Meal Planning Monday; Back to School Blues and September's meals sorted

There are parts of the year that are fun, fun, fun, and parts that are both good and bad. I find September is balanced on a knife edge. I like the start of a new school year, the renewal of intentions, the creation of fresh new pages of plans and the planning for life ahead through to Christmas, but I also dread the start of new things; new classes, new people to relate to, new timetables and new pressures. Yes, I know, I'm classically conflicted. Very Dickensian; it's the best of times and the worst of times, the most exciting and the most nerve racking, the happiest and the saddest.
So last week I sat and planned my month worth of meals. I do a month at a time to save me sucking the end of my pencil more than once a month.


Here are the meals we will be eating this month Chez Nous. (I've included the days already gone by for archive reasons)

1;  Baked Aromatic Chicken
2; Lasagne and broccoli
3; Salmon with tomato pasta
4; Hotdogs and chips/ Peter to choose our meal
5; Meal at Ma's and Pa's
6; Bastichio (baked pasta) from Mum's Know Best p132
7; Meatballs and pasta
8; Chicken Bake
9; Great Sausage Casserole with mashed potato MKB
10; Minced Pie MKB
11; Frikadellen and chips/Paella
12; Maryland Chicken from Mum's Know Best p 206
13; Sausage Plait from Mum's Know Best p136
14; Noodle stir fry with bacon
15; Sausages and cheese pie MKB
16; Chicken and red pepper bake
17; Chilli con carne MKB p19
18; Home made pizza/Paella (again!)
19; Roast chicken with gnocchi roastinis
20; Roast beef MKB 150
21; Baked Ham, cabbage and mash MKB70
22; Pan Haggerty & bacon MKB98
23; Great sausage casserole with pasta MKB
24; Cottage pie with cheesy mash MKB127
25; Pie and chips/ Peter to choose
26; Yarndale!!!!
27; Probably fish and chips
28; Breakfast @ night
29; Mince and dumplings MKB
30; Fish pie

I'm using the Hairy Bikers' cook book ,Mums Know Best: The Hairy Bikers' Family Cookbook, as my inspiration. It's one of the most useful cookbooks for a family I have, because so many of the recipes have been given by actual families so you know they work. Next month, I'm not going to be able to plan from the book I'd like to because it doesn't come out until the 8th October. It's Simply Nigella: Feel Good Food to link with her new TV series. I've pre-ordered it from Amazon, so hopefully I'll get it as soon as possible. I will probably re-read some other Nigella classics before then.

And I'm trying to reclaim my inner baker. Sarah the Princess is the usual baker in the house, but I feel like I only get to do the donkey work of main meals while she makes the light and fluffy treats, so this month I am grabbing my apron and wooden spoon and staking my claim to be a proper Mum with proper baking going on!

Again inspired by The Hairy Bikers, I am planning to make
Lemon Drizzle Cake
Millionaire's Shortbread
Welsh Cakes, and
Treacle Tart.

I'll try to take pictures and post them.... if the products last long enough! And I won't be posting my meal plans again until the first Monday of October.....

Comments

  1. sounds like a wonderful month of feasting.

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  2. Yum. It's making me feel hungry reading your yummy meal plan. I do wish my family would eat Paella, I love it but no one else here does.

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    1. We only have paella on a Friday because that's when Peter and I have our meal alone after the kids have been sent packing.

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  3. Wow, I am seriously impressed. Sometimes I struggle to come up with 7 meals let alone 30.

    I can relate totally to getting fed up of doing the main meals rather than the fancy baking bits which like Sarah, Amy mostly does here.

    When I worked in school I always felt like I had 2 New Years Days - one when school started in September and the official one. I actually liked the September one better, it was all those lovely new books and stationery that did it for me.

    Mum loves the Hairy Bikers and is always relating some recipe of theirs to me so I might just have a look for their book. xx

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    Replies
    1. I like the Mum's Know Best, it's really useable.

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  4. Chicken and red pepper bake, sounds like something that would go down well here.
    And what are gnocchi roastinis? Do you make the gnocchi and then roast, or do you use the pre made from supermarket? Sounds like something a bit different.
    I'm doing 2 weeks at a time menus as I find things go awry if I plan ahead too far!
    Lisa x

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    Replies
    1. It's Nigella's idea; supermarket gnocchi just fried until golden and served at any occasion that calls for roast potatoes. Because they take seconds to make, you can have mini roastinis any day! I am blasted at the idea of making my own gnocchi. Do I give off the aura of a woman who would make them?

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    2. Of course, I've made them before, they are so easy.
      Do you have the book A Girl called Jack, she makes gnocchi from tinned pots, I haven't tried making those ---- yet!
      http://www.hellomagazine.com/cuisine/recipes/2014030517312/jack-monroe-gnocchi-recipe/
      Lisa x

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  5. I must look out for the new Nigella book when it comes out... I hope that the beginning of term is going OK for you. Jx

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    Replies
    1. I have a new role; 2 days in and I am LOVING it!

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  6. I plan a months meals too and do similar to you in just using a couple of books, after seeing you write down the page numbers though I am going to copy that, a very good idea! Hope you enjoy your months eating and cooking! xx

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    Replies
    1. Will do!
      What are your favourite books?

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    2. Nigel Slater Eat is a current favourite, anything Nigella, and also a guy called Bill Granger, great food!! xx

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