Monday, 31 July 2023

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 30

Last week was a nice, calm week of chilling out and catching up on the washing and shopping. I'm hoping for more of the same this week. I'm setting myself one job a day - tidy this, wash that, dejunk this spot - and I figure out that in a couple of weeks, I'll have achieved a lot. That's the plan anyway ! Sophie is off to Amsterdam with a friend this week but Juliette and Pierre are still here this week. That all changes at the end of the week when they head down to Brittany to see the grandparents on Friday, leaving me all on my own for a fortnight. The house is mine !! Here's the menu plan for this week.

Monday

lunch- chicken, mushrooms and green beans in gravy with rice

dinner - filet mignon with cream and pasta

Tuesday

lunch- spaghetti bolognese

dinner- battered fish with rice, peas and carrots

Wednesday

lunch- sausages, mash and beans

dinner- steak with hash browns and coleslaw

Thursday

lunch- beefburgers with pasta

dinner- tacos, guacamole, tomato salsa and rice

Friday

lunch-  ham or tuna baguette

dinner - chicken curry with rice

Saturday

lunch- bacon and tomato pasta

dinner- beef lo mein

Sunday

lunch- Spanish omelette

dinner- leftovers

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

Saturday, 29 July 2023

Degustabox July 2023 review : Summer & Get Outdoors


Coming back from our holiday in Spain, our kitchen looked very similar to Old Mother Hubbard's. The cupboards were bare ! Luckily we had the latest Degustabox awaiting our perusal and giving the kids a few snacking options. This month's theme - Summer & Get Outdoors - made me smile as it seems a bit optimistic with the current rainy weather ! Here's what was in this month's box.

 

Boost Iced Coffee Caramel Latte (RRP £1.19 - other Degustaboxers got Caffe Latte) is a summer-friendly way to get your caffeine intake in a deliciously mellow way. The smooth and creamy taste is perfect for sipping on a hot, sunny day. Also available in Double Espresso and Iced Mocha flavours. Available in convenience stores and on amazon.

Kettle Chips Sriracha Mayo (RRP £1.50) offer an innovative new flavour that takes its inspiration from street food markets around the world. The harsh spiciness of sriracha is toned down by the creamy mellowness of mayo, offering a tasty snack that we all enjoyed. Available at Waitrose and Tesco.


The Dinky Salted Caramel Pretzel Protein Bar (RRP £1.50) is this month's Product of the Month. It is a high-protein, low-sugar alternative to many of the unhealthier treats out there. Each 35g bar provides a whopping 11g of protein for just 1.6g of sugar so Pierre requested this one. I had a quick taste though and it is very nice. Available at ASDA.

 

Dalston's Rhubarb Soda and Peach Soda (RRP £2 per can) are delicious fizzy drinks, made by chefs from real fruit and nothing nasty. No added sugar, sweeteners or artificial ingredients. I really enjoyed the delicious fruity flavours, especially the fuzzy, summery peach variety. If you could store sunshine in a bottle, I'm sure this is what it would taste like ! Available at Waitrose, Sainsbury's, ASDA and Ocado.


Jordan's Red Velvet Country Crisp (RRP £3.80) appealed to me as soon as I saw the box and is perfect for long, summer holiday breakfasts. Alongside the usual crunchy golden oat clusters, the pack includes chocolate brownie pieces and cream cheese frosting flavoured red clusters which offer the perfectly decadent and indulgent combination to start the day (or, I admit, as a quick treat by the handful straight from the box!) The taste is delicious, the texture is fabulously crunchy and Juliette loves the fact that it turns the milk pink ! This is a Limited Edition, available at Waitrose and Ocado.


Kind Snacks Dark Chocolate, Nuts & Sea Salt Thins (RRP £2.50 - other Degustabox subscribers received Dark Caramel, Nuts & Sea Salt Thins) are great-tasting chewy bars that are high in fibre and gluten-free. They contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives and each bar comes in at under 100 calories. The number one ingredient is almonds and I love the nutty flavour, combined with the depth of the chocolate flavour. Available at ASDA.


Mentos Pure Fresh Cherry Flavour Gum (RRP £2.50) is utterly delicious and now comes in a recyclable paper-based container. A crisp outer layer gives way to a liquid-filled centre that fills your mouth with an intense cherry flavour. They are sugar free but you'd never know.


Plantastic Choc & Caramel Millionaire Flapjacks (RRP £2.25) offer all the great flavours of gooey caramel, smooth chocolate, golden syrup and oats. They're utterly delicious and, as they proudly proclaim on the box, "so tasty, you'd never guess it's plant-based". This gives you the feel-good factor of a vegan option with absolutely no effort. Available at ASDA and Tesco.

  

Sauce Shop Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce (RRP £2.75) is a sweet, smoky and spicy sauce that is perfect as a dip, on the side of the plate or added to sauces and marinades. It's one of a range of sauces made in the UK using natural ingredients. We all loved this and I'll be looking out for other varieties to see what's on offer. Available at Sainsbury's, ASDA, Morrisons and Booths.

Sxollie Cripps Pink Xider (that's not a typo by the way!) (RRP £1.80) is a very tasty drink that I really enjoyed, fresh from the fridge. It is made purely with apples and sunshine, by the cider-makers who say that they "give a damn about making the best damn cider in the world". It has no added sugar, no concentrate, is vegan friendly and B Corp Certified (whatever that may mean !). Very refreshing and I'd happily drink this again. Available at Sainsbury's, Morrisons, on amazon and at sxollie.com.


Very Lazy Cajun Paste (RRP £2) is another great product from the Very Lazy range. I was dubious at first but now I love the simplicity and lack of waste when using their Very Lazy Garlic, which has been adopted since discovering it in a previous Degustabox. The Cajun Paste is equally simple to use and perfect for bringing a teste of Louisiana to chicken wings or pork chops. It can also be stirred through veggies or added to casseroles and stir fries to add a great depth of flavour. Available at Tesco, ASDA and Morrisons. 

 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.

Tuesday, 25 July 2023

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 29

We're back home after a lovely ten-day break in Spain, where it was scorching hot but lovely chilling by the pool with a cocktail or three. We were in Isla Cristina, right down in the south and just next to the border with Portugal so we popped across for a visit of the Algarve too. Seeing the news of the fires in Greece was pretty scary as it was one of the places we thought about going this year. Now that we're back, I've come up with a quick meal plan for the rest of the week - time to get back into routine !

Monday

lunch- back to an empty fridge so it was McDonald's to welcome us home

dinner - chicken cordon bleus with pasta

Tuesday

lunch- Provençal chicken with rice

dinner- spicy pork with baked potatoes

Wednesday

lunch- Spanish chicken with green beans & rice

dinner- sausages, mash and beans

Thursday

lunch- fish, chips & peas

dinner- Hawaiian pork chops with rice

Friday

lunchBaked bean casserole with potato wedges

dinner - Hawaiian shoyu chicken with rice

Saturday

lunch- chicken burgers & Panguitch potatoes

dinner- veal filet mignon in cream/mushroom sauce with pasta

Sunday

lunch- pork chops, rice & ratatouille

dinner- pasta carbonara

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

Sunday, 2 July 2023

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 26

We're into the final week of school and we're all looking forward to the holidays. There's no canteen this week at school so I'm taking in sandwiches for a change. 

Monday

lunch- sandwich for me, fridge grazing for the kids

dinner - Moroccan-style chicken with lentils and apricots with couscous

Tuesday

lunch- sandwich for me, fridge grazing for the kids


Wednesday

lunch- leftovers

dinner- pork paupiettes with rice & peas

Thursday

lunch lunch with friends for me, fridge grazing for the kids

dinner- veal filet mignon in a creamy mushroom sauce with pasta or rice

Friday

lunch-  farewell bbq at school for me, fridge grazing for the kids

dinner - pasta carbonara

Saturday

lunch- baked potatoes with mushrooms, ham, tomatoes, onions, cheese

dinner- takeaway pizza

Sunday

lunch- roast chicken, roast potatoes, veg & gravy

dinner- toast

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

Friday, 30 June 2023

Book review : Evergreens - Liam Brown


If asked to look back at the best moments in my life, I would probably list off a whole host of memories of unforgettable nights out in my student days, exotic travels, falling in love, having my children and seeing them grow up. All of these things happened in my twenties and early thirties but would I have liked time to stop for me back then? Such is the hefty question put to the characters in Liam Brown's Evergreens.

After attending a free lecture about a clinical trial called Evergreens, twenty-something Ben decides to sign on the dotted line, happy to have the opportunity to never grow old. On-off girlfriend Sophie is not part of the project though so while Ben stays young forever, she ages as she moves through her life, taking steps to fill her time with happiness and personal progress. While Ben would seemingly have more potential to live the ultimate life, he doesn't manage to find his own definition of happiness, shifting from one unfulfilling job to the next and consuming vast quantities of beer.

I found it hard to really warm to Ben, who has this great gift and fails to take advantage of it. While Sophie starts off the same as him, living through a pandemic and becoming dissatisfied with her life means that she takes control of her situation and makes changes to provide herself with a happy life. I felt much more inspired by Sophie and her less-is-more outlook rather than Ben who had it all and totally wasted it.

While the book features on the past experiences of Ben and Sophie, some parts, written in italics, show us where they are now, in the year 2070. Ben is in a coma in a hospital bed with his ageing life partner Sophie looking over him. This peek into the future is not very reassuring, with mentions of climate change and environmental problems but also AI nurses replacing real human health care. I don't think I'd sign up to the Evergreens project in these conditions !

star rating : 4/5

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Legend Press (15 Jun. 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 302 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 191564383X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915643834

Disclosure : I received a free copy of the book in order to share my honest opinion.

Wednesday, 28 June 2023

Degustabox June 2023 review : Picnic & On The Go


The latest Degustabox recently arrived and, as we're stuck in the middle of an unrelenting heatwave, I absolutely loved the summery theme of the box : Picnic & On The Go. Several of the ingredients instantly inspired me for eating with dips or adding them to salads and the drinks options were perfect for sipping on a hot, sunny day. Here's what was in the box.

  

Hellmann's Real Garlic & Herbs Dressing & Dip (RRP £2.60) is a lovely, rich, garlicky sauce that is perfect for drizzling over salad or spreading into a sandwich. It's packed with flavour so it's all you need to add to lettuce for a simple side salad. It's also great stirred through boiled potatoes and tomatoes for a quick potato salad. Other Degustabox subscribers received Caesar Dressing, Fat Free Vinaigrette, Real Thousand Island Dressing or Real Honey & Mustard Dressing. If you buy several varieties, you could eat salad every day of the week and never get bored so it's perfect for summer !

Cawston Press Sparkling Rhubarb (RRP £3.50)  is a deliciously tart drink made from pressed rhubarb, apples and sparkling water. It's very refreshing served straight from the fridge or over ice. It's also available in 330ml cans, alongside Elderflower Lemonade, which was received by some Degustaboxers. All Cawston press drinks are made with a "no jiggery pokery" rule, which means no added sugar, no concentrates, no sweeteners and no shortcuts. The 750ml glass bottles are available on Ocado, Amazon and cawstonpress.com.

Two Brooks Craft Hard Seltzer (RRP £2) tastes delicious, just like a fruity flavoured sparkling water drink, but with an added hit of alcohol. Founded by three siblings, Two Brooks are intensely refreshing and crisp craft drinks. We got Mango Hi-Ball, which has a lovely tropical, fruity flavour, while other Degustabox subscribers got Passion Star. Perfect for sipping under a parasol in the back garden on a hot, sunny day. Available on amazon and twobrooks.co.uk.


Manomasa Tortilla Chips (RRP 2 x £1) are a great way of adding some Latin flavour to your summer salads by sprinkling them over the top. The two flavours received in the box are some of the most popular : Manchego & Green Olive and Serrano Chilli & Yucatan Honey. Imagine layers of juicy Mediterranean olives, sweet red peppers and tasty manchego cheese or traditional Serrano chilli and Mayan Yucatan honey from the mountains of Puebla, a handful of coriander and green lentils. Even if just munched straight from the pack, they're a great way of adding some punchy flavours to your snacks and summertime meals.


Nakd Protein Bars (RRP 2 x £1.25) instantly appealed to Pierre, who is keen on upping his protein intake and boosting his muscles, especially when it tastes this good and comes in a simple, ready-to-eat format. Made with 100% natural ingredients and no added sugar, these plant based protein bars come in three flavours and we got two : Peanut Butter and Cocoa Hazelnut. (There is also a Caramel variety.) Very tasty, according to Pierre.

 

Rio Tropical (RRP 85p) offers the ultimate fruity, sunshiney taste of summer, with orange, guava, apricot, mango and passion fruit juice added to sparkling water. It's a great tasting and refreshing drink to sip straight from the fridge and is also a source of vitamin C. 

Rosemary & Sea Salt Ryvita Thins (RRP £2.20 - other Degustaboxers got Multi-Seed Ryvita Thins) are great for dunking into anything from guacamole and salsa to cream cheese or hummus. They are very light and crunchy and can be used to add some interesting texture to a salad dish too. Perfect for summertime snacking.


Skittles Desserts and Skittles Squishy Cloudz Fruits (RRP 2 x £1.25 - other Degustaboxers got Squishy Cloudz Crazy Sours) offer sweet and creamy or soft and juicy flavour combinations that are very appealing. They promise a rainbow of happiness in each pack and they do make a nice change to regular Skittles, which I still love. Perfect for nibbling on in the summer instead of chocolate as they won't melt on your fingers !


Smint XXL Peppermint (RRP £1.50) are something I have never tried before so I can't compare but apparently they are three times bigger than regular Smint. They come in a convenient tin that is perfect for keeping in the car or in your handbag. They offer a powerful and long-lasting freshness so they're great for nibbling on after you've had a meal.

 

Forest Feast Salt & Vinegar Nut Mix (RRP £1.25) is a tasty mix of colossal cashews, almonds, pecans, peanuts and jumbo pumpkin seeds, all slow-roasted with hand harvested sea salt and cider vinegar. They have great flavour and I love their crunchy texture.

Garlic & Basil Olly's Olives (RRP £1.50) are dressed to impress in a tasty marinade and served in a convenient pouch that contains no messy oil or stones. They're vegan-friendly, a great source of fibre and each pouch only contains 75 calories so you can nibble away with a clear conscience.

 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.

Sunday, 25 June 2023

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 25

Well I didn't think it would last but we're still sweating our socks off in the middle of a major heatwave. Salads and sandwiches are on the menu now and I'm looking for more summery options that the kids will like despite the added veggies. I'm still trying to find things that everyone likes - green beans are a surprising winner at the moment. Into the last two weeks at school with two days supervising exams on Monday and Tuesday. Can't wait for the holidays - bring them on !

Monday

lunch- canteen for me, fridge grazing for the kids

dinner - chicken sausages with pasta

Tuesday

lunch- canteen for me, fridge grazing for the kids

dinner- Provençal marinaded chicken with rice and ratatouille

Wednesday

lunch- chicken burgers, tomato salad and potato salad

dinner- breaded fish, rice and peas

Thursday

lunch lunch with friends for me, fridge grazing for the kids

dinner- pasta bolognese

Friday

lunch-  canteen for me, fridge grazing for the kids


Saturday

lunch- leftovers or Deliveroo

dinner- twice-baked stuffed baked potatoes (with chorizo, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms)

Sunday

lunch- BBQ chicken with couscous & tomato salad

dinner- big mixed salad with bacon, mushrooms and cheese

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

Sunday, 11 June 2023

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 23

This weekend, temperatures soared and I'm currently sweating my socks off in front of a fan even though it's half past eight at night. I bet it doesn't last though - there are thunderstorms forecast so I can see it all ending in a downpour. I went shopping in a different supermarket last week and picked up lots of different things to try out, which is great as my one big complaint about my local Lidl is that they rarely change what's on offer. 

Monday

lunch- canteen for me, fridge grazing for the kids

dinner - fake steak (something I bought at the supermarket - it's a kind of burger made from chopped up steak rather than minced beef. No idea what it'll be like but we'll see !) with pasta and peas

Tuesday

lunch- canteen for me, fridge grazing for the kids

dinner- pork curry with rice

Wednesday

lunch- baked potatoes with creamy chopped pork

dinner- chicken casserole with rice

Thursday

lunch lunch with friends for me, fridge grazing for the kids

dinner- BBQ chicken with mash & creamy cheesy leeks

Friday

lunch-  canteen for me, fridge grazing for the kids

dinner - freezer diving - I think there are some chicken burgers or pork chops in there, with boiled potatoes and ratatouille

Saturday

lunch- I think I'll go for chicken lazone again as it was such a big hit last time with rice

dinner- maybe a takeaway

Sunday

lunch- roast chicken, roast spuds, veg and gravy

dinner- bacon sandwiches

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

Sunday, 4 June 2023

What's Cooking At The Madhouse ? menu plan week 22

It's all go here at the moment. Last week, Sophie and Juliette were off in Paris for two days watching Harry Styles in concert. This week, Pierre has a day in London on a school trip. You can tell the end of the school year will soon be upon us ! While everyone is busy having fun days out, I'm catching up with end-of-term reports and class meetings. Definitely not fair ! Into the final month though so there are no complaints from me, all the same. Here's what we're eating this week.

Monday

lunch- canteen for me, fridge grazing for the kids

dinner - chicken burgers in buns with chips

Tuesday

lunch- canteen for me, fridge grazing for the kids

dinner- ham & cheese omelettes

Wednesday

lunch- fishfingers, mash & beans

dinner- pork curry with rice

Thursday

lunch lunch with friends for me, fridge grazing for the kids

dinner- creamy pork and mushrooms with pasta

Friday

lunch-  canteen for me, fridge grazing for the kids

dinner - meatballs with risotto and tomato sauce

Saturday

lunch- twice baked potatoes with cheese/onions/bacon/mushrooms/beans

dinner- takeaway or deliveroo

Sunday

lunch- roast dinner

dinner- leftovers or cheese on toast

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

Friday, 2 June 2023

Book review : In The Shadows - Jane Isaac

 

The recently released In The Shadows is the fifth book in the series by Jane Isaac, featuring the determined female police officer, DCI Helen Lavery. I have yet to read the others but nevertheless really enjoyed this book and I felt as if I really understood the lead character and her motivation.

As a popular school reunion disco at a busy pub winds to an end, all hell breaks loose as some of the guests head outside. With gunfire puncturing the stillness of the night, five victims are left lying on the ground and the assassin has fled into the shadows. Who is behind these murders and why has the peaceful town of Hampton been targetted ? Could this be linked to the past investigations of DCI Lavery and her detective father and the criminals they put behind bars?

Helped by the counter-terrorism unit, Lavery leads the investigation into this bloody crime. But that is not all she has on the cards. The trial of Chilli Franks is being arranged and this organised crime boss has Lavery and her family in his sights as revenge for being put in prison back in the 1990's. Helen's teenaged son Robert is best friends with Zac, who just happens to be the nephew of Chilli Franks. DCI Lavery has her hands full, trying to solve the case, track down the criminal but also look after her family. 

With short chapters packed full of action, the tension builds as the narrative progresses. The constant references to the issues going on in DCI Lavery's personal life help to see her as more than just a police inspector and help us to understand the stresses that she is going through.

It's a gripping read and has definitely made me want to go back and catch up with the previous titles. The only bad point in my view is that I frequently read way past my bedtime and felt tired the next day, but it was definitely worth it !

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £8.99

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Legend Press (25 May 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1915643899
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915643896

 

Disclosure : I received a review copy of the book in order to share my honest opinion.
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