Weekly Meal Plan - #MealPlanningMonday Week 31

Hello and welcome to week 31 of MealPlanningMonday!

Please excuse my absence last week. We had a lovely weekend away and did not get home until late on Sunday, hence no meal plan in place! Last week the twins and I were at school and work until Tuesday so a busy weekend was followed my a manic two days for me doing all of my end of year work. But now we are well and truly in holiday mode! This week is going to be all about planning for our holiday. We are going on our first camping holiday. We recently bought a tent to enable us to get away more. Holiday cottages are so expensive so we hope that this will give us some lovely cheap getaways.

This weeks meals are going to be easy meals that do not require much effort. To help I have got a couple of review meals that we will be indulging in this week. I have some delicious Charlie Bighams meals and some super tasty and quick Dell'Ugo pasta and gnocchi dishes.

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

Raspberry and Blackcurrant Meringue Pie - A kMix Recipe

Last week I told you how to make my super yummy Raspberry and Blackcurrant Curd and this week I am going to share a recipe that is a perfect way to use some of that curd. My Raspberry and Blackcurrant Meringue Pie is a delicious alternative to the traditional lemon meringue and one that we all love!

Ever since trying the kMix a few weeks ago to make my lemon and lime meringue pie I have wanted to make more meringue, which as we have chickens and get a lot of eggs it is a great way to use some of them up! Since using the Kenwood stand mixer to make meringues gone are the days of collapsed meringue. Using the kMix they come out so fluffy and with very little effort from me. The kMix does all the hard work and lets me show off my puddings! 

If you love meringue pies, this dessert will not disappoint. The sharp but sweet flavour from the curd accompanied by the fluffy meringue and the sweet pastry will leave any diner coming back for more!

This is what I did...

#CookBlogShare 2017 Week 30 - Plus a Catch Up

Hello and welcome to week 30 of #CookBlogShare.

Wow week 30! Where have the weeks gone?

For this weeks CookBlogShare post I am doing something a little different as a one off. This week I am going to have a catch up with you all. To be completely honest I am shattered and forgot all about writing this post until last minute, yes even us bloggers forget! Over the weekend we attended a beautiful wedding across the other side of the country so last night was a late night and end of the school year work has left me well a truly exhausted. But the good news is that tomorrow is my last working day until September! I am certainly looking forward to catching up with everyone from the CookBlogShare gang!

So what have we been up to? Well the weekends have been full of family time and relaxing. Plus we have had a couple of lovely visits to RHS Harlow Carr which is only an hours drive away. Best of all is the Betty's tea room that is there. When we go we always stock up on fat rascals, Betty's apple and juniper tea, coffee and sweet treats. Slimming World would certainly not approve! But hey, you have got to live a little haven't you?

Take a look at these gorgeous sweet treats...

Quick and Easy Chicken Curry - A Perfect Midweek Meal

Since returning to work full time I have been trying new, quick and easy meals. Ones that can be made in no time, without the stress of a lot of preparation and meals which are healthy and will please the whole family.

Last week I decided to go for a family favourite, curry. Curries do not always require long marinading time to be tasty and this recipe is proof. Ready in just over 30 minutes this is a meal that can be made easily but more importantly it is a lot healthier than grabbing a take away, not to mention cheaper!

Pair this curry with some rich turmeric and cardamon rice or as my children wanted, rice and beans, naan breads, poppadoms and dips and you have got a meal that has been transformed into a feast!

This is what I did...

How Healthy is your Lunch?

Since returning to work full time I have really struggled with what to have for lunch. I will admit to getting lazy and fed up with sandwiches. On the odd occasion I have called into Tesco on my way to work and picked something up. I tend to go for their salads but have also been tempted with their delicious wraps. This is not always good for my diet or for my pocket! So when I saw this infographic from TrustTwo I thought that I would share it with you as it certainly did open my eyes!

Raspberry and Blackcurrant Curd

After the hubby built the fruit frame a couple of years ago each year we have had more and more berries to harvest. This year is no exception. I do normally make jam but this year wanted to make something different and something a bit more versatile. So I decided to make a curd. We all love the creamier texture of a curd and it is perfect spread on hot toast, warm, fresh bread, scones and it ideal for a meringue pie!

Next week I have got a summer meringue pie recipe to share but before I do I thought that I would share with you how to make the basic curd. This curd can be the basis of so many different bakes and recipes. So expect to see more recipes that use this curd as I am sure that we will get a lot more berries over the season!

This is what I did...