Vegemite chocolate? The jury is still out!

06.03.2015 by Trish // 2 Comments

“We’re happy little Vegemites as bright as bright can be” Or are we?? I couldn’t let this Vegemite go by without comment could I? Actually I almost did because Liz and I had eaten about half of it before it occurred to me that I should be having a chat to you about it!

Vegemite Chocolate - weird or wonderful? — Vegemite Chocolate – weird or wonderful?

The last time Vegemite was involved in anything as controversial as this creation was the short-lived release of it’s creamy cheesy spread, sadly named iSnack 2.0. Kraft chose to listen to Aussies all over the world who felt that jumping on the iT bandwagon over something you put on your toast was just a bit weird, and after 4 days changed the name to Cheesymite. I love the title of this article written at the time “iSuck 2.0: Unhappy little Vegemites”

The Chocolate Vegemite announcement was released last month via Twitter, and social media comment has ranged from love it to hate it and everything in between

“I think its amazing. Salted caramel with a touch of vegemite. It is a perfect balance and I really enjoyed it.”

“….the Vegemite chocolate is… quite good. It’s like the consistency of caramel, with just a lick of the Vegemite taste. I’m not opposed.”

“I have a whole block minus one piece sitting in my drawer in my room. ITS DISGUSTING.”

I love reading online comments about anything , I particularly love how in the space of a few comments any topic can get high jacked by someone pushing their own little band wagon.

“Well done ABC News Breakfast today for providing free advertising to Vegemite and Cadbury’s. Both brand-lines owned by the revolting multi-national company, Kraft foods. Personally, I dislike the taste of vegemite, noting there are much better-tasting Australian-owned alternatives. A final note – being Australian is inconsistent with eating Vegemite!” Personally, I take offence at his last statement, but stopped short of replying and calling him a “hate-filled bag of spew” which I read in an online reply this week.

Anyway, I digress! Liz and I saw the chocolate in the supermarket, you couldn’t miss it, there were mountains of it and decided why not, we’ll give it a burl. (I actually don’t go round saying things like “We’ll give it a burl” I don’t even know how to spell it! So I am not sure why that popped into my head, but it did so it’s staying!) First impression, it is very gooey and almost impossible to eat without getting it all over body parts and clothes. I was actually driving home from the supermarket when I had my first taste, so I got it all over the steering wheel as well!! Putting it in the fridge helps though.

We both liked the first taste, the chocolate and caramel is lovely, of course, and then the Vegemite gives it a real salty kick. After that I wasn’t so fussed, and I gave it to Liz so I didn’t just keep eating it because it was there and it was chocolate. Liz on the other hand…well I’ll let her tell you what she thinks.

[wpvideo CW1Mudyx]

My favourite way of eating vegemite is on a fresh white roll and yes I know we shouldn’t be eating white bread, but vegemite just isn’t right with anything else

So, who’s had a taste of Vegemite Chocolate? What do you think ? and what is your fave way of eating vegemite?

Back to the real world – Santiago de Compostela 23rd – 26th May

09.22.2014 by Trish // Leave a Comment

So that’s it. The pilgrimage is over. Our backpacks sit lonely on the floor of our hotel room, walking sticks leaning forlornly in the corner. No more settling our packs our back, clipping the straps, grabbing our sticks and hitting the track.
I miss sitting in bed in the evening chatting with Liz about the next day, how far we might trek,where we will stay. I miss packing my backpack with the blister supplies on top for easy access, I even miss my afternoon ritual, easing off my boots and socks and inspecting my poor battered feet for the day’s damage. Actually, that’s getting a bit carried away, I don’t miss that at all!
Santiago de Compostela is a maze of windy streets with stairs and hills around every corner.

My blisters are healing, but my legs are still very sore, and every step is an effort. But I love exploring this beautiful city, especially the markets. Oh how I wish I had a kitchen and a week to cook all the gorgeous fresh produce. I did spend a delicious half hour with a young stall holder who despite his lack of English and my lack of Spanish managed to convey to me his passion for all things pork. I happily munched on the selection of hams before choosing one to take to a Spanish friend in London who misses this taste of her homeland.

What will we have for dinner, the octopus or the steak?

You never know what you will find around the corner.... — You never know what you will find around the corner….

Liz and I spent a day doing our own thing and despite the fact that there are probably a hundred hoodies of various designs and sayings, we both managed to come home with the exact same model.
I would dearly loved to have taken the bus to Finisterre on the coast, the true end of the Camino, to see the 0km sign. But it was a 12 hour day, 6 of them on the bus, so I reluctantly decided against that. Liz had already decided that a trip to McDonalds was more to her liking, so one of us was happy.
Each day I was drawn to the Plaza Obradoiro in front of the cathedral to watch the pilgrims arriving, the tears, the laughter, greeting friends who had become their Camino family.The cathedral is magnificent and for many pilgrims the spiritual culmination of their Camino, for me the spirit of the Way of St James was out there in the plaza.

Our last baguettes and vegemite in Spain

Baguettes and Vegemite does the Camino

04.06.2014 by Trish // 11 Comments

My back pack is ready, not sure about the body!!

Hola to all my old Baguettes and Vegemite friends and Bienvenido to new friends. I can’t believe that it is a year since The Driver and I did the gourmet tour of France and Spain. And here I am setting off on a new adventure. The Driver is staying home to oversee the demolition of the house while Daughter Number 2, henceforth known as D2, and I launch body and backpack onto the 780km pilgrimage, Camino de Santiago, The Way of St James. The trek starts in St-Jean-Pied-de-Port heads through the Pyrenees into Spain and finishes at the Cathedral of Santiago.

“Why?”, you may very well ask….well in the words of Sir Edmund Hillary “Even when you’re 50, you can make the effort to improve your standards.” I will be reaching a different age milestone during the trek, but I think it still applies!

Baguettes and Vegemite was not so much a diary, but a journal of my thoughts about things I experienced along the way. Baguettes and Vegemite Does the Camino may very well evolve differently. I am actually thinking I might make a template …..something like this….

Today I walked from __ to ___. It was a very long way.

Along the way I saw ____.

My _____ and _____ are very sore.

I am going to have a glass of ______, eat some_______ and go to bed.

D2________________________.

You can read my posts by clicking Follow, or on Facebook. I look forward to sharing our adventures with you.

Au revoir and Adios

05.24.2013 by Trish // Leave a Comment

Thanks to everyone who shared my adventures. I am going to miss walking to the patisserie and the panadería every morning to get my fresh bread, and I am going to miss writing my blog and reading your comments, but for now the baguettes and the Vegemite, like my blog, are finished.