Sunday 28 November 2021

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 48


After a couple of busy weeks at work, this week is looking slightly calmer. I do have to fill in the end of term reports and prepare the "conseil de classes" meetings on top of regular lessons, but there are no after school meetings for once - phew. Luckily, the eldest kids are off doing a week of work experience so that'll give me some extra time to fill in the reports too. We didn't get snow in the end but it was blooming cold and we had major wind and rain - so much so that Father Christmas abseiling down the belfry was put back until Wednesday ! Sophie's off in Italy this week, catching up with some friends. So what's on the menu this week ?

Monday

lunch- canteen for me (leftovers - probably pasta - for the kids)

dinner - battered fish with mash and coleslaw (I have a quarter of a white cabbage to use up)

Tuesday

lunch- canteen for me (leftovers for the kids)

dinner- smoked sausages with lentils and rice

Wednesday

lunch- chipolatas with leftover lentils and rice (only me and Pierre at home)

dinner- beef stew (with carrots, onions, mushrooms) with pasta

Thursday

lunch - I'll be eating with friends (leftovers for the kids)

dinner- chicken casserole with leftover pasta if there's enough, if not boiled potatoes

Friday

lunch-  leftovers or a Sophie-special :)

dinner - chilli con carne with rice (one of our winter favourites)

Saturday

lunch- kids' choice of fast food probably - if not, fishfingers (veggie option for Sophie as she doesn't like fish) with ebly and veg

dinner- something that leaps out at me when I go shopping - or maybe a chicken stir fry if nothing takes my fancy?

Sunday 

lunch- roast dinner - chicken probably

dinner- bacon sandwiches, if I can find bacon - totally failed last week :-/

***Click on my Menu Plans tag to see all my other weekly menu plan blogposts.***

Monday 22 November 2021

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 47


Blimey, week 47 ?!! Where is the time going? I need to start getting prepared for Christmas ! But for now, let's just think about next week. Last week was a busy one with parent-teacher evenings on Tuesday and Thursday, then on Saturday I let Sophie convince me to start putting up the Christmas decorations. The tree needs new lights so that has been put to the side for now, until I manage to grab a moment to go and buy new ones. (That'll be Wednesday, unless Sophie does it.) It does look nice and sparkly, just with a few bits of tinsel and dangly things hanging off the ceiling ! This week, I have parent-teacher evenings again, on Monday and Tuesday but as a parent this time- and I have to do both apparently as there are different teachers on both nights. Sigh. Tuesday is going to be a busy day as I'm on a training day all day, including lunch with the team, then I have to dash back to my school for a meeting at 4.30, then I have to head to Juliette's school for 5.30 for the meeting with the teachers. I'll need my Wednesday off to recover ! Snow is possibly on the way this week too, so I'll be looking up winter warmers to cook this week :)

Monday

lunch- canteen for me (fresh pasta for the kids)

dinner - we'll be in late so Sophie may take over - if not, tartiflette (potatoes, bacon, onions and stinky cheese, baked in the oven) (kicked back from last week's menu and the cheese is still festering in the bottom of the fridge !)

Tuesday

lunch- canteen for me (leftovers for the kids)

dinner- we'll be in late again so hopefully Sophie will take over - if not, spaghetti bolognese

Wednesday

lunch- chicken burgers with rice & coleslaw

dinner- veal stew (with potatoes, carrots, leeks, mushrooms) and leftover rice if desired (or just as it is)

Thursday

lunch - I'll be eating with friends (Sophie will probably come along as Pierre and Juliette will be at school canteens)

dinner- chicken curry with rice

Friday

lunch- Sophie will throw something together if there are no leftovers 

dinner - chilli con carne & rice

Saturday

lunch- kids' choice of fast food probably

dinner- probably something picked up when I go shopping - pizza? KFC-style chicken ? Chinese? or something completely unusual if I find it !

Sunday 

lunch- roast dinner - chicken this week, I think

dinner- bacon sandwiches, as we haven't had them for a while :)

***Click on my Menu Plans tag to see all my other weekly menu plan blogposts.***

Sunday 14 November 2021

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 46


Back into routine this week. I have parent-teacher evenings on Tuesday and Thursday so I'll need quick food or things that can be prepared in advance, unless I can convince Sophie to deal with dinner on those nights ! I did a big shop so there are various options this week, but I'll still make a plan as a basic idea. I used the leftovers from the Sunday dinner to make chicken (and roast potato and vegetable) soup which went down well and saves having too much left over in the fridge. I realised the freezer is pretty much full too so I'll need to make space in there so that I can fill it up ready for Christmas.

Monday

lunch- canteen for me (leftover chicken soup and/or pesto pasta for the kids)

dinner - meatballs with leftover fried potatoes (and tomato/onion/mushroom sauce)

Tuesday

lunch- canteen for me (leftovers for the kids)

dinner- chicken with American BBQ seasoning, rice & veg

Wednesday

lunch- chicken burgers with pasta & coleslaw

dinner- blanquette de veau (creamy veal & carrot stew) with potatoes

Thursday

lunch - I'll be eating with friends (leftovers for the kids)

dinner- sausages, rice & ratatouille


Friday

lunch- Sophie will throw something together if there are no leftovers left

dinner - tacos

Saturday

lunch- kids' choice of fast food

dinner- tartiflette (baked potatoes, onions, bacon and stinky reblochon cheese)

Sunday 

lunch- roast dinner

dinner- soup with the leftovers from lunch

***Click on my Menu Plans tag to see all my other weekly menu plan blogposts.***

Monday 8 November 2021

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 45


We're back ! We disappeared on a last-minute trip to see the family in England, which was lovely. We went over on the ferry as foot passengers and my dad picked us up from Dover which was much easier and cheaper than the Eurostar and train trip that we undertook in the summer. I hope it will all go back to normal soon though as the Day-2 tests are still expensive (about £60 each, despite having a free test in France 2 days before leaving and all being fully vaccinated - grrrr). Back to school this week but we have Thursday off as it's a bank holiday. Definitely into lots of slow cooker casseroles and winter warmers now :)

Monday

lunch- canteen for me (leftovers for the kids)

dinner - chicken in gravy with rice & veg

Tuesday

lunch- canteen for me (leftovers for the kids)

dinner- twice baked potatoes, stuffed with bacon, mushrooms, peppers, onions, beans and cheese)

Wednesday

lunch- sausages and lentils (with carrots and onions mixed in)

dinner- chicken and chorizo empanadas with rice and salsa (and maybe some guacamole too)

Thursday

lunch - Chicken & bacon ranch casserole (already has rice in it)

dinner- spaghetti bolognese

Friday

lunch- Sophie usually rustles something up for when I get home from work - otherwise sandwiches or leftovers will do

dinner - paella (we haven't had it for ages and I'm trying to remember what I used to add - chorizo, chicken, red pepper, onion, maybe some olives sounds good to me)

Saturday

lunch- McDonald's or equivalent

dinner- pizza or leftovers

Sunday 

lunch- roast dinner

dinner- steak sandwiches (leek quiche for Sophie)

***Click on my Menu Plans tag to see all my other weekly menu plan blogposts.***

Katykicker

Tuesday 2 November 2021

October 2021 Degustabox review : Movie Night


The clocks have gone back and the weather has completely changed this week, leaving us in no doubt that summer is a distant memory and autumn is definitely here. Luckily, we have Halloween and Bonfire Night to cheer things up a bit. Trick or treat? We were pleased to see that the latest Degustabox was full of treats to share !


This month's box had a Movie Night theme and the contents do fit in perfectly, with sweet and savoury snacks, including cinematastic hot dog buns, plus plenty of extras. Here's a quick peek at the contents of the box. Now let's have a closer look ...


Baker Street Drive Thru Originals 4 Classic Hot Dog Rolls (RRP £1.50) can be eaten straight from the pack or warmed up for a few minutes to make them taste even better apparently. We ate them as they were, stuffed with sizzling sausages, fried onions and tomato ketchup, and they were lovely. I particularly liked the fact that they are pre-cut, meaning that the kids can stuff their own hot dogs with no fuss or sharp knives needed. They benefit from long life so they are great as a simple meal option for Pierre at lunch times, if he wants to just add a couple of microwaved hot dog sausages or use up some leftover meat. The Madhouse kids said that these would be great in the classic French "sandwich américain" too - imagine an upgraded chip butty with a chopped up beefburger or sausage, ketchup or mayonnaise and freshly fried chips stuffed inside. Délicieux ! Available at Tesco's and selected convenience stores.


Nestlé Cheerios Vanilla O's (RRP £2.65) are a great breakfast option that appeal to kids (for the taste) and adults (for the nutrition). They are low in sugar (less than 5%), high in fibre and made with wholegrain but shh, don't tell the kids, they'll never realise ! They also have no artificial colours or flavours. They're tasty with milk for breakfast or just on their own as a snack. Available from Sainsbury's.

Get ready for this month's Product of the Month ! ... Mutti Passata (RRP £1.55) is a great product to keep in the kitchen cupboard for throwing together a quick meal with pasta or homemade pizza, as a sauce base with chicken or beef or even for adding depth of flavour to homemade soup. It's made from 100% Italian, perfectly sun-ripened summer tomatoes and its vibrant red colour, deliciously sweet flavour and smooth, velvety texture will keep everyone at the table happy. 


Barebells Double Bite Caramel Crisp (RRP £2.49 - other Degustaboxers got Double Bite Chocolate Crisp) is a high protein bar with no added sugar. Covered in milk chocolate, it is a very tasty snack. Great if you're looking to increase your protein intake, but it's a bit on the pricey side for us to make it a regular snack option.


Maretti Oven-Baked Bruschette Chips (RRP £1.49) are a tasty snack option that make a nice change to crisps and come with a clever marketing ploy. Generously seasoned on one side only, Maretti are giving you a 2-in-1 snack with a choice of intense and mild taste (spices down for intense taste or spices up for mild one). This is great if some people in your family like spicy snacks more than others. We got the Tomato, Olives & Oregano flavour which was a big hit but they come in six different flavour options. Available at Iceland, Lidl, Ocado, Holland & Barrett and various local stores.

Newman's Own Blue Cheese Dressing Dip (RRP £1.75) is great for livening up salads but can also be used as a dip with vegetable sticks or tortilla chips. 100% of royalties and after-tax profits that Newman's Own receives from the sale of products are used for charitable purposes, including key charity partner Over the Wall, which provides free and fun activity camps for children with serious health challenges. Available at Sainsbury's.
 

Indie Bay Pretzel Thins (RRP 2 x 89p) are very tasty snacks and the Madhouse kids absolutely loved them. They are made using spelt flour in their dough, they come in at under 100 calories per bag and they contain 70% less fat and 100% more protein than your average crisp. We tried Lightly Salted and (our favourite) Barbecue flavour, which were both big hits. They are said to be good for dipping, dunking, topping, grabbing, snapping and crunching. We'll definitely be buying them again. Available at Morrisons, Ocado and Amazon.


Poppets (RRP 2 x £1) are a sweet that I remember from long ago trips to the cinema, but alongside the regular Toffee Poppets, we also got to try new Poppets Mix-Ups, featuring chewy toffee, sweet salted caramel fudge, crunchy malt balls and classic chocolate. Which one will you get? Well, it doesn't really matter as they're all very nice ! The classic toffee flavour now has a new softer, chewy texture and both bags were gobbled up by the whole family. 


Pot Noodle Fusions (RRP 2 x £1.39) are great as a quick lunch or after-school snack for the kids. They love the regular instant noodles but were keen to try these latest flavours - we got Thai Green Curry and spicy Chilli Chicken but other Degustaboxers got Katsu. The kids loved the new Asian-inspired flavours and have asked to have some more in the cupboards for when they need a quick lunch. Available at Sainsbury's and Asda.


Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Trio (RRP 99p) are one of Juliette's favourite sweets, so she was very happy to discover that they've made the cups bigger. Sweet milk chocolate and peanut butter - what's not to like ?!


Sempio Korean BBQ Bulgogi Stir Fry Sauce (RRP £1.20) is a tasty cooking sauce, featuring Korea's number one Sempio soy sauce as a base ingredient to provide a robust, umami-rich flavour. Just add to stir-fried vegetables and meat (chicken, pork, beef or whatever you fancy) and you'll have a tasty, exotic dish on your plate in minutes ! Available at H-mart and Oseyo supermarket, which has an online shopping option. We all loved the flavour and I loved the simplicity of the meal preparation.


Last but not least, V.I.Bs Indulgent Chocolate Cherry (RRP £1.79) is another Very Important Biscuit to join the range. Each biscuit is topped with a thin layer of caramel then chocolate and mixed into the flavour is a delicate hint of cherry. Very tasty and very moreish !

This was a very popular box with everything appealing to our taste buds. The kids loved nibbling on the sweet treats and the dinner options were both tasty and convenient. A winning combination ! There are definitely several brands that I can see us buying again.

 A subscription to Degustabox costs £12.99 per month including delivery, with each box having a value of much more than that, but the great news is, I have a discount coupon code for you which means you'll get the first box for just £9.99 - enter code PKUFE at the checkout. 

for more information :

Also now on Instagram @DegustaboxUK

Disclosure : We received the box in order to write an honest review. As a Degustabox blogger, I receive all of the products that go into the monthly boxes, but subscribers may not get exactly the same selection.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...