Pesach Mission #10: The after party

Yes, Pesach is over, but our work is not done.  Now is the time to sit with our lists and adjust for next year.

• Did you run out of KLP cereal in the middle of the week?  Write down to buy more next year.
• How many eggs and how much matzah did you really use?  Mark it down.
• Did your food processor finally break down?  Make a note to buy one during the year- not at the last minute when you are stressed.
• If you don’t have a master shopping list, type up the one you used this year and put it in a file to print out next year (or use the list on the Organizational Tools page).
• If a new recipe was a keeper, write that on the recipe.  If a recipe didn’t make the grade, throw it out now.  There is nothing more frustrating than having four chocolate chip cookie recipes and not knowing which one tasted great and which one bombed.
• If you save foods from year to year, don’t forget to write on your master shopping list not to buy them next year!

Don’t procrastinate- this is essential for proper planning and to help save money next year!

Nifty Sefirat HaOmer app

The second day of Pesach is the first day of Sefirat HaOmer.  If you have tried all sorts of reminders but tend to forget to count anyway, check out Rusty Brick’s Sefirat HaOmer app for iPhone and Android.  The app itself is free but if you pay 99 cents, you will get a daily reminder to count with the correct number in the listing.  In my opinion, this is the best 99 cents I have ever spent- I tried setting up reminders in Google Calendar but the number wouldn’t change with each successive day.  You can pick what time of day the reminder is sent and it does not send reminders on Shabbat/Yom Tov.

Rami Levy is the cheapest for Pesach shopping throughout Israel

Yediot Achronot published an article this Friday comparing prices for various Pesach items in different supermarkets in various cities.  Unfortunately, I don’t have the full article- just a few photographs from Rami Levy’s Facebook page– but here are the results (from the cheapest to the most expensive):

Greater Gush Dan (48 products):

1. Rami Levy, Mitcham Ayalon- 476.30 shekels
2. Osher Ad, Mitcham Ayalon- 599.20 shekels
3. YOU, Yigal Alon 73, Yad Eliyahu- 611.15 shekels
4. Victory, Derech Shlomo 44, Tel Aviv- 622 shekels
5. Shufersal Deal, Azrielli Tel Aviv- 640.01 shekels

Modiin (56 products):

1. Rami Levy, Yishpru- 665.20 shekels
2. Yaynot Bitan, Yishpru- 821.30 shekels
3. Shufersal Deal, Yishpru- 879.01 shekels
4. YOU, Malibu Center- 912.50 shekels

Haifa (57 products):

1. Rami Levy, Chalutzei HaTaasia 73, Kiryat Haim- 709.70 shekels
2. Yochannof, HaHaroshet 10, Hutzot HaMifratz- 850.30 shekels
3. YOU, Priman 8, Mitcham Kastra- 892.10 shekels
4. Osher Ad, HaNes Mular, Kiryat Bialik- 896.20 shekels
5. Shufersal Deal, Kenyon HaYesod 20, Kiryat Ata- 914.21 shekels

Jerusalem (36 products):

1. Rami Levy, Beit HaDfus 13- 423.10 shekels
2. Osher Ad, Kenyon Hadar- 504.60 shekels
3. Shufersal Deal, Kanfei Nesharim 24- 539.95 shekels
4. Zol u’B’gadol, Romema- 578.30 shekels

 

Free matzah- just like the old country

Remember when we used to get a 5 pound package of matzah with our Pesach shopping?  This year two stores are offering a free matzah deal:

• Shufersal Deal/Deal Extra/Online– use your Shufersal credit card to purchase 150 shekels worth of wine and you can get a 2.5 kg box of regular matzah for free. Limit 2 matzot per credit card. Does not include boutique wines (over 100 shekels), sweet wines, Tirosh and grape juice.  Double discounts apply.  Expires 3 April 2015.
• YOU– YOU members that spend 500 shekels at one time will receive a 1 kg package of matzah for free.  Double discounts do not apply.

They aren’t the best deals, but they do bring back memories!

Ben & Jerry’s for Pesach and Free Cone Day 14 April 2015

Did you know that you can buy KLP (Badatz), kiniyot- free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream on Pesach?

The following flavors are KLP:

• Vanilla
• Coffee
• Chocolate
• Strawberry
• Chocolate with walnuts
• Banana with walnuts
• Dulce de leche
• Haroset!

In addition, their factory store will be open 1-12 April 2015 with coloring and crafts for kids.

If you aren’t able to get over there during Pesach, don’t miss Free Cone Day on April 14!

Go to the Ben & Jerry’s website for more information.

 

Important: Buying eggs on Pesach

While perusing different forums I see that there is a lot of misinformation being promulgated about eggs on Pesach.  Here is what you need to know:

1. The dye that is used to stamp eggs on Pesach is KLP.
2. Eggs have to be stamped on Pesach in exactly the same manner as throughout the year.  Eggs without a stamp on them are ILLEGALLY PRODUCED OR IMPORTED EGGS and should not be purchased.  Report all unstamped eggs to the Ministry of Health at *5400.
3. Make sure the eggs you purchase are from someone licensed to do so- last year the eggs pictured below were smuggled in from Hebron with “KLP” stamps:
   

   Source: Kol Chai

4. Tnuva put out a statement regarding their KLP eggs.  The following is a condensed translation:

“For many years people have been strict in not purchasing eggs that have been stamped because of the suspicion that there may be chametz in the dye used to stamp the eggs.  Unscrupulous people take advantage of this stricture and sell unstamped eggs that have not been supervised by the authorities and may be a risk to public health in addition to being against the law.

Because of this, Tnuva with cooperation of the Badatz Eidah Charedit has spent considerable effort and money to procure a dye that has no suspicion of chametz in it.  All eggs produced by Tnuva at this time are using this dye and are stamped כ. פסח.  This year mashgichim from Badatz Eidah Charedit have supervised this process and these eggs are sold with a special permit that states that the dye used is without chametz.

An interesting point to note is that the chemical of concern in the dye is an alcohol, which evaporates immediately when the egg is stamped and is therefore not present when the eggs are consumed.”

For more general information about purchasing eggs in Israel such as storage temperature, washing of eggs and more, check out my previous post Aliyah tip #1- understanding eggs.

Shufersal Pesach deals- expire 13 April 2015

Here are pictures of the latest deals in Shufersal.  The Pesach products are coming out in full force now so watch the prices go up.  For example, last week Shufersal brand KLP shoko powder was 8.90 shekels, this week it is 9.90 shekels.  As requested by a reader, I have tried to photograph the actual hashgacha and I am trying to emphasize kitniyot-free products.

Sanfrost vegetables are almost all KLP- they have different statuses regarding shmitah so check that as well.These new diet puddings didn’t make it until Pesach.  Kitniyot.Kitniyot and Gebrahkts free.Kitniyot and Gebrahkts free.All of the standard Ashkenazi cookies- but with kitniyot.  Let the buyer beware.  (The TamTams are not KLP)This shouldn’t have kitniyot but it doesn’t say yes or no.Kitniyot.Kitniyot.Kitniyot.No Kitniyot!No Kitniyot!No Kitniyot!Again, shouldn’t have kitniyot but it doesn’t say either way.No Kitniyot!Unfortunately, only the giant bag was KLP.  Maybe the smaller ones will be in stock later on.  No KLP cat food at that time.No kitniyot or gebrahkts.No kitniyot.Kitniyot.Sorry, can’t tell if it has kitniyot or not.No kitniyot or gebrahkts!

Pesach mission #1- Clean out your pantry now!

Today is Shushan Purim- the unofficial start to Pesach preparations.

Your counters are full of mishloach manot, and you know you won’t be able to eat all of it before Pesach.  Your mission today is to empty out ALL of the food from your pantry.  Separate the food and the mishloach manot into 4 boxes:

1. Chametz gamur- actual chametz
2. KLP items (with hashgacha)
3. Food your family doesn’t like or won’t eat
4. Food that is not KLP and not chametz gamur

Chametz gamur and food your family doesn’t like or won’t eat:

If you are like me, there is an astronomical amount of food in this box.  Take a serious look at that food- will you really eat it within 4 weeks?  Don’t forget the food in your refrigerator and freezer!  If your minhag is not to sell chametz gamur, donate all that food TODAY.    Likewise, don’t save food that you know you won’t use- give it to someone who will.

KLP items with hashgacha:

One of the advantages of living in Israel is that many everyday items already have KLP hashgacha.  I am sure you noticed that almost all of the chips that came out for Purim this year were KLP already (with or without kitniyot). Some of the items I found in my pantry include:

• Starkist tuna (kitniyot)
• Yavneh pickles in brine
• Kniah Chachama olive rings (produced by Yavneh)
• Yachin pizza sauce
• Yachin canned corn (kitniyot)
• Shufersal crushed tomatoes
• Mega dates
• Wili Foods fruit cocktail
• Wiliger tuna (kitniyot)
• 7Up

All of these items can be crossed off your master Pesach shopping list.  You do have a shopping list, right?  This is THE most essential item to save money.  If you do not have one, take out all of your standard Pesach recipes (don’t forget seder items) and create a master shopping list, including amounts needed.  You will adjust the quantities during your Pesach post-mortem.  Keep this list accessible all year round so you can purchase items during the year when there are sales.  You can find a sample list and more on my organizational tools page.

Clean out a now-empty cabinet or two for these Pesach items.  Keep watching the sales and fill up these cabinets at your leisure. I will post Pesach sale items when I see them.

Food that is not KLP and not chametz gamur:

Clean out-of-the-way closets and put these items back in.  If you use them before Pesach, great.  If not, they are all ready to be locked away for Pesach.

Now sit back and enjoy the progress you have made- you deserve it!

Click here to read Pesach mission #2- Lists

 

Pesach sales at Shufersal- expire 9 Mar 2015- 13 April 2015

I didn’t have much time to go through all of the sale items, but here is a sampling of what I did find.  I find that once the KLP aisle is created, the prices on these items start to go up.  Get them now while the prices are low.

These are gone before you know it in the store so I bought four boxes.

Pesach sales at Rami Levy- expire 7 March 2015

Here are the latest KLP sales at Rami Levy. I recommend taking pictures of the sale signs- one sale miraculously expired from the time I took the product off the shelf and the time I checked out.  In addition, Rami Levy computers say that the tuna sale is limited to two items but the sign does not.  If you have a copy of the sign, you will get a quicker refund.