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

Meatza - a grain free pizza alternative

The original recipe we had for Meatza was on a blog that is no longer there.
In fact we adapted it to suit us, so it seems reasonable to put up that recipe.

Meatza (feeds 4 adults)

800 g minced beef
1 egg, beaten
herbs of choice
Pasta/pizza sauce - tomato, onion, peppers, mushrooms, courgettes, spinach etc
[we use 400g tin of tomatoes, 1 pepper, 1 onion, 1 courgette, 100g mushrooms]
220g mozzarella/cheddar cheese (we go for half and half)

• Preheat oven to 220 C
• Prepare pizza sauce - you want it to reduce it so it is quite thick, allow up to 30 minutes
• In medium bowl, mix beef with egg and herbs until incorporated
• Spread into a greased cookie sheet (12 inch square with a lip), press into the bottom of the tray.
• Once oven is up to temperature, put meat into oven and cook for 12 minutes until most moisture has cooked off.  It will reduce in size by quite a bit!  Make sure it is cooked enough, it should be pretty solid.
• Remove from oven and drain off excess fat.
• Spread vegatable sauce over the 'crust' and top with cheese.  You may want to add extra raw vegetables for extra crunch.
• Put back into the oven for 5 minutes to melt and brown the cheese.
• Remove and let cook briefly, slice and serve.
• Serve with salad or vegetable sticks
  

Menu planning 30 December - 5 January

Christmas and school holidays are hard as there is no real structure.

Since I have discovered that I am gluten sensitive, I have found that whereas before I could get away with the odd biscuit, I now know when I've eaten something that I shouldn't!  At Christmastime, this isn't easy to control.  And sugar is even worse!

We have a very quiet Christmas mainly because of all that goes before - Christmas fairs and Santa trains particularly.  Teenagers don't want a lot of fuss and are happy to spend extra time on the computer, so we have Christmas day on our own, a Christmas meal with my parents some time between Christmas and New Year ad then spend New Year with my husband's family.  Nice Christmas dinner, not so good meal out!

So this week:

Monday - tuna

Tuesday - Meatza

Wednesday - in Tunbridge Wells with family - meal out and teatime buffet

Thursday - needs to quick to prepare as we will be travelling back from Kent - Pork burgers

Friday - Fish pie

Saturday - Honey apple ginger pork

Sunday - taking elder son back to uni, so likely to be meal out (hope it is better than last weeks!)

It will be good to get back to only one child and the structure of school time!

Menu planning 23 - 29 December

Menu planning provides some structure to this week!

Monday - plan says 'fish' - will have to be salmon, as one packet of tuna will not feed 4 of us!

Tuesday - Beef stew

Wednesday - Christmas dinner! (gammon)

Thursday - Honey mustard chicken - with some lovely mustard from the farmer's market!

Friday - Fish?!

Saturday - Meatza

Sunday - Sunday lunch with my parents (?carvery)

The target for next year is to get more photos!

Menu planning 16 - 22 December

Well, the countdown to Christmas is serious now!

Trying to keep a structure to the days with this being the last week of term.

Having to cater for 4 again means buying bigger packs of meat and more vegetables - I don't think he is too impressed with hall catering at uni!

Monday - Boys are at a Explorer/Network Scout Christmas dinner, so we will be going freezer diving!

Tuesday - Boys are helping at a Scout Bingo night, so need to eat early; we will drop them off and go out for dinner

Wednesday - Chicken not-pie

Thursday - Shepherd's pie

Friday - we have been invited next door for dinner - boys can have frozen burgers!

Saturday - Bacon wrapped meatloaf

Sunday - last day for the Santa Special trains at the SC&R, so dinner in slow cooker needed as there is no knowing what time they will get home -  Honey, apple & ginger pork

Sharing as usual with Menu planning with Mrs M

Menu planning 9 - 15 December

Well, last week did go fairly well, so much that when I got in on Thursday evening to an email asking did I want a table at a two-day craft fair at short notice, I decided to go for it!

I did find a good 'meatloaf' recipe on Pinterest that worked well from hiking in stilettos which we used on Sunday

So this week

Monday - Spiced up salmon

Thuesday - Citrus pork chops

Wednesday  - Coconut chicken curry

Thursday - Pineapple chilli

Friday - Fish pie

Saturday - Curried meatloaf

Sunday - Coconut curry pork

Looking at this, it looks rather curry-dominated, but larger child isn't keen, so seems reasonable to do it all before he comes home!

I have my last Christmas market on Sunday - an outdoor street market, so I hope the weather is kind. Older child comes home from uni this weekend, and various end of term things start happening.

Menu planning 2 - 8 December

Well, I think I am still spinning after this weekend's fairs!   I barely know what we are eating for the next couple of days, let alone what needs to be bought!

I have not even got out the Christmas cards, let alone written them.  No presents are wrapped, and I have no idea when the tree will go up.  The only arranged thing is New Year's Day with my husband's family, and we do have accommodation booked for that.

We have another busy week - I'm out for an evening fair on Thursday, my husband has a meeting on Friday, so needs to leave by 6.30pm and I'm so pleased that my son didn't volunteer to be a technican for the school concerts, which are on 3 nights this week.  Oh, and they are selling Santa tickets at the heritage railway one day each weekend up to Christmas.

Monday - Cheesy fish fillets, abandoned from last Friday

Tuesday - we have a Christmas lunch, so it will just be Butternut squash soup for dinner

Wednesday - Coconut turkey stew

Thursday - I'm out, so they can have frozen burgers

Friday - Spiced up Salmon

Saturday - Pulled pork

Sunday - Meatloaf

I am sharing as usual with Mrs M