Apple & Blackberry Crumble Bars - Recipe!

In the quest for better health one key ingredient often gets overlooked: fibre. Despite its humble reputation fibre holds tremendous power when it comes to nourishing our bodies and supporting overall well being. With each wholesome bite of these fibre packed bars, you're not just tantalizing your taste buds you're also nourishing your body from the inside out.

This recipe makes 8 bars containing 48.5g of fibre in the entire batch.

Prep time: 15 mins.

Cook time: 35 to 40 minutes.

This can also be made with frozen raspberries or other fruit of your choice! 

Ingredients:

1 Bramley cooking apple, peeled, cored and cut into small cubes (approx. 100g).

150g of frozen blackberries.

100g of oats.

200g of light brown sugar + 1 tablespoon for filling.

250g of wholemeal flour + 1 tablespoon for filling.

1 egg.

125g of unsalted butter, melted.

½ tsp mixed spice (optional).

Equipment:

20cm square tin, lined with parchment paper

Large mixing bowl

Small mixing bowl

Spoon

 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan).

In the small mixing bowl, combine the cubed apple and frozen blackberries with 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of flour. Set to one side.

In the large mixing bowl, combine the oats, light brown sugar, flour and mixed spice (if using) with a spoon. Mix in the egg and melted butter with the spoon, then get your hands in the bowl and bring the mixture together until it forms clusters.

Pour two thirds of the crumbly mixture into the prepared square tin and lightly press down with your fingers to create an even layer. Spread the apple and blackberry mixture on top, then sprinkle the remaining third of the crumble mix over the top, don’t worry if there are gaps, you want to see the fruit coming through.

Place in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden on top and the apple is cooked through. Leave to cool before portioning into 8 bars and serving.

This recipe was created for the #FibreFebruary initiative, launched by UK Flour Millers, to help consumers eat the recommended amount of daily fibre while highlighting flour’s connection to fibre. You can find more information about Fibre February over on the FAB Flour website.

My top 5 favourite School movies!

I wouldn't say I am a big movie buff but I do have a lot of favourite films and I have been listing them for a few months. You can read about my favourite action movies, Sci-Fi movies, my favourite Animated movies and my favourite musical movies and my favourite disaster movies. In the run up to Halloween I shared my favourite scary movies and the week after I shared my not so scary movies which were more up my street for the spooky season, in the run up to Christmas I shared my favourite Christmas movies and most recently my favourite sport movies!

This time my top 5 is all about School movies! As a child and teenager I always wanted to go to school in America, they looked so relaxed compared to the strict uniform over here and I am sure the American schools never got as much homework as I did. lol

The Breakfast Club!

Five high school students from different walks of life endure a Saturday detention under a power hungry principal. The disparate group includes rebel John, princess Claire, outcast Allison, brainy Brian and Andrew, the jock. Each has a chance to tell his or her story, making the others see them a little differently and when the day ends, they question whether school will ever be the same.

On the rare time that I had a detention at school they were never like this but I really wanted them to be. Imagine having a detention on a Saturday morning, that is not a thing here. I think this is one of the best 80's movies out there, there is someone that we can relate to. I wanted to be the princess but was more of the outcast. 

Clueless!

Cher is a rich high-school student who is learning to cope with adolescence and its problems. She also helps a new student gain popularity and in the process discovers her own feelings for someone.

Alicia Silverstone was perfect for this movie. You cannot cast anyone better for the part. She was likable and so pretty. Everyone wanted to be like her. It's a fun movie which is easy to watch and like!

Mean Girls!

Teenage Cady Heron was educated in Africa by her scientist parents. When her family moves to the suburbs of Illinois, Cady finally gets to experience public school and gets a quick primer on the cruel, tacit laws of popularity that divide her fellow students into tightly knit cliques. She unwittingly finds herself in the good graces of an elite group of cool students dubbed "the Plastics," but Cady soon realizes how her shallow group of new friends earned this nickname.

I love this movie, the original, I haven't seen the new version of it which has recently been in the cinema. Mean girls is very funny and shows the cliques at modern high schools. It's wrong but I loved Regina George. She was so mean she was funny, I found it hard to hate her. 

Dangerous Minds!

Former Marine Louanne Johnson lands a gig teaching in a pilot program for bright but underachieving teens at a notorious inner city high school. After having a terrible first day, she decides she must throw decorum to the wind. When Johnson returns to the classroom, she does so armed with a no nonsense attitude informed by her military training and a fearless determination to better the lives of her students, no matter what the cost.

Did you know this was based on a true story? It was based on the autobiographical 1992 book My Posse Don't Do Homework by US Marine-turned-teacher LouAnne Johnson. I didn't know that until I was writing this blog post. It is a heart warming story that at times is quite tragic but shows a growing bond between a group of socially discarded students and a very special teacher.

High School Musical!

Troy Bolton, the star athlete at a small town high school falls for nerdy beauty Gabriella Montez at a holiday karaoke party. When they return to campus Troy and Gabriella audition for the upcoming school musical. Meanwhile, the jealous Sharpay Evans conspires to squelch their chances. The two must struggle to make it to auditions while also meeting their existing obligations to the basketball team and the academic decathlon.

This is only on my list because I was made to love it as my girls used to be obsessed with it, my eldest especially! I have lost count of the times that I have seen it. The story is straightforward and predictable, the acting was just OK and the script was cringey at times but can be forgiven because of the music! 

What are your favourite school movies?

Irrational fears that I have.

 I am one of those people who always thinks the worst scenario about things, I go though all of the what if's. Most things that I think about will never happen but it doesn't stop me thinking. I thought I would share those fears, partly to get them out there and partly to find some reassurance and for someone to say I am not the only one who worry's about silly things like these. Don't worry, these things are not things that I think about all of the time but do cross my mind once in a while.

I always worry that I am going to fall down the stairs when I am in the house alone. Our stairs are quite steep and there is about 13 stairs straight down with the shoe rack at the bottom and a little square before the front door. On the off chance I can ring someone to come and help me with my mobile that I might have in my hand, how will they get in because the chances are I would be up against the front door. I've never fallen down the stairs since I was a child or even came close.

I have a fear of accidentally sending a text message to the person I'm complaining or moaning about or not actually hanging up the phone and saying something which should not be heard by the other person. I have never done this before and I am really careful so I doubt it could happen but what if it did?.

This one is really morbid but what happens to my blog if I died? I have given Stu instructions to write a blog post saying I am no longer hear and what happened. I would like people to know if it happened suddenly and not wonder where I went or speculate on what happened but I don't think he would check to see if I had posts scheduled. For example I have a couple scheduled for later this year, would that freak you out reading someone had died and then seeing a post months later about something Autumn or Christmas related. lol

I am always scared of the power going off and not coming back on at all! How would we cope, mostly without lights, the TV, blogs and TikTok!!

What if robots took over the world. I think I have watched the Terminator films too many times and the technology today is getting way too clever especially the A.I things. If the world could just chill out with how fast we are pushing things that would be good.

I always get a fear that when I go to the loo in the middle of the night when I am coming back upstairs someone will come behind me and grab my legs. It will never happen but I always run like my life depends on it.

I have always said that I want to be cremated when I die but what if my family decide to bury me and I am not really dead? I am totally blaming Buffy the Vampire Slayer for this fear.

When I bring the washing in from off the line outside I am always scared that a wasp has flown up into the arm or a sweater or the leg or some trousers and then I put them on and get stung. I don't do well with wasp stings. A sting won't kill me but I am allergic to them and swell up badly. I always make sure to shake everything, a lot so the chances of this happening is slim.

When I pay for something using my bank card I always panic that it won't work and I have to walk away leaving a basket of what I have picked up. My fear isn't even that I won't have money in the bank because I always check before I leave the house but it just not working at all.

What irrational fears do you have?

Our weekly meal plan! 26th Feb - 3rd March. #MealPlanningMonday

Last weeks meal plan went well. We ate just about everything. The highlight of our week was the home made pizza and the lamb meatloaf which ended up being beef because lamb mince is so expensive. We did have a little mishap with the leftover Bolognese as Becky was being helpful and put it in the freezer forgetting we were supposed to be having it in wraps that evening. Oops. It was OK as we just had the fish, chips and mushy peas I had planned before the meal plan went off by a day. We didn't end up going out for lunch. We just wanted a lazy Sunday at home. I did think about ringing to get it delivered but in the end we had sausage sandwiches.

We don't have much on this week, well after today we don't. The new Sky broadband is being put in sometime today. I am hoping they come early just so it's out of the way. I hate having people in the house, Stu is here so he can deal with it but he does have an important phone call to take sometime this morning, my betting is the call happens when the Sky engineer is here. 

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Pizza! Not home made one's, just fresh one's from the supermarket.

Tuesday - Home made pea and ham soup! It is our favourite soup and considering the kids are not massive pea fans they wolf it down.

Wednesday - Quiche, chips and salad. We haven't had quiche for ages, it's usually a summer thing but the girls have been asking for it.

Thursday - Sticky Coca Cola chicken and rice.

Friday - Fish finger sandwiches. A nice and easy way to end the week.

Saturday - Chicken fajitas. 

Sunday - Sunday lunch out.

What are you eating this week?

Week 8 of #Project365 18th - 24th February A photo every day for a year!

How is it the last week in February when January seemed to last forever? We have had a good week, just doing our normal thing. I have been watching a lot of TV, I do love it when there's a good run of new things to watch.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon decluttering and having a change around in the living room. I moved my arm chair and the sofa just to make things easier on Monday when Sky come to put the new broadband in. I really don't understand why we need a new router and cables but apparently it's going to be twice the speed for the same price. 

Today Becky and I are going to have the afternoon in front of the TV watching the latest WWE wrestling pay per view. It was on yesterday but I was busy, she was sleeping from a night shift and then there was a lot on TV to watch. I saw so many people from America not happy that it was on for them to watch at something like 2am as it was live from Australia. I have no sympathy, I used to stay up years ago to watch PPV's from America when they used to start in the early hours of the morning here, I would have a couple of hours of sleep and start work at 7am. lol

Now for a photo every day!

49/365 - 18th February

Meet Getty, Gertrude and Gavin the giraffes. They have been named now. hehehe I got them on Saturday from town and they found a home on my shelf the next day!

50/365 - 19th February

We made our own pizzas. I bought the ready made dough but we put our own toppings on. They were so good, much better than shop bought one's.

51/365 - 20th February

I have started thinking about the garden and bought some seeds. I am determined to grow sweetcorn this year, they were doing well last year until we went on holiday and they died off.

52/365 - 21st February

Meatloaf! It was supposed to be lamb but have you seen the price of lamb mince? We went with beef and it still tasted just as good. It's a recipe that I got from Gousto.

53/365 - 22nd February

Stu rang when he had finished work and I went to put the rubbish out and saw the sunset, I had to ring him back after I had taken a photo! It just goes to show it's lighter on an evening as a few weeks ago it was totally dark outside when he finished work.

54/365 - 23rd February

My dad! He hates having his photo taken but this one was needed to renew his passport. It's scary how much I look like him now. I have his nose and my brother has his wild hair. lol

55/365 - 24th February

I woke up yesterday with a cold or so I thought, Becky said check to see if there's lots of pollen and it turns out tree pollen is indeed high at this time of year. It did feel more like hay fever than a cold as I had itchy eyes. I took a tablet and felt much better after a couple of hours.

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This week my Word of the Week is: Watching! #WotW

This week my Word of the Week is:

I always have the TV on in the background when I am doing other things and for the last few months I have been watching Grey's Anatomy but I finished that and I have had to find new things to watch. On Sunday I spent a good half hour looking through Netflix and Disney+ to find something new to watch and nothing was taking my fancy until I spotted One Day!

I started the week watching One Day on Sunday and finished it on Monday. lol, the series off Netflix. One Day tells the story of Emma and Dexter who on 15th July 1988, the night of their graduation speak for the very first time. The next morning, they go their separate ways but where will they be on this one ordinary day the next year, and the year after that, and every year that follows! Each episode finds Dexter and Emma one year older, they grow and change, move together and apart and experience joy and heartbreak. I am not going to spoil it but it is such a rollercoaster of a show. I managed to avoid any spoilers so the ending was not what I expected. I am so glad I watched it.

Monday saw the start of a new series, Breathtaking the new Covid19 drama from ITV.  "Dr Abbey Henderson and her team struggle with the first wave of Covid-19 patients. Running out of PPE, staff, and beds, Abbey is forced to make difficult healthcare decisions as her colleagues begin to be infected with Covid-19. When lockdown is finally imposed, the pandemic stretches Abbey and the team to their limits.

I watched the first episode when it was shown on TV and binged the rest off ITVX. It made me so angry and sad. As normal people we think we have a good idea about what happened in hospitals but after watching shows like this I for one really don't. It was heart breaking but also infuriating that they had to follow so many rules from the government when the government didn't even have a clue what was going on! It's scary to think that my dad came so close to going into hospital when he had Covid, I dread to think what could have happened.

I have been so angry watching Coronation Street over the past couple of months with the bullying storyline. Poor Liam! My youngest Ellie was bullied at school and I think if we hadn't have moved house she could have been been like Liam, Googling how to harm themselves. I really feel for Marie, as a parent you do feel helpless especially if your child tries to deal with the bullying alone and I am so surprised Gary hadn't attacked Mason sooner. At least the majority of it is out in the open now but I have read that it isn't the end of the storyline.

So now I am rewatching Peaky Blinders, I saw Cillian Murphy on the BAFTA's on Sunday evening and it reminded me of what a great actor he is. I was sat here during the week on Thomas Shelby's wedding day and Becky was just on her way to bed but had to stay up and watch the "no fighting" speech that he does. hehehe She has never seen a full episode but catches bits when it's shown late on an evening when she's at work, she keeps meaning to watch it.

When I am done with Peaky Blinders I am going to watch Waterloo Road. Ellie has been watching it off the BBC iPlayer for a few weeks and is on the 5th series, Becky started watching it last week and is on the 2nd series so I think I need to watch it too as it's all they are talking about.

Tonight I am looking forward to watching Ant & Dec's Saturday night takeaway. It's the last series of it that they are doing which does make me sad but they deserve a break, this is the 20th series! Then after that we will watch The 1% Club. It's Becky's weekend off work so it will be a real family night in front of the TV. 

What have you been watching lately?

What I have loved this week! Week 8. #FridayFavourites

Hello there and happy Friday! We are back into a routine now after my fella having a couple of days off work and my youngest having a week off college for half term. I am linking up with Erika and Andrea and sharing some of my favourites from the past week.

Eating our favourite meals!

Over the last 3 or 4 months we have been getting Gousto boxes delivered where everything is included to make the meals that you choose of their website but we have decided to have a break from them being delivered. I have a folder full of recipes and we are going back and having some of our favourites again. This week it was the lamb meatloaf, which I made with beef mince as lamb mince was double the price. It still tasted good. We also had Spaghetti Bolognese and garlic bread which we hadn't had in ages.

A day out shopping!

I like the shopping trips where we're just window shopping and looking for nothing in particular. On Saturday we had one of those trips and bought a few things and got a few bargains. We were in HMV and saw a Mickey Mouse doormat for £4.99, it was reduced from £15 and some Squid Game and Anime mugs for 49 pence. I said to my fella you can't even buy a plain white mug for that price now a days so they were a bargain. My eldest loves Squid Game so she was very happy. 

There is a shop in town which sells wooden gifts, most of them are handmade by crafty people locally and I just had to buy these giraffes. They are so cute and are now in my living room on a shelf.

Broken boots!

It is not a favourite that my youngest girls favourite boots broke, the sole started to come off and after she had seen it she pulled it a little and came off more. She's had them a few years and they are her favourite boots. I said that it was doubtful she would get the same but we checked the shop we had bought the originals from and they still sell them! They look slightly different but the basics are the same, a zip up the side and laces which is what she wanted. She wore them yesterday and of course she needs to wear them in a little before she starts wearing them to go to college.

All you can eat!

We went to an all you can eat place on Saturday! Our favourite place, they do all sorts of food. Chinese, Indian, Sushi, English and even things like pizza. We have never been on a Saturday lunch time and were pleasantly surprised that there was all the food that they offer on an evening, usually they have a limited menu. We all ate far too much but it was worth the £15 each. I did find out that I don't like roast duck, I picked it up thinking it was pork and had quite the shock when I put it into my mouth. lol

Beyonce - Texas Hold Em!

I don't know why but I never thought of Beyonce singing a country song but here we are and she is! I first heard her new song on TikTok and I am thinking this week it is my most played song off Spotify!

A lazy Sunday!

After having a few busy days being out and about we felt like we needed a lazy Sunday. We slept until late, stayed in our PJ's, drank tea and watched lots of TV. It was such a nice day of relaxing and a great way to start the new week.

Dressing up! 

My youngest and I dressed up a little for going out. She got what my fella and I are calling the Freddy Krueger dress for Christmas and has been dying to wear it. She loves it and said it was so comfy. I think she looked great in it. Looking at the photo of me makes me think that I really need to dye my hair. The brown and greys roots are taking over the pink!

Peaky Blinders!

After finishing rewatching Grey's Anatomy and watching a few other things I couldn't think what to watch so I am back watching Peaky Blinders! I have see it before and wanted something on the TV in the background. I do love this show and Cillian Murphy, he is a fantastic actor!

Clean teeth!

My youngest was at the dentist, just for a 6 monthly check up and this is the first time in a few years that the dentist didn't have anything to say about extra brushing needed, her teeth are perfect! Phew! I am putting it down to changing the brand of tooth paste that we use. 

What have you loved over the past week?

Planning a prom on a budget.

After finishing her GCSE's and leaving school Ellie went to her prom at school. I was dreading it, not because of the prom it's self, just the cost of it all. When you think of proms you think expensive but they really don't have to be, all in all we didn't really spend that much.

Prom night is a magical experience that many school leavers really look forward to but the costs that come with it can add up quickly leaving both students and parents stressed about the financial burden. The good news is that with careful planning and creativity you can have an unforgettable prom night without breaking the bank.

Start Early and Set a Clear Budget:

Begin your prom planning early to give yourself time to find the best deals. Set a realistic budget that includes all potential expenses, such as the outfit, hair and beauty, transport, any tickets and any extras.

The dress/suit/outfit:

Look for affordable dresses or suits online, at discount stores or even consider borrowing from friends or family. You can always rent an outfit from specialist shops but I really didn't want to do that in case it ended up ripped or stained. Potentially your teen might only wear the outfit once so don't go spending a small fortune!

The biggest expense for us was Ellie's dress. It cost around £20 from Shein which was a real bargain in comparison to her friends outfits. It wasn't the typical puffy, princess looking dress but it is what Ellie wanted.

Shop second hand by exploring charity shops or search online websites or apps for formal wear like Vinted or eBay. You might be surprised at the hidden gems you can find at a fraction of the cost.

Skip the expensive salon appointments and opt for DIY hair and makeup. There are numerous online tutorials and resources that can help you achieve a glamorous look without the hefty price tag. I did Ellie's hair, make up and nails and it cost hardly anything as we already had everything we needed. All Ellie bought was a set of false nails which cost about £1.50 and they looked so pretty.

Transport:

Getting to prom can be a massive expense with teenagers wanting to arrive in style. If you get your teen to share the cost or renting a limo or fancy car with some of their friends it can cut the cost dramatically. If you know someone who has a fancy car ask them for a lift. 

My dad was going to take Ellie in his vintage kit car but ended up having issues when it wouldn't start on the day! Eek! My brother stepped into help and Ellie arrived in the back of his Luton Van. Ellie actually got the biggest cheer of the evening arriving with her grand entrance going down on the moving platform thing at the back. She had the time of her life! 

Photos:

The only thing we couldn't save money on was the prom photos and to be honest I wished I hadn't bothered with them. Ellie is a shy girl so there was only 2 photos of her, one walking up the red carpet which I had taken myself anyway and another with a couple of her friends. If you have a confident child who loves being in front of the camera I imagine they would be well worth it but for us it wasn't.

Did you spend much for your teenagers proms?

Would You Rather - Part 5.

A while ago I saw a post from the blog This Is Where It's At with 80 Would you rather questions. I thought they would be fun to answer them. I was going to do all 80 in one post but I do like to waffle on so thought I would split them into a few blog posts. You can read the previous set of questions in a previous blog post.

Would you rather have green hair or a red face?

I've had all sorts of hair colours and for a very short time I did have green hair when I was trying to remove some colour from my hair once and it wasn't that bad so I would have to go with that. I don't think I would like to have a red face all of the time. 

Would you rather have to sing or dance at the school assembly?

I am not a good singer at all and I am an even worse dancer unless I have had a few drinks and then I think I am amazing. lol I think I would have to go with sing, I could hit probably 1 out of every 20 notes. 

Would you rather be as tall as a giraffe or as short as a mouse?

Ohh, somewhere in-between would be good but I would say this time as tall as a giraffe just so I could have a good nosy in people's gardens.

Would you rather moo like a cow when you cry or squeak like a mouse when you laugh?

I laugh more than I cry so I would rather moo like a cow. It would be less embarrassing as I tend not to cry in front of people that I don't know.

Would you rather eat your snot or have a fart milkshake?

Eww! Neither. I don't eat my snot but I am guessing that I must have over the years so I would go for that. The thought of a fart milkshake is turning my stomach.

Would you rather be able to see in the dark or never be tired?

I would love to never be tired again. Imagine that, I think the last time I wasn't tired was before the kids were born. lol

Would you rather live without running water or electricity?

This is easy. I could manage without running water. I would collect rainwater in big tubs and buy bottled water to drink. I need electricity for the TV and internet. hehehe

Would you rather be covered in red dots or be as hairy as a gorilla?

I think I would be as hairy as a gorilla. If I don't shave my legs I feel as hairy as one sometimes. The red dots would be more of an inconvenience.  

Would you rather blink all day long, or sneeze every time you want to talk?

I do blink all day long. lol I am guessing this means blinking more than the average. I would rather blink than want to sneeze every time I wanted to talk. In the summer I suffer with hay fever and it is no fun wanting to sneeze all of the time.

Would you rather wet your pants every time you laugh or burp every time you want to smile?

I come close to wetting my pants when I laugh sometimes so that's not for me. I could cope with burping whenever I wanted to smile. 

What would you answer for these Would you rather questions?

She doesn't want her hearing aids.

My youngest Ellie has been deaf in her right ear almost from when she was born, the hospital couldn't get a clear result until she was almost 3 years old. I blogged about her hearing loss in further detail a few years ago. Years ago the only option for help with her hearing was a cochlear implant which might or might not have worked. It was a 50/50 chance and after having open heart surgery to fix a hole in her heart I didn't want to put her through more surgery on the off chance it might work.

Medical things change and when we moved to Scunthorpe we saw a couple of different doctors and one mentioned Cros hearing aids. No surgery was involved, she could use them as much or as little as we wanted so it was worth a try. Ellie got her hearing aids at the end of 2022 and to start with she got on great with them.

I don't know what happened but she started wearing them less and less. She would conveniently forget them when she was at school or leave the house with them in and come home with them in her blazer pocket. It wasn't anything which was going on at school, she just didn't want to wear them all of the time and over time she has worn them less and less.

All she has known for 16 years is being deaf in one ear so going from being half deaf to hearing everything, I imagine it was a lot to deal with!

When Ellie was at school I had the teachers to back me up and make sure that she had her hearing aids in but since she has started college it is different, I have to accept that she is almost an adult and makes her own choices. Her choice is that she doesn't want to wear her hearing aids, she has said the extra noise is just too much for her brain!

I think teenagers have a lot to deal with in the world and adding something like extra noise, chatter and sounds which come with the hearing aid is something that can be just too much. Sometimes I think I would like to be able to turn off all the extra noise. On Saturday sitting on the bus, the guy who didn't stop for breath behind me chatting all the way to town, the screaming child who wanted to run around the bus or the idiot person who had their phone playing TikToks for everyone to hear. If you can turn the excess noise off why wouldn't you?

I was dreading going to the hospital for her latest hearing check last week! I thought they were going to say I was a bad mother or that Ellie was just being stupid for not wearing something that she knows helps her. The woman that we saw was absolutely brilliant and very understanding. I over explained where we are now and how Ellie doesn't want her hearing aids and she said that's fine and many people her age don't but of course she can come back and get hearing aids if she feels that she wants them in the future. So the hearing aids have been returned to the hospital and the doctor was really grateful as most people don't return them if they are unused which I think is a sad shame as they can be used for other people.

Ellie has grown up being deaf in one ear and she is used to it. She can lip read pretty well, is confident at asking someone to repeat themselves and just gets on with life. I am proud that she has made the decision for herself. Yes, I would have liked her to wear her hearing aids but I am not her and this thing is her choice. 

Our weekly meal plan! 19th - 25th February. #MealPlanningMonday

Last weeks meal plan went well, of course it did because it was all fun food with the girls cooking us a meal, pancakes, afternoon tea and eating out! We didn't have the pizza on Friday but we're having that tonight!

This week we don't have much on, Ellie doesn't go back to college until tomorrow so I imagine today is going to feel like an extra Sunday like last Monday did. We're all home after Becky finishes her night shift so I am really looking forward to spending some time together. 

We are having a break from Gousto, as much as I love the convenience of it we have become a bit bored of it. We have enough recipes in our folder to go back and have them again, it's just a shame I have to actually pick out and order the ingredients with the food shop. We have that coming today as we have been out and about for the last few days and haven't had chance for a grocery delivery. 

 On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Pizza! Home made one's as we're all home and everyone can make their own!

Tuesday - Lamb meatloaf with mashed potatoes and redcurrant gravy. This is a Gousto recipe that my family absolutely loved which was amazing as they weren't too sure about lamb at the time.

Wednesday - Spaghetti Bolognese and garlic bread. It seems ages since we last had Spag Bol and it is one of our favourite family meals.

Thursday - Bolognese in wraps, this is very messy but very tasty and it's a quick meal to put together using the leftovers.

Friday - Fish, chips and mushy peas. Out of the freezer and not from the chip shop. Hmmf. 

Saturday - Fried chicken, fries, coleslaw, garlic bread and onion rings. 

Sunday - Sunday lunch out.

What are you eating this week?

Week 7 of #Project365 11th - 17th February A photo every day for a year!

Happy Sunday! This past week has gone in a blur, I have been so busy with appointments, days out and having my family home. Half term used to be a time for lazy days but this week seems to have been non-stop. I am stopping today though! We did think about going out for lunch today but I need a day at home in my pj's. I am a stay at home person but this week I have been out and about every day since Wednesday! I am not used to it spending so much time out of the house. lol

I feel so late in writing this, usually I do my Project 365 post on a Saturday afternoon but it's almost 8pm and I am just getting around to it after being out in Hull all day. We went out for lunch to the all you can eat place and then had a good look around the shops. I could have easily filled this weeks post with photos of food as our week seems to have revolved around food. Sunday lunch out, a Valentine's Day meal, pancakes, afternoon tea, breakfast out, lunch at my dad's and the all you can eat place. lol

Now for a photo every day!

42/365 - 11th February

I watched some of the Superbowl. I really enjoyed it until they actually started playing the American Football, then I didn't have a clue what was going on. It did make me chuckle that Post Malone had smartened him self up to sing America The Beautiful. hehehe I do love him.

43/365 - 12th February

The clouds were so pretty!

44/365 - 13th February

Pancake day and my family said I did well with cooking them! We ate so many and felt quite stuffed! We should really eat pancakes more than one day a year!

45/365 - 14th February

Valentine's Day and the card from my fella did make me smile, we met on the internet so it was perfect! We had a lovely day.

46/365 - 15th February

You can't beat a breakfast from Wetherspoons! Usually I get an American one but fancied a traditional one this time. I didn't really need to get a large one, I ate far too much!

47/365 - 16th February

Another sky, it looked so much better in real life.

48/365 - 17th February

Stu, Ellie and me were going out and leaving poor Becky home alone, she had to sleep for work.

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This week my Word of the Week is: Food! #WotW

This week my Word of the Week is:

Food makes me happy and I have loved this week as nearly every day and outing has all revolved around food! We certainly have had a good week of eating!

On Sunday we went out for our usual Sunday lunch, I love not having to cook and considering prices seem to be rising everywhere £8 for a big plate of roast dinner is a bargain, considering just up the road it's £15 and more. Eek! We called into see my dad after and had a good chat with him, one of those chats about nothing in particular. It's hard to catch him when he's not working so Sunday is always a good day to play catch up with him.

Stu and I had an early Valentine's Day meal cooked by the girls. We had Ciabatta garlic bread for starters, chicken, ham and leek pie, mash and veg for the main course and chocolate orange dessert pots for dessert. They did such a great job, they of course argued every minute that they were in the kitchen together but ignorance is bliss and I stayed out of it. As soon as they were out of the kitchen they were best friends again. lol Kids!!

Tuesday was all about the pancakes! I spent an hour in the kitchen making pancakes for everyone. I was just making them and my family was eating them. It's funny how one day a year we eat pancakes and then don't really bother with them for the rest of the year. We have them with different toppings, Nutella, bananas, Biscoff spread, strawberries, golden syrup and the normal lemon juice and sugar. 

I had an appointment on Wednesday and was worrying about that and the fact that the afternoon tea I ordered was being delivered. Thankfully the afternoon tea arrived well before I had to leave so I didn't have to leave Ellie in to receive it and she came along with me to my appointment. I was glad to have the company, we ended up getting a burger on the way home and some freshly made doughnuts. On the evening we enjoyed our afternoon tea and it is only supposed to serve 2 but 3 of us had it and there was leftovers! 

On Thursday we were at the hospital bright and early for a check on Ellie's ears. It went well, her good ear is still good and she's still deaf in the other one. On the way back into town we called into Wetherspoons for a breakfast. I forgot all about it being half term and it was so busy and one of the two hot drink machines weren't working so it was a bit chaotic but breakfast was eaten and enjoyed. We called into Lidl on the way home to get some treats. Sushi and their brownies from the bakery section, they are amazing!

Yesterday Stu, Becky and I went out for lunch, just to our favourite cafe. Ellie wasn't with us as she was with my dad working, she's always saying she wants more pocket money and my dad is always saying he can do with another set of hands so they're both happy. She was helping him build a shed and loved every minute of it. He gave her lunch and said grandad cooks the best bacon. hehehe She's going back on Monday as she's not back at college until Tuesday to do some more work, I hope it can become a regular thing as she gets to spend time with her grandad and he gets a little help too.

Today Ellie, Stu and me are off into town and we will be eating out again. I am looking forward to today as it seems ages since I have been to Hull and there are a few shops that I want to go to. The Bodyshop especially since I have heard that they might be closing. I need to stock up on the hand cream and lip balm.

I feel like next week I need to go on a diet after all the food we have eaten and I've not even started on the chocolates that I got for Valentine's day. lol

How has your week been? I hope you have had a good one!