Hakarat ha-tov on Rosh Chodesh Iyar

The beginning of the Jewish month of Iyar is a good time for me to express my hakarat ha-tov (recognition of, and appreciation for, my good fortune and the good that others have done for me).  All last week, we were replenishing our stock of chametzdikeh food.  How lucky I am, that I can afford not only to buy all the food that I need, but also all the food that I want--many of our favorite foods, in addition to being kosher, are organic, gourmet, and/or otherwise not the cheapest items on the market, and I'm grateful that we were able to pay for them without using a credit card even once.  I can only hope that we won't have to cut back too much once we're both retired and living on fixed incomes.  In the meantime, I'm enjoying myself.

Recommended:

• Kasher l'Pesach/Kosher for Passover:  Bite Wise Passover Pistachio Pastry.  Ingredients:  Pistachios, sugar, eggs.  Period.  Not only are these delicious, they are also, to the best of my recollection, the only commercially-produced all-natural kasher-l'Pesach baked goods that I've seen in years.  I also consider them possibly the only commercially-produced "real" nut macaroons--they're made with actual nuts, not "macaroon paste," whatever that is.  I consider this a gourmet item, as it's both relatively rare and a bit expensive, at almost $1 per cookie.  If you can both afford them and find them--they're made in Brooklyn, NY, but even in New York City, they were not available in every kosher store--buy them! A box or two would also make a wonderful seder gift for a non-gebrochts host or a host with celiac disease or gluten-intolerance.  (Certified Kasher l'Pesach, Parve/B'li Chalav o'Basar (containing neither dairy products nor meat/poultry products), and Apayit [Pat?] Yisrael by the OK.)
• Chametz:   Organic Made in Nature Pineapple, Dried and Unsulphured.  This gluten-free and nut-allergen-free treat, made with no added sweetener of any kind, is so delicious that you'll have to be careful not to eat too much (lest you end up spending too much time in the, um, "library").  Made in Nature has figured how to dry and package this fruit in such a way that it comes out succulent, not leathery, without any preservatives.  As of this past Friday, this yummy and healthy snack cost $3.26 per 6-ounce package in our neighborhood.  Open the re-closeable package before Shabbat/Sabbath or Yom Tov/Festival, since one must tear through writing to get to the fruit.  (Certified kosher by the OU.)

Ess undt gesundteh heit--eat and be well!  Enjoy!  And Chodesh Tov--have a good month of Iyar!