Menu Plan Monday - 24th October 2016

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And just like that it's half-term and Autumn has finally arrived.  The mornings are a little gloomy with dew drops highlighting all the spider webs around the garden; the evenings are definitely darker with a chill in the air; Halloween is right around the corner.  C has a Christmas Countdown started on his chalkboard and, in case you were wondering, there's 62 more sleeps!

Menu Plan Monday - 3rd October 2016

Yes, I know it's Tuesday, but Monday ran away from me as a result of a very painful Achilles Tendon injury!  I don't recommend either the injury or the medication to anyone.  Tuesday is being brought to you this week by nauseous and drowsy!

Menu Plan Monday - September 26th 2016

A rainy morning on the rugby pitch this weekend - must mean Autumn is here. I really love this time of year, the changing colours of nature all around us, the feeling that Winter's on the way but without the icicles just yet, and an excuse for a cosy day under a blanket watching family movies :-) I don't really have a favourite season, I look forward to them all for different reasons. Do you have a favourite?

Menu Plan Monday - September 19th 2016

OK so I've been rubbish with my postings the last couple of months, we had such a busy Summer but now the nights are drawing in and the days are not quite so bright and sunny I'm making an Autumn resolution to get back into a regular routine of posting our menus and recipes.

Menu Plan Monday - July 11th 2016

Happy Monday everyone, where did that weekend go?  We didn't do much of anything this weekend; as Summer Holidays are fast approaching we made the most of a quiet weekend which even included a Jammy Day!

Monthly Menu - January 2016

As we roll into the new year I often wonder why so many people choose January to start new healthy living regimes.  I get the new year/new you approach but as, here in the UK, we typically have our coldest weather in Jan and Feb I really am not ready to stop eating comfort food and definitely not too motivated to go out for a run or a walk.  I definitely need to lose some weight but for me it's mostly about exercise rather than the food I eat so January sees some comfort food favourites on the menu and a plan to brush of the Wii Fitness "games".

Monthly Menu - December 2015

As December rolls around our eating habits tend to be all over the place.  Christmas parties, late night shopping, wrapping and decorating that takes longer than expected....all add to the stress of trying to keep the family well fed.  I find my menu really comes into its own in December - I can put meal planning on auto-pilot and worry about all the other things there are to do.

Monthly Menu - August 2015

I have mixed emotions about August.  It's usually our best month for weather, long days and day trips scatter the calendar.  No school for C to worry about for another month.  And yet, as a working Mum, it's the month I feel most guilty about.  So many other children get to spend the entire month with a parent having lots of Summer fun.  However, that might drive me ever so slightly batty lol!  Instead we make the most of every evening and weekend, and C's fabulous childminder (whose son is C's best friend at school) makes sure they don't miss out - swimming club, trips to the park, trips to the beach, picnics etc.  So with the long hot Summer (hopefully!) ahead of us here's what's on our menu.

Monthly Menu - May 2015

Spring has sprung!  I always look forward to May with its longer days, a little more sunshine, spring blossoms and, of course, 2 bank holiday weekends.  Evenings can still be a bit chilly though so we don't leave all of our winter favourites behind on the menu this month and still enjoy a nice hot dinner in the evenings.

Monthly Menu - January 2015

Happy New Year!  So 2015 has finally arrived and I hope you have plans to make it a great one.  The one thing I've really learned over the years is that you can't sit and wait for someone else to make things happen.  No matter what your goals are, you are the one in the driving seat!  With that being said, I plan to make some real changes in 2015, stay tuned for the details.  

Monthly Menu - November 2014

So the Pumpkins are put away for another year, the nights are drawing in fast and there's definitely an Autumnal feel in the air today.  Time to break out some of our favourite Autumn/Winter flavours.  More soups, casseroles and oven baked meals will start to creep in this month, although the weather is still extremely mild - not sure if that's a bad omen for the winter to come!

Weekly Menu - July 27th 2014

This weather is starting to really become draining!  I know, I know, I shouldn't complain because soon enough it will be dark, dreary and cold but you feel like you need a double dose of energy on days like we've been having this week!

With that in mind my menu for the week ahead requires minimal time in the kitchen but provides lots of great flavours.  A few tastes of Mexico this week, we really miss good Mexican food from our time living in the States and find it's often easier to make our own than try to find it here.  Tortillas are cheap and provide a good frame for so may great flavours, most of the cooking is quick so you're not standing over hot pans for hours on end, and a simple salad with a few slices of super healthy avocado make a great side for most Mexican food.

Happy Cooking and Eating this week!

Weekly Menu - July 20th 2014

Every week, on Saturdays, I plan our menu for the week ahead.  In fact, I plan out a bit further than that but I use this time each week to create the shopping list and make any changes based on our activities for the coming week.  My husband doesn't eat Beef or Lamb so we use an awful lot of Chicken, Pork and Fish - with the occasional veggie meal thrown in for good measure!  We use Turkey Mince to replace Beef Mince in most of the standard mince dishes and it doesn't affect the outcome at all.  I hope that our menus give you a few new ideas for the What's For Dinner dilemma!  As the week progresses I will post recipes and photos for our favourites so you'll have no excuse not to give them a try!

This week we have a couple of celebration meals - unusual for us to have two so close together, and during the week, but that's how the calendar has worked against us this year!  There will be plenty of prep in advance to make those evenings run smoothly so we can enjoy our family, friends and the food.

Happy Cooking and Eating this week!