After making this once, I can guarantee you that you will never buy shop brought tzatziki again! A easy dip great for entertaining that you can make in less than 15 minutes. You will love this easy 5 ingredients Tzatziki!
Home-made over shop-brought Tzatziki
I used to buytzatzikiall the time and I was never quite impressed by the shop brought version of it. I found it watery and tasteless. And tzatziki is nothing like that! Every time we travelled to Greece over the summer, at every meal we used to have it. It was the perfect, creamy, fresh accompaniment to a meat platter and the essential staple in the manygyros we ordered. So, I just improvised and started making it. I have not brought it since then! I usually have a tub of greek yogurt in the fridge, and with a few other ingredients, I can make a batch in a flash. Making it at home also means you get a healthier dip. This is my version, so let me show you how to make this quick 5 ingredients tzatziki!
Ingredients for this 5 Ingredients Tzatziki
Yogurt: the most important ingredient. The real trick is to use a greek tub-set unsweetened yogurt. It’s so much thicker than natural yogurt, you won’t need to strain it like most of other recipes call for which saves you a lot of time. If you go to Greece – at breakfast this is exactly the yougurt they serve you, so it’s the real deal!
Cucumber: Lebanese or half of a large continental, grated. Once grated you just need to squeeze the extra water out with your hand to remove the excess moisture
Cumin: will add that extra warmth and depth to the tzatziki
Extra virgin olive oil, a lot of it!
Garlic powder: I prefer using this instead of fresh garlic. It’s less overpowering and does not leave as much of an aftertaste of raw garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste
Serving Suggestions
So many ways that you can serve this! Great served as a dip, or as a side to lamb with roast lemon potatoes or in lamb or chicken souvlaki. If you are having a vegetarian meal it’s quite filling in a more generous serve with tabouli salad, falafel & zataar bread.
Grate the cucumber and with your hands, squeeze the excess water out
In a deep bowl, add yogurt, grated cucumber, garlic powder, cumin, most of your olive oil and the salt. Add pepper to taste and combine well.
Top with a little more olive oil before serving!
Notes
Store in a sealed contained in the fridge for up to 4 days. If after time in the fridge the dib has become watery, give it a quick stir and it will regain the creaminess before serving again.
Tropical Fiji. The ads don’t lie. Sunny days, palm lined beaches and one of the most family friendly holiday destinations. If you were like me and are planning your first Fiji Holidays with your brand new baby, Here are my Top 3 Tips for Visiting Fiji.
Top 3 Tips for Visiting Fiji with a baby
Where to stay: Things to consider
When deciding on a location to stay – we opted to stay on Denarau Island. Denarau is really close to the Fiji’s main international airport, Nadi (20 minutes by car), and is like its own gated development. The area is mainly made up of large resorts (9), a port, some private residences and a golf course. The great thing is that you can walk across to all the resorts, either via a walkway along the beach or use the shuttle, called the Bula Bus. It was wonderful to be able to walk across all the resorts in the evening and try different places for dinner!
Tree lined walkway that connects all the resorts in Denarau
The other option we considered that is a bit further from the airport is the Coral Coast. It has a really appealing coastline with pristine beaches as the main pull for travellers. Denarau instead, actually only has a man-made beach so you would generally just laze by the pool. The trade off was a bit more of a remote location (1 hour and 20 minute drive from the airport) and less restaurants at walking distance. So for first timers, Denarau was the perfect choice! We opted to stay at the Hilton Fiji in Denarau, you can read more about it in my review HERE.
Man-made beach in Denarau
What to pack and bring from home
When packing your suitcase, I recommend you take everything you need for your baby from home, enough to last you the whole trip. So that is nappies, wipes, formula, creams, baby food and whatever else your baby needs. Yes, it might mean that you will have a suitcase filled with baby stuff – but it will defenitely save you a lot of money. While you can most definitely find these items for purchase there, the convenience stores in the resorts have a huge markup on these items for holidaymakers. If you are after a specific type or brand of item, they might also not have it.
Source: Pixabay
There was of course a local supermarket at the port which had more affordable prices and more options. But to be honest, I was glad I had everything with me so the only thing I had to buy was water to make up the baby bottles! It also means that once you unpack your suitcase in the resort, you can relax! You already have everything you need and you won’t have to worry about going to look for things if you run out.
Vaccinations and Mosquitos in Fiji
Make sure your vaccinations for you and your baby are up to date before travelling to Fiji. Speak to your doctor for any concerns or specific health advice before travelling. We opted to travel once our baby was 6 months old and had just had his 6 months routine vaccinations.
Source: Pixabay
Mosquitos can be an annoyance in Fiji, with December to April being the wet season and when most moquitos are around. There is Zika, Typhoid and Dengue cases throughout Fiji so ensure to take some kids and adult insect repellent to avoid getting bitten. You can also purchase a net to go over the cot if needed and if your baby is quite sensitive to mosquito bites.
You can check the most up to date travel information for Fiji from the Australian Smart Traveller website HERE.
Nanny and babysitting facilities at the resorts for babies
Lastly if you haven’t already read this in all the other posts about Fiji, they absolutely love babies and children there! The service is outstanding and everyone in the resorts is very accommodating. We would often sit by the pool and the attendants will come around and take our little one for a few minutes while we had our lunch and they are just the most gentle and nurturing people I have ever met! Most resorts in Denarau offer Kids Clubs and Babysitting / Nanny facilities.
Source: Pixabay
Hiring a nanny
We used the nanny at the resort we stayed at and it was well worth! Most resorts offer a nanny service for little ones under 3 years old. The nannies may be employed by the resort or from an outside company. Either way, they are extremely affordable (from 8-10 FJD per hour) and more than happy to provide you with references. Do note that the rates vary – for some you might have to book ahead and for an minimum amount of hours (generally 3) or for 2 or more consecutive days. The fees are usually higher for the evening. The nannies are extremely professional, well trained with children and they will take great care of your little ones.
Kids Clubs
Kids older than 3 years old can generally go to the Kids Club without an accompanying adult but do need to be toilet trained. Depending on the resort/package you booked, the Kids Club might have a fee per child to attend. In most cases, it will be included as part as your room rate if you are staying longer than a few days.
https://www.high-endrolex.com/6
Enjoying an afternoon cocktail
‘Vinaka’ (Thank You!) Fiji! We had a fabulous time and I can’t wait to go back and get some more of the Fijian hospitality!
To Check out my review of the Hilton Fiji, click HERE.
Have a look at some great Fiji Hotel deals, have a look at Expedia or Booking.com.
To check out the best airfares to Fiji, check out Skyscanner.
On our first family holiday to Fiji, we opted to stay at the Hilton Fiji Beach Resort and Spa in Denarau. A tropical paradise with expansive gardens and plenty of room for the whole family, it was the perfect choice! This is our Hilton Fiji Review.
This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a booking, I make a small commission. This is at absolutely NO additional cost to you and helps me keep the site running!
What you are going to love about the Hilton Fiji
Large, spacious rooms with the option of apartment stays for more space
Great for families with young children, as well as couples looking for more quiet and relaxation as they have a separate adults-only pool and restaurant.
In a great location in Denarau which is close to the airport, and within walking distance of lots of other resorts to have more dinner options.
The Hilton Fiji is located on Denarau Island, only 20 minutes by car from Nadi International Airport. Denarau is a man-made island, that you can get to via bus or taxi, just by crossing a small bridge that goes over a creek.
Once across to Denarau, you will mainly find large resorts (9 of them), some private residences, a golf course, a water park and a port with some local shops and restaurants.
Credit: Pixabay
The Hilton Fiji is located along the waterfront and is connected to all the other resorts via the beach or lined pathways that are all across Denarau.
The Bula Busservice operates daily and can give you a lift anywhere in Denarau, it costs 30 FJD for a 5-day pass per person or 10 FJD per day, and kids under 12 travel free with an accompanying paying adult.
Walking along the palm lined walkways in Denarau
The greatest drawcard for staying in Denarau is the proximity to the airport and the convenience of having lots of other resorts nearby so you can venture out to different places to grab dinner that were easy to get to by walk or with the Bula Bus.
The Beach at Hilton Fiji
The views over Denarau Beach are stunning to look at but to be honest I did not see many (if any) people swimming on the beach – people just chill by the pool! The beach is man-made and is mostly dark and grey sand (it used to be mangrove mudflats).
If you want a beautiful beach with clear waters to swim and do snorkelling in every day, then perhaps Denarau is not for you. You can head to other parts of Fiji like the Coral Coast or the islands which have much nicer beaches to swim in.
The beach at Hilton Fiji in Denarau
Hilton Fiji Review: The Resort Complex
The Hilton Fiji resort is on a long stretch of beach (just over 2 km), surrounded by lots of manicured gardens.
271 rooms, including suites, studios, 1,2 & 3 bedroom residences are available at the resort.
We booked a 1 bedroom residence and just loved the spacious apartment. The apartments are fitted with a kitchen, laundry facilities and BBQs on the deck/balcony.
Balcony with BBQ facing the garden
We found that compared to most of the other resorts in Denarau it had many options for staying in apartment style accommodation which was a big plus!
We had access to more space, a separate bedroom and all the amenities we needed in the kitchen to make bottles/warm up food for our baby.
The bathrooms for the apartments were large and had a separate shower and a deep soaking tub.
Open plan bathroom with freestanding tub
We booked initially a 1 bedroom garden view room. The garden view rooms look over onto the back of the gardens of the resorts and have a separate bedroom.
Sea facing bedroom in the 2 bedroom seaview apartment on the second floor
After the first few nights, the aircon in our apartment broke down – it’s very humid in Fiji and after one very muggy night and them trying to fix it, the following day we got moved and upgraded to a 2 Bedrooms Beachfront Sea Facing Apartment and given some credit to use in the resort.
View from our upgraded 2 bedroom seaview apartment
Needless to say, that it made up for that initial inconvenience of moving rooms, and if I go again, that is the room I will be booking!
The beachfront apartment we had was on the second floor, was very spacious and we had a great view of the gardens and the sea.
Hilton Fiji Review: The Restaurants
Nuku Restaurant
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and serves International & some local dishes. Occasionally at the front of Nuku they also do entertainment by the pool deck with music and traditional fire dancing which was fantastic!
Nuku entrance beside main pool
Our room included breakfast, which was served here at Nuku. It was most definitely worth getting! The breakfast buffet with very comprehensive, with lots of Western, Asian and local options available so we fuelled up in the morning just needing a small snack at lunch.
We did dine for dinner on one occasion but we were not particularly impressed, and I preferred the food at Maravu (the other restaurant at the resort) more.
Breakfast at Nuku
The Deli
Serves small snacks, sandwiches, coffee and takeaway items like pizza. We often got lunch from here just as takeaway to have by the pool.
Maravu Restaurant
Open for Dinner only and serves Thai/ Asian food. It has a beautiful beach view, outstanding service and the food was very tasty and of excellent quality. Highly recommend the whole fried fish! it was delicious and we went back for it a few times!
Dinner with a view from Maravu
Koro Restaurant
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and serves Mediterranean-style tapas as well as some larger International dishes. This is located within the Adults only section of the resort.
The complex has its own bar, restaurant, pool and lounges that can only be accessed by adults. It has music playing and it has a very relaxed, kid-free vibe! We enjoyed the food (we opted for the tapas meals) and the cocktails here.
Hilton Fiji Review: Family Friendly Facilities
The resort is fantastic for kids. They have a kids pool with small slides and a few of the other pools are shallow, shaded for little kids to have a paddle.
Kids pool area
Kids Club
They have a Kids Club – we didn’t use so I can’t personally comment on it. But it is complementary and available for kids aged 3 to 12. Toddlers need to be toilet trained to go to the kids club. Kids under 6 years old can also dine free from Noku, with the purchase of a main meal for the adult.
Nanny Service
They also have a nanny service which we used on a few occasions. The nanny was great and the service is very affordable (from 8 FJD per hour with minimum hours, rates differ for more than 1 child and evening babysitting). The nannies are very experienced and they can look after the younger children in the room while you head out for dinner or head over to Koro for a swim.
Overall, we really enjoyed our stay! I hope you found this Hilton Fiji Review helpful to plan your travels!
Stuck for ideas when it comes to bringing a ‘side salad’ over to someone’s house for dinner? Then you have to try this Healthy Soba Noodle Salad! Bouncy noodles, crunchy slaw and a bit of tang from the dressing. Great to accompany roast meats, a BBQ or even better seafood. A healthy salad that you can make in a flash!
Ingredients needed for this Healthy Soba Noodle Salad
All you need for this fresh and Healthy Soba Noodle Salad:
Soba Noodles
I love these noodles, and they are so good for you! They are made usually of buckwheat and wheat flour. Buckwheat is high in protein and give the noodles a nuttier taste.
Soba noodles are delicious to eat cold, warm or hot. The trick with these is to cook them exactly as per the packet instructions, I like to use Hakubaku Organic Soba Noodles or Kura Soba Noodles.
Tip: Because they have less gluten than normal noodles or pasta – they are less forgiving if you overcook them, and they easily get very soft and will break.
After boiling them, immediately run them under cold water to stop the cooking and put a little of vegetable oil to stop them from sticking together.
Shredded Carrot, Cabbage & Spring Onions
I like to use purple or white cabbage or a mixture of both. Together with the carrot they give a lovely crunch to the salad.
Finely sliced spring onions or scallions add some additional taste to the dish as well as a pop of colour.
Tip: From the supermarket you can also find already finely sliced bags of carrot and cabbage for coleslaw! You can use a whole 400g bag of those if you don’t want to have to shred by hand! I do when I do not have the time 🙂
Sesame Seeds
I like to use a mixture of black and while sesame seeds for a pop of colour, but you can use either!
Dressing Ingredients for this Healthy Soba Noodle Salad
Tamari – you can substitute for soy sauce if that is all you have at hand. I like to use Tamari as a healthier swap as it contains less sodium than soy sauce.
Sesame Oil
Apple Cider Vinegar
How to make this Healthy Soba Noodle Salad
Cook Soba Noodles
Cook the soba noodles as per packet directions and cool immediately under cold water.
Place the cooked soba noodles in a large bowl and add a few tablespoons of sesame or vegetable oil to stop them from sticking together and combine. You can read more about How to Cook Perfect Soba Noodles on my post HERE.
Make Dressing
In a small bowl, mix the Tamari, Sesame Oil and Apple Cider Vinegar and set aside.
Combine and Serve
Combine the sliced Spring Onions/Scallions, sliced cabbage and carrot to the noodles and add the dressing.
Add the sesame seeds and gently combine with the rest of the salad.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Serving and Storage Suggestions
The Salad once dressed is best served immediately. If you are not planning to serve the salad immediately do not add the dressing till right before serving.
You can also make this up to a day in advance by keeping the noodles, vegetables and dressings in separate containers and combining just before serving.
If the noodles have stuck together – you can gently re-heat them for 20 seconds in the microwave before combining with the other ingredients.
2 cupspurple or white cabbage(finely shredded, approx. 150 gr)
2 cupscarrot(finely shredded, approx. 150 gr)
3spring onions(finely sliced)
2 tbspsesame seeds(white / black or both)
1 tbspvegetable oil(or a few extra tablespoons of sesame oil)
50mlsesame oil(approx 4 tbsp)
50mltamari(or soy sauce -approx 4 tbsp)
50 mlapple cider vinegar(approx 4 tbsp)
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to the boil, in the meantime finely slice the cabbage, carrots and spring onions
Cook the noodles as per packet instruction. They easily overcook so put a timer on! Once cooked, drain them and run them under cold water till they are cold to the touch.
Place them in a large bowl with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil so that they don't stick together.
Prepare the dressing by mixing the sesame oil, tamari and apple cider vinegar,
Mix the cabbage, carrot and spring onion to the noodles, add the sesame seeds. dressing and serve immediately!
Notes
The noodle salad once dressed is best served immediately.If you don’t plan to serve it immediately, keep the noodles and salad in an airtight container and add the dressing separate up until serving time.Storage: If the noodle salad is already dressed it will keep in the fridge for up to two days in a airtight container. If not dressed, it will last for up to 4 days. If the noodles have dried out – you can re-heat them briefly in the microwave for 30 seconds.
While we lived in London, the ultimate goal was to visit at least 20 countries and stretch our hard earned pounds as far as possible. So how can you get around to a lot of countries without breaking the bank?Here are my 5 Top Tips on how to save money when travelling around Europe – whether it’s for a quick weekend city getaway or a longer holiday, there are so many places that you can go and explore!
5 Top Tips on How to Save Money when Travelling in Europe
Take a Train
We were based in London so when travelling around Europe we mostly got some great flight deals on budget airlines – but we also discovered the convenience and cost saving of using train travel! We did quite a few trips from London with the Eurostar and not just across to the popular Paris – but also to Lille in the north of France, the Netherlands (hello Amsterdam!) and to Belgium.
Brussels Grand-Place
A flight London to Brussels for example is around an hour long – but with the Eurostar it’s just under 2 hours and you can save on costly airport transfers in both locations. The trains are extremely comfortable, you skip the long queues at security and at the gates and you are taken right in the centre of town!
Another big plus is that you won’t have to worry about having that extra kg or two of souvenirs (like a big supply of Belgium beers and chocolate…) in your luggage, as that something that budget airlines are extremely strict about (and actually make some profit off the cheap fare you booked), so if your bag is even just slightly overweight, you will end up with a hefty fine.
Image by Emil02050 from Pixabay
Venture off the most popular cities
Of course you want to go and see Rome, Paris, Barcelona and tick off those beauties on your bucket list. But don’t be put off by places you have never heard about, just take a punt and go! We would often look at a map and choose a random city we didn’t know much about for a weekend. When we wanted to travel to Poland – instead of going to Warsaw or Krakow, we discovered this awesome university town called Wroclaw. We had an amazing time venturing around this city, trying out the local vodka bars and sinking our teeth in some creamy potato pierogi, all without the tourist crowds and at much more affordable prices. You can read more about Wroclaw HERE.
Wroclaw Town Square
Travel outside the peak holiday times
The busiest time of year that people travel within and to Europe are the summer months between June and August. That is also when a lot of schools have their longer summer break. For beach destinations, consider May and late September to travel as you will find the weather is generally quite warm, for example the south of Spain or Portugal will be a balmy 25 degrees.
Spring in Praya de Luz, Portugal
If you are planning to see cities, any time of the year is great to visit! Even if it’s the middle of winter just rug up! I can assure you that you will always find a cosy place to have something warming to eat or drink, or a museum to see if it rains or snows. You will get to see a place with mainly just the locals and really get absorbed into the local culture and feel of a place.
Budapest Chain Bridge during a very snowy February
In London for example, the weather can be a real hit and miss most of the year. Avoiding the summer and travelling in spring (late March / April) is a great alternative. You will get to see the many beautiful gardens in full bloom and the accommodation will be a bit more affordable.
Regent Park in London, during spring
Check ahead what’s on where you are travelling to
If you are planning to take a trip outside of the tourist summer season – it’s still worth checking what is on when you are travelling. If there are big events in a particular city or town, you will find that the prices are generally higher, and it will also mean that the accommodation and car hire will be limited or expensive. These events could be anything from large events, conferences or gatherings, concerts or religious celebrations. Local tourism board websites are a good place to check, and unless it’s an event you are planning to attend, change dates if you can and you can save yourself some money!
One of the many Royal Celebrations in London
On the flip side of that – local markets, are the place to be! Whether that is a weekly farmers market or a small local festival, these are fabulous opportunities to soak up the culture and have some great and CHEAP meals while you are out and about exploring. We stumbled the most incredible markets while travelling which were just an absolute feast for the senses.
At a local Market in Budapest
Hire a car
If you are planning on travelling for longer than a few days in a country or city, instead of taking a tour – hire a car! Even if it’s for a day, you can venture out and explore other towns nearby. All you need is an international drivers license. With the distances in Europe between countries being manageable (with proper planning of course) you can also look into collecting a car in one airport and returning it to a different one. There is usually a one-way charge, but it may not much and worth the expense, to cover more of a country and save you from going back to the same airport you flew into.
Crossing the German – Swiss Border
If you are planning to travel across countries that are nearby, car companies in Europe will also usually allow you to take the car across borders – you just need to let them know when you book (I prefer to book a hire car in advance to secure a good rate) so that they can apply the appropriate insurance cover and let you know if there are any restrictions in the countries you are planning to travel to. By getting around with a car you will be able to get to places that may not be accessible at all by public transport or that tours miss all together! You will be guaranteed to stumble upon some fantastic little towns as you drive through that you might have missed completely!
Driving on a roadtrip to Scotland
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So are you ready to travel? Hope you found my tips on How to Save Money when Travelling in Europe and save yourself some money useful.
We were looking at a map to plan our next weekend away, and came across this lesser known city in Poland – Wroclaw, Poland’s University City. I pronounced it wrong endless times, before some of my polish friends corrected me with the right pronunciation: Vrots Wahf. So if you are on the lookout for an affordable weekend getaway in Europe, this place has it all! It’s the 3rd largest city in Poland and with a colourful town square to explore, tree lined walkways along the Odra river, you will find a real laid back vibe here. Here are my Top 3 Things I recommend doing in Wroclaw!
How to get to Wroclaw
The city is well connected by daily flights to London, Warsaw, Munich, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Dublin, as well as alternating day flights to many other countries in Europe. The flight time is only 2 hours from London and budget airlines such as Ryanair and Wizz Air service this route so you can generally get a good deal if you are travelling just for a weekend trip with no checked luggage. You can also get there by train from Berlin, which has a daily connection and takes around 4 hours.
Once you land into Wroclaw – you can take a taxi to the city centre which is around 15 minutes with no traffic (10 km) and will cost around 85 Polish Zloty (30 AUD). The other alternative with public transport is the 106 Bus from the airport into the city centre (Renoma Stop) and will cost around 5 Polish Zloty, taking around 1 hour.
Where to stay in Wroclaw
We stayed at the Wyndham Wroclaw which was conveniently located right in the city centre, only about 5 minutes walk from the Market Square so it was perfect for us staying just for a few nights. Staying in the Old Town will allow you to get around on foot to most places. You can see all the options to book accommodation in WroclawHERE.
Top 3 Things to do in Wroclaw
Visit the Market Square
Also called Rynek Market Square, this is the focal point of this wonderful city. The Market Square is a stunning, medieval square that dates back to the the 13th century. Stand in the middle of it and you are surrounded by beautiful colourful building, shops, cafes’ restaurants, and the odd horse and carriage.
The Old Town hall is a centrepiece of the Square. It has been in that location from 1299, and had several architectural changes over the years. It boasts Gothic and Renaissance styles, intricate stone carvings, and it also had an astronomical clock added to the façade in the 16th century. A seriously impressive and beautiful building!
Take a view of the city from up high from the tallest building in the Old Town at St Elizabeth Church. In summer and weather dependent you can also climb the very narrow 91 mt tower. The Square also host a number of markets, and one of the most wonderful Christmas Markets in Europe during November and December each year.
Go hunting for gnomes
Might sound crazy, but these little guys are pretty much the unofficial ambassadors of the city. We stumbled upon these cute little gnome statues while walking around the city the first night we arrived, and the more we looked around, the more of them we could find! Going gnome hunting in Wroclaw is a weird and wonderful way to explore the city.
The official count of these varies, come say 100, some say up to 600. The gnomes started appearing in the city in the early 2000s, to represent the anti-communist movement called ‘Orange Alternative’ that was strong in the 80s. The gnomes are depicted doing all sorts of funny things and mundane activities – they were put there for people to have a laugh and it’s guaranteed to still put a smile on your face when you see them! You can also get a map of where you can find all of them in the city at the Tourist Office in Wroclaw – so get gnome hunting!
Have a meal in one of the oldest restaurant in Europe and try one of the local Vodka Bars
Restaurant Piwnica Świdnicka
Imagine having a meal in a restaurant that has been around for over 700 years. Mind-blowing right! Located in the base of the Old Town hall, Piwnica Świdnicka dates back it’s opening to 1273, making it one of the oldest restaurants in Europe. When we visited it was only classic traditional polish dishes, it’s recently had a refurb and changed its appearance to be more upmarket. It has now an extensive beer, whisky and cocktails selection and the menu is still traditional with its staples of pierogi, Polish Sour Rye Soup and Snitzel but, with a modern twist and with some additional European dishes. You can check out their menu HERE.
Vodka Bar Pijalnia Wódki i Piwa
It’s a university city afterall so we had to try a popular bar chain with the locals, and this was well worth it. But I’ll put it out there, by no means is this the place you go for a quiet drink. The place is loud, busy and not many people could understand us speaking English. But that is just half the fun when travelling right :). The vodkas are tasty, straight out of the freezer, making them surprisingly easy to drink. This place had a huge range to choose from as well as many different types of mixed shooters. They also offer traditional, simple polish food that is certain to hit the spot like Pickled herring and Beef Tartare. You can find all the details HERE.
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So are you ready to travel? Hope you found my post on Top 3 tips to do in Wroclaw useful.
It’s summertime as I’m writing this and It’s tomato season! – my garden is over bursting with many, juicy sun ripened tomatoes of all sorts, which means, making bruschette any excuse I get!
This one is one of my favourite recipes for dinner parties as a starter or as we call it for antipasto’ before a main meal and it’s always a hit. You can prepare the chopped tomatoes in advance and all you have to do is top and serve! Any chopped tomatoes that are leftover taste even better the next day. All the flavours had a chance to mingle and make for a light, super easy lunch too.
Ingredients for these Easiest Tomato Bruschetta
Only a few ingredients are required for this easy tomato bruschetta:
Bread – A light airy loaf that you can slice in thick slices, my favourite bread to use is a nice sourdough or a ciabatta loaf. If you prefer bite-sized bruschetta pieces, after toasting you can also half the slices again
Tomatoes – I like to use a mixture of cherry, roma, truss & heirloom. I love the contrast of flavours and textures all combined
Spring onion – I like to use this instead of onion as it’s little less overpowering
Garlic – only for rubbing on the bread after being toasted, like they do in Italy! Do this before the toppings are put on top. The bonus is also that no one accidentally bites into a chunk of garlic on their bruschetta!
Fresh basil – if you have fresh one from your garden, the more the better!
Extra virgin olive oil – LOTS of it!
Apple cider vinegar – for that extra zing
Salt and Pepper
And this is just for a simple tomato bruschetta – the sky is the limit with all the combinations and toppings that you can have for this tasty & filling starter.
Toppings variations
You can make this bruschetta in a ‘Caprese’ version, with a few whole slices of heirloom tomatoes, some fresh mozzarella slices, basil and a drizzle of olive oil, which tastes beautiful also! But if you want to try other variations without tomatoes – these are my favourite combinations, or even better make a mixed platter of them as a starter:
1kgmixed tomatoes(like cherry, roma, truss or heirloom)
1spring onion
2garlic cloves(peeled)
125 mlextra virgin olive oil
2tbspapple cider vinegar
1handfulfresh basil leaves
1 tspsalt
ground pepper(to taste)
Instructions
Chop the tomatoes into small dice
Finely chop the spring onion and basil
Add the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and combine well
Slice the bread into thick 2 cm pieces and toast it or grill it on a griddle pan for a few minutes
Rub the garlic cloves on the toasted bread
Top with the chopped tomatoes & serve
Notes
Toppings variations:You can make this bruschetta in a ‘Caprese’ version, with a few whole slices of heirloom tomatoes, some fresh mozzarella slices, basil and a drizzle of olive oil, which tastes beautiful also! But if you want to try other variations without tomatoes – these are my favourite combinations, or even better make a mixed platter of them as a starter:
We decided to go on a family holiday to the Grampians right in the middle of a cold July in Melbourne, to escape the city, get out into nature and have a cozy country getaway with the kids. Well indeed the Grampians delivered! These are my Top 3 Things to do in the Grampians with kids!
Where we stayed
In the Grampians, we opted for a week stay in a cozy cottage in Halls Gap, the beautiful Algona Views. The cottage was perfect for our week stay with 2 kids under 4. I particularly liked this place as it was newly renovated, had a split system for heating (rather than a fireplace to keep my curious toddler safe), had a beautiful spacious deck & backyard to enjoy the views and the wildlife of the area.
You arrive and straight away native wildlife is all around you! There are many very friendly kangaroos roaming around and so many cockatoos! The birds, were indeed a real highlight of the holiday. Every morning after breakfast, we would sit on the deck out the back of the property while sipping our morning coffee, and we had so many birds coming to say hello! It was a real delight for the kids and they had so much fun feeding them some crackers and fruit. I must admit though, they do get greedy and keep coming back for more and are not afraid in tapping you on the shoulder to get their share of food.
Halls Gap Town Centre
The cottage was located a few minutes by car outside of town, where most of the holiday cottages are located. We walked into town on a few occasions, it was about a 25 minute walk to get to the main street along this lovely walkway in the bush land adjacent to the main road.
Halls Gap itself is a small little town and the main strip of shops on Grampians Road has a few little essential stores, a few restaurants/take away shops, a bakery and general store where we could buy everything we needed for our week there.
These are the Top 3 Things to do in the Grampians with Kids
We loved this country zoo and I must say it really exceeded my expectations, the place is huge! It took us over 3 hours to see it all. You really get a chance to see close up some incredible animals like the red panda and cheetahs, and upon entry you can also purchase feed for $2 for some of the animals and the kids had an absolutely ball feeding the deers, goats and wallabies.
There is also a big playground as you walk in where the kids can have a play.
Handy Tip: Just make sure to bring your lunch and snacks as there is no coffee shop to get any food or hot drinks.
This minigolf place was incredible and my 4 year old thoroughly enjoyed it! It’s an 18 hole course set on 2 acres of bushland, with all sorts of crazy ramps, tunnels and little bridges for the balls to go on! It also has a café where you can have brunch or lunch before or after your play. Kids under 4 are free and they happily give a club and balls to the smaller players to have a go at playing. You can easily spend a few hours here. There is also the MOCO Art Gallery connected to it where you can have a look at some beautiful artworks. They also run Canvas & Cocktail classes and painting workshops.
Handy Tip: I don’t recommend this for toddlers younger than 3 yrs old due to the steep stairs, little rivers and open bridges running through the course. My little one wanted to just go around and explore and I was on toddler watch the whole time!
This community run garden is stunning and so different from any garden we have ever been to! It’s immersed in bush land and focuses on showcasing native plants and some really cool art installations which the kids loved exploring. The Botanical Gardens is also the starting point for many walking tracks including the one that leads you to the Venus Baths.
The ‘loop’ will take you around 1 hour there and back, and is just over 2 km. It’s a gorgeous scenic walk that takes you through bush land and rock formations. Once you arrive at the Venus Baths you will see these inviting pools or ‘baths’ of water where in summer it’s very popular for people to cool off (if there is enough water that is – as it can also dry up). Needless to say that being July I didn’t bother testing the water. It was freezing by the look of it, so I just admired the view!
Handy Tip: The track was very easily accessible but going with a pram was a bit of a challenge in a couple of sections of the track as there were some big rocks to go over.
Other great things to do in the Grampians
if you have the time, these are also worth a visit!
Admire the Grampians view and catch the rainbows at Boroka Lookout
We enjoy the occasional night off cooking while on holidays (I am sure you do too right 😊) and I highly recommend these two standout places in Halls Gap:
Flame Brothers: Melt in the mouth smoky meats are the speciality of this place that will literally make you want to go back for more, but for me it was actually the fried buffalo cauliflower that stole the show. How do you even make a vegetable taste so good!
Spirit of Punjab: The kids (and all the adults of course) loved this place – they have robot cat waiters that come to serve your food! The food was wonderful with authentic flavours and the standout for me was the tandoori chicken, not to spicy, smoked and tasted just perfect!
We absolutely loved our week in the Grampians and can’t wait to go back!
