Sunday, 29 January 2023

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 5


I walked down the street earlier today and said to Sophie, "woohoo, my foot isn't hurting any more and I can breathe properly" ! It might not seem like much but for me, that makes a big difference to day-to-day life ! Little health niggles that have been going on for a while - so long in fact that I've just got used to them. Well, on to a new lease of life ! I have big plans to get things organised in the house on my upcoming two weeks of holidays. I need to finish redecorating the hallway - we hit a block with the bits of wallpaper halfway up the stairs that we can't reach. Well, I'll come up with a solution and finish that off then finish the repainting. The roof is FINALLY supposed to be getting repaired next week- woohoo ! I can then sort out Sophie's room (some water came in through the roof so the ceiling needs repainting ... this water then came down the electric cables to the light in Pierre's room underneath last week, which was slightly scary !) Loads of reorganising and dejunking is planned too - let's call this some much needed early spring cleaning ! But I'm getting ahead of myself as I still have two weeks of work to get through. Here's the meal plan for this week anyway ...

Monday

lunch- canteen for me, fridge diving for those at home 

dinner - pork chops with mash & beans

Tuesday

lunch- canteen for me, fridge diving for those at home

dinner- Creamy Tuscan chicken with pasta

Wednesday

lunch- fishfingers and chips

dinner- smoked sausages/onions/mushrooms/peppers with pasta

Thursday

lunch - out for lunch with friends

dinner- chicken fricassée with couscous

Friday

lunch- canteen for me, fridge diving for those at home


Saturday

lunch- eating in town (kids' choice) or freezer diving

dinner- sweet & sour chicken & pineapple with rice

Sunday 

lunch- steak, potato wedges & carrots

dinner-  spaghetti bolognese (or fridge raiding/toast  if nobody is really hungry)

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

Sunday, 22 January 2023

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 4


Well, as I always say, the menu plan is there as just a rough idea, so that I know what I can cook with what's in the cupboards and fridge. Last week, I did the plan BEFORE going shopping, then I gave Sophie my bank card and sent her off to do the shopping while I was at work. She came up with various things to cook that weren't on the plan (and cooked them, so no arguments from me !), then at the end of the week, Juliette headed off (after school on Friday until Sunday morning) to stay with Sophie in Lille to visit the further education day. With just me and Pierre to cook for, we ended up going completely off plan too ! I could therefore just re-use last week's plan, as 75% of it didn't get made, but I've already been shopping this week so I'll be working with what's in the fridge. Phew, I need to get back on plan !

Monday

lunch- canteen for me, fridge diving for those at home 

dinner - meatballs in tomato sauce with pasta

Tuesday

lunch- canteen for me, fridge diving for those at home

dinner- filet mignon (pork) in cream with rice & peas

Wednesday

lunch- leftovers 

dinner- chilli con carne and rice

Thursday

lunch - another national strike day (against the government's decision to raise pension ages) and I don't think there will be buses this week so I'll probably walk home after work. Leftovers or a sandwich.

dinner- Cuban chicken (recipe as inspiration as I don't have an Instant Pot) with leftover rice/pasta

Friday

lunch- canteen for me, fridge diving for those at home

dinner - Brunswick stew

Saturday

lunch- chicken (or minced beef) fajitas with guacamole

dinner- chicken soup

Sunday 

lunch- roast dinner

dinner-  Homemade Crunch Wrap Supreme  (to use up the leftover wraps)


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

Sunday, 15 January 2023

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 3


Sophie is home for a few days so she'll probably be asking for random dishes and/or cooking. Sounds good to me ! I didn't go shopping on Saturday so I'll fill up the fridge tomorrow after work. This week's plan will therefore depend on what is in store but it'll work with a rough plan using stuff from the freezer, if the worst comes to the worst.

Monday

lunch- canteen for me, fridge diving for those at home (I can see Sophie and Juliette meeting up and eating in town)

dinner - chicken/brie burgers with hash browns (a dish that Sophie saw in a restaurant and wants to try recreating)

Tuesday

lunch- canteen for me, fridge diving for those at home

dinner- filet mignon (pork) in cream with rice & carrots

Wednesday

lunch- pork chops with pasta

dinner- chilli con carne and rice

Thursday

lunch - catching up with friends for lunch for me, fridge diving for whoever is at home

dinner- Cuban chicken (recipe as inspiration as I don't have an Instant Pot) with leftover rice/pasta

Friday

lunch- canteen for me, fridge diving for those at home

dinner - Brunswick stew

Saturday

lunch- I'm thinking there will be leftovers to use up


Sunday 

lunch- spicy chicken/bacon/tomato/onion risotto (this will be a recipe made up from whatever is left in the fridge that needs using up !)

dinner-  baked potatoes with cheese/beans/bacon


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

Sunday, 8 January 2023

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 2


We've all slotted back into our school/work routine with no problems but last week's menu plan was a bit hit and miss as the meat shelves at Lidl seemed half empty when I went shopping. I bought enough for what we needed but it was more a case of what they had than what I wanted. Oh well ! Pierre has set out on a health kick, trying to boost his muscles, through a combination of sport and eating lots more protein and shakes made with milk/fruit/porridge/peanut butter (is that even a thing ?!) so I'm trying to play along at the moment and fill the fridge with ham, chicken and oodles of fruit. We'll see how long it lasts ! This week was a great week for getting things done - finally managed to get hold of the electricity people so they can come and mend the protections on the cables on the front of our house so that we can (finally) get our roof fixed. Just have to wait for the roofers to get back in touch now - sigh !

Monday

lunch- canteen for me, fridge diving for those at home

dinner - beef meatballs with pasta and tomato/peppers/onion sauce

Tuesday

lunch- canteen for me, fridge diving for those at home

dinner- veal in mushroom/cream sauce with rice

Wednesday

lunch- steak, mash and veggies

dinner- pork filet mignon with rice and veg

Thursday

lunch - catching up with friends for lunch for me, fridge diving for whoever is at home

dinner- leftovers

Friday

lunch- canteen for me, fridge diving for those at home

dinner - baked potatoes (with cheese/bacon/onions)

Saturday

lunch- pasta carbonara

dinner- Deliveroo

Sunday 

lunch- gammon with gratin dauphinois (creamy potato bake) & veg

dinner- leftovers or toast

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

Monday, 2 January 2023

December 2022 Degustabox review : New Year & Enjoyable Moments


Ahhh Christmas is done and dusted for another year. Despite eating half of our body weight in snacks and sweets (and turkey and Christmas pudding and cake and ... well, I'm sure you get the idea !), we still excitedly investigated the latest Degustabox to arrive, with the perfect theme of New Year and Enjoyable Moments. Here's what was in the box.

 

First up, a bag of KitKat Bites (RRP £1.59) which are perfect for sharing with the family in front of a festive film. Each bite-sized piece offers a smooth chocolatey centre and crispy wafer pieces to provide the traditional crunch and chocolate indulgence of KitKat bars. The bag is resealable so you don't even have to eat them all at once (which doesn't usually end up being a problem for us, funnily enough !). Yum ! Available from most major supermarket chains.

Eisberg Alcohol Free Mulled Wine (RRP £3.25) is a great alternative to alcohol for anyone who is pregnant or just wants to avoid alcohol. As well as being alcohol free, it is lower in calories and vegan friendly. The Mulled Wine variety offers a lovely festive twist, perfect with a mince pie or a slice of Christmas cake.


Knorr Organic Chicken Stock Pots (RRP £2) are made with quality organic ingredients, slowly simmered with authentic flavours, perfect for dishes ranging from risottos and soups to more. I love throwing one into the slow cooker along with chicken and vegetables to melt down without adding excess liquid to the pot. They are also great for using up the leftover turkey, vegetables and potatoes in a stew or pie. They are free from artificial preservatives and colours. Great for adding a lovely depth of flavour in minutes.


Lee Kum Kee Cooking Sauce Collection (RRP £4.99) offers a lovely selection of sachets of sauces and oils to add an Oriental theme to your dishes. They are absolutely perfect for using up the leftover turkey but are also great with chicken, pork, beef, prawns or vegetables.


Inside the box are full-sized sachets of Hoisin Sauce, Yellow Bean Sauce and Chilli Garlic Sauce, plus two small sachets each of Chilli Oil and Sweet Soy Sauce. There is also a booklet filed with different ways to use the sauces to help inspire your imagination. Perfect for trying out some new flavours in the New Year.


Heinz Made For Veggiez Balsamic & Rosemary Sauce (RRP £2.50) is one of a range of sauces (we got to try Chilli & Miso in the last Degustabox) inspired by world cuisine. Inspired by the flavours of the Med, it can be used for dipping, grilling, marinading and roasting. I added some to some quickly fried tomatoes, courgettes, onions and red peppers before serving them up on rice (toast or pasta would work too), for a tasty and simple lunch, which came out really well. Great for perking up simple dishes. Available at Morrisons and Ocado.

Dorset Cereals Dark Choc & Hazelnut Muesli Crunch (RRP unknown as this was the mystery brand in this month's box) is a tasty breakfast option that appealed to the whole family, in a bowl with milk, straight from the box as a snack or even added into cookies for some extra texture. I've just been to investigate and we had a box in a previous Degustabox, back in October. With dark chocolate curls and caramelised hazelnuts, it's a delicious way to start the day.


Munchies Gooey Caramel & Biscuit Sharing Bar (RRP £1) was passed on to my mum as she used to buy the original Munchies sweets about 45 years ago ! As the name suggests, it's made of runny caramel and crunchy biscuit pieces, encased in milk chocolate, and is very tasty, apparently. Available at B&M, Booker, Spar, Iceland, Aldi, Poundland, Home Bargains and NISA.


Odysea Spicy Ajvar (RRP £2.75) is a spicy dip with roasted red peppers and smooth smoky aubergine. It can be smeared on bread, used to dip crisps or carrot sticks in or even stirred through leftover pasta for a quick pasta salad lunch. It has a slightly sweet, spicy flavour that is great for perking up random leftovers from the fridge. Available at Sainsbury's and on the Odysea.com website.


Plantastic Flapjacks Sweet Apricot & Ginger with Almonds (RRP £2.75) are tasty oaty fingers, packed with sweet apricot chunks, crunchy almond nibs and a little kick of ginger to wake up your taste buds. As they say on the box, they're "so tasty, you'd never guess they're plant based". Very nice and with five in a pack, they're perfect for a week's worth of packed lunch desserts or cheeky TV snacks ! Available at Tesco's and on amazon.


Vahdam Turmeric Sampler (RRP £5) is a healthy sampler pack containing four best selling turmeric teas, infused with superfoods and packed into pyramid shaped tea bags. Caffeine free and packed in India, if you like herbal teas, they look perfect. I'll be passing these on to Sophie to try out. Available at Holland & Barrett.

 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.