Adventures in Eating, Part One

One of the delightful (and, depending on the situation and one's current mood, oftentimes frustrating) aspects of living in a new place is exploring the local cuisine.  We are only just beginning this part of the adventure, but I thought I would share some of what we have experienced so far.  I'll start with breakfast, known here as brekky, since it is my favorite.  Just below is what Ross had on hand for our first morning down under.

 

We supplemented the rice cereal with date scones from a local bakery, one of my new favorite foods.  We later discovered they also sell double chocolate scones, white chocolate berry scones, and fruit scones, all delicious.

All of the dairy products have a slightly different taste to them.  I'm not sure what causes this (different diet of the cows?) but in any case, we are trying to accustom ourselves to it, some with more success than others.  Ross likes the Greek yoghurt sold here, poured over fresh fruit.  The bananas, although identical looking to those in our grocery stores, have both a different texture and flavor to them.

 
 

With next to nothing on our schedule down here,  the children have enjoyed accompanying me to the grocery store every other day.  The first time I let them each pick out a cereal.  James chose the one below, familiar looking, but again with a different name:

We have also been eating sausages for breakfast, called chipolatas, and all except Katie agree they are better than the very different breakfast sausage to which we were accustomed in Pittsburgh.  Smoked salmon is another favorite.

 

Unfortunately I have been unable to find anything resembling half and half for my coffee in the morning.  I met an American yesterday who has been here for three years, and she confirmed that I will have to make do with full cream milk.  She did say, however, that she has convinced her local butcher to make American style bacon for her, something I may have to try here in our neighborhood. 

Comments

[Nikki]

You are so lucky to be blessed with adventurous eaters. My boys would come back skinny as rails!lol

[Shanda]

Very interesting, especially the difference in the taste of milk and bananas. I had to laugh at the "rice bubbles".
I bet by the time you get back to the US, half n half will seem too rich after all that whole milk!

[Deborah]

Yum, the breakfast pictures are enticing. I love "yoghurt" w/ bananas & a bit of honey! One of my favorite treats. Also, I have been making more sausage & bacon for the kids at breakfast, I read somewhere that more fat in the diet in the morning is better for metabolizing food throughout the day and also helps to cut the carb cravings. Your kids are lucky that you are so adventurous a Mom! Can't wait to hear what other foods you discover.

[Christie]

Hi Debbie, We have been eating more sausage and bacon for the past couple of years for breakfast, and it really seems to help everyone's moods and ability to function until lunchtime--especially mine : ). Nikki, I think Sophie is the one that's going to come back skinny---she is having a hard time with the new foods and the first week lived mainly on crackers, toast and rice bubbles.

[mwitouski]

Hi Christie,
I was surprised by the number of fruit flavored icecream choices.
Are they actually icecream or more like sherbert or sorbet?
They all looked so yummy. I was curious about the Poppy Seed.
Will they let you have a sample to try like here?
Tell Sophie we thought of her this evening.
We were at a pool party at the Treesdale Community Center and they had Brownie Bites from Costco. I thought I remembered her liking them.
Glad to read that your kids are swimming.
We are thinking of having Collin and Victoria do Pine Richland Swim Team this fall.
Alexander is going to stick with Homeschool Golf.
Is there much golfing in Australia?
Keeping you in our thoughts and prayers,

Marci for the Witouskis