Weekly Meal Plan - Week Commencing 7th March 2016

Meal planning time has soon come around again. At the end of the week I will be travelling down to Dorset for a foodie weekend with some other bloggers. But I am planning to cook an extra meal on Thursday for the hubby and children to have on Friday.

Last weeks meal plan did change. On Tuesday we still had some leftovers from the lentil cottage pie so we finished them off then. I had also planned a meal for Friday forgetting that the hubby and I were out. We enjoyed a date night at the cinema and had salad, cheese and bread with some nice wine when we got home.

This week I am planning a recipe using some lovely gluten free sausages that I have been sent, one fish recipe and the rest will be vegetarian.

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

Week Commencing 7th March 2016

Monday - Hubby's Mother's Day dinner leftovers

Yesterday the hubby cooked me a delicious Mother's Day meal of mushroom and quinoa nut roast. As there was some leftovers I am going to transform them into a pasta dish. With added chopped tomatoes and the nut roast chopped up I will have a mince meat textured sauce.

Tuesday - Cassoulet

I have been sent some gluten free sausages to try so I thought that a cassoulet would be a delicious way to try them. It will be packed with root vegetables and beans.

Wednesday - Kedgeree

Last time I made a kedgeree it was a huge success. When I found some smoked fish in my freezer I knew that everyone would enjoy this!

Thursday - Vegetable lasagne

I will be making my vegetable lasagne which is not only a healthier lasagne but is also Slimming World friendly and syn free!

Friday - Cottage Pie

I will be making a cottage pie on Thursday and leaving it for the hubby and kids for their dinner on Friday.

Saturday - Treat night

As I will be away on Saturday night the hubby is going to treat the kids to a pizza.

Do you meal plan? What have you got planned for your week?

As always I am sharing my meal plan with At Home with Mrs M - Meal Planning Monday

27th February - 4th March 2016 - One Picture Everyday For One Year

This week has been a tough one. I have had my medication for depression changed yet again. Thankfully the new one seems, so far, better than the last.

This week has seen a lazy weekend, a tea party, cake, flowers and walks through puddles. This is my week in pictures...

Saturday 27th February 2016

On Saturday I managed to have some crochet time which was lovely. I got behind a few days with my sky blanket but now I am almost caught up.

Sunday 28th February 2016

Introducing Super Yummies

As much as I try and steer the children away from snacks they do love them. But who doesn't! I am a believer in a bit of everything in moderation so snacks are definitely not banned in this house. But if I can offer the children a healthier alternative, I will.

That is why I was delighted to see the Cow and Gate have created Super Yummies. Super Yummies are Cow and Gates delicious new snack range that have been developed by both mums and nutritionists so you know that they are going to be both tasty and good for your little ones.

Butternut Squash and Chestnut Soup from Sunrise

Last year I tested a delicious Bailey's Cheesecake recipe that was sent from Sunrise Senior Living. So when they got in touch again and asked me to try out one of their new recipes I could not wait to see what new meals that had created.

The menus at Sunrise Senior Living are all created by Michelin star chefs and provide only the best quality of food to ensure that people in their care get all of the essential vitamins and nutrients from their meals. Not only do Sunrise provide excellent care but also serve delicious food!

After taking a good look at the menu I decided to have a go at making their Butternut Squash and Chestnut Soup. At this time of year soups are a perfect option for lunch on a cold day. They are a lot more satisfying that a boring old sandwich! Soups are not only delicious but they are a great way to consume more natural goodness.

Dining at Sunrise consists of...

• Tailored menus to meet residents’ individual dietary needs
• A choice of favourite classics, regional dishes, resident requests and healthy international recipes
• Finger food choices for residents who need easy-to-eat meals
• Crockery and cutlery designed to make dining easier for people living with dementia
• Fresh, seasonal ingredients chosen by our dining team
• Low-fat, low-sodium, high-fibre, high calcium, reduced-calorie, diabetic friendly and vegetarian choices
• Appetising and attractive food for people who find solids hard to swallow

This is how I got on making their soup...

Keeping Kids Safe in the Kitchen

Spending time in the kitchen, cooking or baking, with the children is an wonderful activity to do together. I find that when the children have helped to prepare, cook or bake food they are more likely to try and experiment with new foods. We all know that kitchen safety is important when cooking but when children are also in the kitchen it is even more important.

Today I thought that I would share with you my top tips for keeping little ones safe in the kitchen. These tips will be not only focus on cooking time but will also focus on everyday safety. I find that regularly checking not only refreshes my mind but also ensures that the children stay safe.

Fairtrade Fortnight - Fairtrade Banoffee with a Difference Cake

Yesterday marked the start of fairtrade fortnight. Fairtrade products are now widely available in all of your supermarkets. But people often believe that fairtrade items cost more money. Today I am going to show you that they are more affordable and more available than you may think.

Aldi stock fairtrade products and because it is fairtrade fortnight I thought that I would share with you my own fairtrade recipe using products from Aldi.

While I was shopping I picked up some fairtrade, organic bananas, fairtrade Colombian coffee, fairtrade Peruvian single origin chocolate and I could not resist some fairtrade roses!

Having these three main ingredients gave me a great idea for a cake. Here is my Banoffee with a Difference Cake. The difference being the "offee" is not toffee, it is coffee.

This is what I did...