Friday 5 May 2017

Menu planning 1 - 5 May

So another week with just two of us, but a busy week, so trying to keep meals as simple as possible.

Monday - Slow cooked pork (second half of last week's joint)

Tuesday - Coconut chicken curry (this makes 3-4 portions, so is good for extra portions to freeze)

Wednesday - Spicy pineapple chilli (we freeze this in individual portions, so good for the evenings when we eat at different times)

Thursday - Pork chops (I buy these in a large tray and then freeze in meal-size portions)

Friday - Cheesy fish fillets

Cheesy fish fillets

Tuesday 2 May 2017

Menu planning 23 - 30 April

Just two of us now, so we need to cheat with cooking. We often will cook enough for two meals, so on a later date we only have to prepare vegetables as the main part only needs to be reheated.

Monday  - Spice it up salmon

Tuesday - Bolognese sauce with pasta or zoodles

Wednesday - Honey Mustard Chicken with rice

Thursday - Spicy pineapple chilli

Friday - Slow cooked pork with apples

Saturday - Honey mustard chicken (second serving!)

Sunday - Poached salmon

Honey mustard chicken

Monday 24 April 2017

Menu planning 17 - 23 April

A week when the children go back to university, one on Tuesday, one on Friday, so another mixed week.

Monday - Fish pie

Tuesday - Pork roast (using the other half of the pork joint from last week)

Wednesday - Shepherd's pie

Thursday - Coconut turkey stew

Friday - Mascarpone Fish (based on a recipe from Asda  although I bake the whole dish which is less messy!)

Saturday - Bolognese sauce - I have 'zoodles' and my husband has pasta

Sunday - freezer diving, although I'll have the extra portion of the shepherd's pie from Wednesday

Menu Planning 10 - 16 April

A somewhat calmer week, although it does include Easter!
My husband and son will be volunteering at the local heritage railway over the Easter weekend, so all days have to be flexible as they can't leave until everything is clear.

Monday - Salmon

Tuesday - Pork chops with apple sauce

Wednesday - Chicken in white sauce

Thursday - Gammon (cooked in the slow cooker, giving cold meat for lunches)

Friday - Beef & cabbage skillet (one pot meal, and a good way of using up random vegetables!)

Saturday - Salmon fish cakes

Sunday - Balsamic pulled pork (a large joint that will be split in two)
I bought the pork some time ago, but it is big enough to do at least two meals




Tuesday 4 April 2017

Menu planning 3 - 9 April

Well, last week went to plan, but this week is looking complicated!
My son is working as part of the technical team at the Swindon Gang show, so needs to be at the theatre early for the three mornings before the performances, as well as late on the two rehearsals and three evening performances.
So, this week I will be feeding 3 or 4 each day, and a couple of days it will be necessary to eat at midday rather than the evening because of the timings

Monday - Poached salmon

Tuesday - Pork chops (for 3)

Wednesday - Chicken casserole (for 3)

Thursday - Slow cooked gammon in cider (for 4?)

Friday - Beef and cabbage skillet
(a one pot meal at lunchtime)

Saturday - Fish cakes (for 3)

Sunday - something very simple, as I don't expect him home until after 2 am as the theatre has to be completely emptied and everything returned to another location before they can leave.

Poached salmon

Monday 27 March 2017

Menu planning 27 March - 2 April

Last week's menu all went to plan, but I suspect that the end of this week could get complicated. Three of us are away, but my daughter is going away with another student friend and will probably leave after we do on Friday, but at present I don't know when! I also need to make sure there is food for my son while he is here alone for the weekend.

Monday - Fish pie

Tuesday - meal out at Hungry Horse as belated Mother's Day meal

Wednesday - slow cooked chicken (this means I can then make a pot of stock from the bones - ideal for soup making)

Thursday - Pork chops (the family will have caramel apples on theirs, and I will have apple - I'm still  sugar-free for Lent)

Friday - a mystery as I don't know if I'm feeding one or two of mine, or even an extra two when her friends come and pick her up!

Saturday - only one student to feed and he will eat out of the freezer

Sunday - Spiced kheema (this is quick and easy when we are returning from a weekend away)

Spiced kheema

Monday 20 March 2017

Menu planning 20-26 March

So at the end of this week, my children come home from uni for nearly 4 weeks. We go from feeding two people to feeding four, so I have get a proper menu planned. When there is only two of us, we sometimes eat the same thing two days running because it's sitting in the fridge, particularly on busy days.

Monday - Baked tuna (there seems to be shortage of salmon at the moment)

Tuesday - Pork burgers topped with mushrooms

Wednesday - Coconut chicken curry with rice

Thursday - Pineapple chilli (this will give us two portions to put in the freezer - ideal one pot meals)

Friday - Gammon steaks with pineapple

Saturday - Chicken casserole - ideal to feed four and it contains lots of vegetables!

Sunday - Balsamic pulled pork (made in the slow cooker so ideal for a busy day when three of us have to be out by 9.30!)

Sharing on Hijacked by Twins Menu Planning Monday

Pineapple chilli

Sunday 19 March 2017

Menu planning 13-19 March

A quiet week this week, and a few nights when I'm just feeding me, so a variety of frozen meals on those nights!  Even though there are only two of us here most of the time now, there are certain meals I still cook for four, and then freeze the left over portions.

Monday - Baked tuna steaks

Tuesday - Chicken in white sauce (a portion left from last week)

Wednesday - Turkey stroganoff (we make this with coconut milk and thicken the sauce with arrowroot)

Thursday - Pork chops (I tend to buy big trays of these, and freeze in meal size portions)

Friday - Salmon fish cakes

Saturday - Handmade pork burgers

Sunday - Beef stew (an ideal slow cooker meal, and great to freeze in individual portions)

Chicken in white sauce

Monday 13 March 2017

Menu planning 6 - 12 March

We followed the plan from last week, and this week I put the fish pie back in the plan after we didn't make it a couple of weeks ago.

Monday - Poached salmon

Tuesday - Pork chops

Wednesday - Beef stew (from the freezer)

Thursday - Chicken in white sauce (ideal way of using up leeks etc in the fridge!)

Friday - Fish pie

Saturday - Pulled pork with apples

Sunday - we are going to a bring and share meal, so we will taking chicken drumsticks and some cookies out of the cupboard that probably were given us for Christmas!

Fish pie

Wednesday 1 March 2017

Menu planning 27 February - 5 March

The plan for last week was almost right, although because we went to a funeral on the Friday (where I couldn't eat any of the refreshments) we abandoned the fish pie and went out to the Toby carvery on our way home.

Monday - Spicy salmon

Tuesday - Coconut chicken curry with rice

Wednesday - Gammon steaks and pineapple

Thursday - Asian meatballs (I tend to make a big batch of these and freeze all the rest for packed lunches, they are fine eaten cold)

Friday - Cheesy fish

Saturday - (something that is on special offer?)

Sunday - Pineapple chilli (from the freezer as I'm out all day)

Coconut chicken curry

Tuesday 21 February 2017

Menu planning 20 - 26 February

Well, we stuck to the menu last week, but now there is only two of us here, it's not hard to do that!

Monday - Poached salmon

Tuesday - Slow cooked chicken - although I have discovered it is too big to fit into our new slow cooker and have to get the old one out!

Wednesday - Pork chops

Thursday - Spiced kheema
Due to a change in plan, we need something that is quick and easy to make

Friday - Fish pie

Saturday - Pork chops
the other half of the packet from Wednesday, just cooked in a different way

Sunday - Beef & prune bake

Sharing with Hijacked by Twins Menu Planning Monday

Fish pie

Thursday 16 February 2017

Menu planning 13 - 19 February

We stuck to last week's plan and continue to eat partly from the freezer - although there does appear to be quite a lot of 'student food' waiting for the children to come home for Easter!
I am still continuing to avoid most of the food that I cut out for the Whole 30 month, as I have a suspicion that large quantities of dairy is not good. I seem to be alright with a dash of milk in a coffee but larger amounts such as lump of cheese or a latte seem to be causing problems.

Monday - Poached salmon

Tuesday - Hungarian meatloaf (this means I can make tomato soup witt mini meatballs with the rest of  the meat and tomatoes)

Wednesday - Not stuffed mushrooms (individual portions from the freezer)

Thursday - Chicken in white sauce - loosely based on this Chicken Pot Pie without the topping

Friday - Fish stew

Saturday - Slow cooked balsamic pulled pork

Sunday 'Pasta' with bolognaise sauce

Sharing with Hijacked by Twins Menu Planning Monday

Monday 6 February 2017

Menu planning 6 - 12 February

Well, we pretty much stuck to last week's menu, so hoping to do the same this week.
I'm trying to use what is the freezer first.
Our main challenge at present, is due to the weather in Spain,we don't know how much longer we can get salad. We normally get through 2-3 bags of salad, 2 cucumbers and 2 bunches of spring onions in a week, so it could become quite serious if salad components become unavailable.

Monday - Lemon & pepper crusted salmon, loosely based on this recipe from BBC Good Food
I replaced the breadcrumbs with sesame seeds and ground almonds, and the butter with ghee.

Tuesday - Gammon
Towards the end of last year, we cooked a gammon joint, and then froze the surplus either as slices or salad pieces.

Wednesday - Turkey stroganoff
I use coconut milk instead of the sour cream, as I am still avoiding dairy (and it's less likely to curdle!)

Thursday - Shepherds pie
This contains lots of vegetables, and doesn't ask for strange ingredients!

Friday - some kind of fish dish!

Saturday - Citrus pork chops
I freeze these with the marinade already added, so they marinade as they thaw

Sunday - Amish beef and cabbage skillet
A quick one pan meal!

Sharing this menu plan with the linky on Hijacked by Twins


Wednesday 1 February 2017

Whole 30 - Day 30

Breakfast - Breakfast sausage, poached egg and mushrooms

One tray of this makes 12 portions, so we freeze the second half for the next week

Lunch - Smoked salmon salad, 2 clementines

Snack - 3 dates

Dinner - Nacho pie with carrots

This has a cauliflower topping instead of a cornbread one, but the recipe is quite spicy, so you may to adjust it if giving to little ones!
Nacho pie
Supper - Apple

Tuesday 31 January 2017

Whole 30 - Day 29

Breakfast - Vegetable omelette

This one had onion, mushrooms and courgettes, a great way of using up the odd bits left in the fridge.

Lunch - Smoked salmon salad, 2 clementines

Look very carefully to check the ingredients as many brands include sugar - the smaller size of this from Aldi does now contain sugar, but this size doesn't (they only seem to sell this size at Christmas)


Dinner - Chicken stir fry with rice

Microwave rice is quick with stir fry and ideal now there is only two of us.

Monday 30 January 2017

Menu planning 30 January - 5 February

Monday - Chicken stir fry

Tuesday - Nacho pot pies from Beauty and the Foodie

A new recipe to try - it had to be using what is in the house as I hadn't planned before the Tesco delivery!

Wednesday - Pork chops

Thursday - Slow cooked roast chicken

Friday - a Toby Carvery or Hungry Horse mixed grill on the way to Sheffield

Saturday - Pineapple chili from Civilised Caveman

Sunday - ? not sure if we will eat on the way back from Sheffield

Sharing this menu plan with the linky on Hijacked by Twins

Spicy Pineapple Chili 

Whole 30 - Day 28

Breakfast - Bacon, poached egg and mushrooms

Lunch - Chicken salad, 2 clementines

Snack - raw blackcurrant bar

Aldi sell a variety of flavours either individually or in a box of 5

Dinner - Spiced kheema from Nom Nom Paleo

This has the advantage that you can add extra vegetables in the mixture - I used up some cabbage and courgette

Spiced kheema

Sunday 29 January 2017

Whole 30 - Day 27

Breakfast - Bacon, poached egg and mushrooms

Lunch - Tomato soup with mini meatballs, Nakd gingerbread bar

A packed lunch while out and about - tomato soup stains the flask!

Dinner - Gammon steak topped with pineapple, carrots and broccoli

Supper - Blueberries
flask of tomato soup

Whole 30 - Day 26

Breakfast - Breakfast meatloaf, poached egg and mushrooms

Lunch - Pulled pork salad, 2 clementines, 3 dates

Dinner - Fish pie with carrots and Brussels sprouts

Supper - blueberries & 6 almonds
Fish pie

Whole 30 - Day 25

Breakfast - Breakfast sausage, poached egg and mushrooms

Lunch - Pulled pork salad, 2 clementines

Dinner - Beef & prune bake (without the cheese topping), carrots and cauliflower
Breakfast sausage, poached egg & mushrooms

Thursday 26 January 2017

Whole 30 - Day 24

Breakfast - Breakfast sausage, poached egg and mushrooms

I make the sausage in a tray with 500g turkey mince and half of a shredded butternut squash

Lunch - Butternut squash soup with a little chopped chicken, 2 clementines

I freeze individual portions of soup ready for when it's needed

Snack - raw blackcurrant bar

Dinner - Coconut curried pork (left from Sunday) boiled potatoes, carrots and broccoli

Supper - Stewed plums

Wednesday 25 January 2017

Whole 30 - Day 23

Breakfast - Blueberry omelette based on a recipe from Stupid Easy Paleo

I halved the quantities, so only 2 eggs

Pre-swim snack - Chopped apple with almond butter

Lunch - Pulled pork salad, 2 clementines

Dinner - Coconut chicken curry, microwave rice, carrots and broccoli; roasted butternut seeds

Supper - Blueberries with a little coconut milk
Blueberry omelette

Whole 30 - Day 22

Breakfast - Omelette with vegetables - courgette, red pepper, onion, mushrooms

A great way of using up bits of veggies; I allow 150-180g of chopped veg to 2 eggs

Lunch - Pulled pork salad, 2 clementines

Dinner - Baked tuna, carrots and cauliflower.

Asda sell bags of tuna fillets, but a bag of 360g of fillets is not going to fed 4 people!

Supper - Blueberries
Vegetable omelette

Menu planning 23 - 29 January

Monday - Baked tuna

Tuesday - Coconut chicken curry

Wednesday - Coconut curried pork part 2

Thursday - Beef & prune bake

Friday - Fish pie

Saturday - Gammon steaks

Sunday - ??

Coconut curried pork

Monday 23 January 2017

Whole 30 - Day 21

Breakfast - Bacon, poached egg and mushrooms

Lunch - Salmon salad, 2 clementines

Dinner - Slow cooked Coconut curried pork, carrots and cauliflower

The piece of pork was big enough to do 4 dinner portions with the curry sauce, and 4 lunch portions without sauce that will go with salad

Supper - stewed plums
Bacon, poached egg & mushrooms

Saturday 21 January 2017

Whole 30 - Day 20

Breakfast - bacon, poached egg and mushrooms

Lunch - Chicken salad, 2 clementines

Dinner - Turkey drumstick reheated in chicken stock, potatoes, carrots and Brussel sprouts

I got a turkey drumstick from the discount shelf and roasted it earlier in the week, it probably would have been better to eat it straight away instead of reheating it, but it was alright.

Supper - stewed plums

Whole 30 - Day 19

Breakfast - bacon, poached egg and mushrooms

Lunch - Chicken salad, 2 clementines

Dinner - Toby carvery as a belated birthday dinner - Pork and turkey, carrots, red cabbage, green beans, cauliflower and mashed swede (no gravy or sauces)

Supper- stewed plums

Whole 30 - Day 18

Breakfast - Breakfast sausage, poached egg and mushrooms

Lunch - Salmon salad, 2 clementines

Dinner - Pineapple chilli, followed by a sliced nakd bar

Supper - sliced apple

Thursday 19 January 2017

Whole 30 - Day 17

Breakfast - Breakfast sausage, poached egg and mushrooms

Lunch - Courgette soup with added chicken, 2 clementines

I have an exercise class straight after lunch, so soup is quick. I tend to chop a little meat into it, for added protein.

Dinner - Pork burgers topped with mushrooms, carrots and broccoli

Supper - 1 chopped apple

Wednesday 18 January 2017

Whole 30 - Day 16

Breakfast - Breakfast sausage, poached egg and mushroom

Lunch - Salmon salad, 2 clementines

Dinner - Chicken with mushroom sauce, carrots and broccoli

This has the advantage in that you cook the chicken without the sauce, so I could cook a whole packet, so there is some left for lunches

Supper - 1 apple

Whole 30 - Day 15

Breakfast - Breakfast sausage, poached egg and mushrooms

Pre-swim snack - blackcurrant fruit bar and a few nuts

Lunch - Chicken salad, 2 clementines

Dinner - Spicy salmon on zoodles (spiralised courgettes) with carrots and broccoli

Supper - Cup of butternut soup

Butternut squash soup is good for the family, as it is quite sweet and good to freeze into individual portions

Tuesday 17 January 2017

Menu planning 16 - 22 January

A quieter week this time, unless a disaster happens!

Monday - Spicy salmon

Tuesday - Chicken with mushroom sauce from Paleo Leap

Wednesday - Pork burgers

Thursday - Pineapple Chili from Civilized Caveman

Friday - Fish stew

Saturday - Pulled pork (probably with a curried coconut sauce)

Sunday - Spiced kheema from Nom Nom Paleo

Pork burgers topped with mushrooms

Sharing on the blog hop hosted by Hijacked by Twins

Monday 16 January 2017

Whole 30 - Day 14

Breakfast - bacon, poached egg and mushrooms

We tend to cook a tray of bacon in the oven in advance, which speeds up the morning

Lunch - a challenging day as we were at a 'bring and share' lunch, so I had prepared back up food - a box of salad and a bottle of salad dressing. But I had the soup and meatballs we had taken, with a salad and half a jacket potato, followed by a satsuma and a few grapes.

Afternoon tea - (everyone else had cake) Grapes and a few nuts

Dinner - Shredded chicken on butternut squash noodles with a side salad

Supper - cup of butternut soup

Saturday 14 January 2017

Whole 30 - Day 13

Breakfast - breakfast sausage, poached egg and mushrooms

Lunch - Salad topped with diced pork loin chop left from Wednesday, 2 clementines

Dinner - Chicken stir fry with butternut spaghetti


Another blogger had suggested the butternut spaghetti from Aldi, the only issue I have with it, is it has very long strings, but they do seem to break up when stir fried.

Supper - cup of butternut squash

Whole 30 - Day 12

Breakfast - breakfast sausage, poached egg and mushrooms

Lunch - chicken salad, 2 clementines

Dinner - Curried fish chowder with croutains (plantain croutons)

There are not a lot of vegetables in the original recipe, so we add about half of a shredded cabbage, which makes it a filling meal.

Supper - 1 apple

Someone asked what I am drinking during the programme - mainly tea! We normally make Darjeeling tea in a teapot, so that carries on. I tend to carry fruit tea bags when I go out, as it's hard to get tea weak enough how we like it. Bottled water is useful when going out.
The main challenge of dairy-free is not having coffee, which is the easy option when out and about.

Thursday 12 January 2017

Whole 30 - Day 11

Breakfast - Breakfast sausage, poached egg and mushrooms

We cook the sausage like a meatloaf in a square tin and cut it into 12 pieces.

Lunch - Chicken salad, 2 clementines

After we had eaten our slow cooked chicken on Tuesday, I stripped all the meat from the carcass, and then put the carcass back into the slow cooker with 2 litres of water to make stock. The cold meat is great for salads.

Dinner - Asian meatballs, carrots and broccoli

The rest of the tray of meatballs will be going to the bring and share lunch on Sunday

Supper - bowl of mixed berries

Whole 30 - Day 10

Breakfast - bacon, poached egg and mushrooms

I'm not sure we've quite got the timing right to get the egg and the bacon on the plate at the same time!

Lunch - courgette soup, sliced apple with almond butter, 3 dates

Quick lunch needed before my exercise class

Dinner - Grilled pork chops topped with apple sauce, carrots, broccoli and Brussel sprouts

Supper - Stewed plums topped with flaked almonds

Wednesday 11 January 2017

Whole 30 - Day 9

Breakfast - bacon, poached egg and mushroom

The ultimate skill of getting the timing right so they all finish at the same time - failed!

I started back at swimming today, possibly for the first time in 5 years. Having lined up a swim buddy, I was commited to go - and did 32 lengths which is 800 metres.

Lunch - salmon salad, 2 clementines, 3 dates

Dinner - slow roasted chicken, carrots and broccoli followed by a raw fruit bar (blackcurrent)

Supper - stewed plums

Tuesday 10 January 2017

Whole 30 - Day 8

Breakfast - Omelette with onions, courgettes , mushrooms and red pepper

We tend to have omelettes as part of our 'getting back to work' on Mondays, and they are a good way of using up bits of vegetables.

Lunch - Salmon salad, half a mango, 3 dates.

I bought a mango in Aldi as they were part of the Super 6, and it was getting soft.

Dinner - Poached salmon, boiled potatoes, caarrots and cauliflower

The potatoes were the last from the bag we bought for Christmas, just enough a couple each

Supper - half a mango

Menu planning 9 - 15 January

A catching up week to get back in the routine of work, admin and other activities

Monday - Poached salmon

Tuesday - slow cooked chicken - trying out the slow cooker to see if it really works!

Wednesday - Grilled pork chops topped with apple sauce

Thursday - Asian meatballs from Nom Nom Paleo

Friday - Curried fish chowder

Saturday - Slow cooked pulled pork, probably in a coconut curry sauce

Sunday - a bring and share lunch where we will be taking soup and the rest of the meatballs from Thursday!

Sharing on the Linky hosted by Hijacked By Twins


Whole 30 - Day 7

A slightly challenging day, we had to go and visit my father who had been rushed into hospital.

Breakfast - breakfast sausage, poached egg and mushrooms

Dinner - Sunday roast at the Hungry Horse - chicken, 1 roast potato, carrots, cauliflower and green beans. We tend to do a bit of 'vegetable swapping' so that different people get the vegetables they will eat!

a cup of black tea on the way home at 7pm

Tea (about 8.30pm) - salmon salad

Supper - cup of courgette soup

Saturday 7 January 2017

Whole 30 - Day 6

Breakfast - Breakfast sausage, poached egg and mushrooms

We would normally have bacon for breakfast on a weekend, but those student children have eaten it all!

Lunch - smoked salmon salad, 2 clementines

Dinner - chicken curry, zoodles (spiralised courgette), carrots and cauliflower

I freeze extra portions of dinner, so I can pull out a quick dinner if necessary

Supper - stewed plums with flaked almonds

Whole 30 - Day 5

Breakfast - breakfast sauage, poached egg and mushrooms

Lunch - pulled pork salad, 2 clementines, 3  dates

Dinner - almond crusted fish with boiled potatoes, carrots and cauliflower

Kids went back to uni today, so back to just cooking for two!

Supper - cup of courgette soup

Thursday 5 January 2017

Whole 30 - Day 4

Breakfast - breakfast sausage, poached egg and mushrooms

We fry our mushrooms in ghee which is made of clarified butter

Lunch - pulled pork salad, 2 clementines, 3 dates

Dinner - Citrus pork chops, courgettes and cauliflower

I made the marinade up without the honey to make it Whole 30 compliant

Supper - 1 persimmon

Whole 30 - Day 3

Breakfast - Breakfast sausage, poached eggs and mushrooms

We make the breakfast sausage like a meatloaf and cut it into 12 pieces, so it does us for 6 days

Lunch - Courgette soup with a little pulled pork, 2 clementines

I have a fitness class straight after lunch on Wednesday, so this is a quick meal

Snack - apple with almond butter

Dinner - 'Pasta sauce' made with  minced beef, mushrooms, red pepper, onion, tomatoes, courgettes; the family had pasta and I had zoodles (spiralized courgette)

A simple spiralizer means you can add extra vegetables really easily

Supper - 1 persimmon


Wednesday 4 January 2017

Whole 30 - Day 2

Breakfast - Butternut squash breakfast sausage with poached eggs and mushrooms fried in ghee

Amazingly we did remember how to cook the eggs so they came out just right!

Lunch - Pulled pork salad using some of the meat left from Monday, 2 clementines

We always try and buy a big enough piece to have a few lunches as well as a main meal

Dinner - Chicken in white sauce with carrots and broccoli, 1 persimmon

Supper - cup of courgette soup


Monday 2 January 2017

Whole 30 - Day 1

The first day, always challenging when there are still a selection of goodies in the house!

Breakfast - onion and mushroom omelette

Normally I would add a pepper, or maybe a bit of chicken, but there wasn't any in the fridge!

Lunch - smoked salmon salad with white wine vinaigrette  (bistro salad, grated carrot, spring onion, radish, cucumber, sultanas, pumpkin & sunflower seeds) 1 clementine

I have found that it is quite hard to find smoked salmon that doesn't have sugar in it - I'd been buying it from Aldi for a couple of years, and recently that have changed their recipe so it now has added sugar. However for Christmas, they had big packets of smoked salmon - that didn't have sugar! so I've bought several that have been frozen to be brought out once a week and cut into 4 portions

Dinner - Slow cooked pork shoulder with apples, with carrots, broccoli and Brussell sprouts

We have recently replaced our slow cooker, and this one is definitely cooler, so the joint took longer to cook, however it will provide a few days worth of cold meat for salad

Supper - a cup of Spicy Courgette soup from Mel Joulwan

Easy to make a pot full of soup each week, and then freeze into individual portions

Menu Planning 2 - 8 January

An interesting week, as we start the week with both the children home from uni, but finish the week without them - slightly challenging finding things that they are happy to eat that are acceptable for me.

Monday - Slow cooked pork with apples from Pip and Ebby

Tuesday - Chicken not pie (chicken in white sauce) from Mrs Paleo

Wednesday - Pasta sauce (I'll have zoodles instead)

Thursday - Citrus pork chops made without honey to keep them acceptable

Friday - Almond crusted fish from A Blossoming Life

Saturday - Freezer diving, as the children will be back at uni, and my husband's out for dinner

Sunday - Spiced kheema from Nom Nom Paleo

Sunday 1 January 2017

Whole 30 - year 3

I have decided again to start the year on a Whole 30 programme.
In 2016, I did this in full, and then as Easter was early I continued without sugar throughout Lent, so about three months. I know that sugar is my biggest problem, although I also know that although I am not allergic to grains, my body is not particularly happy with them.

The main purpose of the Whole 30 programme is to reset your body, particularly if you have food related allergies.

The plan is that you eat real food - meat, fish, vegetables and fruit, natural fats, nuts and seeds - basically food with few ingredients. You avoid sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes and dairy as well as MSG and sulfites. As well as this you don't have any baked goods, as these are often the items that have caused the problems.

The main plan is to focus on making good food choices. You need 30 days to create the healing cycle from inflammatory foods.

I intend to use this blog to record how the month goes (and get back into regular menu planning), probably not with photos, but as a diary of meals.