taller than they used to be, too. That index may possibly be even worse.  A few days before at the "slam a heavy door on a sensitive part of the body from all different angles test" I had written my highest remembered height on the form I had to fill in.  Ignorance is bliss, or at least makes it all seem better.

The nurse very gently tried to recommend that I contact their dietician, but I refused. I tried to explain how nothing makes me hungrier than being told what to eat. Also, she didn't know me when I was really obese and then managed to get the weight off. I told her that I could lead a group myself. Years ago, I had even taken a coaching course.

Then she asked me if I exercise and looked rather doubtful when I said "yes." So I whipped out my cellphone and showed her the Pedometer. I had to explain how it all works, also on a one day page. It gives amount of time physically active, distance, pace and steps. This is the type of thing I teach when I tutor Computer and Cellphone Tips.

Maybe the time has come to call our accountant and open my little "free lance" business. Diet Coach is what I need to be. And a group would be nice. I did it a number of years ago...

And it's certainly the time to restrict my "treats" to Shabbat and work harder to get the weight off again. I guess it's "Public Diet" time again. But I'm not telling you my weight. Some things must stay between me and the scale.

One of Those Weeks and A Bit About Shiloh

They say things come in three's...
(Apologies if it's based on some Christian theology.)

As you can see from the bulletin board, three "death notices." If you don't know Hebrew at all, the words ברוך דיין האמת BARUCH DAYAN HA'EMET, mean Blessed is the True Judge, and the phrase is used to announce or react to the death of a person.

Two of the families I know very extremely well, and the third, I'm just acquainted with. But the strangest thing is about these three is that they have something in common. They are all American-Israeli.

Now you probably know that Shiloh isn't considered one of those very "Anglo communities" in which one can easily manage barely knowing any Hebrew.  But the truth is that there is a sizable and active English speaking community, of which some members aren't "anglo-born." To be more accurate, there are two anglo crowds in Shiloh. One is of my generation which includes great-grandparents and young grandparents, and the other one is a generation younger. That younger generation includes immigrants and native-born Israelis who were raised in English-speaking homes, some of whom surprise people with their perfect English.

Only one of the mourning families is sitting shiva in Shiloh, two of the funeral were at exactly the same time but different cities, and the third will get up from shiva this morning.

המקום ינחם X3

HAMAKOM YINACHEM X3

MAY GD COMFORT ALL THREE FAMILIES