Tubbits

Just a few tubs to keep all the prepared food in!  What would I do without them?

Pretty coffee

I don't drink coffee but I went for a drink with my hubby and he had one and I thought this was really clever, although for the price of it I think that was the least they could do, lol.

Jam tarts

Helping my little chef to make jam tarts.

It was his idea and I decided to make the pastry from scratch to save buying it as I had all the ingredients. I forgot how time consuming it was with all the kneading then putting in the fridge etc. I felt a sense of achievement but it would have been a lot easier and let’s face it it would have also tasted better with readymade pastry. I think I will have to practice on mine, it was a bit dry :-(

 

He enjoyed them though and took one to his first day back at preschool. 

 

Retail therapy

My Mum and I decided to have a bit of well deserved "us" time so went for a shop to next then stopped at Starbucks for a cheeky cake and a drink - yum. 

A lovely afternoon of pampering.

Slimming World Recipes

I got a new Slimming World magazine and after over indulging during our birthdays I thought it was about time i ate better so chose a few recipes and decided to go shopping and give it a whirl.  Here are the photos of my attempt then the magaine photo.

I made tomato soup with basil which had a great flavour and even my hubby and 1 year old loved it.
I also made chicken Kiev’s, chips and added peas (I didn’t make these) This was trickier because I had to put together the chicken with the mixture in the middle then put it in the fridge for 15 mins, then do the coating and put in the fridge for another 15 mins then fry for a couple of minutes then bake so it was a little fiddly but well worth it and I imagine if I wasn’t making everything else it wouldn’t be so stressful and time consuming. I also made a full fat version for the boys so we could all eat together.

As I am working tomorrow I prepared dinner today in the form of beef casserole in a red wine sauce. This smelt delicious and cooked for 5 hours slowly in the oven so the meat is tender and the sauce is really thick, I must admit I did have to do quite a big taste test to check it was ok ;-) So when I get back from work I will just pop a little in the microwave for the boys then reheat mine and my hubbys later when they have gone to bed and we can actually relax and enjoy our food. Of course it was lovely to eat as a family this evening but it is never as relaxing as eating on our own.

Inspiration

Winter is coming and I love making hearty stews and casseroles.  I enjoy looking through cooking magazines and getting ideas, it is just hard finding the time and energy to actually make things.

 

 

I used to think it was expensive to make a casserole or a roast but actually when I work out the cost and divide it by four of us it is the equivalent of a readymade sandwich so not bad for a homemade healthy meal.