Cottage Cheese

There is something that I am almost as excited about as my plane ride to Israel next week - it is Israeli cottage cheese.  It's crazy good.  Like, CRAZEE good!  I kind of can't stop thinking about it.  It's creamy and thick and so delicious.  Honestly, there aren't words in the English language to describe Israeli dairy.  I am not sure what we are doing with milk products here in the US but they don't even compare.....at all.  

Someone told me recently that Tnuva (the cottage cheese company in Israel) was selling their cottage cheese here in the States and I did just find this link: http://www.tnuva.com/ that has a "store locator" tool.  Apparently, my local Albertson's actually sells Israeli cottage cheese.  If this is true - it is like a dream come true.  Before you use the locator and run out to buy (and perhaps try) Israeli cottage cheese, wait for me to tell you what I find.  I have a sneaky suspicion that it just won't be as good - something about Israeli cows perhaps.... (or the dairy pasteurization process - not sure).

It probably sounds weird for me to be getting all slap-happy over something that most of us think of as an 80s diet food, but I am telling you - FORGET ABOUT IT!  So good.  My favorite way to eat it is with a breakfast salad (another weird Israeli thing that I cannot wait for!).  

So, if you were wondering whether I was getting excited for my trip to Israel next week - the answer is yes!  I've got a 14 hour flight and a week's worth of cottage cheese waiting for me - what is there to not be excited about!?

This picture is literally making me hungry!

Flight Time

While I am looking forward to my trip to Israel in a couple of weeks, the stuff that I am most excited about isn't necessarily what you might think it is.  It isn't being in the holy city of Jerusalem, or spending a beautiful Shabbat day in the coastal resort town of Eilat.  It isn't even enjoying my FAVORITE breakfast of all time - Israeli cottage cheese and a big salad.  Almost everything I am most looking forward to will actually happen on the plane on the way there.  I kind of can't believe that I'm even saying (or thinking this).

I think that the flight is around 14 hours direct.  That means 14 hours of "me" time (plus extra time in the airport before my flight).  I will be able to watch movies, listen to music, sleep and read whatever I want.  (And, yes, I will be sitting in coach).  Flying lately means having a baby on my lap, who is bored and fussing when I am lucky; crying and screaming when I am not.  There is no reading (HA) or listening to music (the headphones would be pulled out of my ears in two seconds) or watching tv/movies (same).  Since it is an international flight - I might even have a couple of drinks - and I don't even necessarily mean alcoholic ones - I just mean drinks that won't get spilled in my lap.

The truth is that I am not even complaining about flying with a baby.  I am so lucky to have Mo.  He can scream and cry and flail all over the place.  I'll still cover his cheeks in kisses and throw dirty looks at anyone who complains about him.  I am not excited AT ALL about being away from Mosie for a whole week.  The thought is actually totally anxiety provoking - but I plan to enjoy the pants off those first 14 + hours.