Meal Planning Monday - the end of school year edition!

And it can't come soon enough. Just so many things have been going on - last week felt like a omplete whirl of events and commitments. Now, we're just down to the last 3 days of school. No school commitments other than getting them to school and back, no more dancing lessons - only swimming lessons for one more week and cricket throughout the summer. Hurrah!

My week kind of looks like end of year, in a kind of stumbling over the line way too.

Monday - Cheesy lentils
Tuesday  - Slow cooker lamb and mango pilau
Wednesday - Sweetcorn and ham salad
Thursday - Smoked cheese, onion and mushroom quiche
Friday - Cheesy beans and bacon quesadillas
Saturday - Chicken wings, sweet potato and coleslaw
Sunday - Roast pork

Happy holidays everyone! Don't forget Mrs M has the MPM linky.

Meal Planning Monday - the quiet week edition!

The title of this post is hopeful rather than truthful, I think. But then again, after last week, it IS quiet. I had something every night last week, and a school fair to boot. This week, I have only the classes I want to go to in the evenings. And maybe the odd bit of football. I'm hoping that this is the sign I can ACTUALLY have a quiet week and catch up.

Don't expect any fancy cuisine from me, it's nothing too complicated.

Monday - Shepherd's pie from leftover roast lamb
Tuesday - Falafel burgers
Wednesday - Sausages, cheesy waffles, mushrooms and beans
Thursday - Chimichurri steak sandwich
Friday - Slow cooker BBQ chicken
Saturday - Mexican lasagne
Sunday - Father's Day so probably not cooking

That's me, what are you having? Don't forget to visit Mrs M - who has moved to athomewithmrsm.com - for more Monday meal plans.

Meal Planning Monday - the getting into June edition!

Hello.

I'm just in the process of getting over the half term holiday. In fact, it's not quite over yet - the children have an INSET day so don't go back until Tuesday. We've had a busy week, with trips to Edinburgh, cricket, cricket and more cricket, haircuts and a spot of stuff done in the garden - our garden fence is looking particularly lovely.

My menu this week is based on stuff I've found in this month's Good Food which landed last week and a carry over I didn't even get on the menu last week. I was that organised! This week, it's busy AGAIN! I have two evening meetings this week and the school summer fair on Friday evening (which I also have to bake for). And the children going back to school means that they are back on their regular schedules with dancing, swimming and cricket. So much for June being quieter!

This is it then.

Monday - Chicken wraps with sweet potato, salad leaves and tomatoes
Tuesday - Cheesy polenta with sausage ragout
Wednesday - Smoky mushroom burgers with roasted garlic mayo
Thursday - Sandwiches
Friday - not cooking; school fair
Saturday  - Meatball masala curry
Sunday - Roast lamb

Don't forget there are more meal plans like this over at Mrs M's place. Badge top right will take you there.

Meal Planning Monday - a birthday week edition!

I'm shattered after my weekend away working but I've just cobbled my plan together. I'm not cooking much over the weekend as Monkey is 9 on Sunday. How'd that happen? He's having a party Saturday afternoon so Saturday is likely to be frozen pizza.

The rest of the week is planned, mostly from this month's Good Food which landed on my doorstep this weekend. If you want a recipe, wait a few weeks and it will appear on their site.

Monday - Spring chicken paella
Tuesday - Lamb and chickpea fritter wraps
Wednesday - Smoky bacon and tomato spaghetti
Thursday - Sandwiches
Friday - Boerenkool Stamppot
Saturday - Freezer stuff
Sunday - Out for birthday tea

That's my week. More meal plans will be at Mrs M's. (Badge above).

Meal Planning Monday - the quiet February week edition!

At least that's what I'm hoping!

Last week felt insanely busy and I ended it feeling meh for lots of reasons. I've got a bit of a cold that comes and goes, and on Saturday, my foot started hurting periodically without doing anything (other than a bit of jogging). So I sat down that afternoon, planned the week and stuck in a grocery order (motivated just a bit by a 10% off code in my email) so I could have a quiet Sunday, mostly child free as they went off to visit the in-laws. I had a morning of doing nothing, putting away said groceries and an afternoon of making a roast and some bread.

I'm hoping the week continues in this calm vein, although it's parents evening this week (for me, afternoon...) and Friday is the end of this half term, which is the halfway point in the school year. Wow. Nothing else special on so I've got some new things to try and one carry over from last week because I gave up and went to find a new chippy.

Monday - Bhaji frittata
Tuesday - Slow cooker Thai coconut chicken soup
Wednesday - Cheesy lentils
Thursday - Slow cooker bacon, smoked cheddar and egg casserole
Friday - Arabian lamb mince
Saturday - Cauliflower and broccoli cheese
Sunday - keeping free for now

That's it. Next week will of course be the half term edition, which will only be half a week as we are away for one night and late back another.

And in the meantime, you go over to Mrs M's and see the other entries in Meal Planning Monday. Click the badge above to enter a world of meal plans.

Meal Planning Monday - the last leg (of January!) edition

It's finally here (well nearly) - the end of January and the nights are beginning to feel a little lighter. Hurrah, I say. Our usual busy week is ahead of us - children singing, dancing, swimming (thankfully not all at once) and a busy work week for me as a quarterly deadline approaches.

The week is made up of a soup to use up leftovers, an easy meal to cope with the fact that I am watching them sing in Asda on Tuesday after school, a slow cooker meal and some random other stuff chosen by me or Monkey. Nothing outrageous.

This is it then.

Monday - Chinese chicken and sweetcorn soup
Tuesday - Meatballs, mash and gravy
Wednesday - Lamb and lentil crumble
Thursday - Slow cooker Caribbean chicken with rice and peas
Friday - Chilli with cheesy cornbread
Saturday - Mushroom stroganoff
Sunday - keeping free for now

Enjoy your week. Don't forget to visit Mrs M's place by clicking the badge above and seeing what others are having this week.

Meal Planning Monday - the January back to work edition!

The day has arrived. I've been off work for 37 days which have actually passed in the blink of an eye but Christmas does that, doesn't it? Even last week flew by in a flurry of birthdays, a resumption of school activities and getting back into the exercise groove.

Thinking that this week will pass in a never ending battle against a mailbox full to the brim, I have planned early and even had a Sunday food delivery. Today is a leftovers recipe, and tomorrow's is a dish that is in the freezer. The rest is a mix of new things and old favourites - Missy Woo asked me to do the lamb pilau as both of them love it.

So, this is it.

Monday - Turkey and stuffing chelsea buns
Friday - Fish pie
Wednesday - Chilli with cornbread topping
Thursday - Chunky butternut squash mulligatawny
Friday - Cheese and lentil loaf
Saturday - Lamb, coconut and mango pilau
Sunday - Roast chicken

And now I'm starving just reading that lot, so that must be a good sign! Come back next week for more. And in the meantime, click the badge above to see more meal plans.

Meal Planning Monday - the getting back to it edition!

Monday is the start of the first week of the New Year and the children go back to school. I'd have loved an inset day but seeing as the official start of term was 2nd, school has already had two last week (yes, really!) so a third is bit beyond the pale.

Why would I like an inset day? Because it is my birthday and now the children are at an age where they feel they are missing out on things. Especially as husband and I are going out for lunch. They've made me a cake too but they want to be there and to be honest, it would be lovely to have them around. To make up, we're going for ice cream after school. Hey ho.

Apart from that, the week's plan is all about getting back into varied and mostly healthy eating. There are lots of healthy recipes in Good Food this month which is where most of this week's meals comes from. I try to get them to eat as many vegetables as possible but today is all about speed, so it's back to it tomorrow. Apart from that, the week is back to normal - well, apart from the fact that the children have nothing on Mondays this term (for now) and Monkey's swimming is now on Sunday, meaning Thursdays are no longer quite as rushed as last term. Yes!

Here's the week

Monday - Chicken kievs for the children, sandwiches for grown ups (and cake!)
Tuesday - Sweet potato shepherd's pie
Wednesday - Turkey meatballs and pasta
Thursday - Curried squash, lentil and coconut soup
Friday - Squash, mushroom and gorgonzola pilaf
Saturday - Sausages with aligot
Sunday - Roast dinner with the usual stuff

That's it for this week; I'm off to do nothing. It's my birthday, you know! PS Click on the badge above to go over to Mrs M's, where there will be much more meal planning loveliness.

Meal Planning Monday - the December last week of term edition!

Finally. FINALLY! We are in the last week of term. This term feels like a marathon; there is so much going on and the children are beginning to flag. Four and a half days to go although half a day is their class party and there is a big carol service.

For the menu this week, I am still trying to use up things out of my freezer. Mostly they are based on leftovers of things I have been busy making for Christmas - I had some chicken to make gravy so have some leftover chicken thighs in the freezer. And then I bought some reduced sausagemeat to make some chestnut stuffing but it was a huge pack so the rest of that went into the freezer. And I have a couple of carry overs from last week, which was just mad. And this week is no better for me as I have a few school commitments myself. And the weekend starts with the Strictly final so Saturday night is going to be party food time!

So, here we go.

Monday - Lentil and bacon soup
Tuesday - Slow cooker honey and sesame chicken
Wednesday - Pizza
Thursday - butties
Friday - Sausagemeat pie
Saturday - Party food
Sunday - Spicy lamb with chickpeas

And then it's Christmas! I am not sure if I will do a plan next week but we shall see. Enjoy your week but don't forget to find out what everyone else is eating next week by clicking the badge above and finding Mrs M's place.

Meal Planning Monday - the December keeping it simple edition

Soon be Christmas. And I'm on holiday until mid-January. Don't all hate me. I need a break, after a week when my dishwasher and my boiler broke last week.

This week, I am keeping it simple so I can spend as much as possible on Christmas preparations and relaxation. The children have school performance two nights this week, plus choir. I'm going out, husband is going out, and Monkey is going to a friend's house to tea. And at the weekend, the children are going to stay with Granny and Granddad to go to the panto. A complex logistical week!

Monday - Burgers
Tuesday - Honey mustard pork
Wednesday - Cowboy corned beef n beans pie
Thursday - sandwiches
Friday - Lentil and bacon soup
Saturday - free
Sunday - Spicy lamb with chickpeas

That's it. Nothing fancy, nothing difficult or time consuming. Bung it cookery! What are you having this week? Go visit Mrs M's place (click the badge top right) to find out what others are eating this week.

Meal Planning Monday - the winter blues edition!

So I had a week off last week but didn't stop. When I wasn't doing things out of the house, I was trying to sort out the spare room and spent most of the week shredding, it seemed. It's done now but I didn't get half of the things I wanted to get done in order to get ready for Christmas.

I have a stack of things to do and so I'm a bit dreading this week. Christmas prep, work, baking and so it goes on. I feel like I have a dose of the winter blues. I seriously need to give myself a kick.

Anyway, I have made a plan but it's taken me hours. So I'd better share it with you, hadn't I?

Monday - Slow cooker hutspot with Swedish meatballs
Tuesday - Lamb, coconut and mango pilau
Wednesday - Mushroom soup
Thursday - Slow cooker butter chicken
Friday - Keeping free (school Christmas fair)
Saturday - Meatball pasta bake (Monkey is allegedly cooking this)
Sunday - Winging it.

Hopefully, next week will be calmer. Some hope, I feel.

Don't forget - Mrs M host the linky where you can find a myriad of meal plans.

Meal Planning Monday - the easy cook birthday week edition!

Week two of Wimbledon so don't expect anything complicated. In addition, Missy Woo turns seven on Friday, and gets to celebrate by doing a modern dance exam and then go out for tea after school. With a party on Sunday, that doesn't leave too many meals to plan. On top of that, Missy Woo has a friend coming round for tea tomorrow as Monkey is off to a friend's and told me she'd promised lasagne to a friend "so long as it hasn't got mushrooms, Mummy, because it's easy for you". Groundhog day, anyone?

So, this is our week in meals.

Monday - Lasagne and garlic bread
Tuesday - Quiche, new potatoes and salad (pre-made quiche, so shoot me)
Wednesday - Slow cooker lamb and sweet potato curry
Thursday - Sandwiches
Friday - Out for tea
Saturday - Party
Sunday - Roast chicken (this is going to be a minimalist version as I'll be watching the men's final!)

See? Nothing special, but next week should have some nice things in it. If you want some better plans to inspire, click on the badge above to reach Mrs M's place where the linky is hosted.

Meal Planning Monday - the summer easy cook edition!

So, I'm trying to ignore that the weather is due to turn this week and trying to cook simple things this week. Already, you will recognise a dish from last week's plan which has been bumped until the later part of the week when it's supposed to be colder. Which is a shame, as we are going to a wedding on Saturday and then the day after party on Sunday. On the bright side, that means no cooking for me this weekend so I only had the week to fill. We are fully back to normal this week with school and activities, with Monkey now out of his cast - although not a fully extending arm as yet.

This is the plan for the week, then.

Monday - Sticky chicken drumsticks and potato salad
Tuesday - Pasta with red pesto and meatballs (kids' choice!)
Wednesday - Pea and spring onion tart
Thursday - Lamb & aubergine stew with crispy chickpea topping
Friday - Mushroom coconut & mango pilau (adapted from our usual favourite)
Saturday - Wedding
Sunday - Party

Need more Meal Planning Monday inspiration? Get yourself over to Mrs M's where there will be plenty posts to give you ideas. 

Meal Planning Monday - the not very well June edition!

Well, I'm getting there but on Friday, I came down with a sore throat and later in the day, whatever is causing the sore throat completely wiped me out, so much so that I crawled into bed at 7.15pm and slept most of the evening, with the children looking after me and putting themselves to bed. I'm feeling lots better now after sleeping on and off all night on Friday and part of Saturday morning but the sore throat doesn't seem to want to go away so I'm sucking extra strength throat lozenges to avoid having to take paracetamol all day long.

Not the best end to our half term week although the children aren't officially back until Tuesday. Then they have Well being week at school and so are very excited about going in wearing sports kit instead of uniform this week. More exciting is the fact that Monkey should get his cast off on Wednesday so we can return to normal again, which is a relief. And it's your archetypal busy week - I have two evening meetings this week, Missy Woo has a party to go to, and it's Sports Day on Friday. I think we have something every day until the weekend (and then husband is working the weekend). Hey ho...

Nearly all these recipes are from this month's BBC Good Food magazine so I can't provide links as they take a while to get on the website. I drew up a shortlist and Monkey chose them - and asked for scrambled egg for tea as it's just him and me for tea due to the other half of the household actually having social lives (how very dare they?). It's all pretty simple stuff, nothing complicated and the Sunday stew will go in the slow cooker and be finished in the oven.

So, this is our week in food.

Monday - Scrambled egg
Tuesday -  Spicy salmon tabbouleh
Wednesday - Spicy bean tostadas
Thursday - Sandwiches
Friday - Chicken tikka burgers
Saturday - keeping free
Sunday - Lamb aubergine stew with crispy chickpea topping

Looking quite good, if I say so myself! Want more meal planning posts? Go to Mrs M's by clicking the badge above and you will find the linky.

Meal Planning Monday - the moving into February away from snow edition!

So, as we established, blogging to say we had no snow backfired on me in a big way, with two lots of snowfall, the second a significant amount that arrived in the space of a few hours and took everyone by surprise (hence the M6 being closed nearby and several people got stuck there overnight).

The snow's gone in a flash though and we're now looking forward to some warmer, but wetter, weather. And it's February - hoorah. It may be my birthday, but January is not my favourite month so I'm always glad to see the back of it. I can feel the days getting longer and the warmer temperatures will help me feel that little bit closer to spring.

What's going on this week? Well, husband is off work for two days as I have got some governor training on Tuesday night so he needed to take the evening off and decided to add Monday to that too. He will however be working the weekend so it's swings and roundabouts.

The recipes are a mix. Monkey chose two dishes from his recentish favourites, I've had some things on my list that I wanted to try making, and there's one carried over from last week because I couldn't be bothered going out to the garage to the freezer. And to complete the week, I fancied a lamb recipe cooked in the slow cooker so a search threw up a nice curry.

Here is the coming week told in our meals.

Monday - Cheesy chicken pot pie
Tuesday -  Slow cooker lamb and sweet potato curry
Wednesday  - Mini meatloaves and jackets with broccoli
Thursday  - Fish chowder
Friday -  Slow cooker veg tamale pie with cornmeal crust
Saturday-  Boerenkool Stamppot (Kale Hash)
Sunday - Cheese and ham toasties (just because my kids ask for them for tea, heathens!)

So that's us. What's on your menu? When you've finished here, mosey on over to Mrs M's for more lovely entries in this week's linky.

Meal Planning Monday - the no snow edition!

(OK, so the weather forecast decided to make a fool of me. I wrote this late last night and overnight, we unexpectedly got 2-3 ins of snow and it's kept snowing today. Still, school is open so it is not a snow day officially here, just snow-y. )

Yes, what seems like everyone is going on about snow. We, on the other hand, have very little. It snowed on Friday, true, but not a massive amount. Where we live, we seemed to have more than the rest of the local area because we are that bit higher up and exposed but down at school there was much less so that remained open, and as you head to Preston, the snow all but dies out. I really don't mind - the children had enough snow to play in for a while, but everything continued to function. And it's been cold but not too bad - really, Friday was the worst day and on Saturday, I didn't even have to turn the heating up or back on.

It's a bit odd, really. I know it's going to continue to be cold this week so I have tried to keep warming stuff on the menu. I've just realised that I'm meant to be going out for lunch on Thursday so have done a quick last minute reshuffle so I'm not cooking lots in the afternoon and this now means a full week of meals. We have nothing special this week - no parties, events or anything. Sounds boring but it's nice to have a quietish week from time to time. A couple of these recipes, I have snaffled from reading other people's meal plans last week. If that's you, then thanks for the idea. I have a few more lined up for future weeks as I couldn't fit it all in.

Our week looks very much like this.

Monday -  Carrot sesame and chickpea burgers
Tuesday - Lamb meatball and pea pilaf
Wednesday -  One pot prawn pilau
Thursday - Potato and parmesan soup
Friday - Root veg and pancetta toad in the hole with gravy
Saturday - Cheesy chicken pot pie
Sunday - Sausage cassoulet

What about yours? Mrs M is the place to go if you want more Meal Planning Monday magic. 

Meal Planning Monday - the keeping warm January edition!

Gosh, tomorrow is pretty much the middle of January but I'm feeling the chill. This is partly a good thing, because it's been so warm recently, I've been boiling in bed at night, but I dislike the cold, I'm not great with ice or snow. We're still trying to eat as healthily as possible and the dishes I've chosen reflect that. I've left one day free, because husband's niece is 21 on Sunday and has invited all of us to her party on Sunday but as she lives in Cumbria, down a twisting, hilly road from the M6, we might be taking a rain check on that one if the weather gets really grotty. Other than that, it's stuff that warms - pilaf, bakes, soup and two stews. Oh, and burgers.

The good thing about it being the middle of January is I'm feeling the days lengthen already - we got back from school later than normal on Friday and it was really noticeable that we didn't have to have the lights on straight away. Soon be summer, won't it? (Please?!)

Our week in meals looks like this.


Monday - Spiced vegetable pilaf
Tuesday - Lemon and thyme turkey burgers with vegetable chips
Wednesday - Gnocchi and tomato bake
Thursday - Fresh and light chowder with crusty bread
Friday - Chicken and veg stew with couscous
Saturday - Keeping free
Sunday - Hearty lamb and barley stew

How does your week look foodwise? And have you been to see what other people are doing over at Mrs M's?

See you next week!

Meal Planning Monday - the back to normal January edition!

Today - or sometime this week at least - marks the return of the normal routine for most people, with children returning to school and the lucky ones with long Christmas holidays going back to work. In our case, the children go back to school today, and my birthday always marks the end of Christmas and New Year celebrations. And much as I love my children, I need to get back into a routine and do some proper work! My husband has been working slightly different shifts over the holidays and so, although he's been working, he goes back to his normal evening shifts tonight too. We do have our friend staying for a day or two more, and the only other thing that is different is that I am going to London for a meeting on Saturday and am going to be out for 12 hours. Luckily, when I made crispy cheddar pie on Saturday, the quantities were vast so I made a separate one and froze it so that can be done without anyone doing any cooking.

I've got a booklet from BBC Good Food this month (actually, the February edition, it works very strangely!)  on healthy meals which is where most of the meals come from. I actually sat down last week and put this plan together and I've already planned next week too, as there was so much to choose from. It certainly makes shopping easier when you know what you're having. We're trying to get back into the healthy eating thing again now all the excesses of Christmas feasting is done.

Eyes down, look in, here is our meal plan for the week.

Monday - Veggie packed shepherd's pie (recipe pretty much identical)
Tuesday - Pork goulash and rice
Wednesday - Mexican chicken stew with flatbreads
Thursday - Indian chickpea and vegetable soup
Friday - Easy eggs with ratatouille
Saturday - Crispy cheddar pie from the freezer
Sunday - Lamb meatball and pea pilaf with cucumber yogurt

And that is that. More meal planning love can be found over at Mrs M's.

What does your meal plan look like? Is it healthy eating all the way or comfort food (or both!). Do let me know.

Meal Planning Monday - the first 2013 edition!

So, that was 2012, that was. Today is the last day and 2013 starts tomorrow. Really, this is my first meal plan of the year, especially as I'm not planning to cook tonight so the 2012 kitchen is well and truly closed. The children and I are planning to have a Chinese tonight - hubby will be at work until midnight so won't be partaking. I'm leaving New Year's Day open as well as I'm not really sure what we're doing - we still have family to deliver presents to, so we might be out.

This week is different for a number of reasons. Firstly, a friend who used to live across the road and now lives in Cambodia is coming to stay for a few days. The children are still off school, and husband's shifts are longer than usual. Finally *whispers* it's my birthday on Sunday and we're probably going to go out for lunch then. More normal service WILL be resumed next week. I hope.

Here is the plan, such as it is, for the week.

Monday - Chinese
Tuesday - keeping free
Wednesday - Chilli Marrakech
Thursday - Sausages with cauliflower cheese mash
Friday - Chicken satay with rice (I think!)
Saturday - Crispy cheddar pies
Sunday - I am so not cooking today!

That is us. How is 2013 starting in meals for you? Do tell. And then pop by Mrs M's to check out some other meal plans.

Happy New Year!

Meal Planning Monday - the pre-Christmas easy edition!

Yes, the last full week before Christmas. The end of term - not a full week here; the children finish after lunch on Thursday, so this week is full of class parties; definitely more chilled out than last week which was pretty full on with so much on at school, followed by the children going on a sleepover and Christmas treat at their grandparents in Blackpool over the weekend.

Preparations for Christmas continue apace here. Before school finishes, we have the teachers' presents to complete. I'm probably baking every day this week, either on my own or with husband, who develops the urge to bake as Christmas approaches. Today will be my last big supermarket shop before Christmas because most of it is already in the freezer for Christmas Day. I have a pudding to make on Christmas Eve and very little to do on the day, as it should be.

This week has to be fairly easy, with stuff still coming out of the freezer to make room for the Christmas feasting. And here it is.

Monday - Greek lamb and macaroni bake (from last week as this got moved on)
Tuesday - Cashew nut and potato curry
Wednesday - Not cooking as I promised the kids they could have tea out
Thursday - Cowboy corned beef and beans pie
Friday - Chicken and chorizo jambalaya
Saturday - Easy cheesy lentils
Sunday - Rudolph surprise pasta bake (no special recipe but the pasta is reindeer pasta from Ikea!)

So that is ours. What is yours? Do tell me. And don't forget that Mrs M's place is where you can find many more Meal Planning Monday entries.