A Little More Cheerful: Food
Well despite having a fantastic weekend we really started the week with some downer posts - sorry about that! I guess it's because we were both missing the holiday weekend back home. (For you Californians who may not know any better, Memorial Day "back East" is something to really whoop and holler about - the official start of summer, and time to break out those white pants you haven't been able to wear since Labor Day.) I've gotten tired of seeing those same lonely two posts at the top of our page, so here's something on a lighter note.
Tonight's topic: what are we eating for breakfast? Well, let me run you through some typical weekdays for starters.
We're usually up between 6 and 7am, depending on our little alarm clocks, and in the kitchen making breakfast by 7:30. I start the kettle for tea (just to get me by until I can make myself coffee at work) while Brandie makes herself a latte on the DeLonghi Magnifica (it truly is!) The girls have lately been requesting Rice Krispies (or "Ricies" as they're known here) or hard-boiled eggs and toast with jam, or waddles reheated from our weekend breakfasts. Sophie still loves milk, and Josie her juice (apple or orange).
We also have a variety of fruit from Miramar Fruit Supply (who also
supplies my office, and won 'Best Fruit and Veg' in Wellington this
year - go Vanessa!) The apples are on par with Apple Hills' Cortlands
during the peak of New York State's apple harvest - in other words, up
there with the best in the world. The pineapple here is like none I've
ever tasted, the first time I tried it I was convinced sugar had been
added. Delicious. The raspberries, blueberries and strawberries have
also been fantastic, but I'm afraid those are going out of season now.
Eggs are sold unrefrigerated here, just sitting on the shelf in their cartons. Some people refrigerate them when they get home, while others just keep them on the shelf until they get used (we fall into the former group.) Milk is refrigerated, but sold in liter containers so we have to buy several to get through a week. Orange juice is fresh-squeezed and delicious, but even the low-pulp versions are pulpier than our 'extra pulp' brands back home so we strain it for the girls.
The main brands here seem to be Pam's and Sanitarium (the latter strikes me as an odd name for a food manufacturer.) Pam's peanut butter is a little dry compared to the Sanitarium brand. Most of the non-sugary breakfast cereal is some kind of muesli, which I've found to be kind of chewy and unsatisfying. My favorite so far has been Vogel's Summer Crunch, which has toasted oats, a variety of flakes (corn, wheat and rice) along with dried apricot, plum and nectarine, sultanas (raisins), orange zest and coconut. The orange zest really sets it apart from any other cereal I've had, quite yummy.
That's all I can really think of at the moment, originally I had intended to put a full day's worth of food in the post but it's already quite lengthy. Until next time then, when we'll cover snack and lunch! (I feel better already.)
Eggs are sold unrefrigerated here, just sitting on the shelf in their cartons. Some people refrigerate them when they get home, while others just keep them on the shelf until they get used (we fall into the former group.) Milk is refrigerated, but sold in liter containers so we have to buy several to get through a week. Orange juice is fresh-squeezed and delicious, but even the low-pulp versions are pulpier than our 'extra pulp' brands back home so we strain it for the girls.
The main brands here seem to be Pam's and Sanitarium (the latter strikes me as an odd name for a food manufacturer.) Pam's peanut butter is a little dry compared to the Sanitarium brand. Most of the non-sugary breakfast cereal is some kind of muesli, which I've found to be kind of chewy and unsatisfying. My favorite so far has been Vogel's Summer Crunch, which has toasted oats, a variety of flakes (corn, wheat and rice) along with dried apricot, plum and nectarine, sultanas (raisins), orange zest and coconut. The orange zest really sets it apart from any other cereal I've had, quite yummy.
That's all I can really think of at the moment, originally I had intended to put a full day's worth of food in the post but it's already quite lengthy. Until next time then, when we'll cover snack and lunch! (I feel better already.)
Unsatisfying, chewy muesli and dry peanut butter!
Give me a shopping list, and we will send off a care package post haste!