PASSOVER SEDER WITH DENNIS PRAGER

Let's pray that this gift from Dennis Prager never sees the 2nd Annual edition.
Thank you, Dennis Prager....
I am convinced your 'ticket to heaven' was long ago earned....
Last Night, you joined the elite of the elite....
You are a marvel.
Thank you,
Marc

PASSOVER

from wikipedia...

Passover or Pesach (from Hebrew פֶּסַח‎ Pesah, Pesakh, Assyrian; ܦܸܨܚܵܐ "piskha"), is an important, biblically derived Jewish holiday. The Jewish people celebrate Passover as a commemoration of their liberation by God from slavery in Egypt and their freedom as a nation under the leadership of Moses. It commemorates the story of the Exodus as described in the Hebrew Bible especially in the Book of Exodus, in which the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. 

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Passover will begin tonight. To everyone who celebrates...  May you have a meaningful holiday.
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Your Food Diary For:

Sunday, April 9, 2017

BREAKFAST	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Apples & Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal	780	162	9	18	1,020	72
Kirkland - Pre-Cooked Bacon	200	0	15	15	875	0
	980	162	24	33	1,895	72
L U N C H
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich	600	47	27	14	245	27
	600	47	27	14	245	27
D I N N E R
Cheese Pizza Slice, 1 Slice	700	70	28	44	1,370	7
	700	70	28	44	1,370	7
S N A C K S
Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich	300	48	10	4	260	24
Honey Nut Toasted Oats	300	60	3	5	475	28
	600	108	13	9	735	52
Totals	2,880	387	92	100	4,245	158
Your Daily Goal	3,102	388	103	156	2,300	116
Remaining	222	1	11	56	-1,945	-42
	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g

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Your Exercise Diary for:

Sunday, April 9, 2017

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
6 mile urban hike	83	1,128
Treadmill, 3.5mph	60	266
Daily Total / Goal	143 / 30	1,394 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	414 / 210	4,752 / 4,130

HAPPY PASSOVER

Last night was the first night of Passover. Our family of three, enjoyed a Seder, as Jews around the world have been having for 3000+ years. During the Seder we tell the story about how the Israelites were given their freedom by God (with an assist from Moses) from their 200 years of slavery under the rule of the Egyptian Pharaohs.  During the retelling of this story, it is hard not to be in awe of God who revealed himself to the Jewish people and gave them the Torah. One definition of the Torah is that it is life's instruction book which guides one to lead a moral and meaningful life. It is where The Ten Commandments were revealed for the first time.  These rules have served as the foundation of a moral lifestyle for the Western world. 

There is one part of this story that has always troubled me. It is this: While it is impossible not to be thankful to God for releasing the Jews from the bondage in Egypt - we learn too, that sometimes God works at a pace that we may not completely understand. 200 years is a long time. I sometimes do wonder if America must descend into a further darkness, before the guiding hand of God sets our country on a better path. I do not know the answer, I can only ask the questions. That being said, I would like to wish a meaningful Pesach (Passover) to all my fellow Jews around the world. And since today is also a Saturday, let me add: Shabbat Shalom. 

My wife Jennifer, prepared the traditional Passover Seder Plate on a plate that was owned by my Grandparents.

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Your Food Diary For:

Friday, April 22, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Quaker Oats - Instant Oatmeal Apples & Cinnamon	640	132	8	16	800	48
Red Delicious Apple, 2 medium apple	190	50	1	1	4	38
	830	182	9	17	804	86
L U N C H
Jamwich - Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich	520	70	30	18	700	26
CHERRY VANILLA GRANOLA, 1.5 CUP	480	80	14	10	120	30
Campbell's - New England Clam Chowder	360	36	20	10	1,780	2
	1,360	186	64	38	2,600	58
D I N N E R
Potatoes, red, flesh and skin, baked, 0.5 potato large	132	29	0	3	18	2
Home Made - Matzah Ball Soup, 1 cup	118	10	6	0	450	0
Homemade. - Roasted Stuffed Tomato	100	9	7	2	593	0
Beef, cured, corned beef, brisket, cooked, 3 oz	213	0	16	15	827	0
Manischewitz - Matzah, 1 Matzah	100	21	0	3	0	0
	663	69	29	24	1,888	2
S N A C K S
GIN GINS ORIGINAL CHEWY GINGER	120	30	0	0	0	30
	120	30	0	0	0	30
Totals	2,973	468	102	79	5,291	176
Your Daily Goal	1,977	247	66	99	2,300	74
Remaining	-996	-220	-35	20	-2,991	-101
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 47 extra calories from exercise today

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I was already having difficulty keeping my weight stable before I injured myself with the hernia. It has now been three weeks since I have had any meaningful exercise - this is reflected in my weight this morning: 235.5 lbs.

JACK'S DELI and RESTAURANT (JEWISH DELI - CLEVELAND)

As I have previously discussed, I am a creature of habit. I am trying to break the habit of being so predictable. For years, I bounced around among Burger King, McDonalds, Panera Express, White Castle and Subway. It was a rare day that I deviated from one of these five places for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The times that I did deviate, I actually managed to find a place to eat even less healthy - and that's not easy. Lately, I have been bouncing around restaurants offering far healthier choices: Jason's Deli, Panera Bread, Applebee's and Subway (making very different choices than I used to!)

Today, I met a customer for the first time in a very Jewish section of Cleveland, University Heights. I found myself in the heart of Jewish community with Jewish style food at a bunch of places. So, I decided to sample a new place today. I visited Jack's Deli and Restaurant a legendary restaurant in the Cleveland area for more than 30 years.

And although, I do not do a good job of keeping Kosher for Passover, I decided that I would order from the 'Passover' menu.  It was thoroughly enjoyable and it was simply fun to eat somewhere different.  When I visited my Mom last week, I had a lot of horseradish with gefilte fish with two meals.  My Mom's gefilte fish was store-bought, but the horseradish was homemade.  At Jack's the gefilte fish and the horseradish were both homemade.  (My Mom's horseradish was better - and no, I'm not just saying that because I know she reads my blog!)  Here was the menu that I selected from:

Jack's Deli and Restaurant  PASSOVER SPECIALS MENU

I started my lunch with a bowl of Matzo Ball Soup, and the matzo ball was the size of an apple! It was quite delicious.

Jack's Deli and Restaurant MATZO BALL SOUP

After my soup, I had the homemade gefilte fish with carrots, with horseradish and a piece of matzo.

Jack's Deli and Restaurant HOMEMADE GEFILTE FISH w/CARROTS and HORSERADISH

I may return to this restaurant again before my week in the Cleveland area comes to a conclusion...

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TUESDAY MENU

breakfast   Baymont Inn scrambled egg, two small sausages, SHMURAH MATZAH  280 calories
lunch         Matzo Ball Soup, Gefilte Fish w/carrots and horseradish, Matzo, pickle     421 calories
dinner        Campbell's Home Style Italian-Style Wedding Soup, Asparagus Spears     305 calories

total caloric consumption  1006 calories

calories burned
YMCA ELLIPTICAL 35 minutes (3936 strides)     443 calories
I specifically reserved a hotel room that allegedly had a fitness room.  The fitness room at my hotel was extremely bad.  There actually was an elliptical machine and it was totally useless as it simply was in great disrepair.  As it turned out, it was not a problem as nearby was a Y!

TUESDAY NET CALORIES    563 CALORIES


The walls of Jack's Deli and Restaurant were adorned with Yiddish words with their definitions.  Naturally, I took some pictures of them.  Shmooze, I knew.  Everything else, not so much!

PASSOVER - EXODUS FROM MITZRAYIM

Friday night was the first night of Passover.  Most people know that Passover (Pesach) is a holiday that commemorates the exodus of the Jewish People from slavery in Egypt (Mitzrayim).   The story was depicted in the famous Cecil B. DeMille 1956 movie, The Ten Commandments, starring Charlton Heston as Moses.

My Rabbi at the Chabad House that I frequent has explained that among the things that make this 3000 year old story as relevant today as it ever was - is that many of us need to escape from slavery.  Some of us may be slaves to fashion, or money, drugs, or as in my case....I was a slave to a voracious appetite for unhealthy foods.   For the past 3+ months, I have been escaping from Mitzrayim.  No longer a slave.  I am free.  And it feels real good!  Chag Sameach.  (Joyous Festival, Happy Passover)

SATURDAY MENU

breakfast   one round Shmurah Matzo                                                                            120 calories

lunch         My Fit Foods Korean BBQ Tenderloin, spinach salad, 12 cherry tomatoes 447 calories

dinner       spinach salad, 12 cherry tomato, Panera Chicken Tortilla Soup bowl, matzo 497 calories

total calories consumed 1064 calories

CALORIES BURNED

2PM elliptical 32 minutes   485 calories

SATURDAY NET CALORIES     579 NET CALORIES

From the chabad.org website: 

Shmurah matzot are round, kneaded and shaped by hand, and are similar to the matzot that were baked by the Children of Israel as they left Egypt. 

My Chabad Rabbi introduced me to Shmurah Matzo three years ago.
I had never seen such Matzo before, or even heard of it.
The Matzo is watched (guarded) through each step of production.