Weekly Meal Plan and Week Ahead - Week Commencing 14th November 2016

Last week was amazing but tiring. Spending two days travelling for five hours really took it out of me but having the opportunity to visit the legendary River Cottage made it worth it! I am in the process of writing up a blog post that will be live this week telling you all about my adventures but I will tell you that the food was out of this world, it was simply outstanding, and I got to stand at the table where Hugh works his magic.

Despite eating out on Tuesday and drinking wine I was surprised to find that I had lost 1.5lbs. I went to Slimming World hoping to maintain last weeks loss so when I saw that I had another loss I was delighted. So far I have lost 10.5lbs and am aiming to loose 3.5lbs this week so that I can get my first stone off. After just four weeks I have found that I have started to automatically select the healthier foods.

This week I am starting my Christmas blog posts. I am going to be sharing my top Christmas foodie tips as well as healthier Christmas treats. Tomorrow I am going to be outlining my Christmas posts and introducing some of this seasons must have foodie treats.

Now back to this weeks meal plan. This is what we will be enjoying this week...

Degustabox October Contents and Tomato Pasta Soup Recipe

It is that time of the month again, it is time for me to tell you all about what came in this months Degustabox. October's Degustabox was loved by the kids and the hubby. There were so many treats that they could not wait to enjoy. 

For this months post I am going to be telling you about the products, but I am also going to share with you a simple recipe for a tomato pasta soup, or as the kids called it, Minion soup

Before I tell you about my soup let me show and tell you about what other products we received. This is what came in our last Degustabox...

Living off the Grid

How many times have you looked around your house and looked at all of the electrical items that we constantly use? Not many times I bet, I know that we don’t. So when Flogas asked me what I would miss if I was to live off the grid it really did get me thinking about the things that we all take for granted. We all automatically turn on the hot taps and expect hot water, we all flick a switch for light and always go to the fridge for cold milk.

Courtesy of Pixabay

The foodie that I am, I would definitely miss my kitchen amenities. I would miss being able to go in the kitchen and put the kettle on for a drink or putting the oven on to bake and cook our meals. Having the electricity to keep food in the fridge and being able to freeze food to keep for longer. When you take a moment to think about how much we rely on having these creature comforts you realise how they are taken for granted.

Smoked Haddock and Black Tiger Prawn Fat Free Veggie Noodles

If there is one way of serving vegetables that I love it has to be in noodles. I love using my spiraliser and am always looking for new ways to use them in our meals. They are not only a great way to get more vegetables into our diets but a quick and easy way to prepare vegetables.

Today's recipe with Aldi is all about the delicious fresh products that are available in Aldi. In this recipe I have combined two different vegetables to create bright noodles. Paired them with some lovely smoked fish and black tiger prawns then used some great, fat free Quark to make a creamy sauce.

Now that Halloween and bonfire night are done for yet another year you know what is coming. Yes, as of next week Tuesdays are going to be all about Christmas with Aldi. Last year I focused on how to have a budget Christmas. This year I am going to be showing you how Aldi can not only help you save money this Christmas but how they provide top quality food and drinks at the bargain price that we have grown to expect from Aldi. Next week I am going to be telling you about the Christmas in July event that I went to where I had a preview of their Christmas range. I am not going to disclose too much today, but I was extremely impressed with what I saw and am excited to showcase some of their best products. You can have a sneak peak at their Christmas products here. I will also be telling you what I will be covering over the coming weeks.

Now back to today. This is what I did...

#CookBlogShare Week 44 Round Up - Recipes with a Twist

Last week it was my turn to host the #CookBlogShare linky and it was lovely to see such a wide variety of recipes shared. I was certainly left feeling hungry after reading all of the posts. When it came to selecting four recipes that shared a common theme it was difficult. There were lovely bakes, wholesome dinners and delectable desserts! There really was a mixture of all sorts.

For this weeks round up I have decided to go for four recipes that are not what they first seem. They are all recipes that go much further than what the pictures make you believe that they are. All four of these recipes have an added twist that makes them special.

Here are my four favourite recipes from week 44 of CookBlogShare...

Weekly Meal Plan - Week Commencing 7th November 2016

Hello and welcome to my weekly meal plan. This week is an exciting week for me. Last night J and I went to see Bring Me The Horizon is Sheffield and we had an amazing time. However we did have a late night so today I am definitely feeling it. But tomorrow will be even busier! Tomorrow I am leaving North Lincolnshire and travelling all the way down to Dorset! I am so excited and feeling extremely lucky to be visiting River Cottage for a festive feast with the great team over at Tots100 and Foodies100. We have always loved River Cottage and especially Hugh's ethos on living and food. So keep an eye out for lots of pictures and a post all about the evening!

This weeks meals, for me, are going to be following the SP Slimming World food plan. My meals will consist of just speedy free foods and protein packed free foods. This is a great way to accelerate weight loss, but in my case, this week, I am hoping that it will counterbalance the foods and drinks that I will be consuming on Tuesday. Last week I lost a whopping 5lbs and have now crossed my first half stone milestone and I do not want it to go back on. I am feeling so much better following the healthier eating plan and really enjoying my meals.

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