October 2015 - Page 2 of 2 - Adventure, baby!

Month: October 2015

Sydney’s Best Chocolate Shops: Coco Chocolate Kirribilli

October 12, 2015 / Kirribilli, North Shore, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

I love chocolate sooooo much. I particularly love handmade chocolate made with high quality ingredients – it just tastes that much better.

One of my favourite places to buy chocolate in Sydney is Coco Chocolate in Kirribilli. Coco Chocolate specialises in handmade, graded organic chocolate of the finest quality.

If you stop by the Kirribilli shop front you can sample some of their chocolate that’s filled with amazing ingredients like lavender, nuts, fruits and liquors. You can also have what I think could be the best hot chocolate in Sydney. Coco Chocolate has 12 types of hot chocolate on offer, as well as Sacred Grounds organic, fair trade coffee.

My personal favourite is the May Gibbs collection. Coco Chocolate have the exclusive license to produce these amazing chocolates using Snugglepot and Cuddlepie images. Even better, every May Gibbs Box by Coco Chocolate sold raises donations to Northcott, providing services and support for people with disabilities, their families and carers

These pink champagne truffles run a close second. Amazing.

Near the store is Bradfield Park, home to this extraordinary view of Sydney, lots of room for kiddos to run around, and a covered, fenced in playground.

Coco Chocolate
3a/9B Broughton St,
Kirribilli NSW 2061
Phone: (02) 9922 4998
Prices: $$$
Hours: Mon-Sat 8am-6pm Sun 8am-4pm
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Ruby’s Diner: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Waverly, Eastern Suburbs

October 5, 2015 / Eastern Suburbs, Queens Park, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

This cute little cafe is the epitome of Eastern Suburbs chic. Tucked away in Queens Park, Ruby’s Diner is the kind of cafe you need to know about to be able to find.

Seating spills over the sidewalk edges, giving plenty of room to park strollers at the tables. The seating system is very democratic – write your name on the clipboard at the door when you arrive and the host calls you when your table is ready.

We dropped by Ruby’s on a busy, hot public holiday. There was a decent crowd and we were seated within 10 minutes. The turn over of tables is pretty quick.

We ordered an Iced Latte ($4 milk coffee over ice w/ vanilla syrup), the H BOMB juice ($8 pineapple, orange, watermelon), a kids’ Banana Smoothie ($5), kids’ Plain Scrambled Eggs On Toast ($6), Avocado & Roast Tomato (w/ apple balsamic on 5 grain $15, add poached egg + $3) and Ruby’s Organic Beef Burger ($19 w/ beetroot relish, vintage cheddar, tomato, rocket, pickles & brioche bun).

Ruby’s has a very thoughtful kids’ menu, with items such as ham, cheese and tomato toastie, milkshakes, juices, yoghurt cup, gluten-free weetbix and kid’s club sandwich. I really liked that the kids menu had vegetarian and gluten-free options. The main menu also had a lot of dietary requirements covered, with gluten-free and dairy-free options, plus plenty of things for vegetarians like me to choose.

Our food was well cooked and was delivered by smiling staff. The eggs on toast were a good size for kids, and the kiddie smoothie arrived in a takeaway cup, which is always a good idea. My dish had a great zing to it thanks to the balsamic dressing. My toast was a bit burnt however, and the poached egg was slightly undercooked – I prefer mine with the white solid and just the yellow yolk oozing out.

The staff at Ruby’s were very helpful and friendly, it’s worth noting – a small detail that encourages us to return again another day.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

Ruby’s Diner
1/173-179 Bronte Rd,
Queens Park NSW 2022
Phone: (02) 9557 8656
Prices: $$
Hours: Daily 7am-4pm
Get Directions

12 Ways To Entertain Kids In Central Park: Best of NYC for Kids

October 4, 2015 / Eat & Explore, New York, New York Life, Outdoor Play / 2 Comments

Central Park is one of the best places for families to enjoy in NYC. In every season, the park is endlessly entertaining for kids of all ages, from itty bitty babies who are content to sit in their strollers and look at leaves, to busy preschoolers who can’t sit still, and tweens and teens who are beginning to take an interest in history.

Tips on making the most of your day in Central Park:

Bring a picnic lunch or lots of snacks. There aren’t many places to buy food in the park apart from hot dog vendors. If you’re entering from the south end of the park, you can pick up a delicious picnic lunch from Whole Foods at Columbus Circle. For reasonably priced food within the park, Pain de Quotidien on 69th street has light lunch and snacks. If you’re after a bit of a nicer meal, drop by Tavern On The Green at 67th street or the Loeb Boathouse.
Pack plenty of water for the same reason.
Pick up a physical map or download one to your phone. Even if you have internet on your phone, it’s hard to get in the park, making it easy to get lost.
Note bathroom locations before entering the park – they are also few and far between.
In summer, pack water shoes and swim suits as many of the playgrounds have water features.
Wear comfortable shoes and pack sunscreen and a hat.
Don’t take a carriage ride around the park without reading up on the animal welfare concerns surrounding these horses.
Bring a picnic blanket – like one of these Skip Hop blankets that zip all the way around.
Remember small and light toys like a ball or frisbee.

What to see and do
Wander the bridges.

Spot wildlife (go looking for turtles at Bethesda Terrace and Belvedere Castle).

Playgrounds! There are 16 to discover.

Climb rocks. This alone can keep your child busy most of a day.

Visit Alice and climb her like many generations of New York kids.

Ride the carousel. It’s super fast, so hold on!

Pat animals at the Tisch Children’s Zoo.

Listen to buskers at the Bethesda Terrace.

Row a boat around the lake.

Throw a frisbee in the Sheep Meadow.

Visit the angel on the Bethesda Fountain that has featured in too many movies to mention.

Snap selfies with cherry blossoms around the Obelisk and the Reservoir.

Looking for more things to do in NYC with kids?

London’s Best High Teas: Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea at the Sanderson Hotel

October 1, 2015 / London, Travel, UK / 0 comment

On our recent trip to London we dropped by the Sanderson Hotel for a Mad Hatter’s High Tea.

The tea coincides with the 150th anniversary of Alice in Wonderland (my favorite book as a child), and is the perfect way to introduce kids to both a high tea AND this classic book.

The hotel does offer a children’s high tea, but Cheese is such a fussy eater that she is happy to pick at bits of ours rather than needing an entire tea for herself yet. She was extremely happy playing with the music box that was home to the sugar cubes and books that opened up to reveal the menus. Delightful touches.

The menu we enjoyed has changed since our visit, but I’ve included it below so you can get an idea of what to expect.

Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea

Savoury
Scottish salmon and cream cheese on lime bread
Wiltshire ham and wholegrain mustard on sun-dried tomato bread
Cucumber and goats cheese on parmesan bread
Egg and mayonnaise and baby watercress on curry bread
Daily quiche

Sweet
Carrot meringue served on a bed of pea shoots
“Strawberries and cream” homemade marshmallow mushrooms
“Tick tock” traditional Victoria sponge
Melting mango cheesecake
Matcha green tea and white chocolate mousse served in a chocolate tea cup
“Drink me” potian
Selection of homemade savoury and sweet scones, served with herb butter and fruit preserves with clotted cream

Jelly wonderland – help your self unlimited jelly station.

Things to note:

The sandwiches and teas are unlimited. The special teas are actually brought around for you to smell, and diners are encouraged to try multiple kinds. I always devour the sandwiches, so it was also refreshing to be encouraged to order more when they also ran out.

Vegetarian/vegan options are available. If you don’t eat gelatin, there is a non-gelatin option available too, both with the tea platter and the jelly wonderland station.

We really enjoyed this tea. The scones were small and hard – the low point of the tea. The high points were the “drink me” potion, which was kind of like a fruit smoothie, the Victoria sponge, the mushroom marshmallows for Cheese and the fresh sandwiches.

If you’re in London with kids and want to take them to a special foodie outing (or if you’re there without kids and want a quiet afternoon tea!), book ahead and try this whimsical Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Yes.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: Yes.
Kids’ menu: Yes.

Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea
Sanderson Hotel
50 Berners St,
London W1T 3NG, United Kingdom
Phone: 020 7300 5588
Prices: Between £48 and £65 per person excluding service, £35 per child for children 4-11 years old.
Hours: Mon-Sat 1pm-4pm, Sun 1pm-5pm
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