Pinterest - the new obsession

I like to play with different types of technology.  Obviously I blog.  I occasionally tweet.  I have Facebook to keep in the loop with friends.  And recently I discovered Pinterest.  Oh how I discovered Pinterest, to be honest, I've gone slightly crazy with the pinning.

There are so many pretty, clever, sparkly things there but the thing that has really grabbed me is the amazing array of recipes.  I have a rule that I don't buy a recipe book unless it has a picture of every dish, Pinterest is like that on steriods.  I have pinned a crazy number of recipes and this weekend even managed to make a couple.

This hummus-crusted chicken is AMAZING.  Seriously roasted hummus is a fantastic flavour.  Next time I make it (and there will be a next time) I will probably season the chicken a bit more and put a bit more hummus on the vegies but those are the only changes I would make.

It was actually quite the chickpea focused weekend, because the other dish I tried was a chickpea and tomato salad.  Incredibly simple, so quick to make and truly tasty, this too is set to become a regular dish in our house.

Now just to make the next few dozen recipes I've pin!

Do you use Pinterest?  Whose boards should I be following?  You can find me at: http://pinterest.com/blithemoments/

A walk in the country

S and I like to walk up the hill to visit my parents.  It is great exercise plus we tend to get tea and coffee and fed when we arrive (a yummy apple strudel today).

This afternoon we walked up, quite warm in the sunshine but after drinks and cake it had got to sunset before we left.  We walked along briskly, noticing how quickly the temperature had dropped and commenting on how different the perspective is from the car trip, or even walking in the other direction.  As we walked S suddenly stopped and said "Is that a wombat, or a wombat shaped bush?"  Sure enough it was a wombat!

As we walked further along we came across a mob of kangaroos on our path and that is not to mention the myriad of gorgeous birds we saw on our journey.

It was one of those walks that reminds me how privileged we are to live so close to nature.  Just a lovely little afternoon.

Vegemite Toast

Vegemite, love it, hate it, it is undoubtedly one of the tastes of Australia.

I am firmly in love it camp.  Vegemite for me is true comfort food.  If I'm feeling sad, sick or hungover a piece of toast with butter and the perfect amount of vegemite accompanied by a cup of tea is what I crave.  That said, it is also my go to snack when I'm feeling perfectly healthy too!

I've learned over the years how important it is to travel with Vegemite.  As fantastic as a long holiday is, you need some of those home comforts and the fact that vegemite comes in a squeezy tube means it is a perfect travel companion. 

When I travelled through South America in 2009 we quickly became weary of the sweet breakfasts.  Everything was sweetened, the bread, the spreads (which included of course the fab dulce de lece but there are only so many mornings you can eat toast topped with caramel), the cereal, even the yogurt they top cereal with.  It was a little overwhelming.  Then one morning we sat down to unsweetened bread.  Excited I jumped up and grabbed from my suitcase the tube of Vegemite that my travel companions had been teasing me about.  The teasing was over.  We got stuck into it and it was one of the best breakfasts of the trip.

Of course, as with any time you have vegemite in a foreign country the obvious happened, someone asked to try it.  Through our limited spanish we tried to explain that it isn't sweet but the look on her face when she took a bite was priceless.

This morning I sat curled on the couch with a plate of vegemite toast and a cup of English breakfast tea that had been perfectly made for me by S.  I was cozy in my trackies and uggs, the sun was shining in warming the room and as I took a bite I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and comfort.  It may not have been the most glamorous of mornings, but it was perfect.

Are you a vegemite lover?  And what is your go to comfort food?