April Brings Us Passover, National Soy Month and Earth Day
- National Soy Month
- Passover-April 22rd sundown - April 30, 2016
- Earth Day- April 22, 2016
National Soy Month
Soy has become a very popular food item in today’s trendy food culture. As recent as 10 years ago, soy products were generally only available at health food markets or nutrition stores. Now, you can find soy products in your local supermarket, and plenty of them!
Soy is a subtropical plant native to Asia, where it has been a dietary staple for over 5,000 years. Soy was introduced to the United States in the 1800s and soy cultivation began during World War ll.
Soy is an excellent source of protein, making it the perfect alternative for someone who doesn’t eat meat, like vegetarians or vegans. Melissa’s has a full line of soy products, including Edamame in the shell and out of the shell, Soy Taco, Soy Ground® and Soyrizo. Delicious!
During National Soy Month, try one of these delicious soy products and you will be pleasantly surprised. Take one step closer to a healthier lifestyle by incorporating soy into your diet.
Passover
Passover is usually around Easter Sunday, but this year Easter is early and Passover is late…Passover begins April 22rd at sundown to commemorate the deliverance of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. It is also known as the Festival of Unleavened Bread; in their flight into exile, the Hebrews had time to prepare only unleavened bread (matzo) to take with them. The holiday lasts one week. Families gather for a Seder for one BIG night and possibly other nights.
In the center of the table at every Passover Seder is a plate arranged with foods symbolic of the holiday. The only one that requires a recipe is charoset: this is a mixture of fruits, nuts, and spices. Charoset represents the mortar the Jewish people made while laboring as slaves in Egypt. Melissa’s offers a complete variety of fruits, nuts, and spices to accommodate the variety of ways it is prepared in Jewish communities all over the world.
Wine is also served during the Seder and is used and drank throughout the service. Children are served grape juice so they too can participate. The highlight of the evening is when the leader of the Seder hides the Afekoman, a piece of Passover Matzo used in the Seder, and the children have to search the home to find it. The child who finds it uses it to "bribe" the Seder leader who needs it to finish the service... He in turn gives the child a coin, or a dollar bill. It is all in fun. Also, the youngest child that can read is asked to read the FOUR QUESTIONS these are simple questions explaining to the child, and the group, why we have Passover. Most services conducted in the home last from half an hour up to one hour.
For a special Passover Seder, choose from a variety of Melissa’s potatoes, boiler onions and fresh parsley for karpas; horseradish for chahzeret and morror; and apple-pears for a unique charoset. To accompany pot roast and poultry dishes after the Seder, Melissa's Baby Red Potatoes, Pearl Onions, Celery Root and Parsley Root, will enhance your meal. Try our favorite recipes to make your feast simple and delicious. Fresh Herbs and Spices prepared into Matzo Ball Soup, along with dried fruits and nuts for snacking, are also a 'must have' for this celebration.
Earth Day is April 22nd. Earth Day is an annual day on which events are held worldwide in over 192 countries to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Take a moment to think about how much waste you might produce… try some of these simple solutions to help the earth stay clean for generations to come.
Recycle, Recycle, Recycle!
Don’t forget to recycle your plastic, glass, newspapers, and aluminum
Save Water
Take shorter showers
Don’t leave the water running when you brush your teeth
Always have a full load when doing laundry
Always fill the dishwasher before running the cycle
Monitor your outdoor sprinklers; make sure they don’t go on in the rain!
Don’t hose the cement outside to wash it down; use a broom and sweep
Walk Instead of Drive
If it is a quick, close errand, walk. Save gas and get some exercise, too!
Carpool
Save gas and traffic by carpooling to work or school
Teach your children to respect the world and it will be a better place for everyone!
