Kosher News

When I was growing up I didn’t know anyone with food allergies. We all brought peanut butter sandwiches to school, and shared our snack bounty with everyone.

These days, schools are peanut free, our kids have friends with strawberry allergies and nut allergies, I have a sensitivity to mushrooms, gluten can be a problem, some people are allergic to dairy products.

At the moment there are no cures for food allergies, other than avoidance of the food in question. When you are talking about allergic children it becomes even more difficult as they are not always aware of the ingredients of a food that they are offered.

Duke University and John’s Hopkins University are hard at work developing a treatment that could allow allergic children to safely, without risk, eat and enjoy the foods that cause them these allergic reactions. It is estimated that this treatment could be available within six to eight years, according to Dr. Robert Wood from Johns Hopkins.

The research currently underway is on allergies to cow’s milk. They are desensitizing the children by giving them tiny amounts of the milk – they swallow it (oral immunotherapy), it is not injected. They did try sublingual therapy but have found that having the child swallow the allergen is more effective. The researchers have studied 30 young children, aged 6 to 18 with severe cow’s milk allergies.

Results suggest that one year of sublingual therapy plus up to two years of oral immunotherapy desensitize the child enough that they were not likely to have major allergic reactions during the oral immunotherapy. However, there were still some allergy symptoms present.

Some of the test subjects have been able to eat dairy products for up to a year after treatment with no significant reactions, but Wood says that only a third of these children have long term protection. Some of these children will need regular exposure to dairy products to keep up their protection against having an allergic reaction.

Are your children allergic to any specific foods? How difficult is it for you to keep them away from these allergens?

Read Tamar’s article on Food Allergies You Need to Know.

Source:

Blogs.Cnn.

Mondays through Thursdays at 5:00 PM EST, we will showcase the best food / kitchen deals of the day. We hope you find them useful. We present to you today’s round up of deals from across the web including dishes, a potato-free Passover cookbook and a retro-style pyramid toaster.

Housewares Deals: Pfaltzgraff® Napoli Sealed Canisters, Set of 3. Reduced from $100 to $35. Deal ends midnight tonight EST. This Napoli 3 Piece Canister Set is a subtly decorated, hand-painted collection that evokes the light and colors of the coast of Italy. The soft palette of pale orange, yellow, rose, blue, and light green brings a bright, cheerful decorative element to your kitchen. The canisters are perfect for storing baking supplies, cookies, coffees, teas, sugar, and snacks. Each lid has a tight plastic seal to help keep your foods fresh. Set of 3 canisters includes 1-1/2, 2, and 3 quart sizes. Microwave and dishwasher safe.

Groupon: $15 for a Jacob Bromwell Genuine Pyramid Toaster in Original Tin ($29.99 Value). A replica of the Jacob Bromwell company’s 1819 model, the handmade pyramid toaster heats over campfires, fireplaces, and stovetops to toast bread without using electricity or a soldering torch. The time-tested pyramid shape evenly disperses heat through open slots on either side. Metal rails hold two slices in place until they blush a golden brown or reveal who they are working for. Each appliance is skillfully forged with a tin finish for retro style and durable performance.

Amazon: KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer. Reduced from $499.99 to $259.99! KitchenAid Professional 600 series (KP26M1P) stand mixers deliver power, versatility and reliable performance to make this the #1 choice for the kitchen. Features:
575 watt motor, 10 speed control
6-quart polished stainless steel wide-mouth bowl with contoured steel handle
67 point planetary mixing action
Packaged and shipped in recyclable, easy-to-open packaging
Includes: 6 quart stainless steel bowl with comfort handle, burnished powerknead spiral dough hook, flat beater and wire whip.

PERFECT FOR PASSOVER!!! Mikasa: Galaxy Dinnerware Set, 34 Piece, Service for 8 with Serving Pieces. Our Price: $529.99 SALE $229.99!! This Sasaki 34 Piece Galaxy Dinnerware Set with Bonus Vegetable Bowl and Platter lets you set your table with refined, contemporary elegance. The tone-on-tone black stoneware pattern makes a dramatic tabletop statement. 34 piece set, service for eight, includes (8) each: 11-1/4 inch dinner plate, 8-5/8 inch salad plate, 7-3/8 inch bowl, and 12 ounce mug, plus a bonus 12-1/2 inch round platter and 10-inch vegetable bowl. Dishwasher and microwave safe.

PERFECT FOR PASSOVER!! JDeal: $23 for Aviva Kanoff’s ”No-Potato Passover” Cookbook, with shipping included (a $35 value). Potatoes. Matzah. More potatoes, more matzah. This is how we eat all week long on Passover. But it doesn’t have to be this way! Buy this deal for $23 and you’ll get Aviva Kanoff’s “No-Potato Passover” Cookbook (the name says it all!), usually $35. Leave the potatoes and starchy ingredients behind! Every recipe in the No-Potato Passover cookbook is not only kosher for Pesach, but are also so tasty that you’ll want to add them to your menus all year round. Whether it’s Pomegranate and goat cheese salad, salmon croquettes with wild mushroom sauce or coq au vin with saffron, these are Passover recipes that do not include potato starch, (and only a few with matzah meal,) and are simply delicious. The book also displays the multi-talented Aviva Kanoff’s own fantastic travel photography. Her stunning images take you on an international culinary experience from Italy to Morocco, and explore the tastes and colors of cultures far and near. Going to someone else’s seder this year? It also makes a great hostess gift. Buy this deal, and you’ll eat well this Passover. Your stomach will thank you.

Meat now has nutrition labels

The Department of Agriculture has a new rule that has started to be enforced as of March 1^st 2012. Ground meat and poultry will now carry labels with nutritional information. There will also be nutritional information posted on display at the store or on the packaging of forty of the most popular cuts of meat and chicken.  These labels will list the amount of calories, and total fat and saturated fat in the meat product.

Facts Up Front

In a move to educate consumers, the FDA is supporting the use of the Facts Up Front (previously known as Nutrition Keys) nutrition labeling system.  This initiative is sponsored by the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association and the Food Marketing Institute.

The four icons that will appear on the front of the food package are to inform the consumer at a glance how many calories are contained within, the amount of fat together with percentage of daily value, the amount of sodium with percentage of daily value and the amount of total sugars. It can additionally showcase two other nutrients – for example, if said product is high in fiber or iron.

The FDA has stopped short of endorsing Facts Up Front – it intends to use enforcement discretion for some parts of the plan, but not if this system is used to mislead consumers.

The problem with this labeling system is that there is no information telling the consumer whether this is a healthy choice or not.  Is 2g of fat reasonable in this food, or not? How is the consumer supposed to know whether the sodium level is high or low for this product? In the UK they color code using the Traffic Light Color Coding – red means the level is high, orange (amber as they call it) is medium, and green would be low.

Do you read nutrition labels? Do you understand those facts and figures and percentages?

Read about Supermarkets Hiring Professionals to Provide a Nutrition Score to Groceries.

Sources:

HuffPost 
Fooducate 
Food Navigator USA

Purim is around the corner, mishloach manot have been prepared and labels stuck on, the menu plan for the seudah is in place, costumes are at the ready – Bring on Purim! We cannot wait. In case you are not as organized as we are here are some great last minute ideas, plus some other articles that are sure to interest you.

CreativeJewishMom helps us recycle while preparing for Purim and brings us Creative Mishloach Manot From Recycled Containers.

Pam Reiss brings us some great alternative recipes to add to your Purim baskets.

Tina Wasserman continues the theme of Not Just Hamantashen for Purim!

Jamie is hard at work writing her third cookbook – and starts a new series here on JoK – The Making of a Cookbook.

Tamar gave us a very important run down on food allergies - they may not apply to you but are sure to apply to someone you know. Be informed.

Our favorites this week from around the web:

I am a total sucker for brownies of any kind and these Triple Layer Fudgy Mint Oreo Brownies totally grabbed my attention – all the ingredients have kosher counterparts at your local kosher grocery.

I love this idea for Purim! Triangular shaped sushi – who says the only triangular Purim food is the Hamantash?

This Meatless BLT is perfect for those of us keeping kosher – you won’t notice there is anything missing!

A Whole Foods Inspired Layered Salad with Orange Ginger Dressing would be a great Mishloach Manot idea, don’t you agree?

These hamantashen are to die for. Brownie Stuffed Hamantash? Yes please!

Have a great weekend and a wonderful Purim next week!

Mondays through Thursdays at 5:00 PM EST, we will showcase the best food / kitchen deals of the day. We hope you find them useful. We present to you today’s round up of deals from across the web including an espresso maker, animal print knives and Emeril steak knives.

PERFECT FOR PASSOVER!! BuySpys: Perko 2qt Food Processor. RETAIL PRICE: $99.95 YOUR PRICE: $34.95. Deal Ends Midnight tonight EST. More convenient than ever, the Perko 2qt Food Processor effortlessly handles a variety of food preparation tasks such as chopping, grinding, and puréeing. A compact build allows the Perko Food Processor to fit comfortably on any counter top and it’s culinary versatility makes it easy to create an entire meal from scratch.
Features:
2 Speeds
6 Stainless Steel Blades
Kugel Blade
600 Watt – UL Approved
Grating Discs
Safety Lock Lid

Daily Checkout: Chefs Secret 4 Cup T304 Stainless Steel Espresso Maker. RETAIL PRICE: $39.99 NOW $9.99!!. Features brushed 18/8 stainless steel finish, opening lid lever, sturdy black handle, filter strainer, upper filtered reservoir, and lower water chamber. White box.
Brushed 18/8 Stainless Steel Finish
Opening Lid Lever
Sturdy Black Handle
Filter Strainer
Upper Filtered Reservoir
Lower Water Chamber

PERFECT FOR PASSOVER!! Meijer: InfraChef Family Size Halogen Oven. Reg: $156.00 Now $69.99. Revolutionize your kitchen with this all-in-one cooking solution that bakes, roasts, toasts, sears, and more! The innovative design cooks meat as quickly as possible using a combination of 3 methods: intense heat transmission, infrared waves, and convection. Together, the methods seal in flavors and juices while evening out cooking time and creating your perfect meal.

Woot: Kuhn Rikon 3-Piece Cutlery Set. $14.99. Deal ends midnight tonight EST. Stay stylish in the kitchen with this three-piece cutlery set. Made of high carbon Japanese steel. The chef’s knife, paring knife, and mini cleaver have a nonstick coating to allow for easy food release. Sheathes protect the blades when stored in a drawer, or allow you to take the knife safetly to a picnic. Decorated with a chic animal print that’s sure to grab attention. Knives and sheathes are dishwasher safe.

PERFECT FOR PASSOVER!! 1saleaday: Choice of Emeril Professional Stainless Steel 4 Piece Kitchen Knife Set or Jumbo 4 Piece Steak Knife Set! List Price $89.99 Price: $14.99!! Deal Ends Midnight Tonight EST! Serving up great things isn’t just Emeril’s passion – It’s his life. The recognition and awards he’s garnered have made him famous to food-loving Americans everywhere. His restaurants consistently win critical praise and top ratings. So when he developed his own cookware line, it made sense that he settled for nothing less than perfect. The Emerilware Collection is marked by Emeril’s high standards of quality, performance, and design, and inspired by his passion for cooking and entertaining. You can’t go wrong with either of these two professional knife sets from Emeril! Choose from the Kitchen Set – which includes a Santoku, sandwich, utility, and paring knife – or the Jumbo Steak Knife Set – which includes 4 serrated steak knives. Both sets boast razor sharp blades and full tang construction for effortless cutting and quality you can trust. Plus, each knife has Emeril’s familiar signature etched onto the blade, and the handles feature a smooth black construction with a triple rivet design. Cut loose your old, dull knives!

I assumed that I was immune to rare food poison or bacteria. If there’s a 1 in 1,000,000 chance that I could eat some kind of contaminant, I assumed I would either be fine or not care out of a preference to enjoy my food than live in fear, a la Anthony Bourdain (who doesn’t let the risk of being bed-ridden from posison shellfish stop him from eating mussels straight out of the water)! However, four-time James Beard award winning chefs are not even immune to poisonous foods. Rozanne Gold recently posted a blog for the Huffington Post about how she unknowingly ate poisonous pine nuts and the discomfort that followed.

Two days after eating an apple and pine nut tart, everything that Gold put in her mouth had a metallic taste to it: wine, roast turkey, and lemon juice all burned the inside of her mouth with a coppery taste. The culprit of this awful sensation was poisonous nuts in her tart, pinus armandii, a nut from China that is nearly identical to the pine nut except that it is much shorter. The Food and Agriculture Organization classifies these pills as unfit for human consumption; but because these nuts do not cause any permanent harm, shipments of pine nuts from China that might have pinus armandii mixed in are still available on supermarket shelves. The FDA says that what Gold experienced is not an allergy, but a reaction called “dysgeusia” or “metallogeusia” and it does not affect everyone who eats the poisonous white nut.

There is no cure for the symptoms of eating pinus armandii because the bitter taste that remained in Gold’s mouth for days is caused by a reaction in the brain, according to a food scientist blogger. The folk remedies of drinking aloe vera juice or chewing charcoal tablets did not even temporarily alleviate the taste in Gold’s mouth that began 2 days after she had eaten the nuts. While the reaction can last for weeks, it can also be as short as a few days, which was the case for Gold. “Four days have passed and I’m almost back to normal. Gratitude never tasted so good.”

My advice to you is to simply avoid pine nuts from China. Though they might be slightly cheaper than their Italian or American alternative, you can save yourself the misfortune of having weeks of copper-mouth.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rozanne-gold/pine-nut-mouth_b_1310216.html

Mondays through Thursdays at 5:00 PM EST, we will showcase the best food / kitchen deals of the day. We hope you find them useful. We present to you today’s round up of deals from across the web including mishloach manot baskets, a coffee maker and a food processor.

Blomingdales: Wüsthof Grand Prix II 2-Piece Bread & Board Set. REG $79.95 SALE $45.99 Sale ends 3/4/12. For nearly two centuries, Wüsthof has been crafting exceptionally strong, sharp and balanced cutlery. Forged in Germany from one piece of steel, each Wüsthof knife boasts superlative precision. The serrated edge of the bread knife cuts soft and crusty breads with aplomb. Stainless steel blade/bamboo board. Imported. 8″ bread knife, 8″ x 12″ bamboo cutting board.

PERFECT FOR PASSOVER!! West Elm: DOTS + STRIPES BOWLS. Were $8.00 SPECIAL $6.00!! Spot on. Made in Japan using the same special printing technique as our Modernist Bowls, these Dots + Stripes Bowls are lined on the outside, dotted on the inside. In a petite porcelain shape, they make perfect catchalls, snack bowls or ice cream dishes.
• Porcelain.
• Dotted interior; striped exterior.
• 5″diam. x 2.75″h; 15 oz.
• Microwave and dishwasher safe.
• Made in Japan.

Jdeal: $30 for a Beautiful Mishloach Manot Basket From Avi Glatt In Store or Online With FREE Shipping ($60 Value). Let’s face it — Mishloach Manot, while often delicious, can be a real chore. The baskets, the stickers, ribbons, candy–not to mention the delivery..there are so many details! Let Avi Glatt take care of it for you. Buy this deal for $30 you’ll get a gorgeous Mishloach Manot basket worth $60 from Avi Glatt. Avi Glatt’s Mishloach Manot each contain a huge variety of foods that anyone would be delighted to receive. They range from tasty middle-eastern treats, to gourmet chocolates, to elegant bottles of wine. Beautifully packaged together with colorful filler in an eye-catching basket, it’s the perfect Mishloach Manot for anyone and everyone this Purim. With 2 options to choose from, we’ve got you covered:
If you have friends or family out-of town, you can have Avi Glatt be your Shaliach! They are offering FREE shipping anywhere in the contiguous USA, if your order is placed online by March 4th, 11:59 pm EST. (Alternatively, if you order online, you can opt for in-store pick-up as well.)
OR
You can go into Avi Glatt’s store on Quentin Road in Brooklyn & redeem your Mishoach Manot voucher until Wednesday, March 7th. Buy this deal, and give all your friends — wherever they may be — the gift of gourmet goodies.

NewEgg.Com: Cuisinart DCC-1200 Chrome Brew Central 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker. Was: $145.99 now: $78.99!! Wake up to the savory aroma of freshly brewed coffee every morning with the Cuisinart Brew Central Coffeemaker. This innovative machine has a variety of programming options including automatic brewing, automatic shutoff, adjustable warming control, and a one-touch 1 to 4 cup brewing feature. The Chrome Brew Coffeemaker has an integrated charcoal water filter to remove impurities ensuring you a rich and flavorful cup. The 12-cup (60 oz.) carafe features a dripless spout and ergonomic handle with knuckle guard. Brew Pause allows you to enjoy a cup of coffee before the brewing cycle has finished. And the time-to-clean monitor with indicator light will help you remember when to run the cleaning cycle on your Brew Central. The Cuisinart DCC-1200 comes complete with a gold tone filter and measuring scoop, a coffee starter kit, and an instruction booklet to bring you the ultimate coffee experience from the moment you open the package. With the Brew Central, your next good morning will be waiting for you.

PERFECT FOR PASSOVER!! Bonton: Cuisinart® Prep 7™ 7-Cup Food Processor. Original: $235.00 Sale: $79.97!! This mid-sized food processor has a fantastic feed tube with a wide mouth that holds whole fruits and vegetables with ease. Features a 7-cup Lexan transparent bowl with handle. Includes medium stainless steel slicing disc (4mm) and stainless shredding disc, mixing/chopping blade, dough blade, spatula, how-to DVD and recipe book.
Detachable disc stem.
Removable parts are dishwasher safe.
Manufacturer’s 3-year limited warranty on unit; 10-year limited warranty on motor.
Imported.

I was brought up with the adage “breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper”. When they were little my children watched their favorite Sesame Street characters sing about breakfast being the most important meal of the day. However, many people skip it or barely give it a second glance.

In this day and age we are more apt to eat our meals at a computer, or on the run – this applies to breakfast too. I myself nibble on a granola bar through the morning rush of getting everyone up and off to school, getting the dog walked, and throwing some laundry in the machine. Who sits down to a cooked breakfast anymore? My kids eat a quick bowl of cereal with a cup of hot cocoa, and would rather skip that if it meant another ten minutes fast asleep!

The Huffington Post article linked to below talks about breakfast “being deconstructed”. It cites the rise in breakfast bars and smoothies, and on-the-go breakfast products. Many of the new products on the markets tout catchphrases such as “high in antioxidants” or “high fiber” – something that the consumer probably wants more of in a breakfast food. These companies also know that these breakfast on the go offerings need to be low in calories too.

Market research company The NPD Group states that between 2008 and 2018 they expect the number of Americans snacking in the morning to rise faster than those snacking in the afternoon and evening.

Is it better to snack all day long, eating smaller meals, or should one make it a priority to sit down to three square meals a day? Which is more nutritionally sound? I asked Tamar, our JoK RD, and this is what she said “Everybody is different and I don’t like to make a hard and fast rule about what is best, but in general I do believe that either 3 medium sized meals or 6 small meals helps to maintain blood sugar levels and stave off binge eating.”

What’s your breakfast style? Are you a sit down for breakfast type of person, do you skip it, or do you eat on the go? Let us know in the comments below.

Click to see some great breakfast recipes.

Sources:

HuffPost

In honor of Leap Day, February 29, Disneyland has added new foods for their special event, “One More Disney Day.” The park will remain open for all 24 hours of Leap Day, savoring every extra minute that Leap Year has granted us. French market restaurant has tweaked their menus for the times between 11 a.m. to midnight and midnight to 3:30 a.m. Café Orleans is reviving their retired breakfast menu from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. to satisfy patrons’ midnight munchies. Other restaurants in the area will be offering special dishes for the day, and some select Downtown Disney locations will be opening up extra early to serve coffee and breakfast to tourists in the early morning.

The purpose of Leap Day is to keep our modern Gregorian calendar aligned with the Earth’s revolution around the sun. Although we have 365 days in a year, it takes 365.242199 days for the Earth to travel around the sun—a tropical year. Without Leap Day, we would lose 6 hours a year, which is 24 days in 100 years! Therefore, Julius Caesar introduced the concept of a leap year over 2000 years ago in the Roman Empire. Originally, every 4 years, another day was added. However, this was corrected 1500 years later: now, a year will be a Leap Year if it is divisible by 4; if it is divisible by 100, it must also be divisible by 400. For example, the year 100 was not a Leap Year, but the year 400 was.

All of this hullabaloo from Disney for Leap Day seemed strange to me, just to mark an extra day. I don’t think the teachers in my university will be cancelling any classes or bringing us the spicy chipotle chile turkey burgers that Tomorrowland Terrace will be offering at Disneyland. However, one pattern I noticed in browsing the web about Leap Day is that it is customary on this day to do something out of the ordinary—to take a leap.

The NBC comedy 30 Rock just had an episode entitled “Leap Day,” in which Leap Day is a celebrated holiday. People wear blue and yellow, towns hold parades, there is a mythical man named “Leap Day Williams” who turns babies’ tears into candy, and there is a movie celebrating the holiday with Jim Carey and Andie MacDowell. The movie within the show promotes the idea that one needs to take chances on Leap Day, because it is the only day of the year on which one’s actions don’t count.

Aside from eating cookies decorated as frogs and wearing pink in honor of Sharsheret Pink Day (to spread awareness about breast cancer), this Leap Day I will try something new and take a risk. Maybe it will be to try a new dance class. Maybe I’ll actually try running in Riverside Park like I always say I will.

What will you try this Leap Day?

Sources:

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/02/late-night-and-early-morning-snacking-at-the-disneyland-resort-during-one-more-disney-day/

http://www.timeanddate.com/date/leapyear.html

http://www.njfamily.com/Real-Moms-of-NJ/February-2012/Leap-for-Joy-Leap-Days-Coming/

http://www.sharsheret.org/event/856

Mondays through Thursdays at 5:00 PM EST, we will showcase the best food / kitchen deals of the day. We hope you find them useful. We present to you today’s round up of deals from across the web including pots and pans, Ginsu knives and a deep fryer.

Kosher Kouponz: $61.75 for LARGE Shalach Manos platter (reg. $95) from Munchkin Treatz. There’s the shalach manos that gets tossed, the shalach manos that gets recycled at the office… and the shalach manos they keep for themselves. Give the platter that they won’t share. Munchkin Treatz candies and confections are made fresh daily – no stale taste or unsightly bloom. And their attentiveness to quality is unmatched. Starting with 100% pure luxury Belgian chocolate, imported directly to their Creations Studio in New Jersey, Munchkin Treatz crafts artisanal delights that are almost too good to eat. And when you taste them, you’ll taste the quality difference – no waxy texture or sugary aftertaste. This gorgeous PARVE Purim platter features double stuffed sandwich cookies dipped and decorated in dark and white chocolate, a large gourmet assortment of unusually decorated dark and white chocolate dipped pretzels, fancifully decorated dark and white dipped tea biscuits, decorated and chocolate dipped marshmallow pops, chocolate dipped hamantashen or nut/fruit clusters, decorated and white and dark chocolate dipped graham crackers, as well as a fruit and nut assortment including jumbo cashews, pistachios, slow roasted almonds and dipped dried fruit. Handcrafted Parve chocolate platters usually cost $120 and more for this sized platter. Munchkin Treatz is a locally based business that makes tasteful treats affordable ranging from the small to deluxe creations and platters. But now, in a limited time offer for this $95 deluxe platter, give this high quality gift they’ll remember for only $61.75 – a SAVINGS of $35% !

Macy’s: Anolon Advanced Bronze Cookware Set, 11 Piece Hard Anodized Nonstick. Reg. $349.99 Reduced to $299.99!! Every well-equipped kitchen starts with the basics. Seasoned chefs back the long-lasting, superior durability of Anolon’s nonstick performance. The sophisticated tulip shape with attractive bronze finish contrasts beautifully with the dark hard-anodized interior, which heats food up fast and evenly. Lifetime limited warranty.
•Includes: 1.5 qt. covered saucepan, 3 qt. covered saucepan, 8 qt. covered stockpot, 8″ open skillet, 10″ open skillet, 3 qt. covered sauté pan and 12″ shallow grill pan
•Dupont Autograph® 2 nonstick stands up to the rigors of professional kitchen use
•Hard-anodized construction is twice as hard as stainless steel
•Aluminum core reduces “hot spots” that can burn food
•Ergonomic SureGrip® handles combine stainless steel and silicone
•Dual riveted and oven safe to 400°F
•Break-resistant glass lids
•Hand wash recommended

DailyMemories: Magnetic Spice Rack. Reduced from $29.99 to $19.99! Deal Ends Midnight tonight EST. Always have your favorite spices right at hand for flavorful cooking! Stainless steel rack looks sleek on your countertop or wall; roomy magnetic jars feature see-through lids and adjustable shaker holes. Weight 1.4 lbs. Stainless steel. Spices not included. Set: 9″ x 6″ x 2″ high; Each container: 2 1/2″ diameter x 1 3/4″ high.

PERFECT FOR PASSOVER. Amazon: Ginsu 04817 International Traditions 14-Piece Knife Set with Block, Natural. Reduced from $49.99 to $29.99. Many associate Ginsu knives with the product’s kitschy infomercial from the ‘70s that begins with a karate kick to a watermelon and proceeds with a demo of these knives cutting through just about anything in the house. Like the original product, Ginsu’s International Traditions is designed for the home cook who is not attuned to the maintenance required of a more high-end knife. However, this line is an improvement on the original, offering the weight, balance, and style of a commercial-quality knife, while meeting current design trends and performance expectations. This 14-piece set stocks a kitchen with most cutlery needs, and packs all knives in a contemporary black hardwood storage block. The set includes: an 8-inch chef’s knife, an 8-inch slicer, a 7-inch santoku knife, a 5-1/2-inch boning knife, a 5-inch utility knife, a 3-1/2-inch paring knife, and six 4-1/2-inch steak knives, plus a pair of shears. Ginsu blades are constructed from stainless steel and feature a two-dimensional serrated edge that is symmetrically cut on either side for more accurate slicing and for either right- or left-handed use. Edges are still as low-maintenance as ever and never require sharpening. The blades have full tangs that extend through lightweight bakelite handles and are triple-riveted for strength. Ginsu covers these International Traditions knives under a limited, lifetime warranty and recommends manual cleaning with hot, soapy water to keep them in top shape.

Kitchen Myth: 6-Cup Stainless Steel Electric Family Home Deep Fryer. Reduced from $49.99 to $36.99! The E-ware 6-Cup / 1.5-liter deep fryer features stainless steel housing including cool-touch handles for easily movement around your kitchen, the unit fries food faster with its powerful immersion element that heats up quickly and uses far less oil than conventional fryers. The deep fryer includes an adjustable timer of 30 minutes as well as a release lid button.

Does mind over matter really work when it comes to eating right and exercising? Can you think yourself thin?

Lumosity, a company that develops programs for mind training, was approached by the HuffPost and asked how the latest neuroscience breakthroughs could be applied to helping people make better lifestyle choices.

Exercise

When you exercise new brain cells are generated – a process called neurogenesis. When you exercise your brain it leads to increased will power. So if you do both – exercise body and mind – you will find it easier to attain your health and fitness goals .

The more you exercise, the less your brain will respond to food cues, says Dr Srini Pillay, author of Life Unlocked and The Science Behind the Law of Attraction.

What kind of exercise can give the mind as much of a workout as the body? One example is a dance classes where you have to remember steps and sequences.

Willpower

“Scientific research shows us that there are two kinds of intentions: ‘goal’ intentions which are broad (‘I need to eat better’) and ‘implementation’ intentions that are more specific (‘I need to only eat meals that I cook myself’),” Dr. Pillay says. “When you are too general, the brain is less likely to change its behavior, however, when you are more specific, it has to do less work on its own to help you achieve your goal. This is especially true of weight-loss strategies,” he adds. So from this we learn that one’s willpower is key.

Positive thinking

Lumosity says that regular brain training programs can help strengthen willpower. Dr Pillay says that having positive affirmations helps in this regard too. Be positive – instead of saying you will NOT eat a certain food, tell yourself you will eat this healthy food at a certain time. Positivity plays a large role in living a healthful lifestyle.

Source:

Huffington Post.

Mondays through Thursdays at 5:00 PM EST, we will showcase the best food / kitchen deals of the day. We hope you find them useful. We present to you today’s round up of deals from across the web including flatware, a mini food processor and kid friendly kitchen tools.

PERFECT FOR PASSOVER!!! Pfatlzgraff: Dinnerware Set, 34 Piece, Service for 8 with Serving Bowl and Platter. MSRP $265 now $99.99!! This 34 Piece Seaside Dinnerware Set sweeps you away to the sunny shores of the beach. The shell and starfish pattern borrows the color palette of the sun, sand, and sea to create a warm look for your tabletop. 34 piece set, service for 8, includes 8 each of: 10-3/4 inch dinner plate, 7-1/2 inch salad plate, 16 ounce soup/cereal bowl, and 14 ounce mug, plus a 1 quart vegetable bowl and 13-1/2 inch long x 10 inch wide oval platter. Microwave and dishwasher safe.

1saleaday: Choice of 8 Piece Curious Chef Kids’ Fruit & Vegetable Set or 8 Piece Cutlery & Serving Set – Dishwasher Safe! Reduced from $29.99 to $9.99!! Deal ends Midnight tonight EST! Introducing Curious Chef, the first complete line of real cooking tools designed specifically for children. The mission of Curious Chef is to promote learning, bonding, and, of course, fun! Their collection of kid-friendly kitchen tools went through years of development and real-world testing, and now it’s available for you and your children to enjoy. Encompassing an assortment of uniquely designed cooking products by creating “real kitchen tools for kids,” Curious Chef incorporates the elements of safety and vibrant color in every piece of their collection. Easy to grip and sized for small hands, Curious Chef cooking items are high quality, real, 100% functional, and safe. Choose from either of these two sets – an 8 piece cutlery and serving set with nylon knives, a pizza server and cutter, frosting spreader and more, or choose the 8 piece fruit and vegetable set with a lemon-shaped cutting board, fruit and vegetable peeler, apple corer, and more – to get your little one started on a lifetime of enjoying their time in the kitchen.

Meijer: Nostalgia Electrics 4-Pie Countertop Bakery. Reduced from $39.99 to $24.99. Deal Ends Midnight Tonight. The Nostalgia Electrics Countertop Bakery lets you create up to 4 individual-sized pies full of your favorite fillings! You can make pot pies, fruit pies, or tarts and all in about 8 minutes. Pie making has never been easier.

PERFECT FOR PASSOVER!!! BuyDig: Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor (Brushed Chrome). Reduced from $60 to $39.99. The Mini-Prep Plus is the perfect little helper for small food prep, from chopping herbs, to finely grinding hard cheese. Its versatility lies in the special Auto Reversing Smart Blade, which makes it easier to process both soft and hard food.

PERFECT FOR PASSOVER!!! Housewares Deals: Pfaltzgraff® 40 Piece Pacifica Frost Flatware Set, Service for 8. Reduced from $80 to $28! Deal Ends Midnight Tonight EST! This Pfaltzgraff Pacifica Frost 40 Piece Flatware Set is constructed of superior quality 18/0 stainless steel, and will stand up to the rigors of everyday use. Three raised bands swirl down the length of each lustrous frosted handle, for an ultra modern look that will be the talk of the table. 40 piece set, service for 8, includes 8 each of: dinner fork, salad fork, dinner spoon, teaspoon, and dinner knife. Dishwasher safe.

The regular strawberry crop often falls victim to parasites – including black root rot which is caused by a microscopic worm, and the black vine weevil – a nasty bug brought in from Europe in the 19th century. These infestations can ruin a strawberry’s root system.

Scientists at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven have created a parasite resistant strawberry called the Rubicon. Once they are granted a patent for the Rubicon, they plan to grow the strawberry and sell to commercial growers and farms in the US.

Strawberry farmers have long since battled with the parasitic infestations – when one crop is attacked it can take two or three years until a new crop of strawberries can be safely planted in the same spot.

Richard Cowles is the scientist who performed the crossbreeding. It took him over 10 years during which he produced over 500 variations in his quest to find a disease resistant strawberry. Part of this research included taste testing the strawberries. Cowles says “The flavor is really exceptional. It’s sweet and aromatic. It’s just heavenly.”

Why did he call his revolutionary strawberry the Rubicon? Partly because it combines the color of the strawberry – ruby red – and Conn is an abbreviation for Connecticut. Also it ferefences “crossing the rubicon”, defined by UsingEnglish.com as passing the point of no return.

This new strawberry is not hardy enough for most main stream supermarkets and would do better, says Cowles, in gourmet grocery stores and niche markets.

Once the patent is obtained, the plant will be tested for other viruses at Nourse Farms, in Whately, Mass., and once it’s cleared it will be propagated and produced there.

Source:

CTPOST

We have kicked our Purim preparation into high gear – less than two weeks left, folks, have you got all your mishloach manot planned? What’s on your menu for the seudah? Do your children have their costumes ready? Enjoy some of our favorite posts from this week.

Allaya brought us some awesome recipes for Purim treats.

Jamie remembers how overworked she was the first Purim in a new neighborhood.

 Rabbi Lawrence explained to us what Purim is about.

Sharon Lurie brought us some wonderful menu ideas for a Purim Seudah – I just cannot wait to try out the Persian Carpet Rides, just because I LOVE the name!

PLUS some great ideas for your mishloach manot, purim decor and purim packaging.

Our favorites this week from around the web:

Blogeats brings us a delicious recipe for Beet Tart with Blue Cheese, Goat Cheese, and Frisee.

If you are like me, you love brownies in ANY form. These quick and easy Mississippi Mud Brownies will not disappoint. You may have to share, so be sure to make a double batch.

We came across this Sparkling Champagne and Strawberries Jello and thought it might be the perfect dessert for your Purim seudah.

Melinda brings us Cauliflower Crust Cheesy Pizza which was inspired by her sister’s Paleo diet – no grains, only proteins, fruits and veggies.

And something healthy and light but oh so delicious – Pinto beans and yellow squashes with green dressing.

Mondays through Thursdays at 5:00 PM EST, we will showcase the best food / kitchen deals of the day. We hope you find them useful. We present to you today’s round up of deals from across the web including a frying pan set, a Dutch oven and a bamboo utensil set.

Groupon: $35 for a Hampton Forge 15-Piece Cutlery Set with Knife Block ($79.99 Value). Hampton Forge’s 15-piece cutlery set arms epicureans with the right tools to whip up a three-course meal or three-tiered ice sculpture. Each blade is hand-honed from stainless steel and extends with a full-tang design into the secure fit of a comfort-grip handle. The pack contains a variety of mini saws such as 4.5-inch steak knives that tear effortlessly through meaty entrees and a 5-inch serrated knife designed to saw through breads and erroneously addressed love letters. Features: Stainless steel hand-honed blades; Ergonomic stainless steel handles for added control when shaving the head of a penny; Full-tang handle for added strength and durability; Elegant espresso wooden block included for storage. 15-piece set includes knives for any culinary task.

Housewares Deals: Vasconia® 5 Piece Fry Pan Set. Reduced from $52 to $27 – Deal ends Midnight Tonight EST. This Vasconia 5 Piece Fry Pan Set lets you make everyday meals easily with less clean up. The fry pans feature aluminum cores for even heat distribution and nonstick interiors for easy food release and simple cleanup, plus comfortable, ‘stay cool’ handles for a secure grip. The fine mesh splatter screen fits over any of the pans to keep grease and oil from splattering, and has a folding handle for storage. The large nylon turner is perfect for flipping foods and is safe on all cookware, including nonstick.

JDeal: $40 for the JWines red collection from JWines.com ($50 value). Purim is the time for revelry, costumes, feasts–and lots of good wine. Serve the finest vibrant and exciting kosher wines at your Seudah this year: Buy this deal for $40 and you’ll get a 4-pack of kosher wines worth $50 from JWines.com.   In this package, you’ll get the Segal Fusion, a medium bodied wine that evokes fresh tropical fruit and melon aromas; a Yogev Cabarnet/Merlot, which highlights red fruit, slightly seasoned with a pinch of green scent; the Carbernet Sauvignon from the Ben-Ami winery; and Barkan Shiraz, a medium-bodied wine with appealing dark fruit, spice flavors and a smooth texture. The quality kosher wine market has simply exploded over the past 10 years. Take advantage – buy this deal and treat your guests this Purim to the finest wines available.

Amazon: Lodge Color 6-Quart Dutch Oven. Reduced from $98 to $49.97. This 6 Qt enamel Dutch oven is great for cooking, marinating, refrigeration and freezing. The color porcelain enamel on cast iron can be used on gas, electric, ceramic and induction cooktops, as well as in the oven. Not recommended for use on outdoor grills or over open outdoor flames. Not for use in microwaves. Lodge Color Porcelain Enamel on Cast Iron cookware is cast from molten iron in individual sand molds. The porcelain surface eliminates the need to season cast iron. The cast iron vessel has superior heat distribution and retention, evenly heating bottom sidewalls and even the lid. Tightly fitting lid seals in moisture. The excellent heat retention reduces the amount of energy needed for cooking. Two layers of very hard, glossy porcelain enamel are chip resistant and easy to clean. Lid knob is oven safe to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The black rim on the pot is matte porcelain, not exposed cast iron. Hygienic porcelain enamel is non-reactive with food. Although dishwasher safe, hand washing with warm soapy water is recommended to preserve the cookware’s original appearance.

1saleaday: Core Bamboo Combo Pack: 5 Piece Utensil Set, 2 Piece Trivet Set and Banana Hanger! Reduced from $79.99 to $9.99!! Deal ends midnight tonight EST. Bamboo is one of the most remarkable resources on earth, and everything Core Bamboo creates from it is distinctively stylish, ultra durable, totally organic, and made by an experienced team of hard working artisans. Every piece of bamboo they use is 100% organically grown, their adhesives are water based and food safe, and the finishes on their products are made from top grade natural oils, making all their products healthy and safe for the environment. Some people talk about being organic, Core Bamboo lives by it. This durable set is something everyone can use in their kitchen. It includes practically every tool you need to prepare food and serve it, all made from 100% organically grown bamboo, and is perfect for home cooks and professional chefs alike. Featuring a variety of spatulas and spoons to cook with, functional and appealing trivets to protect your kitchen surfaces, and a beautiful banana hanger to keep your counters neat, this set is a must have for the frequent entertainer.