Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday 2017 Week 29

Hello and welcome to week 29 of #MealPlanningMonday!

Wow the weeks are certainly flying by aren't they? J finishes year 7 on Friday and the twinnies have got two more days next week, as have I and then it is the summer holidays! Now that I am working and have been full time the last couple of weeks I know that come next week I will be ready for a break. We have got some exciting plans for the holiday. I am taking the children on our very first camping trip in August. The hubby will be with us a couple of days but as he cannot get anymore time off he has to go home to work. So it'll be some quality time for the kids, the hubby thinks I am crackers but it is better than being stuck in with three bored kids!

We had a lovely weekend. Yesterday we took a spontaneous trip up to RHS Harlow Carr and we all had the best day ever. The children were all so good and we had such a good quality family day out. We came home with lots of foodie treats from Betty's bakers and a bottle of gin!

Last weeks meal plan was a success. I did not get round to making the quiche in the week as I had planned to and ended up popping into Tesco and getting some reduced fish cakes but I will be making it this week so all is not wasted! This weeks meals are, as before, a mixture of easy meals that can be made either quickly once I get home or left in the Pressure King Pro.

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

Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday 2017 Week 28

Hello and welcome to week 28 of #MealPlanningMonday.

Wow what a week I had last week! Last week I did my first full time week at work and it was manic, but I loved it! I am so pleased to say that we all survived me not being at home during the day and was proud of how we all pulled together and got jobs done! The hubby has been a huge help, especially in the mornings as he has got up and made me a lovely big bowl of porridge and a hot coffee to get the day going.

As for last weeks meal plan it really did give me one less thing to worry about. Having all of the meals planned made life so much easier. I was able to go to work happy and knowing what we were going to have. I used the Pressure King Pro to slow cook the gammon joint and for the first time used the delay start function of it. When I got home the gammon was cooked to perfection!

This weeks meals are all easy meals and a few I am hoping will give us enough for lunches the following day.

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

Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday 2017 Week 27

Hello and welcome to week 27 of #MealPlanningMonday!

This week is going to be a manic week I think, but an exciting week. Today is my first full day back in the working world. I have settled into my job with ease and really do enjoy it. The welcoming people and the relaxed setting has certainly helped me get back into the working routine. This week I am going to really feel the extra hours so this weeks meals are all dinners that are either quick and easy or ones that I can leave in the Pressure King Pro. One of the main challenges for this week is also going to be packed lunches. I really do not want to resort to sandwiches on a daily basis so I will need to spend more time in the evening preparing something that is healthy as well as filling.

I haven't spoken about Slimming World in a while. I have had a couple of weeks off due to working but I did go last week and I have called target. Admittedly I am not at the target which I had set myself but I am feeling happy as I am and really not that bothered if I do not lose any more weight. I think that this new found confidence has come with starting my new job. I am going to return to group in the holidays just to make sure I am maintaining the weight and not putting on what I have lost.

This is what we will be enjoying this week..

Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday 2017 Week 26

Hello and welcome to week 26 of #MealPlanningMonday.

Wow we are already half way through the year! Where has the time gone?

Last weeks meal plan was a huge success, we had each and every main meal that I had planned! The only slight alteration was that the meatballs were used in a bolognese sauce and is in the freezer ready and waiting for next week as we decided to get an easy meal while we were out on Saturday. I am finally getting used to my new routine of housework, kids, blogging and work. But it is all about to change yet again! I have been asked to do some overtime as of next week. I will be doing full days until the end of term which is going to make meal planning even more important!

This weeks meal plan is a super cheap budgeting plan. As I am now employed I have had to declare this for our tax credits. I always declare any changes as soon as I can so that we do not get any over payments. This has meant that we have had a drop in money which, until I get paid, really is effecting our shopping budget. But I am not complaining I think it does us good to have a cheap week! Since my work with Aldi came to an end I have been looking round at supermarket prices and have been pleasantly surprised to see that a lot of prices at Tesco are now comparable to Aldi. This, for me, is great news as I can place click and collect orders and not have to pay significantly more for our shopping! The click and collect service is now a God send! I drive past Tesco on my way home so not only does it save me time but also saves us money each week!

This weeks meal plan is not only a cheap one, but, I think, a delicious one! This is what we will be having this week...

Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday 2017 Week 25

Hello and welcome to week 25 of MealPlanningMonday!

I hope you had a great week and were as blessed with the summer weather as we were! It feels so good to finally have some sunshine and heat. My moods are always so much better when it is sunny! Over the weekend we have spend the majority of the time out in the garden. I even did my ironing outside in the sun while the children were playing under the water sprinkler.

Last week I started my job and I love it! I know that I made the right decision applying for the job. It has given me a new lease of life. I am my old self again, interacting with real people and having something different to apply myself to. Being part time means that I can still keep up with my love of blogging. I really do have the best of both worlds.

The only thing that did not quite go as well was my meal plan. It started off well but then the nice weather came and my food motivation went out. We did have the mushroom and lentil ragu, which was amazing and enough left for a second meal. So the following day I added some MOR pork, super green veg and lentil sausages that I was sent to try and had a second meal. The gluten, wheat and dairy free sausages went perfectly with the sauce. Each sausage is full of pork, asparagus, peas, spinach, green lentils, onion and coriander in a sweet chilli dressing.

Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday 2017 Week 24

Hello and welcome to week 24 of #MealPlanningMonday.

This is a big week for me. Today I am finally starting my new job. I am so excited and a little nervous but looking forward to starting this new chapter of my life.

This weeks meal plan was planned before I did my shopping. Over the last few weeks I have been getting a box of vegetables delivered so I have planned after the box has arrived. But as they are away for a couple of weeks I have had to plan more in advance. To save money I have also gone back to ordering our shopping online. When I go shopping I often get tempted by offers and always end up buying more than we actually need. So by shopping online I have more control and can easily add or take things off over the week. During the half term I did a 'click and collect' order so that I did not have to take the children shopping and it was so easy! So instead of getting my shopping delivered this week I have done another click and collect order and plan to continue shopping this way as it is going to be so much easier now that I am working.

Last week I completed the Cancer Research Race for Life. This, for me, was a great achievement because when I signed up to do it I could not run for 2 minutes let alone for 5k. So I am feeling quite proud of myself and plan to continue running. I completed the race in 41 minutes and found finishing with my mum to be really emotional.

 

Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday 2017 Week 23

Hello and welcome to week 23's Weekly Meal Plan.

Last week I was a rubbish meal planner as I totally forgot to plan! I got so wrapped up in the long weekend I only realised on Monday evening that I had forgotten. So I rebelled and completely winged it and it really was not so bad! It was half term so we enjoyed a meal out then I was not feeling well so I reached for quick and easy dinners.

How was your half term? We had a lovely week and it really did fly by. We were only in for one day so I think that made the time go quicker. We had a lovely lunch at Prezzo for BritMums post and met up with my sister and her girls. Another day we went for a walk at the local hall and gardens and we finished the week with a bargain Mini Morn movie at our local Vue cinema. Normally the cinema costs us a small fortune but thanks to the Mini Morn offer I only had to pay £2.50 each!

Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday - Week 21 2017

Hello and welcome to week 21 of #MealPlanningMonday.

Last weeks meal plan was a huge success. I found that having a more relaxed approach less pressure and did help me to stick to the meal plan. I have also found that having some lunches planned has helped me to stick to the Slimming World plan. This has paid off with a 1 and a half pound loss which means that I only have 3 more to lose for me to reach my target!

After last weeks success I am going to be carrying on meal planning in this way. This weeks meals will be accompanied with plenty for fresh vegetables thanks to the fruit and vegetables box that I got delivered. I love sneaking in extra goodness into our meals and seeing the children eating it with no questions asked!

This is what I have got planned for this weeks meals...

Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday - Week 20 2017

Hello and welcome to week 20 of my Weekly Meal Plan.

You may have noticed that last week there was no meal plan. Well, there was a meal plan in my book, but not on my blog. This was for a couple of reasons, firstly I was not sure if I wanted to carry on writing my meal plan and secondly time, after having a couple of weeks with poorly twins time seems to be running away! The two weeks that the kids were poorly my meal plans went completely pear shaped and I will admit I did lose the faith in my meal plans.

But fear not, I am back and raring to go! However I will be relaxing my meal plan a little. I am going to be looking at what I have got in and will be writing a list of meals but will not be specifying which day we will be having it. I hope that this will give me a little leeway and will allow us to select our meals depending on what we fancy. As well as main meal lists I am going to be writing a list of lunches to have over the week. I have been feeling quite uninspired and unprepared for lunches, this needs to change and hopefully this will help!

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

Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday - Week 18 2017

Hello and welcome to week 18 of #MealPlanningMonday.

Wow what a week we had last week. I am not ashamed to say that the meal plan did not go to plan. We started the week getting home from our holiday, which was fantastic. Tuesday was full of stress for a job interview that I had on the Wednesday. After a stressful morning of tasks and the interview I was delighted when I received the phone call offering me the job! Yay! I cannot wait to get started. My new job is as a PA in a local school so it will fit well around the children and as it is for 15 hours a week it also means that it will fit in around housework and my beloved blog! I will be working everyday for 3 hours in the afternoon so meal planning is going to become a vital part of our week. I need to know exactly what I am cooking for when I get home from work. I will need to plan whether anything needs leaving in the Pressure King Pro, make sure meat or fish has been defrosted, I am going to need the organisation that meal planning gives me.

After a couple of weeks of over indulgence we are all longing for healthy meals. While on holiday we had some amazing meals out in restaurants and at the time they are great but we are always craving some home cooked meals afterwards.

Over the school holidays I will admit to not following the Slimming World plan and have enjoyed not counting and measuring. I am back on it now but am not going to be as strict. If I want a few protein packed nuts or some avocado, I am going to have some, but in moderation. I am a true believer in everything in moderation!

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

Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday Week 17 2017

After a week away it is lovely to come home to a meal plan already in place. To make life easier I planned this week before we went on holiday. I did this for a couple of reasons, one so it saves me the stress of wondering what we can eat and secondly there is always so much to do after a holiday and with the children going straight back to school the following day it does not give us much time to unwind.

The majority of this weeks meals are easy dinners using what I have already got in the freezer. This means I do not need to worry about going shopping as soon as we get home which will save us some much needed money.

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

Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday Week 16 2017 - Easy Meals for a Holiday

Welcome to week 16 of #MealPlanningMonday.

This weeks meal plan is not my usual plan. As it is the Easter holidays we have got a bit of time away so this week there is no specific meal plan in place. We have got a couple of meals booked but the remainder of the week we will be cooking for ourselves. To keep costs down I will be doing a small shop to get foods and snacks that we may need. But as we are a family of five I am sure you can imagine how much stuff we take away with us so we do not have the room for a lot of groceries. Plus we cannot take perishable foods, we will need to purchase those once we arrive. So this weeks meal plan is going to be a list of meals that will be easy to prepare, foods that we can easily pack and meals that everyone will enjoy.

Here are my top holiday meals...

• Lasagne - Pasta dishes are great easy meals. When cooking lasagne you can buy some delicious sauces that allow you to easily make this classic dish. You can buy the tomato base sauce, white sauce and a box of lasagne sheets will easily pack.

Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday Week 15 2017

Hooray for school holidays! I may not be saying that in two weeks, but for now it is lovely to know that we can have a bit of time out. I have a feeling that this week is going to go by quickly as we only have four days until we have the hubby at home for just over a week.

This weeks meals are going to be easy meals that I can either make quickly in the evening or one that I can put in the Pressure King Pro and just leave it. Last weeks meal plan was a huge success, the best meal had to be the butternut squash pearl barley risotto, it was so good! Unfortunately I did not get a single picture as it was eaten before I got a chance. Needless to say it will be made again and I will be blogging about it!

My last weigh in at Slimming World has certainly given me the motivation to keep on. I only lost 1.5lbs but I now have the urge to carry on and I will get to my target weight!

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

Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday Week 14 2017

Welcome to the first meal plan for April! We have one more week of school before the children break up for the Easter holidays. 

Last week I had a bit of a Slimming World wobble but after a great image therapy session I am back on it and have my mojo back. I was amazed that I maintained my weight when I stepped on the scales and this has certainly encouraged me to carry on. I have only 11lbs to go until I reach my target. I CAN do this! I even kept to my meal plan 100% and we loved all of the meals.

Sausage and Beetroot Traybake

Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday Week 13 2017

Wow the weeks are flying by aren't they? I really do not know where the days are going. We are almost in April and Easter is on it's way!

Last weeks meal plan went well. The only meal that we did not have was the Slimming World chicken. This was due to poorly twins and needing to go shopping and to get weighed in the evening while the hubby was at home with the kids. But apart from that it was a good week. All of our meals have been full of veg thanks to our lovely veg box delivery. This week we have got a seasonal box so plenty of fruit and veg at its best!

When I got weighed last week the scales showed a half pound gain. But I am taking it with a pinch of salt due to being weighed at the end of the day as opposed to the morning. Also I managed to get to the gym twice in the week and I hate to admit it but I actually love going! I also understand that the more exercise I do my muscle mass will build which does weigh more than fat. I am fine with this as I feel that I am at the point where I feel happy with my body and can see it is changing the more I exercise.

I have been a bit off plan the last couple of weeks and know I need to get back on plan. For some unknown reason I have not been feeling 100% motivated. I am sure it is just a blip and I am sure I will get over it but I will admit that I am struggling. This week we will have lots of veg and healthy meals and I will try to get back on track.

This is what we will be enjoying this week…

Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday Week 12 2017

Hello and welcome to week 12 of #mealplanningmonday

Last week we did well and had 4 out of the 6 meals that I had planned. On Tuesday I received a lovely delivery of food from Dolmio so on Tuesday we did not have the meal that I had planned. We had a delicious bolognese. I will be writing all about the meal and telling you about Dolmio later in the week. Saturday’s meal did not go as planned as on Tuesday we were told that J was ready to do his next taekwondo grading and was invited to take part in a three hour training session. So Saturday was all about taekwondo. Instead of the fritters we had quick and easy homemade burgers when I got home.

When I went to get weighed at Slimming World last Friday I really was not sure what to expect. Over the week I increased my exercise. I had a great two and a half hour session at the gym on Monday and even went on a 12k bike ride on Wednesday so my focus had been on my fitness as opposed to my food. But I was delighted when I got on the scales and found that I had in fact lost another 3lbs! I am now only 10.5lbs away from my target!

A couple of years ago I used to have some lovely fresh vegetables delivered each week. Unfortunately they had to stop coming to the village as I was the only customer. But last week, after more people asked them to deliver to the village, they returned! So from now on I will be getting boxes delivered. What I always enjoyed about getting the boxes delivered was the variety of vegetables that I received. When I receive the boxes it is easier to plan around the vegetables that arrive as opposed to planning before shopping. But we will be having a lot of vegetables in our meals which is great!

This is what we will be enjoying this week…

Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday Week 11 2017

What a funny old week last week was. The hubby was home poorly on Monday and Tuesday so I really was off my Slimming World eating plan. But we did stick to the meal plan and we had all of the meals. The hubby even cooked a meal last week which was lovely.

Last week I visited a project that had received funding from Comic Relief. The project is a weekly group that is run to help women who have mental health problems due to domestic violence. I am going to be writing about my visit this week but I was surprised by how much it affected me. But I will explain more later in the week. 

Friday's weigh in was not great. But I knew that it was not going to be. I had been so off plan there was no way I was going to have a loss. I gained 1.5lbs which I am fine with. I did get to the gym last week and spent 2 hours there working out and I am really starting to enjoy it. I have also set myself a huge target. I have signed up to do Race for Life in June. I cannot run 1k let alone 5, but I am going to start training so that I will be able to run, jog, walk the 5k to help raise money for cancer research. 

Now onto this weeks meal plan. As we are trying to keep our shopping bill down I am trying to use what we have in. So I have written my plan accordingly. We have plenty of food in the freezer so I am using as much of it as I can.

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

Weekly Meal Plan - Week 11 2017

Irish Shepherd's Pie

In preparation for St Patrick's day we will be starting the week with an Irish shepherd's pie. I will be sharing my recipe tomorrow!

Butternut Squash and Lentil Stew

This is a recipe that I have seen in one of my Slimming World books. I will be adapting it slightly according to our taste and so that it is low in FODMAP's for the hubby. I will also be cooking some pork for the hubby to have with his stew.

Gluten Free Lasagne

On Wednesday I am planning to make a lasagne using one of the new gluten free mixes that I tried at the Schwartz event. I am looking forward to seeing what the family think of the lovely sauces.

Aromatic Mexican Chicken

This is another Slimming World meal. The recipe uses turkey but as I do not have any turkey in the freezer I will be using chicken instead.

Date Night

Friday's are when the hubby and I enjoy a bit of time together. Once the kids are in bed and J is upstairs in his room playing we have some food and watch a film. This week we will either have fish or a ready meal.

Tuna and Sweetcorn Fritters

I will be making these fritters and serving them with SW chips and salad.

There, that is another week planned! What do you have planned for the week? If you write a meal plan feel free to join in with the #MealPlanningMonday blog hop!

Hope you have a delicious week x

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Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday Week 10 2017

Hello and welcome to week 10 of #MealPlanningMonday.

Last week flew by. Between the children returning to school, a visit to the gym, an event in London and a poorly husband I do not know where the week has gone!

Until Thursday the meal plan was going well. After a late night on Wednesday and the hubby being ill all we wanted on Thursday was an easy meal. So I did not make the fish pie, again, as I had planned. The event that I went to last week with Schwartz was to introduce us to their new gluten free range. You can read all about the food and the products here. But I am really excited about this range and trying out lots of ideas that I have floating around in my head!

I was delighted with my weigh in in Friday. Gone was the pound and a half that I put on over half term plus an additional pound. This now means that I have reached the 30lbs lost mark! I am feeling so much better and healthier in myself since starting my weight loss journey and have rediscovered my love of food again!

This weeks meals have mainly be chosen by the hubby. While I was sat with my books, looking for inspiration he joined me and had a look through too. I have to admit that I was pleased with his choices!

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

Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday Week 9 2017

Hello and welcome to week 9 of #MealPlanningMonday.

Unfortunately last week did not go as planned. On Monday morning, the twins birthday, Little I woke up being sick so we did not have our day out like we had planned to. This was our week until Thursday! Stuck in and having snuggles. But Friday was a great day. The hubby had the day off so we took the twins and J out for a belated birthday treat. They had a McDonald's and we went to visit Uncle Henry's farm shop. We recently discovered this fantastic shop and it has now become a favourite place to visit. The children had an ice cream, the hubby and I selected some cheese and even a bottle of gin! After a walk through the walled garden to the forest snowdrop walk and a play in the park it was time for home. Friday felt like spring was finally getting closer!

My previous loss of 1.5lbs was sadly put back on last week. This was thanks to copious amounts of cake, alcohol being consumed after manic half term days stuck in and not having our daily school run walk. But I am fine with that as I went knowing I would have put something on. Last Thursday I did get to the gym to complete my induction and now have a tailor made routine and Tuesday is when I am going to set some time aside to go and start getting my fitness improved. This will also help with my weight loss.

With regards to last weeks meals we had all but two of what was planned. As the hubby had Friday off we had a treat night and the other meal did not get made due to a manic day. This week we are back with healthy meals as what I put on will definitely be coming off at my next weigh in!

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

Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday Week 8 2017

Hello and welcome to week 8 of #MealPlanningMonday!

This week is going to be a busy week as the children are on their half term holidays. Today is also the twins 5th birthday so it is going to be an exciting day for them. Yesterday we celebrated their birthday with family and today we will be going to see a film at the cinema as the hubby is at work. But we will be spending the day together as a family on Friday as he has the day off.

Last weeks meal plan was a success. There was a meal that was swapped as I forgot when I was planning our meals that Tuesday was Valentine's day so the hubby and I had Friday's steak dinner on Tuesday and changed Friday's dinner to a Slimming World curry night.

Last weeks Slimming World weigh in was not a huge loss but still a milestone of a loss. Last week I lost 1.5lbs which has finally taken me over the 2 stone mark! I have now lost a total of 29lbs and have reached a new number so I was delighted!

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

Weekly Meal Plan - Week 8 2017

Monday - Spaghetti Bolognese

As Monday is the twins birthday I will be making one of their favourite dinners, spaghetti bolognese and of course birthday cake!

Tuesday - Grilled Salmon, Jacket Potatoes and Vegetables

We have not had salmon in a while so I will be grilling some on Tuesday and serving it with jacket potatoes and Mediterranean vegetables.

Wednesday - Gammon, Pineapple, Egg and SW Chips

I saw a picture of gammon and pineapple the other day and have wanted it ever since! So this week we will be having gammon with pineapple, fried eggs and Slimming World friendly chips.

Thursday - Slow Cooked Beef

While I was listing what we had in the freezer I found a joint of beef which I am planning to cook this week in my Pressure King Pro and served with potatoes, vegetables and dumplings.

Friday - Fish, Chips and Mushy Peas

I love fish and chips so we will be finishing the week with them. Also it is a great easy meal as I do not know what we will be doing on Friday yet.

Saturday - Homemade Burgers

I love homemade burgers and will be making some on Saturday to have with jacket potatoes and salad.

What do you have planned for the week? Are your children on half term or did they have last week off?

If you write a meal plan feel free to join in with the #MealPlanningMonday blog hop!

Hope you have a great week x

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