Monday, 27 January 2014

Menu planning 27 January - 2 February

Well, last week almost went to plan!

Going quite well until Saturday evening, go downstairs at 6pm ready to make meatza - discover that someone, rather enthusiastically, had put the minced beef into the freezer when they unpacked the shopping!
Now we don't keep much 'ready to go' food in the freezer, so it was a rather mixed meal!
The meatza has been moved to this Thursday

This week is a little unusual as we are away at the weekend, but it is a Scout/Guide event, where I know that a fair amount of the food will not be suitable - I'll just take my goody bag!

Monday - R & W will have tuna, I have a meeting at 6pm, so will have the leftover pork from yesterday when I get back

Tuesday - Pork burgers

Wednesday - Coconut chicken curry

Thursday - Meatza

Friday - we are driving from Wiltshire to Sheffield straight from school, so will stop at the Toby Carvery near the NEC on the way

Saturday - tradtionally there is Chinese takeaway on Saturday evening (not many places can cope with takeaway for 50, so we tend to go back to the same place each year!)  I'll take a portion of something from the freezer with me, probably beef stew

Sunday - Having driven back from Sheffield, it is likely to be frozen burgers from Aldi as they are quick!

Sharing again with Mrs M Menu planning Monday

Monday, 20 January 2014

Menu planning 20 - 26 January

Last week went to plan -

We finally had Fish chowder.  I can only buy plantains (a savoury banana) in Asda in Swindon, and over Christmas they haven't stocked them.  But finally last week they were back!  I cut them into thick slices and cube the slices, frying them off in lard/butter to use instead of croutons.

I made enough beef stew to freeze one portion, so I can take that to an event when everyone else will be having a takeaway

The bring and share meal was a joint birthday/AGM of a Scout & Guide group that I am involved with. The theme had been green and gold, so I took along things I was happy to eat - 2 soups, butternut squash and broccoli, as well some chicken drumsticks and a gluten free chocolate 'brownie'




I was pleased to hear that some other people from Mrs M's Meal Planning FB page were going to try my Coconut turkey stew, hope they enjoyed it!

So this week

Monday - Salmon, cooked in foil packets with a little oil and water

Tuesday - Caramel apple pork chops

Wednesday - Chicken not-pie

Thursday - Pineapple chilli

Friday - Fish pie, using sweet potato as topping

Saturday - Honey ginger apple pork

Sunday - Meatza

I will be sharing as usual with Mrs M's Meal Planning Monday


Monday, 13 January 2014

Menu planning 13 -19 January

Another week gone - I thought that it was meant to be the quiet time in the crafting world, but I'm already doing personalised orders for Valentine's Day (for the organised people!).
In fact the plans to fill this time are still on the back burner...

So to food - feeding three adults (16 year old counts as an adult!) so some times I will only cook enough for 3, other times I will cook for 4 and freeze the leftovers or have them for lunch

Monday - tuna

Tuesday - Not stuffed mushrooms

Wednesday - Coconut turkey stew

Thursday -  Mozzarella meatballs

Friday - Fish chowder assuming that I can get plantains!

Saturday - Beef stew

Sunday - bring and share lunch, probably taking chicken drumsticks and brown sticky cake!

I will be sharing as usual with Mrs M

Friday, 10 January 2014

The dangers of hidden sugar

I don't know if you heard the discussion on the Jeremy Vine programme yesterday (9/01/14) when two cardiologists from Action on Sugar were discussing about hidden sugar in foods.

As well as those foods where you aren't surprised they contain sugar (Frosties and Coca Cola), there were others like flavoured water and Ragu sauce that do contain a large amount of hidden sugar.  A dentist was saying that the third highest reason children are hospitalised in the UK, is because of rotton teeth due to the amount of sugar they eat.

The campaign from Action on Sugar is to get manufacturers to reduce the amount of sugar to slow down the obesity epidemic.  Sugar is also addictive, the more you have the more you want.

It is finally becoming clear that the low fat promotion was a big marketing scam between the US Government and the farmers - if you take fat out of  the food, you need to improve the taste, and adding sugar does that.   There was a programme a couple of years ago, explaining Why our food is making us fat  The programme isn't available any more, but the article from the Guardian explains a lot.


Monday, 6 January 2014

Menu planning 6 -12 January 2013

Well, we are back to normal - older child back to uni, younger one back to school.

Over the holidays, I have basically been feeding 4 adults three weeks a day for two weeks.  Even though the 'children' sort out their own lunches most of the time in the holidays, I still have to make sure its there!

Back to a normal week, although in January life is quieter in that I don't have any craft fairs or markets, which gives me time to build up stock.

Monday - Spice up salmon

Tuesday - Citrus pork chops

Wednesday - Honey apricot raisin chicken

Thursday - Shepherd's pie

Friday - Curried fish chowder (assuming that Asda now have plantains again)

Saturday - Bacon wrapped meatloaf

Sunday - Honey apple and ginger pork