Blackduck59

Cracker Barrel used to be a Kraft Brand, in Canada it was bought by Parmalat Canada (a subsidiary of an Italian company) and now it is owned by Lactalis Canada. Nobody stopped buying Cracker Barrel after Kraft sold it, we just liked the cheese. There are several brands that used to compete with each other that are owned by the same parent company now. Is the chees still tasty? That's all that matters. I don't care who owns the company, I just want good cheese made in Canada with Canadian dairy.

I think perhaps you may want to rethink the "foreign owned" thing. You should look at the jobs in Australia created by the enterprise in question. Chances are that if the business was not bought by a foreign company (I think in this case Saputo which is a Canadian company) the whole operation may have closed down taking all those jobs (including the dairies who supplied the milk) with them.

Aren't Cheerios a brand of breakfast cereal? I never really understood how "coon" was an issue in Australia especially being it was a family name (as I understand it). I always thought of that as more likely to be an offensive word in North America. Although it was always a common term for a racoon when I was young lots of kids had a "coon skin hat" like Daniel Boone did on the TV show. Had the word become a racial epithet in Australia?

Apparently we couldn't agree on a name in Canada 😁. I wonder if the names used for that spun sugar confection split along party lines in the US 😉

Cheers, that's probably why for you it's candy floss. Out here on the wet coast it's always been cotton candy (at least at the fairs I attended)

And you are from what part of Canada?

First Judith Durham, now Olivia Newton John. Two extraordinary talents lost to the world. They are remembered fondly around the world. Go rest high on that mountain, you will find a hell of a band there.

I'm not sure what the rest of your itinerary is, whether you fly out of Seattle immediately at the end of your cruise or if you have some time after the cruise but you could the "Clipper" ferry from Seattle and spend the day here and return in the evening. Or you could fly into Victoria a couple days before the cruise and take the Clipper to Seattle from here to Seattle. There are options but it would be so much easier if the cruise line just did a proper stop here. I hope you have a chance to properly see our town some day, enjoy your cruise even if you are short changed by a token port visit.

Thanks for the clarification Mic. Even then a frozen you cook pie is going to be $3.50 each. I think maybe the fact that meat pies are a national dish in Oz the price would be kept low lest the locals revolt. I think it is much more difficult to find a good frozen pie at a fair price because we don't eat as many here.

I would be very happy to get a 2 pack of pies for $4.50 Mic These pies cost $5.50 each, and those snag rolls are about $1.60 each. The pie is about 120mm diameter.

I can't believe they can even call that a port visit. Victoria is a safe town, but with the location of the port and the late hour most of the shops will be closed and the best you could hope for is a "scenic drive". It is port visits like this that make those who live in the vicinity of the port resent the cruise ships and their exhaust fumes. Very few passengers will even leave the ship and those interested in actually visiting Victoria miss seeing our beautiful city. Enjoy your cruise, I'm just sorry you will miss out on proper chance to visit here.

Another update about our police involved shoot out in late June. One more officer was released from Hospital today. That leaves one still recovering in hospital. The nature of the injuries has not been released. Very little detail has been disclosed about the investigation. I'm not sure we will see any report on the investigation for a long time.

Apparently the coverage is being streamed in Canada. I have a "Smart TV" but have not been interested in figuring out how to stream anything on it other than Amazon Prime.

I actually took a few moments to look for the Commonwealth Games and I didn't see any coverage listed. They aren't even talking about it in the sports report on the evening news.

I have been hearing the results on the radio (yes I listen to the radio at work) but haven't been watching the games. Frankly there hasn't been much fanfare on the TV about it.

Rather than buy the yacht, you lease a fully crewed yacht in the area you want to see. If I came into a big winfall one of the things I would do is charter a nice yacht with crew. Perhaps with room for some guests who would enjoy seeing some places not available to most "tourists". When I was in Sea Cadets I was fortunate enough to spend some time in some of the most spectacular places, most of them less than 150 km from my home. Places you can only get to by boat or airplane. I would like for Lynn to see these places too.

Slicing up wieners into the beans is quite common here. Cheese on chili. Or cheese on chili on a hotdog.

It's cotton candy in this part of Canada. @GUT2407Fries and chips can get confusing around here. Fries are those thin cut semi crisp potato things you get from the fast food places like McDonalds. Chips could be those thick cut potato treats that are cut fresh from real potatoes and blanched in hot oil before being rested and fried to a crisp outside and soft inside golden brown. These are most often found in your quality fish & chip shops; or they could be those thin sliced potato disks found in a bag and called "crisps" in the UK. What do they call "corndogs" in OZ? Snags on a stick? Sweet fizzy drinks are usually called "pop" around here and "soda" in the US. Like @NSWP says soda is flavourless bubbly water you may add to a cocktail.

Not very often for breakfast Les. In Canada Heinz has very nice maple baked beans, no tomato products in them so Lynn can eat them. We usually have some in the pantry, they make for a quick lunch or even supper. I don't put the beans "on" the toast on the plate, the toast gets mushy. I serve the beans in a bowl with the toast on the side.

Save those cars for the pies Mr. Gut, they are definitely better than beans with toast.

I have tried that American favourite. It's okay but I wouldn't be sad if I didn't have it again.

I think most people here say cookies, although we have quite an array of products from the UK or foods made in Canada with UK origins. I think the Peek Freans Bisquits we get here are made in Canada by Christies.

Yes back in the day before the rule was "If you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it" There was always a gallon jug of Calona Red at my mom and dad's place and there were many pounds of chuck steak marinated in some concoction that included said red wine and other ingredients to tenderize them for grilling. I wish I could find chuck steaks around here, I'm pretty sure I could make a better marinade.

Of course you could drink right out of the bottle or can 😁.

Of course there you go in the middle of winter describing a lovely roast dinner. I guess I could set up the rotisserie on the Barby. I'm not sure about using a whole bottle of port to make a "jus" though. We used to be able to get an Australian Port style wine called Tyrells fine old tawny, it was quite nice and very affordable, alas I haven't seen it in many years. right now the only port we have in the house do not tend to the "affordable" side. I do have a bottle of Sandeman Ruby that I wouldn't mind using to enhance a nice sauce to serve with a good roast. I have a bottle of Grahams late bottled vintage in the rack and I think I have a good Canadian made fortified wine (port style to some). Right now I'm enjoying a wee glass of Graham's 6 grapes.