Meal Planning Monday - the not cooking much and we're going away edition

I think the title says it all today. We're going away this weekend (which you'll be able to read about after we get back), and so I won't be cooking Friday to Sunday. Also, because we'll be away and spending money, I want to keep the food bill down and nothing be too much trouble as we have a busy week with Christmas plays at school and that sort of stuff that goes with the last but one week of term before Christmas. I went on a bit of a rummage (it certainly wasn't a forage) and dug out from my cupboard and the depths of my freezer stuff I can turn into family meals with minimum effort.

Prepare to be underwhelmed by this week's meal plan.

Monday - Salmon and butterbean mash (an old favourite I can make in ten minutes)
Tuesday - Chicken fajitas (using the smokey BBQ fajita kit I got in my goody bag from Sainsbury's last week)
Wednesday - Jacket potatoes (which is fast becoming a top favourite with the children)
Thursday - Fridge bottom vegetable soup and sandwiches (to use up what's left in the fridge)
Friday - away
Saturday - away
Sunday - away

I bet you cannot wait now, can you? I can't - my shopping list this week is very short indeed!

So, are you having anything more exciting than I am rustling up this week? Share your menus with me, and when you're done, visit At Home with Mrs M to find links to more meal plans, hopefully a bit more exciting than mine!

Meal Planning Monday

It's Monday so it must be meal planning time!  This week's is kind of rushed - I'd started putting together a plan on Saturday, and then on Sunday morning, I realised I would need to do the food shopping as I'm out most of the day. So, this week is slightly cobbled together as I only had written what sort of dish eg "fish" for some of the days so I had to do a hasty extra spot of planning in my head. Never good but never mind. 

So, here we go: 

Meal Planning Monday

I'm back! Returned from our holiday this evening and the unpacking is done. Time to plan a week of meals for getting back into the routine. My BBC Good Food arrived and I managed to get a read of it whilst I was away on holiday and there were lots of things I wanted to try so there are a few recipes from there that I'd like to try.

Monday - Baked eggs with spinach tomato and chorizo
Tuesday - Wild mushroom and chestnut cottage pie
Wednesday - Honey mustard pork, mash and broccoli
Thursday - Pea pesto and prawn spaghetti
Friday - Sausage and bean casserole
Saturday - Onion pie
Sunday - keeping free

Seems like a reasonable mix. Two complete veggie dishes in a week and some seafood back on the menu. Sorry there are no links - either Good Food haven't added them to their database yet or they are likely to be copyrighted and not placed there, which is a shame.

Have you planned your week's meals? What are you eating next week? Why not pop to Mrs M's blog to see what other people are eating?

Meal Planning Monday

So, I survived the first week of the summer holidays and mealwise, everything went pretty much to plan. The children especially liked the honey and mustard pork I made for them on Sunday (recipe - mix runny honey and wholegrain mustard, spread on pork chops or pork steaks and bake in the oven!) so that was good as it was a first for them. They've asked for it again soon. I could easily have given them more, it was pleasingly gone in just a few minutes. 

Meal Planning Monday

So, here we are again. And into July! First week of July means Missy Woo's birthday (tomorrow) so the week is slightly different - we're going out for tea for pizza on her birthday and we're taking some of her friends with us to the cinema on Sunday.

Meal Planning Monday

Another week, another meal plan. Last week's went well but I did swop two meals round for practical reasons. This week's is going to be a bit different because it's school holidays and we're visiting family for part of it, but still, I need a plan - and to do a shop before I go! I've deliberately chosen pizza for Thursday as I know that is when I am on my own with the children all day and they like to help. 

This week will therefore consist of: 

Monday - not cooking

Tuesday - Swedish meatballs, mash and peas

Wednesday - All in one lentil and sausage casserole

Thursday - Homemade pizza and salad

Friday - Chickpea, tomato and spinach curry and rice

Saturday - Sticky marmalade chicken, mash and green beans

Sunday - Mediterranean vegetables with lamb

Reasonably balanced - and hopefully lots of veg. Lunchtimes will mostly consist of soup, sandwiches or wraps, scrambled eggs or omelettes. 

Why not pop over to Mrs M's blog and check out more entries for Meal Planning Monday? You might get some fab new ideas. Feel free to join in if you like.

Meal Planning Monday

I've just realised I gave this totally the wrong name last week. Mrs M, from At Home with Mrs M, has actually called it Meal Planning Monday and I called it Menu Planning Monday. Only two words different and subtly different meaning. Hey ho and profuse apologies to Mrs M. 

So, last week's menu went mostly to plan, except I changed Saturday's as I remembered I had some nice beefburgers in the freezer so we had those grilled, with a potato and sweet potato wedges and salad. Everything else went down well - the Rosti Bolognese Pie went down a storm as did the Honey Mustard Pork and two casseroles. I loved the Mustard Chicken with Bacon but my husband was not wild about it. 

As I mentioned last week, I actually planned this week's meals last week. I've already had to tweak the plans as Missy Woo is having a friend come to tea on Tuesday. 

So, here we go for this week commencing 28th March

Monday - leftover Pork and Veg Casserole (see last week)

Tuesday - Pizza for children, Chickpea with Chorizo and couscous

Wednesday - Bacon and Fish o' Leekie

Thursday - Sausages with Onion Gravy (slow cooker) with mash and peas

Friday - Lamb, Coconut and Mango Pilau

Saturday - Roast Vegetable Pasta

Sunday - Mother's Day; I'm not cooking - we're going to Parkers Arms for lunch and I can't wait! 

Hmm, lots of pork again this week! Will have to be a bit more balanced next week, maybe some chicken again?

You can find more entries for Meal Planning Monday over at Mrs M's blog.

Menu Planning Monday

I've been asked before if I'd share my weekly meal plans with you, and I was thinking of doing it this week when, lo and behold, I noticed that Mrs M, on her blog At Home with Mrs M, has started Menu Planning Monday. I usually plan my meals over the weekend for the following week so I have a shopping list ready for Monday or Tuesday. This week, for various reasons, I've actually planned two whole weeks (get me, Superwoman) but I'll just share what we're going to have this week. I tend to plan around my husband's shifts so where he is working until 7pm, I try to put something on that he can reheat, or I'll do separate meals for the children. That's normally when the slow cooker comes into play.

I try to balance out my weeks so we have different meats, at least one vegetarian option and maybe some fish. Unfortunately, that doesn't always work. Last week, there was a hell of a lot of chicken. This week, there is a hell of a lot of pork but at least it is in different forms!

So, here's my meal plan for the week commencing 21st March.

Monday - Rosti Bolognese Pie - heavily adapted
Tuesday - Red Lentil and Aubergine curry with naan breads
Wednesday - Honey and Mustard Pork, mash and broccoli
Thursday - Mustard Chicken and Bacon for us, sandwiches for the children (it's football night!)
Friday - Barley Beef Casserole
Saturday - Leek, pea and pancetta risotto (similar recipe here)
Sunday - Pork and Vegetable casserole

I'm actually making double quantities of the Pork & Vegetable Casserole as we are all going to Deepdale next Monday night for the England U21 game, of which more soon, so I wanted a decent amount of leftovers that I can reheat. And, it's worth noting, something normally goes wrong with the plan and something normally ends up shoved off the list.

Why not pop over to Mrs M's blog and see some more Meal Planning Monday entries?