Bovril – Where’s The Beef ?

I’ve been watching a bit too much Ray Mears lately. It’s given me this terrible urge to live in the woods and cook a freshly killed rabbit over a campfire. Living in harmony with nature is very appealing at times, although pooping in a hole in the ground when it’s pouring with rain does tarnish the idea.

Ray Mears considers Bovril to be the essential survival drink (along with hot chocolate I was pleased to hear). Well, I haven’t thought about Bovril since I last ate a scrumptious packet of Bovril flavoured crisps as a kid. My parents used to serve up Bovril with a piece of crusty bread during the cold British winters. If we didn’t have any Bovril they would serve up an OXO cube dissolved in a mug of hot water instead.

So with my hunter gatherer instincts awoken I set off on a Ray Mearsy foraging expedition to see if could track down the essential black elixir. To be honest I wasn’t even sure if Bovril had migrated to the Australian shores. I certainly don’t remember the bush tucker man raving about it. But scouring the aisle of Woolworths I found a small jar hiding between some other beefy imposters. At $5.29 it seemed expensive, but I simply had to have some.

If the price wasn’t shock enough, when I got it home and made a closer inspection I noticed in disbelief the tiny words “suitable for vegetarians” on the front of the jar. How on earth could the beefy wonder drink be suitable for vegetarians? On examining the ingredients I was staggered to discover that Bovril, the most famous beefy drink, has lost its beef.  For some reason Bovril has become a Marmite/Vegemite yeasty extract drink instead – and a pricey one at that. Does Ray Mears know about this? Instead of drinking the essence of a day out hunting Aberdeen Angus I am instead drinking the essence of day out picking button mushrooms. Is this more political correctness gone mad. Turning a man’s drink into a unisex one?

So let’s cut to the chase. What does it taste like? It’s been so long I can barely remember what the original tasted like. It had a good beefy tang I’m sure. But would I be able to tell the difference between it and its new age sibling?

Actually… it tastes damn good and after a few sips my memory of the flavour came rushing back. I’d love to do a side by side comparison with the real thing so see what difference there is. I’m sure there is one.

I was expecting it to taste like Vegemite, which I suppose in a way it does. But Bovril works as a drink where as Vegemite doesn’t. You see I once tried making a Vegemite hot drink in the Bovril tradition. Teaspoon of extract in a mug of hot water. It tasted awful.

So if you enjoy Vegemite and like a good strong beefy taste go give Bovril a try. Take it camping. Spread on your toast! (actually I’ve not tried that). Rub on your face as hunting camouflage. Polish your boots with it. Grease your Landrover with it. It has a 101 uses for anyone with an irresistible urge to live in the wild. Just ask Ray Mears.

2nd Week

You can do it.

You can do it.

We are just starting the second week of our facilitating online course.  We have to think about why we want to do the course, join the emails group and answer these questions

  • What do you want to learn to facilitate?
  • What are you doing now in terms of online facilitation?
  • What would you like to achieve, change or do more of?
  • What do you need to do or make happen to achieve your goal?

Well I would really like to learn how to facilitate an online campain properly.  I tend to rely on friends and supporters which always appears to be getting the word out there.  However it is really more like preaching to the converted and I’m sure there is a way to reach an untouched audience.

I have attended 4 births this week but in between have been quite excited about reading everyone’s blogs and thinking of my goals.  I have no idea about wiki so hope to at least understand the point of it by the end of the course.  Twitter is also an enigma to me although I try hard

What I have found it difficult to add a comment to some of the blogs as they are self explanatory but create no questions for me.  I would like to comment more as I myself love comments, so am trying to be more inspirational and less reactive.  There was a fantastic discussion on  Gullivers musings in the comments section about your online persona.

I also gave consideration to becoming an official participant by paying the course fee and getting one on one tuition.  It’s not that I’m particularly internet naive but I have lots of specific questions that could be boring for people and I find it easy to dominate a conversation (a failing but at least I know myself well).  However I think it is a lot more for international students.

I have to answer the above questions this week but it needs more thought.

First online classroom chat

elluminate_logo_topWe had the first online chat of the course last night and I’ve just logged into the end of the extra meeting to have another listen.

It was nice to have an introduction to some of the other participants.  I was hoping that it would give me some direction but I’m still not sure where it will take me.  We have to organise an online workshop,  I am quite looking forward to that.    Blogging progress is a requirement but is actually more difficult than you would think.  I normally have such a lot of say.  I’m just not used to floundering around wondering what’s next.

First days of online course.

I feel refreshed blogging about something other than birth. (although attended an amazing birth this morning).  I started the online course and tried to comment on the other participants blogs.  Lots of them are newly set up.  I fogot to add an rss feed to each as I was commenting so now go back and do that.  In my typical fashion I’ve been trying to think of ways around it like maybe adding all the blogs to my book marks and checking them.  All this, to try and save myself time and effort.    Any suggestions for a short cut?   Oh well, I suppose I’ll just have to bite the bullet and start adding the blogs one by one.

I’ve been thinking about what I want to get out of the course and I’m still not really sure but I am attracted by the fact that lots of the participants are not birth related, maybe I’ll be able to switch of my mind and get a bit more rounded in my thinking.

Online Course.

I have decided to untertake the online course for facilitators .  I read the instructions as I noticed it on twitter and on facebook.  Basically is sounded complicated and I’m lazy.  My friend Gloria, said I was lazy and I should join my butt right up to the course so here I am doing  just that.  We have to have a blog to record our progress,  I already have this blog that isn’t being used so it seems logical because I love the look of it but have never been able to get to grips with continuing on.  Partly because my other blog is busy but manly because I am  one of lifes

I''m sure I can do this

I''m sure I can do this

little lazzies.

Damn it

Have you ever wish you hadn’t done something? Today I wish that. I absolutely think that you can’t get anywhere by compromising your values. I also believe that you have to be there to ensure this happens. Even though I had reservations, I did something thinking that essentially we all beat with one heart. While waiting to see what happened I went looking for information. What I found out I didn’t like. If I hadn’t found this information I would have carried on believing life was fair and what happened was meant to be. Instead I feel gutted. Information that I share is usually given to me. This is stuff I looked for so of course I can’t share it.

In a nut shell I went against my own principle for what I felt was the greater good. Truth is, there is no greater good than a pure heart and I’m paying the price with my Soul. I feel changed and despondent once again. So, Don’t ever compromise your self or what you believe. Don’t look for information unless you are prepared to live with what you know.

Life is not fair, nobody plays fair and almost everyone is out for self protection. What a crock. On the up side I am off to Canada in just 4 days time and I can’t wait to get out of here.

Taking my mind off it.

After apparently upsetting the liberal party with my blog (not this one) I was pretty angry and fed up.  To calm down this week I’ve watched lots of stuff on governments and all the theories of coruption and have been busy using my hands.

I made my dread hat and scarf from wool I spun dyed then knitted.  I made the scarf for my friend Tania.  Family opinion was that it wouldn’t suit her because it looks like me.  She however says she loves it.  I certainly made the whole thing from scratch.  I have never been overly good at flowers tho. I was both happy and sad to give it away although I did make it especially for her.

Also here is a lovely pudding that Oz made from us.  I love it when he cooks because it’s totally fabulous stuff.  I hate it that he forgets to wash up because he thinks he is a chef!!!

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I have lots to say about politics and the way it works this week.  When I think it through I’m going to post it on this blog as opinion rather than clog my other blog with it.

Scoodie

I am getting to grips with my new sewing machine.  I wanted to make a scoodie.  As a prototype I used an old pillow case and and old dressing gown for material in case I stuffed it up.  I used  instructions from the blog blueprints

I am so pleased with the results.  It’s amazing what you can do with some time and effort.  Now I know how to do it I intend to get some cool material and have a longer scarf and pointed hood.

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We took everyone to see Transformers after that along with Tex and Jazz the boys friends who are brothers.  Tex and Rex are the same age.  I call them the x’s.   I didn’t go and see transformers I took myself to see My life in Ruins.  Just what I need!!!

Friends with skills.

I received a parcel from a lovely friend Michelle today.  I asked her to make some head bands for me.  Here is me wearing one of them.  They are perfect.

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Here is the other thinner one along with a suprise gift from another amazing friend that was included.  A fantastic orange(my fav colour) scarf also made by the same amazing woman.

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Also over the past few weeks I have received these pads made by another friend.  I have also had my own variation before but these are bamboo.  I asked for the poppers so I can remove part of the liner without changing the pad.  She made them to order.  How bloody lucky am I to know such amazingly skilled people.

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computer rebuild.

Jeremy decided I needed computer rebuild.  He has a new one, back lit keyboard uber memory hi definition, make the bed and clean the bathroom type of thing.  I still have my regular one, cluttered desktop pictures and downloads everywhere and lots of mail.  Just how I like it.

Not now tho.  While I’ve been laid up ill and trying to recover He decided to clean it up, or whatever you call it.  Now I haven’t any pictures or downloads or anything else for that matter.  What Have I gained.  I can now hover and get a potion of the message highlighted on my forums.  Only took most of the day.  Only hope that it can live up to it’s expection of enhancing my forum experience.  Since I’m addicted to the internet maybe it is important. Only time will tell.