Leftover Chicken Korma with Schwartz

If you are a regular reader you will know that I love using our leftovers from a roast dinner to make a curry. Curry has to be one of our favourite meals so when Schwartz asked me if I would like to try their new curry range I was excited to give them a try.

Schwartz new curry range includes Rogan Josh, Biryani, Balti and Korma mixes.

Thanks to these handy sachets you can easily make traditional Indian curries at home.

They are a great way to enjoy take away style meals for a fraction of the cost! Perfect for a night in or a great way to use up roast dinner leftovers, as I did in this recipe.

Quick and Easy After School Pasta - Family Favourites

Now that the twins are eating their main meal at lunch time I am trying out more quick and easy meals to cook. I have been saving them dinners from the previous evening meal but sometimes there hasn't been enough for the following day as the twins have have eaten with us, meaning they have had two main meals! They certainly have good appetites!

This dish came along on one of the days when there was no lunch remaining from the night before. I needed to make something that was quick and easy with foods that I had to hand.

Needless to say it was a success and the children loved it! Hence why I am sharing it as a Family Favourite recipe.

This is what I did...

White Chocolate and Raspberry Cake

White chocolate and raspberry really is fantastic combination.

The richness from the white chocolate paired with the bitterness of the raspberries guarantee you will keep wanting more!

My White Chocolate and Raspberry Cake is perfect for all of the family and ideal to serve up to guests as an impressive sweet treat!

This cake is also a great way to use up any leftover white chocolate from Easter eggs!

This is what I did...

Weekly Meal Plan - Week Commencing 27th April 2015

This week I am only planning four meals as I am away at the end of the week. I have got a night away on Friday with some lovely bloggers ready for Blog On MOSI on Saturday. As my train will not get me home until late we will pick up a take away on the way home.

Last weeks meal plan was a success. The pulled lamb was delicious, in fact it was so delicious there was not any left to take a picture of to share. Therefore I will be making it again in the future with a view to share!

Here are the recipes that I shared last week..

Baked Salmon and Fennel

20th April - 26th April 2015 - One Picture Everyday For One Year

This week has been my first full week with the mornings to myself while the twins have been in nursery. It has been lovely to not go far and get on top of my jobs at home. I have written more about my morning in my Word of the Week post.

It has been lovely to have some time for me in the morning and then spending quality time with the twins in the afternoon.

It has been another lovely week so there has been a lot of outdoor fun, walks with the dogs, harvesting rhubarb and puppy snuggles.

Here is our week in pictures...

Silent Sunday

Curried Chicken and Mango Wraps

Now that the weather has become sunnier I love to go back to lighter meals.

We always enjoy curry but sometimes I want something a bit lighter. That is why I came up with this quick and easy meal that is full of flavour and low on calories!

It can be easily enjoyed as a main meal accompanied by salad and potatoes or as a tasty lunch. For the curry coating I have used Knorr's Curry Flavour Pot. They are such a quick and easy way to add extra flavour to dishes.

This is what I did...

Word of the Week - 24th April 2015

This week my word of the week is...

Me Time!

(ok 2 words of the week!)

This week has been my first full week at home on my own while the twins are at nursery.

I am "me" again for a few hours. I am able to do what I want and need to do without any other demands on my time! Please do not get me wrong I love being mummy but it is lovely being me again.

How Does Your Garden Grow? Week 16

This is a post that I have been longing to write.

At last colour has returned to the garden. After all of the lovely weather and sunshine that we have had everything is shooting up and starting to bloom.

Last year the hubby planted a lot of wall flowers which have added flashes of colour to both the front and back garden. The Camellia which had a bout of black leaf and needed to be drastically cut back did not do much last year. But this year we have enjoyed seeing numerous buds grow and finally they opened. I just wish I had captured a picture before the puppies of anarchy knocked them all off! Now all of my attention is on the peony. We have some in the back and the front garden and I adore the huge red flowers so I am eagerly watching the buds grow!

At last our cherry trees have come into blossom and are looking stunning up close.

Here is how our garden has grown...

Venison Cottage Pie - Family Favourites

Venison has to be one of my favourite game meats. The rich flavours of the meat go perfectly with the sweetness of root vegetables.

This week I am sharing my Venison Cottage Pie which the whole family will enjoy. I like the children to try a wide variety of foods and always feed them the same as what we have. Even though venison is a rich meat they all thoroughly loved the flavours in this dish. That is why I am sharing it this week as one of my Family Favourite meals.

This is what I did...

Baked Salmon and Fennel

Salmon is such a versatile fish that can be combined with so many flavours to create tasty dishes.

Salmon can be cooked in a variety of ways. It can be pan fried, grilled, barbecued, poached and baked.

This recipe is using one of my favourite ways to cook salmon. Baked in wrapped in foil. This is not only an easy way to cook salmon but I also find that when the fish is wrapped in baking paper and foil, as it steams cooks, the fish really absorbs any additional flavours that you add.

This recipe combines salmon with fennel and lemon. I love the aniseed flavours that mellow out as the fennel is cooked but still lightly linger in the salmon.

This is what I did...

 

Weekly Meal Plan - Week Commencing 20th April 2015

I mentioned last week that I was changing our meal time routine to accommodate the twins being in nursery. I am pleased to say that the new routine worked a treat! There were no more stressful evening meal times due to tired twins and they have preferred having a lovely hot meal after a busy morning playing!

However last weeks meal plan went completely out of the window! We didn't have the slow cooked turkey hotpot as it was such a lovely day we had our first barbecue of 2015. As the hubby was on annual leave a lot of last week we changed our minds and had a lot of foodie treats!

This week is back to meal planning and sticking to it! I am still trying to run the freezer down a bit and have found some delicious meat for this week.

This is what we will be enjoying this week...

Silent Sunday

13th April - 20th April 2015 - One Picture Everyday For One Year

Wow this week has been so busy! So much has happened in the last week, especially the twins transition into nursery school. I am delighted to say that it has been so much easier than we were all expecting!

This week has seen the lovely weather continue, lots of outdoor play, our fourth wedding anniversary and the hubby at home a lot of the week.

Here is our week in pictures...

Monday 13th April 2015

Easy Chocolate Tart

Now that the weather is getting better I go from making warm comforting puddings to cold, lighter desserts.

Over Easter I made this delicious chocolate tart that I simply had to share. It is such an easy and simple tart that can be made ahead in preparation. This is one that will please the whole family!

This is what I did...

Our Easter Holidays Made Better With Cake!

We all know that life is better with cake and you know that I love to bake a good old cake! However sometimes it is easier, especially in the holidays, to let someone else do the hard work. This Easter break Mr Kipling did the baking for me!

These little ready made, ready decorated treats are so handy to keep in for any trips out with the kiddies. I simply popped one in a hand held tub and they were ready to go!

Isabella's Spaghetti - Family Favourites

This week I am sharing a Family Favourite that is actually Isabella's favourite. Hence the name, Isabella's Spaghetti! However it could also be called my hidden veg pasta sauce as it is full of vegetables and you would never know!

This sauce is a great way to get some added vegetables into your families diets without them realising it! Not only is is full of goodness but is also such a quick and easy sauce to make which fits in perfectly with busy lives!

This is what I did...

Weekly Meal Plan - Week Commencing 13th April 2015

Wow Monday has certainly come around quickly! Monday means it is meal planning time.

At the moment I am trying to use up what I have got in the freezer. It is pretty full and if I am honest I forget what is in there until I have a rummage.

Last week I used a few bits out of the freezer but as always the space gets filled up with bargains that I find in the reduced section. Last weeks meal plan went well. There was only one meal that wasn't cooked, the fish pie, as the hubby suggested getting a delicious M&S meal! The meatballs also changed to a pasta sauce dish after little Isabella begged for spaghetti! I will be posting my hidden veg spaghetti sauce recipe as this weeks Family Favourites post.

This week sees the twins start nursery. I am changing their meal times as I have a feeling they will be hungry after their busy mornings and too tired to eat a hot dinner in the evening. Therefore I will be cooking for 5 of us in the evening but keeping their dinners for the following days lunch.

This week the hubby and I celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary. To celebrate we are having the evening out on Thursday and going for a meal so will be taking some pasta sauce out of the freezer for the children.

This is what we will be enjoying this week...

6th April - 12th April 2015 - One Picture Everyday For One Year

This week I have treasured my time with the twins. As of next week it will all change! We have  had lazy mornings with lots of snuggles, plenty of outdoor play and quality time together.

This week has seen the arrival of sunshine which has been delightful as it was also the last week of the holidays!

Here is our week in pictures...

Monday 6th April 2015

Bank holiday Monday was a glorious day. After a lovely roast lamb dinner we spent the afternoon in the garden enjoying the sun.

Silent Sunday

Ozeri Artesio Electric Pepper Grinder

As you will know I love discovering new kitchen gadgets. When I was asked if I would like to try out the new Ozeri Artesio Electric Pepper Grinder I jumped at the chance!

Sometimes, especially when making a sauce, it feels like you need two pairs of hands in the kitchen. The sauce needs constant stirring to prevent it going lumpy but it needs seasoning. This is where having an electric pepper grinder comes in and I couldn't wait to try it out!

Word of the Week - 10th April 2015

This week my word of the week is...

Sunshine

I have a feeling that this word will be summing up a lot of people weeks this week. The weather has been simply glorious and at the perfect time too, the school holidays!

The children have been in the garden all week and Joseph has been out playing with his friends. When the sun is shining everything seems so much better and everyone is happier.

Teatox Review

I have recently been cleaning the way I eat and have detoxed a couple of times. I am also a tea lover so when I heard about a tea to help you detox I was curious to give it a go.

In the Teatox detox plan you receive 14 morning teas and 7 night time teas. While you are doing the detox you also a accompany it with clean eating. The teas are designed to work in harmony with your body to help rid it of unwanted toxins. The teas cleanse your digestive system and detoxify your body. They can also increase your metabolism and reduce cravings.

I have followed the Teatox plan and here is my honest review.

How Does Your Garden Grow? - Normanby Hall in Spring Time

Last weekend we decided to go for an over due visit to Normanby Hall. It has been a couple of months since our last visit so we were looking forward to seeing the signs of spring.

The walled garden, where the fruit and vegetables are grown, was bare except for some remaining artichokes. It will be good to see how it changes over the year and fills up again. We took a walk into the greenhouse and saw some beautiful flowers. One of my favourite flowers, the Bird of Paradise, was in full bloom.

We walked down one of the greenhouse corridors and were greeted by a lovely sweet smell and pretty pink flowers. After further investigation we were amazed to see that they were nectarine trees. I am looking forward to seeing how they progress.

While we were walking around this time we realised that it is the first time that the twins have walked around on their own without reins. Yes we did still have to dash after them when they decided to go in the opposite way but it was fun and they loved the extra freedom!

Here is Normanby Hall at the beginning of spring...

Minted Roast Lamb - Family Favourites

I always love cooking lamb at Easter but after the huge success of this years minted roast lamb I am going to cook it more often and not just at Easter!

That is why I have decided to share with you how we all enjoyed our lamb this year. I had all of the children, including Joseph who is not a big eater, wanting seconds.

This is what I did...

Lemon Meringue Cake

One of our favourite desserts is Lemon Meringue but I simply do not make it enough. So with this in mind I decided to create a cake version of our favourite.

I combined a lemon drizzle cake with a lemon meringue and came up with this...

2015: The Year of the Japanese Super Food and Japanese Soy Tuna Recipe

I was recently asked if I would like to try some Yutaka Japanese Super Foods. I love trying new cuisines and was curious to try more Japanese foods. The only Japanese food that I have tried, so far, is sushi, which I love, so I had a feeling I would like what I was sent.

When I opened to box I was excited to see that I had some foods which were completely new to me. Thankfully there was some information included to tell me me about each of the products.

I received:

• Organic Tamari Soy Sauce
• Japanese Brown Konnyaku
• Japanese White Konnyaku
• Japanese White Shirataki Noodles
• Miso Soup

Weekly Meal Plan - Week Commencing 6th April 2015

I hope you had a lovely long weekend. We had a fantastic weekend that was relaxing and I had a lot of baking time!

Last weeks meal plan was a success. The only meal that was not cooked was the turkey stir fry as we had a quality family day and went out for lunch.

The Mushroom and Broccoli Freekah was a huge success. I will definitely be using it again in our meals. I even featured it as last weeks Family Favourites recipe!

We also had a delicious Japanese meal. The soy tuna was served with some new Japanese super food ingredients. My recipe and post will be live on Tuesday! But here is a sneak peak...

This is what we will be enjoying this week...

30th March - 5th April 2015 - One Picture Everyday For One Year

The first week of the Easter holidays has been full of colds for the twins and I. But we have still been busy! We have had sunny days, rainy days, days at home, days outside and family days out.

Here is our week in pictures...

Monday 30th March 2015

On Monday this little lady was full of cold. This is not a picture that I have taken, it is a picture that I found when I was looking for Monday's picture. This was one of a few that the twins took while they were playing with my phone when I wasn't looking! It is not the best picture but I love it, it makes me smile!

Silent Sunday

Easter Rock Cakes

Having a long weekend is the perfect time to bake with the children.

Joseph loves getting in the kitchen with me but we simply do not always have the time. I usually do my baking while he is busy at school. But we have started the long weekend with a bit of Easter themed baking.

We have made some Easter style rock cakes. Rock cakes are a great easy recipe for children to make. A great recipe for them to get their hands in quite literally!

Word of the Week - 3rd April 2015

This weeks word of the week is...

Family

With it being the Easter holidays the hubby has taken an extra day off work which is giving us five whole days together! After the Easter holidays our weeks are going to change with the twins being in nursery for three hours a morning. So I am making the most of spending some quality time together.

Easter Recipes

Easter is a great time to get together with family and friends to enjoy a lovely spring meal. I thought that this would be the perfect time to share with you a collection of my favourite Easter foodie treats.

Cumin Topped Lamb Steaks

These lamb steaks make a tasty change to the traditional roasted lamb

How Does Your Garden Grow - Week 13

At last there are true signs of spring and colour in the garden.

When I look out of the front window I can see blossom starting to bloom on trees. It is such a delight to have some colour return. Colour is the one thing that I miss seeing over the winter.

We now have a mass of yellow flowers from the forsythia and daffodils that are continuing to open up and buds are forming on the shrubs and fruit trees. Some of our plants seem to be behind others. I have seen pictures of magnolias and camellias flowering but ours are still tight in bud. However I know that soon they will be gracing us with their beauty and colour will be everywhere!

This is how our garden has grown this week...

My Weight Loss Journey - Thinking Slimmer Slimpod

You may have noticed that recently I have not been writing about my weight loss journey. This has been due to me slipping back to my old eating ways.

I stopped the Juice Plus plan simply because it goes against everything that I believe a good healthy diet should be. A healthy diet is eating healthy foods, not drinking shakes! It did give me the kick start that I needed but for the long term it is not for me.

The problem with diets is that you only follow them for so long before you go back to eating whatever you want whenever you want.

My weight has not increased a great deal but a few pound have gone on.

This has led me to a slimming program that really is completely different from any that I have ever seen! This is one that I hope will completely change how I view food, my health and lifestyle, for good!

Mushroom and Broccoli Freekah - Family Favourites

We recently tried Freekah for the first time. Freekah is an alternative grain to use instead of rice or couscous. We always enjoy trying new foods, especially artisan products so we were keen to try freekah when we saw it.

Freekah not only offers new flavours but also has great health benefits such as:

• Freekah has at least 4 times more fibre than brown rice
• It has a low GI to help prevent diabetes and provide a slow released energy
• It has a high protein, calcium, zinc and iron content
• It is low in carbohydrates
• Low in fat

That is why it is being called the new super grain!