My goals for the Fridge and pantry for before Pesach!
Yes I know its weird but I have goals for my inanimate objects! I have made a goal for myself for the fridge to keep it clean and the food fresh. Now, my goal is to of course keep that up but to also not have to keep anything in the fridge for over pesach. Meaning, all contents will be consumed or disposed off! I am tired of carting back and forth in between fridges where there are other non pesachdic items. I'm tired of putting stuff into bags and bringing it to my in-laws for storage and then bringing it back...totally not necessary! So, this year to continue in the spirit of not complicating our lives...we will consume what we have, and either pitch or dedicate one small shelf for non pesachdic items!
The same can be said for the pantry. Of course we don't cart it around to my in laws like we do with perishable items to use their basement fridge. But it takes up way to much space that is needed for Pesach storage! Also, even thought the expiration date isn't for a few years, it does not mean that you have to keep it around that long! So, as of JANUARY 1st we are no longer buying things for the pantry unless they are for immediate use. We will be working on 'clearing' the space the old fashioned way...eating our way through it :-)
Now, I don't want people to get the wrong idea. I am totally for storage and for being prepared and for a pantry it is awesome to have one. However, when things stand around for tooo long, and when things get lost because of an over abundance then there is real issues.
So what I'm telling you all is...
ITS TIME TO CLEAN FOR PESACH :-)
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Higher Food Standards
Its been a while...
I now have time to think about all the things I did while I was on maternity leave. Although short in time, it was long in hours.
One of the greatest things that maternity leave did for me was the abundant amount of time I had to watch t.v as I was nursing. Trying to still learn something for the first little bit I watched all the movies we had in our house...some three or four times. How else are you going to keep awake at UN-godly hours of the day and night? Then at the advice of my dear hubby who was being supportive during the whole process I turned to HULU.com the coolest website! You can watch any show as many episodes as they have!!! Some had a few, others had whole seasons! Well I got really into a show called "Kitchen Nightmares" its with Chef Gordon Ramsey. He goes from restaurant to restaurant trying to help them out. He tastes the food then shows whats going on in the kitchen and advices the owners as to what to do, how to run their business what to clean, etc.
I can now appreciate food at a higher level. Honestly!
I grew up a Russian Jew. Meaning=we LOVE FOOD! Everything we do is with food. We are happy with food, we are sad with food, we are mad with food, etc.
I am also by nature (or my mom's side of the family gene pool) am not picky about food. I will eat almost anything and like it. I really do mean anything from expensive restaurant Steak to cheap fast food (in my previous life I loved McDonald's!). Yet, now I have a higher standard for food quality! I still love hot dogs, but its a matter of how long they have been around and when the expiration date is! I no longer look at food loving and think that one day we will eat it! NO, we won't!!! If its in the fridge longer than three, okay four days...its garbage. I now have higher standards of what goes into the freezer...because lets face it ladies and gentlemen if you put Challah in the freezer and you take it out a week or more later it will taste like its been frozen. Instead of saving time shopping for fresh food, I save time and money in not having old food and too much food in the fridge and freezer. Yes, I know its easier to make something for the whole week, but how much harder is it to cook twice in the week then it is to cook once and throw food out? Yes I must admit it takes more time to think of a menu and think of what we would like to eat and what is on sale for the week but in the end the reward is fresh good food that will be eaten in three or four days tops!
I can now see the shelves of my fridge because its not overwhelmed with mounds of food that will eventually get tossed out because too much was made and then not eaten in time. Or we got sick of eating it so we left it and I made even more food, and then that goes in the fridge and of course doesn't all get eaten.
So, my solution (at least for now) is to plan in advance, shop once a week for fresh fruits and vegetables and once a week for poultry and eat what we buy...or toss it out. Since I can't stand to throw food out, we eat what we buy!
Oh, and did I mention that cuts down on going out for food. Yes, because you think to yourself..."if I go out then the food that is already made and waiting to be eaten in the fridge will be thrown out". Also, after watching Kitchen nightmares and the standards of kitchen cleanliness that most restaurants seem to have...I DON'T WANT TO GO OUT! I have higher standards for picking my nose then most restaurants have for their kitchens!
My conclusion: yes it takes longer to be organized and on top of your kitchen, but its very worth it in the long run. Like everything else, once you get used to it and in the swing of things, it will take much shorter time.
Its a total coincidence that I was thinking of this post at 4am and when I was reading blogs I found that ProfK had posted the coolest food link for her viewers! I've attached the link and I highly recommend it!
LOVE IT!
Hat tip to ProfK THANK YOU!
I now have time to think about all the things I did while I was on maternity leave. Although short in time, it was long in hours.
One of the greatest things that maternity leave did for me was the abundant amount of time I had to watch t.v as I was nursing. Trying to still learn something for the first little bit I watched all the movies we had in our house...some three or four times. How else are you going to keep awake at UN-godly hours of the day and night? Then at the advice of my dear hubby who was being supportive during the whole process I turned to HULU.com the coolest website! You can watch any show as many episodes as they have!!! Some had a few, others had whole seasons! Well I got really into a show called "Kitchen Nightmares" its with Chef Gordon Ramsey. He goes from restaurant to restaurant trying to help them out. He tastes the food then shows whats going on in the kitchen and advices the owners as to what to do, how to run their business what to clean, etc.
I can now appreciate food at a higher level. Honestly!
I grew up a Russian Jew. Meaning=we LOVE FOOD! Everything we do is with food. We are happy with food, we are sad with food, we are mad with food, etc.
I am also by nature (or my mom's side of the family gene pool) am not picky about food. I will eat almost anything and like it. I really do mean anything from expensive restaurant Steak to cheap fast food (in my previous life I loved McDonald's!). Yet, now I have a higher standard for food quality! I still love hot dogs, but its a matter of how long they have been around and when the expiration date is! I no longer look at food loving and think that one day we will eat it! NO, we won't!!! If its in the fridge longer than three, okay four days...its garbage. I now have higher standards of what goes into the freezer...because lets face it ladies and gentlemen if you put Challah in the freezer and you take it out a week or more later it will taste like its been frozen. Instead of saving time shopping for fresh food, I save time and money in not having old food and too much food in the fridge and freezer. Yes, I know its easier to make something for the whole week, but how much harder is it to cook twice in the week then it is to cook once and throw food out? Yes I must admit it takes more time to think of a menu and think of what we would like to eat and what is on sale for the week but in the end the reward is fresh good food that will be eaten in three or four days tops!
I can now see the shelves of my fridge because its not overwhelmed with mounds of food that will eventually get tossed out because too much was made and then not eaten in time. Or we got sick of eating it so we left it and I made even more food, and then that goes in the fridge and of course doesn't all get eaten.
So, my solution (at least for now) is to plan in advance, shop once a week for fresh fruits and vegetables and once a week for poultry and eat what we buy...or toss it out. Since I can't stand to throw food out, we eat what we buy!
Oh, and did I mention that cuts down on going out for food. Yes, because you think to yourself..."if I go out then the food that is already made and waiting to be eaten in the fridge will be thrown out". Also, after watching Kitchen nightmares and the standards of kitchen cleanliness that most restaurants seem to have...I DON'T WANT TO GO OUT! I have higher standards for picking my nose then most restaurants have for their kitchens!
My conclusion: yes it takes longer to be organized and on top of your kitchen, but its very worth it in the long run. Like everything else, once you get used to it and in the swing of things, it will take much shorter time.
Its a total coincidence that I was thinking of this post at 4am and when I was reading blogs I found that ProfK had posted the coolest food link for her viewers! I've attached the link and I highly recommend it!
LOVE IT!
Hat tip to ProfK THANK YOU!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Taboun Grill 2....How I love thee
Today was an awesome lunch!
Pulled in to Taboun grill 2 at 12:30pm, walked in to a friendly smiley waitress ready to seat me. I asked to order take out it was not a problem. By the time I was done paying my shwarma in a pita with everything in it was ready for me to eat.
Some people may be skeptical..."yes it was fast, but was it good?"
The answer is...YES IT WAS!!!
It was fresh, delicious and professionally done. The pita stayed intact till the very last bite. There was nothing falling out anywhere and everything spread evenly and thoroughly and of course the Shwarma itself was very very tasty.
All in all, it was a great lunch! No wonder why the place was busy!!!
Pulled in to Taboun grill 2 at 12:30pm, walked in to a friendly smiley waitress ready to seat me. I asked to order take out it was not a problem. By the time I was done paying my shwarma in a pita with everything in it was ready for me to eat.
Some people may be skeptical..."yes it was fast, but was it good?"
The answer is...YES IT WAS!!!
It was fresh, delicious and professionally done. The pita stayed intact till the very last bite. There was nothing falling out anywhere and everything spread evenly and thoroughly and of course the Shwarma itself was very very tasty.
All in all, it was a great lunch! No wonder why the place was busy!!!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Eating FISH!!!
On the topic of, dieting, eating right and eating better.
MSN in their health section has the following headline:
Eating fatty fish lowers risk of dementia
So now we know that Fish is not only good tasting but it is also good for you.
What interests me is the fact that scientists actually research these topics and come up with thesis papers to explain phenomenon the cavemen used to know when nobody could read, or write. This is yet, another excellent example of better living through chemistry.
MSN in their health section has the following headline:
Eating fatty fish lowers risk of dementia
So now we know that Fish is not only good tasting but it is also good for you.
What interests me is the fact that scientists actually research these topics and come up with thesis papers to explain phenomenon the cavemen used to know when nobody could read, or write. This is yet, another excellent example of better living through chemistry.
Beijing
This is really cool!
If anybody was worried that on their next trip to Beijing they would not have any kosher food. Put your worries aside, Chabbad to the rescue. In this news article Rabbi Shimon explains, his Chabbad and his situation is very different to most others. He has to work hand in had with Reform Jews in order to achieve a unified Jewish community. His task is exceptional and his success will be legacy.
Interesting.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1007998.html
If anybody was worried that on their next trip to Beijing they would not have any kosher food. Put your worries aside, Chabbad to the rescue. In this news article Rabbi Shimon explains, his Chabbad and his situation is very different to most others. He has to work hand in had with Reform Jews in order to achieve a unified Jewish community. His task is exceptional and his success will be legacy.
Interesting.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1007998.html
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Being eaten out of house and home.
Money saving? What saving!? How can you possibly save money when prices for produce are at all time high? Food in the United States of America historically was not a big ticket item. If you were to go to the store and buy absolutely everything you wanted, it was still pretty impossible to spend your entire wage on feeding your family. In other parts of the world it is not so. For instance in the former Soviet Union it was very possible to spend your entire weekly salary on feeding your family.
I do understand that in America prices are sill lower than the rest of the world. Yet, when people are used to a certain price for a certain food it is still a bit of a shock when that price doubles in what seems like over night.
I think I bring this up only because yesterday I did some grocery shopping, still pretty fresh with the frustration of stopping by a large kosher supper market and seeing all the inflated prices. Now I understand that people are going to start defending the kosher store that it is much smaller than the chain stores, the prices for them in bulk are larger and all the other fantastic explanations, and here is the kicker….I AGREE! I understand that the local kosher market cannot compete with Target when selling milhik whip cream at the price target has them beat by at least 30%. I understand that instant coffee costs more than it does in Costco and the same goes for Mayonnaise. BUT, why does Fake crab cost $7.59 for kosher and $2.99 for non Kosher….its the same fish! FISH!!!! Not meat, no shochet required!
I would love to know what the profit margin on food is in a chain store compared to a local supper market, compared to a kosher market. I would love to know why it is that cookies, chocolates, and other various kinds of unhealthy food can be sold for the same price as a large chain store but essentials like bread, eggs, milk are sold at such an upgrade!
I think in today’s market economy it is extremely prudent to be an educated consumer. Of course it would be in effective to drive around for the best deals thereby wasting both time and gas and car. Yet, most Americans have to drive to work…there are stores around your work place hitting them after work for a better price than the local rip off is becoming more and more essential. Buying less food, throwing out less food is always a topic but now its crucial. Most of all, I’d like you all to check out this site. Orthonomics has awesome ideas for how to save money wisely…I agree with her. Check it out, maybe you will too.
Hat tip to Orthonomics!
I do understand that in America prices are sill lower than the rest of the world. Yet, when people are used to a certain price for a certain food it is still a bit of a shock when that price doubles in what seems like over night.
I think I bring this up only because yesterday I did some grocery shopping, still pretty fresh with the frustration of stopping by a large kosher supper market and seeing all the inflated prices. Now I understand that people are going to start defending the kosher store that it is much smaller than the chain stores, the prices for them in bulk are larger and all the other fantastic explanations, and here is the kicker….I AGREE! I understand that the local kosher market cannot compete with Target when selling milhik whip cream at the price target has them beat by at least 30%. I understand that instant coffee costs more than it does in Costco and the same goes for Mayonnaise. BUT, why does Fake crab cost $7.59 for kosher and $2.99 for non Kosher….its the same fish! FISH!!!! Not meat, no shochet required!
I would love to know what the profit margin on food is in a chain store compared to a local supper market, compared to a kosher market. I would love to know why it is that cookies, chocolates, and other various kinds of unhealthy food can be sold for the same price as a large chain store but essentials like bread, eggs, milk are sold at such an upgrade!
I think in today’s market economy it is extremely prudent to be an educated consumer. Of course it would be in effective to drive around for the best deals thereby wasting both time and gas and car. Yet, most Americans have to drive to work…there are stores around your work place hitting them after work for a better price than the local rip off is becoming more and more essential. Buying less food, throwing out less food is always a topic but now its crucial. Most of all, I’d like you all to check out this site. Orthonomics has awesome ideas for how to save money wisely…I agree with her. Check it out, maybe you will too.
Hat tip to Orthonomics!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Food.
It is always interesting to me how big of a deal food is. I was just thinking about it and realized that food takes up the better half of our lives. We have to think about it, we have to buy it, we have to prepare it. We go out for food, we stay in for food, we socialize over food. We spend time reading recipes, discussing recipes and picking out just the right ingredient for the recipe. Our lives really revolve around food.
Now, think of someone on a diet. Not only do their lives revolve around food, they also cannot eat it! Now, even more time is needed to review recipes, and measure accurately and count and watch what you eat. Really, in our society our lives revolve around food. It is incredible how more people do not have obsessions on this topic.
It is no wonder to me that the price of food is going up. Gas prices are going up, therefore they have a direct link to all other prices involving transportation. It seems though that people are genuinely shocked when the price of food is higher. Why, because they feel it is a necessity and therefore should not go up in price. The fact is, because it IS a necessity is why it is going up in price. People cannot live without food, therefore, no matter what the price they will pay it.
Now, here is a question: What if someone is on a very limited budget, what can they now buy for $20 a week in groceries to feed a family of 2.
Answer: 1 pound of tomato's, 1 pound of cucumbers, 1 pound of onions, 1 pound of carrots, 1 lettuce, 1 cabbage, 1 bunch dill, 5 pound bag of potatoes, 1 bag of rice (1 pound), 1/2 turkey breast, 5 kiwi's, 1 pound of grapes.
You don't have to pick those particular items but just as an example.
Who thinks that's enough food to last a whole week without feeling hungry? Who thinks that's enough nutrients? I'm not sure that I do.
Last week I spent $40 to feed my husband and I for a week. That did not include shabbat. Where we were invited out for all meals. We brought with us fresh fruit salad that I made.
Just wondering what will happen to the value of the dollar? Wondering what is already happening in countries where the economy is weak? What are people meant to do?
Now, think of someone on a diet. Not only do their lives revolve around food, they also cannot eat it! Now, even more time is needed to review recipes, and measure accurately and count and watch what you eat. Really, in our society our lives revolve around food. It is incredible how more people do not have obsessions on this topic.
It is no wonder to me that the price of food is going up. Gas prices are going up, therefore they have a direct link to all other prices involving transportation. It seems though that people are genuinely shocked when the price of food is higher. Why, because they feel it is a necessity and therefore should not go up in price. The fact is, because it IS a necessity is why it is going up in price. People cannot live without food, therefore, no matter what the price they will pay it.
Now, here is a question: What if someone is on a very limited budget, what can they now buy for $20 a week in groceries to feed a family of 2.
Answer: 1 pound of tomato's, 1 pound of cucumbers, 1 pound of onions, 1 pound of carrots, 1 lettuce, 1 cabbage, 1 bunch dill, 5 pound bag of potatoes, 1 bag of rice (1 pound), 1/2 turkey breast, 5 kiwi's, 1 pound of grapes.
You don't have to pick those particular items but just as an example.
Who thinks that's enough food to last a whole week without feeling hungry? Who thinks that's enough nutrients? I'm not sure that I do.
Last week I spent $40 to feed my husband and I for a week. That did not include shabbat. Where we were invited out for all meals. We brought with us fresh fruit salad that I made.
Just wondering what will happen to the value of the dollar? Wondering what is already happening in countries where the economy is weak? What are people meant to do?
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