May is Jewish American Heritage Month

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Exciting news: May is Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM). Now in its 12th year, JAHM encourages people of all backgrounds to learn about and draw inspiration from the 360-year history of Jewish life in America.

Jewish Americans have made incredible contributions to our beloved nation’s history, culture, and society. This year, JAHM celebrates those who have made a significant impact in the field of medical research. 

Here are just a few of the remarkable folks who made the list:

  • Gertrude Elion – developed life-saving drugs, including the first chemotherapy for childhood leukemia
  • Jonas Salk – created the first polio vaccine
  • Baruch Blumberg – discovered the Hepatitis B virus & developed the vaccine
  • Mathilde Krim – Founder of amfAR (the American Foundation for AIDS Research)
  • Eric Richard Kandel – Nobel Prize winner for his research on neurons
  • Rosalyn S. Yalow – Second woman to win a Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine 

A variety of events, exhibitions, concerts, gallery talks, film screenings, lectures, and other related programs will be taking place across the country in honor of JAHM. Find the complete event calendar and more info on the website.

One Fresh Cup Coffee & Tea Giveaway

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Most of us would never think of starting the day without a cup—or two!—of good, strong coffee. Personally, I can barely open my eyes without some. While I love to drink it, the coffee-making process can be so annoying. Some mornings, I’m simply too tired to deal with measuring and scooping, and what should be an easy task, turns into a disaster!

It’s kind of embarrassing to admit how many times I’ve done it wrong. I’ve used too much and overfilled the cup with grounds, used too little and it was barely more than colored water, and, worst of all, filled my machine with too-hot water and exploded everything onto the counter!

Sure, I could just stick to buying coffee in a shop, but that’s not always convenient, nor is it affordable. What I want is a goof-proof product that I can make in my own kitchen or office. Finding One Fresh Cup was like a dream come true.

This unique product is a simple, quick, and mess-free way to brew single servings, minus the guess work and hassle of using a traditional machine or K-cups.

Curious how One Fresh Cup works? All it takes are three steps:

1. Unpack and remove the filter bag.

2. Tear along the dotted line to open the filter, then place it
onto an 8 ounce coffee cup, secured by the built-in hangers.

3. Slowly pour boiling water into the filter in small, circular intervals.

Sure, we can all agree it’s easy to make, but you’re probably wondering how it tastes. In a word: remarkable! One Fresh Cup offers only premium blends, sourced from the world’s most famous coffee regions. Meticulously roasted and exceptionally fresh, they are delicious. Because I enjoy mixing it up, the variety pack, with 5 different flavors is my favorite, and I love knowing that everything is certified Kosher.

Each Variety Pack includes 10 individual packs of these gourmet delights:

  • Gayo (Sumatra)
  • Sidamo (Ethiopia)
  • Cerrado (Brazil)
  • French Roast (Indonesia/Africa)
  • Decaf (Colombia)

Prefer tea to coffee? One Fresh Cup offers a lovely assortment of Mint and Lavender, made from high-quality Chinese Oolong. Brewed with the same innovative single-serve filter, the teas can be enjoyed hot or cold. I really enjoy having a chilled cup of Mint, while I prefer the Lavender served hot.

As for cost, it couldn’t be more reasonable. A single cup is only $1.50—a quarter of what I’ve paid at a “gourmet” coffee shop for something that didn’t taste half as good. These delicious drinks are available for order online at OneFreshCup.com. Every order receives FREE shipping to the contiguous 48 states and using coupon code TJL10 at checkout will save an additional 10% off!

Ready to “Pour, Set, Tear” your way to an incredible cup of coffee or tea? I’m so excited to offer a giveaway. Two winners will receive 4 boxes of One Fresh Cup—Two Coffee Variety Packs and Two Tea Variety Packs.

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Super Savings Saturday – 4/29/17

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Welcome to another edition of Super Savings Saturday.

This week was full of awesome deals on food, toys, and cosmetics. For once, I wasn’t short on time and browsed at my leisure. Here’s my haul from three stores:

Shaw’s:

I have been getting lots of free items by playing the Monopoly game promotion that the store is running. Most of the time, it’s bonus tickets, but also some actual food—free sour cream, free bagel, free canister of salt, and a free donut.

Lucerne cheddar cheese, sale price $0.99 with MyMixx coupon.

Signature Farm baby carrots, sale price $0.99 with MyMixx coupon. 

Refresh soda, sale price $0.49 with MyMixx coupon. 

Signature Cafe hummus, sale price $0.99 with MyMixx coupon.

Snack Artist BBQ chips, sale price $0.99 with MyMixx coupon. 

Walgreens:

After reading about a huge unadvertised toy clearance, I popped over to my local store to check it out. To my surprise, there was tons of stock and everything rang up for less than $1.00!

6 Disney Palace Pets, clearance price $0.69 each! (90% off original price and going right into the stockpile for future gifts.)

2 Ballerina Barbie, clearance price $0.69 each! (Also 90% off.)

I have no idea why these were discounted so much, probably just a fluke, but I’m certainly not complaining.

Target:

I spent about an hour in the clothing department, in search of some warm weather items. I didn’t end up buying anything because nothing really struck my fancy, but it was still fun just trying things on. I was especially curious to see the Victoria Beckham collection. There was very little on the shelf and what was there was picked over and limited in size/style. I’m waiting til it’s restocked before I offer an opinion.

All About Zoodles

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Confession: I am a noodle FANATIC! At least once a week—if not more—spaghetti is on the menu at my house for dinner. There’s only one exception to the rule and that is during Passover.

I’ve blogged before about how I find Passover foods to be bland and boring. Most of the substitutions taste beyond bad. Instead of trying to “enjoy” what I’m restricted to, it’s simpler to skip it. No bread, no baked goods, no pasta. Yes, it’s a rough week, but I muddle through…

Then I was served something new in a friend’s kitchen, Zoodles with tomato sauce, that changed my mind. Zucchini Noodles aka “Zoodles” are the first true pasta alternative that I’ve eaten and actually enjoyed. Does it taste like a flour noodle? No, obviously not, but it does look like one and it doesn’t have a fake flavor that’s gross. (The flavor, without sauce or spices, is actually neutral.)

I was inspired enough to buy a little machine and start “zoodling” a bunch of different veggies. Here’s what I learned and what I like:

  • Easy to increase vegetable intake (especially for picky kids!)
  • Cheap
  • Gluten free
  • Wheat free
  • Low carb
  • Safe for Celiac/Diabetes
  • Nutritious
  • Unprocessed

Making zoodles at home costs a lot less than store-bought, but there is some (minimal) effort involved. The cheapest way, of course, is just to use a kitchen knife, but if you’re looking to make them regularly, it can be worth investing in a gadget.

Zoodle makers come in electrical and manual options. One manual type has a hand crank and is stationary; another resembles a large pencil sharpener. I have the pencil sharpener type (similar to the one pictured above). Some elbow grease is required, but it’s not unbearable. Admittedly, I don’t make tons! Anyone who wants to be prolific (restaurant, party, etc.) should definitely go electric. Hands/wrists do get tired, after all.

Probably the most remarkable part of zoodle making is the large quantity produced. A single zucchini makes enough to fill a medium sized mixing bowl full of ribbons! Because the ribbons stretch to looooooong lengths, it’s smart to cut them every so often while working (6-8 inches).

Don’t like zucchini? Fear not, “zoodle” is kind of a generic term for a spiralized veggie, and any of these foods can be substituted:

  • Beets (red or golden)
  • Carrots
  • Radishes
  • Broccoli stems
  • Asparagus
  • Turnips
  • Parsnips
  • Butternut squash
  • Cucumber
  • Potato (White & Sweet)

While spiralized veggies are technically a substitute for pasta noodles, they can also be used as a stand-alone side dish or as a meal component. Some fun ideas are to use large strips to tie up food bundles, or to wrap around a kabob skewer. 

Flour pasta will always be my favorite, but zoodles are awesome when I’m dieting, during Passover, or want to add more veggies into a meal.

 

 
Have you tried zoodles? Have a good recipe? I’d love to hear about it?