Meal Planning Monday

It's back to reality and routine this week with the return of school.  I've mixed feelings about this really...one part of me does a little happy dance but the other part is sad to have our time together come to an end.  

I find that each holiday follows the same pattern - before the break-up I make a plan for activities each day so we are organised...I also try to pre-plan the meals but that doesn't always work :/   By day 3/4 I'm tearing my hair out and gagging for them to return but a few days later we've found our groove and I start enjoying our time together.  It's all about readjusting your expectations isn't it?  No, my house is not particularly tidy (or spotlessly clean) during school holidays but does that matter?  Once I let go of the stress of not being in my usual routine, we start to have fun.  And that is what's important, right?! 

Nevertheless, I'm easing myself in gently this week with some tried & tested easy recipes that will make the transition back to our school routine a little easier.

Monday - Mild chicken curry with apple

We always have this when I've made a roast chicken the day before :)

Tuesday - Pasta with homemade pesto & garlic bread

Need something quick & easy after school!

Wednesday - Turkey meatballs

Another favourite in our house - I make these with pepper sauce and serve with spaghetti.

Thursday - Homemade Pizzas

The kids love helping me make these and as they put their own toppings on, it helps cater to their different tastes.

Friday - Kashmiri Butter Chicken 

I made this a few weeks ago and it was *so* good!

This post is part of Mrs M's Meal Planning Monday - you will no doubt find some delicious edible inspiration from all the other link-ups if you're struggling with your menu this week!

Meal Planning Monday

Remember the restaurant meal I boasted about last week?!  It was *so* worth the wait.  Pan fried scallops followed by Chateaubriand steak with thick-cut chips and salad, all washed down with wine and Bellini cocktails.  And yes, I did have to look up how to spell that.  The steak...not the cocktails :)  Kudos to my child-free sister for surviving 24 hours with my two monsters - not quite sure she's recovered yet!

Anyway, back to the reality of school runs and family suppers now.  The Easter holidays are looming so I will be using my slow cooker a lot more than usual so that at least I don't have to worry about dinner *and* trying to entertain the kids!

Monday - Everything Fried Rice and after a quick root around in the freezer, I'll be adding bacon in too.

Tuesday - Slow-Cooked Chilli ...this is a firm favourite in our house!

Wednesday - Kids will have left-over fish pie and I will rustle up something easy for DH as I'm out meeting a friend for a pub dinner :)

Thursday - Quick Beef Stroganoff...a new recipe that I'm trying from a new Quick & Easy Family Meals recipe book.  Hope it lives up to its name...

Friday - Kashmiri Chicken cooked in the SC...looking forward to that one!  Not too spicy so hoping the kids like it too.

This post is part of Mrs M's Meal Planning Monday so don't forget to check out all the other recipes right here.

Meal Planning Monday

I'm coming to the realisation that quite a lot of my life revolves around food...  Here's whats on the menu at Three Counties Mum HQ this week.

Monday - Chicken Curry...we had a roast chicken yesterday so I'm using up the leftovers! I make it tame so the kids can eat it too, with coconut milk & mild curry powder.

Tuesday - Pasta with homemade pesto and garlic bread

Wednesday - Slow-cooked Goulash

Thursday - Fish pie

Friday - Leftover fish pie for the kiddos because mum & dad are spending their first night away from home - woo hoo!  We get to eat dinner in a *real* restaurant without being interuppted - imagine! :)

This post is part of Mrs M's Meal Planning Monday - go check out all the other delicious link-ups!

Meal Planning Monday

I'm very into meal planning...it saves me time, money *and* takes a lot of the stress & hassle out of dinner time each day.  When I don't get round to planning, I always end up spending more as I pick things up as I go through the week, and dinners are chaotic!  

I usually plan my meals for the week on a Sunday evening so when I stumbled across Mrs M's Meal Planning Monday link-up, I thought I'd join in!

With only a few weeks until I have to bare all in a swimsuit on holiday, I'm trying to be as good as possible :(  So here goes...this is what will be on this week's menu for us:

Monday
Seafood pilaf 

Tuesday
Spaghetti Squash Casserole (assuming I can find a spaghetti squash somewhere...none in Tesco's this morning!)

Wednesday
Butter bean & chorizo stew
Kids: Pasta with pesto

Thursday
Pork & sweet potato casserole

Friday
Grown-ups: Fish & chips at the school quiz!
Kids: Fish fingers & homemade chips

I try most of the time to make one meal we can all eat but hubby & I do quite like spice so I tend to sit the kids out of those meals.  I don't plan for the weekend meals as we're never sure what we're doing so I just wing it with my store cupboard staples!