One of our mates from Oz is over here for a couple of weeks for work. We'll call him Jono - nice and easy, pretty Australian sorta naming convention too. Rather appropriate too.
He invited us to his friends' place for a games night. Little did we know what was in store for us (apart from a fun night with nice people and Too Much Food).
We brought this bag home with us.
What's in it?
Hmm...Let's poke around in it.
Well there was a flag in it - MiL decided that if Americans can fly their flag everywhere, we should fly our flag too (didn't help that she was here during the outburst of patriotism that is the 4th of July). Excuse the deep shadow on half of it - it is really all (royal) blue except for the white and red bits.
See our flag? The Union Jack (those who want to argue that it is the Union Flag can go watch some more Dr Who and discuss it amongst themselves) in the upper right corner - the past, the Southern Cross on the right and the 7 pointed Star of Federation in the lower left (wikipedia calls it the Commonwealth Star). When I opened up the packaging (which in tiny print advises the flag is made in China, gosh-what-a-surprise and don't any of you lot laugh cos I bet your flags are made in China too), the Americans at the gathering were rather interested and one even said it was a nice flag. I reckon it is probably a bit easier to sew an Oz flag than the Stars and Stripes - all those little stars would be a drag!
And there were LOTS of Oz goodies in there.
(If you hop along to my photostream on Flickr, you should see there are mouseover points on this pic with descriptions.... why yes I do have a bit of time up my sleeve...)
Things to note:
a vegetable peeler (tested by DH, it wasn't really slightly used when we got it). Yes, I have tried about four different ones here and all I wanted was one that:
a) peeled, and
b) left me with most of the thing being peeled after it was peeled.
I've used a lot of dud peelers in the time I've been here and given that they cost $5-10 it isn't as if you want to throw the duds away, unlike when you buy 5 cheapies for $2 and two don't work for a left hander but do work for a right hander, or three don't work at all but two do ok. MiL sent a good one across. I can guarantee it did not cost a buck or less.
Now see that box? Inside the box was a surprise that I am claiming.
One of my friends has taken up needle felting. She made me this little bear (I've argued with myself that he is a mouse but he is a bear cos he doesn't have a tail. OK bears do have tails up not long ones like mice). He is very soft and cute, and he has a nice Oz pin on him that I can put on something I wear or use a lot. I have not given him a name yet, though I am tempted to call him Mouse, not Bear.
Things of note in the goodies? Twisties. The red (cheese) ones - they were my favourite snack food for the first 30 years of my life (until I went gluten- and then dairy-free. Yes there is enough dairy in cheese Twisties to make me sick). Chicken (green) ones are the Spawn of Satan. Cherry Ripes - another staple of many Australians. I despised them too but DH likes them. He likes turkish delight too - the man is weird I tells ya. Tim Tams. Those who have not done a Tim Tam Slam have not lived. A pile of Lynne-safe chocolate. MMMM. It's moments like these you need Minties, a quintessential lolly (but don't chew them if you have bad fillings). A bottle of a nice red (Wyndham Estate bin 555 Shiraz, can't remember the vintage but has a swag of medals from royal shows and suchlike). Breakfast of champions (or at least snack food) - BBQ Shapes. Crumpets (no we did get two packs of crumpets not a part eaten one). Nathan likes a noice bitta croompet. I thump him and he has to put up with me instead. Crumpets go with Vegemite.
Vegemite is our national spread. I despise the stuff - just as well too cos I can't have it these days. It is the sludge left after making yeast. It is salty and full of B vitamins - isn't it nice that they have found a use for industrial waste? Many Australians love the stuff and given that it has been around for 75 years now I guess someone has to like it. I do remember it was delightful when spread on two Salada biscuits (crackers) along with a slab of butter and then squeezed out through the holes (not that I would eat it even then!). WORMS!
So Jono brought us over a lifetime supply of Vegemite for a family of five.
A little Vegemite goes a LOOOOOONG way!
DH noticed something about it:
ahem. It might be a crime to bring open food into the States, I'm not sure, but nothing can live in Vegemite so it should be pretty safe. Apparently someone grabbed the wrong jar out of the fridge. We told Jono at DH's birthday bash and he has the *BEST* reaction for embarrassment I've ever seen. He curls up with his hands over his head wailing "Oh, no!" And we laughed like drains and then told him the even better part:
But Vegemite doesn't go off,it just gets tastier!
