Meal Plan Monday - The Big Cooking Day

So, last week worked really well - here's the gist if you missed it...

Back..ok

So, as usual I'm acting like my children actually run the house and have the upper hand, and I'm letting them do the meal planning again.  I've suggested they follow up on this and do the shopping too but they both disappeared leaving me with a 1 year old that can push a trolley but just throws money out of purses therefore can't yet be trusted.

Although they have chosen what they want to eat, I have jigged it around a bit, just to stamp my authority as an adult really, and to make it so I can cook once on Monday after I've shopped and then have more free time to clean up after the little darlings and chauffeur them around if necessary.

Here it is..

Monday - Spaghetti Bolognaise and Garlic Bread

Tuesday - Green Thai Curry and Rice with piles of mange tout and baby corn

Wednesday - Spaghetti Tacos and potato wedges

Thursday - Slow Cooker Curry

Friday - Cheesy Mash Shepherd's Pie and piles of veg

Saturday - Take Awaaaaaayy!!

Sunday - Paprika Chicken and Quinoa

and the plan for cooking...

Monday 
- Make huge batch of spag bol and freeze several portions.
- Put enough in fridge for Spaghetti Tacos on Wednesday
- Make Thai Curry and refrigerate
- Mix up the curry sauce in a freezer bag and put in fridge
- Make garlic bread - from scratch!!  (anyone know if I can freeze dough?)
- Make two shepherds pies and freeze

Tuesday
- Make pan of rice and veg for with curry

Wednesday
- Dice chicken and add to bag of ingredients

Thursday
- Fling chicken curry bag contents into the slow cooker in a flamboyant, I've beat this stove standing lark fashion
- Remember to switch slow cooker on at the plug!!!
- Make some rice and chips at tea time
- Defrost a shepherds pie

Friday 
- Bung shepherds pie in oven and boil loads of veg

And you're thinking but what about the Paprika Chicken?

Well it's already lingering at the back of the freezer.  I found it during a lunchtime freezer dive last week.

This reduced cooking plan is really working for me!

This post is linked up with the Meal Plan Monday Linky on I'm an Organising Junkie.  There are loads  of meal plans on there and I urge you to read them as some are gourmet!!

Meal Plan Monday - Finger Food Revolt

Meal Planning Monday - Finger Food Revolt!!

I'm at the stage with the youngest where he wants to feed himself with cutlery. He wants the same as us and wants to do it himself.  Oh Joy!  Now moving the dining room to the carpeted room does not seem a good idea.  I'm wondering if a buffet in the kitchen is a daily possibility for the next six months?

So, I shall bite the bullet and cease arguing with a 15 month old because I can't win.  Not only can he out ERRRRR me but he can now sign his requirements thanks to hisbaby sign class.

Here's my plan for the week.

Monday:  Hot Dog Pasta Bake

Tuesday: Chicken Dinner (maybe without gravy!)

Wednesday:  Fish and Chips

Thursday:  Not So Chilli and Nachos

Friday: Sausage and .... (cringe) Mash with lots of rolling peas and sweetcorn

Saturday: Takeaway (Home made chicken strips and wedges for Mr Independence)

Sunday: The Big 3 Courser - (not decided exactly what yet!)

I know I've jibbed out somewhat and decided on food that can be finger food, but break me in gently, its 5 years since I did this!! (and we had a laminated floor)

How did you get through this phase of the toddler war for independence?

Advice please!!!

-- 

This post is linked up with Meal Plan Monday on I'm an Organizing Junkie - go and have a look, there's bags of inspiration.

Recipe: Hot Dog Pasta Bake

When it comes to food, I find boys are quite unfillable, so I've adapted several basic recipes to add more bulk, more goodness and hopefully result in a fuller tums!  More good stuff less sweet stuff I say!!

This is a quick and easy tea to put on before the school run and it will be done when you get back.  You could use real sausages rather than hotdogs, depending on how much time you have.



Ingredients:
200g Fusilli Pasta
1 can of Cream of Tomato Soup
1/2 block of Cheese
1 tbsp Dried Italian Herbs
1/2 can of sweetcorn
6 hotdogs
8 brocolli florets
Breadcrumbs
Parmesan

Method:
1. Put the dry pasta in a lasagne dish and cover with the tomato soup
2. Fill the empty soup can with water and pour over.
3. Grate half of the cheese over the pasta & soup mix
4. Sprinkle the dried herbs over and stir well
5. Bake in an oven pre-heated to 180 degrees for 30 minutes
6. Take out the bake and stir - add a little water if you think its looking a little dry
7. Grate over the remainder of the cheese
8. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes
9. Meanwhile, cook the broccolli florets and chop the hotdogs into small pieces
10. Take the bake out of the oven and add the chopped hotdogs.
11. Chop up the brocolli and add that too
12. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and parmesan
13. Bake for a further 5 minutes to heat through and toast the breadcrumbs
14. Enjoy!!

This meal feeds three hungry boys and their mum and cost £2.79 based on prices at Asda on 17th March 2014.

Meal Planing Monday - Spring Fever

I don't know about you but I feel so much better now the weather has picked up and we've got sunshine.  I've tackled the garden this weekend so hopefully we'll get a few lunches outside in the sun this week.

So with the clocks due to change I figured we're not going to want stodgy comfort food much so I'm going for everything I'll miss over the summer!!

Monday: Chicken Enchilladas (recipe from At Home With Mrs M)

Tuesday: Quinoa and Chicken Curry

Wednesday:  Cod with Cheesy Chorizo Topping, potato salad and err...more salad

Thursday: Gluten Free Spaghetti Bolognese

Friday: Gluten Free Slow Cooker One Pot Steak Dinner (there it is below)

Saturday: Take Away

Sunday:  Nigella's Cola Ham, chips and mushy peas 

Is your menu getting a fresher, less stodgy theme?

I'm ready for a crisp salad in the garden I think!

The recipe for the One Pot Steak Dinner is here if you fancy an easy to do meal 

Ingredients:

4 pieces of steak for each person

Small new potatoes

Green beans

Carrots

Onions (I use frozen – No Tears!)

2 Beef Stock Pots

1 Vegetable Stock Pot

Method

Chop the carrots and place in the base of the slow cooker with the green beans and the onions.

Wash and quarter the small potatoes, I leave the skin on, it’s up to your personal choice.

Place the steak on the vegetables.

Mix up the stock and leave to cool.  The stock needs to cool so it doesn’t start cooking the steak when you pour it in.  It’s not essential to let it cool, it will turn out ok – i’ve thrown it in boiling hot when I’ve been in a rush.

Put in enough stock to cover the ingredients.

Switch the slow cooker on 4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low.

The steak should be fall apart soft when done.

Enjoy!

Have a fabulous week!

This post is linked up with Menu Plan Monday on I'm an Organising Junkie.  There's loads of ideas and menus up there so get inspired! Go and have a look.  Go on!

How To Meal Plan

Most home organisation and frugality blogs will recommend meal planning. 

It saves time, it saves money, it saves stress.  It's just one way of making life a whole lot easier.

How I Meal Plan

I have a spreadsheet with each week of the year as a new tab.

It has a tab at the front that is my freezer inventory (saves time routing through)

I have a formula for filling each week, which is

I have 3 children, one doesn't have much choice in what they eat yet but the other two both choose a meal each for Monday and Tuesday.

Wednesday is always a roast

Thursday is always a meal made from Roast Leftovers (there always are some as I cook too much on the Wednesday to ensure an easy meal for Thursday)

Friday is always freezer food

Saturday is always a takeaway

Sunday is always a slow cooker meal, prepped in the morning and left to do It's own Thing while I do mine.

Filling The Freezer

I batch cook as much as I can as I'm all for less time cooking.

When I do batch cook, I add the meal into the next available freezer Friday slot.  if I do this, it doesn't go on the Freezer Inventory as it will be accounted for twice

So What is the Freezer Inventory for?

For when things don't go to plan or for lunches.

The Shopping List

I also do my shopping list when I meal plan, then I can print one column off and check it against what is in the storecupboards, freezer and fridge.

I cross off anything I already have in then go to mysupermarket.com and see where I can shop the cheapest and where I can grab coupons to reduce my weekly spend.

And there you have it.

It works for me, I swear by it and there are loads more meal plans available on line.  Two of my favourites are At Home With Mrs M and I'm an Organizing Junkie  both have massive link ups where you can get inspiration.