Weekly Meal Plan - Week Commencing 31st October 2016

Wow, tomorrow is November! The months are certainly flying by. The beginning of November is going to be a busy and exciting week. On Sunday J and I are going to his first ever concert. I am taking him to see Bring Me The Horizon and I cannot wait to be with him for his first concert. I think my son is going to be my concert buddy! Then next week I will be enjoying a festive feast at River Cottage with Foodies100. I love River Cottage and still can't quite believe that I am going!

Last week was half term and the meal plan went smoothly, especially the lunch time plan. It was such a success and easier I am going to continue planning my lunches as well as dinners.

Unfortunately my weigh in did not go as planned. I actually put on half a pound which I am going to put down to half term and not get down about it. Yes I was disappointed but this week is a new week.

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

8 Easy Halloween Cupcake Decoration

Halloween is upon us again and the kids always want some deliciously spooky treats. Last year I shared with you some healthy fruity treats, the year before I shared a spider web pizza along with banana ghouls and mini pumpkin pies. This year I thought that I would share my top, easy cupcake decorations. Time can be a big issue when it comes to decorating cakes and creating a spooky treat. All 8 of the following ideas are quick, easy and child friendly. Get the kids in the kitchen and let their imagination go wild!

Aldi have challenged me to create a Halloween themed bake using their products. In the past I have told you about their fantastic baking range The Pantry, which I have used in today's bake along with some great products that made the perfect toppers.

Here are my 8 easy Halloween cupcake decorations...

Love it or Hate it Cottage Pie

This is going to be one of those love it or hate it recipes and one that I know will certainly divide my audience but it is just too good to go unshared!

I have recently joined a local Slimming World group, which I am planning to tell you more about soon. Changing the foods that I can eat freely has made me look at healthier alternatives and ways to add more flavour to meals. Cottage Pie is a firm family favourite but I usually thicken the stock with gravy granules. But, if you follow the Slimming World plan you will know, gravy is not a free food. This got me thinking of a different ingredient that was not only free but would also do the job. The magic ingredient did an amazing job, it thickened the stock to a gravy consistency and added a delicious depth of flavour!

The secret ingredient is Marmite! Hence me calling this my Love it or Hate it Cottage Pie. Even if you are not a lover of Marmite this dish is definitely worth a try. The two boys hate Marmite in sandwiches but loved this cottage pie and still have no idea what I used!

This is what I did...

Finding the Perfect Autumn Winter Boots from Hotter

As much as I enjoy the summer, I always look forward to autumn arriving. There is something so comforting about autumn. Watching the leaves in the trees change from green to brown, cooking plenty of slow cooked meals, getting the jumpers out again and of course changing footwear! One of my favourite things about autumn is being able to get my boots out again. The flip flops have been put away and it is all about the boots. Even though I have plenty of boots a new years season definitely deserves a new pair of boots!

This got me searching for this years style. When I buy boots and shoes I am all for comfort before height of fashion. Gone are the days when all I want to wear are high heels, I now have kids to run around after, school runs to do, dogs to walk, chickens and rabbits to tend to. As much as I look for comfort I also want a pair of boots that look good! My ideal boots are ones that go with jeans or leggings but will also go with a long winter dress or with tights and a skirt.

When I was asked if I would like to try a pair of Hotter boots I jumped at the chance! In the past I always associated Hotter shoes with more mature wearers. However when I actually looked at what shoes they have to offer I was pleasantly surprised. I got my first pair of Hotter shoes earlier in the year and was instantly impressed. They stock both full and half sizes which, for me is ideal being a five and a half. My first Hotter shes were the the classic Shake shoes in a wonderfully summery cornflower blue. Over the spring and summer they were my go to shoes that went with all outfits.

Great Bloggers Bake Off - Savarin

As much as I love the Great British Bake Off I will admit that this year I have been a little disappointed with the themes *sorry* and I have found that on a number of weeks I have not been inspired to bake along. However as soon as I saw the technical from patisserie week I knew I had to have a go. I have never made a savarin before or, if I am honest, ever heard of it before. But I love yeast, sweet bread style cakes so knew that it would go down well here.

As always I was able to source all of the ingredients from my local Aldi. The ingredients are great and are low in price which is an added bonus! At the moment Aldi have got a lot of baking product that are on special buy and it was there I found a lovely non stick, premium bundt tin and an icing bag and nozzle set at a bargain price!

I will warn you that the savarin is a long bake. I started mine in the morning and it was finished in the evening. But it is a great bake and well worth the extra effort. As it needed a lot of time between steps I was able to do a bit, leave it and get on with other jobs and keep returning to the bake.

This is how I got on...

*UPDATE* Look what I received for my savarin!!!

Yes! I got a star baker award which I am over the moon about especially as I have never made one before and it was the technical challenge! Thank you Jenny for selecting my bake and for hosting the Great Bloggers Bake Off!

Weekly Meal Plan - Week Commencing 24th October 2016

The first half term for the children has been completed and we now have a week off! During the half term meal planning is even more important. As the twins have a hot school dinner in the evenings they have just been having a light meal so I am going the have to be organised. At the moment I am planning for us to all eat together in the evening, but if they are getting too hungry at lunchtime I will do them a hot dinner earlier. 

Last week I had my first Slimming World weigh in. Last week I was so good, I followed the plan 100% and was delighted to find that in my first week I had lost 4.5lbs! My target for this week is to loose 2.5lbs and get my first half stone award. So far, I am loving the food choices that the food plan is allowing me and have been eating a lot of free foods. My syns have mainly been a sneaky gin in the evening. However on Saturday the plan did go to pot. The day was manic, we have been redecorating J's bedroom and on Saturday we were putting up furniture, the kids were driving us crackers and I baked a Savarin! Cake and gin won and I enjoyed it. But from Sunday I was back on the plan and moving forward.

This week I am going to be paying particular attention to my lunches. With the children being at home snacking and picking is going to be more tempting so I need to plan even more.

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