Swiss FOOD

OK; the traditional cuisine in Switzerland isn't all that exciting, but they can do a lot of stuff with cheese! Of course, the chocolate is great but in general the cuisine is fairly conventional meat and potatoes fare-lots of potatoes....but it's gotten a lot better in the past 20 years especially in terms of restaurant choices.

Speaking of restaurants...Coming from America where wait staff at restaurants don't get paid a decent wage and rely on tips to make any money so give you good service, I was somewhat taken aback by the somewhat...hmmmm... “lackadaisical” service in many Swiss restaurants. I mean it seemed like they were doing me a favor actually coming to take my order. And when I was ready to leave it seemed like everyone had at that precise moment decided to take their smoke break.....maybe it was my accent...

But more on the subject of food....the Swiss take food everywhere!

Does any other group of people take food everywhere they go?! Maybe it's a European thing...maybe I just grew up in Fast-Food Land where there is either a McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Taco Bell etc on every corner and off every highway exit.....but it took me years in Switzerland to remember to pack food if we were going for a walk that would last more than 15 minutes...everyone brings a picnic! But-oh my god-the Swiss people feed their kids all the time! Breakfast, 9 O'clock snack, hot lunch, 4 O'clock snack, dinner, bedtime snack-and CANDY! My one son has his birthday in September and when he was younger all his buddies brought sugar to his little party so he got a stash of sugar that could have lasted through Christmas, BUT NO! The other neighborhood kids started doing Halloween Trick or Treat a few years ago so, not only did my son get a bunch of candy in September, he got to add to it in October and again in December starting with St. Niklaus day on the 6^th.      Later on in December the school went Christmas caroling to all the old people in the village, a very nice tradition, but they again got TONS of sweets!! Sometimes money as well! (This is Switzerland after all.) Not to mention the cookies and candy flung around hither and thither at Christmas time. So, by now, his ongoing stash was topped up until at least Easter-when-guess what? More sugar.....what's a mom to do?!

Speaking of being a mom here....