Kiwi Foods (and yes, I still exist)

Hello everyone. I apologize for the long silence. I had no idea that it had been that long - I would have guessed about a week, but no way would I have thought that it was almost two! Sorry about that.

Unfortunately, not only have I been silent for a while, I do not have an amazing story to come back with. Well, I do have a quite exciting story in the works, but I have succeeded in forgetting the necessary pictures at work for 3 days straight now. Which also partially explains the lack of posting.

Anyway, what I do have are some pictures of foods that you are unlikely to see in the States or Canada, or at least in the parts I'm familiar with, so I thought I would share them.

These are feijoas (emphasis on the first syllable). They are native to South America, but they are grown all over the place in NZ. In April, it seemed that everyone I knew had a feijoa tree that was producing way more fruit than they could eat, and so I was given bags and bags of feijoas! It was great! They are related to the guava, although I don't see much similarity, really. They have a very potent and unique taste, which almost seems like it would be unpleasant if you really thought about it, but I actually really like them. You are supposed to eat them by cutting them in half and then spooning out the inside (like a Kiwifruit). Nobody has given me any in awhile, but I look forward to next fall when it will be feijoa time again!

This is Marmite, which is a lot like Australian vegemite. In fact, I find the two indistinguishable, but many people here say that they like one and not the other, so there must be a difference. Anyway, they are both very salty/bitter spreads made from yeast. When I first tried Marmite (because I felt that I should), I hated it. But it is high in protein and has lots of good vitamins, and since it is such a Kiwi thing, I thought I should see if it could grow on me. And... it has. Mostly it still just tastes like bitter salt, but with enough cheese and bread along with it, those flavours can be good. So, I have been eating marmite and cheese sandwiches for lunch just like my kindergarteners, and actually quite enjoying it, as long as I spread it very thin.

On the topic of sandwiches, I have just been informed that "a Kiwi staple" is a sandwich with luncheon (balogna), butter, and tomato sauce (the closest thing they have to ketchup). That seems like an extremely strange combination to me, but perhaps we have that in the States? Anyway, I tried it, and it's not bad.

This is one of my favourite inventions - healthy(ish) hot chocolate! Brilliant! Now, you'll notice that it says, "Made from malted barley." Which doesn't sound particularly good - but it tastes like hot chocolate! And it has vitamins and minerals and protein! It's a win-win-win! 

All jokes aside, it is actually quite a good drink, and if it didn't have quite a lot of sugar in it, it would be pretty perfect. But I figure that since my other drink of choice is tea, in which I put sugar, I shouldn't fuss too much about that part.

My first few experiences with Milo were not great, as I thought that it was to be mixed with cold milk. Turns out, thick malted barley powder doesn't dissolve particularly well in cold milk. I have since been told that if you stir it vigorously enough you can succeed, but I maintain that it's not worth it. But once I discovered using it for hot drinks, all was well. My morning routine now includes having a Milo when I get to work, as I'm setting up before the kids arrive. I find it to be both pleasant and helpfully filling, so that I don't get hungry before my morning tea break.

This is a carmel pear upside down cake that I made with Anna a few months ago. It doesn't really belong on this list, but I'm quite proud that we made it and it was phenomenal! So here it is.

Last but not least: It's a bit hard to see, but the label above this grocery story aisle is "International." And although I am aware that when you live in NZ, the States is "International," it still makes me laugh to see Skittles, 7Up, pancake mix, and Kool-Aid in that aisle. Zoom in on the picture - you'll see a lot of familiar items!

I promise not to wait as long to post again - especially because I am determined to actually remember those pictures tomorrow, and then I will write a better post.