Top 10 Pinterest DIY Christmas Projects

The time has come to trawl through my Christmas Pinterest board and decide which of all the ideas and projects I have pinned will actually make it to reality. I gave myself a fright by checking my bank balance today and decided that presents still left to sort will not be bought but made, and preferably by the kids. It is with one eye on budget and another on the required skill level that I have narrowed it down to the following pins. Actually, the kids chose them, hence all the sweet recipes.

And to package some of them: 

What Pinterest creations will you be doing for Christmas this year?

Meal Planning Monday - 19 August 2013

Let's just gloss over the many, many weeks it's been since I meal planned or posted about it. I have really missed it and the drudge of grocery shopping and cooking has become a real chore since I got out of the habit of planning. I have been going to the supermarket, buying whatever I can be bothered to get, then making it last the week because I can't be bothered going back to the supermarket again. Since it's holidays there has also been a fair amount of eating out, but I feel the need to wrest back control over our eating again so here I am with a shiny (re)new(ed) enthusiasm for family cooking.

On the menu this week:

Chicken Katsu

Creamy Gammon and Vegetable Pie

Naan Thai Chicken Pizza

Steak, Baked Courgette Chips and some other veg - corn on the cob, maybe?

Chicken and Potato Hash

Burgers and Salad with One Hour Rolls

I am not sure what type of burgers but I know I have mince of some description in the freezer.

I have a shared Pinterest board (again, a little neglected lately) so if you want to share your Family Favourite Recipes - those go-to meals that never let you down - just leave a message here with your Pinterest name and I'll add you to the board.

Remember to check out Mrs M for more Meal Planning Monday inspiration.

Have a great week everyone!

Meal Planning Monday - 10 June 2013

10 June? 10 June! How on earth did that happen? I don't know what it's like where you are, but here it's like spring has gone ballistic and coated everything in green and floral lushness. It's awesome and I hope the good weather sticks around until at least September.

On the menu this week:

Crispy Lemon and Herb Chicken
Smoked Pork Sausage Frittata
Eggs Flamenco
Apple Chicken Burgers with Basil and Gouda
Butternut and sweet potato soup
Slow cooker Honey Apple Pork

This Veggie Lasagne is a recipe I made last week. It is fast, tasty and freezes beautifully. I froze it in individual portions and mainly had it for lunch with a salad of spinach. Heaps of veggies, super speedy and totally delicious. What's not to like?

I am going to my first Clandestine Cake Club meeting next week! I had planned on going to one in March but the date changed and I couldn't make it - boo. Anyway, the theme is retro so does anyone have any good suggestions for a retro cake to bake?

Have a fab week and remember to jump over to Mrs M's for more Meal Planning Monday inspiration.

Meal Planning Monday - 25 March 2013

Welcome to another Monday. I actually have my shit together this week, doubly impressive since it is school holidays here and we've started with one stomach bug (5 year old) and a packed schedule that hasn't allowed sufficient time for sleep (10 year old). Let's hope things calm down soon!

This week we are eating:

roasted chicken breast with garlic mushrooms

beef casserole and dumplings

meatloaf

pork schnitzel and ratatouille

brekkie for dinner (or brinner, as I've seen it called)

baked fajitas

leftovers

I have no plans to bake this week. In preparation for Sunday's choc-fest and next week's visit to Cadbury's World I aim to fill the kids with as much fruit and veg as I can. 

If you're looking for more inspiration check out Mrs M's linky and don't forget the Shared Family Favourites Pinterest board. Just leave me a message if you want to be able to contribute.

Have a sensational week everyone, and Happy Easter!

It's a Birthday Cake Bonanza!

I know, I know... yesterday's post was all about eating healthily because I'd had loads of cake over the weekend but today's post is about cake. Well, since it's cake related I know there is no need to excuse myself.

It's my birthday at the end of next week and I am debating what cake I want to make. Last year it was Boston Cream Pie which was tasty, but not spectacular as I was hoping. I have been perusing my Pinterest board for inspiration but I can't make up my mind. Please help! I want it to be pretty special - more dessert than mere cake.

This is what I have narrowed it down to:

Caramel Fudge Brownie Cheesecake

Add caption

Candy Apple Pie

Chocolate Midnight Pie

Caramel Brownie Trifle

Coconut Caramel Drizzle Pie

Better than Sex Cake 

I was considering profiteroles, but this looks even better!

What do you think I should choose, and do you have any other suggestions? Man, why do birthdays only happen once a year?

Meal Planning Monday - 18 February 2013

Phew, bit late in the day to be posting considering I've already eaten dinner but Monday night is better than Tuesday, right?

Last week's meal plan was a success and I really enjoying trying the new recipes people have pinned on the shared Pinterest board. I even made pasta for the first time and it though it was hard work it wasn't difficult.

This week's menu is a little easier to plan because I am Bzzing Maggi So Juicy products at thee moment. It's the first campaign I've done and I was a little sceptical since I am not a big one for packaged spice mixes (with the exception of taco/fajita seasoning). So far I have tried Tuscan Sausage one (with a tin of tomatoes and some water in the slow cooker), Mexican Chicken which was a even with my "no sauce" eating oldest (served with Mexican rice and wraps), and Sticky BBQ which I cooked with pork because even I can't eat chicken every night of the week. So yes, I would buy these to keep in the cupboard for those nights when you can't be bothered but don't want takeaway. 

This week's meal plan is

Sausage Casserole (see above)

Quorn Shepherds Pie with Sweet Potato and cheese Topping

Maggi So Juicy Mixed Herbs for Chicken with Smashed Potatoes

Sweet and Sour Chicken with boiled rice

Savoury Mince and Veg in Giant Yorkshire Pudding

Sweet Chilli Burgers

There was a special on Quorn mince this week so between that, the Maggi sachets and the chicken breast I had in the freezer I am pretty much covered this week.

I have been busy pinning to my Sweet Tooth board. I was hoping to attend my first Clandestine Cake Club meeting but the dates have changed and I'll be away (in Paris, so I'm not complaining!) and it's my birthday next month so I am searching for something really decadent and birthday-worthy to make.

Fudge is one of my favourite things to eat but the one time I tried to make it I failed dismally. It didn't set and I ended up up warming it and serving over ice cream. This time I definitely simmered and stirred for 15 minutes but it's still kind of soft. Does anyone have any tips for successful fudge?

Remember to check out Mrs M's Meal Planning Monday linky for more meal planning posts and let me know if you have any special cake/pudding suggestions. 

Have a great week.

Meal Planning Monday - 11 February 2013

Last week I missed my first MPM (that's Meal Planning Monday, for those in the know) post in, I dunno, months! Not sure what happened. I sat down on Monday morning thinking "yes, I'll do that in a minute" and before I knew it, it was Thursday arvo and there was clearly no point.

This week I am taking all my meals from my Shared Family Favourite Recipes Pinterest board. This is a shared board so if you want to be able to pin your tried and tested family favourites there just let me know. I am hoping to build up a good stock of recipes we know work to make my life easier to create a shared resource that benefits humankind. 'Cause I'm thoughtful like that.

Italian Chicken pinned by Julie with cous cous

Baked Mini Meatballs pinned by Sarah with homemade pasta*

Chicken and Leek Stroganoff pinned by Amy

Vietnamese Lemongrass infused Pork balls pinned by Janice

Steak with Dauphinoise potatoes and mushrooms pinned by me

Five planned meals should cover it this week since it's school holidays and we have a few things planned.

Don't forget about the new board - leave your Pinterest name below if you want to join in the fun. Remember to check out Mrs M for more Meal Planning Monday inspiration.

If you like this, why not stay up to date easily by following via Google or bloglovin', and thanks for reading!

Meal Planning Monday - 28 January 2013

Woo hoo, check it out - Monday again! That means the weekend's almost here, right? Actually I don't want to wish my week away because I have my fingers firmly crossed the kids will be in school for ALL FIVE DAYS (yes snow, I'm talking to you!) and I can do exciting things like finish a cup of tea in peace.

The most exciting news this week is that I have created a shared board for putting tried and tested family favourites to aid in weekly meal planning. You can follow it here and if you want to be able to Pin your favourite recipes to to it just leave me a message on one of the more recent pins, or add your Pinterest name in the comments here and I will send you an invite.

So, onto the good stuff. Only 5 meals to plan this week so I am going with

Boursin chicken with wilted spinach, carrots and new potatoes
Fridge frittata

to use up some goat's cheese, fresh herbs and other bits
Double crunch honey garlic pork chops

 (only had these a fortnight ago but they are so tasty and have been requested)
Roast Chicken 

with all the trimmings, and Yorkshire pud
Chicken and vegetable pie 

which will probably turn into stew with dumplings since I have no pastry in the freezer and probably will forget I need to make it until it's too late.

Don't forget about the new board - leave your Pinterest name below if you want to join in the fun. Remember to check out Mrs M for more Meal Planning Monday inspiration.

If you like this, why not stay up to date easily by following via Google or bloglovin', and thanks for reading! 

7 Pinterest Boards You Need To Follow Right Now

It's no secret I love Pinterest. It's not just responsible for reviving my cooking mojo when I get bored of trying to think of new and interesting things to make for dinner, it's a top resource for just about everything, brilliant inspiration, and a great way to procrastinate while simultaneously being productive (I mean, all those Pins are going to be used at some point, right?)

Here is my top pick of boards I think you should be following right now


1. For Family Meals
Six Sisters' Stuff - Recipes
I lurve Six Sisters and pin a lot of their stuff. I don't always make it and sometimes I just pin because the pictures look nice, but they're my go-to for inspiration when I'm totally stuck with meal planning. Some recipes I follow faithfully and others I adapt to suit, but I never walk away empty handed.

Honouable Mention:
Picky Palate - Dinner Time. I could eat just about everything on here, and her blog is good too.


2. For Sweet Stuff and Baking
Geraldine Frahm - Cupcakes!
485 pins (at the time of writing) and everyone of them a cupcake gem. It's a treasure trove that I salivate over even though I haven't a hope of making at least half of them, or making the other half look half as good.

Honourable Mention:
Carolyn Mann - Sweets plenty of easy looking sweet treats for occasions and everyday. 



3. For Homes
Bridget (redefinedvintage.com) - Houses I Love
Pictures of gorgeous houses that make me want to click through and daydream. Bridget has plenty of amazing boards which are well worth following as well as this one, but this is probably my favourite at the moment.

Honourable Mention:
Renae Dudley - home sweet home lots of lovely home interiors with gorgeous colour and things


4. For Fashion
Laura Lowery - My Style
I probably like this board so much because a lot of it is to my taste, but it's worth following for the variety of sources her pins come from. I've found some great sites and fashion bloggers I would never have known about if I hadn't clicked through from some of these pins.

Honourable Mention
Nicole Román - Oh You Fancy, huh!? not so much for the clothes, but more for the variety and the sites they come from.


5. For Crafts you don't need a PhD in craftyness to do
Rowena Jongejan - DIY
Ro's style is faultless and she's got a great range of projects here, both fashion and home related.

Honourable Mention
Kirsty Colquhoun - General Crafts only an honourable mention because I couldn't decide which crafty board I liked the most to make it my favourite. She's a pinner I love to follow, especially her 365 Pinterest Challenge board and blog.



6. For Kids
Nicole Clikeman - The future teacher in me! 
Fun and educational activities and a great range of originating websites so you can dig even further.

Honourable Mention
Sally WeWantApps! - Lego well, because it's LEGO... duh!

7. For Everything Else

Alanna Clare - To See and to Do 

So many fab pictures of awesome places, both natural and man made. I especially love the buildings she pins. 

Honourable Mention

Teresa Osborne - Hiiiilllllarrrioussss! honestly, it could have been one of a number of boards but this one has made me chuckle recently. 

So there you have it, my favourite 7 (ok, 14) Pinterest boards to follow at the moment. If you like what you've seen here then follow me on Pinterest and you'll see more of what I am pinning.

Meal Planning Monday - 19March 2012

Once again I found myself pushed for time this week and only managed a rushed meal plan. Next week I am going to plan over the course of the week rather than rush it the night before I am supposed to have the shopping delivered and everyone is nagging me for food because all we have left are some crumbs of non-sugary cereal and a crust of bread. Well, not quite, but they way they go on you would think that sometimes!

Thank God for Pinterest for quick inspiration. If you're not already, follow my menu boards on Pinterest as there are some really tasty dishes on there. I only need 5 meals this week as one night is for leftovers, and one night I am out. Hurrah!

 Crispy Potato Roast with sausages and vegetables

Cottage Pie

Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie

Twice Baked Cranberry & Pancetta Sweet Potatoes with Balsamic Glaze

Guinness Beef Stew & Soda Bread

I am especially looking forward to the sweet potatoes as they look delicious. Except ... bugger... I have just realised I have forgotten to buy cranberries. Oh well, I will get some later.

On the baking list this week is this little beauty from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Boston Cream Pie

It is my birthday on Friday and this is the cake I chose. You can bet I didn't forget any ingredients for that! 

I will also make

Anzac Biscuits Traybake

Leave a comment and let me know what you think of this week's meal plan by. You will be relieved to know that, after 3 purchases of mozzarella, I finally managed the mozzarello pesto chicken and it was gorgeous. 

Remember to check out Mrs M's linky for more Meal Planning Monday posts.

2011 round up

What would 31 December be without a little self indulgent introspection?

Great things that have caught my eye and/or changed my life in 2011

1. Isle of Wight - our Easter holiday there is one of my favourite family holidays ever, due in no small part to the glorious weather. The unpredictability of British sunshine really makes it special.
2. Pod camping - 3 days with my boys and friends and something new for all of us
3. Polo - Pimms, sunshine and strong thighs. It's got to be an annual outing
4. SlimPod - it's helping change the way I think about eating, and develop (hopefully lasting) healthier habits.
5. Dubonnet - building a new relationship with an old favourite.
6. Pinterest has changed my life without a doubt. Such a fantastic site with tonnes of interesting and useful links, and a favourite indulgence for time wasting
7. Twitter  - not a new find, but one I've used much better this year and have found some lovely funny people through
8. Mrs M's Meal Planning Monday -  I am so much more organised as a result of this. It's also motivated me to try new recipes and, along with Pinterest, has rejuvenated my pleasure in day to day domestic cooking
9.  Moves Like Jagger- I love this song. Possibly my favourite all year
10. Early starts - it's taken me a while to get into the habit but now I (mostly) love my early morning starts. I am a lark. 

Happy New Year! I hope that 2012 is everything you could wish for. I fully plan on giving it plenty of welly and am looking forward to it immensely.

Meal Planning Monday - 24 October

Here we are again: Monday. Last week I was unwell and couldn't be bothered was far too sick to manage to post a meal plan. I regretted it as it definitely makes life easier having a plan. I've also changed my supermarket shopping routine, which is usually online from Asda, to instore at Lidl and Aldi and since I'm not 100% sure what they stock it's not as easy to plan. It's definitely cheaper though. I've saved £45-50 over 2 weeks.

This week's plan is:

Chicken Pot Pie Muffins 

 I am not sure what I will substitute for the canned biscuits. Maybe shortcrust pastry, or maybe a type of wholemeal muffin/cobbler type mix?

Garlic lamb chops

Spinach stuffed chicken breasts 

Cottage pie

Chicken Curry

Double Crunch honey garlic pork chops with mash and petit pois (ok, frozen peas)

Fridge Frittata

I'll be baking:

 Plum cobbler or crumble (nice and seasonal)

Lemon Burst biscuits

These use cake mix, which I don't normally use. I'll have to substitute heavy cream for the Cool Whip. They just look so tasty.

and maybe Chocolate Oatmeal biscuits

Go to At Home with Mrs M for more menu plans

Meal Planning Monday - 9 October

Happy Monday peeps. I just had a read back through last week's menu and I didn't cook either the meatlhoaf or the chicken pancakes. We had left overs one night, and I can't remember what else on the other.

I've been through the Food board on Pinterest for inspiration this week and have decided on:

Slow cooker Italian Meatloaf

Roast Chicken

Chicken and garlic mushroom pie

Frittata with spinach and butternut squash

Slow cooker ginger and sesame chicken

and baking:

Flapjacks

Easy Chocolate Cake

Caramel Apple Crisp

There's lots of chicken in there, but I have a lot of chicken in the freezer that needs using.

If you're looking for more inspiration check out the linky at At Home With Mrs M

Tighten your belts! It's Sensible Spending September

After seemingly hemmorrhaging money over the past 2 months I can feel my mindset naturally clicking into frugal mode. It's time to tighten my belt, cut my coat according to my cloth, insert parsimonious cliche here. I am far from a spendthrift but living frugally is not something I can do for a long period of time. When the need comes naturally like this (as opposed via a nasty bank statement shock) it's a great feeling. It's like a spring clean for the soul as I sell things we no longer use and generally have a good declutter. Clean house + growing bank balance + virtuous feeling = how can you go wrong?

Sensible Spending September has arisen from my love of cheesy alliteration and the need to feel like I'm in control of my bank account again.

If you're of a similar mindset I enthusiastically recommend A Thrifty Mrs, and my ongoing amour Pinterest.
Rachael Blogs did a great post on Groupon recently. And don't forget sites like Quidco. As long as you're not spending money for the sake of saving money, they can be really useful.

Fajita bowls

Further to yesterday's post I have actually made something from Pinterest! There I was, thinking about dinner and what to cook (despite Monday's meal plan, nothing appealed). I decided to use Pinterest for inspiration and ... ta dah! mini taco bowls.

Here is my larger version. I used normal sized tortillas and shaped some in an upside down muffin tin, and some inside a bowl.

Pinterest!

For someone whose blog is about random things that have caught my eye, you might have thought I would have discovered Pinterest a long time ago. As it is, my sister introduced me to it a week or 2 ago and I'm hooked. How fantastic is that site! Not only is it a place for me to stick things I like and might need to find again (you should see the mess my Bookmarks are in) but it's full of other cool stuff people have found. It's a both a brilliant resource and an amazing time waster, and just perfect for someone like me who has the attention span of a toddler some days.

One of my favourite finds this week is Kirsty Calquhorn's 365 days of Pinterest creations blog She's pretty inspirational. I have been treating Pinterest a bit like a magazine - something to dip in and out of for entertainment or ideas - but she's actually doing.

Fab ideas I have found which I will definitely be trying are:

Chocolate Mint Cookie Mounds - choc mint is the favourite flavour of my husband and 2 sons

The Bored Jar

Stained glass sculpture

Star Wars figures (Ok, I already knew about these, but have ordered the wooden dolls now)

Pretty book marks 

I could go on... I am in love with Pinterest.