Our weekly meal plan! 7th - 13th September! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. We had a quiet one with some family time, F1 and football. It felt like a proper good weekend!

Last week's meal plan went well. Stu ended up cooking sausages, mashed potato and baked beans on Monday, which we all enjoyed and we ate almost everything else I had planned. I was out on Thursday, had a bigger lunch than usual, so we ended up just having corned beef pasties and sausage rolls from Greggs for tea! Yum! We made homemade pizzas on Friday and there were leftovers for lunch on Saturday too so that was a bonus!

I have a few things on this week which will keep me busy and it is Becky's birthday too! How is it even possible that I almost have a 24 year old? She has plans to celebrate with friends and is honouring us with her presence for a family meal out. I am very excited about it as I already know what I am planning to order!

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Corned beef hash!

We're starting the week with a proper family favourite! I haven't made this for a little while, so I thought it was time to put it back on the meal plan. It's one of those meals that is simple, filling and doesn't need loads of ingredients, which makes it perfect for a Monday. I'll probably make enough so that there is a chance of leftovers too, some to pop in the freezer and some to have for lunch tomorrow.

Tuesday - Chicken and bacon pasta bake!

Chicken, bacon, pasta and a creamy sauce all baked together with plenty of cheese on top. What's not to like? This one should be nice and filling and it's a good meal for when I might not have loads of time to spend in the kitchen.

Wednesday - Slow cooker beef stew!

We're getting properly into the autumn meals and I love using the slow cooker. I don't use a recipe for this one, I just whack everything in the slow cooker and let it do its thing. Beef, potatoes, carrots and onions all cooked in gravy, with some crusty bread on the side for mopping up all that gravy.

Thursday - A meal out!

For the birthday girl! We are going to one of our favourite places to eat, which reminds me that I need to book a table.

Friday - A help yourself evening!

Everyone can have a look through the fridge, freezer and cupboards and choose whatever they fancy to eat!

Saturday - Chicken fajitas!

This is a meal where everyone can get involved and make their own exactly how they like them. We'll have chicken, peppers and onions with the wraps and all the usual extras. I'm sure there will be plenty of cheese, sour cream and salsa involved too.

Sunday - A roast chicken dinner!

It seems ages since I made a proper roast dinner, so it's time to have one. Roast chicken, roast potatoes and parsnips, stuffing, carrots, broccoli, peas, gravy and of course, Yorkshire puddings!

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! 17th - 23rd August! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Ours was a good one and we had a lovely time celebrating Stu's birthday. We went out for a meal on Saturday and had a lazy day at home yesterday. That was what he wanted for his birthday, so that's exactly what he got! We have a little break from birthdays now and then it's Ellie's in less than two weeks. I don't know where this year is going.

Last week's meal plan went really well. We ate everything on the day I had planned until we got to the weekend and swapped things around a bit. It all worked out well though. I feel all off with what day it is, as Becky and Stu both took the weekend off work, so every day has felt like a Sunday. I am writing this yesterday afternoon and it looks like it might rain, it probably won't but it's chilly compared to what it has been and we can hope!

Today is going to be a busy, productive day. Ellie has a job interview, I have paperwork to sort out, I have no idea what Becky is doing but I don't think she is home and Stu is going to do some more work on decorating the bathroom. Today also marks 17 years since my eldest had open-heart surgery to fix a hole in her heart and tomorrow is 17 years for my youngest! Those days were some of the hardest days of my life. I never thought we were going to get through the day, the week or even the month at the time. There were so many worries and so many things going through my head but here we are 17 years later and they are both fit and healthy.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Cottage pie and baked beans!

We eat cottage pie in this house, not Shepherd's pie because my family have decided that they don't want to eat lamb again. It makes no difference to me because beef mince is cheaper than lamb anyway. Cottage pie is one of those meals that everyone seems to enjoy and it's also a great one for a Monday because it's filling and doesn't take too much effort to make.

Tuesday - BBQ pulled pork in buns with potato salad.

We only had this last month but it has been requested again. I use the simplest recipe and it will be cooked slowly throughout the day in the slow cooker. We will have it in buns and a side of potato salad.

Wednesday - Sausage casserole and mashed potato!

This is a proper family favourite, especially with the girls. I keep it simple and use a packet mix, then add sausages, onions and mushrooms and let it all cook away in the oven until everything has thickened up. I’ll be making extra of this one because it freezes really well and it's great to have something as a backup in the freezer.

Thursday - Vegetable pasta bake!

This is my attempt at getting a meat-free meal onto the table without anyone complaining too much. My family hate the idea of vegetarian meals but I like to try and sneak one in now and again. They love pasta, so they probably won't even notice it has no meat. Lol.

Friday - Pizza!

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

Saturday - Burgers in buns!

We'll have burgers in buns with fries and onion rings. I'll put out the usual toppings and everyone can make their own. It's one of those easy meals where everyone can have exactly what they want.

Sunday - Undecided!

Sunday is still undecided! I have no idea what we are having yet. I might see what's left in the fridge and freezer and make something around that or we might have a roast if I fancy doing one. I will decide later on in the week.

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?

Our weekly meal plan! 20th - 26th July!! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Our weekend was a quiet one but nice. I did a bit of gardening on Saturday, along with the normal housework and yesterday was spent watching sport. The F1 Belgian Grand Prix and of course the World Cup final. I've watched nearly every other match, so had to really.

Last week's meal plan went well. We ate everything I had planned and on the day I had planned too! It felt like I was winning at life. lol All the meals went down really well and were eaten without any complaints. I do like it when that happens.

This week we have a few things going on and Ellie and I are going to go on a little adventure which I will share more at a later date. Oh! and the UK is getting a new Prime Minister today. Andy Burnham is the 7th in the last 10 years, which seems crazy but it happened. Eek! Can we not just get a good one and stick with them for a while?

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Chicken satay salad!

This is something different for us because we've never actually had chicken satay salad before. Obviously, we've had chicken satay and we've of course had salad but we've never thought about putting the two together. It's marinated chicken served with salad and topped with a satay dressing. The recipe also includes pomegranate seeds but I think we'll give those a miss this time. The dressing is the bit I'm most looking forward to though, we love satay sauce here.

Tuesday - Tuna Patties and sweet potato fries.

Tuna is one of those things I always seem to have hiding at the back of the cupboard and it usually gets thrown into a sandwich or mixed into pasta when I need something quick but this recipe caught my eye because it’s a bit different. The patties are made by mixing the tuna with herbs, a little lemon, Dijon mustard, breadcrumbs and egg to help everything stick together. They’re then cooked until they’re golden on the outside. I’m really curious to see what everyone thinks of this one because it’s not something I would usually make.

Wednesday - A help yourself evening.

This is one of those easy tea nights where everyone can help themselves to whatever's in the fridge. There should be plenty of leftovers to choose from, so nothing will go to waste. Ellie and I are out for the day and I already know that by the time we get home I won't be in the mood to start cooking.

Thursday - Ham pasta bake!

I found this recipe on the NHS website when I was looking for recipes to use up leftover ham and even though it's aimed towards little ones, I thought it looked like something my whole family would enjoy. We love a pasta bake here. It’s got all the good stuff in it too: pasta, ham, mushrooms, onions, garlic and peas all mixed together in a tomato sauce. I like that it’s got a few vegetables hidden in it because sometimes it’s much easier to get everyone to eat them when they’re mixed into something tasty rather than sitting on the side of the plate looking lonely!

Friday - A Chippy tea!

Friday night and we're back to having a chip shop tea! No cooking, no fuss and the biggest drama is deciding what we fancy. Last week I had the best fish and chips and I am quite fancying it again.

Saturday - Home made pizza!

We do love homemade pizza. I will buy the bases ready-made and we can add our own toppings. I will be having BBQ sauce, smoky sausage, onions, mushroom and a little sprinkling of cheese on mine!

Sunday - Beef chuck stew with thyme dumplings, mashed potato and veg!

This is exactly the sort of meal I want at the end of a busy week. A proper comforting Sunday dinner. This is made with slow-cooked beef and carrots in a rich tomato sauce, with herby thyme dumplings on the top. I will serve it with mashed potato and vegetables on the side. It will all be cooked in the slow cooker!

What are you eating this week?

Our weekly meal plan! 13th - 19th July!! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Ours was a good one with lots of family time, we watched football, spent time together and that was pretty much it, apart from watching some movies and the usual boring chores which appear every weekend! Hmmf.

Last week's meal plan went pretty well. We managed to stick to most of the meals but by Wednesday it was just too hot to stand in the kitchen and cook. We ended up having leftovers and random things out of the fridge, which worked out quite well. I always think leftovers are a great way of using things up and saving a bit of money too. I've looked at the weather forecast and this week is set to be a little cooler. Phew! All winter I wished for warmer weather and now it's here I want colder weather. lol

This week I don't have anything planned for myself, which is quite nice. The rest of the family have lots going on but I will be doing my usual job of keeping everyone organised, making sure people are where they need to be and reminding them about things they have forgotten. On the meal plan, there are a couple of requests from the girls this week which makes my life easier. It's so hard coming up with what to feed everyone, every evening! The slow cooker will be getting plenty of use too, partly because it makes life easier and partly because it helps keep the kitchen cooler.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - BBQ pulled pork in buns with potato salad.

It has been ages since we had pulled pork and Ellie requested this meal. It is one of those meals that feels like a treat but is actually really easy to make. I have found the simplest recipe and it will be cooked slowly throughout the day in the slow cooker. We will have it in buns with BBQ sauce and a side of potato salad.

Tuesday - Sausage pasta!

Tomato, onion and garlic pasta sauce with sausage chunks for a bit of substance. I might add some peppers and we will of course have it with a side of garlic bread!

Wednesday - Chicken curry, rice and naan bread!

This is Becky's choice and she has asked for chicken curry. She loves a korma, so that is what we will be having. Nothing too spicy, just a nice creamy curry with rice and naan bread on the side. I will be making it the lazy way in the slow cooker and using jars of sauce.

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

I know soup isn't usually a summer meal but this carrot and coriander soup is light, fresh and doesn't feel like a heavy winter soup at all. 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.

Friday - Chippy tea!

Friday night and we're back to having a chip shop tea! No cooking, no fuss and the biggest drama is deciding what we fancy.

Saturday - Burgers in buns with fries!

Simple beef burgers on brioche buns with fries and probably some salad. Burgers always feel like a Saturday meal in our house. They are easy to make, everyone can add their own toppings.

Sunday - Toad in the hole, mashed potato and veg!

I am cheating and have bought ready-made toad in the holes which just need popping in the oven. Thanks Aunt Bessie! hehehe We will have it with a creamy mash and probably peas and carrots with lots of gravy over the top!

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?

Our weekly meal plan! 8th - 14th June!! #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a good weekend. Ours was a quiet one. I spent most of it watching sport which I didn't think I would be doing. I had forgotten all about the F1 Monaco Grand Prix until my youngest reminded me on Saturday about the qualifiers and then we watched some of the International football friendly matches. It's all getting a bit exciting with the World Cup starting later this week but I am not impressed with the pitches, they are lumpy and bumpy and the goals are like something I'd have in the back garden. I hope they were just temporary ones.

Last week's meal plan went really well. We ate everything and the help yourself evening yesterday ended up being chicken casserole, dumplings and mashed potato, so that felt like a bonus meal. Becky ended up with sausages and mash as she had to be at work early to practice a fire drill. I can't imagine trying to get all the residents of the care home outside quickly! Eek! 

This week we are back using the Gousto recipe boxes and we have a couple of our favourite meals from them and a couple of new ones to try. I don't have much planned for this week, I think it's going to be a nice quiet one with not much going on which I am happy about.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Gousto meal - Hot Honey Bacon & Fried Egg Pancakes!

Breakfast for dinner always goes down well here and this is one of our favourites. The Abra-ca-Debora Buttermilk pancakes that come in the Gousto box are the best and they get served with crispy bacon, a fried egg and hot honey butter.

Tuesday - Gousto meal - One Pot Spicy Gumbo-Inspired Sausage Stew With Rice!

I’m quite excited to see what this one is all about as it's brand new to us. My family always love anything with sausage, so I think they will like it. It’s a one-pot meal with smoky sausage, peppers and loads of veg all simmered together in a rich tomato sauce with a bit of spice running through it. The best part is that everything cooks in the same pot, so there shouldn't be much washing up afterwards.

Wednesday - Gousto meal - Sesame Pork & Mushroom Udon Noodle Stir-Fry!

This is one of our favourite meals from Gousto and the meal that got Ellie to eat mushrooms a couple of years ago. She loves Udon noodles that much she ignored that the mushrooms were there and since then she has been obsessed with eating mushrooms in everything! This is pork mince, mushrooms and udon noodles coated in a tasty sesame sauce which is delicious!

Thursday - Loaded waffle fries!

We haven't had this in such a long time. It is everything we love in one tray! Crispy waffle fries topped with pizza sauce, onions, mushrooms, pepperoni and cheese and pepperoni, then baked until everything goes all gooey and golden. I follow this recipe but I add extra toppings.

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. Becky and I had a chip butty and Ellie had a Doner Kebab wrap. Who knows what we will have this week?

Saturday - Gousto meal - Sloppy Joe Loaded Fries With Smoky Ranch Dressing!

Crispy fries loaded with a rich beef topping and a smoky ranch-style dressing. This is a new one for us and I'm hoping it will be a good one! The only reason I was drawn to it was for the ranch dressing! We are a bit obsessed with it here now.

Sunday - A help yourself evening!

I have no plan for today and everyone can just help themselves to whatever they fancy. Last week we had the leftover pizza for lunch and as it was a grey and gloomy day, I made chicken casserole with dumplings and mash.

What are you eating this week?

Our weekly meal plan! 27th April - 3rd May #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you have all had a good weekend. Ours was a quiet one. Becky came back from her travels on Friday evening and we had a lot of catching up to do. She ordered a pizza just after she arrived home and was that busy telling me about her adventures that I had to say stop, get something to eat! lol The pizza came in handy as she had the leftovers before she went to sleep for her night shift. It meant no cooking for her on Saturday morning.

Last week's meal plan went pretty well. We ate most of the meals and of course, our favourite was the sausage casserole. My family do love it. The Thai style pork patties have been bumped to this week because we had to eat some chicken which needed using up last week, now the mince for the patties needs using up. This week I thought I had ordered a Gousto box. I remember putting the meals in the basket but I couldn't have gone any further and checked out. Oops. I only realised on Saturday when I didn't get my usual text saying it would be delivered between so-and-so time. I order one off boxes every week instead of subscribing to a weekly one, as I know I would forget the other way and get one delivered when we don't want one. lol

I have a few plans for this week, gardening being my main one. The plants on the kitchen windowsill need putting in larger pots and I am going to start putting them outside during the day and bringing them back in at night to harden them up a little before they fully move outside.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Thai style pork patties with sweet potato wedges and salad!

This was bumped from last week. It is another one of our favourite Gousto meals which I have made many, many times before. They are so full of flavour and always go down well.

Tuesday - Sausages in buns!

Not a sausage sandwich, more of a hot dog style meal with fried onions, mustard and ketchup. We will probably have them with fries or onion rings.

Wednesday - Quiche and salad!

I feel like I have jumped into our summer meals this week; quiche and salad is usually a summer thing for us. It's not even that warm here at the start of the week but I feel like we should be eating lighter meals.

Thursday - Salmon, Broccoli & Pea Risotto!

This sounds fancy but it's not. It's a meal in a bag from Iceland where you just pop everything in a pan and let it heat up and then serve!

Friday - Chippy tea!

Friday night is a chip shop tea! No cooking, no fuss and the biggest drama is deciding what we fancy. Last week I had fish, chips and mushy peas and it was so good. This week I am thinking about getting a battered burger with chips and gravy.

Saturday - Pizza!

It could be homemade or it could be out of the freezer. Who knows? It depends on the plans for the day.

Sunday - A help yourself evening!

I have no plan for today and everyone can just help themselves to whatever they fancy. Last week I think we all ended up having toasted sandwiches.

What are you eating this week?

Our weekly meal plan! 20th - 26th April #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you have all had a good weekend. Ours has been a good one even though I was full of cold. Ugh! I am hoping by now I am over the worst of it. I thought it was just hayfever on Friday but it carried on over the weekend. We had a weekend of watching Wrestling. Two nights of Wrestlemania, the WWE Hall of Fame event and of course, all the pre and post shows.

Last week's meal plan was a bit hit and miss. We didn't eat anything on the right day but we did eat all the meals. Stu made me chuckle on Monday, he cooked the Sesame Pork & Egg Fried Rice and he's never really made a Gousto meal before and struggled to follow the recipe. He is more a chuck things in and see how it goes instead of following a recipe type of person. We decided to ditch the chippy tea and get McDonald's delivered on Friday. I was starting with the cold, so I really wanted junk food. I know I probably should have eaten something healthy but I so wanted a milkshake and it did make me feel slightly better!

This week is back to normal after the Easter break, so I will have some days when I am home alone which hasn't happened for the last fortnight. I am looking forward to doing my own thing. Becky is off to see a concert and is having a few nights away, so she is very excited and still has to pack. She is never in a rush to pack, which always stresses me out. I know I should just leave her to it but I like her to be prepared. I haven't ordered a Gousto Box for this week because I wanted a week of having some of our favourite meals.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - 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 have some for lunch the next day because it’s just as nice cold.

Tuesday - Sausage casserole and mashed potato!

This is a proper family favourite, especially with the girls. It feels like ages since we last had it, so it’s definitely due a comeback. I keep it simple and use a packet mix, then add sausages, onions and mushrooms and let it all cook away in the oven until everything has thickened up. I’ll be making extra of this one too because it freezes really well and it's great to have something as a backup in the freezer.

Wednesday - Minced Beef & Onion Crispy Pancakes with chips and baked beans!

A nice easy, out of the freezer meal. I might make homemade chips but it depends on how I feel and how busy I am.

Thursday - Thai style pork patties with sweet potato wedges and salad!

This is another one of our favourite Gousto meals which I have made many, many times before. They are so full of flavour and always go down well.

Friday - Chippy tea!

Friday night is a chip shop tea! No cooking, no fuss and the biggest drama is deciding what we fancy.

Saturday - Pizza!

It could be homemade or it could be out of the freezer. Who knows? It depends on the plans for the day.

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! 6th - 12th April #MealPlanningMonday

Happy Monday! I hope you’ve had a lovely weekend and if you were celebrating Easter that it was filled with all the good stuff. We don’t really celebrate Easter in our house but we had fish and chips on Friday which is a proper Good Friday thing to do and we definitely made the most of all the chocolate. Our weekend was filled with family time, homemade pizza, watching football, a bit of gardening, movies and of course, the usual housework.

All of last week's meals went down really well! We ate everything on the day I had planned so it felt like I was winning at life. My favourite meal was the Peanut Satay Chicken Burger, the satay sauce was amazing, I think the sauce is becoming my new favourite thing and it's crazy to think I probably hadn't eaten it until this year. My family loved the Creamy Chicken Korma With Sesame Seed Chips! They were gutted that there were no leftovers, Becky had planned to have it the next morning after work.

Stu has a few days off work this week and Ellie is of course off college for her Easter break. We have a couple of things planned for later in the week but nothing is set in stone yet so our meal plan might change around a bit. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have ordered a Gousto Box for this week as it never seems to go to plan when we are all home.

On the menu this week we have:

Monday - Gousto meal - Chip Shop Basa & Chip Burger With Curry Sauce!

This one just sounds like a bit of fun and I am sure we have had it before. It’s everything you’d expect from a chip shop tea but shoved into a burger. Crispy battered fish, a soft brioche bun, a pile of chips and then a drizzle of curry sauce over the top. It’s going to be one of those messy meals but those are usually the best kind!

Tuesday - Gousto meal - Smoky BBQ Chicken With Pepper & Corn Salad!

This is a favourite of ours. The chicken gets coated in a sticky BBQ-style mix with tomato paste, Henderson’s relish and smoked paprika, then cooked until it’s all caramelised and smells amazing. It’s served with crispy potatoes and a fresh pepper and corn salad and looks way fancier than it is!

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

This one’s a new meal for us and I already feel that my family is going to love it. It’s a one-pan meal too, 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.

Thursday - Gosuto meal - Japanese-Style Chicken Thigh Curry Udon Noodles!

Another new meal for us! Thick udon noodles, tender chicken thigh and lots of veg all coated in a rich, katsu-style curry sauce sounds so good and the type of meal that you just sit and slurp your way through.

Friday - I have no idea!

I’m leaving this one completely open because we’ve got plans, we just don’t fully know what they are yet. lol It could be a meal out, a last minute takeaway, or it could be something quick and easy when we get home. Who knows?

Saturday - Stu is going to cook!

I rarely get a Saturday off cooking, so this will be a nice treat! I have no idea what we will be eating but I am betting it's going to be something nice.

Sunday - Pie and mash!

Nice and simple for a Sunday. Pies out of the freezer and home-made mashed potato covered in lashings of gravy!

What are you eating this week?