Recipe - Homemade BBQ Sauce

 This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

You've probably stumbled across this blog post because you're trying to save money, or because you love Israel, and I'm so glad you're here - welcome!

Here we are, in late May of 2025, and I can't possibly be the only one noticing those grocery bills creeping higher, right?

It seems like each week I have to adjust my expectations - item after item, prices are going up, and I adjust my shopping. And I'll be honest, I don't want to spend every moment of my day doing food prep, but I also don't want to spend more than I've budgeted, and I don't want to have to give up too much to stick to the budget! It's a tough spot to be in.

So while I've always made some things from scratch, I have begun to make a few more things from scratch.

This week, I made a large batch of chummus with a high percentage of techina, and stashed a lot of it in my freezer packaged in convenient portions for single-meal use. And you know what? I really don't think I'm going back to supermarket chummus - this homemade stuff is so much better (and healthier!), and the hardest part is remembering to put some chickpeas up to soak the night before. 😆

But this post isn't about chummus, it's about another favorite that I have stopped buying: BBQ Sauce. The supermarket options that are affordable have ingredients I don't actually want to eat, and we didn't love the way they taste, either. So I decided to make my own.

Using tomato paste, brown sugar, maple syrup, spices, and vinegar - I think it came out good!

Here's what I did:

Take out a mixing bowl and silicone spatula. Put the following in the bowl:

240g of tomato paste (this is the larger tub option in the supermarket, not a big can) half a cup of water 1/4 cup dark brown sugar 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 2 teaspoons maple syrup, but you can use honey if you prefer 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1.5 teaspoons granulated garlic pinch of salt (or more!), to taste hot pepper flakes and/or smoked hot pepper, to taste All amounts are approximate, and can be adjusted!

Mix well. If you're using this as a marinade before cooking, you don't even need to heat it up before using it. If you want to serve it as a sauce at the table, I recommend heating it in a pot on the stove until it's been heated all the way through. Don't use a high flame, it will bubble and make a mess! You can throw in a pinch of baking soda when warming it if you want to reduce the acid a bit.

Use a silicone spatula to help scrape it out of the pot into a jar or bowl for serving or storage.

Enjoy!

Find me on Facebook

If you want to find (and share!) shopping deals, please join my deals groups on Facebook: 

Kosher Frugal

Israeli Shopping Overseas 

Live in Israel, Shop Online 

Israel Deals Made Easy (in English) 

I'm also on WhatsApp with an opt-in group where you'll get links to deals I find. Only admins can post.

Love to read? Find and support Israeli authors!

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

You've probably stumbled across this blog post because you love Israel, and I'm so glad you're here! Welcome to my little blog/website!

I'm currently trying to give a boost to Israeli authors - it turns out the world has been less and less likely to make space for Israeli authors on their shelves! Totally not cool. So please help support Israeli authors, and buy their books! This list is for people who can make purchases on Amazon US. Happy reading! 

If you love to read, check out books by these Israeli authors that you can find on Amazon:

Winging It - Symphonic Poems, by Rivka Epstein Hattin

Az Nashir- We Will Sing Again: Women's Prayers for Our Time of Need,

Hebrew Edition, by The Layers Press (Author), Rachel Sharansky Danziger (Author), Anne Gordon (Author), Shira Lankin Sheps (Editor)

101 Treasures from the National Library of Israel, by Raquel Ukeles (Author), Hezi Amiur (Author), Yoel Finkelman (Author)

The Camel in the Forest: A Memoir from the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,

by A. E. Hayoun (available as a Kindle book)

By Light of Hidden Candles, by Daniella Levy (Author)

Disengagement: Leaving home, finding home, and encounters along the way, by Daniella Levy (Author)

Letters to Josep: An Introduction to Judaism, by Daniella Levy (Author)

The 36: A Modern Quest in the Ancient Holy Land, by Josh Even-Chen (Author) (a long-time friend of mine!)

The Scrolls of Deborah (Desert Songs Trilogy), by Esther Goldenberg (Author)

The House of Lost Spirits, by Einat Shimshoni 

Harei At M'guyeset Li, by Segulah Levi (Hebrew novel)

Tully and the Pellmells (Tully Grows Up), by Leona Samson (Author), Idan Ben Simon (Illustrator)

Tales of Brooklyn, by Stan Fischler (Author)

Behind the Net: 106 Incredible Hockey Stories, by Stan Fischler (Author)

Community of Ones:The Search for Self after Devastating Loss, by Leona Samson

A Life Inherited: Unraveling the Trauma of a Second-Generation Holocaust Survivor, by Rena Lipiner Katz (Author)

Weekly Habits for Extraordinary Leaders (How to Master Your Mindset, Inspire Your Team and Elevate Your Business), by Daphna Horowitz

Searching for Heather Dean: My Extraordinary Career as a Celebrity Interviewer and Why I Left It, by Heather Dean

Angels & Tahina: 18 Lessons From Hiking the Israel Trail, by Tzippi Moss

Target Tehran: How Israel Is Using Sabotage, Cyberwarfare, Assassination – and Secret Diplomacy – to Stop a Nuclear Iran and Create a New Middle East, by Yonah Jeremy Bob (Author), Ilan Evyatar (Author)

Organized Jewish Life: The Essential Guide for Planning Jewish Holidays, Events and Every Day, by Rebekah Chaifetz Saltzman

Organized Jewish Life Shabbat and Holiday Planner: The Ultimate Organizational Shabbat and Jewish Holiday Checklist and Planning Workbook, by Rebekah Chaifetz Saltzman

Mental Health, Reclaimed: A Simple Guide to Thriving Beyond Labels or Limits, by Dr Azi Jankovic 

A Warrior's Guide to Fibromyalgia, by Sara Halevi 

Everything Tracker - The Ultimate Comprehensive CBT Tool Kit, by Sara Halevi MA (Author), Liora Sophie (Illustrator)

The Breast Cancer Checklist, by Fern Reiss

The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days, by Fern Reiss

30 Jewish Superheroes: An Amazing Collection of Jewish Superheroes (Coloring book), by Hillel Penrod (Author), Ayelet Hashachar Penrod (Editor)

15 B'nei Noah Superheroes Coloring & Activity Book: Heroes from Around the World! | Color, Read, and Learn to Draw Your Own Hero, Torah Comics Paperback by Hillel Penrod (Author), Ayelet HaShachar Penrod (Editor)

Inner World (Kindle book) by Hillel Penrod (Author, Illustrator), Ayelet HaShachar Penrod (Editor) 

Israel 201: Your Next-Level Guide to the Magic, Mystery, and Chaos of Life in the Holy Land, by Joel Chasnoff & Benji Lovitt

Nehama Leibowitz: Teacher and Bible Scholar (Modern Jewish Lives), by Yael Unterman

The Hidden of Things: Twelve Stories of Love & Longing, by Yael Unterman

The Street Cats of Nahariya by Jennifer Pyatt (Author), Aya Navot (Illustrator)

White Zion, by Gila Green (see all of her books here, and pre-order the newest one!)

Iconic Jewish Women: Fifty-Nine Inspiring, Courageous, Revolutionary Role Models for Young Girls, by Aliza Lavie (Author)

Getting Ready for Shabbat! Let's Make Soup! (Getting Ready for Jewish Holy Days), by Chaya Bluma Gadenyan

Girls' Names from the Hebrew Bible: A Children's Bilingual (Hebrew-English) Coloring Book, by Chaya Bluma Gadenyan

The Adventures of Incredi-Wheels & Triple S: The Mysterious Missing Book, by Rebecca Rubin Seligson

Storky's Journey Home, by Nachshon Meir Spiegelman

Barnaby Stump and the Soul Thief, by Ezra Snukal

The Lazy Investor: How to Set a Profitable & Hassle-free Investment Portfolio, by David Mann (Author)

Tribal Lands: The Twelve Tribes of Israel in Their Ancestral Territories, by Tamar Weissman (Author)

The Koren Tanakh: Esther (English and Hebrew Edition) (Graphic Novel Format) by Jordan Gorfinkel (Creator), Yael Nathan (Illustrator), Jessica Sacks (Translator)

Not in the Sky: A Collection of Modern Midrash or Biblical Spoken Word, by Rose Isabel Tempest (Author)

THE CAVE OF THE HEART (Kuntres Maarat Ha-Lev): A Treatise on Jewish Contemplative Prayer, by Nachman Davies (Author)

Ascending, by Mimi Tanaman

Lost & Found: The person I was. The discovery of adoption. The person I've become, by Mimi Tanaman

The Messianic Mechanic: a comic tale of the end-of-days, by Reva Mann

Want to buy books in Israel? Check if you can find what you want at Eva's Used Books or Steimatzky! There's also Prag for a new agey kind of book selection - but they do also have R' Aryeh Kaplan translated into Hebrew.

If you are an Israeli author with a book on Amazon and want to be added to this list, please email me at ester@kosherfrugal.com!

Thanks for supporting Israeli authors! Let me know if you found this list helpful, and feel free to share it with all of your friends!

Also, please be sure to support all the businesses in the North of Israel if you're visiting. Many have been struggling to survive since the onset of the war in October 2023. Now that things are quiet - everyone needs your support!

Come find me and my family at the Safed Puzzle Room, Tzfat's flagship escape room game! Find out more at https://safedpuzzleroom.com 

Find me on Facebook

If you want to find (and share!) shopping deals, please join my deals groups on Facebook: 

Kosher Frugal

Israeli Shopping Overseas 

Live in Israel, Shop Online 

Israel Deals Made Easy (in English) 

I'm also on WhatsApp with an opt-in group where you'll get links to deals I find. Only admins can post.

Updated Aliexpress Dance Finds

 This post contains affiliate links, so if you click on a link and make a purchase,
I may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

Dancers in the family? We've got those! And believe me, it gets expensive. But while I can't help you cut corners on the class tuition, I figured I would share some links that have allowed us to pick up dancewear and supplies for a little less money.

Sometimes you just can't cut corners - I don't buy off-brand pointe shoes, for example. But other times, there might be great ways to save. Here are some of our favorite money savers - hope this helps you, too! 

One of my daughters really likes these split-sole ballet shoes from DayDance! Click here to check them out! NOTE: they run pretty much true to size - but remember that dancers' feet usually swell a bit when they're warmed up, so be sure to measure when they're warmed up.

Our favorite place to buy softer, romantic look tutus and lyrical dresses is Thank Frank's Aliexpress store. For the price, the quality is AMAZING.

We bought this one from them when we first discovered Thank Frank, and no one believed that it cost less than $50 USD! 

(It is priced slightly higher now, but what hasn't gone up lately?)

This pretty blue peasant dress has seen several competitions, and it's held up really well... if you're local to me and want to see it, please let me know!

For the classic tutu look (pancake style/platter style), we really had a hard time finding a discount seller. But in the end we discovered All For Dance. This seller sells so many dance costumes - and we chose a pre-professional tutu that truly exceeded our expectations! It was actually prettier in real life than in the picture below.

We've got our eyes on a few other dance costumes from All For Dance, like this white romantic tutu.

And if you need a lyrical dress, there are some nice options here too. Like this purple one with sequins, or this white one (one of my girls wore this one to a performance).

We also try to get convertible tights for a lot less than the standard price in dancewear stores. So if you just really can't fathom spending 40 NIS on a pair of tights, be aware that you CAN get THREE pairs for the same amount! Here are the tights that we bought:

We've tried others, but in the end we keep coming back to this seller, because these tights were much better than other discount tights we've found! Click here to go to this listing!

Recently, our quest to find stirrup-style black tights brought us to these tights, and they got a big thumbs up! 

If you need a new dance shoe bag, try one of these. And if your dancer loves dance-themed items also outside the studio, there are lots to choose from:

Pointe shoe keychain (under 15 NIS) (here's another one currently priced a drop lower: pointe shoe keychain)

BALLET t-shirt with many color options (under 20 NIS)

Ballerinas dancing sketch t-shirt (under 15 NIS)

Born to Dance t-shirts (about 20 NIS)

Hope you found this helpful!

If you've found a different seller that has impressed you, please let me know which, so we can check it out too!

Thanks

YAY - A sitewide code for iHerb!

This post contains affiliate or rewards program links. This means I may receive a small commission if you click on a link and place an order, never at any additional cost to you

עברית למטה

Recently, iHerb ended one of our favorite site-wide sale codes for orders shipped to Israel, so it's become more important than ever before to watch out for category or brand specific sales for your iHerb purchases!

And right now - there's actually a SITEWIDE SALE! Get 20% off sitewide with the Shavuot Sale! 

Click here to load the codes automatically: https://iherb.co/ek3SYXN (or use my rewards code QEJ101 and promo code MILK2025 at checkout)

Happy savings and Chag Sameyach!

Sale ends May 28

Other sales you might want to check:

20% off Vitamins - use this link to get started! 

Brands of the week - use this link to get discounts when you purchase any products from the 16 brands of the week!

Sales change all the time! I'll try to find more codes and update when I can!

TIP: Get free shipping if you order $60 USD or more, but keep your order total under $75 to avoid taxes and import fees.

קבלו 20% הנחה על כל האתר של אייהרב לכבוד שבועות! פשוט הקליקו בקישור הזה וההנחה תעלה אוטומטית לסל: https://il.iherb.com/c/categories?pcode=MILK2025&rcode=QEJ101 (או הכניסו את הקודים QEJ101 ו MILK2025 לפני התשלום!)

קוד נוסף שיתן 20% הנחה על ויטמינים באתר של אייהרב עכשיו! הקליקו כאן כדי להכניס את הקופון לסל הקניות!

אם הקודים לא עולים אוטומטי לסל הזינו את הקודים

QEJ101

ואז

MAY25VITA

ותקבלו את ההנחה!

רק וודאו שהסל הסופי יוצא ללא מיסים - צריך להיזהר מאוד שאחרי הקודים הסל יורד למתחת ל$75 - סף המע"מ

(ולרוב גם תקבלו משלוח חינם עם גלובל אייר לוקר עם מוסיפים מוצרים כדי שסכום הרכישה

יגיע ל$60)!

במקרה ואתם מעדיפים לקנות מאתר ישראלי, אני ממליצה לבדוק את מבחר הויטמינים של קי.אס.פי!

תהינו!

iHerb is one of my favorite ways to find products that I can't get in Israel. Or products that may be available in Israel, but at inflated prices.

Need some ideas for your iHerb order?

Here are just a few things I recommend - several of these are eligible for the extra discount! I'd love to hear what your favorites are:

Teas

Witch Hazel Toner 

Vitamin E Moisturizing Cream 

Plant-based (coconut milk based) Caramel 

Hand Sanitizer (great size for your bag!)

Lip balm 

Concentrated Laundry Detergent 

Unscented Compostable Dryer Sheets

Witch Hazel Cleansing Pads 

Stridex acne control pads 

Cocoa Butter Lotion 

Dental Floss 

Pain Relief Cream (herbal) (the athletes in my house like this one a lot) 

Aspercreme pain relief products (conventional)

Makeup Remover

Aquaphor 

Scar gel

Maple Syrup Granules 

Made Good Granola Bars (allergy friendly!)

Cheddar Cheese Powder

Your order of $60 and up will usually qualify for FREE Global Air Locker shipping!

Don't forget these important, basic principles of shopping online from Israel:

• Keep your order under $75 to avoid paying VAT!!
• Spread out your orders. If you want to buy more than $75 worth of items from one website, and you have the option of splitting your order - DO IT. BUT don't order more than $75 worth on any given day to the same shipping name/address/ID. If you do, customs may combine your orders and charge you. Give it about 3 days between orders. Best to ship to a different name using a different ID for customs, so you can order it all on the same day.
• Always look for the free shipping option - usually, it's to a pickup spot.

I love to see how close to $75 I can get without going over, and get free delivery to maximize savings while avoiding import taxes!

Enjoy and happy savings!

If you prefer to buy from Israeli sites - check out KSP's selection of Vitamin products!

iHerb Sale Codes for You!

This post contains affiliate or rewards program links. This means I may receive a small commission if you click on a link and place an order, never at any additional cost to you

עברית למטה

Recently, iHerb ended one of our favorite site-wide sale codes for orders shipped to Israel, so it's become more important than ever before to watch out for category or brand specific sales for your iHerb purchases!

Here are the sales I found right now: 

20% off Vitamins - use this link to get started! 

Brands of the week - use this link to get discounts when you purchase any products from the 16 brands of the week!

Sale change all the time! I'll try to find more codes and update when I can!

TIP: Get free shipping if you order $60 USD or more, but keep your order total under $75 to avoid taxes and import fees.

קבלו 20% הנחה על ויטמינים באתר של אייהרב עכשיו! הקליקו כאן כדי להכניס את הקופון לסל הקניות!

אם הקודים לא עולים אוטומטי לסל הזינו את הקודים

QEJ101

ואז

MAY25VITA

ותקבלו את ההנחה!

רק וודאו שהסל הסופי יוצא ללא מיסים - צריך להיזהר מאוד שאחרי הקודים הסל יורד למתחת ל$75 - סף המע"מ

(ולרוב גם תקבלו משלוח חינם עם גלובל אייר לוקר עם מוסיפים מוצרים כדי שסכום הרכישה

יגיע ל$60)!

במקרה ואתם מעדיפים לקנות מאתר ישראלי, אני ממליצה לבדוק את מבחר הויטמינים של קי.אס.פי!

תהינו!

iHerb is one of my favorite ways to find products that I can't get in Israel. Or products that may be available in Israel, but at inflated prices.

Need some ideas for your iHerb order?

Here are just a few things I recommend - several of these are eligible for the extra discount! I'd love to hear what your favorites are:

Teas

Witch Hazel Toner 

Vitamin E Moisturizing Cream 

Plant-based (coconut milk based) Caramel 

Hand Sanitizer (great size for your bag!)

Lip balm 

Concentrated Laundry Detergent 

Unscented Compostable Dryer Sheets

Witch Hazel Cleansing Pads 

Stridex acne control pads 

Cocoa Butter Lotion 

Dental Floss 

Pain Relief Cream (herbal) (the athletes in my house like this one a lot) 

Aspercreme pain relief products (conventional)

Makeup Remover

Aquaphor 

Scar gel

Maple Syrup Granules 

Made Good Granola Bars (allergy friendly!)

Cheddar Cheese Powder

Your order of $60 and up will usually qualify for FREE Global Air Locker shipping!

Don't forget these important, basic principles of shopping online from Israel:

• Keep your order under $75 to avoid paying VAT!!
• Spread out your orders. If you want to buy more than $75 worth of items from one website, and you have the option of splitting your order - DO IT. BUT don't order more than $75 worth on any given day to the same shipping name/address/ID. If you do, customs may combine your orders and charge you. Give it about 3 days between orders. Best to ship to a different name using a different ID for customs, so you can order it all on the same day.
• Always look for the free shipping option - usually, it's to a pickup spot.

I love to see how close to $75 I can get without going over, and get free delivery to maximize savings while avoiding import taxes!

Enjoy and happy savings!

If you prefer to buy from Israeli sites - check out KSP's selection of Vitamin products!

Free Museum Day May 2025

Sorry for the late post, but you need to know that TODAY, Thursday, May 15, 2025 is FREE Museum Day in Israel!!

There are 130 participating museums - - there's something for everyone!!

Find the full list here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OODjyjgAIf9xdgrTIHhYdroiLXFda6wb/htmlview

Let me know where you decide to go!

Have fun! 

Getting Travel Ready? Save Some Money!

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.

Shoppers in Israel, and many other non-US locations, this is for you! If you're getting ready to travel, you might have noticed that it's not always easy to find travel size products here. It was always pretty easy in the USA when I lived there (though it's been a while), so I was checking for options from there that ship here.

And guess what? I found that the best deals are bulk deals - so either stock up for several trips at a time, or split this order with a friend or two!

I found these toothbrush/toothpaste packages, or ones that are similar and also have a flosser, and also little mouthwashes! These make traveling easy - I never want to get stuck without a toothbrush, you know?

If you want, you can even get Cetaphil face cleanser in travel size, and antiperspirant/deodorants for both men and women. 

OR, if you don't want to buy in bulk, you could choose this convenient 10-piece convenience kit for traveling, which has lots of essentials.

I also highly recommend you get lightweight luggage so you can maximize your packing space.

Let me know if this is helpful!

Feel free to share with anyone who might be interested!

Find me on Facebook

If you want to find (and share!) shopping deals, please join my deals groups on Facebook: 

Kosher Frugal

Israeli Shopping Overseas 

Live in Israel, Shop Online 

Israel Deals Made Easy (in English) 

I'm also on WhatsApp with an opt-in group where you'll get links to deals I find. Only admins can post.

Replace your old 2G/3G "dumbphone" now - before it stops working!

 This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission, but never at any additional cost to you.

Image from the public domain

This is important for people who use older non-smartphones in Israel. The older cell networks (2G and 3G as far as I understood), are being RETIRED and will stop working. This means your phone will stop working if it uses those cell networks and not the newer ones. The bitter truth here is that means you will need to get a new phone if you want to have cell service.

So if you're set on keeping your status as a "non-smartphone user", I'm happy to share that you can currently get a "dumbphone" that works on the 4G network for under 200 NIS! If you prefer a flip-phone that can be had for under 225 NIS right now! Go get them now before they run out!

Click here for option 1

Click here for option 2 

Of course, you can take this opportunity to upgrade to a smartphone if you prefer.

There are so many options, you can even find a Samsung phone in any price range starting at about 350 NIS! Hope this helps someone out there!

Feel free to share with anyone who might be interested!

Find me on Facebook

If you want to find (and share!) shopping deals, please join my deals groups on Facebook: 

Kosher Frugal

Israeli Shopping Overseas 

Live in Israel, Shop Online 

Israel Deals Made Easy (in English) 

I'm also on WhatsApp with an opt-in group where you'll get links to deals I find. Only admins can post.