Meal Planning Monday - the make ahead weekend edition!

Hope you had a good half term if you were off like we were last week. We're back to school today and into a school Arts Week. I'm away all weekend with work so I'm making a few things ahead of time for them to eat whilst I'm away. The kids are looking forward to it because, in their own words, "Daddy always spoils us when you go away." Daddy has been made aware of this.

The rest of this week mostly consists of stuff I know we like and is easy to do. A couple of slow cooker things - I like my slow cooker but I'm conscious I've not used it as much as I usually would this winter.

This is what we're having this week.

Monday - Sausages in onion gravy
Tuesday - Pizza baked potatoes
Wednesday - Lentil loaf
Thursday - Slow cooker all-butter chicken
Friday - Lasagne
Saturday - Chicken and mushroom pie
Sunday - Keeping free

Have a good week, and don't forget to visit Mrs M's for more meal planning loveliness.

Meal Planning Monday - the February half term edition!

A very quick one from me as I'm just cobbling a plan together ahead of going away to Cadbury World on Tuesday. It's half term so nothing is going to be fancy and I'm going to rely on the fridge and freezer as much as possible.

Monday - away
Tuesday - Freezer dive (probably chicken kievs)
Wednesday - Chicken drumsticks in BBQ sauce, corn on the cob, peanut slaw
Thursday - Cauliflower cheese
Friday - Roasted butternut squash, sage and garlic risotto
Saturday - Pizza
Sunday - Roast dinner probably

Enjoy half term if you've got the week off! Don't forget to visit Mrs M's for more meal planning mayhem or something like that.

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 February at last edition!

You know I thought January went on forever. I won't go on about it anymore except to say "February, yay!" I don't know why I am saying that because this week appears to be stupidly busy. Tonight, the children are taking part in a Young Voices concert in Manchester so are going on a coach there at lunchtime with the rest of the school choir, rehearsing then staying for the concert. We're going of course, then going home and picking them up. It will be a late night for them and then Missy goes on a school trip to Salford on Tuesday. And to top it all off,  Monkey starts back at cricket nets on Tuesday evening. Eventually, life returns to normal somewhere around Wednesday (ish) and I think hoping for a fast arrival of the weekend. I don't usually wish the week away but tired children usually equals grumpy children in our house.

This is what we are having this week.

Monday - bacon butties for the grown ups, kids are taking a packed tea with them
Tuesday - Cauliflower cheese and jackets
Wednesday - Chilli and cornbread (held over from last week)
Thursday - Roasted butternut squash and carrot soup
Friday - Bhaji frittata
Saturday - Salmon, dill and mushroom lasagne
Sunday - Roast dinner (not sure which yet, we went shopping in Waitrose and I can't afford 90% of their joints)

Mrs M's is open for business (or should be soon) and you can see lots and lots other interesting meal plans. Click on the badge above to discover lots of meal planning loveliness.

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 boring mid-January edition!

January. Doesn't it go on forever? I mean, I know I have a birthday in January, but after that, there are still 25 days to go until February. It feels like 125. Don't ask me why but it does. I'm not on an alcohol ban, food ban or other strange regime (apart from doing more classes because there are lots of new ones I want to try) but I'll be frank, it's dragging. How can there be 2 more full working weeks in the month?

Moan over. I've tried to find some new things to brighten our January. I'm doing well so far this month because the chilli with cornbread topping I made last week was fabulous and will become a regular in the house. Here's hoping for this week's set of meals.

Talking of which....

Monday - Sausage and onion rosti
Tuesday - Roast squash and sweet potato soup
Wednesday - Fish finger butties
Thursday - Tasty turkey hotpot
Friday - Sizzling salmon with bean mash
Saturday - Pizza (from the freezer)
Sunday - Roast chicken

What's on your menu? Tell me then wander over to Mrs M's blog - badge above.

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.