Meal Planning Mondays Nov. 10th ~ 16th

A short post this week but I am delighted that I have finally finished reviewing another cookbook (so look out for my review of The Loving Kitchen later in the week!). This week therefore I have moved on to another book - The Third Thursday Community Potluck Cookbook - another Southern cookbook packed with recipes that I can't wait to try, so once again 'Meal Planning Mondays' meets 'Cooking the Books'! Great for us (with so many new recipes to try out) but not so great for you as there aren't too many links available for this week's menu. That combined with the fact that we are out this weekend for meals (yay!) means this week is a little on the short side for Meal Planning Monday so I'm going to share some of the things I will be making throughout the week instead.

I hope you all have a great week with family, friends and of course good food!!

Bacon & Broccoli Pasta

Italian Wedding Soup

Silky Butternut Squash Bisque

Fresh Dill-Feta Quick Bread

Cara Cara Cashew Chicken

Italian Meatballs in Hearty Italian Sauce

Chocolate Ice Cream

Meal Planning Mondays & Cooking the Books!

I have been so quiet lately as not only have I been super busy but I was also lucky enough to have my Mum, Sister and amazing nephew/ God Son stay with us for the last 3 weeks! It was so much fun and meant there was no time for blogging even though I was still planning my meals like normal and cooking up a storm (nothing like cooking for family - it is by far my favourite thing)! Now I have a bit more time so Meal Planning Mondays are back, however for the next few weeks I am going to be focusing on some book reviews that are long overdue! I love reviewing cookbooks and putting recipes to the test, however it doesn't make for very exciting Meal Plans for you since there are no or minimal links for recipes, so for the next few weeks forgive me and instead I hope you look forward to reading the reviews! Once I am caught up with the three books I am currently reviewing I'll be back with more recipe links, hopefully some new recipes as well as even more new and exciting book reviews!

So since we are already on Wednesday of this week rather than posting my usual Meal Planning Mondays Menu, here is a list of some of the things I will be making and eating this week (links included where possible):

Pasta in Creamy Savory Pumpkin Sauce

Curried Squash, Lentil & Coconut Soup

Lasagna Pinwheels

Halloween Cake Pops (hopefully will have a pic to share!)

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

Mint Chocolate Ice Cream

Cottage Herb Bread

French Onion Soup

Key Lime Pie

So there you have it! Next week will be much the same with recipes coming from the books I am reviewing. If you are interested to see what books I am cooking from here they are...

Have a great week folks x

Meal Planning Mondays Oct. 6th ~ 12th

Last week I was commenting on how Autumn was definitely here and so I guess it was only a matter of time before somebody got the first cold of the season! I was worried about it being Wee One with him being back at preschool and going to swimming and hockey lessons, but it turns out I am the first victim. Worse still it pretty much appeared out of nowhere and has knocked me for six! Anyway the good news is it's only a cold so I'm sure it will be gone in a couple of days!

This week is SUPER exciting because my Mum, Sister and beautiful nephew are coming to visit! Yay! We are so excited to see them (another reason why I need to get over this cold quickly!!) and are on full-on countdown! But we have a few days before their arrival and so I want to make the most of using up the food we have in the fridge. The Glad Fresh Food Challenge is going well and is really making me conscious of what I can save but I'll write more about that on Wednesday.

So what's on the menu this week? Well it seems like quite a lot of pasta! Saturday night's Cook Club was so much fun and everything worked out well. The theme was 70s food and it was just so much fun. The main course was fondue so I am using the leftover cheese and making a delicious Mac & Cheese for dinner tonight. Tomorrow is leftovers as we have lots! Still it makes for an easy meal so no complaints there. Wednesday night and I couldn't resist a delicious Middle Eastern Bowl which was featured in a supermarket magazine from the Summer. I'll admit it's not very Autumnal but I have all of the ingredients and it looks great. Thursday's meal is my classic Fresh Tomato Pasta - my standard recipe for family arriving after a long journey! It's delicious but not too heavy and we all love it. Friday is our standard hockey night so I am hoping to make something in the Slow Cooker but I'm still undecided as to what at this moment but I'll update it as soon as I have decided. For Saturday I couldn't resist my homemade BBQ'd Pizza and then Sunday we will be with family celebrating Thanksgiving!

So there you have it! Have a great week everyone with family, friends and of course, lots of good food! x

 Monday October 6th ~ 12th

                                  Monday  -       Macaroni & Cheese 

                                  Tuesday -       Leftovers 
                                  Wednesday -  Middle Eastern Bowl

                                  Thursday -      Fresh Tomato Pasta & Salad

                                  Friday -          TBD 

                                  Saturday -      BBQ'd Pizza

                                  Sunday -        Thanksgiving Dinner with Family

Meal Planning Mondays Sept. 29th ~ Oct. 5th

Well Autumn/Fall is officially here and with it comes comfort food! I know I mentioned last week that I love the transition from lighter Summery meals to more warming comforting Autumn dishes but I really do! For about 3 days last week it absolutely poured with rain but since we were tucked up nice and warm inside (for the most part!) it was actually really nice to watch. When you have had an amazing Summer there is something very relaxing and enjoyable about watching rain lash against the windows, curled up with a hot cup of tea or even better a big bowl of steaming hot homemade soup. I absolutely love soup so it will start to feature pretty regularly in my meal plans, whether for lunch or dinner, I love how easy it is to make and the variations are endless! It's also great for using ingredients you have in the fridge that otherwise you are unsure what to do with, which brings me to my Meal Plan for this week. I am excited to be taking part in the Glad Fresh Food Challenge which starts on Wednesday October 1st. The challenge is to not waste ANY food at all - nothing, not even a piece of lettuce, for 2 weeks. I'm not going to lie, after just throwing away the remains of our Bread Salad that we had last week I am happy to be accepting this challenge because I really hate to waste food which is something that I know the majority of us do. I'll write more about the challenge on Wednesday and I'll be updating on my Facebook page daily with how I am getting on and will honestly report any food that I need to throw out with the reasons why.... In the meantime though here is this week's meal plan!

Tonight is good old leftovers - my new favourite for Mondays! Tomorrow is once again about using up leftovers but this time I am taking them and transforming then into a new meal. Last night we had Barbecued Pork Chops so I'm going to take the leftover Pork and make my Pork & Udon Noodle Soup. Wednesday (and the start of my challenge) and we have a very busy day so it has to be something quick and easy so I'm making my Leek Carbonara. Thursday isn't so busy so I am going to make Chicken Korma, a favourite in our house. Again I'm using up what I have so that I don't need to buy anything but more so so that I don't waste anything. Friday and it's back to Slow Cooker Friday's and this time I am putting my chilli to the test by making it in the Slow Cooker which I have never done. Here's hoping it goes according to plan but I see no reason why it shouldn't work! Saturday and I'm excited as we are hosting Cook Club. As of now the theme is a surprise but I'll update once it's done. Finally Sunday is our usual undecided meal for now as it really depends on what we decide to do! As for now I'm off to experiment with a new recipe for soup! (I told you soup is going to feature a lot!) I have a beautiful yellow courgette needing used as well as a leek. I could make Nigella's Happiness Soup but I am in the mood for something smooth and creamy... I'll let you know how I get on!

So there you have it! Have a great week everyone with family, friends and of course, lots of good food! x

 Monday September 29th ~ Oct. 5th

                                  Monday  -       Leftovers 

                                  Tuesday -       Pork & Udon Noodle Soup
                                  Wednesday -  Leek Carbonara Tomato & Pea Pasta

                                  Thursday -     Chicken Korma with Basmati Rice

                                  Friday -          Spaghetti Bolognese  

                                  Saturday -      Cook Club 

                                  Sunday -        Barbecue Beef Stew with Fresh Pasta

Meal Planning Mondays Sept. 22nd ~ 28th

Well today is officially the first day of Autumn and it certainly feels like it! After the most amazing send-off to Summer at the weekend (temps of 27C and nothing but clear blue skies) the clouds rolled in yesterday and today it hasn't stopped raining! Still no complaints here (other than I couldn't find ANY of my umbrellas this morning!) as it really has been the most amazing Summer ever. So now I am caught between using up the last of the best Summer ingredients and starting to edge more towards warming Autumnal Soups, Stews and Roasts. I'll be honest I like this time of year and I love the food so I'm looking forward to making the transition.

Meal Planning Mondays Sept. 15th ~ 21st

This week's meal plan is more than a little late to say the least! The reason being that I actually wasn't going to do one... Initially I had no links so it seemed a little pointless but then as the week went by things changed and in a bid to completely clean out my fridge I found some great new recipes to try which do have links! (Thank you BBC Good Food!) The downside to that is that I am desperate to try some new recipes from books that I am meant to be reviewing so unfortunately they have been postponed another week, however I will have the reviews up soon!

Meal Planning Mondays Sept. 8th ~ 14th

Well I survived the Birthday weekend and I have to say, it was great although I did spend 3 days cooking and baking for it! Still it was well worth all the effort! On Saturday we had a lovely time with friends and all of the kids so it was a great catch up with lots of good company and tons of great food! As I posted on last week's meal plan we had Burgers and I made a giant batch of Coleslaw for everyone as it also disappears so fast. There were so many other salads that had been made (Pasta Salad, Bean Salad, Tomato & Cucumber Salad) as well as lots of fresh, local Corn on the Cob and roasted potatoes and vegetables! It was a true feast and it was finished off with lots of Cupcakes (Vanilla & Mint Chocolate), Top Hats, Krispie Cakes and 3 delicious cheesecakes! You certainly can't complain about that!! The weather was absolutely beautiful and it really was just a perfect party.

Meal Planning Mondays Sept. 1st ~ 7th

I love long weekends.... In fact I think that Monday's should always be a holiday!! Although with it being Labour Day I don't like the idea that Summer is now technically over.... I'm hopeful that Mother Nature thinks otherwise and we see a final burst of sun before Autumn takes over!

Last week once again saw a few changes to our meal plan... The Nicoise Pasta made so much (and that was with me messing up and putting in 50 grams less pasta than suggested!) that it pretty much lasted us for 3 days! So the Risotto was pushed to Friday, Pizza was Saturday and once again Burgers were kyboshed!! This week however we are absolutely having Burgers! Seriously!!

Meal Planning Mondays August 25th ~ 31st

Wow, another week has flown by and I'm having a hard time remembering where it went! After Mum & Dad flew back home I tried to keep Ben and I as busy as possible so we had trips to the beach, parks and visiting our family here. All of which were fantastic and definitely distracted us from how quiet the house was. Thankfully we are lucky enough to still be enjoying a beautiful Summer, unlike poor Mum & Dad (and everyone else in Scotland I think!) who returned to jumpers and the fire on! Scott was also away most of last week so once he was home we made the most of our weekend and spent the majority of it on the boat which was the perfect way to spend our Saturday and Sunday.....Chilled out, relaxing, enjoying the sun, a spot of fishing and I even went swimming in the lake for the first time ever! Quiet an achievement for me since I don't like cold water at all!

There was a slight variation to last week's meal plan after a trip to the supermarket on Friday where I spotted the most wonderful looking fresh tuna on sale so I of course just had to buy it! After a quick think of how to serve it I decided on a Tuna Niçoise Salad which has become a new favourite of mine. I improvised a little to use up some extra things in the fridge and it turned out to be the 'Ultimate Tuna Niçoise' which was absolutely delicious! Since we had that on Friday the Quesadillas were moved to Sunday night (perfect quick meal after a day on the ocean) so no burgers last week meaning we'll be having them this week most likely, especially if we go out on the boat. If the weather doesn't cooperate this weekend (as the forecast is predicting at this point!) then I might go for something a little more Autumnal and take inspiration from one of the cookbooks I am currently reviewing.

So onto this week's meal plan and I am once again making the most of what we have in the fridge. My plan is to clear the fridge up completely so that come next Monday (and scarily the start of September!) I can start afresh and do the giant shop that is needing to be done (once I have room!). I'm also excited this week to finally be enjoying the few but very delicious tomatoes we have growing in the garden which I will use in Tuesday's pasta dish. Monday is a new recipe that I am promising to have on the blog later on in the week. This is such a delicious quick and easy meal and perfect for Meat Free Mondays. Wednesday and I'm using up the leftover Tomato Sauce from last weeks Arrabiata which I popped in the freezer. I'm adding to it some beautifully spiced Chorizo but you could easily miss that out for another fantastic vegetarian meal. Thursday and I am assuming we will have some leftovers needing eaten and then Friday I'm excited to try a new recipe from a cookbook that I am reviewing. The weekend is always iffy as it really depends on the weather and what we get up to, especially this weekend as it's a long weekend here in Canada, but for now I'm happy with the idea of Burgers. If it changes then c'est la vie!

So there you have it! Have a great week everyone with family, friends and of course, lots of good food! x

 Monday August 25th - 31st

                                  Monday  -       Grilled Halloumi with Quinoa & Beetroot Salad (new recipe!)

                                  Tuesday -        Niçoise Pasta (using tomatoes from the garden)
                                  Wednesday -   Spicy Tomato & Chorizo Risotto

                                  Thursday -       Leftovers 

                                  Friday -           Fig Pizza (from The Macaroni's in the Basement)

                                  Saturday -       Burgers or Porcetta (from above-mentioned book)

                                  Sunday -         Dinner with family

Meal Planning Mondays August 18th ~ 24th

Well after a longer than normal absence from blogging I'm finally back! It's been a busy month but a fantastic one as I have had my parents and aunt over to stay and therefore have been making the most of Summer and family and generally just having a great time! As always the time flew by but within the 4 weeks we had a great 2 weeks in Whistler where we went for daily bike rides, hikes, many trips up the mountains, to the lakes and of course enjoyed many delicious lunches out and about! Lucky for me this included going to Araxi for my Birthday treat from Scott where I had (again!) one of the best things I have ever eaten - Steamed Asian Buns with Duck Confit served with a Cucumber Salad.... Delicious doesn't even come close to describing how unbelievably good it was so you are just going to have to take my word when I say it is definitely in my Top 5 best things I have EVER eaten!!

As well as our 2 weeks in Whistler we also managed to fit in a couple of trips on the boat and a weekend camping so really it was a great time that I will always remember. As always for me food featured heavily and during our time we feasted on many, many wonderful meals including our Best Ever Ribs, Curries, lots of pasta dishes (ideal holiday meals!), Steaks, Burgers and even a deliciously fragrant but light Thai Chicken Soup which was ideal after a long days hiking as it was quick and easy but also nourishing and very satisfying. Holidays for me always have to include delicious meals, they just have to be simple and straightforward but still packed with flavour and all of our meals were just that!

The downside to the last 4 weeks was that after returning from Whistler my laptop finally decided to pack it in and crashed in spectacular style and wiped everything. Of course it is my own fault as it has been acting up for a while and rather than backing things up I kept thinking - I'll do it next week..... so no back up this year. Stupid I know but it is what it is. I think I have most photographs but I have lost a few blogging things such as book reviews I was working on but also my recipe for 'Scott's Best Ever Ribs'. I'm just hoping I can remember what I changed from the original recipe but we may need to do a couple of tests to make absolutely sure it is just right!! I'm really disappointed about the book reviews that I have lost but I'll get there with getting them back and I have lots of  other book reviews coming up which I am super excited about testing.

So what's on the menu this week?! We started it off well with Chicken wrapped in Prosciutto which I served with a fresh Tomato Sauce, Caesar Salad and plenty of French Bread. Tuesday was all about leftovers and with enough steak leftover from the weekend Ben & I were treated to Steak Baguettes which we both devoured. On to Wednesday and Ben was desperate for Pasta ("tubes") with tomato sauce (his all time favourite!) so I made a tame version of my Arrabiata for a quick and easy mid-week meal which we love (with extra chillies on the side for me!). I am very excited about tonight's meal as I am debuting my brand new bread maker so we will hopefully enjoy some delicious homemade bread with a big bowl of Courgette, Potato & Cheddar Soup, thanks to our good friends who gave us one of their amazing giant courgettes/zucchinis fresh from their garden. Tomorrow night once again is all about clearing out the fridge as we have so many little bits of this and that so I am making Quesadilla's - pizza style! It's the first time I have done it (that I can remember anyway!) but I don't anticipate any disasters, just a quick and easy delicious Friday night meal. Saturday and we are heading to friends for a BBQ and Sunday I imagine will be spent on the boat so I'm thinking perhaps Burgers when we get home as they are quick and easy to prepare and cook, not to mention a firm favourite in our house!

So there you have it! Have a great week everyone with family, friends and of course, lots of good food! x

 Monday August 18th - 24th

                                  Monday  -       Chicken wrapped in Prosciutto with Fresh Tomato Sauce; Caesar                                                                Salad & French Bread

                                  Tuesday -       Steak Baguettes
                                  Wednesday -  Penne Arrabiata

                                  Thursday -      Courgette, Potato & Cheddar Soup with Homemade Bread

                                  Friday -          Pizza Quesadillas (experiment!)

                                  Saturday -      BBQ at friends

                                  Sunday -        Burgers

                                                               

Meal Planning Mondays July 21st ~ 27th

Well after a fantastic weekend camping we are now home and back to the daily grind! Unfortunately the sun seems to be taking a bit of a holiday as well as it has clouded over and cooled down, but after the extreme temperatures of last week the cooler temps aren't too bad!

I'm so excited this week as Mum & Dad are coming to visit - yay! We have been on countdown for so long and finally it's just 1 more sleep until we get to see them. That means this week's Meal Plan is taking their arrival into account and I have also had a quick look at the weather forecast as well to make sure I'm not cooking for hours when it's 35C out! Tonight it's just Ben and I so I'm going for a quick and easy Mac & Cheese which he has been asking for for a while. Tomorrow and it's my all time favourite pasta dish - a super simple Fresh Tomato Sauce served with Penne Pasta. You never know how you are going to feel after travelling and being stuck on a plane for hours so I'll have this made up and ready to go but I'll also have lots of Antipasto as well in case Mum and Dad just feel like snacking. Either way I will be delighted as I absolutely love both dishes! Wednesday and with rain being on the forecast and all of the ingredients in the house already I thought a Thai Red Curry would be perfect. Unfortunately the chillies in the garden aren't quite ready but I always have plenty of fiery red chillies stashed in the fridge which I'll serve on the side so that Ben can enjoy it as well! Thursday is my Birthday(!) and my ideal evening is to hopefully sit out in the garden with a glass of Prosecco, a big sharing plate of antipasto and a super thin pizza cooked on the barbecue! Perfect! Now I can control the food but not the weather so here's hoping it cooperates so that we can relax outside. Friday and although I have a few ideas I'm not entirely sure so for now that's still to be decided but Saturday is all organised as we are having a big Birthday meal here. Not only is it my Birthday this week but it's my Mother-in-laws on Saturday and my Brother-in-laws on Sunday! (Busy week for my husband!) so every year we always get together to have a big family meal and this year we are hosting. I am keeping things really simple and everyone is helping out by making a dish or a starter/appetizer. The star of the show will be a delicious Spiral Ham that just needs warmed up and covered with a delicious sticky, sweet glaze. My Sister-in-law is making some Schwarties (delicious potato dish that Scott's family introduced me to and I now love, but Dauphinoise Potatoes would be just as good if you prefer). I'm going to make a big bowl of coleslaw and then will just serve a nice big green salad with my standard viniagrette and a lovely tomato salad as well. Finally on Sunday Scott is making his Best Ever finger-licking Smoked Ribs (recipe to hopefully appear on my blog this week!) to end the week on a high note!

So there you have it! I'm so looking forward to this week. Have a great week everyone with family, friends and of course, lots of good food! x

 Monday July 21st - July 27th

                                  Monday  -       Macaroni & Cheese; Green Salad

                                  Tuesday -       Penne Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce
                                  Wednesday -  Thai Red Curry with Chicken & Bamboo Shoots; Jasmine Rice

                                  Thursday -      Antipasto and BBQ'd Pizza

                                  Friday -          TBD

                                  Saturday -      Spiral Ham; Schwarties; Coleslaw, Tomato Salad & Green Salad

                                  Sunday -        Scott's Best Ever Smoked Ribs (recipe coming very soon!); 

                                                               Coleslaw & Salad

Meal Planning Mondays July 14th ~ 20th

Well I'm not going to lie, this is going to be a quick post because it is scorching here and I literally am melting sitting here at my laptop (just as well I can type really quickly!). The only thing cooling me slightly is the fan I have switched on but even then it's not really cutting it! Don't get me wrong - I'm not complaining, I love Summer but 35C/ 95F is more than I can handle! Thankfully it's going to cool down a little after Wednesday and back to a more manageable temperature.

You'd think since it is SOOOO hot that I would have gone for something incredibly easy for dinner tonight, say for example a refreshing salad where I can just grab everything out of my nice cold fridge and throw it together...nope. Apparently I am a complete glutton for punishment but to be honest I came up with most of this week's meal plan last week when it wasn't quite so hot and I went shopping yesterday (where of course the supermarket was nice and air conditioned so you forget how hot it is outside!). So tonight on the menu is Turkey Meatball Korma....I'm hoping it's good and that the theory of eating hot food when you are hot actually cools you done works! Last week I was given a beautiful big courgette/zucchini from my friend's garden. I used some of it on our pizza on Saturday but I still have a lot left so I am making Zucchini & Feta Fritters tomorrow. Wednesday thankfully is a leftovers night so just some quick reheating necessary. Thursday and Ben specifically chose Chicken Strips for dinner which is fine by me as I'll serve them with a nice crisp green salad and perhaps for a treat some homemade aioli or other indulgent accompaniment .... Friday and we're away camping! Yay - I am so excited to go. Of course by the time we get there and set up we want something quick and easy and our first night go-to always seems to be some nice sausages in rolls with perhaps some sauteed onions to top them. Saturday is undecided but I'm hoping perhaps for a nice fresh crab which we enjoy very simply with lots of lemon, some spicy garlic butter and a green salad. What more could you ask for when you are camping?! As for Sunday I have no idea but I am guessing it will be something we can quickly put on the barbecue!

So there you have it! Have a great week everyone with family, friends and of course, lots of good food! x

 Monday July 14th - July 20th

                                  Monday  -      Turkey Meatball Korma

                                  Tuesday -       Courgette & Feta Fritters with Green Salad
                                  Wednesday -  Leftovers

                                  Thursday -      Chicken Strips & Crisp Green Salad Lemon Spaghetti

                                  Friday -          Sausage Rolls (not the puff pastry kind!) with Sauteed Onions

                                  Saturday -      Steamed Crab with Garlic Butter & Lemon; Green Salad

                                  Sunday -        Spaghetti with Crab

Meal Planning Mondays July 7th ~ 13th

Well I am finally back in the land of living and feeling much better! Turns out after my minor op I got the flu (talk about great timing) so spent the better part of 2 weeks feeling pretty miserable! Thankfully I am now feeling good and back into everything including meal planning - yeah!!

Having just had a fairly miserable, cloudy and wet weekend the forecast shows nothing but sun, sun and more sun for the next week so I'm extra happy! Hopefully Summer is finally here to stay. This week looks like a fairly quiet week but with it being the Summer holidays you never know what each day will bring. So what is on the menu this week? Well it's another case of trying to use up what I have needing used up while making delicious meals that we'll all enjoy. As seems to be the case just now I always have a large container of delicious, sweet cherry tomatoes which need eaten so Monday's Meat Free Meal is my Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes, Chilli & Basil. Quick, easy and delicious. Tuesday and I am testing a recipe from Lorraine Pascale's Fast Fresh and Easy Food which is Chicken Cacciatore with Harissa, Bacon & Rosemary. It looks and sounds absolutely delicious and just the sort of food we love to eat so hopefully it's a good recipe! On Wednesday we are meeting up with friends for dinner which means it's a night off for me! Yay! Thursday is leftovers from Tuesday and Friday is pizza. There's not a lot of things that suck me in in the advertising world but whenever I see pizza being eaten on TV I end up craving it. After watching a pizza special on Diners, Drive Ins & Dives I knew I had to have pizza this week!! I'm going to cook this one on the bbq and go for a super thin crust that will be crisp and slightly charred on the edges - yum! As usual with the weekends we are undecided until I know what our plans are but I know there will be a bbq of some sort, perhaps even two!

So there you have it! Have a great week everyone with family, friends and of course, lots of good food! x

 Monday July 7th - July 13th

                                  Monday  -      Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes, Chilli & Basil

                                  Tuesday -       Chicken Cacciatore with Harissa, Bacon & Rosemary
                                  Wednesday -  At friends

                                  Thursday -      Leftovers 

                                  Friday -          Leftovers 

                                  Saturday -      Barbecued Pizza

                                  Sunday -        Chicken Drumsticks & Spinach Salad
  
As always don't forget you can add links to your Weekly Meal Plans in the comments section below.  

Meal Planning Mondays June 16th ~ 22nd

Well it's a day late but that's because I wasn't actually going to post this week's MPM due to the fact it's pretty vague because I am having minor surgery on Wednesday. Since it's my first time having a general anesthetic I have no idea how I will feel after and how much I will want to cook - I guessing not much!! I am trying to be organised by making a dish today for tomorrow - more so for my mother-in-law who was has the lucky job of looking after me(!) as I don't imagine I will want much to eat. On the off chance I do though I'm also going to make up a batch of Carrot & Lentil Soup (definitely not Summery but very comforting!).

Last night Wee One and I made the most of Scott being away by having our favourite - Tomato Pasta! I had leftover sauce from Friday's Roasted Pepper & Tomato Pasta so all I had to do was quickly cook some pasta, make a salad and hey presto dinner was done! Tonight and I'm trying out a new recipe that I found in an old issue of Olive (you've got to love opening an old magazine and discovering a ton of recipes you want to try!) - Carrot, Cumin & Feta Fritters. Only problem is I hope I'm not starving after since I can't eat anything tomorrow before my op!! Tomorrow and after much deliberation I have decided to make my Thai Red Curry with Chicken (using thighs instead of breasts so they don't dry out while being reheated and replacing the Bamboo Shoots with Squash) which I am making mainly for my MIL but will also mean I have leftovers for later in the week which I'll need. After that it will be a case of waiting to see. Thursday will definitely be either leftovers or takeaway and I have planned Fajita's for Friday since they are really easy and fast to make and I have all of the ingredients. It's yet another one of my planned "coming soon" recipes but we shall see as I seem to have less and less time to spend on here (as you have most likely noticed!). As usual the weekends are undecided as it will depend on what we do but I definitely suspect Scott will be barbecuing at least one night!

So there you have it! Have a great week everyone with family, friends and of course, lots of good food! x

 Monday June 16th - June 22nd

                                  Monday  -      Tomato & Pepper Pasta with Salad

                                  Tuesday -       Carrot, Cumin & Feta Fritters with Coriander Yogurt
                                  Wednesday -  Red Thai Chicken Curry with Jasmine Rice

                                  Thursday -      Leftovers or Takeaway

                                  Friday -          Chicken Fajita's (my own recipe which I unfortunately don't have                                                                   on the blog!)

                                  Saturday -      TBD

                                  Sunday -        TBD
  
As always don't forget you can add links to your Weekly Meal Plans in the comments section below.  

Meal Planning Mondays June 9th ~ 15th

Well another Monday and another Meal Plan! We have been so incredibly lucky with the weather - normally June is a bad month for us here in Canada but so far it has been fantastic. We had a good week last week despite the fact that hubby was away again but I'm delighted he's home this week. The weekend was fairly busy but we still had time to relax on the boat for a few hours and enjoy another picnic on our own private beach.

I'm so excited as I picked up the chilli and tomato plants that I had ordered from a local farm so yesterday we spent the afternoon planting them as well as some extra herbs (Sage, Coriander/ Cilantro, Dill and lots of Basil - sweet and purple) and finally got our hanging baskets done. Planting everything really makes it feel like Summer is here so I'm just hoping we get a bumper crop! I have 3 tomato plants (a San Marzano which I'm very excited about; 1 yellow cherry tomato and 1 red cherry tomato) and 8 chilli plants which range in heat so I should be covered! The strawberry plants are already producing lots of strawberries and although most of them are really small they are so unbelievably sweet and packed with flavour. Funnily enough Ben seems to be the one that is reaping the rewards of the strawberry plant! Why am I not surprised?!

Due to some last minute plans over the weekend the meal plan was changed a bit so we didn't have the Potato & Chorizo Omelette which means it's back on this week's menu. Tonight I am excited to try out another recipe from the Bill Granger book I am reviewing - thankfully this one has a link if you like the sound of it. Tuesday and Ben has a Birthday party so I'm not entirely sure if we'll need fed or not so at least the Omelette won't take long to make if it turns out that Scott & I need a late, quick dinner! Wednesday and it's another review book recipe, this time from Clodagh's Kitchen Diary. She has so many Summery recipes that I am desperate to try so I'm  hoping this one will be good, but really how can you go wrong with Creamy Basil & Grilled Chicken Tagliatelle!?! I'm going to cook a little extra chicken on Wednesday and then Thursday will be a quick and easy Chicken Caesar Salad - perfect for after swimming. Friday and I realised we need a vegetarian night as the menu is pretty heavy on the meat this week(!) so it's going to be a Roasted Pepper & Tomato Pasta. I'm thinking along the line of my Spiked Pepper, Tomato & Chorizo Pasta Salad but without the Vodka and Chorizo and served warm. I would love to say it will be a new recipe that I'll get up on the blog soon, but my list of "New recipes coming soon!" is getting a lot longer than I care to see... Honestly I have so much I would love to share with you I'm just finding it hard to find the time to sit down and type it all out, never mind taking and editing photographs.... hopefully I will get something up soon, besides just a meal plan! As usual with our weekend I have no idea at this point what it has in store so Saturday is still TBD and Sunday is a surprise for now as it's Father's Day so I am hoping to really pull out all the stops and treat Scott for an extra special day.

So there you have it! Have a great week everyone with family, friends and of course, lots of good food! x

 Monday June 9th - June 15th

                                  Monday  -      Banh mi Vietnamese Baguettes

                                  Tuesday -       Potato & Chorizo Omelette
                                  Wednesday -  Creamy Basil & Grilled Chicken Tagliatelle (Clodagh's Kitchen Diary)

                                  Thursday -      Chicken Caesar Salad

                                  Friday -          Roasted Pepper & Tomato Pasta 

                                  Saturday -      TBD

                                  Sunday -        Father's Day - surprise for now!
  
As always don't forget you can add links to your Weekly Meal Plans in the comments section below.  

Meal Planning Mondays June 2nd ~ 8th

Another week has flown by and once again I find myself amazed that already it's Monday. Even more shocking is that we are now officially in June!! How did that happen?

Last week was busy as Scott was away all week but yesterday we got our much needed down time with a day out on the boat which was fantastic. Sunny and hot with the water so calm it looked like a mirror, we couldn't have asked for a better day. After a few days on the boat now I have worked things out and was organised this time with a big picnic to keep us happy and well fed for as long as we wanted to stay out. I made some Scotch Eggs - one of my all time favourite additions to a picnic which we all love. I have a feeling that won't be the only appearance they make this Summer but I'm also keen to make my own Sausage Rolls one of these days!

This week is another busy one but the forecast is for glorious sunshine all week so you won't be hearing any complaints from me! Summer has honestly come early this year so I just hope it sticks around. My menu this week doesn't really reflect the beautiful weather as in an attempt to see if I can actually save some money this month I really am hoping to use up a lot of things that I already have.

Tonight is nice and easy as it's leftover pizza on the menu. Tomorrow and it seems to be the way that Tuesday night = pasta night but it's quick, easy and we all love it so why not! Last week we ended up not having the Spaghetti with Cherry Tomato Sauce as I had lots of sauce leftover from the Spicy Tomato & Mozzarella Gnocchi (since it was only Ben & I) so I used that up instead, so we're going for the Spaghetti tomorrow since I still have lots of lovely, sweet and juicy cherry tomatoes. Wednesday and I have a friend coming over for dinner as both our hubbies are away so it's a perfect excuse to have a night off, order some takeaway and catch up! I can't wait! Thursday and it's swimming so I am making Fragrant Pork & Prawn Noodle Broth which I can prepare in advance. This recipe was really a lucky find as I was looking through one of my favourite cookbooks just now - The Hairy Dieters- spotted this which I had bookmarked and realised I have all of the ingredients - perfect! Friday and I'm making a version of Jamie Oliver's Potato & Chorizo Omelette although I am going to add a little goats cheese to it since it will be needing used up. Saturday and we're back to Burgers because again we didn't get round to making them last week and once again Sunday is still up in the air as it will depend on what we are doing! So there you have it the first week of June, the sun is shining, the meals are planned and I'm ready to get on with things!

Have a great week everyone with family, friends and of course, lots of good food! x

 Monday June 2nd - June 8th

                                  Monday  -       Leftover Pizza with Salad (new recipe coming soon!)

                                  Tuesday -       Spaghetti with Cherry Tomato Sauce
                                  Wednesday -  Takeaway with a friend

                                  Thursday -      Fragrant Pork & Prawn Noodle Broth (Hairy Dieters book)

                                  Friday -          Potato & Chorizo Omelette

                                  Saturday -      Burgers with Potato Wedges

                                  Sunday -        TBD
  
As always don't forget you can add links to your Weekly Meal Plans in the comments section below.  

Meal Planning Mondays May 19th ~ May 25th

Well this is going to be a quick post as today is a holiday in Canada and so we are hoping the clouds are going to disappear so that we can head out on the boat for a while!

As I usually do I came out with our meal plan yesterday and have now just found out that apparently it's National Vegetarian Week. I'm not going to change anything but I am quite pleased with myself that by coincidence 4 meals are Vegetarian! Tonight's dinner is a fairly light and simple Grilled Halloumi which we will cook on the BBQ. It's also very quick and easy and I love the squeaky, saltiness of the Halloumi so although it is still very early here I am already craving it! With Scott away on Tuesday Ben chose Tomato Pasta for dinner with the clear rules that he would really like tubes (penne) and tomato sauce as that is his favourite! I can't imagine where he got that from but let's just say I'm delighted! With all of the warmer weather we have been having I have been craving Thai flavours so I think the next book I am going to review is Bill's Everyday Asian by Bill Granger. There are so many recipes that I want to try but for a child friendly non-spicy start I chose the Hoisin Chicken as it looks finger-licking good! I also have all of the ingredients for it so it's a perfect choice. Thursday and it's swimming so I want something quick and easy and while shopping yesterday I saw that Naan bread was on offer so of course I grabbed a few packets. Since I love Naan bread and I love pizza this is the perfect quick and easy dinner once we are home. I also have some mushrooms in the fridge needing used so I'll quickly saute some of those with some garlic and thyme and we'll have delicious Individual Mushroom Pizzas in no time. Friday and it's back to those Thai flavours I am craving with my Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles which also just happens to be vegetarian. It's a quick and easy meal, packed with so many flavours and in my opinion it's much better than take away, not to mention cheaper! It's also a great way to get the weekend started. I'm really excited that we have Cook Club on Saturday - I love it so much and it can never come around fast enough. I wonder what the theme will be this month but don't worry I'll update it on our Cook Club Menus page as soon as I can after! As usual Sunday is still TBD as I have no idea at this point what our plans are but that's what weekends are all about.

So there you have it - another week and another menu. I'm off now to enjoy the Monday holiday. If it's a holiday for you, enjoy and to everyone else I hope you all have a great week with great food, family and friends x

 Monday May 19th - Sunday 25th 

                                  Monday  -       Grilled Halloumi with Oregano & Chilli, Salad & French Bread

                                  Tuesday -       Tomato Pasta with Salad (Ben's choice)
                                  Wednesday -  Hoisin Chicken with Celery Salad (Bill Granger recipe)

                                  Thursday -      Naan Bread Pizza 

                                  Friday -          Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles

                                  Saturday -      Cook Club

                                  Sunday -        BBQ'd Pork Chops with Coleslaw & Potato Wedges
  
As always don't forget you can add links to your Weekly Meal Plans in the comments section below.  

Meal Planning Mondays May 12th ~ May 18th

Ah the joys of a Monday morning..... I was so lucky as we had the most fantastic weekend, most of which was spent out on the boat in the nearby lake soaking up the sun and completely relaxing - it was bliss! On top of that, yesterday I was completely spoilt for Mother's Day and didn't have to lift a finger in the kitchen all day! Scott really went all out and it was just perfect! How lucky am I?! Now however it's back to reality and the start of a new week!

This week is all about what I have needing eaten in the fridge and leftovers that need eaten especially since I am cleaning out the fridge today (my most hated kitchen chore but it always makes me happy once it is done!). Tomorrow I'm using up the leftover chicken from our delicious Beer Can Chicken that Scott made last night. I am hoping one of these days to get it up on the blog as it really is the most delicious way to cook a chicken and keep it super moist. As well as the chicken there is also some French bread left which I'll use for croutons and I might add some avocado as well since we love avocado. A great salad that is really delicious and perfect for using up leftovers. Wednesday and it's a quick and easy pasta dish to finish off the broccoli that's lurking in the fridge. It's such an easy meal and so tasty so it'll be a hit. Thursday and we are back to swimming so I chose Sweet & Sour Chicken since I can make it ahead of time and I have a few peppers in the fridge waiting to be used and always have a tin of pineapple tucked away in my pantry. Ben loves it as well so that's always a bonus as he will be extra hungry after swimming. The obsession of my new Tortilla pans is resurfacing again on Friday as I am making Chilli Salad bowls, a perfect Friday night meal that doesn't take long to make and is full of flavours that we all love. My hope is to be able to snap some pics before we devour them so that I can share the recipe here with you. Saturday and we are having a family dinner so it's a night off for me and Sunday.....well it depends on our plans.... I have a feeling weekend cooking will soon become meals that can be made really quickly or prepared in advance since we will no doubt be out on the boat!!

I hope you all have a great week with great food, family and friends x

 Monday May 12th - Sunday 18th 

                                  Monday  -       Leftovers

                                  Tuesday -       Chicken Caesar Salad
                                  Wednesday -  Broccoli Pesto Pasta

                                  Thursday -      Sweet & Sour Chicken with Rice 

                                  Friday -          Chilli Salad Bowls

                                  Saturday -      Dinner with Family :)

                                  Sunday -        TBD
  
As always don't forget you can add links to your Weekly Meal Plans in the comments section below.  

Meal Planning Mondays April 28th ~ May 3rd

Well yet another week has flown by and still no new recipe post up on the blog! I'm sorry - but I literally don't know where the time is going, especially since Thursday is the 1st of May! The year seems to be passing at lightning speed, however at times like this when we have so much going on keeping us super busy I have to say I am glad that I am a Meal Planner. As I've said before things don't always go according to plan every night but for the most part it works as a weekly unit and sometimes meals just get switched around to accommodate increasingly changing plans! I'm hoping this week will be fairly straightforward but you just never know!

There is no particular theme to this week's menu. Leftovers are thankfully all gone (other than some stock that is stashed in the freezer) however we have decided to start something new with Ben. Once a week he gets to decide what we are having for dinner and he helps cook the meal with me. Last Saturday was Cat's Mac and Cheese taken from his Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook. It was a little more complicated than I had anticipated and he did get a bit bored after a while but generally he loved it and was a great help! Thankfully the final dish was delicious. This week he has picked Burgers which will be great fun as he'll really be able to get his hands dirty! Unsurprisingly I love having him help out in the kitchen, especially now that I understand that things will just take a bit longer and be a lot messier but that's a compromise I am more than willing to accept. I am so grateful that he is such a good eater but I find that letting him see how things are made really makes him understand his meals and enjoy them even more!

So there you have it....another week of meals and with it another month passed! The good news at least is that at this speed it will be Summer in no time and we will be able to enjoy our delicious food outside in the warm sun. Keeps your eyes open as I have lots of plans for upcoming posts including our Best Ever Ribs, easy recipes featuring Rhubarb and some special Cupcakes for Mother's Day!

I hope you all have a great week full of delicious food with family and friends! x

 Monday April 28th - Sunday May 4th 

                                  Monday  -      Spaghetti with Spicy Red Pesto & Cherry Tomatoes

                                  Tuesday -       Chicken Souvlaki with Greek Salad; Tzatiki; Hummus & Pita Bread
                                  Wednesday -  Creamy Tomato & Spinach Pasta (from Clodagh's Kitchen Diaries)

                                  Thursday -      Vietnamese Pork Curry with Jasmine Rice

                                  Friday -          Grilled Halloumi with Bulgar Wheat & Rocket Salad (new recipe!)

                                  Saturday -      Classic Beef Burgers with Potato Wedges

                                  Sunday -        Roasted Ling Cod with Dill Hollandaise Sauce, New Potatoes &                                                                     Broccolini
  
As always don't forget you can add links to your Weekly Meal Plans in the comments section below.