Meal Planning Monday; 25th February 2013

Hello everybody! I swear Monday seems to come round quicker than it did the week before! I think time's going so quickly because we're moving this weekend! Poor old hubby gets dispatched to his parents every weekend this month with about six bags (carrier bags before anyone thinks I/we hoard too much) full of stuff (mostly toys/my baking gear) to store in our new home/area.

Also we had Bubbah's first birthday on Friday so the whole day was spent on him with presents, treat food, helium balloons and bubbles galore! He was thoroughly spoilt and I think some major toy sorting out will be required once we're settled because no child need as many toys as he has!

Bubbah playing with a birthday banner rather than all his new toys!

As with last week's plan we're playing clean out the freezer this week. Our plan is quite simple and quite meaty (courtesy of my past meat stock piling) but hubby has some vegetable bakes to use up as well so I'm sure he'll be fine (he's gone off meat altogether recently) when I'm chomping away on my meals.

This week's plan;

• Hunters sausage (I added sausage to our hunters chicken the other week to bulk out the sauce and froze what wasn't eaten)
• Cheesy chicken, bacon and mushroom pasta bake - this went down REALLY well last week and I have bacon scraps and chicken pieces to use up in the freezer
• Bacon wrapped chicken - again using chicken from the freezer probably with some form of potato
• Pizza with wedges, onion rings and garlic bread
• Sausage and chips or toad in the hole depending on how bothered I feel about making up the Yorkshire

Lunches will be mini pizzas, cracked black pepper and sea salt breaded fish (fancy! This is shop bought before anyone thinks I'm a whizz with fish, special offers are a wonderful thing when I'm the only one who likes fish) and bits and bobs of old meals such as bbq pulled pork.

I'll probably make a batch of cupcakes as well to use up the last of the jungle transfers from Bubbah's birthday cupcakes...

As always I'll be linked up to Mrs M so have a nosey over there to see everyone else's plans and have a good week!

Happy birthday Bubbah!

Today my gorgeous baby turned into a gorgeous toddler! We've spent today having cake, tearing down birthday banners, popping giant bubbles and chasing numerous balloons around the house!

Happy first birthday indeed!

Meal Planning Monday; 18th February 2013

This Monday morning finds me very annoyed with my phone (or rather the company t mobile recommended to fix it after telling me they wouldn't because it's no longer under warranty) as the keypad is broken. Half the keys don't work and the ones that do are either hyper sensitive or take about 5 minutes to register they've been pressed. Humph!

Last week's meal plan went quite well, although hubby missed a few meals for various reasons and our Valentines meal was changed to a Chinese take away. The hunters chicken went down very well, although I substituted chicken for turkey and added some sausage.

This week we're using up our freezer and cupboard stock as we're moving out at the end of the month! Just to my in-laws so we'll have a bit more space but we still need to use up all of our food here at my mum's!


Bubbah is also one this week(!) His birthday falls on a Friday so we'll be having a quiet day (with cupcakes) then spending all weekend doing various family visits.

So this week's meal plan is:

• lasagne (meat for me/veg for hubby)
• fish fingers and chips
• chicken and bacon cheesy mushroom pasta bake with garlic bread
• home made pizza with garlic bread
• breaded chicken with home made chips
• dinner at my dad's

As always, I'm linked up to Mrs M so head on over there to see what everyone else is cooking up this week.

Valentine's; my favourite couples

As it's the day of lurrrrve I decided to do a little post of my favourite couples...

 My grandparents (I don't have one of them together) celebrated their diamond anniversary last year. Over the course of their marriage they had 5 sons, 13 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren (what can I say, we're a big family!) I have watched my grandparents and their dedication to each other (my granddad fussing over my grandma, my grandma almost instinctively knowing what my granddad wanted/needed). They got together after my granddad's mum asked my grandma to write to him while he was in the war, she said she would but didn't have his address so couldn't. When he got back he pursued her and she eventually agreed to a date.

 The Ponds/Williams (aka Amy and Rory from Doctor Who) I just love how together these two are and the amazing lengths they go to in order to be together (aka Angels Take Manhattan)

 Doctor (10) and Rose another one from Doctor Who but I can't help it! I chose 10 as that's when they got their happy ending and I'm a sucker for one of those!

 Harvey and Sabrina Ah the couple of my childhood!

Lizzie and Gordo I remember watching Lizzie McGuire with my best friend and screaming at them to kiss by the end of the series. 

Allie and Noah (from the Notebook) you can't discount someone who's willing to write you a letter a day for a year and tells you your story long after you've forgotten about it

 Ron and Hermione (from Harry Potter) she lectures him, he winds her up, but they love each other

 Seth and Summer (from The O.C.) the coffee cart scene says it all

Chuck and Blair (from Gossip Girl) They bicker and scheme but always come back to each other. They're also probably the only ones who understand and don't give up on the other. 

The hand holding otters just because

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Shrove Tuesday!

Enjoy your pancakes!

Recipe binder: tomato free lasagne

Lasagne without tomatoes?! Say it isn't so! Bubbah can't tolerate tomatoes and I get irritated by them now if there's too much in a meal after abstaining from them for so long, so I made up a tomato free lasagne for us to enjoy. This works out quite well in our house as hubby prefers his lasagne to be meat free with lots of tomato so I just make up two and we eat what we want.

What you need

• Mince (approx 500-750g)
• Meat gravy (I use reduced salt and sugar from Sainsburys but I'd guess most places sell something like this)
• Veg (I use carrots, peas, sweetcorn, small amount of onion [again, too much irritates Bubbah and myself] and LOTS of mushrooms)
• Tiny amount of garlic (probably about 1/4 of a clove but I use the squeezy tube stuff)
• Herbs - e.g. sage, basil, oregano
• Pepper if you want it
• Lasagne sheets
• White or cheese sauce (melt butter, add flour and mix, add milk, alternate milk and flour to required thickness. Add cheese for cheese sauce)
• Grated cheese

What you do

• Put all the mince, veg and garlic/pepper in a giant pan (I use something that is part pan/part wok
• As the mince is nearly completely browned, add the meat gravy and herbs, mix altogether
• After about 20-30 mins remove from hob and place to the side

• Make up your white/cheese sauce
• In a deep dish layer as follows:
• Meat mix
• White/cheese sauce
• Lasagne sheets (if you pour boiling water over these while in a wide dish or something similar it helps soften them and makes it easier to mould to corners)
• White sauce
• On the last layer of white sauce, add the grated cheese

• Cook for 30 mins on gas mark 4

Enjoy with garlic bread or salad, or by itself!

This can be frozen and takes approx 5 minutes to defrost in the microwave - just make sure it's heated through the middle as well as this is the bit that takes the longest!

Meal Planning Monday; 11th Feb 2013

Hello there on this rather late snowy morning! As I type hubby is upstairs with a kidney infection and Bubbah is moping around downstairs with me suffering from a viral infection which has lasted about a week (and will hopefully end soon).

Just before it all went downhill, he was as smiley as usual

So last week's meal plan was quite a bust as Bubbah required coddling pretty much 24/7, thankfully we had a lot of batch cooking freezer stock to fall back on! I got struck down with food poisoning on Saturday (courtesy of a take away pizza) and my brother was over with his family on Sunday so there wasn't really much time to do a plan for this week. Add in only getting to the supermarket about half an hour before closing and I'd like to think my vague plan seems okay...

• lasagne (veg for hubby, meat for me) possibly with some garlic bread for a lovely VALENTINES MEAL
• veg bake for hubby, fish and curly fries for me
• home made pizza with garlic bread
• Either hunters turkey, or lemon and herb breaded turkey with chips
• chicken tikka with rice
• freezer meal for hubby and fish again for me OR sausages and curly fries depending on mood

Hopefully this week will work out a lot better!

Head on over to Mrs M to see what everyone else has going on!

50 things about me

So this list post is making its way around so many blogs I follow and I thought I'd give it a go. Here are 50 things about me...

1. I love interiors
2. I also love baking and cooking
3. Despite the fact I could never probably afford anything in them I still buy high fashion mags like Elle and Vogue
4. Top of my wishlist is a Zatchel or Cambridge Satchel Company satchel
5. Doctor Who is one of my favourite shows
6. I wish they'd never cancelled the O.C.
7. I'm fiercely protective regarding family
8. Reading is how I relax
9. I had a bath every single day in the last three months of my pregnancy
10. Lush (the shop), old books, and freshly baked bread are my favourite smells
11. I have WAY too many books
12. I didn't find out I was pregnant until I felt the first kick at 6 months
13. I did two years of my uni degree until I had to drop out...
14. ...but that was enough for me to gain a diploma in magazine journalism
15. I have written a novel
16. I'm more of a planner than an of-the-moment girl
17. My little Bubbah's laugh is possibly my favourite sound in the whole wide world
18. I'm a stickler for grammar and spelling
19. Finding really old books for not very much seems to be something I have a knack for
20. A first edition Enid Blyton (Famous Five, naturally) is my best find
21. Beauty and the Beast is my favourite Disney film
22. My dad banned the film The Snowman from our house when I was younger because I used to get so upset when the snowman melted!
23. I aim to write a letter to Bubbah every year for his birthday in a Moleskin notebook and then give it to him on his 18th birthday
24. I rip out the question/health/development/guides pages from baby magazines and store them away
25. Dominos Honey and Mustard sauce is amazing and the day I can replicate it will be a very happy day for me indeed
26. I like musicals
27. Until uni I never thought I'd enjoy going to the ballet, but then one of my best friends took me to see Romeo and Juliet and I fell in love with it
28. At university I was fashion and beauty editor for our online magazine
29. I own far too many nail varnishes but can't seem to resist buying new shades
30. I met Kate Nash and she told me I was lovely (which made me very happy)
31. University was probably one of the greatest experiences of my life
32. My parents divorced when I was seven
33. My dad remarried when I was fourteen and I was a bridesmaid
34. Until I was about fifteen I refused to wear dresses
35. I can't walk very well in high heels
36. Taylor Swift is my favourite singer
37. I have been to see Taylor Swift in concert every time she's been in the UK, with the same person
38. At the last concert I went to Taylor walked right past my seat and she held my hand (very briefly)
39. At Clothes Show I met Dave Berry, Richard Fleeshman and Sheridan Smith
40. This year, I have made it my goal to learn how to knit
41. I have a sequel planned to my novel in my head and intent to write it within the next year or two
42. When I was younger (about six) I wanted to be a vet until I realised you'd have to put animals to sleep
43. I come from a massive family; I have eleven cousins, six uncles and aunts for starters!
44. Until just before I was born my mum considered calling me Kimberly
45. I own a vintage Chanel purse, bought for £9 from a vintage shop!
46. At university I could manage a weekly shop on £10 a week
47. My hidden talent is being able to kick butt at Spot the Intro style games
48. I was Cinderella in my year 5 school play and it's been one of my proudest moments
49. Museums amaze me rather than bore me
50. When I was younger I'd max out my library card each week and would often have to get books out on my mum's library card to get all the books I wanted!

And that's 50 things you probably didn't care to know about me ;)

Meal Planning Monday; 4th February 2012

Happy Monday everyone! Hopefully we're back to normal weather everywhere now, although we certainly had some extremely windy days that had me chasing our recycling bins all over the place (and one neighbour kindly returning one back for me from halfway down the road).

Last week's meal plan pretty much went to pot! No real reason why, it was just one of those weeks I guess! I think I had fish pie one day while hubby sampled my Polish cooking from my cooking class, we had mac n cheese (and I had it again at a later date), hubby skipped dinner altogether one night and we had sausages and chips another. Pizza was about the only meal that stuck!


Bubbah's teeth are finally starting to show up in pictures and to celebrate tooth number six finally breaking through after three weeks of painful teething Bubbah decided to stay up until midnight walking all over the place (like an old school Thunder Bird puppet) and growling (his new thing) as he did so.

But I'm not ready to go to bed yet mum!

This week I'm hoping to get us back on the meal planning road as I've noticed we tend to overspend and overeat when we don't...oops!


So, without further ado, this week's meals are:

• mac n cheese
• home made pizza and garlic bread
• hunters chicken
• freezer meal for hubby, leftover hunters chicken for me
• veg soup for hubby, lasagne for me (if I can be bothered to make it)
• Italian offerings from my cooking class (something to do with salmon apparently)

I'll also be baking this week as I missed doing it last week and really noticed the difference (aka I went and bought lots of cake because I hadn't made any) plus I think I'll want something comforting after my granddad's funeral on Thursday.

As always I shall be linked up to Mrs M so pop on over there and see what everyone else is cooking up!