The worst British snacks!

Late last year I wrote a blog post about my go-to snacks. You know the comforting ones you grab when you're peckish, bored, avoiding your responsibilities. Those snacks were the good ones but this post is dedicated to the British snacks that make you pause, squint and just wonder why they are even in existence.

Pickled Eggs!

Pickled eggs have been around forever. They're hard-boiled eggs that have been dunked in vinegar and left to marinate until they become pickled. You find them in old school pubs or behind chip shop counters but to me, they look like something from a science lab. Some people love them with a pint. They're rubbery, tangy and smell like they could strip paint!

Battered Mars bars!

Scotland's contribution to the dessert world! On paper, it sounds like a fun idea. A chocolate bar which is battered and deep fried but when you actually bite into one you realise the whole thing is an experience you weren't prepared for. The outside is hot and crispy and the chocolate inside is molten. The batter becomes strangely soggy, like it's confused about what it's meant to be and before you know it, you're drinking warm chocolate through the batter. The only time this snack makes sense is when you're drunk, freezing cold and standing outside a chippy at midnight.

Beef Jerky!

Beef jerky can be good in America but here is a gamble. Half the time it's so tough you feel like you're giving your jaw a workout. The other half is flavoured with something suspiciously labelled smoky BBQ that tastes like it was invented by someone who has never actually eaten BBQ. It's salty, chewy and it sticks in your teeth like it's trying to live there rent free!

Cheese Strings!

Cheese Strings is a childhood snack that tricks you into believing you're eating cheese. They're marketed as fun because you can pull them apart into strings, which is the most exciting part of the whole experience. They taste slightly cheesy, like rubber and bouncy enough to question what percentage is actually dairy. Kids love them but for grown adults, you're basically eating a cheese flavoured candle.

Marmite on toast!

This is the snack that divides the nation. People either love it, hate it and feel strongly about it. For those of us who are firmly on the absolutely not side, Marmite is a snack that can ruin your whole day with just one smear. It's salty, intense and tastes like misery. The smell alone can clear a room faster than a fire alarm!

Mini pots of trifle!

Trifle is lovely. Proper trifles but mini supermarket trifles are not good. The cream tastes like thick nothing, the jelly always feels warm, even when it's been in the fridge and the sponge is somehow both soggy and dry at the same time, which shouldn't be possible. Every layer feels like it belongs to a different dessert.

Cup a Soup (especially Tomato)!

I love a comforting soup but Cup a Soup is something else. The tomato flavour tastes like someone tried to liquefy ketchup and accidentally added dust. It's got that weird powdery aftertaste and it never mixes properly! You always end up with little clumps floating around. If you want soup, make soup.

Pork Scratchings!

A pub classic but also a dental hazard. When they're good, they’re crunchy, salty and satisfying. When they're not good, they’re rock hard, painfully salty and sharp enough to cause an injury. Some even have hair on them. Eww!

Rice Cakes (Especially Plain Ones!)

Rice cakes are one of those snacks people pretend to enjoy when they're being healthy but they taste like air. Flavoured ones are fine, but the plain ones just make me sad. You might as well chew on cardboard. At least cardboard has texture.

Twiglets!

I'm sorry if you love them, I really am but Twiglets taste like burnt Marmite on a stick. They're crunchy but they also taste like they were designed to test if you really are a snack lover. Marmite is already controversial enough, we didn't need a crunchy version trying to ruin our days too!

If you love any of these, no judgement, you're braver than me. I am sure some of these snacks were invented as a dare. Now I'm curious, what's the worst snack you've ever tried?

Our weekly meal plan! 21st - 27th September! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend! We had a great one. I was out on Saturday night with friends. We went for a meal and then went to a country night at the pub where they had a singer on. It was a lot of fun! Yesterday we all had a lazy day. I spent most of it in front of the TV while doing some blogging, which is pretty much my idea of a perfect Sunday these days!

Last week's meal plan went well. I did swap a couple of meals around but we ate everything. Our favourite meal was of course the leftover roast dinner pie! I put all the leftovers from the Sunday dinner into a pie dish and pastry on top and it was so good! I love using leftovers to make a different meal. I really enjoyed using the Gousto boxes last week, so we have another one this week with some of our favourite meals!

This week is going to be a strange one with Ellie working! Eek! Everything is up in the air at the moment as she doesn't get her shift pattern until later today. I can see myself being on edge all day, until she is home and I can hear about how her first day went. It feels like such a big thing when your children start a new job, even when they are grown up. I am going to keep myself busy and have a big tidy up in the garden. There is always something that needs doing out there and I have been putting quite a few jobs off. Stu is talking about having a tidy in the garage but he can do that himself. I do not like all the creepy crawlies in there! I am quite happy to leave that job to him.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - No idea!

Stu is doing the cooking tonight, so it will be a surprise. I don't think he knows what he's planning to cook either but I think it will be something out of the freezer. I quite like nights like this because I don't have to decide anything. I can just turn up and eat!

Tuesday - Gousto meal - Mushroom Wellington With Onion Gravy And Mash!

This is one of our favourite meals from Gousto which is surprising considering my family are meat lovers. I think the first time we ate this I didn't tell them there was no meat in it. Hehehe This is a plant-based Wellington and you almost forget that it's supposed to have meat in it. Puff pastry is stuffed with mushrooms, sage and walnuts and served with mashed potato and covered in delicious onion gravy. It is one of those meals that sounds a little fancy but is actually really easy to make!

Wednesday - Gousto meal - Crispy Chicken Katsu Curry Burritos!

This is a fun twist on chicken katsu. Crispy breaded chicken and shredded lettuce wrapped in tortillas and topped with the most amazing sauce. Wrapping it all up makes it feel fun and it is a nice change from having katsu curry served in the usual way.

Thursday - Gousto meal - Sausage Meatball & Tomato Sauce With Fresh Orecchiette!

This is another one of our favourites from Gousto. My family would eat this every week given the chance. This one is sausage meatballs cooked in a tomato sauce, served with fresh orecchiette. Those little bits of pasta are brilliant at holding onto sauce. Every time I tell the girls we're having this, they look puzzled until I say the pasta, which is like the Skips crisps. lol

Friday - Chip shop tea!

We are back to having a chip shop tea this week and I am looking forward to it. No cooking and no fuss. The biggest drama is deciding what we fancy. Fish and chips? Sausage and chips? A burger? Kebab? Maybe a pie? There are so many options. Last week Stu and I had fish and chips and Ellie had her usual Doner kebab wrap.

Saturday - Pizza!

I don't know if it will be home made, fresh from the shop or frozen but I know it will be enjoyed.

Sunday - A help yourself evening!

I have no plans for Sunday at all. Everyone can help themselves to whatever they fancy and use up bits from the fridge, freezer and cupboards. There is always something that needs using up.

What are you eating this week?

Our weekly meal plan! 14th - 20th September! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. We had a nice quiet one, which was just what we needed after all the birthday celebrations we've had lately. In the space of three and a half weeks, we have Stu's birthday, Ellie's birthday and Becky's birthday. I love birthdays, and I love having reasons to celebrate, but it is a lot when they all come along one after the other. There is always something to organise, presents to think about, cards to buy and, of course, food to eat! I wouldn't change it though. Now we have a few months' break until it is my birthday.

Last week's meal plan went well. I did swap a couple of meals around but we ate just about everything. Our favourite meal was of course the roast chicken dinner yesterday. I even enjoyed cooking it. It's nice to eat out on a Sunday but even nicer to eat it at home, it is just a lot of effort! There are leftovers, of course and I am planning on using them up today.

We are back using Gousto boxes again this week. If you haven't heard of Gousto before, it is one of those recipe box services where you pick a few meals from their menu and they send you the ingredients you need to make them at home. I decided to order another box after I received an email offering me 40% off the next two boxes I bought, followed by 20% off a few more. I do like a discount. I got a little carried away with ordering the meals and when I was choosing the recipes, I ordered the Creamy Chicken, Leek & Carrot Pie without realising that we were already having pie today! I am going to cook the filling and freeze it. Then I can use it another time when we fancy a pie.

I have quite a bit on this week, a mixture of things I need to do and things I actually want to do. I am helping my dad out with some paperwork but it will be time spent with my dad and he will feed me lunch, so that's a bonus. I am also planning on having a mooch around the shops to look at all the autumn things. I don't need anything but that has never stopped me having a look! I also have a few life admin jobs to get done. Nothing exciting but I am hoping to tick a few things off this week so I can feel a little more organised. It seems like a good mix of fun and boring things. Becky is also back at work after almost two weeks off, so that is going to be a shock to her system. Ellie is still plodding on with the job hunting. Ugh!

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Leftover roast dinner pie!

We are starting the week with one of my favourite make it up as you go along meals. We had a roast chicken dinner yesterday, so I am planning on using whatever is left to make a pie. I'll mix the leftover meat, pigs in blankets, stuffing and veg with some gravy, pop it into a pie dish and cover it with ready-made pastry. Then it just needs to go into the oven. I am sure there will be leftover mashed potato to eat it with too.

Tuesday - Gousto meal - Baked Chicken Thigh & Almond Curry With Rice And Naan!

We have had this before and it is delicious. The curry is made with chicken thighs in an almond and garam masala sauce. Finished with creamy yoghurt and served with rice and warm mini naan bread. I do like trying different curry recipes at home and this is a good one. We have a few favourites that we go back to that my whole family enjoy.

Wednesday - Gousto meal - One Pan Alpine-Style Sausage & Waxy Potato Hash!

This is a one-pan meal and less washing up is always a good thing. The sausages and onions get cooked together with crushed potatoes until everything is golden and crispy around the edges. Then it all gets coated in butter and herbs with a bit of thyme and topped with melted cheese. This is one of the only Gousto meals that Stu has ever cooked. It took him about an hour and a half and he decided there and then he hated making Gousto recipes. I made the same meal a little while later and it took about half an hour at the most and Stu just couldn't understand how. I told him it's because I am a better cook than him. Hehehe

Thursday - Gousto meal - One Tray Fishcake With Peri Peri Wedges & Sweet Chilli Slaw!

This meal seems a bit different from what we usually get from Gousto. Usually I would have to make the fish cakes but these are all ready just to pop in the oven. I'm not complaining, usually by Thursday I am losing the will to cook.

Friday - Chip shop tea!

We are back to having a chip shop tea this week and I am looking forward to it. No cooking and no fuss. The biggest drama is deciding what we fancy. Fish and chips? Sausage and chips? A burger? Kebab? Maybe a pie? There are so many options.

Saturday - Burgers in buns!

We will be having burgers in buns with the usual toppings, such as cheese, onions, lettuce and whatever sauces everyone fancies. We can all put our own burgers together, which is handy because not everyone likes the same things. I think I will make some onion rings and corn on the cob to go with them.

Sunday - A help yourself evening!

I have no plans for Sunday at all. Everyone can help themselves to whatever they fancy and use up bits from the fridge, freezer and cupboards. There is always something that needs using up.

What are you eating this week?

Our weekly meal plan! 31st August - 6th September! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. We had a great one celebrating Ellie's birthday and we have it all to do again in a week and a half when it's Becky's birthday! I will of course write all about it when I find time. Things have seemed so busy here over the last few weeks but I don't know why I'm acting all surprised. It's always like this in August. Can you believe tomorrow is the 1st of September? I do love the "ber" months.

Last week's meal plan went OK with me not getting a grocery delivery. We ate lots out of the freezer and there were many complaints and asks of can we just get a takeaway! We didn't until Friday evening and that was only because Ellie was out and she isn't a fan of Indian food, so Stu, Becky and I made the most of it. I did realise by Monday we were running out of a lot of random things, which was annoying, so I was very excited about getting the food shop delivered over the weekend.

We don't have much on this week. It is a bank holiday here today so we have even less going on than usual. Stu is back to work tomorrow after a week off, Becky has this week off work and Ellie has another job interview! She's averaging one a week at the moment but is getting nowhere. I feel disheartened for her but she is just plodding on applying and taking the no, thanks like a champ. I suppose she's doing better than a lot of people who are applying for jobs at the moment, at least she's getting the interviews.

I asked my family for help and ideas with the meal planning this week and they said they want to get the Gousto boxes again but I said why? We have folders full of the recipes, so they went through them and picked a few out.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - No idea!

Stu is doing the cooking tonight, so it will be a surprise. I don't think he knows what he's planning to cook either but I think it will be something out of the freezer.

Tuesday - Sesame Pork & Egg Fried Rice!

Ellie asked for this one and it took some finding as there are lots of pork and rice dishes from Gousto. lol Sesame pork and egg fried rice is made with savoury pork mince, fluffy rice, soy sauce and a hint of sesame oil with peas and carrots added and finished with scrambled egg!

Wednesday - Carrot & coriander soup with mango chutney pastry twists!

I know soup isn't usually a summer meal but this one is light and fresh. I will make plenty so we can have some for lunch the next day too. The mango chutney pastry twists are great as a side, they're just puff pastry with mango chutney spread on. I always make a few extra and have them for lunch on the day I make the soup.

Thursday - One Tray Sticky Hoisin Sausage Traybake!

This one is a good one! Sausages, potatoes and peppers are all coated in a sticky Hoisin glaze and cooked in a tray in the oven. They are one of my favourite type of meals because you can just shove everything in the oven and let it do its thing without too much washing up.

Friday - Pizza!

Homemade or just frozen ones out of the freezer, I am not too sure yet.

Saturday - Saturday - Red onion and bacon tart with baby potatoes!

This one is inspired by a Gousto recipe for Bacon and Leek Tart that we had years ago and it’s stuck with us ever since. I decided to make our own and Red onion and bacon tart became a thing. Ready-made puff pastry, a layer of soft cheese, topped with red onions and smoky bacon. I will make a little extra so I will have some for lunch the next day because it’s just as nice cold.

Sunday - A help yourself evening!

I have no plan for today and everyone can just help themselves to whatever they fancy.

What are you eating this week?

Our weekly meal plan! 24th - 30th August! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Ours was a really good one and it was a proper family weekend with us all being home together. I can't remember the last time that happened with the girls being out with friends or working, so it was really nice to have everyone home at the same time. We enjoyed some good food, watched TV: The Voice UK, the Grand Prix and football, had plenty of chats and just enjoyed each other's company.

Last week's meal plan went really well. We ate everything I had planned, although not necessarily on the day that I had originally planned it for. It worked out pretty well because we ended up eating the hearty comfort food like the cottage pie and sausage casserole on the days when it was raining. Yes, we've actually had some rainy days! Not rain all day, every day but enough to give the garden a good watering and make us want something warm and filling for tea.

Over the weekend, I didn't bother doing our usual grocery shop. Stu is off work all of this week and he has said he will help out with the cooking too. So, rather than going out and buying loads more food, we're going to make a proper effort to use what we already have in the freezer and there is plenty in there! I had a bit of a look through and found things that I had completely forgotten about. We've got cauliflower cheese, chicken nuggets, sweet potato fries, diced onions, mixed vegetables, fish fingers, frozen chips, mushrooms, chicken breasts, garlic bread, minced beef, battered fish fillets, roast potatoes, mini corn on the cob, potato waffles, chicken pies, sliced peppers, beef burgers, sausages, garden peas and tubs of leftovers and probably more if I dig deeper. This seems like a great opportunity to clear some space in the freezer while also saving ourselves a bit of money.

This week is going to look a bit different as we've got quite a lot going on. Ellie has another job interview and is still waiting to hear back from a couple that she went to last week, which is exciting. Stu and I need to go into town to buy some birthday bits for Ellie's birthday and of course we have a meal out planned. I need to help my dad with a few things on the computer and there are a few jobs around the house that need doing too. So, instead of planning meals for each day, I just have a list of meals that we can have depending on what we are doing that day. If we're out and about, we'll have something quick and easy. If we're home and have more time, we can cook something that takes a little longer.

On the menu this week we have:

A meal out for Ellie's birthday!

Of course, we have to eat out and celebrate the birthday girl! I won't have to worry about cooking, washing up or deciding what everyone is going to eat. I can just sit down, we can all order what we fancy and enjoy some family time, maybe with a glass of wine or two.

Fish, chips and mushy peas.

This one is completely from the freezer, which makes it an easy tea! We've got battered fish fillets, frozen chips and of course, we'll have mushy peas with them. It's one of those meals that doesn't need much planning at all.

A day of the tubs of leftovers.

This is probably my favourite meal of the week. We have a few tubs of leftovers in the freezer so we're going to have a bit of a lucky dip and see what we fancy. I think there is chicken curry, sausage casserole, pea and ham soup and maybe some Bolognese.

Beef burgers with potato waffles, baked beans and fried eggs.

This is a bit of a random meal but I think it will go down well! We've got beef burgers and potato waffles in the freezer, plus baked beans in the cupboard and eggs.

Chicken breast, cauliflower cheese, sweet potato fries and mixed vegetables.

This is going to be our little roast dinner of sorts. It should make a nice filling meal without actually having to make a full roast dinner.

Sausage, onion & pepper tray bake.

This is one of those meals where I'm going to make it up as I go along. We've got sausages, diced onions and sliced peppers in the freezer, so I'll throw them all together and see what happens. I will add some potatoes of some sort too.

Chicken pies with mash and peas.

There is something very satisfying about a chicken pie with mashed potato and peas. It's simple, filling and definitely one we all enjoy!

What are you eating this week?

Our weekly meal plan! 10th - 16th August! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Ours was a good one. Nothing exciting happened apart from me thinking the shower was broken with water coming out of the bottom but it turns out the shower head was blocked with limescale. The girls were doing their own thing with friends, so it was quite at home. I am getting used to having two adult daughters who have their own lives, plans and people to see. I spent most of Saturday catching up on the housework that I didn't do during the week. Being full of cold and feeling sorry for myself, cleaning wasn't a priority. Saturday was a catch-up day with tidying, cleaning and doing the washing. Sunday was much more relaxed. I started watching the Lindsay Clancy trial on YouTube after seeing so much about it on TikTok. I had seen lots of people talking about the husband and things that apparently weren't adding up so I decided I wanted to watch the trial for myself rather than just relying on short clips popping up on my TikTok feed. It is interesting but also such a sad, sad case.

Last week's meal plan went really well. We ate just about everything that was on the plan, which I am taking as a win because I had no interest in cooking for most of the week. Stu did the cooking on Monday, which was a massive help as I just couldn't be bothered and for the rest of the week we just muddled through.

This week is going to be a little busy, we have a few things going on. Stu has a couple of days off work, Ellie has a couple of appointments and at the end of the week, it is Stu's birthday! I love this time of year, it's Stu's and the girls birthdays over the space of three and a half weeks. It's busy but a lot of fun!

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - A fry up!

We're starting the week with a proper fry-up. On the plate will be sausages, bacon, mushrooms, black pudding, hash browns, baked beans, tomatoes and toast! It is one of those meals that works at pretty much any time of the day. We could have it for breakfast, lunch or tea and nobody would complain.

Tuesday - Meat-Free sloppy joes with potato salad!

Tuesday is one of our favourite meals and it is something we originally used to get from Gousto. Meat-free sloppy joes with potato salad. I remember the first time we had the meat-free mince. I was very curious about it because I'd never really used it before. I am pretty sure I didn't even tell my family it was meat-free until after they had eaten it. I thought I would see whether they noticed and they didn't! lol The sloppy joes are really tasty and messy, which is all part of the fun.

Wednesday - A help yourself evening!

Wednesday is going to be one of those nights where I have no plans. Everyone can help themselves to whatever they fancy and use up bits from the fridge, freezer and cupboards. We always seem to have random bits of food hanging around. Half a packet of something, a few potatoes, some cheese, leftover meat, something in the freezer that I bought ages ago and forgot about. This is the night to use things up.

Thursday - Ham, eggs and home made chips!

I have a couple of joints of gammon in the freezer so they are coming out for Thursday and Friday. I'll boil the gammon and we'll have it with fried eggs and homemade chips. It's such a simple meal but it is so good and homemade chips are always worth the effort!

Friday - Ham salad!

We'll be using the leftover ham with a salad. Lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, beetroot, sweetcorn and some new potatoes. I'll probably end up adding anything else I find in the fridge too.

Saturday - Pizza of some sort!

I haven't decided exactly what we're having yet. It might be homemade pizza or it might be fresh ready-made ones from the supermarket. It will depend on how much time I have and what everyone fancies.

Sunday - Stu's birthday!

We sort of have plans, but nothing is definite yet. We have talked about a few things we could do but we'll see what happens. Whatever we end up doing, I know it will involve something nice to eat!

What are you eating this week?

Our weekly meal plan! 3rd - 9th August! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Ours was a nice quiet one and it was just what I needed after coming down with the cold that Stu had last week. I thought I had escaped it Ugh! It's not even a proper cold, it's just there. I have been a little bit snotty, coughing a little and I feel like I am walking through mud. I don't feel really poorly but I also don't feel anywhere near 100% well. Luckily, I had plenty of Wrestling to watch on TV this weekend with a big event taking place over two nights. It was perfect timing because I could sit down with a blanket, a drink and just enjoy.

Last week's meal plan went really well, we ate everything and mostly on the day I had planned too. The Cheeseburger pasta bake went down really well and it was nice not cooking on Saturday night with the Chinese takeaway.

I have no plans at all for this week. At the moment I am planning on taking it easy while I get over this cold. Ugh! Hopefully it disappears quickly because I have things I want to do but I am not going to push myself too much.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Chicken casserole, dumplings and mashed potato!

Today is supposed to be a colder day. Not cold but cooler than what we've had lately and it might actually be forecast rain this afternoon. I can't remember the last time it rained, it was easily over a month ago. The garden really needs it, especially the grass! A chicken casserole feels like the perfect meal for today. Cosy and hearty!

Tuesday - Vegetable fingers and BBQ pasta!

Once upon a time, vegetable fingers were one of the only ways I could get vegetables into my girls. I think it was because they looked like fish fingers. lol Sometimes I had to be a little bit sneaky! If something was shaped like something they liked, of course they were going to eat it. We are having veggie fingers with pasta and the easiest sauce ever. It is simply mayonnaise with a squirt of BBQ sauce mixed in.

Wednesday - Sausage, chips and beans!

You really can't go wrong with sausage, chips and beans. It is one of those meals that everyone loves and enjoys!

Thursday - Jacket potatoes!

Another easy meal! I think I am going to have tuna mayonnaise and sweetcorn, which is one of my favourite toppings for jacket spuds and the girls will probably have baked beans and lots of cheese. I love meals like this where everyone can pick and choose what they want as there are never any complaints.

Friday - Chip shop tea!

Friday night and we're back to having a chip shop tea! No cooking and no fuss. The biggest drama is deciding what we fancy. It feels like a treat and it's something I always look forward to.

Saturday - Some sort of stir fry!

Saturday is going to be a bit of a make it up as I go meal. I am thinking some sort of stir-fry because we have a few packets of Udon noodles in the cupboard. I will see what's in the fridge and throw something together.

Sunday - A help yourself evening!

I have no plans for Sunday at all. Everyone can help themselves to whatever they fancy and use up bits from the fridge, freezer and cupboards.

What are you eating this week?

Our weekly meal plan! 27th July - 2nd August!! #MealPlanningMonday

How are we heading into August already? I keep saying it but this year is flying over! Before we know it, we'll be buying Halloween sweets and then it'll be Christmas! Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Ours was a nice quiet one and just what we needed. Our weekend was mostly spent gardening, watching TV and nothing much else. It was nice though.

Last week's meal plan did not go to plan at all and only started going to plan on Friday. lol All our plans changed at the start of the week and we never really got back on track. All was good though. We didn't eat badly and we ended up having ham salad one night because it was quick and easy, chicken fajitas because everyone fancied them and some leftover Bolognese from the freezer, which was one of those meals that saved the day.

This week we have a few nice plans that I'm looking forward to. Becky is planning on doing a little baking. It all came about because her partner couldn't get their favourite banana bread from the shop, so she said she would bake some. I bought the bananas with the food shop late last week so they will be almost overripe when she comes to use them. Stu also has a day off work this week, which doesn't happen all that often, so we're going to make the most of it and do something as a family. Everyone is free and it has been a while since that happened.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Pork and apple sausages with potato wedges and mushrooms and peas!

We're starting the week with something nice and easy. I really like pork and apple sausages as they just seem a bit more interesting than plain sausages and the apple gives them a lovely little bit of sweetness. I'll pop the potato wedges in the air fryer until they're nice and crispy, the mushrooms fried and we'll have peas on the side too.

Tuesday - Chicken dippers in wraps with salad!

This is one of those meals where everyone can make their own wrap just how they like it. I'll cook the chicken dippers in the air fryer and everyone can fill them with whatever they want. Lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes and whatever salad bits we have in the fridge.

Wednesday - Cheeseburger pasta bake!

We're having something a little different in the middle of the week. We had this cheeseburger pasta bake before, many moons ago and I fancy making it again. It has all the flavours of a cheeseburger but mixed with pasta and loads of cheese on top. I'll probably serve it with some garlic bread because this meal feels like it has to have garlic bread!

Thursday - Quiche and salad!

After Wednesday's pasta bake, we're keeping things nice and simple on Thursday! Quiche is an easy tea and it's perfect at this time of year with plenty of salad. It will be shop-bought quiche, probably cheese and onion or cheese and bacon.

Friday - An all day breakfast!

We'll be having sausages, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans and chips. I know some people would prefer to have hash browns but we've always preferred chips as they seem more filling.

Saturday - Chinese takeway!

We haven't had a Chinese takeaway in what seems like ages, so I think we're due one. I usually go for sweet and sour chicken balls with fried rice but I will be pinching bits from everyone else's meals too. That's the best thing about a takeaway in our house, everyone shares.

Sunday - A help yourself evening!

I have no plan for Sunday. Everyone can help themselves to whatever they fancy and use up bits from the fridge, freezer and cupboards.

What are you eating this week?

My favourite summer drinks from best to worst!

Summer and drinks just go together, don’t they? The moment the thermostat ticks past 20C, I want a drink in my hand at all times. I have become one of those people who can’t function without ice cubes. Every trip out somehow turns into an opportunity to try a new drink and my fridge starts looking like a mini corner shop.

Summer drinks are an absolute minefield. Some are pure bliss in a glass and others taste like melted plastic and regret. So here is my very important ranking of summer drinks from best to worst.

Iced Coffee!!

This is the drink that gets me through summer without being a grumpy cow! There is something magical about iced coffee. Especially when you’ve been melting all morning and finally sit down with one that’s freezing cold. The sound of the ice clinking around the cup cools me down, just hearing it and the caffeine kick is a great boost.

Fruity Cocktails!

Cocktails make me feel like I'm on holiday, even if I'm just sitting on a plastic chair in the back garden. They’re fun, colourful and they make the summer feel a little exciting. I want something that is bright and comes with a slice of fruit stuck on the side and a silly umbrella. Give me a Sex on the Beach, a strawberry daiquiri or a pina colada. It doesn't even have to have alcohol in, it can be a mocktail.

Fizzy Coca-Cola Out of a Can!

Not a bottle or glass, it has to be out of a can! Coca-Cola from a can tastes colder somehow. I don’t know the science behind it and I don’t need to know. It just does. The sound of opening a can of Coke on a hot day is one of the best sounds, especially when it’s been in the fridge for ages. That first gulp hurts with the coldness and the fizz but it is sometimes what is needed.

Lemonade!

Lemonade is one of the simplest drinks but in the summer it is so refreshing, especially with loads of ice. I love proper cloudy lemonade most but I’m not fussy. If it’s cold and fizzy I’m happy. Lemonade is also one of the few drinks that works with absolutely everything. You can have it by itself or a mixer for another drink.

Fruit Cider!

Fruit cider feels like summer in a glass. Strawberry and lime, mixed berries, dark fruits. There’s something about fruit cider that feels less heavy than other alcoholic drinks in hot weather. It’s cold, fizzy and easy to drink. Sometimes a little too easy.

McDonald’s Milkshake!

A McDonald’s milkshake in summer is either the best decision ever made or the worst. There is no middle ground. Sometimes they’re thick and freezing cold and perfect and other times you spend ten minutes sucking through the straw with nothing coming out. The main problem with them is they can become too much very quickly in hot weather. You start off feeling refreshed and end up feeling like you’ve swallowed melted ice cream by the bucketload.

Iced Tea!

I want to love iced tea more than I actually do. It always looks so refreshing and people drink it in films while sitting on porches looking peaceful and organised but when I drink it, I spend the entire time trying to decide whether I like it or not. Some flavours are nice, especially a peach one but others somehow taste both watery and too sweet at the same time. I’ll happily drink iced tea if it’s offered to me but I’m probably not choosing it first.

Coconut Water!

I keep trying coconut water because people insist it’s refreshing, healthy and amazing and every single time I convince myself maybe this will be the time I finally understand the hype. It never is. I know loads of people love it and swear by it in summer, especially during heatwaves but I just can’t get excited about it.

Fruit Smoothies!

This might be controversial because smoothies seem healthy and cheerful but I just don’t want a thick fruity drink when it’s hot. They feel too filling and I don’t want to chew my drink. Homemade smoothies are always a gamble. One banana too many and suddenly you’ve created baby food, shop bought smoothies are better but they still leave me feeling weirdly thirsty afterwards.

Blue Raspberry Slushie!

Last place is the blue raspberry slushies. I don’t care how nostalgic you feel about these they are a crime against humanity. What even is a blue raspberry? Have you ever seen a blue raspberry? They look amazing but they are too cold! The freeze gives you brain freeze, they taste too sweet and artificial and when you finish one and your tongue looks like you’ve been eating crayons.

What are your favourite and least favourite drinks in the summer?

Our weekly meal plan! 6th - 12th July!! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a good weekend. Ours was a busy one, well compared to most of our weekends. We went to a country show. We wandered around looking at all the animals, stalls, displays and of course, there was all the yummy food! I'll be writing all about it soon because I took loads of photos and there was so much going on that it deserves its own blog post. We spent Sunday watching sport. I am writing this yesterday afternoon and hopefully, by the time you're reading this, England will have made it through to the next round of the World Cup. Eek!

Last week's meal plan did not go to plan. We swapped quite a few meals around and didn't eat them on the day I had planned but I suppose they were at least eaten. The only meals we didn't have were a freezer dive on Wednesday as we ate out at the bike meet-up that we went to and the Sunday roast dinner. I just couldn't be bothered after being out all day on Saturday. We ended up having ham and pickle sandwiches, which are pretty basic and boring but it was ham I cooked myself, so there was some effort involved. lol

This week should be much more of a normal one. Becky and Stu are both back at work, so the house will be a little quieter during the day. Ellie has a couple of appointments to go to but apart from that, we don't really have anything big planned. I like weeks like this that give me a chance to catch up with jobs around the house, spend some time in the garden and get on with writing blog posts. It's supposed to warm up again later this week, not as hot as it was a few weeks ago but hotter than last week. I'm not complaining. I do love the sunshine and want to make the most of it. Our meal plan feels so simple this week, with very little cooking. Lessons were learned by me during the last couple of hot spells. I am a happier person when I don't have to spend much time in the hot kitchen!

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Ham salad!

When it's warm outside, there's nothing better than a big salad! We'll be having slices of ham with lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, beetroot, sweetcorn and some new potatoes. I'll probably end up adding anything else I find in the fridge too.

Tuesday - Hot dogs!

Hot Dog Hot Dog Hot Diggidy Dog! Thanks to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, I don't think I'll ever be able to hear the words without that tune popping into my head. My girls watched it when they were little and hot dogs make me think of it! Tuesday's tea is hot dogs in buns with fried onions, mustard and plenty of ketchup.

Wednesday - Omelettes!

We're having omelettes to use up whatever is in the fridge. If we've got some leftover ham, that'll definitely be going in. Cheese is a must and then whatever vegetables need using up. We never make plain omelettes in this house, we pile them full of fillings until they feel like a proper meal!

Thursday - Chicken dippers with curly fries and baked beans!

Sometimes you just fancy a meal that reminds you of being a kid and this is one of those meals. Curly fries always seem more exciting than ordinary chips, I don't know why. lol

Friday - Fish finger wraps!

Crispy fish fingers with lettuce and tartare sauce wrapped in a tortilla! They're easy to make and perfect for a Friday evening when nobody can be bothered.

Saturday - A Ploughman's plate!

I keep seeing this on a local pub's Facebook page and it looks like such a great idea! A grown up picky tea! Cheese, ham, pork pie, pickled onions, crusty bread, pickle, salad, grapes and crisps. No cooking needed at all!

Sunday - Something with mashed potato!

All I know for certain is that we're having mashed potatoes. For some reason, Sundays and mash just belong together in my mind. I don't know what it'll be served with yet. It might be sausages and gravy, chicken, pork chops or something else.

What are you eating this week?

Our weekly meal plan! 29th June - 5th July!! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a good weekend. Ours was a quiet one, mainly sat in front of the TV watching sport. There was of course more of the World Cup and the Austrian Grand Prix.

Last week's meal plan went well, mostly. We ate some of the meals, a couple were swapped around and a couple scrapped. We had jacket potatoes with baked beans and salad, which wasn't on the meal plan but it was too hot to spend too long in the kitchen. I love my kitchen but at the same time I hate it. It is always the coldest room in the winter and hottest in the summer!

We have quite a few plans over the next few days which I'm really looking forward to. I won't say too much just yet because I'll be blogging about everything once it's happened. As well as the fun things, there are a few jobs around the house that need doing. One of those is defrosting the freezer. It's one of those things that I keep putting off because it's a bit of a faff but it needs doing. The good thing is that it gives me the chance to use up lots of what's already in there

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Chicken pie and mashed potato!

I made extra mashed potato yesterday, so tonight's tea should be nice and easy. I only have to cook the chicken pies, heat up the mash and warm the peas. The pies are chicken and gravy ones, so if it has cooled down like the weather forecast says, it should be an enjoyable meal.

Tuesday - Mango, coconut & lime chicken fillets with sweet potato fries.

I have these chicken fillets sitting in the freezer waiting to be used. I spotted them reduced in Tesco a couple of weeks ago and couldn't resist. I think I paid around £2 a pack instead of £5 each, or two for £8. I always love finding yellow sticker bargains. I also have four bags of sweet potato fries in the freezer which will go well with the chicken.

Wednesday - Freezer surprise!

Wednesday is the only day without a proper plan because once I start emptying the freezer I'll no doubt come across something that needs using up which I have completely forgotten about.

Thursday - Sausage fried rice!

This sounds like a good recipe to use up some of the sausages in the freezer. I will loosely follow the recipe. I don't have any oyster sauce, so that will be left out and I'll be using a normal brown onion instead of spring onions because that's what I already have. Over the years, I've learned that recipes don't have to be followed to the letter. If you can swap ingredients for things you've already got, it saves money and usually tastes just as good.

Friday - Fish and chips!

Homemade, not from the chip shop! I already have battered fish in the freezer and frozen chips so it will be a nice easy meal to make. I must remember to buy some mushy peas to go with it as we have none in the cupboard.

Saturday - A help yourself evening!

We have a busy day, so everyone can help themselves to whatever they want. I know I won't feel like cooking so for me, it will be something quick which doesn't need much time spent in the kitchen!

Sunday - A roast dinner of some sort!

It has been ages since we have had a roast dinner at home and I feel in the mood for one. It will either be chicken or gammon with roast and mashed potatoes, roast parsnips, carrots, peas, stuffing and of course Yorkshire puddings.

What are you eating this week?

Our weekly meal plan! 22nd - 28th June!! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a good weekend. Ours was nice and quiet. Stu was very happy with his Father's Day gifts yesterday and my dad was too, so that made me happy. We didn't get up to much apart from watching more of the World Cup.

Last week's meal plan went well and we ate everything and on the day I had planned. I am getting back into the swing of things with coming up with meal ideas without using Gousto boxes. This week is going to include quite a few easy meals because we have a lot going on with Ellie leaving college. It feels strange even typing that. There is no big graduation ceremony or huge celebration planned and at the moment we don't even know if she has to go in for her final day. Everything seems a bit up in the air but I just know there is going to be a lot of life admin which comes with it and I will have to deal with it. Ugh!

We do have some fun plans this week though. At the very top of the list is going to see Toy Story 5 which I am so excited about. The Toy Story films have been part of my life for such a long time. I went to see the first Toy Story at the cinema with friends when I was a teenager and back then I never imagined that I would be watching the films with my own kids. Both of my girls grew up with Woody, Buzz and the gang and my very first blog post was linked to Buzz Lightyear in a roundabout sort of way.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Meatloaf and mashed potato.

Meatloaf is one of those meals that I completely forget about until I think about making it. Then, while I'm eating it, I wonder why we don't have it more often as the whole family enjoys it so much. I will make some mashed potatoes to go with it. I am hoping there will be some leftovers so I can have it for lunch tomorrow as it is one of those things that always tastes better the day after.

Tuesday - Greggs sausage rolls or pasties!

This is my easy tea for the week. I have a busy day and the weather forecast says it is supposed to be the hottest day of the week and I already know I won't feel like cooking. I am going to pop into Greggs and pick something up. I'm not sure what yet but it will either be sausage rolls, steak bakes, cheese and onion pasties or a mixture of everything.

Wednesday - Quiche and salad.

Another simple meal and one that doesn't take much effort from me. I already have shop bought quiches sitting in the fridge ready to go and all I need to do is pop them in the oven. I am hoping the family will join me in eating the salad but I know my girls well enough to know there is a good chance they will choose spaghetti hoops instead.

Thursday - Thai style pork patties with sweet potato fries!

This is another favourite meal of ours which originally came from Gousto. The patties are so full of flavour and always go down well. I can make them early in the day before the kitchen gets too hot and they warm up well when we are ready to eat!

Friday - Pizza!

I am trying to be sensible with money at the moment because we have some busy weeks coming up. There will be days out and meals out, so instead of having our usual takeaway, we'll be having frozen pizzas. It will save a bit of money and still gives us that Friday night treat feeling.

Saturday - Fakeaway KFC!

We love a meal like this with lots of picky bits. Chicken bits, corn on the cob, fries, onion rings, baked beans and coleslaw. I am very excited about this one as I can use more of the Ranch sauce. hehehe

Sunday - A help yourself evening!

I have no plan for Sunday, everyone can help themselves to whatever they fancy and use up bits from the fridge, freezer and cupboards. Last Sunday ended up being a proper lazy day and we had crisp sandwiches. Nobody could be bothered cooking and lazy meals like that are sometimes the nicest.

What are you eating this week?

Our weekly meal plan! 15th - 21st June!! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a good weekend. We had a great one which involved a lot of football, F1 and a family meal out yesterday. Becky is working next Sunday on Father's Day, so we thought we would celebrate early. We had a lovely lunch at the pub and then visited another to watch the Barcelona Grand Prix. It was a great afternoon.

Last week's meal plan went really well! We stuck to it all the way until the weekend, even eating all the meals on the right day. The only reason we didn't have the meal on Saturday is because we decided to have a break from ordering Gousto boxes as they just don't have enough meals that we fancy to make it worthwhile ordering. We just seem to be eating the same ones on repeat, so I am going to have to put my thinking cap on and come up with the meals myself even though this week we have quite a few meals we've had from Gousto in the past and I have just bought the ingredients myself! Anyway on Saturday we had a huge prawn salad and garlic bread. It was delicious!

This is my last normal week of being home alone as next week Ellie leaves college! Where have the three years gone? It feels so weird that soon neither of my girls will be in education! I have spent a good part of my life doing school runs, dealing with teachers, helping with homework and things like that. It's the end of an era. Why do they have to grow up so fast!

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - No idea!

I am going to pick something up while I am out in town. It turns out I am the worst daughter in my family as the girls have already bought their gifts for Father's Day and I haven't. I've not even got a card yet. I hope I can find something good for my dad while I am out. Eek!

Tuesday - One Tray Sticky Hoisin Sausage Traybake!

Even though we're not getting the Gousto boxes delivered, it doesn't stop me using their recipes. This one is a good one! Roast sausages, potatoes and peppers coated in a sticky Hoisin glaze. Tray bakes are one of my favourite type of meals because you can just shove everything in the oven and let it do its thing.

Wednesday - Ham, eggs and home made chips!

I have a couple of joints of gammon. I will boil it and we will have it with fried eggs and home made chips. I discovered over the weekend that gammon is the cured pork you buy before it’s cooked and once you cook it, it’s then called ham and just to confuse things even more, it's mostly all just called ham in the US. lol

Thursday - Pea and ham soup!

I am going to make use of the leftover ham and make pea and ham soup as long as my family hasn't eaten the ham straight out of the fridge over the last 24 hours. This is what my family call Shrek soup as it looks like a melted down Shrek!

Friday - A takeaway of some sort!

Friday night is an easy night for me. I don't cook and we order takeaway. Last week we ended up getting chip shop again. Stu and I had burgers and Ellie had her usual Doner kebab wrap and fries.

Saturday - Red onion and bacon tart with baby potatoes!

This one is inspired by a Gousto recipe for Bacon and Leek Tart that we had years ago and it’s stuck with us ever since. I decided to make our own and Red onion and bacon tart became a thing. Ready-made puff pastry, a layer of soft cheese, topped with red onions and smoky bacon. I will make a little extra so I will have some for lunch the next day because it’s just as nice cold.

Sunday - A help yourself evening!

I have no plan for today and everyone can just help themselves to whatever they fancy. Last week we ended up going out for lunch, which was a nice treat. This week we will be staying home.

What are you eating this week?