meg-made it to Zermatt (Switzerland)

I can't believe it has taken me 6 months to get some of my travel photos together from our weekend away in Switzerland! 

It was 6 months ago now that we went to Zermatt to celebrate my 30th Birthday (which means now I'm closer to 31 than I am to 30, gulp, I need to stop being obnoxiously 30 now I think). 

Maybe its taken me this long  to write about because we had too many photos to look through, but if I'm really honest, its because if I extended the time it took me to post about it, it would in a little way extend the trip too. 

It was the most magical 5 days and was such a special place to celebrate my 30th Birthday.  

Zermatt is nestled in the Swiss Alps in a relatively inaccessible valley watched over by the grand Matterhorn. 

Babes on a Plane...my guide to flying with kids!

I've written a few posts about flying with kids over the past few years but thought I'd consolidate it all into one comprehensive guide. 

Being Australians living in London, far far away from Grandparents means we've taken our fair share of flights to reunite Maddie with family and friends over the past two years. 

We took 42 flights with Madeleine in her first two years, and so I feel a little qualified to give some tips which may help to reduce some anxiety about flying with kids. 

I'm by no means an  expert, but other than one or two bad flights, I've been pretty proud of the number of times air hostess' comment on how well behaved our little traveller is. 

meg-made it to SonnMatten Zermatt (review)

If you ever find yourself lucky enough to be going to Zermatt, please take me with you! Zermatt in Switzerland is one of the most picturesque ski resorts in Europe the World, and I was lucky enough to spend a (much too short) week there for my 30th Birthday earlier last month. 

We'd never been to the Alps and were so excited to be up high in the clean, crisp, country air. We had researched going to Zermatt for years and years, and finally, this February it was our time to go. It is a wee bit difficult to get to (from door to door it was a taxi, train, plane, two trains and another taxi, all up 8 hours from London) but totally worth the beautiful hassle that it was. 

The train trips up the mountains were outrageously beautiful and we had more than enough space for Madeleine to play and cause a raucous. We arrived and got ourselves set up, poured a drink, chilled with snow (of course) and found ourselves settling in very quickly to life in Switzerland.

When going through my photos to choose some for this post it was too hard to only select 10 or so, so I'm going to ask for a free pass for an indulgent second post of our time in Zermatt?? I know I'm not a travel blog, and I promise I won't pretend to be, but when you find something this beautiful, it would be selfish not to share right?! This way I can focus on the review of SonnMatten without overloading you with a thousand photos of the Matterhorn!!

We were staying in a sweet little chalet on the Northern end of Zermatt, in the little village of Winklematten. It isn't in the touristy town centre and is closer to the slopes. Win win. But quite possibly the biggest win was that we were just 2 minutes walk from SonnMatten, the gorgeous Swiss restaurant/bar/hotel that we had a very surprising evening meal at.

We snow-boot-walked up for what we were expecting to be a quick and casual bite to eat, but ended up having the most ridiculously delicious and enjoyable 4 course feast. When we saw the menu we just assumed we would choose one of the options, but instead, SonnMatten does a set 4 course dinner, and that is all.

There were blankets and sheepskins outside if you were brave enough to huddle around the heaters, but we (thankfully) had a baby to consider, so went inside. But not before having a giggle at the pet hospitality on our way!

As you arrive, you are served a complimentary meat and bread plate, and this night was a house-cured smokey bacon and a crusty white loaf. I didn't have the bread but the bacon was yummy, and for a hungry little toddler this was perfect (the period between ordering and waiting for a meal to arrive is a significant portion of a one year old's life, it can be very testing!!).

The menu all sounded great, and whilst 59CHF (60USD) was a little more than we were expecting to  each spend for dinner, at the end of the meal we would have gladly paid it again!!

Appetiser: Cream of mushroom soup or mixed salad, we got one of each

Entree: Pasta in a light zucchini sauce with fresh basil (which, when I looked sad, the waitress said "shall I do yours gluten free mam?", yes, that shall do nicely thank you!)

Mains: Fillet of beef in a rosemary sauce, with sweet potato mash and roasted vegetables

Dessert: Panna Cotta with marinated forrest berries

We got settled into our OWN DINING ROOM, which just so happened to be the wine room too. Coincidence?

And had a glass of bubbles!

Oh and do you remember the plate of bread and bacon? Well apparently that little grating on top is not parmesan cheese, but is in fact grated fresh horseradish!! I was taking a photo of Madeleine without paying attention until THIS face appeared...oops!

Horseradish crisis over, with a slightly less-trusting Maddie, our appetisers arrived. We shared both and they both were absolutely divine. I wish the waitress could tell me in English what the salad dressing was, because I would love to be able to replicate this one. And I don't say that about too many salads!!

It was the first time we'd had cream of mushroom soup, and we both really enjoyed it. Although it was quite rich, so we were a little bit pleased to be sharing such a huge portion!

In preparation for our entrees, this fun piece of machinery was placed between us. We had WAY too much parmesan, it was just too much fun freshly grind/grating it ourselves! Had it of been a regular stand grater we would have been far more civilised!

This was my portion of gluten free pasta ( did I mention that we rolled ourselves back home we were so full?!). It was so fresh and simple, but the flavour was phenomenal. I've made plenty of zucchini pasta in my day, but the simple addition of basil (and butter I'd say) took a humble pasta to a new level! And Maddie LOVED it!!!

Aye aye aye, half way.

So then our main arrived. We were expecting a tiny piece of beef, but alas, we were proven wrong again! We hadn't had any meat for days, so were kind of excited and devoured every last morsel. It's not the best photo (only had my phone on me) but it gives you an idea of what absolute little piggies we were!!!

After loosening our belts a little, we thankfully had a little breather before our dessert arrived. I've never made a Panna Cotta before so was excited to be reminded of its glory. Of all the many options that could have been on offer, to have a gluten-free and chocolate-free dessert served filled me with an enormous amount of joy!

These were at least a regular sized portion, and whilst I said I would only have half of mine, I lied, I had the whole thing. And I may or may not have put a finger in to scoop some off the side. You decide!

And so to leave you with the perfect summary of our meal at SonnMatten...

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Psst!! If you are looking for a little more meg-made, I'd LOVE for you to follow along!

meg-made it to Jersey & ate at The Treehouse (among others)

And I could quite possibly never leave.

If France and England were to ever date, their whirlwind romance would result in the teeny tiny Island of Jersey.

Jersey is one of the Channel Islands which lies on the French side of the English Chanel, and in my opinion is combination of the best parts of France and the best parts of England. It is fresh crusty bread, soft creamy cheese, quaint cobbled-stone-lined streets, dreamy French-named towns and streets, but all in an English speaking town just a 40 minute flight from London.

Oh and the home of my Brother, and his family, which makes it pretty much one of the best places on Earth.

We spent some time there last month getting to meet my newest nephew Finn, (could he be any cuter, seriously?!)

This trip reminded me how much I just love the ocean and having so much of life being associated with the beach. Growing up we would "summer" at Byron Bay each Christmas to visit my Gran, and I think the beach will always be a special place because of that. 

And everything we ate was beach-based, which I bloomin well love!!! 

We went out for lunch one day to a gorgeous little restaurant in St Brelade called the Treehouse. They have a really generous gluten free menu available and an amazing indoor and outdoor play area, so we were all set!

I had the Piri Piri 1/2 Chicken (I was really REALLY hungry!!) and a glass of Rose. It felt like it was one of the last lingering days of warm weather, so I wanted to have one of my last glasses of Rose for the season. 

Everyone else had incredible looking cheesecakes for desserts, but the only GF option for me was ice-cream. Not a problem! When it's Jersey Ice Cream it is never a problem. Jersey is well known for it's cream, from the gorgeous brown and white Jersey cows. 

We had glorious seafood and SPECTACULAR company. Oh how I love this little Isle! 

With sunsets like these, overlooking the little English houses by the sea...

And being able to drive around these two ADORABLE cousins made me one extremely happy Mama/Aunty!!

A bit of a random post, but I just wanted to share this great little Island, and my adorable little family!!

meg-made it to Customs House Brisbane (review)

Last month when we were in Australia we had a lot to do in a short amount of time. So we wanted to be sure we didn't waste any time going to a sub-par restaurant. Custom's House was definitely not sub-par!

I was so excited when my oldest friend (in terms of we've been friends since we were 5, she's not 98 or anything) contacted me to let me know she'd be in Brisbane the weekend that we were there I was so excited! I hadn't seen Kate since our wedding a few years back, so was so excited that our paths had crossed brilliantly one glorious morning on the banks of the Brisbane River. 

I had never been to Customs House before, but always admired the building (and location!). When looking at online menu's I realised that it was potentially $1-2 more expensive than other run-of-the-mill restaurants and so I thought the view alone was worth the extra, let alone the menu options!!!!! Plus I wanted to take my friend somewhere a little bit more special.

Customs House for Sunday brunch is my Brisbane gem, mostly overlooked, but definitely worth a visit.

The menu is delightful. 

They serve Chai Lattes - yes, I had two. 

Mr M had the crab omelette, which was out of this world. I was put off by the accompaniments but had some serious order-envy when it arrived. 

My Eggs Royale was perfection though. I even enjoyed the spinach, it tasted buttery! 

It was such a thoroughly lovely morning sitting by the river on a gorgeous Spring morning, sharing delicious food with such wonderful company. Happy 30th for yesterday too Kate, I hope you had a wonderful day!!!

I HIGHLY recommend going to Customs House if you are looking for a slightly more upscale dining experience without the upscale price-tag. 

meg-made it to Grill'd (review) - Gluten Free Healthy Burgers

Now if only Grill'd would make it to London!!!

I have a fairly long list of favourite "must eat's" for whenever we are back in Australia, and even when time is tight, I usually find a way of making it to each of them. High on the list is Grill'd. I've eaten some pretty amazing burgers around the world now, but, Grill'd is still my favourite, without a doubt. 

Pre-travel planning always factors in Grill'd, I spend a whole lot of time thinking about it... as do others it seems!

It is an Australian burger joint who's angle is that they make healthy burgers. They started in Hawthorn, Melbourne, in the suburb we lived in, so we kind of feel like we were part of their success story, given that we've eaten there enough to have shares in the company! 

I was so excited to see an entire spiel about Gluten Free options on the menu, which meant I could eat anything I wanted. I could order a gluten free bun and the chips are already GF so I was all set!!

I tried virtually every burger on the menu when we lived in Melbourne, so now when I return for one burger, it is always the same: One Baa Baa burger and herbed chips please.

A Baa Baa Burger is quite simply a Lamb burger with avocado, tasty cheese, salad, relish and herbed mayo. The relish and herbed mayo really elevate the lambyness of the lamb and is such a divine combination of flavours.

And I mean come on, how good do these chips look?!

And just in case you didn't believe how good it looked from the outside....here's the inside view...

Mr M ordered the Big Queenslander - lean beef, tasty cheese, crispy trim bacon, free range egg, a couple of slices of beetroot, with salad, relish and herbed mayo. I didn't get my act together quickly enough to photograph his though!

If you're visiting Australia, or live under a rock in Australia (it would need to be Ayres Rock) and have not been to Grill'd, it is definitely worthy of being on any "must eat" lists. I love when something you hold in your memory stands up to the real thing. Over 8 years I am yet to be disappointed with Grilld. They are that good. 

Post Travel Soup: Tomato, Quinoa & Chickpea

Where on Earth am I? I have woken up thinking that question each day for about two weeks now. As I type this post rugged up in my robe and slippers, watching the misty rain fall over the gold-speckled-fall trees, I know I am nowhere else in the world but London. 

Ever since returning from New York, unpacking and re-packing and heading to Australia, I have been so confused as to where I am each morning. We went to Australia for my best friends' wedding, held a baptism for our daughter, and for some family time with my in-laws as it was my father-in-law's 70th Birthday. We went from Brisbane to the Hunter Valley, to the Sunshine Coast and back to Brisbane. We did a lot. And missed a lot too. It's hard enough hoofing ourselves around the country trying to catch up with our nearest and dearest, but add a one year old to that mix and it is nigh impossible! 

But, we are back in London now and trying to get back into the groove of normal life and of normal sleep (it's only been a day, so I'm not expecting miracles just yet). Jetlag for an adult is tough, but jetlag for a wee babe is so frustrating. So far Baby M has been okay, but she's not getting through the night without waking (quite possibly wondering where on Earth she is too...) and so the household is a little bit tired. I know from a lot of experience though now, that it takes a baby 5 days to get readjusted to a new timezone, and as we are only on day 2, I can't be complaining just yet. 

Over the past two months of travel, the number of special occasions and catch up's over "coffee" was astronomical (and delicious). I of course have some food blogs to come, and a few other little posts to write about the baptism and wedding, but in the mean time, I need me some veggies!!!  I love eating all the food we've been missing from Australia, but after another two weeks of indulgence, I just want to sit down to a plate of vegetables. Plate, or bowl. 

Yesterday I made a huge pot of soup to see us through the next few nights of dinners. It tastes like health.It is warm and filling and just perfect for this glorious fall weather. I normally don't like the Autumnal months all that much, because usually I just see them as gearing up for the long cold and dark winter ahead. But, having had summer in the UK, New York and Australia, I've had my dose of Vitamin D and I'm ready for some scarf and soup weather again.

Ingredients (in rough quantities, you may prefer differing amounts)

2 cans chopped tomatoes
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 brown onion, chopped
1 orange and 1 red capsicum (peppers), yep you guessed it, chopped
1/2 cup - 1 cup quinoa (I put 1 cup but it was quite thick)
4-6 cups stock of choice (I used chicken stock, but veggie would work well too)
Fresh coriander
Chilli flakes or fresh chillies if you'd prefer

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Add a dash of oil to a pot and add the onions, garlic, celery, capsicum and carrot and sautee for five minutes. 

2. Add the stock, tomatoes, chickpeas, quinoa and some coriander to the pot and let it boil for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the quinoa from sticking. 

3. The soup is ready when the quinoa is translucent and fluffy, and you should be able to pierce the carrot and it be nice and soft (but not falling apart). At this point add the chilli flakes (I used about 1/2 a teaspoon) and some more coriander along with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust these ingredients until it meets your desired flavour. 

Serve hot and enjoy a little bit of a food cuddle. Sometimes we all need a little cuddle of the food variety!