Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts

Sunday, 12 March 2017

Weekly Meal Planner

This week we have so many meetings, performances and late nights that our menu had to be a quick and easy one and here it is...

Monday
Gammon, egg and chips

Tuesday
Vegetable curry, rice and samosas

Wednesday 
Pizza and garlic bread

Thursday 
Beef nachos

Friday
Chicken wings, chips and salad

Saturday
Hot dogs and onion rings

Sunday
Spaghetti bolognese, homemade garlic bread and salad

What's on your menu this week?

                                                                    M xx

Monday, 20 February 2017

Weekly Meal Planner

So, normality resumes this week, which to be honest is a little bitter sweet for me as I enjoy our adventures. None the less, with normality comes our ram packed weekly schedule so keeping us focused is this weeks meal planner.

Monday
Spaghetti bolognese and homemade garlic bread.

Tuesday 
Sausage, mash and beans

Wednesday 
Lamb kofte, could cous and roasted veg

Thursday
Chicken and leek pie, roasted new potatoes and veg

Friday
Steak, fried mushrooms, sweet potato chips and salad

Saturday
I'm out so dinner will be up to Dad. Something that cooks from frozen in the oven in about 20 minutes would be my guess!

Sunday
A lovely lamb Sunday roast.

What's on your menu this week?

                                                                   M xx

Monday, 13 February 2017

Weekly Meal Planner

So this week it's half term! As much as I'm looking forward to all the fun activities I have planned, I also want to stay on track with the family meals...and not spend a fortune of takeaway and meals out.
Here's this weeks plan.

Monday
Pizza, wedges and salad

Tuesday
Beef stew, dumplings and homemade bread

Wednesday
Ham, egg and chips

Thursday
Cottage pie, yorkshires and seasonal veg

Friday
Slow cooker chicken tikka masala, pilau rice and salad

Saturday
Bacon, onion and mushroom pasta in tomato and basil sauce

Sunday
Minted lamb chops, roast potatoes, vegetables and stuffing(my kids have stuffing with everything!)

What's on your menu this week?

                                                              M xx

Monday, 30 January 2017

Weekly Meal Planner

Being a big family, hiccups are expected but our weekend was absolutely horrendous. Despite everything going wrong, the one thing that didn't was our meals. Helping to keep us on track is this weeks meal planner.

Monday
Beef nachos 

Tuesday
Pork casserole

Wednesday
Pizza, garlic bread and salad 

Thursday
Spaghetti bolognese

Friday
Steak and chips

Saturday
Cottage pie and mixed veg

Sunday
Roast chicken dinner

What's on your menu this week?

                                          M xx

Monday, 23 January 2017

Weekly Meal Planner

So here we are, nearing the end of January already and we are trying as a family to be as organised as possible. Helping to keep us on track is this weeks meal planner.

Monday
Sausage, mash and beans

Tuesday
Jerk pork, rice, plantain and salad 

Wednesday
Lasagne, chips and mixed veg

Thursday
Chicken noodles, egg fried rice and spring rolls.

Friday
Jacket potatoes

Saturday
Chicken fajitas, spiced wedges and corn on the cob

Sunday
Shepherds pie, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and peas

What's on your menu this week?

                                                                            M xx

Friday, 13 January 2017

Rambling Mummy Loves....Slow Cookers

In this fast paced world time has unfortunately become one of our most precious luxuries. Whether it's, family life, work, education etc we seem to be trying to cram so much in to our waking day that we merely exist instead of actually living. As a mum of 4 time is extremely valuable so anything that can free up some of it has to be a bonus right??
After months of people raving about slow cookers, I finally bit the bullet and bought one and do you know what I haven't looked back once. So this weeks rambling mummy loves is all about one of the smallest and most cost efficient kitchen appliances...the slow cooker.

Slow cookers are a convenient and easy way to make a meal. Some boast 'amazing' features such as a bowl that can be used on the hob. Expensive models often have digital controls, more timer options and even have an auto stir function but like anything, all you need is something that does the job you need it to.


Swan SF17020N 3.5Litre Slow Cooker
http://amzn.to/2jeNO0d
£32.46
I have had many a tasty meal straight from my mums slow cooker before. Whether she is cooking for just her and my dad or is preparing for a visit from me and my brood her slow cooker always has the capacity to cope. With its easy to clean bowl, simple timer and pretty cleanline design, you'd have no issues with this sitting atop your work surface. 

http://bit.ly/2irOs9n
£14.99
Before rushing out to buy a pricey slow cooker I thought it best to start simple and get a basic one which meant if I didn't get on with it I hadn't broken the back. I did some quick research and reserved myself this little bad boy from Argos.
Value for money and basic, I thought even this slow cooker virgin could handle this one.
Whilst it's not the biggest of slow cookers, it was able to cook most meals for my family of six with its simple hi and lo and fab keep warm features. Although a great product, I'm not sure of this would have stood the time of daily usage for 6 in our household but nonetheless a great product for a great price.


http://bit.ly/1EX7gRe
£40
Once we realised that this would actually be a good investment we did(and by we I mean me because let's face it, nobody else in this house cooks!) a bit more research and finally settled on this as the new addition to our family. At 6.5 litres capacity we certainly don't struggle to fit meals into it. The toughened glass lid is great for checking on our food without having to remove it and the removable ceramic bowl is great to use as a serving dish. There are 3 heat settings which are easy to choose from using the dial. At the moment I've only had chance to use this for functional family meals, however, I have a huge list of fun recipes compiled that I can't wait to try out.

If you have a slow cooker or plan on buying one, let me know how you get on with it.

M xx

Friday, 13 November 2015

When life doesn't go to plan

Baby sensory classes, swimming lessons, baby massage, getting back into shape(well any other shape than the current one which pretty much resembles that of an orange)afternoons spent happily, comfortably and confidently breastfeeding in cafes with mummy friends. House work done, laundry always sorted, house always clean and tidy, routine, structure, schedule...The perfect family... WRONG!!!!!
Maternity leave hasn't quite gone to plan. Whilst I knew having a baby during the summer holidays would turn summer into one big blur, I also knew that once September came and I could instill structure and routine, things would be lovely, bliss if you like but that really hasn't been the case. With my eldest son in his final year of primary school I have done 13 school tours at 11 schools across three boroughs. We've had my mother-in-law in intensive care for two weeks, a baby who is back-and-forth at the baby clinic because her weight gain has been in the words of her paediatrician 'sub optimal', a leaky roof that has been a disaster to get sorted, a new street door and frame being fitted, a cooker that broke down and was repaired only for my husband to smash the top of the cooker at the very next day and a seriously stroppy teenage daughter.
This isn't quite what I had planned. 
 It's hard to believe that in just 5 months my maternity leave will be over and I will be leaving my adorable baby and going back to work. If I could rewind the time I would go back to the beginning when baby was first born and start all over again but I can't so moving forward I guess I have to be realistic and roll with the punches as it were.
It's so easy to let things get on top of you, overwhelm you and make you forget exactly why and who you are doing all of this for which is definitely what has happened to me.
So after a few deep breaths (and more than a few cursewords), I refuse to let things defeat me. I am going to have a long soak in the bath reevaluate everything and get right back on track.
I look at my kids and I know that despite my off days or weeks, I'm doing something right and I need to keep doing it for them.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

M xx

Sunday, 18 October 2015

Our Family Quote

This last week has been a pretty traumatic week for us as a family. When ill health hit and the threat of death threaten a loved one you start to appreciate what and who you have just that bit more.

This quote really does sum it all up, so this week we will be focussing on what we mean to each other even when little brothers are being annoying, big sisters are bossy, parents are boring and baby sisters cry a lot!


Have a lovely week all!

M xx

Weekly Meal Planner

Last week was a manic one. We had an impromptu school meeting, a few Dr's appointments, the hospital admission of a relative, 2 children struck with gastro-enteritis and I had 3 consecutive nights of no sleep!
One of my saving graces was having my meal plan to fall back on to help keep some kind of normality. I've noticed that since starting meal planning again I am visiting the supermarket less, spending less money and there is a lot less food waste.
This week is set to be another busy one but with some good old family favourites and quick meals hopefully we'll get through.

Monday
Spaghetti Bolognese and garlic bread 

Tuesday
Beef stir fry

Wednesday
Jacket potatoes with various fillings 

Thursday
Ham, egg and chips 

Friday
Pizzas and tortilla chips

Saturday 
Fried chicken, homemade wedges, coleslaw and salad

Sunday
Homemade chicken and vegetable pie, new potatoes and seasonal roasted vegetables  

What are your stress free, go to meals?

M xx

Tuesday, 13 October 2015

Our Family Quote

The kids have decided that every week we should pic a positive or inspirational quote and try to live by it for the week. 
I was really impressed by this notion and good vibes are always welcome in this house, so with that in mind we set about thinking what we want to achieve by this new goal.
Togetherness
Affection
Love
Understanding
Compassion 
Peace
Reflection
Unity
These were just some of the things the kids came up with that they feel we could achieve by referring back to our inspirational quote when things are a bit tense in life and I have to admit, there are some great ideas there.

After some consideration we decided on this as our quote for the coming week...
 
Time is priceless, so this week we will be thinking about what we do with our time and spending it wisely.

Have a lovely week.

M xx

Sunday, 11 October 2015

Weekly Meal Planner

Since being on maternity leave and getting back into a routine I've found that I am able to spend more time in the kitchen and enjoying what I'm actually making.
The kids have been commenting on how much they are enjoying the variety of meals that they are getting and that in itself is reward enough for me.
So, here is this weeks meal planner

Monday
Fajitas, potato wedges and corn on the cob

Tuesday
Chilli con carne, rice, tortilla chips, salsa and salad

Wednesday
Sausage casserole and mash potato

Thursday
Homemade pizzas and salad

Friday
Fish, chips and mushy peas

Saturday
Bacon and mushroom pasta

Sunday
Full lamb roast

What's on your menu for this week?

M xx

Sunday, 4 October 2015

Weekly Meal Planner

Ok ok I know. It's been waaaaaay to long but now things are finally getting back on track I have managed to get myself back into the routine of a meal plan and not only is it helping the house run smoothly, it's also saved us a fortune from all the take out we we're buying for 'convenience.'

As always, planning the weeks meals around after school clubs, appointments, work etc isn't easy but it definitely makes for a more harmonious household in the evenings. So without further ado here is this weeks meal plan.

Monday
Spaghetti Bolognese and salad

Tuesday 
Pizza, dough balls and salad

Wednesday 
Beef stew, dumplings and homemade bread

Thursday 
Sausages, mash and onion gravy

Friday
Bacon, onion and mushroom quiche, wedges and beans

Saturday 
Shepherds pie and mixed veg

Sunday
Jerk chicken, rice and peas, plantain and vegetables

What's on your menu for the coming week?

Wednesday, 7 January 2015

Happy New Year!!

Well wow, hasn't the time flown!



It has been a few months( 6 actually) since I last blogged which I know is waaaay too long but there have been big changes in our household that have made it really difficult to get anything other than the essentials done. No, no, no, not that, we haven't had a baby!
I've gone from a full time work at home mum to a full time working at a 9-5 job mum.
Whilst I absolutely loved the flexibility of being a WAHM and the opportunities it offered, I was starting to feel like I had lost a bit of me and with little monster starting year 1 in September I felt it was a now or never decision.
I had originally applied for a job in a school not too far from home but after being offered it the reality of not being able to take time off to see the kids performances or taking days here and there not to mention the 8am start(childcare would have been a nightmare) I had to turn the job down....but literally a week later the same school called me and offered me a job in the on-site children's centre - Perfect!
The job is extremely flexible, a 20 minute bus ride from home and what's more the small team of people that I work with are absolutely amazing.
I won't lie, there have been bumps along the way and the biggest heartache was putting little monster into breakfast and after school club, meaning I can't drop him off and pick him up from school everyday but generally this job has brought tons of positives into the household.
We find ourselves appreciating each other more and wanting to spend more quality time with each other, our scheduling has got rather good and I've found that little bit of me again!

I've been here since the end of August now and am loving every minute of it. Finally we have established a routine that works for us and family life is settling back down...for now.

M xx

Monday, 12 May 2014

100 Happy Days Challenge

Since January I have noticed very simple but beautiful pictures with the hash tag 100 happy days on various social media sites. When I asked what it was all about  I got a very simple response "Post 1 picture for the next 100 days of something that makes you smile; a picture of your kids, their smile, a flower, your pet, even your dinner!"
It's so easy to take the simple things in life for granted that something like this makes you stop and enjoy the little, precious moments in life.

The reason I have put it off for so long is with everything we have going on at the moment I just knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with it but now with our upcoming nuptials, the launch of our new family business around the corner and the children doing so well at school, now is the perfect time for my 100 happy days.

 Day 1


#100happydays

You can keep up with my 100 happy days on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Feel free to send me links to your #100happydays

M xx

Sunday, 11 May 2014

Weekly Meal Planner

Oh dear, I didn't realise it had been quite so long.
Things have been as hectic around here as usual but I'm back with this weeks meal planner!

Weekly Meal Planner

Monday
Chicken noodles

Tuesday
Lasagne, pasta and sweetcorn and salad

Wednesday
Pork chops, roast potatoes, carrots and peas

Thursday
Sausage, mash and bwans(with onion gravy of course!)

Friday
Chilli con carne with Mexican rice, salsa and tortilla chips

Saturday
Turkey drummers, chips and beans

Sunday
Roast beef and yorkshires with all the trimmings

M xx

What's on your menu this week?

Our Easter Hols

Our Easter Holiday in pics!



And finally...

Relax!!

How was your Easter break?

                             M xx
















Sunday, 30 March 2014

Mothering Sunday

Wishing you all a very happy Mothers Day xx

                           M xx

Tuesday, 25 March 2014

Yummy Scrummy Apple Crumble Recipe

Yesterday little monster and I had fun in the kitchen making apple crumble. Here is our completely fool proof recipe.
I have included the quantities that we used but once you've made this once or twice you can adjust the amounts to suit your own taste.

You will need
For the crumble
300g plain flour
155g brown sugar
200g unsalted butter, cubed

For the filling
400g peeled and chopped cooking apples
50g brown sugar
1tbsp flour
1tsp ground cinnamon

What to do
Mix the flour and brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter 1 cube at a time and rub through your fingers until the flour mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
                               

Once the apples have been chopped up place them in a bowl and carefully mix with the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Try to avoid breaking up the fruit when mixing.

Grease an oven proof dish, then spoon the fruit into the base. Sprinkle the crumble mix over the top of the fruit but do not pat it down.

Bake in the oven at gas 4/350F/180C for approximately 40 minutes or until the crumble is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.

Serve with fresh cream or warm custard and enjoy!

M xx

Monday, 24 March 2014

Weekly Meal Planner

I know I've been M.I.A recently but I'm back with this weeks meal planner.

Weekly Meal Planner

Monday
Spaghetti bolognese with homemade garlic bread.

Tuesday
Moroccan spiced lamb with cous cous and roasted vegetables

Wednesday
Jacket potatoes with a selection of fillings

Thursday
Lasagna and salad

Friday
Pizza, tortilla chips and dips

Saturday
Fish fingers, potato wedges and spaghetti hoops

Sunday
Roast pork with all the trimmings

What's on your menu this week?

M xx

Monday, 17 February 2014

Weekly Meal Planner

So as the half term break begins I have a sunny outlook and a jam packed schedule to keep the little darlings amused.
I've tried to plan this weeks meals around  our days out and unfamiliar routine!


Weekly Meal Planner

Monday
Toad in the hole, boiled potatoes and carrots and peas

Tuesday
Chilli con carne, rice, tortilla chips and homemade salsa

Wednesday
Homemade chicken and mushroom chow mein 

Thursday
Shepherds pie with beans and sweetcorn

Friday
Fish fingers, chips and spaghetti hoops

Saturday
Homemade pizzas and garlic bread

Sunday
Jerk chicken, rice and peas, macaroni pie, homemade coleslaw and salad.

What will you be serving up this week?

M xx