Meal Plan for Meat Free Week

Monday (March 23rd, 2015) is the start of Meat Free Week, a global campaign to create awareness of how much meat you eat and the impact that it has on our health as well as the animals and the environment. The challenge is to go meat free for a full week which includes ALL meat, fish and seafood.

Although we do eat quite a lot of meat I always try to have at least 2 nights a week where we eat vegetarian meals so I'm excited to have a full week of delicious vegetarian food (breakfast and lunch included), and no there isn't a nut roast in sight!

To make things easier for you if you are interested in taking part in Meat Free Week, I decided to share my weekly meal plan which is packed with delicious, nutritious recipes. All recipes have a link included so you can join me for the week or pick and chose as you like any recipes that appeal. For more meal ideas why not have a look at the recipes provided on the Meat Free Week website or alternatively check out Jamie Oliver's recipes dedicated to this fantastic campaign, or if you have a favourite vegetarian meal please feel free to share links in the comments section!

So what are you waiting for? Join me and hundreds of other people and go meat free for a week!

Monday March 23rd ~ 29th

                                  Monday  -        Slow Cooker Quinoa, Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chilli

                                  Tuesday -         North African Squash & Chickpea Stew
                                  Wednesday -    Spicy Tomato & Mozzarella Gnocchi with Green Salad

                                  Thursday -       Grilled Halloumi with Quinoa & Beetroot Salad

                                  Friday -            Deliciously Dhal

                                  Saturday -        Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles with Tofu Brilliant Veggie Burger

                                  Sunday -          Vegetable Jalfrezi

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 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 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 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 7th - 13th

Last week I went a little crazy with food shopping! It was a combination of re-stocking things I was out of, hosting Cook Club and some definite impulsive buys that I didn't need but couldn't resist! Needless to say the budget's not looking great until the middle of the month, so this week's Meal Planning Mondays is all about using what I have! That's right - other than essentials like milk, fresh fruit and vegetables I am not allowed to buy anything else. To be honest it should be easy as I am a complete food hoarder and have enough food in our home to rival a small grocery store!

The Vietnamese Pork Noodle Soup on Monday is perfect for using up vegetables left over from Cook Club including Bok Choy, Bean Sprouts and Green Beans. All I need to do is defrost some Pork from the freezer and it will be the perfect start to the week. Tuesday's Spanish Tortilla is based on the fact that I always have Eggs and Potatoes in the house and it's a quick and easy meal that we all love and will provide plenty of leftovers for packed lunches the next day. Wednesday's meal is courtesy of Jamie Oliver and with lots of peppers, spring onions and fresh herbs in the house it is the perfect dinner to have midweek. Again the freezer will help me out with the Chicken as I have lots and I always have plenty of couscous and other grains on hand. With 3 pots of Greek Yogurt in the fridge I am good to go! Thursday and Scott will be home late so it will be a simple pasta dish for Ben and I....I'll update once I have decided if it will be our classic Tomato Pasta or something a little different and of course I'll need to see how the contents of the fridge are doing! (Update: I decided to make a Hearty Pasta Soup from BBC GoodFood - link below- which looks delicious and I know I have all of the ingredients for!) Friday is a Gorgeous Fish Stew taken from The Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food & Lose Weight which I am really excited for! The fish and seafood are all in the freezer just waiting to be gently cooked in a mildly spiced tomato sauce. Thankfully for me I also have a French baguette tucked away in the freezer which will be perfect for the crostini. The weekend is definitely going to a bit more challenging as I generally like to take more time over dinner and either make a roast, slowly cook a stew or of course opt for the bbq or smoker so it will be a case of raiding the freezer again to see what I can come up with!

So there you have it - a week (almost!) of meals and an attempt to spend as little money as possible! How many days could you cook for you and your family based on just what you have in your house? Why not try it out and let me know how you get on! Have a great week!

Monday April 7th - Sunday 13th 

                                  Monday  -     Vietnamese Pork Noodle Soup ( From Kitchen by Nigella Lawson)

                                  Tuesday -      Spanish Tortilla with Roasted Red Peppers and a Green Salad
                                  Wednesday - Gorgeous Greek Chicken with Herby Vegetable Couscous &Tzatiki

                                  Thursday -     Hearty Pasta Soup

                                  Friday -         Gorgeous Fish Stew with Crostini (from the Hairy Dieters)

                                  Saturday -     Friend over for dinner: Chicken Panang with Steamed Bok Choy &                                                             Jasmine Rice

                                  Sunday -       TBD

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

Meal Planning Mondays March 30th - April 6th

It's unbelievable how quickly the weeks seem to be flying past just now! Not that I'm complaining - I am so ready for it to be Spring after what seems like a really long Winter. Thankfully for us the sun is shining today and hopefully it will stick around for a good few days before those April Showers make themselves a little too familiar for my liking! Of course with the change of the Seasons comes yet more colds to our house and this time we are all full of it, which is thankfully a pretty rare occurrence. It did however, mean that yesterday's 'Best Ever Ribs' were postponed as understandably Scott didn't want to spend 5 hours smoking them to not be able to taste the final delicious result, so instead we opted for Grilled Fish Tacos with plenty of Fiery Roasted Red Pepper Salsa which was just what the doctor ordered!.... Although I have a confession to make......I recently impulsively bought some pans for making Tortilla Bowls. Honestly I was really hesitant as to whether they would work or not so I decided to give them a go for the Chilli Salad Bowls that we had on Saturday, fully expecting the worst. Instead I was completely surprised because they worked perfectly! A little too perfectly to be honest because now I have a new obsession with putting everything in Tortilla Bowls!... I am not joking! Thankfully Scott and Ben loved them as well so they were delighted for Sunday night's Fish "tacos" to be served in bowls instead of typical tacos. For now though I am putting them away and vow not to take them out for at least another week......maybe!

This week we have Cook Club to look forward to so Saturdays menu will be a surprise for the time being but I will update first thing on Sunday morning with what we had and whether it was a success or not! If you are interested in checking out our previous menus you can have a look here.

And finally as promised I have a few more links to this week's Meal Plan so that if you fancy it you can easily find the recipes and join in. I hope you all have a great week x

Monday March 31st - Sunday April 6th 

                                  Monday  -     Thai Red Curry with Chicken & Bamboo Shoots & Jasmine  Rice 

                                  Tuesday -      Sausage, Olive & Tomato Pasta with Salad

                                  Wednesday - Leftovers

                                  Thursday -     Crustless Pizza from Nigella Kitchen (p.26) 

                                  Friday -         Mustard Pork Chops with Crispy Gnocchi and Salad

                                  Saturday -     Cook Club here - Theme = Street Food! (See Cook Club Menus to                                                            see what we had)

                                  Sunday -       Best Ever Ribs; Coleslaw & Salad 

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

Meal Planning Mondays March 24th - 30th

A little late in the day but finally here is this week's menu for Meal Planning Mondays! After a fantastic weekend which included lots of wonderful food I have been a little stuck for inspiration this week so I have a couple of days that have still to be decided. In an effort to be more budget conscious I am trying to use what we have in the freezer without overloading us with the same meats! I also let Ben pick a meal for one night this week and it was no surprise that he chose Chicken Strips - one of his all time favourite meals!

Apologies again for the lack of links - I'm working on coming up with meals that have links either to my blog or other websites but at the same time trying to work on some new recipe ideas. Next week I will be a lot more organised.....honestly!

Monday March 24th - Sunday 30th 

                                  Monday  -     Chicken Provençal with Brown Rice (don't ask!!)                       

                                  Tuesday -      Spaghetti with Broccolini, Garlic & Chilli (New recipe!)

                                  Wednesday - Leftovers

                                  Thursday -     Yellow Fish Curry with Jasmine Rice

                                  Friday -         Chicken Strips, Potato Wedges & Salad (chosen by Ben)

                                  Saturday -     Chilli Salad Bowls

                                  Sunday -       Best Ever Ribs; Coleslaw & Salad (Updated recipe coming soon!)


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

Meal Planning Mondays March 17th - 23rd

Well as I mentioned in last week's updated post on Meal Planning Monday's, last week was a bit of a disaster as I was ill for the better part of it! Needless to say there were some definite changes to the meal plan but we got there in the end and for the most part still ate well! One of the meals that I didn't make however was the Chicken Provencal so that will (hopefully!) be appearing this week instead since I do now have all of the ingredients. Last week is a good lesson on showing no matter how organised you are things don't always go according to plan but if you can stay fairly flexible then meal planning still works really well. Of course the other advantage to meal planning is that if you do get sick then it's fairly easy to pass the baton on, so to speak, to someone else in the house as everything is already planned out! Have a great week everyone.

Monday March 17th - Sunday 23rd  

                                  Monday  -     Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese and Salad

                                                       (Also to make Carrot & Lentil Soup for lunch)

                                  Tuesday -      Ham & Pea Risotto served with Broccoli with Lemon & Parmesan

                                  Wednesday - Chicken Provençal with Crostini & Salad
                                                       (Also to make Split Pea & Ham Soup for lunch)

                                  Thursday -     Leftovers for the boys - Girls Night Out for me!

                                  Friday -         Spaghetti & Turkey Meatballs; Caesar Salad & Garlic Bread                                                        (as chosen by my niece who is staying!)

                                  Saturday -     Night off :)

                                  Sunday -       Leftover Spaghetti & Meatballs & Salad

(I'm sorry that there are so few links to this week's recipes but some of them are new recipes that I am working on and hope to have up on the blog soon. The Chicken Provençal recipe is taken from The Hairy Dieters: Eat for Life which I am in the middle of reviewing.)

Don't forget if you make a Weekly Meal Plan you can share it by adding a link in the comments section below.

Meal Planning Mondays March 10th - 16th

As promised here is Week 2 of my new series on Meal Planning Mondays. I had a little bit more trouble planning out this week's meals as the weather is really changing and although our clocks changed this past weekend, it's still pretty cold and wet out, so I am still in the 'Comfort Food Zone'! Apologies to those of you enjoying the sun - this is a Winter Menu!

If you like to plan your Weekly Meal Plans feel free to share and add your links in the comments section below.

Monday March 10th - Sunday 16th

                               Monday -     Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese (new recipe!) & Salad
                                                    Penne Pasta with Basic Tomato Sauce & Salad*

                               Tuesday -      Chicken Chow Mein (From The Hairy Dieters Eat For Life)

                               Wednesday - Lasagne (half original recipe) with Salad

                               Thursday -     Leftover Lasagne

                               Friday -         Gorgeous Fish Stew with Garlic Croutons (From the Hairy Dieters: How                                                      to Love Food & Lose Weight)

                               Saturday -     Chicken Provençal (From The Hairy Dieters Eat for Life) with Crostini                                                          & Salad

                               Sunday -        Family over for Dinner: Spiral Ham; Shwarties; Green Beans; Salad                                                             & Coleslaw; Vanilla Creme Brulee

                                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Well as I noted last week on the first Meal Planning Monday's post, when meal planning, things don't always go to plan so you need to allow some wiggle room. Normally I would hope that the reason for changing plans is due to being invited out or some other equally exciting event but occasionally it's not. Case in point - my lovely Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese that I was planning to make today (and photograph so I could post it here in the near future) is unfortunately on hold as I am sick and can't face a trip to the supermarket for my ingredients. In addition to that hubby is held up at work and so won't be home until late so thankfully for me my go-to meal when I feel under the weather is a simple pasta dish with a very easy tomato sauce that my son loves. I always have ingredients for that on hand! So there you have it, Day 1 and we're swapping things already! Here's hoping I am feeling better tomorrow and can get shopping and back to my plans!!

Meal Planning Mondays March 3rd - 9th

Anyone that knows me knows that I LOVE to plan and organise things. I have often been told I should be an event planner as not only do I love planning parties and events but I am a list maker extraordinaire!! I seriously have lists for lists (I kid you not!) so it's probably no surprise that every Sunday I plan out my meals for the following week.

There are many advantages to Meal Planning and if you have 30 minutes to sit down with a cup of tea or coffee (or even a glass of wine!) then you have time to plan your meals. Now I know a lot of people like to do giant batch cooking on one day of the week so they are set to go but I'm not one of them. Generally I don't have the time or energy to spend a full afternoon or better part of a day cooking but I do like to know that I am semi organised for the week ahead so this is why I plan out our meals. It makes shopping so much easier as you know exactly what you are shopping for and the theory goes that it means you will also spend less money. Since shopping for food is my weakness I can't quite attest to that being completely true (in my case) but if you stick strongly to a shopping list and don't buy on a whim then meal planning definitely also helps with sticking to a budget.

For all of those reasons I have decided to start a new weekly series of 'Meal Planning Mondays' where I will share our meal plans for the week. Where possible I'll include links to recipes and if the series really takes off then I would be happy to include shopping lists as well.

Of course I'm not alone when it comes to meal planning. Lots of people find meal planning to be a necessity that takes little time to do but solves the daily problem of deciding what on earth you are having for dinner, especially after a long day when you haven't defrosted anything or the fridge is empty! One thing I would say however, is that I only ever plan about 5 meals for the week. Generally we will always have leftovers on at least one night of the week and let's be honest, as the week passes plans do change so you might end up being invited to family or friends for dinner (yay!) or eating out. For those reasons don't stick too rigidly to your plan and keep it flexible until you know what works for you.

So there you have it - Meal Planning Mondays are a go and without further ado here is my plan for this week......

Monday March 3rd - Sunday 9th 

                                        Monday: Albondigas Soup (Turkey Meatball Soup)

                                        Tuesday: Fresh Tomato Pasta with Salad

                                        Wednesday: Chicken Bhuna (from The Hairy Dieters Eat for Life)

                                        Thursday: Leftovers

                                        Friday: Beef Stroganoff (from the Hairy Dieters Eat for Life)

                                        Saturday: Mushroom & Ham Calzone

                                        Sunday: 5 Hour Smoked Ribs; Coleslaw & Salad

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